US1189595A - Folding car-step. - Google Patents

Description

1.1. MCCARTHY L c. MERTZ.

FOLDING CAR STEP.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. II. 1916.

1 ,l 89,595. Patented July 4, 1916.

me/M0155 JOHN J. M9 cmzTI-IY CHRI. MER-f1 ttozmw msnen/usp uns o nn u r nrc.

FOLDING GAR-STEP.

lSpeccation of Letters Patent.

Patented July 4, 1916.

Application led February 11, 1916. Serial No. 77,723.

T0 all 'whom t may concern Be it known that we, JOHN J. MGCARTHY and CARL Mnn'rz, citizens of the United States, residing at Lawler, in the county of Chickasaw and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Car-Steps, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

Our invention relates to car steps, and particularly to foldingr car steps.

The general object of ourr invention is the provision of a car step having a permanent series of treads and risers and an auxiliary step attached to the lower end of the perma nent series of steps normally supported beneath the permanent steps but shift-able into a 'lowered position and when so shifted, lockedin position. Y

A further object of our invention is the provision of a step of this character which may be retracted by simply pressing upon a trip rod and which may be proJected either by pulling outward upon the auxiliary step or by means of a lever mechanism.

i The steps of almost all railway cars to-day are disposed at considerable distanceV above the platform and as a consequence the porters or other attendants have to placestools at the car steps when the train stops in order for passengers to mount oralight. This is avoided by our improved car step in the manner which will be later seen.

Our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

'Figure 1 is a vertical section of a car step constructed in accordance with our invention; Fig.'- 2 is a rear view thereof with the auxiliary step closed; Fig. 3 kis a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring to these drawings, 10v designates the ordinary platform of a car having the usual opening 11. Extending downward fromy this openingin 'parallel relation and at a slight inclination arey the side pieces 12 which support the treads and risers 13, 13 and 14 and 14a, respectively. All of these `parts are of any suitable or usual construction. Hinged to the lowertreadlla acent its outer edge is anauxilia'ry riser 15 which is normally retained in a position approximately parallel. to the treadfllla but may be turned into a verticalposition. Hingedto the lower edge of this auxiliary riser 15 is the auxiliary tread 16. This'tread is hinged intermediate its length so that there is 'a portion 17 which projects rearward of the yriser 15 when the riser is in its vertical position. The rear end of this portion 17 is notched or otherwise formed to pivotally engage with a supporting member 18 which in turn is pivotally connected adjacent its upper end, as at 19, to the side pieces 12. Normally this pivoted hanger 18 extends downward and inward, as illustrated in dotted lines in F ig. 1. When the auxiliary step, however, is shifted into operative posi* tion this hanger 18 extends vertically downward as illustrated in full lines in Fig. 1.

In order to hold the auxiliary step in its raised position and urge it to this position, we provide the spring or springs 25. These springs are each attached at one end to the auxiliary step 17 and at the other end to the hanger or supporting member 18 so thatthe springs normally act to hold these members in yan angular relation toeach other, and it will be seen that these springs are expanded upon a movement of the step into its operative position. 1

In order to hold the step in its operative position against the force of the spring 20,

we provide the latch 21 having the form of a bar which is pivoted at 22 to the lower riser 14a. This latch extends inward through a slot 23 formed in the hanger and is formed with a shoulder to engage with the hanger when the hanger is in a vertical position. The extremity of the detent yor latch is connected by meansof a spring 20 to any suitable iixed support, as for instance, thelower face of the tread 18a.

For the purpose of releasing the latch, we

provide a trip rod 26 which at its lower end is connected to the latch bar 21 and at its upper end extends through an opening in the platform 10 and is provided with the tread n plate 27." It will be obvious now that by steppingupon this tread plate, the latch 21 will be forced downward from the position yshown in Fig. 1, and when this latch is so forced downward the springs 25 will act to yretract the step into the position shown in dotted lines'in Fig." 1. For-the purpose of shifting the auxiliary step to its operative position, a handle 28 may be disposed upon the under side of the auxiliary step so that they auxiliary step maybe readily drawn out byt drawing outward upon the handle. It

k'is obvious,ihowever, asr illustrated in Fig. 1, Vthat ay lever `may be usedk for this purpose which may be operated from the car platform to throw the step outward. lVe have obvious from what has gone before. When the train stops, the porter or other attendant may either operate the lever 29 to lower the auxiliary step, or getting off the car may pull upon the handle 28 to lower the step. When the step is lowered it is automatically locked by the latch 21 so that it cannot move rearward. This auxiliary step comes relatively close to the platform so that there is no trouble in mounting the car or descending therefrom. When it is desired to raise the step it is only lnecessary to step on the trip 26 which releases the latch, whereupon the springs 20 will retract the step*y toits position underneath the regular step. y

It. is obvious thatthe exact construction and arrangement of parts may be changed without departing from the spirit of the invention and vmany modifications might be made which would be within the .scope of the invention.

