CERTAIN IM- PROVEMENTS IN CONVEYANCES ON LAND AND WATER
Year: 1849

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, LUCIEN
VIDIE, of Paris, in France, but now of South Street, Finsbury, in the County
of Middlesex, French Advocate, send greeting.
.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Second day of
November, One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine), in the thirteenth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Lucien Vidie, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her
especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said
Lucien Vidie, my exors, adñors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Lucien Vidie, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, in the
Islands of Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and in all Her
Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention of "CERTAIN IM-
PROVEMENTS IN CONVEYANCES ON LAND AND WATER;" in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Lucien Vidie, shall cause a par-
ticular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part
recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto
had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Lucien Vidie, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, refe-
rence being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the different figures
marked thereon, in which the same letters of reference represent the same
parts, that is to say :-
My Invention consists in indicating, by means of certain visual signals, to
passengers the progress and position of conveyances either on land or water,
and in calling the guards of a train to open the carriage exhibiting the signals.
It frequently happens, especially on railways, that passengers do not hear or do
not pay attention when the name of the station they are to stop at it is called
out, and also that others are apprehensive during the greatest part of their
journey of going too far; I obviate these inconveniences in making known, by
the exhibition of a bill or written inscription, the place where the train is
actually, and after the next place it is running to.
The Figures 1 and 2 represent on a scale of one third of the natural size,
the Figures 5, 6, and 7, of one half, and the Figure 8 in their real size, the
two principal apparatus by which I obtain the above-stated results.
In Figure 1a is a cloth on which are inscribed the names of the stations,
and which is to be wound up on the drums 6 and 6', when passing inside of
Each drum is put in
turn.
the vehicle, by means of three sliding pullies c,.c, c.
motion by a spring, which is bent in by causing the shaft d to rotate. This
shaft is provided with a bevil wheel e;. Figure 2, having a catch to prevent it
receding. The spring, its barrel f, and its nave 9 can travel to and fro on the
shaft d, but the nave 9 cannot rotate on that said shaft; it is the barrel f
which by turning gives the movement. On each of its faces the barrel f
presents the cogs f, f", and when it is moved towards the drum b the cogged
part catches with the catch k set on the drum, and compels, the latter to
When, on the contrary, the barrel f is drawn back to the opposite side,
the face f¹ leaves the catch k, which allows the cloth to be unrolled, and the
other face is made to set on the permanent catch 1. The motion of the
barrel is obtained by means of the lever h, put in motion by turning the screw
i, which pushes and brings back the piece j, with which the lever h is joined.
Each drum 6 and 6¹ being provided with a similar apparatus, and the lever h
acting in a similar manner, but in a contrary direction for each extremity of
the lever h, it is sufficient for a journey up or down, when the train is starting,
to turn the screw i on the right or on the left side, to cause the acting of a
drum spring which is bent in before or after, and at the same time the action

page_text: t
of the spring of the other drum' is suspended. To prevent the cloth from
slackening when left to itself, I fix 'towards the other extremity of each axis
d, by its nave m, a weaker spring, "having its" barrel n fixed to the drum,
which always maintains this last in a certain degree of tension. To stop the
cloth at the required words, and to change 'the last, I have placed between
each bill or printed warner an iron cross piece a', having its extremities
jutting out on each side, and made to reach some forks, such as s¹. A crank
lever 9, put in motion at one end by a rod o, is provided at the other end with
a groove q', which, by describing the segment 'q, a³, takes off the rod a², and
draws along the cloth of a length sufficient to disengage the rod a¹ of the
fork s. This last fork is set on an axis which permits it to oscillate between
two stopping points from the position in which it is represented to one place
similar to that of the other fork's, and towards which either a counterweight
or a small spring will suffice to bring it back as soon as the rod a' leaves it.
The lever q, returning to the opposite side, allows the cloth to go down
without the rod a¹ being stopped by the fork; 'but the rod a², being connected
with the groove, and obliged to follow it within the segment described by it,
is compelled to stop on the said fork s¹. "The latter, on account of the tension
of the cloth, and being besides assisted by its own inclination, returns to its.
preceding position as soon as the groove by continuing to descend allows it to
do so. The lever q can at that moment ascend towards another rod without
meeting the one it has just brought with it; it is, therefore, necessary to have
two grooved levers and two forks on each axis, in order to operate simulta-
neously on the two extremitics of each rod, and two similar apparatuses are
required to conduct the cloth either in one way or in another. So, to change
the motion of this part of the mechanism, it is sufficient, when I have altered
the position of the springs (and bent in the
he spring which is to act), to hook
one or other of the crank levers p, q,' in the rod o, which for that purpose is
provided with holes at convenient distances."
C:
By the mode herein-before described I can also make use of a sufficient
number of plates, which would be connected together. In the system repre-
sented by Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8, the names of the places or any other indi-
cations are written on separate plates, which I cause successively to appear
and to return to their proper places. I can construct them of thin plates of
metal, and emboss their edges to form a kind of frame, and to give them more
stiffness. I set them within a box.a, , where they are placed 'át-equal and con-
venient distances in parallel grooves fitted on each side of the box, but having
their lower part widened in order to facilitate the ingress' of the plates. The
box a works on two edged rails b'set on the frame p, as well as the covering

