Im- PROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR SIGNALLING BETWEEN PARTS OF RAILWAY TRAINS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO SIGNALLING OR AND A CURING ANATANWA
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Osborn Spong, of No. 28, King William
Street, Strand, and George Mansfield Spong, of No. 104, Fulham
Road, both in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR SIGNALLING BETWEEN PARTS OF
RAILWAY TRAINS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO SIGNALLING OR
AND A CURING ANATAN YV ARWAD 22
Sealed the 17th February 1874, and dated the 20th August 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Osborn Spong
and George Mansfield Spong at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 20th August 1873.
We, JAMES OSBORN SPONG, of No. 28, King William Street, Strand,
and GEORGE MANSFIELD SPONG, of No. 104, Fulham Road, both in
the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR SIGNALLING BETWEEN
PARTS OF RAILWAY TRAINS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO SIGNALLING
OR ATTRACTING ATTENTION IN OTHER CASES," to be as follows :—
In applying the improvements to railway trains the object is to
afford facility for signalling between passengers and the guard, engine

page_text: driver, or others in charge of the train, in order to call attention
for assistance or to stop the train in case of need when such train
is in motion. For this purpose we apply in any suitable position,
as on the top or at either side, near the top of each carriage or of a
series of carriages, a wheel with inclined arms somewhat like vanes
of a windmill or a screw propeller, or arms or forms adapted to be
set in rapid rotary motion by the action thereon of a current of air
caused to act thereon, such as that by the rapid motion of a railway
or other train. This wheel is provided with a cover by which the
air is prevented from acting upon it to produce rotation of it, except
when the apparatus is required to be brought into use, and this
enclosing case is capable of being acted upon by cord or other suitable
connection from the carriage, in order to expose the wheel to the
action of the air when assistance or the attention of those in chargo
is needed, and when by the speed of the train the air will act on
the parts of the wheel or surfaces to cause it or them to be pro-
gressively set in rapid rotary motion. To the periphery of this wheel,
or the end or ends of the arms, or parts of the axis thereof, or it
may be another axis connected therewith, there are applied by link
or spring, or such like connection, a clapper or clappers similar to
the clappers of bells, and so that as the rapid rotary motion to the
wheel is attained the clappers may act on a bell or gong, or other
sounding means, or series of them, to sound an alarm. The guards
or other persons in charge of the train will, so soon as their attention
is drawn to such alarm, sce by the wheel, or one of them being
uncovered, or by parts connected therewith being moved into position
for indication the particular carriage from which alarm proceeds, or in
which assistance is required.
A similar arrangement may be employed for signalling to or from
steamers or other ships, also from lighthouses or other places.
Instead of single wheels or surfaces of the character referred to
two or more may be employed in some cases, and detonating or other
explosive or illuminating matter may be fired or acted upon by such
revolving mcans.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Osborn Spong and George Mansfield
Spong in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th February
1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
OSBORN SPONG, of No. 28, King William Street, Strand, and GEORGE
MANSFIELD SPONG, of No. 104, Fulham Road, both in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of August, 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 us, the said James Osborn Spong and George
Mansfield Spong, Her special license that we, the said James Osborn
Spong and George Mansfield Spong, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said James Osborn Spong and George
Mansfield Spong, our executors, administrators, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR SIGNALLING
BETWEEN PARTS OF RAILWAY TRAINS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE. APPLICABLE
TO SIGNALLING OR ATTRACTING ATTENTION IN OTHER CASES," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that we, the said James Osborn Spong and
George Mansfield Spong, our executors or administrators, by an in-
strument in writing under our or their hands and seals, or under the
hand and seal of one of us or them, 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 calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: of myself and the said George Mansfield Spong, 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 thereof, that is to say :-
In applying the improvements to railway trains the object is to
afford facility for signalling between passengers and the guard, engine
driver, or others in charge of the train, or signalmen on the line, in
order to call attention for assistance or to stop the train in case of
need when such train is in motion. For this purpose we apply in
any suitable position, as on the top or at either side near the top of
each carriage, or of a series of carriages, a wheel with inclined arms
somewhat like vanes of a windmill or a screw propellor, or arms or
forms adapted to be set in rapid rotary motion by the action thereon
of a current of air caused to act thereon, such as that by the rapid
motion of a railway or other train. This wheel is supported to turn
on an axis at or about right angles to the direction of motion of
the carriage to which it is applied, and it is provided with a cover
or is otherwise locked, by which the air is prevented from acting upon
it to produce rotation of it, except when the apparatus is required
to be brought into use, and the enclosing cover or locking means is
capable of being acted upon by cord or other suitable connection
from the carriage in order to expose or release the wheel to the action
of the air when assistance or the attention of those in charge is
needed, and when by the speed of the train the air will act on the
parts of the wheel or surfaces to cause it or them to be progressively
set in rapid rotary motion. To the periphery of this wheel, or the
end or ends of the arms, or parts of the axis thereof, or it may be
another axis connected therewith, there are applied, by link or spring,
or other suitable connection, a clapper or clappers which may be
similar to the clappers of bells, and such that as rapid rotary motion-
to the wheel is attained the clappers will act on a bell or gong, or
other sounding means, or series of them, to sound an alarm. The
guards or other persons in charge of the train will, as soon as their
attention is drawn to such alarm, seo by the wheel, or one of them
being uncovered, or by parts connected therewith being moved into
position for indication the particular carriage from which alarm proceeds,
or in which assistance is required.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows by plan view, and Figure 2 by side view an arrange-
ment of apparatus according to our Invention; Figures 3, 4, and 5
shew a section, a side view, and an end view of locking parts in
In each of the views the same letters indicate corresponding
detail.
5 parts.
The apparatus, as shown by the Drawing, is represented as applied
to the roof of a railway carriage, but this may be varied. The surface
to which it is applied is represented by the line a; b is a wheel, the
hollow axis b' of which is supported so as to revolve freely on a
O fixed shaft c applied firmly to and so as to stand out vertically from
the base frame or standard d. This wheel is provided with the
series of inclined arms or vanes 6º, 6º, applied so as to be readily
acted upon by a current of air, or the rapid passage of the carriage
as one of a train of carriages to which it is applied. To the periphery b³
of this wheel b, or other outer band or suitable part thereof, is applied
a clapper e which as the wheel is caused to make rapid rotary
motion will by centrifugal action have a tendency to fly outwards
to act on a bell for other suitable gong or bell or indicating means
placed in position for the purpose.
In place of only one clapper e to each wheel & there may be several of

page_text: •
stationary from rotation by a spring stop 9, which to set the wheel b
free for the action of the air or wind thereon is withdrawn by a chain
or other connecting means passed to within the carriage or other place
from which the releasing may take place. When this bolt g¹ is with-
drawn it is prevented from again acting to hold the wheel until set by 5
an attendant by means of the stop h, which on the withdrawal of the
bolt 9 passes into a notch therein to hold it.

page_text: to create alarm when released or set free for that purpose, substantially
as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Osborn Spong, have here-
unto set my hand and scal, this Seventeenth day of February,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-four.