AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE SPEED OF RAILWAY TRAINS, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Bristow Hunt, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's
Inn, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE SPEED OF
RAILWAY TRAINS, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES." -A com-
munication from abroad by Albert Scholz, of Berlin, Prussia.
Sealed the 23rd July 1872, and dated the 5th April 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Bristow Hunt at the.
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th April 1872.
I, BRISTOW HUNT, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said In-
vention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE
SPEED OF RAILWAY TRAINS, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES," (a
communication to me from abroad by Albert Scholz, of Berlin, Prussia,)
to be as follows:-
This Invention, which relates to an improved and efficient speed
indicator for railway and other similar purposes, such as steam road
carriages, traction engines, tramway and common road omnibuses,

page_text: carriages, or vehicles, consists mainly of apparatus or mechanism
(arranged and constructed as herein-after described) which is arranged
in a casing or receptacle, and is connected to and actuated by the axle of
a railroad car or other similar vehicle or locomotive. Inside and at the
upper part of the casing is placed a pulley on which is wound a strip of
paper, on which the desired report or record of the speed is to be made.
This pulley revolves round a pin, on which it is held by a nut. Between
the pulley and its support (which is secured to the casing) is a spring,
which acts as a brake upon the pulley, so that the latter may not be
caused to revolve through the oscillation of the train. The paper strip
previous to its being wound upon the pulley is perforated with holes at
regular distances apart. The strip is drawn from the pulley by a roller
provided with pegs which enter the holes in the paper and passes thence
round a guide pulley and through a table, and after passing two other guide
pulleys is coiled upon a self-coiling report pulley, and during its passage
the speed of the train or vehicle is registered or recorded thereon as here-
after described. The peg roller receives its motion from a well regulated
clock so well constructed that its time-keeping properties will not be in the
least impaired by the oscillation of the train. The table is provided with a
glass plate so as to admit of the strip being adjusted accurately and
according to the time when putting the apparatus in working order.
The plate is perforated at one place with a hole and at another with a
groove, & in these operate two pins by means of which the speed is
recorded on the passing paper as hereafter described. The bottom edge
of the glass plate towards the peg roller is smoothly rounded off so as to
diminish the friction or drag on the paper. The top of the table itself is
also provided with a long hole for the purpose hereafter described. The
peg roller is loose upon its spindle so as to turn freely thereon when a
new paper strip is being put into the apparatus, or when the strip is to
be adjusted according to the proper time before starting; also in order
to allow the clock to go without drawing the paper strip when the
apparatus is not in use,
"When the apparatus is in operation the peg roller is pressed against a
fixed disc by a nut, between which and the peg roller is a washer pro-

page_text: .
being screwed back and pressed against a bar forming a bearing of
the peg roller, which would also stop the clock. The report pulley is
rendered self-coiling, so as to coil up the paper strip on which the speed
is indicated or registered by means of a spring wound or coiled up by a
key and squared spindle and held by a ratchet wheel, and which acts
directly upon a wheel, transmitting the power by means of a small
pinion and wheel (both on the same shaft) to a wheel formed in one
with the report pulley. The front disc of this pulley is screwed upon a
hollow pin upon which the report pulley turns, and whilst it is screwed on
keeps a brake piece (by means of a projecting piece of the same) from
bearing upon the rear disc. When a report is required to be taken out
the front disc is screwed off, and the brake piece then bears against the
circumference of the rear disc by means of the feathering capacity of the
projecting piece, and so prevents the running off of the clockwork after
the paper strip has been cut in order to take the report out. The end of
the paper strip is then again fastened to the report pulley and the front
disc screwed on, when the pulley immediately takes up its coiling
capacity.
Two reports are registered on the paper simultaneously as described
hereafter; one is formed by a row of pricks made by a pointed pin, &
the other (showing a continuous line) is made by a dull pointed pin.
The former shows with the minutest accuracy the velocity of a train at
every moment with regard to its amount of speed as well as with regard
to its uniformity. The latter shows also with the minutest accuracy
the duration of the time a train is in motion, as well as the time of its
stoppage. It also controls. the brakesman when the apparatus is con-
nected with the axle of the brake van.
The circumferential velocity of the peg roller is calculated to be such
that the paper slip is drawn thereby every minute the distance between
two of its adjacent holes. The paper previously to its being placed in
the apparatus has lines printed upon it at every fifth hole so that the
distance between any two adjacent lines corresponds in its passage to
five minutes; the lines have also the figures for the minutes belonging
to them printed upon them.
The apparatus is actuated by an air cylinder (hereafter described)
closed at its top by a thin sheet of rubber or other suitable elastic fabric
which is distended by means of compressed air, and every time it is so
distended lifts a lever (pivotted to a plate held in the casing) by means

