US2609760A - Sleeping car - Google Patents

Description

P 1952 w; E. BURNETT 2,609,760

SLEEPING CAR Filed 19 8 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR TORNEY P 1952 w. E. BURNETT 2,609,760

SLEEPING CAR Filed Dec. 14, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 -11? I E Z INVENTOR Mylar E. 50 rneh Patented Sept. 9, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SLEEPING can: William E. Burnett, Arlington, Val, assignor to American Can and Foundry Company, New York, .,N. Yr, a corporation of New Jersey Application December 14, 1948,.SerialNo-.I.65,171

This inventionrelates to railroad carsrand more particularly to furniture and its arrangement insleepingcar bedrooms. V

In sleeping car bedrooms having upper-berths it is customary to provide a. ladder for the upper berth and anight: table adiaicentthe lower; berth arrangement. The night table: is usually fixed: in the. room while. the; ladder usually detachable and stored in any convenient space.

AILObJlEClTOf the invention is. to provide a furniture: arrangement for sleeping: car bedrooms whereby maximum: space: will be available for; passengers: when the bed structures are in stored position.

Another object of. the. invention to: provide a night table in a sleeping car bedroom that is shiitable into the-passenger room space when the bed structures are. in: prone position and out of, the passenger roomspace-when the: bed structures areinstored position. I l i Another object of the invention is to providea sleeping can bedroom having a seat structure withspaced back sections carried by hinged berth pans/and a hinged upper berth above the seat, with aladder thatcan be placed; between-the berth pans when; in stored position and which: with the bottoms of the berthpans will form; a cover wall in front of. theupper' berth. Another object of the invention is to providea sleeping car-bedroom witha ladder that. can be: detachably stored in. position: to form part of an alcove wallconcealing anv upper berth.

These and otherobjectse of the invention will be apparent to those skilled: in the art from a study of the following description and accompanying, drawings, in which? 7 Figure: 1 is a transverse sectional viewof a sleeping car bedroom taken on line l t of Figure 3.

Figure Z -is a longitudinal sectional view in the: bedroom taken on line 2-4 of Figure 3'.

Figure B is a horizontal sectional. view of the bedroom takenon line 3-v-3: of Figure: 1.

Figure 4; is a sectional view of thebedroom similar toElgure 2- showing the berths in prone position and the ladder imposition for use with the upper berth; l r l t Fi ure 5 is a sectional view in the bedroom taken on line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 i'sasectional view or the ladder taken approximately on line- 6-4 of Figure 3.

figure- 7' isa fragmentary plan view in the bedroonr showing the table carrying seat cushion section in its down position and one of the lower beds in prone position.

8 Claims. (01. 105--316)' Referring now to the drawings by-charactersof reference, numeral Ht represents generally a railroad sleeping car having bedrooms therein as indicated by numerals H. The car has the usual roof [2, outsidewallslaand floor M. Partition l5 extends longitudinally of the car adjacent one. of the. outer walls It and forms therewith an aisle l6. Partitions ll extend between: the aisle partiti'on l5: and an outer wall l3: to divide the. car into bedrooms ll anda ceiling [8 having a depressed portion i=9 extends beneath the roof: 1-2 in each room and issuitably'securecl therein. Beelow this depressed portion of the ceiling is an. alcove wand at'theother end oi the room, adjacent the outside wall remote; from they aisle. partition is arranged an. annex: H in which is hopper Z2, folding washbasin 23 and cabinet 24. Such. annex has a transversely extending; wall 25 and. a longitudinally "extending wall 26; and. between these two'wallsisanentrancehavmg adoor 21 associated' therewith. At the same. end of the room with the annex. and between the annexand the aisle partition is a. shallow clothes closet 238' formed by the adjacent partition H, the aisle partition l5 and a transverse partition 2% having an opening therein with which doors 30 are associated. At the end: of the room adlacent the; clothes closet, the aisle, partition is formed with" a bedroom entrance with which a door 31 isassociated. The space beside the annex outside of the clothes closet: provides a foyer for the bedroom.

A. couch is arranged in the endot the bedroom opposite that occupied, by the. annex and, clothes closet and consists, of a seat structure 3:21: suitably fixed, to the floor and a back structure 33. couch preferably extends substantially the fullwidth of the room with the rear of the back structure. substantially in vertical. alignment with the forward end of the alcove 20". The back structure. is formedby three. side-by-side sections; 34, 35 and 36. All 0! the sections are preferably mounted to be swung downwardly to partly overlie the seat structure. ward'ly in the alcove from the transverse wall I l adjacent the couchand pivot pins 38 extend through thebraekets-and are engaged by supporting brackets 39 projecting from the middle seat back section 35 Table top lu i's fixed on therear of back section 35 to serve as a night table top when the back section 35 is swung downwardly to overlie the seatstructure 32" as shown in dotted lines in Figure 2. This backsection 35 can be swung into: alignment or' out of alignment with the other back sections at will to provide a table structure its lower position or to providea POE-r Brackets. 3T extend for- V 34 and 35.

