Improvements in Railway Carriages.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Aug., 1896-Accepted, 17th Oct., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by CHARLES ALBERT GOULD, of No. 66 Broadway,
New York, in the County and State of New York, United States of
America, Manufacturer.]
Improvements in Railway Carriages.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do heroby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
This invention relates more especially to vestibule carriages having flexible or
extensible hoods at their ends which are adapted to coiucide with similar hoods of
opposing carriages in the train, so as to form enclosed passageways between the
several carriages whereby passengers may pass through the train with safety and
without exposure to dust or the weather.
In European railway practice or carriage construction the body of the carriage
or vehicle is made separate from the under frame so that after finishing the frame
and the body, the latter is simply placed upon the frame and secured thereto. Such
carriages or vehicles have no platforms and no steps, but are entered directly from
the platform of the railway stations which are about on a level with the floor
of the said vehicle.
The object of my invention is to provide a passenger carriage which combines
the advantages of such a vestibule carriage with the advantages of the European
practice above referred to.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of my improved carriage.
Figure 2 is an end view of the vehicle body and the under frame with a portion
of the end wall broken away.
Figure 3 is a fragmentary end view of the vehicle with the panelling of the end
wall, the buffer and its stems and the hood omitted.
Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal section of one end of the vehicle on an
enlarged scale.
Figure 5 is a horizontal section, on the line 5-5, Figure 4.
Figure 6 is a fragmentary top plan view, partly in section of the under frame of
the vehicle and the buffer, on an enlarged scale.
Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.
A represents the usual longitudinal cliannel beams of the under frame; A¹ one
of the head stocks or buffer beams; A' the customary central beams; A one of
the cross bearers or intermediate transverse beams, and A' the diagonal braces
extending from the cross bearer to the head stock. The construction of the under
frame forms no part of my invention and may be varied at pleasure.
Each bead stock preferably consists of a wrought iron plate faced with a wooden
beam or timber B, which latter is firmly bolted to the iron plate.
C represents the body of the carriage or coach which is preferably constructed
separate from the under frame according to the well known European practice
and which extends from end to end of the under frame and is practically of the
samo width as the under frame throughout its length. The end walls C¹ of the
carriage body are supported upon the head stocks, as shown. The carriage body
is provided at a short distance from oach end wall C' with a transverse partition D
extending across the entire width of the body and forming with said end wall

page_text: transverse vestibule or entrance-compartment E, the carriage body and the under
frame being extended sufficiently to provide the requisite additional space for the
vestibules. Each of the partitions D has a door opening or passage D' whereby
the vestibule is placed in communication with the main portion of the carriage
body. No platform extensions are necessary for these vestibules, but the side
beams of the under frame are simply lengthened sufficiently for the purpose, 80
that the under frame of the vestibulo is practically a continuation of the under
frame of the main portion of the carriage body, thus rendering the under frame
continuous as in the ordinary European practice whereby the cost is lessened and
a more rigid and compact construction is produced.
Each vestibule is provided with side doors G for entering and leaving the
carringe, and the floor of the vestibules like the floor of the main portion of the
carriage body, is about on a level with the platforms of the railway stations, so
that passengers step from the station directly into the vestibules.
As the carriage has no steps no step recesses are necessary in the floors of the
vestibules and these floors are, therefore, unbroken or continuous from side to side
of the said carriage.
In each end wall of the carriage, which also forms the outer wall of the vestibule,
is a central door opening or passage H through which passengers may pass into
the vestibule of a similar opposing carriage. The end wall may also have a
window G on each side of the,door passage, as shown.
In the drawings the stiles or side frames of the passage H are represented as
being firmly tied to the head stock and to the transverse partition D by wrought
iron braces or angle bars i so as to give the structure the requisite rigidity to
resist the shocks of collision. The parts may, however, be secured in position by
any other suitable means, if desired.
The interior of the car body between its vestibules may have a longitudinal
aisle with a row of seats on each side of the carriage, as in American cars; or
the same may he sub-divided into suitable compartments which are reached by
aisles leading from the vestibules to the compartiments, the interior of the carriage
being arranged to suit the purpose for which it is designed.
At each end of the carriage is arranged a transverse vertical buffer or buffer
plate J which extends laterally to about the points where the two round buffer
heads are usually placed which have hitherto been used on European carriages.
This buffer consists of a single continuous plate which is supported by horizontal
stemisk,,,, extending rearward from the buffer and sliding in openings
formed in the head, stock. In the construction shown in the drawings, four of
such stems are shown, the stems kk being pivoted by vertical bolts to the buffer
near the outer ends thereof and the intermediate or central stems being
arranged between the middle of the buffer and the outer stems and pivoted at
their front ends to the buffer by similar bolts. As shown in Figure 6 the rear
portion of each intermediate stem is contracted to form a shoulder / and to
this contracted portion is applied a comparatively light spiral spring which bears
at its front end against the bottom of a hollow follower and at its rear end
against the closed rear end of a casing L secured at its front end to the rear side
of the head stock, and enclosing said spring and the adjacent portion of the stem.
The follower bears at its front end against the shoulder of the stem and
surrounds the front portion of the spring. These light springs are adapted to
extend the buffer plate and retain the same in yielding contact with the buffer of
an opposing carriage. To each intermediate stem is also preferably applied a heavy
buffer spring m which abuts at its rear end against the closed rear end of the
adjacent casing L and at its front end against the follower P. These springs
resist heavy shocks and receive their greatest compression after the light extension
springs have been partly compressed.
The outer stems of the buffer are guided with their rear portions in brackets n
secured to the under frame and each of the same is surrounded by a spring n' which
bears at its rear end against the bracket'n and at its front end against a shoulder n