page_text: of a press button with which the latter is provided and which is held
by a jam nut and adjusted by a hair screw. A second hair screw in
connection with the said lever then presses the dull pin against the paper.
strip, and so makes an impression upon it. The motion of the lever is
determined by two pins and is such that at each stroke a ratchet wheel
is turned by a pawl thercon one tooth. A "toe" or cam projection is
fastened to this wheel and revolves with it, and at every revolution lifts
a lever provided with a hammer which falls by its own weight (after a
little friction roller with which it is provided slides off the highest
point of the toe) on to the pointed pin which thus makes a prick in the
paper. Both pins are caused to resume their proper positions by means
of spiral springs, the pointed pin operates through the hole in the glass
plate and the dull pin through the groove (which is of the same section
as its head) in the same, the latter also passes through the long hole
(above mentioned) in the table which allows the top part of the same to
move sideways.
The apparatus is operated by compressed air in the following manner;
-An eccentric fixed on the axle of the car at every revolution thereof
causes a swinging bar carrying a buffer to strike an air vessel or rubber
ball, and thus by means of a rubber hose in connection with the same
and with the air cylinder compresses the air therein. The return
movement of the bar is caused by a spiral spring, or in a modification
of this the rubber ball is replaced by an air vessel of metal, the mouth
of which is closed by a rubber disc and the buffer withdrawn by an
eccentric ring. Or as another modification the arrangements are the
same as in the first and second modės, with the exception that the
eccentric is placed on an intermediate shaft and secured to a pulley
thereon, which by means of a tightly stretched rubber rope receives its
motion from a smaller pulley on the axle. (This application is resorted
to when the number of the revolutions is desired to be decreased.)
The effect of any of these arrangements is virtually the same. The
air in the air cylinder being alternately compressed (when it actuates
the recording pins as above described) and allowed to expand. It is
evident therefore that at each revolution of the axle (respective of the
intermediate application) the pivotted lever is lifted once and the dull pin
makes an impression on the paper strip, and as these impressions follow
so closely upon one another the report made by the said pin appears
as a continuous impression, which is interrupted only when the said

page_text: axle is not in motion. The number of pricks made by the pointed pin
however depends upon the number of teeth in the ratchet wheel. It is
therefore equally evident that from the distance between these pricks
the speed with which a train has run as well as from the equal or
unequal distances between the same; the regularity and uniformity of
the speed can be ascertained.
At the bottom of the air cylinder is a small valve opening inwards;
the object of which is as follows:-If there is any leakage in the rubber
hose or between the rubber sheet and the air cylinder, and the rubber
sheet has been for some time distended owing to the axle on the
train stopping taking a certain position, the tension of the air will fall
below the atmospheric pressure, when suddenly the pressure ceases, the
lever falling down and a drawing in of the rubber sheet would be the
consequence if the tension of the air pressure inside & outside was
not equalized by means of this valve. The middle part of the air
cylinder may be unscrewed to allow of easy access to the valve, and
the top part may be unscrewed in order to put a new rubber sheet in
conveniently. The middle portion of the dull pointed pin is square in
section, so that it cannot revolve whilst the apparatus is working. Its
top part turns on a fulcrum, and is held in a vertical position by a
spring. It can only turn towards the peg roller, a shoulder preventing
it from turning to the other side. Supposing a train arrives at a station
and when at rest the rubber sheet is accidentally kept distended, and the
pivotted lever raised, then the dull pointed pin pressing the paper strip
against the glass plate would cause the clock to stop were it not for the
top part of the pin, which turns on a fulcrum towards the peg roller, and
in the direction of the feed of the paper. The clockwork being strong
enough to overcome this friction the paper is drawn forward, the top
part of the pin being caused to take an inclined position. As soon.
however as the train starts again the lever falls and the top part of the
pin is caused to resume its vertical position by means of a spring. The
hammer lever is lifted immediately after its stroke by a spring, so as to
allow the pivotted pin to be drawn out of the paper by its spiral spring,
otherwise the clock would by that means be liable to be stopped. A
press roller presses the paper continually against the peg roller by means
of a spring in order to prevent the jumping off of the paper from the same
if the spring of the report pulley should have been forgotten to be wound
up, or if it should have run down too soon: The said spring is held in