page_text: of the apparatus. Each groove is made to present itself successively above
the notch c of the groove d, in which the plates which are contained in the
box a.are made to descend and ascend one after the other. The nut or cog e,
placed on the upper part of the box a, and catching with the threads of the
moving shaft f, gives motion to the box a. The worm of the above-mentioned
shaft fare represented in Figure 8. They can be circular on three fourths of
its length, and made helixwise on the other parts where they are made to join
the next threads. In that Figure, between the two threads the cog e is repre-
sented in the shape of a rhomb, to facilitate its motion between the straight
and inclining parts. When the apparatus is to be in a state of rest the shaft
f presents to the nut e the middle of the circular part of its worm, and it
therefore can be made to turn a quarter of a revolution, for example, on
account of the oscillation of the train, without altering the position of the
other parts of the apparatus. But if I cause it to turn more, it presses a
tumbler g on a lift / suspended between the two arms i of a balance lever.
The other arms j of the said balance lever, by means of the two connecting rods
k, cause to travel to and fro the rings 1, 1, 1, which envelope two guides m, fit-
ting in each rail, and between which each plate is made to descend in the grooves
d. The inside part 1 of these rings, which prevents the plates from falling in
the grooves d during the motion of the box a, is slightly rounded on its upper
part, and juts out slightly also above the rail at the place where it crosses the
notch c. In order to avoid more effectualy any stoppage, I cause the con-
necting rods to act on the rings 1, 1, 1, by means of springs placed in a
tubular piece o of these rings, instead of having the connecting rods attached
directly to these said rings 1, 1, 1, and by that contrivance I avoid the great
nicety required to bring and maintain the rings 1, 1, 1, at a convenient
elevation. The herein-before described balance lever can therefore, after
having conducted the rings 1, 1, 1, to a proper stop, continue its journey by
bending in the springs of a sufficient amount capable of obviating the irre-
gularities and wear of machinery. The tumbler g, after having pressed the
lift h of the required amount, meets on the last with a part which is cylin-
drical and concentric to the shaft f, and continues therefore to advance, main-
taining at the same time the balance lever in the same position. It is during
this part of the rotative motion that the said shaft f is to connect within the
nute the slanting part of its thread, which causes the box a to move; and it
is also during that time that the said shaft f is to present another plate, in the
place of the former one, above the notch c and the groove d. The tumbler g,
continuing to turn, causes then the lift h to reascend, and the arms; of the
balance lever to descend, conjointly with their connecting rods and the rings on

