US2806437A - Window header construction - Google Patents

Description

Sept'. 17, 1957 w. FALL 2,806,437

wINnow HEADER CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 17, 1954 l/Vlfrid LFall .Anomqg nite States wlNnow naman coNsrnncrroN Application August 17, 1954, Serial No. 450,341

Claims. (Cl. 10S- 397) The present invention relates to a window header construction and arrangement for railway passenger cars, and more particularly to such a construction and arrangement in which a continuous header forms a curtain box at each window and provides for unimpeded raising of window sashes.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved continuous window header construction in a railway passenger car which does not require sectioning of the side posts and which in addition provides window curtain boxes between posts and allows unirnpeded raising of window sash.

Another object is the provision of a combined window header and curtain box construction for railway passenger cars which is continuous to strengthen the car side wall yet does not require slotting for accommodation of raised window sash, and provides integral housings for window curtains between side posts.

Another object is the provision of a continuous window header for railway passenger cars forming window curtain boxes between the side posts while bracing and tying together the posts to strengthen the car side wall.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a continuous window header for railway passenger cars strengthening the side wall and defining openings between side posts for accommodating raised window sashes.

Another object is the provision of a continuous window header for railway passenger cars which additionally provides part of the interior finish of the car.

Other and further objects, advantages, and features of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a broken cross section through the side of a railway passenger car incorporating the invention;

Fig. 2. is an enlarged horizontal section taken as indicated by the line 2-2 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of Fig. 1 with window sash and curtain applied.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, a channel member extends horizontally along the inner faces of hollow side posts and above the windows in the side wall with its web vertical and its flanges horizontal and directed toward the sheathing on the outer faces of the posts. The upper flange is wider than the lower flange, and is coped or cut out at intervals corresponding to the spacing of the posts so as to embrace the posts, the depth of the cut-outs or notches being less than that of the posts so that the edge of the upper or wider flange is spaced from the sheathing. The lower flange of the channel member is narrower than the other flange, and its edge abuts against the inner faces of the posts. The channel member, serving as a window header, is secured to the posts by welds at the edges of the flanges. In each side post is secured a stifener plate located in the plane of the wider flange. Curtain brackets are secured within the channel member for mounting curtains at the Winatent ICC dows, the window header thus acting as a multiple curtain box and eliminating the need for individual curtain boxes and the application thereof. The arrangement of the header with the posts and sheathing provides openings between posts for allowing window sash to be raised,

without necessitating the cutting of slots in the header for this purpose. The construction and arrangement also provides the advantages of a continuous header strengthening the side wall, and additionally allows the posts to be continuous, instead of being interrupted to accommodate the header, thus resulting in greater strength and easier assembly. The header also serves as part of the interior finish of the car, requiring no concealing molding or the like.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown in Fig. 1 a railway passenger car side wall comprising a plurality of vertical side posts 10, only one of which is shown, extending from the bottom of the car to the `Z-section side plate 11, making connection between the side wall and roof. The posts 10 are of hat section and arranged with their webs inward and their flanges outward, all as best shown in Fig. 2, and are formed of two vertically aligned parts between which extends `a. `Z-section belt rail or sash rest 12, welded or otherwise secured to the two parts of' each of the posts. Along the inner faces of the posts is secured the wainscot 13, extending from the floor to somewhat above the sash rail, and on the outer faces of the posts there is supported the sheathing 14, in which are formed window openings 15 such as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the lower edges of which are slightly above the sash rest 12. Above each window opening 15 there extends horizontally between the side posts 10 adjacent the opening a shallow hat-section stiffener 16 welded by its web to the inner face of the sheathing 14. Corrugated reinforcing plates 17 also extending between adjacent posts further rigidify and strengthen the sheathing, being welded to the inner face thereof. A window sash frame 18 is suitably mounted in the car wall adjacent each of the window openings 15, as will be clear from Fig. 3, the frame being of general U-shape open at the top with vertical channels or guides in its upright side portions for vertically slidable sash 19 and a curtain hereinafter described.