page_text: position by means of a lever which receives its position by means of
a small spring fastening into a notch. When a new paper strip is to be
put into the apparatus the press roller is removed from the peg roller by
fastening the spring of the lever into another notch. The press roller
and the peg roller are furnished with grooves at those places where the
reports made by the pins pass the same so that they should not be
obliterated by the pressure. The press roller is also furnished with a
groove at the place where the pegs of the peg roller would otherwise
touch it.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Bristow Hunt in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 5th October 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BRISTOW
HUNT, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Bristow Hunt, Her special licence that I,
the said Bristow Hunt, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Bristow Hunt, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from timė
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 "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARatus
FOR INDICATING THE SPEED OF RAILWAY TRAINS, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR OTHER
SIMILAR PURPOSES," (a communication to me from abroad by Albert
Scholz, of Berlin, Prussia, upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Bristow Hunt, my executors or administrators, 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 performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six

page_text: Сатепаал Monts Cat and immediately after the date of the sand Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Bristow Hunt, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement in writing, and on reference being had to the
accompanying Drawings, that is to say :---
This Invention relates to an improved method of and apparatus for
indicating the speed of railway trains, applicable also, for the same
use, to steam road carriages, tramway and common road omnibuses,
carriages, and other wheeled vehicles.
The apparatus (which is illustrated in Figures 4 to 7 on the accom-
panying Drawings) is suitably arranged in a casing or receptacle, and
connected to and actuated from or by an axle of the carriage, loco-
motive, or vehicle to which it is applied, as illustrated on Figures 1 to 3.
Inside and at the upper part of the casing is placed a reel or pulley P,
on which is wound a strip of paper d whereon the desired report or
record of the speed is to be made. The pulley P revolves round a pin c,
on which it is held by a nut p (see Figure 6, side elevation). Between
the pulley and its support N (which is secured to the casing) is a soft
bearing spring f which acts as a brake upon the pulley, so that the
latter may be prevented from revolving through the oscillation of the
train. The paper strip d (which is indicated in the accompanying
Drawings in yellow lines, and shewn in plan with a report thereon
in Figure 8) previous to its being wound upon the pulley P is per-
forated along its centre with holes i at regular distances apart, and at
every fifth hole has a line m printed upon it. It is drawn from the
pulley by means of a roller w provided with pegs 9 (which enter the
holes i), and passes thence round a guide pulley 1, and through a table T
round the roller w, and after passing two other guide pulleys l' is coiled
up by a self-coiling reel or report pulley P¹, and during its passage
the speed of the train or vehicle is registered or recorded thereon, as
hereafter described. The peg roller w receives its motion from a well
regulated clock constructed so that its time-keeping properties will not
be in the least impaired by the oscillation of the train. Being a well
known mechanism however it needs no description, it is shown in
Figure 4 (front view of apparatus) by dotted violet lines, and in Figure 5
(plan with pulleys P and P¹ left out) only by some of its parts. The