page_text: which the new plate is resting. When the journey is performed, and the train
is to return, I have merely to turn at every station the shaft f in the opposite
direction to bring the names of the stations or warner in a contrary position.
The Figures 9 and 10 represent the means of transmitting the herein-before
described motions from one vehicle to another. A shaft q is set at one of its
extremities in the holer prepared within the herein-before described shaft f,
Figure 5, and cogs with the last by means of a cross piece jointing with the
fork s. The said axis q passes to the fore part of the vehicle through a
bearer t, Figures 9 and 10, and bends like a crank arm. The shaft, which is
to communicate the motion given by the conductor to the fore part, is con-
structed by means of disconnected pieces on the back part of each of the
vehicles. The prolongation of that shaft is taken off and thrown in the upper
open part of the support t, and causes by means of its cross arm u¹ the crank
arm of the following vehicle to turn. I can also place the apparatus on one
side of the vehicle, that of the door which is not to be opened during the
journey, instead of placing the apparatus in the middle of the vehicle. I
transmit the motion of the apparatus by two bevel wheels and a transversal
axis. To simplify the mechanism for transferring the motion from one side
to the other, I set the lateral wheel either higher or lower than the other, and
I have the transversal axis to pass freely through the said lateral wheels. I
cause the nave of the said wheel to rotate on a bearing, and fit at the same
time to each end of that nave two forks similar to those represented at the
extremity of the shaft f, Figure 5. When I have to bring the apparatus from
right to left it is sufficient to push the axis through the wheel. The end of
this axis, which was catching in the fork j, is made to catch on the fork set on
the right side of the nave of the wheel, and the end which was catching on
the fork of the left side catches on its turn on the shaft f. I must observe
that the apparatus represented by Figures 1 and 2 would be better set on one
of the sides than in the middle of a vehicle, because the names can only be
seen on one face unless I have them repeated, and cause the cloth to work
three times more. If I cause the apparatus to act by means of a rod and an
excentric set on a cylindrical shaft, it suffices to reverse these two organs.
If, however, it is desirable to set the apparatus in the middle,, it would be
easy to have it there put in motion by a square lever. It is very easy to have
the movements of the apparatus herein-before described to act from the deck
of a vessel into the cabins by means of horizontal or vertical axes, or by any
other convenient and known mechanism.
The railway servants are generally directed to look in each vehicle, and to
ask if the passengers wish to alight; but it is very seldom that they take that

page_text: trouble, or. are able to take it. It happens then that the passenger, after
vainly waiting for a company's servant, opens the door himself; but the
passenger must first pull down the window, then lean out and on the other
passengers, being at the same time often encumbered with children and
luggage. All this causes unpleasantness and unavoidable delays, already so
long at every station. 'I have avoided these inconveniences, which are some-
times productive of serious accidents, by giving notice mechanically from the
inside of the vehicle to the guards of the trains to open the door.
2
The Figures 3 and 4 represent the means by which I carry out that part
of my Invention. is a board painted white, and on which is written the
word Open. The board u slides in a box t painted black. A spiral spring,
placed in the frame of the board u, causes it to egress from the box t as soon
as a passenger, by pulling the string of the lever z, compels the stopper v to
be lowered. This catch is set between the arms x and y. The box con-
taining the written board u'is transversely fixed'in the vehicle, and the pieces
x and y on the door; therefore the shutting of this last causes the board u
to re-enter the box't without any more trouble. A similar apparatus can be
set on each side of the vehicle; in that case the same string will be tied by
its two ends to 'two crank levers, and the two boards u will communicate to
each other the "movement by the connecting spindles W, and a balance 'lever
set between these spindles w. It will be sufficient to shut only one 'door to
force the two boards into their proper places. Every kind of written commu-
nication can be given by the herein-before described apparatus. I use also a
board with painted words when there are but few stations. To the circum-
ference of that board I fix a cog wheel, and on the motive shaft a small wheel
rotating a revolution for each word or notice to be exhibited, the other words
being concealed or outside of the vehicle. **
:
And having now described the nature of my Invention; and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it 'to be understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise mechanical arrangements 'herein-before described,
so long as the general features of the said improvements be retained for
carrying out the application of the principle of my Invention, and I hereby
declare that what I claim as my Invention, and sought to be protected
by the said Letters Patent, is,-
Firstly, the indicating to passengers the progress and position of convey-
ances on land by means of visual signals, and its application to every kind of
vehicle, as herein-before described, reference being had to the Figures 1, 2,
3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 of the Drawing.
Secondly, the indicating to the guards of a train, by means of certain visual

page_text: signals, the carriage which the passengers want to have opened, as herein-
before described, reference being had to the Figures 3 and 4 of the Drawing.
Thirdly, the indicating, by means of visual signals to passengers, the progress
and position of conveyances on water, and its application to every kind of
vessel, as herein-before described, reference being had to Figures 1, 2, 3, 5,,
6, 7, and 8 of the Drawing.