Improvements in Railway Vehicles.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Nov., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 6th Aug., 1890-Accepted, 6th Sept., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway Vehicles.
I DANIEL HECTOR TALBOT of Sioux City in the County of Woodbury and State
of Iowa, United States of America, Farmer do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an auxiliary floor for railway cars, especially for freight
and stock cars, and has for its object to provide an elastic floor capable of being
expeditiously and conveniently applied to any freight car, and which will promote the
comfort of cattle, hogs, sheep, horses, or other stock that may be shipped; and
wherein, when the cars are loaded with merchandise, the said merchandise will be less
liable to injury.
The body of the floor is made up of a series of parallel strips united and held in
position by bolts passed transversely through them and provided with nuts which
are received in the outer face of the outer strips which is recessed or countersunk
to receive them. The strips are held a suitable distance apart by means of springs
These springs may
secured upon the bolts between each of the several strips.
consist of heavy rubber tubing, rigidly fastened to the bolts, or any other form of
spring may be used, but if the spring be of rubber it may be shaped to the contour
of a sphere having a bore to receive the bolts.
The strips are held sufficiently close together to prevent the hoofs or the feet of the
animals from passing down between them, and the upper face of the strips may be
serrated or roughened to prevent slipping. The floor is preferably made in sections
of sufficient length to extend transversely of the car.
Upon the under surface of each of the strips there are a series of springs (preferably
of india rubber) secured a suitable distance apart and so attached to the bottom of the
floor that they will be arranged in transverse rows. A spring is secured also to each
extremity of each strip comprising the body of the floor and each floor section has at
each end a beam or cross har, the inner face of which is made to bear against the
latier springs. This beam or cross bar may he attached to the body of the floor by
means of angle strips or irons, and one member of an iron is rigidly secured to the
outer face of each cross bar at each end, the other member being attached to the outer
face of the outer strip of the body.
The connection of the angle irons to the outer body strips is adjustable by means of
a slot in the members and a set screw or the end of a bolt nearest the extremity of the
body which extends through the slot. In the latter case the nuts screwed upon this
bolt are made as thin as possible so as to project but slightly from the sides of the
body. By reason of this construction the floor may be varied in length somewhat,
and thereby adjusted to cars of varying widths.
To prevent the animals standing on the floor from passing their feet between the
extremities of the body strips and the opposed face of the cross bars, a wood or iron
platform is secured to the outer longitudinal edge of each cross bar, which platform is
adapted to extend over the end springs, and rest thereon, or contact with the
extremities of the strips.
Opposite each row of the bottom springs, a link or slotted plate is secured to each
of the outer side strips, and to the lower end of the said link, a beam or bar is
attached. The upper face of this bar or beam is adapted to contact with the springs
and when these bars or beams are employed, and the floor is inserted in the car, they
rest upon the fixed floor of the said car, and thereby slightly elevate the auxiliary
floor; but, these bars or beanis may be dispensed with and the springs of the auxiliary
Hoor be brought in immediate contact with the main floor of the car.
To the side face of the outer side strips a series of springs are attached, preferably

page_text: consisting of a block of rubber which is held in a metal socket, the said socket
being rigidly attached to the strips.
In practice I prefer to construct the floor sections of such a width that each
section will accommodate an animal, but I do not confine myself to any specified
width.
When the car is what is known as a double-decked car, that is provided with a
lower and an upper floor, I prefer to attach to the pendent bars or beams a hoard or
boards, to form a solid floor beneath the spring floor. When so constructed, the solid
floor attached to the spring floor is made to rest upon the upper floor of the car. By
this means any foreign matter will be prevented from passing downward to the lower
floor.
Dated this 12th day of November 1880
D., H. TALBOT.
By A. M. & Wm. lark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway Vehicles.
I DANIEL HECTOR TALBOT of Sioux City in the County of Woodbury and State
of Iowa, United States of America, Farmer, do hereby 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 :-
My invention relates to an auxiliary floor for railway cars, especially for freight
and stock cars, and has for its object to provide an elastic floor capable of being
expeditiously and conveniently applied to any freight car, and which will promote the
comfort of cattle, hogs, sheep, horses, or other stock that may be shipped; and
wherein, when the cars are loaded with merchandise, the said merchandise will be less
liable to injury.
The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several
parts, as will be hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this
Specification, in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in
all the views.
Figure 1 is a plan view of the floor ;
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same;
Figure is a bottom plan view;
Figure 4 is a partial longitudinal section on line x-x of Figure 1 ;
Figure 5 is a transverse section on line y-y of Figure 3; and
Figure 6 is a partial plan view, showing a modified form of spacing springs.
The body of the floor is made up of a series of parallel strips 10, united and held
in position by a series of bolts 11, passed transversely through them, which bolts aro
provided with suitable nuts at their extremities, and the outer face of the outer strips
is recessed or counter sunk, as at 11", Figure 2, to receive the nuts, whereby the sides
of the floor and the outer faces of the nuts are essentially flush.
The strips 10, are held a suitable distance apart by means of springs 12, secured
upon the bolts between each of the several strips, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 3, in
which Figures the springs consist of heavy rubber tubing rigidly fastened to the bolts ;
but, instead of tubing being employed for this purpose, any other form of spring may
be used, and if the spring be constructed of rubber it may, if desired, be shaped to
the contour of a sphere having a bore to receive the bolts 11, as illustrated in
Figure 6.
The strips 10, are held sufficiently close together to prevent the hoofs or the feet of
the animals carried from passing down between them, and the upper face of the strips
is provided, preferably, with a series of serrations 14, or otherwise roughened, to
prevent the stock from slipping.

