US351130A - smith - Google Patents

Description

(No ModeL) '2 Sheets-Sheet 1. P. J. SMITH & J. F. McEVOY. CONVERTIBLE STREET GAR.

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PATENT PHILIP J. SMITH, OF LONG ISLAND CITY, AND JOHN F. MCEVOY, OF

- BROOKLYN, NE\V YORK.

CONVERTIBLE STREET-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 351,130, dated October 19, 1886.

Application filed July 29,1886. Serial No. 209,445. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, PHILIP J. SMITH, of Long Island City, in the county of Queens and State of New York, and JOHN F. MoEvoY, of Brooklyn. in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Convertible StreetOar, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Our invention relates to a car whose sides may be raised to a position at the top of the car and lowered therefrom to close the sides of the body of the car, so it can be readily converted into an open or closed car as the season and weather require.

The invention consists of the construction, arrangemenhand combination of the parts of the car, all as hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,- in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of our new car as it appears with the sides elevated and the side steps lowered. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same, showing the aisle seats in position. Fig. Sis a. transverse sectional eleva tion of the car, one side being closed, the other open. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the aisle-seats folded, and Fig. 5 is a View of the key for turning the shafts.

The bottom A, roof B, end walls, 0, and platforms D of the cawbody may be of the usual or of any approved construction. The platforms are provided at each side with a permanent step, D. Framed into and between the end walls, 0, are the open side frames, E E, each composed of a bottom bar. a, top bar, I), and uprights c c. p The frames E are set in somewhat from the edges of the end walls, so the outer surfaces of the side pieces, F,when lowered will be flush,or nearly so,with the edges of the end walls. The upper bars, I), of the side frames, E, stand below the roof of the car, so that the side pieces, F, maybe carried over the top bars to occupy a horizon-- tal or nearly horizontal position beneath the roof, as indicated in Fig. 8. The side pieces, F, are panels of suitable width and length formed with numerous windows, f, and they are each attached at their ends to endless chains G H for raising and lowering the side pieces. The endless chains G- are passed over sprocket-wheels and pulleys secured upon the shafts J and K, the former journaled in the end walls near the roof, the latter journaled in the end walls immediately over and in line with the top bar, b, on that side of the ear. The endless chains H are passed oversprock etwheels and pulleys secured upon the shafts L and M, the former journaled in the end walls of the car a short distance from and a little below the shaft K, the latter immediately over and in line with the opposite top bar, b. The shafts J L are each provided at their ends with a ratchet-wheel, d, with which reverse-pawls e engage, and with which also the spurs s of the pawl S of the key S engage for turning the shafts for raising and lowering the side pieces, F. The spaces between the upper edges of the side pieces, F, when lowered and the roof of the car are closed by panels N, attached to the eaves of the roof, and these are hinged to swing outward, so they will not interfere with the side pieces, F, passing the pulleys of the shaftsK M, in opening and closing the sides of the car.

0 0 represent the continuous side steps of the car. These are each composed of a board, 0, secured to a shaft, P, and a foot-piece or step, 0, hinged to the board 0, so that it is adapted to stand at right angles to the board 0, as shown at the right in Fig.2, or folded flat against the board 0, so as not to interfere with the latter being folded up to vertical position against the body of the car, as shown at the left in Fig. 3.

The shafts P are provided at each end with a ratchet-wheel, h, with which the reversepawls h are adapted to engage for locking the shafts-and to these shafts the key S may be applied for turning the shafts for raising and lowering the steps.

The seats Q Q in the car are permanent and transversely arranged, and do notreach to the center of the car, so that when only these seats are used, as when the ear is closed, there is a center aisle for passengers and the conductor to pass through the car.

\Vhen the car is used as an open car the aisle is closed by removable seats It, placed between and the seat portion c --and these are hinged together, as shown in Fig. 4, so that the seat can be folded against one side of the back and the leg portion against the other. The size of the seats, R is made to exactl y fit between the adjacent ends of the permanent seats Q, and thus when in place form continuous seats across the car. V

The key S (shown in Fig. 5) is provided with the spring-pawl S, formed'with side spurs, s, which are adapted to engage with the teeth of the ratchet-wheels upon the shafts. The end ofthe key is formed with an eye, 3 to fit upon the shaft loosely, so the key willturn easily on the shafts; and in order to relieve the hinges of strain when lowered for use, we secure to the edges of the boards 0 the rests t, and also to the edges of the boards 0 the rests t, which act to braceand support the boards 0 when the steps are lowered to position for use.

Having thus fully described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent end walls of the car, in combination with the shafts K M, journaled at the upper edges of the open l'rames E, the shafts L J,journaled at opposite sides ot'the center of the ear, the end less chains G H, and the side pieces, F, attached to the chains, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The panels N, hinged to the roof of the provided with the rests t, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. The steps 0, composed of the boards 0 0, hin ed together, the board 0 being attached to the car by a rod on which it is adapted to swing, substantially as described.

PHILIP J. SMITH. JOHN F. MOEVOY.

Witnesses:

Jos. METZGER, OWEN CLARKE.

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