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Note
: Pictures that correspond with this patent HAVE BEEN uploaded 10/18/02
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Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 780,265, dated January
17, 1905.
Application filed March 30, 1904. Serial No. 200,814
To all it may concern,
Be it known that I, Albert H. Closson, a citizen of the United
States, residing at Glens Falls, in the county of Warren and State of New
York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Night Lunch-Wagons,
of which the following is a specification.
This invention relates to a lunch-wagon adapted for preparing
and serving lunches on streets and other places, as desired.
The object of the present invention is to provide an improved
commodious kitchen and dining room which is mounted on wheels to permit
of easy transportation and which may be easily and conveniently entered
by pedestrians from the street, as well as to furnish a booth from which
persons standing on the outside may be readily served with lunches.
Another object is to provide a vehicle of this character in
which the facilities for preparing and serving lunches are greatly increased
by the pecular arrangement and aggroupment of the furnishings, which enables
a maximum number of persons to be served with a minimum amount of labor
and trouble, the tables and seats being so arranged in the dining-space
as to afford easy access by the waitor to each seated person without crouding
eachother or obstructing the passage for the admission and exit of other
guests and of the waitor and at the same time permit standing persons to
be served from a counter in front of the kitchen, which is seperated from
the dining-space by such counter.
A further object is to arrange the furnishings so as not to
obstruct the light through the windows and at the same time obviate the
use of floor space for cupboards, closets, shelves, &c., and, in fact,
everything except that which is necessary for the comfort of the customers,
and to these ends the kitchen is located at the front of the wagon, and
the entire front wall, where there are no windows, is equipped with necessary
closets, shelves, cupboards, and sink, while the projecting front end of
the ventilated car-roof, which is usually of no practical utility, may
conveniently accommodate a tank for supplying water to the sink.
For a full understanding of the merits and advantages of my
invention reference is to be had to the following description and the accompanying
drawings, in which--
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved night lunch-wagon with
parts of the sides broken away to expose the interior furnishings thereof.
fig 2 is a plan view with the roof removed, showing the floor-space and
the arrangement of the furnishings. Fig 3 is a transverse section
on the line x x of Fig 2, showing the front or kitchen end of the wagon;
and Fig 4 is a rear elevation with the lowr portion of the wall broken
away.
In carrying out the invention I mount the body 1 of the vehicle
on suitable carrying wheels 2, which are arranged at each end thereof and
confined within the space occupied by the width of the body, so as not
to project beyond the sides thereof. The gear for the wheels is particularly
adapted for my improved lunch wagon, so that the body of the same will
be as low down as possible to facilitate the entrance to and exit from
the wagon. The rear axle 3 is U-shaped, with an intermediate
portion
4, which extends beneath the body, and the vertical upright arms 5 thereof
terminate in oppositely-extending spindles, on which the wheels are mounted.
On the tops of the vertical upright arms of the axle are mounted bearing-blocks
6, which are secured by suitable clips to the truck leaf-springs 7, the
ends of which are looped and engaged with straps 8, extending down and
beneath the vehicle-body and secured thereto, as shown in Figs 1 and 4.
The vehicle-body at the rear is recessed laterally, as at 9, and the springs
and wheels are confined within this recess, which does not necessitate
a wider gage than usual for vehicles and at the same time permits the sides
of the vehicle to be brought into close proximity to the sidewalk, with
the floor substantially in the same horizontal plane therewith, thus enabling
patrons to easily gain access to the door of the wagon without mounting
several steps.
At the front, the vehicle-body is recessed or displaced entirely
across the same at its bottom, and the running-gear is confined within
this recess and beneath the front platform or footboard 10, which extends
rearwardly and is connected at its rear end with the drop portions 11 of
the truss-rods 12. These truss-rods extend from the rear strap 8
to the front platform, as shown in Fig 1, thereby preventing sagging of
the body. Beneath the front platformis a transverse strip 13, which
furnishes a bearing for the blocks 14 of the elliptical springs 15, to
the under portion of which is secured the bolster 16, which is pierced
by a king-bolt that enters the axle 17, on which the front wheels are mounted.
Suitable thills 18 extend from the front axle. The sides and back of the
body may be provided with windows 19, the sills of which are about midway
between the floor and roof of the body, so that the lower portion thereof
is inclosed to insure privacy. The front of the body is entirely
closed, there being no windows, and about midway of the ends, upon one
side thereof, is a sliding door, beneath which is an adjustable step 21.
When the vehicle can not readily be backed, the horses may be hitched to
a hook 22 at the rear end. The windows are preferably of the usual
construction, with an upper and lower sash, the lower sash containing a
colored or frosted glass, and by opening the windows lunches may be easily
served therefrom to persons standing on the outside of the vehicle.
A suitable electric conductor 23, with an attaching-nozzle, extends from
the rear of the vehicle and furnishes an electrical connection for the
electric lights on the interior thereof.
The roof of my improved lunch-wagon is of the monitor type,
with the transom-windows in the sides thereof, so that the wagon may be
well ventilated and an increased height obtained, as well as permitting
light. At the ends this roof extends or projects beyond the front
and rear of the wagon-body proper, and in the front extension 24 thereof
is a water tank 25, which may be filled by a hose from the outside, access
being gained thereto through the hinged door 26, as shown in Figs 1 and
3.
