UNITED STATES PATENT' OFFICE.
LEE SWEARINGEN OF GRAFTON WEST VIRGINIA ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL CATTLE-CAR COMPANY OF SALEM OHIO.
IMPROVEMENT IN STOCK-CARS.
Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. dated May 29 1860; reissue No.
dated April 11 1871.
To all whom it may concern :
Be it known that I LEE SWEARINGEN formerly of Valley River Falls in the county of Marion and State of Virginia but now re-siding at Grafton in the county of Taylor and State of West Virginia have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Construction of Cars for Transporting Cattle and Stock upon Railroads of which the following is a specification :
In transporting horses cattle sheep swine &c. upon railways cars of different construction must be used for the larger and smaller animals or else with the latter much loss of car-room will ensue in proportion to the live weight carried.
It is of great utility in transporting horses and horned cattle to separate them by partitions to prevent the stronger ones from injuring the weaker ones; and owing to the height of such stock these partitions must necessarily extend nearly the whole depth of the car. For sheep or hogs however partitions are not so essential neither is so much vertical space required; consequently such cars are usually made double-decked.
The object of my invention therefore is readily to convert a stock-car from what is known as a "double-decker " adapted to carry small stock into a " single-decker " adapted to carry horses and horned cattle.
My invention consists in combining with a stock-car swinging partitions so constructed that the car may readily be converted from a double-decked one into a single-decked one or vice versa as hereinafter set forth.
In the accompanying drawings which rep-resent so much of a car embracing my improvements as is necessary to illustrate the invention herein claimed Figure 1 represents a view in perspective of the body of my improved car with the roof removed to show the interior. Fig. 2 represents a vertical longitudinal section through the car at the line x x of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a vertical trans-verse section through the car at the line y y of Fig. 1 looking toward the end of the car showing the partitions arranged vertically to divide the car into stalls for large stock. Fig.4 represents a similar view but with the partitions turned horizontally to convert the car into a "double-decker" for the transportation of small stock. Figs. 5 and 6 represent similar sections at the line y y of Fig. 1 looking in a direction the opposite of that shown in Figs. 3 and 4 showing a difference in the construction of the partitions.
The body A of the car may be constructed in any well-known way and mounted upon trucks of the usual construction. The car is shown as constructed with three subdivisions
B B' B2; but of course a greater or less number might be used and they might be made either by tight or skeleton partitions or simple studding or posts. In this instance posts
C C' C2 C' are arranged across the car on each side of the doorway. Between these posts and the ends of the car partitions or platforms
D D' D2 D' are hung upon pivots or hinges d or other means of shifting or turning them so that one or all of them may at will be swung either into a vertical position as in Figs. 3 and 5 or into a horizontal one as in Figs. 4 and 6. When swung into a vertical position these partitions form stalls for horses or cattle and these stalls may either be longitudinally or transversely arranged relatively to the car without changing the character of the invention.
When the partitions are swung into a horizontal position the outer edge on one side rests on a ledge on. the car the central sections overlap as in Figs. 4 and 6 and the other edge is likewise properly braced. The car is then converted into a "double-decker" without horizontal divisions.
The doors E of the car slide on ways e in the usual manner. They are also divided horizontally into slidng panels El E2 which construction facilitates the loading of the animals as hereinafter shown.
The central compartment B' of the car is in this instance provided with a partition D' swinging on a pivot d4 transverse to the car. This partition is supported by rods d5 booked at their upper ends and sliding on ways d6 inside the car. Owing to this mode of construction the partition when vertical as shown
2
by dotted lines in Fig 2 can be moved toward one end or the other of the car thus leaving more room for large stock to enter the stalls.
In loading large stock the doors E are opened and the cattle driven into the stalls at one end of the car. The central partition D4 is then moved close np to the posts at that end of the car and the cattle driven into the stalls at the opposite ends. The central partition D4 is then placed in its proper position and the cattle driven into the central stalls thus filling the entire car.
In loading small stock the partitions are all arranged horizontally the upper and lower panels opened and the stock driven in until the car is full.
When the platforms are horizontal it is obvious that the upper portion of the car might be used as a receptacle for food for the stock or that one part of the car might be used as a "single-decker " while the other part was used as a "double-decker " thus adapting the car to all the requirements of stockmen.
The partitions it will be observed are constructed in two parts and so hinged -together that one part may move upon the other thus allowing one part to be vertical while the other is horizontal thus still further facilitating the division of the car.
I claim as my invention
i. The combination with a stock-car of partitions operating substantially as set forth so that when vertical they form stalls for large stock but -when horizontal they divide the car into two compartments one above the other for the purposes specified.
2. The combination with a stock car of partitions swinging on horizontal axes parallel to each other so that when horizontal one partition overlaps and is supported by the other substantially as set forth.
3. The combination with a stock-car of partitions arranged parallel to each other length-wise of the car and swinging on horizontal axes substantially as set forth so that when vertical the car is divided into longitudinal stalls and when horizontal the inner portions of the partitions overlap each other while their outer portions are supported by the sides of the car.
4. The combination with a stock-car of swinging end partitions arranged longitudinally at each end of the car with swinging central partitions arranged across the car substantially as set forth to facilitate the loading or unloading of the car and to economize space.
5.- The combination with a stock-car of a swinging sidewise-moving partition D4 constructed and operating substantially as set forth so that it may be swung out of the way when not in use.
6. The double-leaved swinging partitions constructed substantially as set forth so that one leaf may be turned up or down without the other for the purposes specified.

LEE SWEARINGEN.

Witnssses :
Wni. MALLONEE S. L. SEMMELMAN.