IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SIGNALLING OR COMMUNICATING IN RAILWAY TRAINS BETWEEN PASSENGER AND Guard, AND GUARD AND ENGINE DRIVER
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Stapleton, of 21, Cockspur Street, West-
minster, in the County of Middlesex, Member of the Inventors'
Institute, for the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SIGNALLING
OR COMMUNICATING IN RAILWAY TRAINS BETWEEN PASSENGER AND Guard,
AND GUARD AND ENGINE DRIVER."
Sealed the 9th January 1874, and dated the 11th July 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Stapleton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 11th July 1873.
I, GEORGE STAPLETON, of 21, Cockspur Street, Westminster, in the
County of Middlesex, Member of the Inventors' Institute, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR
SIGNALLING OR COMMUNICATING IN RAILWAY TRAINS BETWEEN PASSENGER AND
GUARD, AND GUARD AND ENGINE DRIVER," to be as follows:-
This Invention has reference to the construction of pneumatic
apparatus of the following character for the above purposes. On the
tops of the carriages (though other positions may be adopted if desired),

page_text: iron or other tubing for air (gas tubing for instance) is secured with
branch pipes passing through the tops of or into the carriages, and
having compressible air balls or bellows arrangements attached. The
ends of the said tubing dip down to provide for the coupling of the
tubing of one carriage to the tubing of another, so as to make the tubing
throughout the whole train one continuous air tube or passage whereby
whistles or other sounders placed close to the guards and the engine
drivers can be sounded by pressing the said air balls or working the said
bellows.
The provision for coupling consists in having the ends of the iron
tubing threaded or suitably constructed, and by having a coupling piece
of brass or other metal screwed or fitted therein or thereto, such piece
being peculiarly formed with an indented part, and having above a
projecting part to which a forked hook is secured with a ball or weight
for pressing the same home to its position.
Coupling is effected by the above arrangements, or any substantially
the same in effect, in conjunction with the following or equivalents
thereof, that is to say, india-rubber tubing, which is to be pushed into
the said coupling piece, and in order to render the coupling perfectly
effective the india-rubber tube has its end externally thickened or flanged
so that the forked hook may take its place immediately beneath the
thickened part or flange, and so maintain the rubber tube in its place
notwithstanding the motion of the train.
The india-rubber tubing is likewise provided with a projecting piece
with an orifice in it to take in a hook to be secured to the end of the
railway carriage so as to attach thereto the india-rubber tube, and
prevents its being lost when uncoupled.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Stapleton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 10th January 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
STAPLETON, of 21, Cockspur Street, Westminster, in the County of
Middlesex, Member of the Inventors' Institute, send greeting.
3

page_text: •
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-seventh
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said George Stapleton, Her special licence that I,
the said George Stapleton, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said George Stapleton, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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 "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR
SIGNALLING OR COMMUNICATING IN RAILWAY TRAINS BETWEEN PASSENGER AND
GUARD, AND GUARD AND ENGINE DRIVER," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said George Stapleton, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 be per-
formed, 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

page_text: The provision for coupling consists in having the ends of the iron
tubing threaded (if required) or suitably constructed, and by having a
coupling piece of brass or other metal screwed or fitting therein or
thereto, such piece being peculiarly formed with an indented part, and
having above a projecting part, to which a forked hook is secured with a
ball or weight for pressing the same home to its position.
And in order to render the coupling more perfectly effective the
india-rubber tube has its end externally thickened or flanged so that the
forked hook may take its place immediately beneath the thickened part
or flange, and so maintain the rubber tube in its place notwithstanding
the motion of the train.
Coupling is effected by the above arrangements, or any substantially
the same in effect, such as the following:-One end of india-rubber
tubing is attached to tube on the carriage, the other end being attached
to the coupling made of a circular piece of metal, wood, or other suitable
material formed with grooves or openings and projecting pieces, such
coupling being on each end of carriage. When therefore two car-
riages are required to be coupled the projecting pieces on cach are
let into the grooves or openings and then turned and held firmly
together by means of a flange made on the projecting pieces, by which
means coupling of tube is effected. The india-rubber tubing is likewise
provided with a projecting piece with an orifice in it to take in a hook to
be secured to the end of the railway carriage so as to attach thereto the
india-rubber tube, and to prevent it being lost when uncoupled.