From the description thus far given it will be seen that the
running-gear of the wagon is confined beneath the body and that by the
pecular manner of mounting the rear runing-gear the floor-space between
the wheels may be utilized, while that portion displaced by forming recesses
for the reception of the springs and wheels furnishes shelves or tables
27 on the interior, and that the floor of the body is permitted to drop
comparatively low, thus affording an increased floor-space on the interior
of the same, while the recess at the floor does not remove any of the floor
space to any appreciable extent, since the sides and front of the body
abovethe same are utilized to good advantage, as will be hereinafter described.
This manner of mounting the running-gear permits the employment of comparatively
large wheels, which insures a light or easy draft.
Referring now to the interior furnishings, it will be seen that
the dining-space 28 is located at the rear and center of the wagon, while
the kitchen 29 is comprised within a relatively smaller space at the front
of the same. The lateral displacements or recesses at the rear
do not destroy any of the floorspace for the dining room, since the tables
27 are mounted above said recesses, and in front of the tables are arranged
a row of stools 30, leaving an aisle 31 therebetween, whereby all the customers
may be conveniently served. At the ends of these tables 27 are stools
32, and near the center upon each side are smaller tables 33, each having
stools 34 at the sides thereof. This arrangement provides a comparatively
large space between the stools, which enables the waiter to gain access
to each seated person and which prevents obstructing the passage for the
admission and exit of other customers and of the waiter, and each customer
has ample room, wherefore a great number of persons may be served in a
comparatively small space. The tables 33 are preferably bracket supported
and detachable, so that they may be dispensed with, if desired, and the
table adjacent to the door preferably has one stool only upon one side
thereof, so that the passsage to and from the door will not be obstructed.
The kitchen 29 is seperated from the dining-space by a transverse
counter 35, beneath which is a money drawer, shelves 37, and drawers 38,
the last of which may be utilized for storing table-linen, knives and forks,
and the like, and on top of this counter is the coffee-tank 39. The
rear end of the platform 10 provides a shelf 40, which extends entirely
acrooss the front of the body and on which may be mounted a gas-stove 41,
which is supplied with a hydrocarbon from the tank 42, and above the gas-stove
is a warming-shelf 43, which may be made of heavy reticulated material,
whereby some food may be kept warm while other food is being cooked, and
above the warming-shelf is arranged a hood 44, which has a spout 45 projecting
through the roof and by means of which the odor and steam arising from
the cooking is carried off. A vertical partition 46, seperates the heating
apparatus from a china-closet 47, and in the corner opposite the oil-tank
is a pie cabinet 48. It will thus be seen that the entire front wall
of the vehicle-body above the recess is utilized to good advantage.
the water tank 25, may be supported in the projecting end of the monitor-roof
by means of hangers 49, and from one end of this tank extends a supply-pipe
50, which leads to a faucet 51, above the sink 52, the discharge-pipe 53,
of the sink extending down through a closet 54, therebeneath and terminating
beneath the floor of the wagon-body. Adjacent to the sink at one
side of the body is an ice-box or refrigerator 55.
By the arrangement above described it will be seen that all the
articles necessary for a complete kitchen are provided and aggrouped in
such a manner as to be within easy access of the cook, who may stand behind
the counter in front of the gas-stove and easily reach the pie-case, china-closet,
sink, ice-box thereby enhancing the facilities for preparing and serving
lunches.
While the specific construction and arrangement of parts as
above sset forth are preferrable, it is to be understood that changes in
the form, proportions, and minor details of the severaal parts may be made
with departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages
of my invention.
Having thus described my invention, ehat I claim, and desire
to secure by Letters Patent is--
1. In a lunch-wagon of the class described, the combination
of a body having lateral recesses at the lower rear ends thereof and a
transverse recess at the lower front end thereof, running-gear confined
within said recesses, a dining-space at the rear and central portion of
the body, tables in each of the rear corners above the recesses thereof,
a table upon opposite sides at about the center of the body, seats arranged
in front of and at the sides of the tables with an aisle or passage therebetween,
a kitchen located at the front of said body, a transverse counter seperating
the kitchen from the dining-space, a sink upon one side adjacent to the
counter, a cooking and heating apparatus located in front of the body above
the transverse recess, a china-closet adjacent to the cooking and heating
apparatus, a pie-case, the china-closet and the pie-case also being disposed
above the transverse recess, an ice-box mounted on the floor adjacent to
the sink, a closet beneath the sink, and a water-supply tank for the sink
mounted in top of the body at the front thereof, substantially as specified.
2. In a lunch-wagon of the class described, the combination
of a body having lateral recesses at the lower rear ends thereof and a
transverse recess at the lower front end thereof, running-gears confined
within said recesses, a dining-space at the rear and central portion of
said body, a monitor-roof for the body, having its ends projecting beyond
the front and rear thereof, a water-tank mounted in the projecting front
end of the roof, a sink upon one side of the body having a supply connection
with said tank and also having a discharge beneath the floor, a cooking
and heating apparatus located in front of the body, above the transverse
recess, a china-closet adjacent to the cooking and heating apparatus, a
pie case in the corner opposite the cooking apparatus, the china-closet
and pie-case also being disposed above the transverse recess, an ice-box
mounted on the floor adjacent to the sink, a closet beneath the sink, and
a transverse counter extending from the side opposite the ice-box and having
sshelves and drawers therebeneath and dividing the kitchen from the dining-space,
all substantially as set forth.
In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification
in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.
ALBERT H. CLOSSON.
Witnesses:
James H. Bain,
Harry L. Mickle.