Improvements in Railway and Tramway Vehicles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 29th May, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Feb., 1894-Accepted, 3rd Mar., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway and Tramway Vehicles.
1, GEORGE MOORE, of 19 Berwick Park, in the City of Boston, County of
Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, United States of America, Steel Plate
Engraver, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to that class of cars known as "convertible cars
" which
can be readily changed from a closed to an open condition, and vice versa, and my
invention has for its object to simplify the construction of cars of this description
and facilitate the operation of converting the same.
To this end my invention consists in the combination, with a car having the sides
and top of its body of circular form in cross section, of rigid or non-flexible movable
side-sections containing the window sashes and having the same curvature as the
body of the car, said movable side sections being adapted to slide up and down
between the upright frames of the car body in suitable grooves or ways arranged
concentrically one outside the other in such manner as to permit two opposite
movable side-sections forming a pair to overlap or slide past each other in the roof
or upper portion of the car as hereinafter set forth.
In carrying my invention into practice the upright frames rise from the floor of
the car which frames support the roof and are of circular form, each frame forming
the arc of a true circle. These frames are provided with two concentric grooves
on each side extending entirely around the arc of the circle and adapted to receive
the rigid movable side-sections which are curved in the arc of a circle coinciding
with that of the frames to enable them to move freely up and down within said grooves,
the sections on one side of the car fitting within grooves and the sections on the
opposite side also fitting within similar grooves, by which construction it will be
seen that when the side sections upon opposite sides of the car are raised, as is
necessary to convert the car from a closed to an open one, each two opposite side-
sections forming a pair will overlap or slide past each other in the roof or upper
portion of the car without any interference whatever. When the car is to be con-
verted from an open to a closed one, the side sections are drawn down when their
upper ends will be clear of the roof, affording free ventilation through the usual
windows or apertures therein, as would be necessary in a closed car.
Each of the non-flexible curved sections is provided with suitable curved
grooves or ways for the reception of the curved window sashes which
slide freely up and down therein and are carried with the side sections
when the latter are moved up and down within their respective grooves.
The windows can thus be raised and lowered in the usual manner in the
movable side sections with perfect case when the car is a closed one, and it will be
obvious that in converting the car from a closed to an open one, no previous letting
down of the window sashes into special grooves for their reception or swinging up
portion of the side of the car on hinges is required, and consequently the
construction is materially simplified and the operation of converting the car from
an open to a closed one, or vice versa, greatly facilitated, while the necessity of
making the side sections flexible throughout is avoided, which is a great advantage
s they can, when rigid, be made stronger, cheaper, and more durable.
The lower portion of each side section is composed of slats covered on the inside by
nd secured to a strong fabric or flexible sheet material, whereby it is permitted to
onform to the curvature of the extension of the groove in which it fits.

page_text: Blinds which are fitted to slide up and down in suitable guides or ways secured
to the inner sides of the upright frames, said blinds having no connection with the
side sections and not being movable therewith.
Spring cases or drums containing coiled springs and supported in suitable
brackets are secured to the frame of the car, said drums being connected to the
tops of the side sections by wire cords to assist in raising said sections when the
car is to be converted from a closed to an open one.
The seats are preferably arranged on either side of a central aisle, but the scats
and their arrangement within the car form no part of my invention, and may be
varied to suit the requirements of the case.
Dated this 29th day of May 1893.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway and Tramway Vehicles.
I, GEORGE MOORE, formerly of 19 Berwick Park, but now of 212 Huntington
Avenue in the City of Boston, County of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts,
United States of America, Steel Plate Engraver, 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 that class of cars known as "convertible cars
" which can
be readily changed from a closed to an open condition and vice versa, and my inven-
tion has for its object to simplify the construction of cars of this description and
facilitate the operation of converting the same from closed to open ones and rice
versa.
To this end my invention consists in the combination with a car having the sides
and top of its body of circular form in cross section, of rigid or non-flexible movable
side-sections containing the window sashes and having the same curvature as the
body of the car, said movable side-sections being adapted to slide up and down
between the upright frames of the car-body in suitable grooves or ways arranged
concentrically one outside the other in such manner as to permit two opposite
movable side-sections forming a pair to overlap or slide past each other in the roof
or upper portion of the car as hereinafter set forth.
In the accompanying drawings,-
Figure 1 is an end view of a street-railway car constructed in accordance with
my invention, the tight-hand half being shown in vertical transverse section
and a portion of the left-hand half being broken away to show the interior
construction.
Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of one end of the car showing one of the movable
side-sections drawn down and the adjacent side-section raised to the position which
it occupies when the car is an open one.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the car-body, illustrating the
construction of the curved upright frames, and the rigid movable side-sections which
carry the window sashes, and are arranged between said upright frames to slide in
grooves or ways therein.
Figure 4 is a vertical section through a portion of the top of the car showing two
of the upright frames and the two opposite movable side-sections between the same
when said side-sections are thrown upward into a position to overlap each other, as
when the car is converted from a closed to an open one.
In the said drawings A represents the floor of the car from which rise the
upright frames B which support the roof C and are of circular form, as shown, each
frame B from the point a to the point b formning the arc of a true circle as shown in