page_text: Figs. 5 and 6 represent one form of coupling for connecting the pipes
of the separate carriages of a train.
Fig. 5, front view and Fig. 6, side view. In this, Fig. 5, the dotted
lines show how coupling is effected.
Figs. 7 and 8 represent another form of coupling; Fig. 7 being side
elevation, and Fig. 8 plan.
In Figs. 1 and 2, A represents the external casing which is secured to
the framing B of the railway or other carriage; C represents the
bellows;
D is a plate of metal resting or fixed to the top of bellows, and
to either side of which plate rods E and E¹ are secured, such rods pro-
ceeding down through the roof into the carriage, and being attached to a
handle F. G represents the cock or valve (shown separate in Fig. 4)
communicating with the interior of the bellows, and to which is con-
nected the pipes H and H¹.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-A person desirous of com-
municating with the guard or engine driver pulls the handle F, and
thereby by means of the plate D compresses the bellows C, and air is
forced by the valve G through the pipes to the guard's van, where a
whistle (N, Fig. 3) is blown, and his attention is drawn to the signal.
'To enable him to see from what compartment the signal proceeded from,
I arrange a tell-tale apparatus, shown in Figs. 1 and 2; this tell-tale is
made as is shown in said Figs. To the plate Da small piece of metal J is
secured, which rises, and on this rests, when the apparatus has not been
worked, another piece of metal K, cast or secured on to spindle K', which
runs across and rests, or is secured to the casing A, and any suitable
tell-tale arrangement K2 secured to end of such spindle. When the
bellows is pulled or worked it will be seen that in consequence of the
piece of metal descending the part K with the spindle K¹ will fall, and
assuming the first position of the tell-tale to be horizontal, then when the
apparatus is actuated it will assume a vertical position, and it cannot
return to its original position till moved by the guard or other person
from the outside of the carriage.
The pipes which connect the carriages together are made of india-
rubber or similar substance, and the ends of pipes connecting carriages
together are coupled sometimes together by an ordinary fishing rod
coupling, but I prefer to use the form shown in Fig. 5; it may be con-

page_text: structed of wood or metal. The pipe a is connected to this coupling and
held by washer or flange 6 or other suitable means, this washer is so
arranged that the washer of the coupling of each carriage will rest
firmly against the other, being thus rendered air-tight.
In order to connect two carriages together the projecting pieces c and
care placed through the grooves or openings d and d', made of a width
to receive them, and they are turned till they come to the position e
and e¹, and by reason of the projecting portions on the pieces c and c¹
they hold to each other and are firmly coupled.
Another form of coupling is shown at Figs. 7 and 8, where the pipe
from the carriage is screwed or secured to a coupling on each carriage,
and the connecting pipe of rubber forced on to the part f for conveying
the signal. This coupling keeps its position and holds the rubber (as
shown by dotted lines) by means of its being weighted, as shown at f¹.
In Fig. 4 is shown the cock or valve for conveying the signal from
the bellows. g represents the bottom of bellows; the valve h being
screwed or secured to the same, and when the apparatus is actuated the
air issues from the bellows through the openings i into and through the
pipes Hand H¹.
To enable the guard to both receive and send signals the apparatus
may be either inside or outside the van. Suppose the former position,
namely inside, the construction of the apparatus (sec Fig. 3) is sub-
stantially the same as in Figs. 1 and 2, but here the handle will be
forced upwards, so that when the guard wishes to give a signal he
presses up the handle attached to bellows, and the air is forced out through
the pipe L which has a small opening at the top and through the
pipe M and gives the signal; but when the guard receives a signal the
air comes through the pipe M, but in consequence of the small opening
in pipe L it cannot pass through that pipe, and therefore it blows the
whistle N secured and communicating with the pipe, thereby giving the a
signal. This whistle N cannot be blown when the guard sends a signal,
as the top of pipe L is above the whistle N.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and
objects of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed or put in practice, I hereby declare that I claim the Inven.
tion of "Improved Apparatus for Signalling or Communicating in

page_text: Railway Trains between Passenger and Guard and Guard and Engine
Driver," as the same is herein-before set forth and described, it being
understood that I do not limit myself to the use of the precise details
shown by the Drawings, but claim the use of any details suitable for
effecting my Invention as above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Stapleton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
10 Witness,
C. Fox ROE,
Barr.-at-Law,
Temple,
London,
E. C.
U. STAT LETUN. (L.B.)