page_text: The noor is preferably made in sections, one of which is illustrated, of sufficient
length to extend transversely of the car.
Upon the under surface of each of the strips 10, a series of springs 15, is secured
a suitable distance apart, and the said springs are so attached to the bottom of the
floor that they will be arranged in transverse rows. The springs 15, may be of any
desired character, being preferably, however, constructed of rubber, and in the
manner described in connection with the springs 12.
A spring 16, is secured also to each extremity of each strip comprising the body of
the floor. Each floor soction is provided at each end with a beam or cross bar 17, the
inner face of which is made to bear against the springs 16. This beam or cross bar
is preferably attached to the body of the floor by means of angle strips or irons 18,
and one member of an iron is rigidly secured to the outer face of each cross bar
at each end, the other member being attached to the outer face of the outer strip 10 of
the body.
The connection of the angle irons to the outer borly strips is adjustable, and is.
effected by producing a slot 19 in the members, as illustrated in Figure 2, and passing
through the said slot a set screw, or, the end of a bolt 11 nearest the extremity of the
body, in which latter case, the nuts screwed upon this bolt are made as thin as possible
so as to project but slightly from the sides of the body.
It will be observed that by reason of this construction, the floor may be varied in
length somewhat, and thereby adjusted to cars of varying widths, if so desired.
In order that the animals standing upon the floor may not insert their feet between
the extremities of the body strips and the opposed face of the cross bars 17, a wood
or iron platform 20, is hinged or otherwise secured to the outer longitudinal edge of
each cross bar 17, which platform is adapted to extend over the end springs 16, and
rest thercon, or contact with the extremities of the strips 10.
Opposite each row of bottom springs 15, a link or slotted plate 21, is secured to
ench of the outer side strips 10, and to the lower end of the said link, a beam or
bar 22, is attached, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 5. The upper face of this bar or
beam is adapted to contact with the springs 15, and when these bars or beans 22,
are employed, and the floor is inserted in the car, they rest upon the fixed floor of
the said car, and theroby slightly elevate the auxiliary floor; but, these bars or
beanis 22, may be dispensed with and the springs 15 of the anxiliary floor be brought
in immediate contact with the main floor of the car if so desired.
To the side face of the outer side strips 10, a series of springs 23, are attached,
preferably consisting of a block of rubber formed to a spherical or to a hemi-spherical
shape, which rubber block is held in a metal socket 23, the said socket being rigidly
attached to the strips, as best illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3.
In practice I prefer to construct the floor sections of such a width that each
section will accommodate an animal,-a horse or a cow for instance, but I do not
confine myself to any specified width of the floor sections.
When the car is what is known as a double-decked car, that is, provided with a
lower and an upper floor, I prefer to attach to the pendent bars or beams 22, a
board or hoards, to form a solid floor beneath the spring floor. When so constructed,
he solid floor attached to the spring floor is made to rest upon the upper floor of
he car. By this means any foreign matter will be prevented from passing downward
to the lower floor.
I desire it to be distinctly understood that while specific construction has been
escribed, I do not confine myself thereto, as other equivalent construction may be
mployed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
ion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
laiu is,
1. An auxiliary floor for railway cars, consisting of a series of spaced slats, springs
ternosed between the

page_text: 2. An auxiliary floor for cars, comprising a series of spaced and connected slats,
springs intervening each of the slats, and springs attached to the bottom of the
slats and at the ends thereof, substantially as shown and described.
3. The combination, with an auxiliary floor for cars, comprising a series of spaced,
connected slats provided with springs intervening the several slats, and springs
secured to the bottom and ends thereof, of a cross bar attached to the outer slats,
extending transversely across the ends of the same in contact with the end springs,
and a platform held upon each of the cross bars covering the space intervening the
said cross bars and the slats, substantially as shown and described.
4. The combination, with an auxiliary floor for cars, comprising a series of spaced
and connected slats, springs intervening the several slats, and springs secured to the
bottom and extremities of the slats, of cross bars attached to the outer slats, a cross
bar extending across each extremity of the said slats in contact with the end springs
and adjustably held to the slats, a platform hinged to each cross bar covering the
space between the said cross har and the slats, and pendent beams or bars attached to
the outer slats and contacting with the springs secured to the under face of the
several slats, all combined for operation, substantially as shown and described.
1000
D. H. TALBOT.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.