Having described our invention, what we claim is: r

1. The combination with a permanent car step having a lower tread, of an auxiliary step comprising a member pivotally connected to thetread and an auxiliary tread pivotally connected to the lower end of the member and extending rearward therefrom, a hanger pivotally connected to the permanent steps and pivotally engaged with ythe rear end of the auxiliaryl tread, means normally urging the parts into a position with the auxiliary tread in approximately parallel relation to the lower step andfbeneathA saidstep, means for latching said parts in position with the auxiliary tread parallel to but projected beyond the lower tread of the permanent car step, andmeans for releasing said latching means.

2; The Vcombination with a permanent car step having a lower tread, of an auxiliary step comprising a member rpivotally connected to the tread and an auxiliarytread pivotally connected to the lower end of said vmember, and extending rearward therefrom, a hanger pivotally connected to the permanent steps and pivotally engaged Vwith the rear end ofthe auxiliary tread, means normally urging the parts into` a position with the auxiliary tread ,in approximately parallel relation to the lowerstep and enti-rely beneath ythe step, a spring actuated latch adapted to engage the hanger when in a vertical position to hold Ait from movement and therebyhold the auxiliary tread projected beyond the lowest tread of the permanent steps, and means for releasing said latch.

3. rThe combination with a permanent car step having a lower tread, of an auxiliary step comprising a riser pivotally connected to the tread and a tread pivotally connected -to the lower end of the riser and extending rearward therefrom, avhanger pivotally connected to the permanent steps and pivotally engaged with the rear end of the, auxiliary tread, Vsprings vnormally urging the parts into a position with the auxiliary riser .andV

tread in approximatelyparallel relation to the lower step and beneath saidstep, and a spring actuated latch bar adapted 'to engage the hanger when in a vertical position to hold it from movement, and ymeans for releasing said ylatch bar. Y l

4l. The Combination with a permanent car step having a lower tread, of an auxiliary step comprising a riser pivotally connected tothe tread `and a tread-pivotally connected to the lower end of the riser 'and extending rearward therefrom, a hanger pivotally connected -to the permanent steps and pivotally engaged with the rear end of the auxiliary tread, springs normally -urging the parts into' a position with the auxiliary riser and tread in approximately parallel relation lto members and alower tread, `of a riser pivotally connected tothe forward edge ofthe lower tread, an auxiliary step hingedly connected intermediate its ends -to the lower edge of the auxiliary riser, va vhanger-pivotally mounted at lits upper end .between the side members of the lpermanent carvstep and depending therefrom and pivotally con-Y nected to the rear end of theauxiliary tread,

said hanger being slotted, springs `connected to the permanent step and tothe auxiliary tread at its pointfof connection with the correspondingriser, a latch bar .pivotallyconnected toa tread ofthe permanent car steps, extending rearward therefrom and vpassing Ythrough and formed with a :notch ito form one wall of the slot, said latch bar holding the hanger in ardepending positionwhen so engaged, a-springconnected to the outer end of the latch bar'and urging it upward, and a trip rod connectedto the outer .end of the latch bar and passing upward through the y platform.

' 6. A oar step including permanent treads and risers, an auXiliaryriser hingedly connected to the lowermost permanent tread n and foldable into parallel relation thereto and beneath said tread, an auxiliary tread pvotally 'connected lto the vauxiliary riser,

a lever operatively supported in Connection With the permanenty stepsy and having one end Slotted, means on the rear end ofthe yauxiliary tread engaging said slot, and Inanuallyy operable meansforaotuating said lever to shift the auxiliary tread into position entirelyv beneath the permanent tread or l5 projected beyond the permanent tread.

"In testimony whereof We hereunto aliX lour signatures in the presence of two Wit,-

copies otthil patent may be obtained tor ve cents each, by addressingy the Commissioner Yof Patente. Wuhington, D. C.

Images