IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING SIGNALS FROM ONE PERSON TO ANOTHER IN RAIL-. WAY TRAINS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Fielding, of Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING SIGNALS FROM ONE PERSON TO ANOTHER IN RAIL-.
WAY TRAINS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Fielding at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st August 1872.
I, JAMES FIELDING, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING SIGNALS FROM ONE PERSON TO
ANOTHER IN RAILWAY TRAINS," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in arrangements for conveying signals from one
person to another in railway trains, whereby the use of cords or other
such apparatus is avoided, to which end I'use a continuous shaft or tube
extending along the train, or any desired portion thereof. This shaft or
tube I make up of several lengths, one or more for each carriage, and

page_text: couple them by sockets or by similar means, in order to allow one to slide
in or upon another, to compensate for the varying distance between the
carriages. I also furnish them with joints to allow of motion upward, or
downward, or sideways. The continuous shaft or tube thus formed is
furnished with levers, cords, chains, or other ordinary apparatus at any
required positions from which it is desired a signal may be sent or com-
munication made, and by these means the said shaft may be turned or
slidden forward, so as to release a catch, or otherwise cause a signal or
communication to be given at any desired point, either to be heard
or seen..
In using the tube I propose to employ an apparatus similar to a
bellows, which, by compressing air, may cause a whistle or other such
instrument to be sounded at any situation in the train, the said bellows
being in communication with a branch tube extending from that tube
above mentioned.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said James Fielding in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 1st February 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
FIELDING, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-sixth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said James Fielding, Her special licence that I, the
said James Fielding, my executors, administrators; and assigns, or such
others as I, the said James Fielding, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CON-
VEYING SIGNALS FROM ONE PERSON TO ANOTHER IN RAILWAY TRAINS," upon
the condition, amongst others, that I, the said James Fielding, by
()
.

page_text: an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in
the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Fielding, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement and accompanying Drawings, that is to say:-
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 represents in sectional side view
two railway carriages; that at A being for passengers, and that at B
the guard's van.
Figs. 2 and 3 are end views in section, and Figs. 4, 5, 6, detached
views on a larger scale of those parts, of the apparatus which constitute
the main feature of this part of my Invention.
Beneath the carriage A is a shaft 1 mounted so as to be capable of
being turned in bearings 2, and formed at each end (or it may be
throughout its length) with square hollow parts, within which is placed
a similarly formed rod 3 sufficiently loose to be able to slide freely in the
recess. This rod is at its extremity jointed to a link 4, the other end of
which is in a similar manner jointed to a second squared rod 5 passing
into a similarly formed recess within a shaft 6, which is mounted so as
to be capable of being turned in bearings 7 carried by the van B.
Suppose the shaft 1 to be turned by a passenger through the medium of
any convenient mechanical appliance, it will, through the squared
rods 3, 5, and link 4, cause the shaft 6 to turn, and this motion may be
used to sound a bell, or effect any other signal to call the attention of the
guard. In like manner the right-hand end of the shaft 1 may be coupled
to a similar shaft under another carriage, and so on throughout the train
to the tender, which, being provided with apparatus similar to that
applied to the guard's van, the attention of the driver may be called. As
the carriages approach nearer to, or become wider apart, the shafts 1, 6,
slide upon the squared rods 3, 5, but remain capable of communicating
motion to each other.
When the train is in motion the joints of the link 4 allow for side