A continuous window header in the form of a channel member 20 having one flange 21 narrower than the other flange 22 is provided. The wider flange 22 has its edge cut away or indented at intervals to define a series of copes or notches in its edge of a depth equal to the difference in width of the two flanges, and less than the depth of the side posts 10, as evident from the drawings, spaced along the member 20 in correspondence with the spacing of the side posts along which the member extends. Each notch or cope is of such size and shape that the indented edge portions of the flange defining it may snugly embrace the inner portion of a side post, that is, it corresponds to the inner portion of the cross section of the side post, in this case substantially rectangular. The channel member 20 is disposed horizontally along the inner faces of the side posts 10 somewhat above the window openings, more or less opposite the stifeners 16. The web of the channel member is substantially vertical and spaced inwardly from the posts, the flanges 21 and 22 being substantially horizontal and directed toward the sheathing 14. The wider flange 22 is uppermost and has its edge spaced from the sheathing so `as to lie inwardly of the plane of the channels or guides in the sash frame 18 in which the sash 19 is slidable, the posts being embraced by the edge portions of the flange 22 which detine its copes or notches. The lower or narrower flange 21 has its edge abutting the inner faces of the posts. The wider flange 22 is secured to the posts as by welds along the edge portions thereof embracing the posts and the narrower flange 2l is secured at its edge by welds or other suitable means to the inner surfaces of the posts. In each post lt) there is a stiffener plate 23 substantially closing the post, secured by welding or other appropriate means in substantially the plane of the upper or wider flange 22 of the channel member 20.

A side plate reinforcement 24 extends along the inner portion of the side plate ll and upper ends of the posts l@ and provides for the attachment of the adjacent edge of the ceiling and of the upper edge of a frieze 25. The frieze is formed by a suitable sheet extending between the reinforcement 24 and the window header member 2li, its lower edge being secured to the upper face of the latter by screws as shown or other suitable means.

The portions of the window header between the side posts l0 provide hollow sections opening inwardly, or in the direction of the sheathing le, and narrower at the bottom portion than at the top. The hollow sections adjacent window openings l5 conveniently serve as housings or boxes for roller curtains 26, which are mounted in the boxes by suitable curtain brackets 27' secured within the header as by spot-welding of bracket flanges to the wide upper flange 22 of the header member. The lower portions of the curtains 26 are arranged for movement in the channel guides of the sash frames 18 in the usual manner. Trim molding including an upper molding portion 23 (Fig. 3) is applied to conceal the joints between the sash frame i8 and the interior finish of the car, the portion 2S fitting closely against the lower llange 2l of the channel member 20.

The disposition of the outer edge of the wide flange 22 of the channel member 2h in spaced relation to the sheathing 14 provides openings defined by each pair of posts and the flange 22 and sheathing 14 or stifener lo through which a sash 19 may pass when it is raised, as will be evident particularly from Fig. 3. A stop 29 (Fig. l) is provided above each sash to limit its upward movement. The stop may be of any suitable form, as a channel member extending horizontally between and welded at its ends to side posts at opposite sides of the window opening, and may have resilient or other cushioning bumper means on its lower side for engagement by the raised sash 19. The invention may be employed in cars with fixed sash, in which case the stop 29 is not required.

