Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 15th May, 1888
Specification Accepted, 15th June, 1888
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co. Patent Agents
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particulariy
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The purpose of this invention is to supply the necessary flexible or yielding backing
and to equalize the pressure, or, in other words, to distribute the force of compression
that takes place with the flexible or collapsible portion of a car vestible, which in the
most improved form of modern passenger car structures is interposed between the
platforms of adjacent cars.
The present improvements are designed for the upper portion of the vestibule.
The general construction of vestibules is now well known and the provision for
furnishing the elastic backing or buffers for the lower portion, or at the platforms, to
co-operate with the appliances of this invention, is the same as shown with prior
improvements. The present improvement becomes important in view of the fact,
that an unequal distribution of force will occur when compression of the vestibule
takes place with the cars out of alignment unless provided against. In connection
with my equalizing appliances, I have introduced a ball and socket joint that would
be an important feature in the construction even without the equalizing parts.

page_text: In the ompanying drawings,
Figure 1, shows in perspective, a portion of a car end and vestibule, including a
division of my appliance.
Figure 2 is a plan, embracing adjacent car ends and a vestibule with one car roof
removed, to expose the equalizer.
Figure 3 is a detail.
The end of the car is represented by A. The roof portion, extending as usual
over the platform, is designated B. The permanent vestibule side equal to the
platform length is designated C, the latter being provided with a door-way C¹, to be
closed by a suitable door, through which door-way entrance and exit is had to and
from the vestible and car. The Hexible portion is designated D. On the side of the
permanent vestible is secured a bracket E, in which by bolt E¹ is pivotally supported
a vertical lever F. Centrally on the front of the car is provided a bracket G, in
which is secured by a bolt t, a horizontal lever H. Levers F and H have their
adjacent ends united by links J. A horizontal shaft a is partly supported by a
bracket N on the side of the solid vestibule and receives other support by a bearing in
front of said solid vestibule, through which it extends, at M, a suitable metal bushing
being provided. To prevent the shaft a from moving on its longitudinal axis, that
portion extending through the front at M is angular in cross section, its bearing being
adjacent thereto. The abutting plate of the vestibule that is the front plate that
abuts against a similar plate of the adjacent car, is designated I, and in this
improvement is made to extend above the flexible enclosure. This, as shown best in
Figure 3, is provided with a socket K, made as apparent, in two parts and adapted
to receive the spherical end L of shaft a thus forming a ball and socket joint. The
lower end of lever F is bifurcated, through which bifurcations, shaft a extends. A
movable collar P on shaft a bears against the end of lever F, and the spiral spring R
that surrounds the shaft is interposed between said collar and a fixed collar V on
said. shaft. Lever His continued and the parts described are duplicated on the
opposite side of the vestibule, to complete the construction. The power of springs R
is designed to equal the requirements for upper buffers. It is obvious that undue
force brought against the spring of one shaft a is transmitted through the lever
system to the opposite spring, and thus effects that much of the purpose for which
the improvement is designed. The ball and socket joint permits unequal flexion of
the vestibule without impairing the easy action of the equalizing mechanism, or in
the absence of such mechanism, permits a direct bearing against buffer bars for which
purpose the shaft a might then serve.
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 correspondents, I declare that what I claim is ;
First. In a car vestibule, shafts located at the sides and at the upper portion of the
vestibule, adapted to move longitudinally, their front or outer ends bearing against
the abutting plates of the flexible vestibule portion, and their rear or inner ends
being connected by a lever or system of levers, with buffer springs interposed
between said levers and shaft as a resistance to the inward movement of the latter.
Second. In a car vestibule, shafts located at the sides of the vestibule, adapted for
longitudinal movement, having at their inner or rear ends, lever attachments connecting
one shaft with the other, and being provided with spherical outer ends, a spring
interposed between the shaft and lever as a resisting medium for said shaft, in
combination with the abutting plate of a flexible vestibule, said plate being provided
with sockets adapted in conjunction with the spherical shaft ends, to form ball and
socket joints.
Third. In a car vestibule, shafts at each side of the upper portion of the vestibule,
bearing against the abutting plate of a flexible connection, and having connected
thorewith springs, affording yielding resistance to inward movement thereof, in
combination with a system of equalizing levers, consisting of vertical bars at the sides

page_text: and a horizontal equalizing bar attached to the end of the car, to which the said
vertical bars are pivotally or flexibly attached.
Fourth. In a car vestibule, the shafts a and abutting plate I, provided with ball
and socket joints K, L, at their bearing, one with the other, in combination with
springs R, vertical levers F, and horizontal lever H, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
Fifth. In a car vestibule, the combination of the flexible portion D, shafts a,
springs R, vertical levers F and horizontal lever H, substantially as, and for the
purpose, set forth.
Doted thie 15th day of New 1888
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, 'W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.