IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNALLING BETWEEN PASSENGERS AND GUARD OR DRIVER IN RAILWAY TRAINS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Godfrey Sinclair, of the City of Edinburgh, Esquire,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNALLING BETWEEN PASSENGERS
AND GUARD OR DRIVER IN RAILWAY TRAINS."
Sealed the 22nd August 1865, and dated the 23rd February 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Godfrey Sinclair at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 23rd
February 1865.
I, GODFREY SINCLAIR, of the City of Edinburgh, Esquire, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNALLING BETWEEN.
PASSENGERS AND GUARD OR DRIVER IN RAILWAY TRAINS," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in fitting to one end or to both ends of railway
carriages, and on the outside thereof, two weighted wings or metal plates or
discs, each of which is carried by a rod, the lower end of which is fastened
by a bolt to the carriage, and on which it is free to turn; a metal loop, within
which the rod is passed, limits the movement of the rod and consequently o
the signal plate both inwards and outwards. Each rod is furnished with a
chain, the inner end of which terminates in a ring. These rings are passed over
the hinged tongue of a disengaging hook fixed at or about the centre of the
carriage and near the upper part thereof, and the tongue is secured to the

page_text: body of the hook by a ring sliding down the hook and over the tongue. This
last-named ring is attached to a chain passed over a pulley and carried inside
the carriage along the roof with branch chains to the corners of the compart-
ments so as to be within reach of the passengers. In order to draw the
attention of the guard or driver I place a fog signal or cap or glass filled with
detonating composition inside the loops, within which the rods carrying the
signal plates move (or in any other position), which are discharged simul-
taneously with the signal plates, being protruded as hereafter explained..
Supposing a passenger desires to make a signal he pulls the chain in the
carriage, thereby raises the ring on the disengaging hook and lets free the
hinged tongue, which falling, the signal rod chain rings slip off, and the
signal rods and plates having nothing to retain them fall outwards and explode
the detonating composition, and the plates shew themselves on each side of and
beyond the line of the carriages. If not required the detonating composition
may be dispensed with.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,. filed
by the said Godfrey Sinclair in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd August 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GODFREY
SINCLAIR, of the City of Edinburgh, Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Godfrey Sinclair, Her special licence that I, the said Godfrey
Sinclair, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Godfrey. Sinclair, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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
SIGNALLING BETWEEN PASSENGERS AND GUARD OR DRIVER IN RAILWAY TRAINS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Godfrey Sinclair, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to

page_text: 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 Godfrey Sinclair, 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 thereof, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
that is to say-
My Invention consists in fitting to one end or to both ends of railway
carriages, and on the outside thereof, two weighted wings or metal plates or
discs, each of which is carried by a rod, the lower end of which is fastened
by a bolt to the carriage, and on which it is free to turn; a metal loop, within
which the rod is passed, limits the movement of the rod, and consequently of
the signal plate both inwards and outwards. Each rod is furnished with the
chain, the inner end of which terminates in a ring. These rings are passed
over the hinged tongue of a disengaging hook fixed at about the centre of the
carriage and near the upper part thereof, and the tongue is secured to the
body of the hook by a ring sliding down the hook and over the tongue. This
last-named ring is attached to a chain passed over a pulley and carried inside
the carriage along the roof on both sides to the end of the furthest compart-
ment, so as to be within easy reach of every passenger in each compartment.
Supposing a passenger desires to make a signal he pulls the chain in the
carriage, thereby raises the ring on the disengaging hook and lets free the
hinged tongue, which falling, the signal rod chain rings slip off and the signal
rods and plates having nothing to retain them fall outwards and the plates
shew themselves beyond the line of the carriages on both sides. My wing
signal may be fitted to the guard's van worked by a chain running through
every carriage.
The accompanying Drawing shows the manner in which I construct and
apply my signal. A is a view of the front or back of a railway carriage; B, B,.
are rods free to move on pins a, a, secured to the carriage and carrying metal
discs or wings C, C; D, D, are chains attached to the arms at one end and
terminating at the other end in rings b, b; E is a bar, up and down which a
detent ring F is free to slide; this ring is connected to the free end of a chain,
wire, cord, or strap, carried inside the carriage and passing through the
aperture c; G is a pin or hook hinged at d; H, H, are loops limiting the
play of the rods B, B. The full lines shew the position of the parts when
the signal is made, and the dotted lines shew the parts set ready for a signal
being made. To set the parts, place the rings b, b, on the pin G, and place

page_text: the detent ring over the pin so as to secure it to the bar E. To liberate the
signal discs pull the chain inside the carriage until the detent ring is raised
free of the top of the pin G, which being no longer held up drops and releases
the rings b, b, consequently the rods B, B, and the signal dises drop by their
own gravity, and the rods being arrested by the loops H, H, the signal discs
remain protuded beyond the sides of the carriage.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim signalling between
passengers and guard or driver in railway trains by means of wings or discs
fitted and acting substantially in manner herein-before described and represented
in the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Godfrey Sinclair, have hereunto set my
band and seal, this Nineteenth day of August, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-five.
GODFREY SINCLAIR. (L.B.)