.means.

the adjacent outer wall and aisle partition in line 7 with pivot pins 38. The berth pans are pivotally mounted behind the seat structure and provide. the supports for the seat back structure sections As the berth pans ti and 42 are pivotally mounted, they can be swung down over the seat structure into prone position for use as spaced beds. When in prone positio n,,the for,- ward end of pan ll is supported on brackets 44 fixed on annex wall while the forward end of berth pan 52 is supported on bracket 45 fixed to the aisle partition and a suitable leg 46 carried by the berth pan at. As previously stated, the central ba'ck'section can be swung up or down at will to serve as a table between the berth pans when in prone positions or as a back rest for passengers reclining on the ends of the seat structure when theberth pans are in stored position.

The pans 4i and 42 project well above the top of the seat structure sections and preferably substantially to the ceiling at the forward end of the alcove 25 to form a front closure wall for the alcove when in stored position. As the bottom surfaces of the berth pans are exposed to view when in stored position, they can be suitably finished to match with the other type of finish utilized in the bedroom. The berth pans have spring controlled telescoping links i! connected with and attached at their lower ends to brackets 48 projecting from the open sideof the pans and mounted at their other ends on brackets 59 on transverse wall H at the rear of the alcove. These spring links may be of a conventional type. 'An upper berth pan 50 is suspended by links 51 mounted at their upper ends to brackets 52 on the alcove wall I! and connected at their lower ends'with the brackets ll on'the'pan, the pan being carried by pivot means 53 suitably secured to the side walls of the room. This suspension means-is associated with the rear side of the up per berth pan so'that the pan can be swung upwardly into the alcove behind the berth pans H and 42 for stored position. After the lower berths have been moved downwardly, the upper berth pan canbe swung down and is supported at its forward end by arms'fi l pivoted at one end thereof and bracket Iii on the aisle partition. Arm 54 is movable into a slot in bracket 55 on the outer wall. Such'supporting means for the upper berth may. be of conventional form.

Ladder L is provided in'th'e bedroom by means of which a passenger can climb to and descend from the upper berth structure 59. The ladder is constructed so that .it may be stored in the space between the lower berths when stored and to provide with the bottom walls of the lower berths a continuous wall at the front of the alcove.v The ladder is composed of side uprights BiLpreferably formed as angle irons, to which brackets 65 are attached for the mounting of steps 52. One face of the ladder hasa cover plate 63 extending thereacross andsecured to the uprights andsteps by welding or other suitable have U-shaped hand grips Ed suitably fixed thereto and the bottom end of the uprights are formed with a notch EEjengageable with a flange of retainer brackett iifixed beneath the forward e is adapted to be swung over the front edge portion of the upper berth pan when it is in prone msition. 15'

The upper end of the ladder uprights 4 end of the depressed portion [9 otthe ceiling. It will be noted that the U-shaped hand grips extend beyond the angle iron uprights of the ladder and when the ladder is stored, these hand grips extend below the top of the back section 35. The ladder is further retained in parked position by a spring latch Bl fixed there to engag ing in'notched arm 68 fixed on oneside of upper berth pan 50. Hook IE8 is pivotally mounted on rod 69 fixed to the upper end of the ladder and position for retaining the ladder in operative po- This arrangement of the three berths at one end of the room reduces the space normally required for the present bed arrangements in drawing rooms of sleeping cars and without restricting passenger comfort.

The invention may be modified in various respects as will occur to those skilled in the art and the exclusive use of all modifications'asciome within the scope of the appended claims'is contemplated.

What is claimed is: l 1. In a sleeping carhaving an aisle, a room defined by an aisle wall, an'outside car wall, a floor, a ceiling and spaced transverse walls extending between said aisle wall and outside. wall, said room being cflonger dimension longitudinally than transversely of the car, a couch seat structure secured on the floor and extending'transversely of the room adjacent one of the transverse walls, a couch back structure comprising three side-by-side separate sections having cushions on the front thereof adapted to form a continuous aligned surface, said middle back section being hingedly mounted, hingedly mounted berth pan structures having the rear of the two end back sections secured to their bottom walls and of a length to extend substantially to the ceiling when in stored position, a table fixed on the rear'of the middle couch back section, a ladder structure of a width and length to fill the space between the berths above the middle couch back section when in seat forming position, said ladder structure having acover adapted to lie flushwith the bottom walls of the berth pans when in stored position, and means for retaining the ladder in stored position between the berths.

