IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND FITTING OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Edward Newton of the Office for Patents
66 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer for an
Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND FITTING OF
RAILWAY CARRIAGES "communicated to him from abroad by Berks Thompson
Hutchinson Dental Surgeon, of Cape Town, South Africa
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Edward Newton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th June 1883.
HENRY EDWARD NEWTON of the Office for Patents 66 Chancery Lane in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
AND FITTING OF RAILWAY-CARRIAGES."-[Communicated to him from abroad by
Berks Thompson Hutchinson Dental Surgeon, of Cape Town, South Africa]
The object of this invention is to provide a carriage adapted for through night
or day express or mail trains, such carriage being mounted in the usual manner
on bogie frames or trucks, and so constructed as to possess sleeping and sanitary
appliances for thirty passengers in the space usually (or at present) alloted to
twenty-four; or in a like proportion when the carriage is constructed of smaller
dimensions, thereby effecting a saving of considerable space, according as each
compartment of the carriage is constructed for the use of three, six, nine or twelve
persons.
In carrying out this invention certain portions of the carriage are made
detachable, and may be put together or taken to pieces in a few minutes without
the aid of skilled labour by which arrangement the following advantages are
obtained.
(1) Additional sleeping space is secured without increasing the usual dimensions
of the carriage.
(2) Detachable portions can be utilized in various ways or removed entirely as
required, and thus by a simple process a part or the whole of the carriage may be
converted into an ambulance.
The number of seats and method of distributing the same may vary according

page_text: to circumstances, but it is preferred to arrange the seats longitudinally of the
carriage so as to admit of a central avenue running through the whole length of
the carriage the same being available in case of fire, for access to the lavatorics
which are suitably placed in pairs, and for other purposes. The number of
Sliding
entrances to the carriage may also vary according to circumstances.
doors are used to close the central avenue so as to form compartments for three,
six or more passengers as required.
Hinged doors are used for the lavatories which may be divided by diagonal
partitions from one another the partitions being so provided with hinged doors..
In First Class carriages the seats are constructed in three movable sections
which-can-be-adjusted in various ways to suit the convenience of passengers. The
manner in which they are attached to the carriage is as follows:-
At a certain convenient distance from the side of the carriage is placed a metal
bar each end of which rests in a socket, or is permanently fixed in the adjacent
partitions; the central portion of the bar being further supported by a bracket
or standard attached to the side of the carriage.
At the back of each seat are affixed two hooks by which to attach the seat to
the metal bar. On either side but near to the front of each seat is pivotted a
metal Standard the ends of which are inserted into sockets in the floor of the
carriago when the seat is in the usual position: the standard becoming parallel
with the seat when the latter is raised or removed from its place. The bar is fixed
at such a distance from the side of the carriage as to enable the seat to be raised.
out of use in which case the moveable back requires to be first raised to allow the
seat to fit in behind or the back may be removed entirely from its attachments,
which may also be hooks, and be utilized as a table top. Each of the seats can be
detached in a few seconds thus leaving the space available for any purpose for
which it may be required.
By constructing the seats as above described sufficient space is acquired for the
introduction of six beds in place of four as in carriages of the ordinary construction.
In making up the beds the seats are detached and placed on the floor of the
carriage, being employed for the first two beds. The next two are placed above
these, at a distance of 2 ft 11 inch from the floor, the method of suspension being.
by a stout canvas sheet, attached at each side to hickory or other bars which are
inserted into slots in standards forming part of the framing of the carriage. The
ends of the bars are armed with metallic pins for that purpose.
The additional two beds are similarly placed over the central hammocks and
equi-distant between these and the roof of the carriage. This method of arranging
the beds therefore admits of the accommodation of three persons on each sido of
the compartment. When however sleeping space is required for only four
passengers, or when it is desirable that the first hammock should be nearer to the
floor of the carriage additional slots are formed in the standards which will allow
for the bammocks being readily re-adjusted.
In some cases some of the seats may be placed transversely. In the case of the
seat in front of the hinged door between two compartments it will be necessary to
remove the seat when in case of emergency a passage is required between that and
the next compartment. The bar supporting the seats in this instance extends from
each side of the carriage to the door jambs only.
The partition next to one of the entrances may be so constructed as to be
removable when it is desired to convert the carriage into an ambulance, or to place
an invalid in any of the compartments.
In the roof of the carriage is a water tank connected with the sanitary appliances.
