Approachway for platforms of cars

Application filed April 20, 1920. Serial No. 375,364.

To dll whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Louis Dufek, a citizen of Czecho-Slovak, and resident of Chehalis, county of Lewis, and State of Wash5 ington, have· invented certain new and useful Improvements in Approachways for Platforms of Cars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful 10 improvements in passage approach ways to the platforms of cars, and more particularly to the approach ways to the platforms of street and interurban cars.

The object of this improvement is to equip 15 such cars with an extensible approach on an inclined plane in lieu of steps, to facilitate the easy entrance to such cars without the slow and laborous effort on the part of passengers seeking to obtain footing on a 20 car step.

A further object resides in the adaptability of such an approach to serve as steps as in general usage, when the extensible application thereof is not employed.

The invention consists in the arrangement, construction and combination of parts with the platform of a car, as will be more fully described in the following specification, illustrated in the accompanying draw30 ings, and finally pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings—

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device installed upon the platform of a car, show35 ing such device in its extensible position to receive passengers.

Fig. 2 is a similar view in elevation, showing the device contracted, thus assuming the form and relative proportions of the 40 usual car steps.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3—3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a plan of the actuating mechanism for contracting and extending the de45 vice.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals indicate like parts in all of the figures, the numeral 1 represents the platform of a car body 50 and 2 represents two fixedly disposed bars that are attached to the car body at both ends by brackets 2', the side bars being placed in spaced apart relation to conform to the width of the average step of cars. 55 These bars are preferably formed with an offset shoulder 3 on their adjacent sides, upon which are slidably mounted,. respectively, channel bars 4, held in a rigid position by braces 9 and which engage said offset portion and are thus precluded from 60 displacement when actuated longitudinally thereupon.

Pivoted to the platform of the car is a step 5, to which is attached in like relation upon its lower side, a riser 6, and imme- 65 diately followed by a step and riser in like manner, the lower riser being pivoted, as herein shown, to a bracket 7 that is fixedly attached to the lower end of the slidable channel bar 4. ⁷⁰

To actuate the slidable channel bar longitudinally upon its mounting, I have provided a rod 10 that is loosely connected to the medial portion of the lower brace 9 at one end, and pivotally attached to an arm 75 11 at its other end, the arm 11 being keyed or otherwise attached transversely to the crank shaft 12 that extends upwardly from beneath the platform 1 to a convenient location above, accessible to the conductor or 80 porter of the car. In such cars where doors are provided to inclose the platform the actuating rod 10 could be attached to the crank shaft that actuates such doors and in this manner the extensible approachway and 85 doors could be opened and closed simultaneously by the same mechanism.

The pivot members which connect the steps and risers are so located that when the parts are extended as shown in Fig. 1, 90 the pins which join the risers to the outer edges of the adjacent steps will lie slightly above a line drawn through the pivotal mounting points of the top step and lower riser, and the pivotal point of the central 95 step and riser will lie slightly below, this line so that when the rod 10 is drawn inwardly the steps will fold upwardly. When the steps are in contracted position they are held from being extended when weight is 100 placed thereon by the locking of the end tooth of a spring pressed dog 14, secured to the platform by a pin 14', within one of the square cut peripheral notches 15 of a ratchet wheel 15' that is keyed onto the 105 shaft 12.

It is obvious that by actuating the crank shaft 12 the steps, as shown in Fig. 2, would be extended to the inclined position, as shown in Fig. 1, the angle of incidence being 110 such that pedestrians could easily walk aboard the platform of the car, whereas,

1,387,134 should the approach way not be extended, the contracted position of the approach way would provide steps in the same relative position as the steps of cars in present usage.