page_text: minute
'circumferential velocity the roller w receives is such that every
the paper strip d is drawn thereby the distance between two of its
adjacent holes, and every five minutes the distance between two of its
adjacent lines, which latter have the figures for the minutes belonging
to them printed upon them (see Figure 8). The roller is loose upon its
axle a, so as to turn freely thereon when a new strip of paper is being
put into the apparatus, or when the strip therein is to be adjusted
according to the proper time before starting; also in order to allow
the clock to go without drawing the paper strip when the apparatus
is not in use. But when the apparatus is in operation the roller is
pressed against a fixed disc wo³ by a nut 2011, between which and the
roller is a washer wo¹ provided with a square hole fitting a similarly shaped
part of the axle a. This prevents the roller w moving when turning the
nut w, which would prevent the, accurate adjustment of the paper strip
to the proper time. A second nut w' limits the motion of the nut w
preventing the same being screwed back and pressed against a barr
forming a bearing of the roller w, which would stop the clock. The
table T is provided or covered with a glass plate e so as to admit of the
paper strip being accurately adjusted to the time when putting the
apparatus in working order. The plate is perforated at one place with
a hole and at another with a groove, in which operate two pins n, n', by
means of which the speed is registered on the passing paper as hereafter
described. The bottom edge of the plate towards the roller w is smoothly
rounded off, so as to diminish the friction or drag on the paper.
top of the table is also provided with a long hole j, for the purpose
hereafter mentioned.
The
Two reports are registered on the paper simultaneously; one (u, Figure 8,)
is formed by a row of pricks or perforations made by the pointed pin n,
and the other (y, Figure 8, showing a continuous line,) is made by the
dull pointed pin n². The former shows with the minutest accuracy the
velocity of a train at every moment with regard to its amount as well as
to its uniformity, and the latter the duration of the train's motion as
well as the time and duration of its stoppage. It also controls the
brakesman when the apparatus is connected to an axle of the brake
ivan.
When the apparatus is in operation a lever H (pivotted at o to a plate
held in the casing) is lifted at each revolution of the axle as hereafter
described by means of a press button ¹¹; with which it is provided,

page_text: 3+
and which is he'd by a jam nut k*, and adjusted by its hair screw, and
each time it is lifted a second hair screw on the same lever presses.
upwards against the pin n¹, pressing it against the paper strip so as to
make an impression upon it. The motion of the lever is determined.
by two pins v, v, and is such that at each stroke a rachet wheel Q is
turned one tooth by a pawl thereon. A toe or projecting cam piece D is,
secured to this wheel and revolves with it, and at every revolution thereof
lifts a lever H¹ provided with a hammer h, which falls by its own weight
(after a little friction roller t with which it is provided slides off the
highest point of the toe) on to the pointed pin n, which thus makes a
prick into the paper. The lever H is then immediately lifted by a
spring, so as to allow the pin n to be withdrawn from the paper by the
means hereafter mentioned, otherwise the clock would be liable to be
stopped. It is evident therefore that as the impressions made by the
pin n' upon the paper follow so closely upon one another, the report made
thereby appears as a continuous impression by which the duration of
the time the train is in motion is registered, and the continuity of which
is interrupted only when the axle is not in motion, by which the time
and duration of the stoppage is registered. The number of pricks made
by the pin n however depends upon the number of teeth in the wheel Q.
It is therefore equally evident that from the distance between these
pricks the speed with which a train has run as well as from their equality
or inequality in distance the regularity or uniformity thereof can be.
ascertained instantly. Both pins n, n¹, are caused to resume their
proper positions by the aid of spiral springs f. ft. The pin n operates
f,
through the hole in the glass plate e, and the pin n¹ through the groove;
(which is of the same section as the pin's head) in the same, the latter;
also passes through the hole j in the table T which allows the top part
of the same to move sideways. The middle portion of the pin n¹ is,
square in section, so that it cannot revolve whilst the apparatus is
working. Its top part turns on a fulcrum, and is held in a vertical
position by a spring f. It can only turn towards the peg.roller w in
the hole j, as hereafter described, a shoulder preventing it from turning
to the other side. The report pulley P¹ above mentioned is rendered,
self coiling, so as to coil up the paper strip, on which the speed is
registered by means of an arrangement of clockwork, see Figure 7,
side elevation. A spring F, which is wound or coiled up by a key and
squared spindle. p, and held by a ratchet wheel q, acts directly upon a
wheel transmitting the power by means of a small pinion and.
'

