IMPROVEMENTS IN EFFECTING COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF RAILWAY TRAINS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Norton, of Cork, in the County of Cork, Ireland,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN EFFECTING COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN
THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF RAILWAY TRAINS."
Sealed the 20th June 1854, and dated the 19th January 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Norton at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 19th January
1854.
I, JOHN NORTON, of Cork, in the County of Cork, Ireland, Esquire, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN EFFECTING
COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF RAILWAY TRAINS" to be as
follows:
This Invention relates more especially to a system or contrivance whereby
the guard of a railway train is enabled to signal to or communicate with the
engine driver in case of accident or for other reasons. The guard or other
official who is to make the signals, is supplied with a cross-bow or other similar
impulsive apparatus, as well as with a number of explosive missiles or projec-*
tiles of a peculiar kind. These projectiles or shot are composed of stiff paper
tubes, or of sheet iron, or other matter, the paper or case material in each
being sufficiently rigid to withstand the effect of the shock of the cross-bow in
firing. This tubular case is filled with Hall's gunpowder or other explosive
agent, such, for example, as is used in Captain Norton's fog signal, that is,

page_text: chlorate of potash and sulphuret of antimony. This forms what may be
termed a charged arrow, and its head, or the part next the bow string, has one
or two heads of Bell's lucifers or other frictional explosive matter attached.
With this arrangement, when the shot or arrow is discharged, the friction
generated during its passage along the bow shaft or stock ignites a fuse com-
position communicating with the exploding charge. In this way the guard
can shoot his signal in the direction of the engine driver, the explosion being
made to occur at any determined distance in front of the driver, so as to com-
mand his attention in the most peremptory manner by a mimic display of
lightning and thunder. A few grains of coarse emery powder are attached
by means of glue to the front part of the cross-bow stock to cause the
certain ignition of the fuse composition.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Norton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th
July 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
NORTON, of Cork, in the County of Cork, Ireland, Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most. Excellent. Majesty. Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Norton, Her special license that I, the said John Norton, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Norton, my executors, administrators, or 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 EFFECTING COMMUNICATIONS
BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF RAILWAY TRAINS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Norton, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, 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 immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Norton, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,

page_text: to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon, that is to say:
My said Invention relates more especially to a system or contrivance
whereby the guard of a railway train is enabled to signal to or communicate
with the engine driver, in case of accident or for other reasons.
The guard
or other official who is to make the signals, is supplied with a cross-bow or
other similar impulsive apparatus, as well as with a number of explosive
missiles or projectiles of a peculiar kind.. These projectiles or shot are
composed of tubes of stiff paper, thin sheet iron, or other suitable material,
the paper or case material in each being sufficiently rigid to withstand the
effect of the shock of the cross-bow in firing. This tubular case is filled with
Hall's gunpowder or other explosive agent, such, for example, as is used in
Captain Norton's fog signals, that is, chlorate of potash and sulphuret of
antimony. This forms what may be termed a charged arrow, and its heel or
the part next the bow string has one or two heads of Bell's lucifers or other
frictionally explosive matter áttached. With this arrangement, when the shot
or arrow is discharged the friction generated during its passage along the bow
shaft or stock ignites a fuse composition or frictionally explosive contrivance
communicating with the exploding charge. In this way the guard can shoot
his signal in the direction of the engine driver, the explosion being made to
occur at any determined distance in front of the driver, so as to command his
attention in the most peremptory manner by a minute display of lightning and
thunder, or the composition in the case may be such as burns comparatively
slowly so as to continue during the entire flight of the arrow. A few grains
of coarse emery powder are attached by means of glúe or gum to the front
part of the cross-bow stock to cause the certain ignition of the fuse com-
position.
:
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I shall
now proceed to describe the several explanatory Figures on the Sheet of
Drawings hereunto attached.
Figure 1, on the Sheet of Drawings, is a plan of one modification, of my
signal arrow. This arrow consists of a. shaft A of wood, of any convenient
dimensions, and having a metal head B fixed at its point or front end. 'To
the opposite end or heel is fitted a case C; made of stiff paper or other suitable
material. This case is charged with an explosive composition, the firing of
which attracts the attention of the engine driver. The explosive or burning
charge may be ignited in various ways; as, for example, by-ordinary lucifer
matches fixed as at D, on the under side of the case C, at the end. The matches