page_text: of the stem. The several stems of the buffer, while holding the same in its extended
position and resisting its inward movement, permit it to oscillate or swing at an
angle to the head stock in rounding curves, thus maintaining a close joint between
the buffer and an opposing buffer, the stems on one side of its centre inoving
inward and those on the opposite side moving outward on the curves and the
Foveral springs righting the buffer when the carriage again passes upon a straight
section of track. The outer stems and springs assist the main or intermediate
stems in resisting its inward movement and iu righting the same.
o is an open retaining link or flexible connection attached at its front end to
the middle of the buffer by a vertical bolt o' and at its rear end to the head stock
by a similar bolt o'. This link, while permitting the necessary movements of the
buffer, limits its outward movement beyond the normal position and thus prevents
comploto withdrawal of the buffer. The head stock is formed with a recess in
which the link o slides, as shown in Figure 3. The buffer is provided with a
horizontal plate or wing which extouds rearwardly therefrom and which is
overlapped by a threshold plate p' secured to the upper side of the head stock, the
latter being recessed to receive the horizontal plate of the buffer, as shown in
Figure 4.
Qis one of the extensible hoods or flexible enclosures arranged at the outer
ends of the vestibules and preferably constructed of flexible material having
bellows or accordion folds as shown in the drawings. Each of these hoods is
somewhat wider than the door opening in the outer wall of the vestibule and is
attached at its inner end to the outer faces of the door stiles or frames H and
provided at its outer end with an upright metallic face plate Q' which is adapted
to bear against the face plate of the hood of an opposing carriage. In the
CODstruction shown in the drawings, this face plate is attached at its lower end to
the buffer, while its upper portion is connected with the end wall of the vestibule
by links g. The hood, may, however, be of any other suitable construction, its
peculiar construction forming no part of my present improvement.
R is a coupling of the automatic twin jaw type. The head stock and the buffer
plate are provided with recesses for receiving the draw head, as shown in
Figures 2 and 3.
S Figure 2, represents a hand lever which is arranged within the vestibule and
This
whereby the car coupling is operated through the medium of a chain s.
lever has a locking catch a' which interlocks with a toothed segment secured to
the end wall of the vestibule.
My improved carriage while retaining the desirable features of the independent
construction of the under frame and body characteristic of the European railway
practice, produces a carriage having substantially a uniform appearance from eud
to end, the vestibules being symmetrical and thus maintaining the desired
uniformity. The vestibules afford an ample entrance to the car rendering
ingress and egress more convenient for passengers. The buffers being usually
long insure the steady running of the coaches and at the same time permit easy
curving without cramping.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a railway carriage without platforms, the combination with an under frame,
of a carriage body extending from end to end of the under frame and constructed
of practically the same width as the under frame throughout its length, transverse
partitions arranged in the body at a suitable distance from the end walls thereof
and forming vestibules with the latter and having a door opening or passage
whereby the vestibules are placed in communication with the main portion of the
car, said vestibules having side entrances and the under frame of the vestibules
being practically a continuation of the under frame of the main portion of the
carriage body, substantially as set forth.

page_text: 2. In a railway carriage without platforms, the combination with the under frame,
of a carriage body supported on the under frame and extending from end to end
thereof, transverse partitions arranged in the body at suitablo distances from its
end walls forming vestibules at the ends of the carriage, and having door openings
or passages for placing the vestibules in communication with the main portion of
the carriage, each of said vestibules being provided with side entrances, and
having in its outer or end wall a passage whereby communication is established
between the vestibule and an opposing carriage, substantially as set forth.
3. In a railway carriage without platform, the combination with the under frame,
of a carriage body supported on the under frame, and extending from end to end
thereof, transverse partitions arranged in the body at suitable distances from its
end walls forming vestibules at the ends of the carriage, and having door openings
or passages for placing the vestibules in communication with the main portion of the
carriage, each of said vestibules being provided with side entrances and having in
its outer or end wall a passage whereby communication is established between the
vestibule and an opposing carriage, and flexiblo hoods extending outwardly from
the end walls of the vestibules and coinciding with the end passages thereof,
substantially as set forth.
4. In a railway carriage without platforms, the combination with the under frame,
of a carriage body supported on the under frame and extending from end to end
thereof, transverse partitions arranged in the body at suitable distances from its
end walle, forming vestibules at the ends of the carriage and having door openings
or passages for placing the vestibules in communication with the main portion of
the carringe, each of said vestibules being provided with side entrances and having
in its outer or end wall, a passage whereby communication is established between
the vestibule and an opposing carriage, continuous oscillatory buffers arranged at
the ends of the under frame and flexible hoods extending outwardly from the end
walls of the vestibule and each having a face plate connected at its lower end with
the adjacent oscillatory buffer, substantially ae set forth.
5. The combination with the head stock or buffer beam of a railway carriage, of
a buffer arranged in front of the head stock and consisting of a continuous vertical
plate, a pair of supporting stems guided in the head stock and pivoted to the
buffer on opposite sides of its middle, springs applied to said stems, outer or side
stems also guided in the head stock and pivoted to the end portions of the buffor
and springs applied to the said outer stems, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 21st day of August 1896.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.