IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATING ON RAILWAY TRAINS
Year: 1870

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by George Atterbury and George
Whitehouse at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 21st June 1870.
We, GEORGE ATTERBURY, of West Bromwich, in the County of Stafford,
Furnace Builder, and GEORGE WHITEHOUSE, of West Bromwich, afore-
said, Glass Painter, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATING ON RAILWAY TRAINS," to
be as follows:-
Our Invention consists in constructing and arranging in the manner
herein-after described the parts of apparatus for communicating between
the passengers and guard or driver, or between the guard and driver of a
railway train.
Our Invention has reference to communicating or railway trains by
means of a speaking tube passing from end to end of the train. And
one part of our Invention consists in constructing the ends of the several
lengths of the tube and making an air-tight joint between the said
lengths in the following manner :- -We fix the several lengths of the
speaking tube (which we prefer to make of metal) upon the tops of the
railway carriages of the train, and we provide the said tube with branches

page_text: which pass into the several compartments of the railway carriages, the
inner end of each branch pipe having a trumpet mouth. The ends of
the main tube situated in the guard's van and on the engine are also
furnished with trumpet mouths.
Each of the ends of the several lengths of the speaking tube projecting
beyond the carriage is screwed externally, and upon this screwed end a
screw box or collar works. Into this screw box a tubular junction piece
of vulcanized india-rubber, supported internally by a coiled spring is
screwed by a screwed collar on the end of the said elastic junction piece,
screwing into a screw in the screw box described. The outer end of the
elastic tube or junction piece is provided with a flange or ring made of
vulcanized india-rubber.
By screwing the screw box carrying the elastic junction piece more or
less on the end of the length of tube fixed on the carriage the length of
the said junction piece may be adjusted. When two carriages of the
train are put together, the flange or ring on the end of the length of tube
on one carriage abuts or nearly abuts against that on the end of the
length on the adjoining carriage, and by the coupling of the two carriages
together in the ordinary way the clastic junction peices are compressed,
and their flanges forced together so as to make an air-tight joint, The
several lengths of the speaking tube are connected together in this way
from end to end of the train. Thus the coupling together of the several
carriages of the train at the same time couples together the several
lengths of the speaking tube, and also makes an air-tight joint between
the several parts. The independant coupling and uncoupling which
speaking tubes constructed in the ordinary way require, is dispensed with
in speaking tubes constructed according to my Invention. The move-
ment of one carriage from or towards the adjoining carriage does not
impair the junction of the speaking tube in consequence of the elasticity
of the junction pieces and their power of elongation and compression.
In order to indicate to the guard or driver the compartment of the
railway carriage from which a signal is given, we construct and arrange
signal bolts as follows:-We provide the trumpet mouths of the branch
pipes in the compartments of the carriages with a jointed lid, which lid
when shut down is crossed by the inner ends of two signal bolts.
These signal bolts work in boxes provided with antifriction rollers for
sunnorting the said bolts.

page_text: The outer ends of the signal bolts are capable of being projected from
either side of the carriage.
When the lid of the mouth piece of the branch pipe is bolted down by
the inner ends of the signal bolts described, the outer ends of the said
bolts are within the carriage. When, however, it is wished to signal the
guard or driver the inner ends of the signal bolts are moved in opposito
directions from off the lid of the mouth piece to permit of the opening of
tho said mouth piece before the signal can be given. The outer ends of
the signal bolts are thereby projected from either side of the carriage and
indicate to the guard or driver the carriage or compartment of the
carriage from which the signal was given.
The withdrawal of the signal bolts when in their short position from
the inside of the carriage is prevented by catches ongaging with the
outer ends of the said signal bolts. The releasing of the signal bolts is
effected by the guard or person in charge of the train.