page_text: are ignited by the frictional rubbing of the arrow along the barrel of the cross-
bow, the barrel being made rough by means of a little emery or other powder
glued or gummed to it. The matches D, being ignited communicate their
fire to the charge within by means of the touch-paper E, which closes the
end of the case. Instead of the matches D, frictional fusees, or vesuvians,
such are used for lighting cigars, may be employed, being arranged in any
convenient manner so as to ignite the charge. The case C containing the
explosive composition may be fitted to either end of the arrow shaft A.. Thus,
in: Figures 2 and 7 on the Sheet of Drawings, it is represented as fitted to the
head or front end of the shaft.. In this case, the contrivances already described
for igniting the charge are equally applicable. In. Figure 2, however, I have
represented another modification of explosive contrivance which is arranged to
ignite the charge upon the arrow's striking any object or on. its falling to the
ground. This contrivance consists of a number of lucifer matches F, covered
by an envelope G of thin gutta percha or other suitable material, and fitted
'on the front end of the case C, containing the explosive composition. The
envelope G is represented as torn away at one side to expose the matches F.
Another contrivance for igniting the charge by percussive action is represented
in Figures 7 and 8. This consists of a few ends of lucifer matches H, folded
up in a small piece of tinned plate I, the head of the lucifers projecting just
outside the rough edges of the tinned plate. This contrivance is placed in the
charge as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 7. The case C is fitted loosely
on the end of the arrow shaft A, which last is prevented from entering the
case beyond a certain point by a pin J, of any fragile material. On the arrow
striking any object or falling to the ground the pin J gives way, and the shaft
A enters further into the case C, and pressing upon the lucifer heads Ef, rubs
them against the edges of the tin envelope I, and causes their ignition by
the friction, this exploding the charge. Figure 9 on the Sheet of Drawings
represents an explosive contrivance acting by percussion and applicable to my
explosive signal arrows. The contrivance consists simply of a number of
lucifer heads K, enclosed in a small piece L of thin gutta percha or other
suitable material, this being represented as torn away at one side to exhibit
the lucifer heads. This bag L is attached to the front of the case C, con-
taining the explosive composition in such a manner as to ignite the latter
when the lucifer heads take fire, as will be the case on the contrivance striking
anything so as to rub or crush the lucifer heads together. This contrivance
may be prepared separately and be attached to the missile only when required
'for immediate use. Figure 3 on the Sheet of Drawings represents a modifi
cation of my signal arrow, in which a whistling head M is substituted for the

page_text: explosive charge C. This head is constructed on the principle of the well
known whistling arrow used by the Malays, and has holes N formed in its
sides in such a manner as to cause a shrill whistle, which is produced by the
action of the air on the arrow's rushing through it. The whistling arrow
head M is in the form of a cylindro-conoidal missile for rifles,, the arrow
shaft A being fitted into tlie base of the head B, as is indicated by the juxta-
position of the parts in the Drawing. The signal missile M may be fired
from a rifle; in which case the arrow shaft' A is dispensed with or becomes a
short "sabot" for filling the bore of the rifle. This form of signal missile is
represented in Figures 4, 5, and 6; on the Sheet of. Drawings.. If the rifle is
loaded at the breech, a cylindrical" "sabot," O, as in Figure 4, may be; used,
as it will shape itself to the rifle grooves on being discharged, but if the rifle
is loaded at the muzzle, the "sabot" must be shaped to fit the rifle grooves, as
represented in Figures 5 and 6. The former of these Figures represents the
"sabot" O, as detached from the missile M, indicating how it is. fitted to
the latter, whilst the other, Figure 6, represents the missile as fitted with the
"sabot." My signal missiles may be discharged in various ways. Thus, the
exploding arrow may be discharged from a cross-bow, or from the "arbalist"
with caoutchouc.springs lately introduced by Mr. Hodges. The short whistling
missiles may be discharged from rifles or muskets, or from small mortars made
for the purpose. When it is required to discharge a number of such signal
missiles in rapid succession, I employ the following simple plan:-I fit a
number of the missiles with suitable percussion cartridges, the percussion
contrivance being at the heel or back of the cartridge; I then take a musket
or rifle, in the barrel of which the missile will fit very loosely, and placing it
at a convenient inclination drop the missiles down the barrel.
On reaching
the breech the percussion will ignite the cartridge and discharge the missile.
A plain gun barrel without either touch-hole or lock will answer perfectly for
thus discharging signal missiles, and the plan admits of great rapidity in
loading and discharging, these two operations being produced by one and the
same action.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I may observe in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict myself
to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to describe
or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without deviating from
the principles or main features of my Invention; but what I consider to be
novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―

page_text: First, the systems or modes of effecting communications between the
different parts of railway trains, as herein-before described.
Second, the general arrangement and construction of signal arrows and
missiles to be employed for communicating between the different parts of
railways trains, as herein-before described.
Third, the system or mode of causing the ignition of explosive or burning
signal missiles when discharged by other means than fire-arms, by the
frictional action of the missile on the instrument of discharge, as herein-before
mentioned.
Fourth, the system or mode of discharging signal missiles in rapid succes-
sion by dropping them, provided with suitable percussion cartridges, down a
barrel requiring neither lock nor touch-hole, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Norton, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this 14th day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-four.
JOHN NORTON. (L.8.)