page_text: wheels (both on the same shaft) to a wheel 7 formed in one with the
pulley. The front disc s of the pulley is screwed upon a hollow pin
upon which the pulley turns, and whilst screwed on keeps a brake piece
v' (by means of a projecting piece 6 of the same) from bearing upon
the rear disc s¹. When a report is required to be taken therefrom the
discs is screwed off, and the brake piece v¹ then bears against the
circumference of the disc s¹ by means of the feathering capacity of the
projecting piece b, and so prevents the running off of the clockwork after
the paper strip has been cut in order to detach and take the report out.
The end of the paper strip is then fastened to the pulley P¹ and the
discs again screwed on, when the pulley immediately takes up its
coiling capacity. A press roller t presses the paper continually against
the roller w by means of a spring f" in order to prevent its jumping off
the same if the spring F¹ of the pulley P¹ should not have been wound
up, or if it should have run down too quickly. The spring f" is held in
position by a lever h¹ which is retained in its position by means of a small
spring o¹ fastening into a notch X. When a new paper strip is to be put
into the apparatus the roller t is removed from the roller w by fastening
the spring o¹ into another notch ×³. The rollers and w are provided
with grooves at those places where the reports made by the pins n, n¹,
pass them, so that they should not be obliterated by the pressure thereof.
The roller t¹ is in addition provided with a groove at the place where the
pegs g of the roller w would otherwise touch it. The above described
apparatus is actuated from an axle of the vehicle to which it is applied
by the following means:-An eccentric E, see Figure 1, fixed on the
axle A at every revolution causes a swinging bar C carrying a buffer B
to strike an air vessel or rubber ball L, and thus by means of a rubber
hose S in connection with the same and with an air cylinder k, Figure 4,
compresses the air in the latter and distends its cover k¹ (which by pre-
ference is composed of a thin sheet of rubber or other suitable elastic
fabric) as shown, and every time it is so distended the lever H is lifted
by the means above described and the registering takes place. The return
movement of the bar C is caused by a spiral spring F, which causes the
same continually to bear against the eccentric E. In another modification,
see Figure 2, the rubber ball L is replaced by a metallic air vessel L,
the mouth of which is closed by a rubber disc G, and the buffer B is
withdrawn by an eccentric ring E¹; and in another modification, sec
Figure 3, the arrangements are materially the same as in the first and
second modifications, with the exception that the eccentric E is placed

page_text: on an intermediate shaft A¹, and secured to a pulley B¹ thereon, which by
means of a tightly stretched rubber rope G¹ receives its motion from a
smaller pulley C¹ on the axle A. (This application is resorted to when
the number of the revolutions is desired to be decreased.) The effect of
any of these arrangements is virtually the same, the air in the cylinder K
being alternately compressed (when as above described it actuates the
registering pins n, n',) and allowed to expand. At the bottom of the
cylinder K is a small valve K" opening inwards, the object of which is
as follows: If there is leakage in the hose S or between the sheet k¹
and the cylinder k, and the sheet has been accidentally kept for some
time distended (in the position shown in Figure 4) owing to the axle
on the train stopping taking a certain position, the tension of the air
will fall below the atmospheric pressure, when suddenly the pressure ceases
and the lever H falls down; a drawing in of the sheet /¹ would be the
consequence if the tension of the air pressure inside and outside was
not equalized by means of the valve k". The middle part of the
cylinder may be unscrewed to allow of easy access to the valve, and
the top part may also be unscrewed in order to put in a new rubber
sheet conveniently. The possibility of the rubber being thus kept
distended also necessitates that the top part of the pin n' should turn
on a fulcrum (as above mentioned) towards the roller w, that is to say,
in the direction of the feed of the paper (otherwise it would be kept
continually pressing the paper against the plate e, and would thus stop
the clock,) and the clockwork being constructed strong enough to
overcome this reduced friction the paper is drawn forward, the top part
of the pin n¹ being caused to take an inclined position. As soon how-
ever as the train starts again the lever H falls, and the top part of
the pin n¹ is caused to resume its vertical position by means of the
spring f

page_text: '
.
. The
modification of or in the arrangement or construction of the component
parts of the same, and the application thereof for a similar use to steam
carriages and other wheeled vehicles, but in particular I claim, the
employment of the strip of paper d in order to report the amount as
well as the uniformity of the speed of a train, and the exact time of
starting and stopping, together with the duration of the motion and of
the stoppages. The use of compressed air as a means of transferring
the motion of the axle to the apparatus and of actuating the same.
employment of a clock for drawing the strip d. The use of the pins n, n³,
(jointly or separately to make the desired report. The construction
and use of the self-coiling report pulley P¹, and of the cylinder k with
its covering k¹ and the valve k¹. The manner of lifting the hammer h
by the toe D. The top portion of the pin n¹ turning on a fulcrum for
the purpose specified. The use of the roller w loose upon its axle a, and
of the roller t, the plate e, spring f", brake v, and projection b, the
hair screw m, and the combination of the lever H, ratchet wheel Q, and
hammer h, all for the purposes respectively above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Bristow Hunt, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
: