CERTAIN IM- PROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF CONVEYING SIGNALS OR INTELLIGENCEENCE FROM ONE PART OF A RAILWAY TRAIN TO ANOTHER
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Grafton Jones, of Islington, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF CONVEYING SIGNALS OR INTELLIGENCE
Sealed the 13th February 1854, and dated the 24th September 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Grafton
Jones at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 24th September 1853.
I, JAMES GRAFTON JONES, of Islington, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF CONVEYING SIGNALS OR INTELLI-
GENCE FROM ONE PART OF A RAILWAY TRAIN TO ANOTHER" to be as follows,
that is to say:-
I cause to be extended over the tops or other convenient part of the
carriages forming a train a flexible tube, one end of which terminates
close to the engine driver, the other end being wound round a drum or.
reel fixed in some convenient part of the break van or carriage occupied
by the guard. The arrangement being such that when it is required

page_text: to detach one or more carriages between the break van and the engine,
all that is necessary is to wind upon the reel the superfluous length of
tube caused by the removal of such carriage or carriages; and in like
manner when more carriages are to be added the required length of
tube can be unwound or let off the reel, an arrangement which entirely
dispenses with everything in the shape of couplings. The guard and
engine driver are therefore put in direct communication with each
other by means of a continuous flexible tube, into each end of which there
is place a whistle that can be removed at pleasure, and the tube
employed as a speaking tube. I also propose to have branches from
the main tube into several of the carriages, the several branches being
provided with stop cocks, on opening which and blowing through, the
whistles at each end of the main tube will be sounded; and in like
manner the guard on removing his whistle and blowing through the
tube will communicate with the engineer, and the engineer can in like
manner communicate with the guard. The manner in which I
propose
to carry out my object will be more particularly described in the Com-
plete Specification of the Invention, for which Letters Patent are
solicited.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Grafton Jones in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 24th March 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JAMES GRAFTON JONES, of Islington, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said James Grafton Jones, Her
special licence that I, the said James Grafton Jones, my executors, ad-
ministrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Grafton,
Jones, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should, at any time

page_text: 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 Inven-
tion for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF COMMUNICATING OR
CONVEYING SIGNALS OR INTELLIGENCE FROM ONE PART OF A RAILWAY TRAIN
TO ANOTHER," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James
Grafton Jones, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 Grafton Jones, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed:
I cause to be extended over the tops or other convenient part of the
carriages forming a train a flexible tube, one end of which terminates
close to the engine driver, the other end being wound round a drum or
reel fixed in some convenient part of the break van or carriage occupied
by the guard. The arrangement being such that when it is required to
detach one or more carriages between the break van and the engine,
all that is necessary is to wind upon the reel the superfluous length of
tube caused by the removal of such carriage or carriages; and in like
manner when more carriages are to be added the required length of
tube can be unwound or let off from the reel, an arrangement which.
entirely dispenses with everything in the shape of couplings. The
guard and engine driver are therefore put in direct communication.
with each other by means of a continuous flexible tube, into each end
of which there is placed a whistle which can be removed at pleasure,
and the tube employed as a speaking tube. I also propose to have
branches from the main tube into several of the carriages, the several
branches being provided with stop cocks, on opening which and blowing
through, the whistles at each end of the main tube will be sounded;

page_text: and in like manner the guard on removing his whistle and blowing
through the pipe will communicate with the engineer, and the engineer
can in like manner communicate with the guard. The manner in
which I propose to carry out my object will be understood by the
following, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
.
Figure 1, represents the side elevation of portion of a railway train
with my improved signal attached thereto. , a, is the flexible tube
through which the signal is to be conveyed by blowing through from
one end, and thereby sounding the whistle at the other. The whistle
can be sounded either to indicate danger or to draw the attention of
the party signal'd to listen to any communication spoken through the
tube.
The end of the tube next the engine driver is supported by an
arm or bracket b, provided with two grooved pullies, one of which is
acted upon by a spring so as to retain the tube in its required place,
and yet admit of its being withdrawn when occasion requires. This
bracket, which is shown separately at Figure 2, may be fixed to any
convenient part of the tender, so as to be as near the engine driver and
stoker as possible. The flexible tube, as shewn at Figure 1, is repre-
sented as passing along the sides of the carriages, and supported by
brass rings c, c, c. The rings, which are shewn separately at Figure 3,
are made with an opening at c', which will allow the flexible tube being
inserted or withdrawn, or the rings may be made with a spring clip
so as to admit of the tube being readily inserted, and yet securely
retained, as will be understood. The flexible tube, which is thus
supported along the sides of the carriages, then passes through an
opening in the end of the break van or guard's carriage, which is gene-
rally somewhat wider than the passenger carriages, and is wound upon
a reel or drum.
The peculiar construction of the reel or drum, which forms an
essential part of my Invention, is shewn at Figure 4, which represents
a transverse section thereof, drawn to a larger scale. d, is an axis,
upon which there is keyed a light drum e, with projecting flanges f,f,
forming a drum or reel with a deep groove to receive the flexible tube.

page_text: The axis d, is supported at one end in a suitable bearing in the side
frame of the carriage, and at the other end by a similar bearing, bolted
or otherwise attached to a light casing g, g, which, together with the
reel, is inside the break van. Upon the end of the axis d, which
projects outside the van, there is keyed a hand wheel k, for giving
motion to the reel, or the same may be effected by gearing and a
winch or handle fixed in some convenient place for the guard, as will
be understood.
It will be observed on referring to the Drawing that the end of the
flexible tube is first passed through an opening in the periphery of
the drum e, and from thence through an opening in the axis of the
reel. The required length of tube is then wound upon the drum, from
whence it proceeds in the manner already described to the tender.or
engine. h, (see Figures 1, and 4,) is a vertical tube for the guard to
blow and speak through. The lower end of the tube h, is attached to
the hollow axis of the drum by means of a "union" nut i, somewhat
in the manner of a gland for the piston rod of a steam engine, which
arrangement admits of the drum being turned round so as to increase
or diminish the length of tube, according to the number of carriages in
the train, without disturbing the channel through which the intelligence
is to be conveyed. Note.-I would further remark, a blowing machine
or other suitable apparatus for sounding the whistle may be employed
if preferred.
In order to facilitate the removal of any carriage or carriages between
the break van and the tender, and also that the flexible tube may be
bent as little as possible, I propose to make the drum or reel about
five feet diameter, so that one revolution would coil up a length of tube
equal to the length of a carriage.
Figure 5, represents the drum as being laid horizontally upon the
top of the break van, with the flexible tube running along the tops of
the carriages, but along one edge, so as not to interfere with the luggage
on the roof. Figure 6, is a section of the drum and flexible tube. In
which Figures similar letters denote corresponding parts to those in the
preceeding Figures.
I would also remark, that should the directors of a railway company

page_text: desire a means of communication from one or more of the first-class
carriages, I propose to effect the same by a branch tube or tubes passed
through the roof of the carriage. The removal of such branch tubes
would be facilitated by fixing in the roof two pullies similar to those
shewn at Figure 2.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, I would have it under-
stood that I do not confine myself to the precise nature of the details
herein-before described, so long as the peculiar character of my Inven-
tion be retained. Neither do I claim as my Invention the use of a
flexible.tube generally as, a means of conveying intelligence, as the same
is well known and understood. But that which I do claim as of my
Invention is, the winding upon a drum or reel a flexible tube, and the
peculiar construction of the drum or reel and general arrangement and
combination of parts herein-before described for conveying signals and
intelligence from one part of a railway train to another.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Grafton Jones, have heré-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of March,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
four.
JAMES GRAFTON JONES. (L.S.)