Improvements in or applicable to Railway Waggons, Carriages, and Vessels, whereby the same can be Utilized for Sleeping or Invalid Purposes.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 11th June, 1890-Accepted, 12th July, 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or applicable to Railway Waggons, Carriages, and
Vessels, whereby the same can be Utilized for Sleeping or
Invalid Purposes.
1, ARTHUR EDOUARD BRÉCHOT, of 23, Boulevard de Strasbourg, Paris, in the
Republic of France, Physician, 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 :-
This invention relates to the construction and application to railway waggons,
carriages and ships of apparatus hereinafter more particularly described, whereby the
said waggons, carriages or vessels can be utilized for sleeping or invalid purposes.
In order to enable the invention to be fully understood I will describe the same by
reference to the accompanying drawing, in which—
Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a transverse section and a plan shewing my
apparatus adapted to a goods-waggon or truck.
The apparatus consists of four columns A, formed of channel iron and containing
springs from which are suspended by means of wire ropes, cross-pieces on which are
placed litters, mattresses, cushions, etc.
Four columns are sufficient to form a frame suitable for supporting one, two or
three persons.
For the purposes of transport or storage these four columns can be connected together
at their two ends by bolts thus forming a square column:
Figures 3 and 4 of the drawing shew a vertical section and an elevation respectively
of one of these columns.
Each column is socketted at its lower part in a square base a, which extends beyond
it farthest at the front or open part; this base a is provided on its underside at each
angle with a point b.
Within each column at its upper part is an adjustable screw, shewn drawn to an
enlarged scale in figures 6 and 7, which are sections shewing respectively the screw
in its position within the column and when screwed up to fix the column in position.
This movable screw is provided with a hand-wheel & which serves as a nut and allows
of the screw being adjusted to adapt the columns to the height of the waggon or the
like. At its upper part the screw carries a stirrup e, one of the arms of which is
provided with a small set screw f
The stirrup e is for use when the column is placed in a vertical position on the floor
of a waggon and receives one of the cross-pieces g, of the roof against which the
stirrup is firmly pressed by means of the wheel and the set screw on one of the arms
of the stirrup is screwed against the sido of the cross-piece.
The adjustable screw c slides in a tube h, where it is held by a spring i, which
prevents it entirely leaving the tube.
In the columns shewn in figures 3 and 4, (which are adapted for the carriage of
three persons), in order that the screw may have the desired length, it extends with
its tube / to about the middle of the first suspension spring B into a second tube j,
which serves to compress the spring B and support the hook C to which the cross-
piece D is suspended by one of its ends.
Below the screw the column is divided into two or three equal portions according to
whether it is to serve for supporting two or three persons.
Figure 5 illustrates a column of an apparatus for the carriage of two persons :
Figures 8 and 9 are vertical and horizontal sections drawn to an enlarged scale
shewing the method of connecting one of the litter or mattress supports with the
column

page_text: ends of one supporting cross-piece D :
Each part is divided altogether into six spaces videlicet:
1. A space E for receiving the spring which supports the end of the cross-piece D:
2. A space F, through which passes from top to bottom a wire rope G and which is
provided with a roller kover which passes the wire rope G to the upper part of the
end of the cross-piece D:
3. Below is a space H containing a shorter and weaker spring K to prevent lateral
oscillation:
over
4. Beneath this is another space I provided at its lower part with a roller
which passes a wire rope J which passes from the spring K to the end of the cross-
piece D:
5. Below the space I is a space M, these spaces being separated from each other by
a partition provided at about its centre with a pulley m. A wire rope N is connected
to the spring O situated below and passes over the pulley m and thence over a roller p,
held in a fork P in front of the outer wall of the column. This wire rope N is fixed
to the underside of the end of the cross-piece D, and has for object to prevent longi-
tudinal movement or shock.
.
The two campartments placed beneath in a column intended to form part of an
apparatus for supporting three persons are identical with those just described.
The supporting cross-bars D are formed of three distinct parts, videlicet :-
1. The two ends 7 are formed of thick angle iron and constitute a kind of chair
without legs to which are fixed the hooks to which the ropes are attached :
ก
2. An iron bar placed edgewise connects them and is movable as shewn in figure 3.
My improved apparatus can not only be employed for the transport of sick or
injured persons in goods-waggons but can be applied with some modification of
the columns to carriages, sleeping cars or vessels to support litters, mattresses,
cushions, etc.
When the apparatus is applied to railway carriages and passenger vessels, the two
cross-pieces on which the mattress rests can be fixed to the chairs without being
jointed thereto.
In such cases the column is to some extent modified:
The adjustable screw can be dispensed with :
The column can be fixed to the walls of the carriage, or vessel directly or it can be
insulated therefrom by means of thick india-rubber which lessens the vibrations of the
column.
To set up or erect the apparatus the two columns are set on end beneath one of the
cross-pieces of the roof at a certain distance from each other, such distance being
regulated by two movable bars Q by means of a pin on the side of one of the two
columns; a third bar placed about midway between the top and bottom of the
columns ensures their distance apart being exactly maintained throughout the whole
height of the columns.
The stirrupe of cach cross-piece is tightened against the cross-piece of the roof by
means of the wheel d
When the columns are fixed in position vertically the supporting cross-bars D are
placed in position between the chairs n.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is:-
1: The improved apparatus for use in railway waggons, carriages and vessels whereby
such carriages and vessels can be utilized for sleeping or invalid purposes consisting
essentially of columns divided into sections, each of which contains three springs
arranged in such a manner as to effectively deaden or lessen the movement of the
litter or mattress in any direction whether longitudinal, lateral or vertical, sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

page_text: 2. The improved apparatus for use in railway waggons, carriages and vessels whereby
they can be utilized for sleeping or invalid purposes, hereinbefore described with
reference to the accompanying drawing.
Dated the 11th day of June 1890.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.