This tank is also in communication with a similar tank over the lavatory at the
end of the carriage. A leaf or table top is when not required, attached to one of
the doors by means of two grooved brackets. This leaf which can be detached
from the door in a few seconds is intended to be employed as a central table the
four corners being furnished with sockets for the reception of metal standards,

page_text: the lower ends of which are inserted into similar sockets in the floor of the
carriage.
In case of Second and Third Class carriages the same principles may apply in
reference both to the hammocks and the movable seats.
The seats in carriages of any class attached on the principle heretofore described
can also be constructed when required in one piece instead of three sections.
At any suitable point in the roof of the carriage are secured hooks or other
appliances for assisting in raising the hammock when converted into a stretcher
The method by which this is effected is by means of a cord passing round these
hooks one end of the cord being attached to the moveable strut placed at each end
of the stretcher.
It will be easily understood that the appliances for making up beds above
described may be readily adapted to ordinary railway carriages.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
15th December 1883.
HENRY EDWARD NEWTON of the Office of Patents 66 Chancery Lane in the
County of Middlesex Civil Engineer IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND
FITTING OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES-communication to me from abroad by Berks
Thompson Hutchinson, Dental Surgeon; of Cape Town, South Africa.
The object of this Invention is to provide a Carriage adapted for through night
or day Express or Mail Trains, such Carriage being so constructed as to possess
sleeping and sanitary appliances for thirty passengers in the space usually (or at
present) allotted to twenty-four, or in a like proportion when the Carriage is
constructed of smaller dimensions; thereby effecting a saving of considerable space
according as each Compartment of the Carriage is constructed for the use of three,
'six, nine or twelve persons
The Invention further consists in making certain portions of the Carriage in
detached parts, which may be put together or taken to pieces in a few minutes
without the aid of skilled labour, and certain advantages of a two-fold nature are
thus obtained which may thus be described
1-Additional sleeping space is secured without increasing the usual dimensions
of the Carriage
2-The detachable portions may be utilized in various ways or removed
entirely as required and thus by a simplo process a part or the whole of the
Carriage may be converted into an Ambulance with Hammocks so constructed as.
(a.) To serve for the usual sleeping purposes or (b) as stretchers to be used in cases
of accidents on the line or otherwise, or for the removal of invalids to or from their
residences
These improvements in the construction of Railway Carriages will be readily
understood from the following description thereof reference being had to the
accompanying drawings in which Fig 1 is a side elevation of a carriage constructed
to carry thirty passengers and Fig 2 is a plan of the same in which the seats aro
so arranged as to allow for a Central Avenue the whole length of the Carriage;
the same being available in case of fire and for other purposes-A is the railway
carriage which may be mounted on bogie frames or trucks or in any other
convenient manner. B B are the scats numbered respectively 1 to 30, and most of
which are arranged longitudinally of the carriage. C C are lavatories which are
arranged in pairs in convenient parts of the carriage and contain a lavatory proper
and a Water closet. D D show the six entrances to the Carriage. At E E in the
central avenue are sliding doors which when closed will form compartments for
three, six or more passengers as may be required. At F F are hinged doors which
can be used when desired in conjunction with the sliding doors E E.
It will thus be seen that the seats are arranged chiefly at the sides of the
Carriage (beneath the windows). In first class carriages these scats are constructed
in sections each of which can be adjusted in various ways to suit the convenience
of passengers. The manner in which they are attached to the carriago is as
follows-At a convenient distance from the side of the Carriage a metal bar U is
adjusted, each end of which rests in a socket, or is permanently fixed in the
adjacent partitions, the central portion of the bar being further supported by
brackets to securely attached to the side of the carriage
To the back of each Section are affixed two hooks V, V, Figures 6 and 7, by
which the Section is connected to the metal bar-On each side but near to the

page_text: front of, each section is pivotted a metal standard or support Y Y, Fig 7, the end
of which is inserted into a socket in the floor of the carriage when the seat is in
use the Standard Y folding up against the seat frame W whon the lutter is raised
or removed from its place
:
The metal bar U is fixed at such a distance from the side of the Carriage T'as
to enable the section or scat W to turn up in the direction y (Fig 7) when
desired, in which case the moveable back X requires to be first raised in the
direction indicated by the dotted line, or the back X may be removed entirely
from its attachment, which is also by hooks (see Figures 5 and 7) as is sometimes
done, when the back is required to be utilised as a table top.