page_text: Figs. 1 and 3. These frames B are provided with two concentric grooves
d, on
each side extending entirely around the arc of the circle and adapted to receive the
rigid movable side-sections D which are curved in the arc of a circle coinciding with
that of the frames B to enable them to move freely up and down within said groove",
the sections D on one side of the car fitting within the grooves, and the sections D
on the opposite side fitting within the grooves by which construction it
will be seen that when the side-sections upon opposite sides of the car are
raised, as is necessary to convert the car from a closed to an open one each two
opposite side-sections forming a pair will overlap or slide past each other in the
roof or upper portion of the car as shown in Fig. 4, without any interference what-
ever. When the car is to be converted from an open to a closed one, the side-
sections D are drawn down into the positions seen in Fig. 1, and at the left hand
side of Fig. 2, when their upper ends e will be clear of the roof, affording free
ventilation through the usual windows or apertures therein as would be necessary
in a closed car. Each of the non-flexible curved sections D is provided with
suitable curved grooves or ways g Figs. 3 and 4 for the reception of the curved
window-sashes G which slide freely up and down therein and are carried with the side-
sections when the latter are moved up and down within their respective grooves c, d.
The windows can thus be raised and lowered in the usual manner in the movable
side-sections with perfect ease when the car is a closed one, and it will be obvious
that in converting the car from a closed to an open one, no previous letting down of
the window-sashes into special grooves for their reception or swinging up a portion
of the side of the car on hinges is required and consequently the construction is
materially simplified and the operation of converting the car from an open to a
closed one, or vice versa greatly facilitated, while the necessity of making the side-
sections flexible throughout is avoided which is a great advantage as they cen, when
rigid, be made stronger, cheaper, and more durable.
The lower portion 10 of each side-section from to is composed of slats covered
on the inside by and secured to a strong fabric or flexible sheet material whereby
it is permitted to conform to the curvature of the extension of the groove c or d in
which it fits when the said sections are in the positions shown in Fig. 1.
Krepresents the blinds which are fitted to slide up and down in suitable guides
or ways m secured to the inner sides of the upright frames B3, said blinds having
no connection with the side-sections D and not being movable therewith.
Lare spring cases or drums containing coiled springs n, Fig. 3 and supported
in suitable brackets p secured to the frame of the car, said drums being connected
to the tops of the side-sections D by wire cords to assist in raising said sections
when the car is to be converted from a closed to an open one.
Mare the seats which are preferably arranged on either side of a central aisle,
but the seats and their arrangement within the car form no part of my invention
and may be varied to suit the requirements of the case.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is :-
1. In a railway car, the combination with the upright frames of circular form
from near the floor on one side of the car to a corresponding point on the opposite
side of the car, of movable side-sections on the opposite sides of the car arranged
to slide upon said upright frames and to partly pass each other and overlap
when in their raised position under the roof of the car, substantially as described.
2. In a railway car, the combination with the upright frames of circular
form from near the floor on one side of the car to a corresponding point on the
other side thereof, of the rigid and inflexible side-sections fitted at their edges
to the said upright frames, having the same curvature as the said upright
frames, and arranged to slide up and down between the latter, substantially as
set forth.
3. In a street-railway car, the combination with the circular upright frames

page_text: provided with two concentric grooves, of the movable side-sections having the
same curvature as the upright frames, said movable side-sections being arranged to
slide up and down between said upright frames in the concentric grooves therein
in such manuer that two opposite side-sections, forming a pair, will, when raised,
overlap or slide past each other in the roof or upper portion of the car, substantially
as set forth.
4. In a street-railway car, the combination with the circular upright frames
provided on each side with two concentric grooves, of the movable side-sections
containing the window sashes and having the same curvature as the upright frames,
said movable side sections being arranged to slide up and down between said upright
frames in the concentric grooves therein in such manner that two opposite side-
sections, forming a pair, will when raised, overlap or slide past each other in the
roof or upper portion of the car, substantially as set forth.
5. In a street-railway car, the combination of the upright frames B forming the
sides and top of the car body, said frames being curved in the arc of a circle, and
being provided with concentric grooves c, d, the movable side-sections D having a
curvature corresponding to or concentric with said upright frames and arranged to
slide between the same in the said concentric grooves, and the two opposite side-
sections which form a pair being adapted when raised to overlap or slide past each
other in the roof or upper portion of the car, the window sashes G sliding within
and carried by said side-sections and the flexible portions 10 connected with and
forming the bottoms of the movable side-sections D, all constructed to operate
substantially as described.
6. In a street-railway car, the combination of the upright frames B forming the
sides and top of the car-body, said frames being curved in the arc of a circle and
being provided with concentric grooves c, d, the movable side-sections D having a
curvature corresponding to or concentric with said upright frames and arranged to
slide between the same in the said concentric grooves, and the two opposite side-
sections which form a pair being adapted when raised to overlap or slide past each
other in the roof or upper portion of the car, the window sashes G sliding within
and carried by said side-sections, the flexible portions 10 connected with and forming
the bottoms of the movable side-sections D, and the springs and drums I, the
latter connected with the movable side-sections by cords or wires substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 2nd day of February 1894.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.