2. In a sleeping car having an aisle, a room defined by an aisle'wall, an outside car wall, a floor, a ceiling and spaced transverse walls extending between'said aisle wall and outside Well, said room being of longer dimension longitudinally than transversely of the car, a couch seat structure secured on the fioor and extending transversely of the room adjacent one of the transverse walls, a couch back structure comprising three separate side-by-side sections, the middle back section being hinged at its base and all of the sections having cushions on the front thereof adapted to form a continuous aligned surface, pivoted berth'pan structures having their bottom walls secured with the rear of the two end back sections and of a length toextend substantially to the ceiling when in stored position, a ladder structure of a width andlength to fill the space between the berths above the middle couch back section, said ladder structure having 'a cover adapted to lie flush with the bottom walls of the berth pans when in stored position, and means for retaining theladder-in stored position.- between the berths. I L 7 1 3. In a sleeping car having an aisle, a-room defined by an aisle wall, an outside car wall, a floor, a ceiling and spaced transverse walls extending between said aisle wall and outside wall, said room being of longer dimension longitudinally than transversely of the car, a couch secured on the floor and extending transversely of the room adjacent one of the transverse walls, a couch back structure comprising three separate side-by-side sections having cushions on the front thereof adapted to form a continuous aligned surface, the middle back section being hingedly mounted, hinged lower berth pan structures having their bottom walls secured with the back of the two end back sections and adapted to extend substantially to the ceiling when in stored position, an upper berth pan hinged for storage behind the other berth pan structures, an anchor member on the upper berth pan, a ladder structure of a width and length to fill the space between the lower berth pan structures and floor, a ceiling and spaced transverse walls extending between said aisle wall and outside wall, said room being of longer dimension longitudinally than transversely of the car, an anchor bracket on said ceiling, a couch seat secured on the floor and extending transversely of the room adjacent one of the transverse walls, a couch back structure comprising three separate sideby-side sections having cushions on the front thereof adapted to form a continuous aligned surface, the middle back structure section being hingedly mounted, lower berth pans having their bottom walls secured to the backs of the two end back sections and adapted to extend adjacent the ceiling when in stored position, a ladder structure of a width and length to fill the space between the berth pans above the middle couch back section when in stored position, said ladder structure having a cover adapted to lie flush with the bottom walls of the berth pans and having a notch in one end, and a ceiling anchor bracket for engaging in the ladder notch to secure the ladder in stored position between the berth pans.

5. In a sleeping car, a bedroom formed by an outside wall, an aisle wall and transverse walls, said aisle wall having an entrance opening adjacent one of the transverse walls, a toilet annex in the entrance end of the room adjacent the outside wall having an inner transverse wall, a couch extending across the full width of the room adjacent the transverse wall remote from the annex having a seat structure and a back structure, said back structure having transversely separated sections mounted to swing down over the seat structure, and hinged berth pans having their bottom walls fixed against the rear of the two end back structure sections, said pans extending beyond the top of the back structure sections and being substantially the length of the space between the annex inner transverse wall and the room transverse wall adjacent the couch when in horizontal position.

6. In a sleeping car, a bedroom formed by an outside wall, an aisle wall, transverse walls and a ceiling with a lower end forming an alcove, an upper berth hinged to room walls and adapted to be stored in the alcove adjacent the transverse Wall, a couch extending across the end of the room outside the alcove, said couch having a fixed seat structure and a back structure having spaced end sections mounted to swing down over the seat structure, and hinged berth pans having their bottom walls secured to the rear of the back sections and extending beyond the tops thereof to form a cover wall when the seat back sections are in seating accommodation position.

7. In a sleeping car, a bedroom, a couch in the bedroom having a fixed seat structure and a back structure, said back structure being formed of three separate side-by-side sections adapted to be swung down over the seat structure, said middle back structure section being hingedly mounted, hinged berth pans having their bottom wall attached to the back of the outer sections of the couch back structure and a table top attached to the back of the center section of the couch back structure.

8. In a sleeping car having a bedroom, a couch extending across one end of the bedroom, said couch having a seat structure and a back structure, said back structure including at least two transversely separated sections independently mounted to swing down over the seat structure, and berth pans hingedly mounted behind the seat structure and having their bottom walls fixed to the back structure sections, said pans projecting beyond the tops of the back structure sections a distance such that they approach the bedroom ceiling when in vertical stored position.

WILLIAM E. BURNETT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,896,477 Boller Feb. 7, 1933 2,147,011 Crawford Feb. 14, 1939 2,240,748 Bak May 6, 1941 2,299,343 Patton Oct. 20, 1942 2,338,814 Jones Jan. 11, 1944 2A81,148 Patton Sept. 6, 1949

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