Each of the Seats can be detached in a few seconds, thus leaving the space
available for any purpose for which it may be required
In carriages as usually constructed where the Compartment is for six passengers,
only four beds can be introduced, two of which are formed by the fixed soats, the
other two being stretchers or other supports susponded at a distance of two feet
from the roof of the Carriage.-By the above described method of constructing tho
seats and backs, additional space is acquired sufficient for the introduction of two
other beds. To effect this the Seats are detached and placed on the floor of the
carriage employing them for the first two beds. The next two are placed above
theso at a distance of say two feet one-and-a-half inch from the floor, and consist
of stout canvas attached at each side to hickory bars which are inserted into the
slots, O, O, in the standards N, N, the ends of the bars being armed with a
metallic pin for that purpose.
These stretchers or hammocks are also employed for another purpose to bo
presently described.
The additional two beds are similarly placed over the central stretchers or
hammocks being equi-distant from these and the roof of the carriage. This method
of arranging the beds therefor admits of the accommodation of three persons on
each side of the Compartment-When, however, sleeping space is required for only
four passengers, or when it is desirable that the top stretcher or hammock should
be nearer to the floor of the carriage additional slots P are introduced into tho
standards (see Fig 4) which will enable the stretchers or hammocks to be readily
readjusted.
In the diagram Fig 2 it will be observed that the seats numbered 1. 2. 3. and
16. 17. 18 respectively are placed transversely. In the case of the seat numbered 17
where the hinged door, F, opens outwardly in the direction of A. it will be necessary
to remove the seat 17 when in case of emergency a passage is required between
that and the next compartment.
The bar U supporting the seats in this instance extends from each sido of the
Carriage to the door jambs only.
The partition between the door D and Seat 4 (in Fig 2) is so constructed as to
be removeable when it is desired to convert the carriage into an Ambulance, or to
place an invalid in any of the Compartments.
Fig: 4 is a cross-section of one of my carriages at the point F adjoining the
seats 10. 11. (Fig 2). This diagram shows the partition between the Compartment
containing the seats marked 10. 11 and one of the Lavatories marked C. C.—
A leaf or table-top, L, is when not required attached to the door at F by any
convenient means-This Leaf, which can be detached from the door in a few
seconds is intended to be employed as a central table, the four corners being
furnished with sockets for the reception of metal standards, the lower ends of
which are inserted into similar sockets in the floor of the Carriage J is a water
tank connected with the sanitary appliances in the Compartments C C.
Fig 5 is a longitudinal section of the compartment under notice showing
the position of the seats numbered 11. 13. 15 and the moveable backs.-At 2 is
shown the point of Attachment of the backs to the side of the Carriage T (see also
Fig: 7)

page_text: In case of Second and Third Class carriages, the same principles may apply in
reference both to the Hammocks and the moveable seats.
The seats in Carriages of any class attached on the principle hereofore [sic].
described and shown in the drawings, can also be constructed when required in
one piece instead of three sections.
At the point M M Fig 4, is shewn an appliance for raising the hammock when
converted into a stretcher in cases where it is required to place the invalid in the
position marked O in the drawing-The method by which this is effected is by
means of a Cord passing through M. M; one end of the cord being attached to a
moveable strut, placed at each end of the stretcher-It will be understood
that my improvements can be readily adapted to railway carriages as at present
constructed
Having now described the nature of the said Invention as communicated to me
from Abroad and explained-the manner of carrying it into effect-I Claim
1 Constructing railway carriages substantially as herein shown and described
whereby more seat space is obtained than in carriages of the ordinary construction
and sleeping accommodation may be provided for the same number of passengers
as can be supplied with seats, such carriages being also provided with sanitary
appliances as setforth.
2nd In a Railway carriage of any suitable construction the arrangement of
removable seat and back substantially as herein shown and described for the
purposes setforth
3rd In a railway carriage of any suitable construction the appliances for the.
extra sleeping accommodation such appliances being adaptable for surgical or
medical requirements all substantially as herein shown and described.
4th The adaptation to railway carriages as at present constructed of means
for supporting the extra sleeping appliances substantially as herein shown and
described.
In witness whereof I the said Henry Edward Newton have hereunto set my
hand and seal the fifteenth day of December in the year of our Lord Ono
thousand eight hundred and eighty three
TT NEWTON