It is to be noted that while the window header is continuous, so that maximum strengthening and bracing of the side wall is effected, it does not require the side posts lil to be formed in two portions or sections so that the header may extend substantially to the sheathing. This results in manufacturing economy and better side post construction. At the same time, the spacing of the window header flange 22 from the sheathing provides openings to allow raising of the window sashes, without requiring the formation of slots in the header for this purpose, as is the common present practice. Since the purpose of headers extending substantially to the outer wall sheathing is to provide maximum strength, and the slotting thereof necessarily detracts from the strength which can be provided, such constructions are largely if not entirely self-defeating. The construction disclosed accomplishes substantially in full the structural vresults of such slotted window header arrangements, and in addition achieves its own particular advantages. ln prior constructions, also, individual mounting boxes or housings for the roller curtains, separate from the window header, have been necessary, so that additional material has been required for the boxes and time-consuming installation of each individual curtain box necessitated. The window header disclosed itself provides the curtain boxes for the several windows when it is secured in place, eliminating both the need for individual or separate boxes and the separate installa tion thereof. The curtain brackets may conveniently be assembled with the header member before the member is (itl applied, although they may also readily be secured in place after the member has been positioned. The termination of the lower flange of the header member at the inner faces of the side posts facilitates mounting the curtain rollers in the brackets. The window header according to the present invention also serves as part of the interior finish of the car, requiring no covering or concealing member and lending itself to decorative treatment in the same manner as the frieze 25, wainscot f3, or inner wall por tions such as pier panels between windows. This again saves material, time, and labor. lt will be apparent that the invention provides a very advantageous window header construction and arrangement.

What is claimed is:

l. A window header construction for a railway passenger car having sheathing on the outer faces of hollow section side posts, comprising a continuous member of channel section secured horizontally along the inner faces of the posts with its web substantially vertical and its flanges extending outwardly toward the sheathing, Athe upper flange of said member being wider than the lower flange and having its edge spaced from the sheathing and formed with indentations of less depth than the posts and embracing the inner post portions and the lower flange having its edge abutting the inner faces of the posts, and a stiffener plate secured in each of the posts substantially in the plane of said wider llange.

2. A combined Window header and curtain box construction for a railway passenger car having sheathing on the outer faces of vertical side posts, comprising a continuous member of channel section secured horizontally along the inner faces of the posts with its web substantially vertical and its flanges extending outwardly toward the sheathing, the upper flange of said member being wider than the lower flange and having its edge spaced from the sheathing and formed with indentations of less depth than the posts and embracing the inner post portions and the lower flange having its edge abutting the inner faces of the posts.

3. A combined window header and curtain box construction for a railway passenger car having spaced vertical side posts, comprising a continuous member of channel section secured horizontally along the inner faces of posts with its web substantially vertical and its flanges extending in the direction of the outer post faces, the .pper flange of said member being wider than the lower liange and having notches formed in its edge spaced and shaped to embrace the side posts and the lower flange having its edge abutting the inner faces of the posts.

4. ln a railway passenger car side wall including spaced hollow side posts with wall sheathing secured on the outer faces thereof and windows with raisable sash between pairs of the posts, the improvement comprising a continuous member of channel section secured horizontally `along the inner faces of the posts above 'the windows with its web substantially vertical and its flanges extending outwardly toward the sheathing the upper ilange of said member being wider than the lower ilange and having its edge spaced from the sheathing and formed with indentations of less depth than the posts and embracing the inner portions and the lower flange having its edge abutting the inner faces of the posts, and a stiffener plate secured in each of the posts substantially in the plane of said wider flange.

5. ln a railway passenger car side wall construction, outer sheathing provided with spaced window openings, spaced vertical posts disposed `adjacent the window openings and each having one side secured to the sheathing, a horizontal continuous member of channel section disposed adjacent the upper edges of the window openings on the other sides of the posts and having its web` substantially vertical and its flanges extending toward the sheathing, the upper flange of the member being wider than the lower flange and provided with spaced notches and the posts being disposed in the notches and bearing against the walls of the notches and the lower flange having its edge abutting the posts, and means at the notches securing the member to the posts, the member serving to strengthen the side wall and as a housing 5 for curtains.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES VPATENTS Vogel Sept. 13, 1904 Miller July 10, 1934 Thompson Apr. 7, 1936 Ragsdale Apr. 16, 1940 Blomberg June 24, 1941

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