Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for enabling Passengers to Signal to the Guard of a Train.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for enabling Passengers
to Signal to the Guard of a Train.
I, THOMAS ELLIOTT, of 21, Pelham Street, in the City of Nottingham, Furrier
and Mantle Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in means for enabling a passenger in
a train to communicate with the guard, and also indicate to the guard the
compartment in the train from which the said signal was given.
According to my invention I place in a convenient position in the guard's van,
an electric bell and primary battery, one pole of the latter (preferably the positive
pole) being connected to the bell.
The other pole of the battery and the bell are each connected to a main con-
ductor, which two conductors are carried together along the carriages comprising
the train. In order that the conductors may be disconnected where they pass
from one carriage to another, I place at these points detachable junctions or unions
of any convenient form.
In each compartment I place a switch which preferably comprises a pivotted
lever, and a contact plate, over or into contact with which plate, the lever is
moved. One of the main conductors is connected to the levers of these switches,
and the other to the contact plates, so that when the lever of any of them is moved.
over or into contact with the plate the main circuit is closed and the bell in the
guard's van immediately rings.
Each switch is enclosed in a casing provided with a slot through which the
switch lever, or a handle secured thereto projects, this slot is preferably closed by
a shield on the lever in order to prevent the switch being tampered with.
When a switch lever is moved over or into contact with its contact plate, it is
retained in this position by a detent which can only be released by opening the
casing which is locked, the key being in possession of the guard.
When a passenger therefore moves the switch lever he is unable to replace it
and the bell in the guard's van will continue ringing until the guard has returned
it to its normal position again. This arrangement will effectually prevent mis-
chievous passengers from giving false alarms, as detection is sure to follow.
In addition to the contact plate referred to on each switch I may in each case
employ a second contact plate, so placed that the lever moves over or into contact
with both simultaneously.
One plate of each switch is connected to a battery placed in the corresponding
compartments, and the said battery is connected to an electric bell or indicator
placed outside the said compartment. The bell or indicator is also connected
to the other contact plate of the switch thus forming a local circuit which is closed

page_text: simultaneously with the main circuit. The bell or indicator outside each com-
partment will thus indicate to the guard the particular compartment from which
the signal was given.
If preferred the detent of the switch lever may be arranged so as to be released
with a key or other instrument "other forms of switches to that described may
also be employed if desirable.
Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for enabling Passengers
to Signal to the Guard of a Train.
I, THOMAS ELLIOTT, of 21, Pelham Street, in the City of Nottingham,, Furrier.
and Mantle Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:―
This invention relates to improvements in means for enabling a passenger in
a train to communicate with or signal to the guard, and also indicate to the
guard the compartment in the train from which the said signal was given.
The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which
Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section of a carriage and guard's van to which
my invention is applied.
Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section taken on line X X of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a front elevation partly in section, and Fig. 4 a vertical cross section
of the switch which is placed in each compartment of the train.
Figs. 3 and 4 are drawn to a larger scale than Figs. 1 and 2.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
According to my invention I place in a convenient position in the guard's van A
(see Fig. 1), an electric bell B, and a battery C, and connect one pole of the
latter, preferably the positive pole, to the bell B by a conductor C¹.
The other pole of the battery C is connected by a conductor C² to a main con-
ductor D, whilst the bell B is connected by a conductor B to a second main con-
ductor E. The main conductors 1 E are carried from end to end of each carriage F
and also the guard's van and at these points they are connected to the conductor
of the next carriage by detachable junctions or contacts of any convenient form.
As shown in the drawings the main conductors 1) E of one carriage are connected
to those of the next by means of the buffers, the two ends of the conductor ])
being secured to the stalks of the buffers G on one side, and the ends of the con-
ductors to the stalks of the buffers H on the other side, the buffers on one side
being insulated from those on the other by india-rubber blocks placed between
the buffer stalks and springs. This system is also employed in the guard's van.
When this arrangement is not admissible owing to the difficulty of insulating
the buffers I preferably make the contacts in the form of springs, or spring buffers,
and place them at the ends of the carriages so that they meet and the conductors
are thus automatically connected when the carriages are coupled together.
In each compartment of the carriages is placed a switch which is enclosed in
a casing I and is operated from the exterior of said casing by pulling an external
knob I'

page_text: This switch (see Figs. 3 and 4) is comprised of four contact springs J J¹. Js J³
secured in the casing I, and a pivotted arm K which when raised makes contact
with the whole of the said springs. The arın K is raised by a disc K¹ fixed on a
sliding spindle or pin K2 to the outer end of which latter the knob I¹ is connected.
The contact spring J is connected by a conductor D¹ say to the main conductor D
and the contact spring J¹ by a conductor E' to the main conductor E so that when
the arm K is raised by pulling the knob I¹ the main circuit is closed by the arm K
bridging the space between the springs J J1 and the bell is rung in the guard's van.
When the pin K is withdrawn to raise the arm K the former is locked in this
position by a spring lock or detent L engaging with teeth K³ on the pin K³ and
the latter can thus only be released and the arm K lowered by withdrawing the bolt
of the spring lock L by means of a proper key which is in possession of the guard.
When a passenger therefore operates the switch he is unable to replace it, and
the bell in the guard's van will continue ringing until the guard has returned
the switch to its normal position again. This arrangement will effectually prevent
mischievous passengers from giving false alarms as detection is sure to follow.
In addition to the main electric system for operating a bell in the guard's van
from any part of the train, I may employ in connection with each switch a local
system to operate a bell or indicator outside each compartment. This will not
only indicate to the guard the compartment from which the bell was rung, but
will attract the attention of those passengers in the compartments on each side
of it.
The local system comprises a battery M which may be placed in the casing I
as shown (see Fig. 4) and a bell or indicator N (see Figs. 1 and 2) placed outside
the compartment. The bell N is connected by a conductor N¹ to preferably the.
positive pole of the battery M, and the negative pole of the latter to the contact
spring J3 of the switch previously referred to, by a conductor M¹. The contact
spring J of the switch is also connected by a conductor M³ to the bell.
The local circuit is thus closed by the arm K which connects the two springs J² J³
when raised, simultaneously with the closing of the main circuit and the bell N
will continue ringing with the hell in the guard's van and will thus indicate to
the guard the particular compartment from which the signal was given.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In apparatus for enabling passengers to signal to the guard of a train the
combination with an electric system for operating a bell or indicator B in the
guard's van of a switch for closing the electric circuit and an automatic switch
locking device substantially as described.
2. In apparatus for enabling passengers to signal to the guard of a train_con-
necting the main conductors D E of a carriage to the ordinary buffers G H for
the purpose of connecting the said conductors of one carriage to those of the next
substantially as described.
3. In apparatus for enabling passengers to signal to the guard of a train the
combination with the main electric system for operating a bell or indicator B
in the guard's van of a local system in each compartment for operating a bell
or indicator N outside the compartment substantially as described.
4. In apparatus for enabling passengers to signal to the guard of a train the
combination with the main electric system for operating a bell or indicator B in
the guard's van of a local electric system for operating a bell or indicator N
outside the compartment and a switch or device which closes the circuit in both
systems simultaneously substantially as described.
5. In apparatus for enabling passengers to signal to the guard of a train the
combination with contact springs such as JJ1 J2 J3 of a pivotted arm such as K
a spindle K provided with a disc K¹ or projection for raising the arm K a spring

page_text: lock or detent such as L and an enclosing casing such as I substantially as
described.
6. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete appa-
ratus for enabling a passenger to signal to the guard of a train substantially as
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
THOMAS ELLIOTT,
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicant.