IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAYS, RAILWAY CARRIAGES, AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1860

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Cooper at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th September:
1860.
I, JOHN COOPER, of Bilston, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAYS, RAILWAY CARRIAGES, AND APPARATUS CONNECTED
THEREWITH," to be as follows:-
The first part of my Invention consists in an instrument for indicating the
speed of a railway train, which acts by means of a colored fluid rising in a flat
ground glass tube. The fluid is moved by a lever which acts upon a flexible
valve, the lever being moved by the rise and fall of a steam engine governor
or regulator, kept in motion by being put in communication with an axle of a
carriage or of the locomotive. This instrument is caused to register the exact
speed at every moment of the journey by means of a pencil or marker acting
on a suitable surface actuated by suitable gearing.
Another part of my Invention consists in an instrument or apparatus for
displaying to passengers on railways the name of the station they are approach-
ing, and the number of minutes to elapse on the journey between different
stations. This apparatus consists of a number of guide post arms, set in a
centre, like a series of flat radii or spokes in the nave of a wheel. It is con-
cealed behind a screen, except the spoke on which is painted the name of the
next station. It is worked by means of a handle at the end of a wire along
the top of the carriages, in such manner that when the lever is raised it moves
the wheel round a distance equal to that between the succeeding spokes. For

page_text: the return journey, the compound
ratchet.
Another part of my Invention consists in an improved railway switch which
moves down a smooth incline into its place when the weight of a train comes
upon it. When the weight of the train is removed, a weight attached to the
point returns it back to the place whence it started, leaving the main track or
line of the railway open.
Another improvement in switches consists in having the points alternately to
rise and to fall when moved by reverse turning plates upon a shaft moved by a
connecting rod and balance weight. The rod is moved by a projection of an
inverted V-form above the height of the rail. This projection is arranged to
move upon a double incline piston carrier slide, and is acted on by an instru-
ment passing down through the floor of the locomotive, or tender, or other
carriage; the extreme point of the switch, when in place, will be exactly flush
with the rail. This instrument, above mentioned, will be used only when a
train is desired to leave the main track or line. The trains, when leaving -
sidings, will be caused to guide themselves.
Another part of my Invention consists in improvements in railway carriages.
For this purpose, a carriage is divided into two compartments, one-fourth for
first-class passengers and three-fourths for second-class passengers. There is
a passage between the seats, and the entrance doors are at each end. The
first-class compartment is partitioned off by light sliding glass doors and cur-
tains, the interior is divided also by light sliding glass doors into compartments
large enough to receive five strong portable easy study chairs, each with a small
table at the right arm large enough to support a small book or sheet of note
paper. By means of the sliding partitions two or more compartments may be
thrown into one. The second-class seats will not be partitioned off from the
alley, but will have revolving backs, so that passengers may always face (if
they so wish) the direction in which they are going. The carriages will be
united by folding-trap bridges and a band rail of elastic rope or tubes of metal
sliding into each other, like the joints of a telescope. By this arrangement
the most aged or infirm person, if able to walk upon the ground, may with
equal ease walk along the train in motion.
Another part of my Invention consists in constructing and working railway
carriages for receiving and leaving passengers at stations, and for conveying
them to and from trains without stopping; this carriage is divided into
first, second, and third class divisions without seats; two small compart-
ments at the forward end afford room for luggage and a windlass. The wind
lass is to be worked by a n:oveable belt attachment from the forward axle of

page_text: the carriage. The windlass is furnished with a hand break, and in order to
transfer passengers to and from a train in motion, as a train approaches a
station, the carriage above mentioned containing passengers and luggage
intended for the station, is disconnected and left to run by its own velocity to
a side track under care of the breaksman. As the train proceeds, a strong
plank suspended from the floor of every carriage a little above the height of
the rails, and covered on the under side with leather, gutta percha, or other
slightly yielding substance, rubs upon the outer rim of a driving wheel, causing
the driving wheel (which is situated between the rails) to revolve at the same
speed as the wheels of the train. On the same shaft with this wheel is a drum
of a conical form. A rope from this drum is attached to a carriage such as
above described, upon a side track of the railway, which has a slight decline
towards the main line. The first revolution of the wheel causes the spring near
the end of the rope which retains the carriage to yield, and the carriage is
caused to be moved towards the train at first slowly, in consequence of the
rope being wound on the smaller diameter of the drum, and then more and
more quickly, and thus the carriage is brought into speed without any jerk or
violent motion. As the rear of the train passes the forward end of the carriage
a hook upon the train catches a ring at the end of a rope suspended from a
sliding pole upon the carriage. The hand brake at the windlass brings the
carriage almost instantly in tow of the train without jerk or violent motion.
The band (or belt) upon the windlass is thrown into gear upon the axle, and
winds up the carriage to the train, and the former fastens itself by a drop bolt
or coupling; the passengers can then walk into the other carriages of the train
at their ease and leisure; when there, they and other passengers will be
enabled to see by the notice guide apparatus above mentioned the name of the
next station, and the number of minutes that will elapse before reaching it,
and those who intend to stop there will be enabled to pass to the hinder car-
riage of the train, in order to be ready when it is detached from the train
when it comes near the siding which leads from the main line to the
station.