page_text: joints to admit of vertical play, but the parts may be made sufficiently
loose for that
purpose.
It will have been seen by the above description that a person sitting
in any compartment of a train may, by means of suitable connexions
with the shaft 1, or other such shaft mounted upon another carriage,
transmit motion to any required situation, and that the said motion may
be employed to ring a bell or otherwise give a signal, but I will now
proceed to describe an arrangement I employ for that purpose. Within
each compartment is a box, as at 8, provided with a cover,.
which may be
locked by the guard or other official. In Fig. 2 it is shewn open for
the purpose of explanation. Within this box is a lever 2 extending
through a slot, so that the end may be on the outside, and at 10 is a
hinged catch, its lower end resting on the said lever 2. At 11 is a rod
jointed at its upper end to the lever 2, and provided at bottom with a
slot, within which is a pin extending from a lever 12 fast upon the
shaft 1, which lever and consequently rod 11 are forced upward by a
spring 14 acting upon a projecting part 15, and the lever 9 is separately
forced upward by a spring 13. Upon the shaft 6 of the guard's van is a
lever 16 connected to a rod 17, the upper end of which is connected to a
lever 18 for sounding a bell 19 by an ordinary escapement.
When a passenger desires to give a signal he pulls down the lever 2,
thereby causing the end of the slot in the rod 11 to act upon the pin
extending from the lever 12, by which means the said lever and con-
sequently the shaft 1 will be turned, and this motion, by the means
above described, will be transmitted to the shaft 6, which by turning the
lever 16 will draw down the rod 17, and cause the lever 18 to strike the
bell 19.
When the lever 9 is drawn down the catch 10, by turning upon its
centre, holds it in that position, and the guard by going along the train
can see by this position of the said lever from which compartment the
signal was sent, or he can see it by the lowered position of the
lever 12.
To restore the parts to their working position the official may unlock
the box 8, and move the catch 10 to the position shewn, when the
springs 13, 14, will be at liberty to shift the levers 2, 12; or a key may
be used to turn the said catch upon its centre.

page_text: When it is desired to add carriages to a train it is simply separated
at the required part, and the coupling rods 3, 5, adjusted to other shafts
similar to those shewn at 1, 6.
1
The description and Drawings only show the signalling apparatus
applied to the guard's van, but it may be adapted to the tender also, so
that passengers would be able to signal both guard and driver, and
they each other.
.
Fig. 7 shews in plan view,.and Fig. 8, in partial elevation another'
arrangement Í employ for giving signals. In each compartment is a
rod; cord, or chain 25 extending through the roof of the carriage, and
passing through a lever 26 fast upon a shaft 27, which is capable of
turning in bearings 28. Two of these levers are situate above a bar 29
which extends across a bellows 30 placed on the roof of the carriage, the
moveable part of the said bellows or air chamber being forced upward by
a spring 31, and the mouth 32 thereof being connected to a pipe 33,
each end of which has a flexible part 34 by which a coupling may be
effected with adjoining carriages, and with the engine and tender. When
one of the cords or chains 25 is pulled down, the lever 26 by acting upon
the bar 29 closes the bellows 30, and propels air through the pipe 33,
and this passing to the engine and guard's van or other required situa-
tion blows a whistle, or may, be otherwise used to give a signal. In order.
to shew from which part of the train the signal has been sent I adopt the
following arrangement :- Turning loosely upon the shaft 27 are levers 35,
one end of each of which carry a pin 36* extending through- the cords
or chains 25, and the other ends extending by a hook over vanes 37
hinged on centres 38, and forced outwards by springs 39. When a rod,
cord, or chain 25 is pulled down to give a signal, as above described,
it draws with it the pin 36*, and consequently the lever 35, which by
turning loosely, upon the shaft 27 removes its catch end from the vane 37,
which then springs outward and indicates the compartment from
which the signal has been sent, for as the levers 35 are loose upon the
shaft 27, motion imparted to one has no effect upon another. The levers
are forced upward by springs 40, and their outward hooked ends are
thus kept in contact with the vanes 37.
The Drawing shews two compartments only furnished with vanes;
but a similar arrangement is, of course, adapted to the others.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my said Invén-
tion, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it

page_text: to be understood that I claim as secured to me under the above recited
Letters Patent, and for the purposes above set forth,-
Firstly. The use of the sliding and jointed coupling illustrated
at 3, 4, 5.
Secondly. The use of the bellows and parts connected therewith.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Fielding, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three.