Improvements in Apparatus for Railway Signalling between Passengers, Guards, and Driver.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Nov., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 21st Aug., 1891-Accepted, 3rd Oct., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Railway Signalling between
Passengers, Guards, and Driver.
I HARRY BURNHAM of 5 Bond Court Walbrook London in the County of
Middlesex Engineer and Surveyor do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows :-
My invention is more especially adapted to those trains which are already fitted
or intended to be fitted with any pressure or vacuum brake.
In any case I fix a small pipe on each carriage with stop cock and flexible ends
and suitable couplings situated conveniently near the other couplings, so as to be
easily connected and disconnected at the same time or by a special double coupling
combining the two mains. These sections of pipe when coupled up extend the
whole length of the train. A combined threeway valve and whistle is fixed on the
engine and on one or more of the brake vans.
These signals are each connected with the brake-main and the signalling main.
In each passenger compartment is fixed conveniently situated for the use of
passengers a lever or handle which actuates a threeway valve, so as to open com-
munication between the brake main and the signalling main which are connected by
small pipes. Each valve is so arranged that when the lever or handle is moved it first
acts upon and releases an indicator, outside the compartment to shew where the alarm
was given. Then the lever when fully turned or pulled becomes fixed so that it cannot
be put back except by the guard who has control of the box in which the valve is
enclosed. Having opened communication between the two mains all the whistles
will be blown or will sound continuously and at the same time all the brakes will
be gradually applied. But should the guard and driver both turn their levers or
handles so as to stop the whistles from sounding this will at the same time shut off
all escape from the brake main and the brakes will not be applied, or when it is
unadvisable to give the passengers any control over the brakes, I regulate the
aperture in the valves or whistles so that the automatic pump on the engine will
more than compensate for the waste of pressure or vacuum as the case may be, and
so prevent the brakes from being applied except in the ordinary way by the guard
and driver. I make the indicator outside each compartment hinged and fitted with
a spring-catch so as to fly open when released also fixed in such a position that by
fitting it with a small mirror it will reflect the light from the lamps in the carriage
at night and so draw the attention of the guard to the particular compartment
where the alarm was given, or this indicator may be coated with luminous or other
paint.
The threeway valves and whistles in the brake vans and on the engine are alike
and specially designed to meet all requirements. The valves in each passenger
compartment are similar but have no whistles and have a connection to the indicator
especially arranged.
Instead of whistles a gong, bell or indicator may be used. Any passenger having
occasion to give an alarm turns or pulls the handle in his compartment which at
once blows the whistles on the engine and guards vans and should the signal be
given in more than one compartment the signals will sound just the same but two
or more indicators will be released. At all times the guard and driver have full
control over the whistles and brakes.
The guard can signal to the driver and vice versa, by a series of long or short

page_text: whistles any message by any known "code." This is more reliable than the electric
communication generally in use and which it would supersced.
Dated this 22nd day of November 1890.
HARRY BURNHAM.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Railway Signalling between
Passengers, Guards, and Driver.
I HARRY BURNHAM of 34 Fernlea Road Balham in the County of Surrey
Engineer and Surveyor do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
My invention is more especially adapted to those trains which are already fitted,
or intended to be fitted with the ordinary automatic pressure or vacuum brake..
I fix a small pipe on each carriage with flexible ends and suitable couplings
situated conveniently near the brake main, so as to be easily connected and discon-
nected at the same time.
These sections of pipes when coupled up extend the whole length of the train.
A threeway valve with whistle is fixed on the engine and in one or more brake
vans. These signals are connected by small pipes with the brake-main and
signalling-main.
In each compartment is fixed conveniently situated for the use of passengers a
lever or handle, which actuates a threeway valve so as to open communication
between the brake main and the signalling main by means of small pipes.
Each valve is so arranged that when moved or turned it first opens the passage
to the semaphore or indicator, that is in advance of the main passage, releasing the
catch and allowing the disc to fly out, indicating the compartment from which the
alarm was given. The lever being turned opens the passage to the signalling-main
and at the same time gives the signal on the whistles at both ends of the train,
namely both on the engine and brake-vans, gradually putting on the brakes. The
whistles sounding continuously until the guard and driver turn their levers thereby
closing the whistles and preventing the brakes from being applied which would
otherwise stop the train.
The levers in passenger compartments when once moved become fixed and cannot
be put back, except by inserting a special key kept by the guard for the purpose.
I make the semaphore or indicators outside each compartment, hinged and fitted
with a spring and catch, so as to fly open when released, also fixed in such a position
that by fitting it with a mirror it will reflect the light from the lamp in the carriage
at night and so draw the attention of the guard to the particular compartment
where the alarm was given. This indicator may be coated instead with luminous
or other paint.
The valves in each passenger compartment are similar and either single or double
with small pipes to indicator and to brake and signalling mains.
The valves on the engine and guards vans are alike and have whistles, but any
indicator, bell or gong may be substituted and worked by the pressure or vacuum.
Instead of the plug valves shewn I may sometimes adopt a slide valve.
Any passenger having occasion to give an alarm turns the lever in his
compartiment which opens communication between the air pressure or vacuum in
the brake-main and the signalling inain, releases the indicator and at the same time
sounding the whistles on the engine and guards vans.
Should the signal be given in more than one compartment two or more sets of
indicators would be released and the signals will continue and the brakes will
gradually be applied unless the driver and guard cach close their valves.

page_text: The guard can signal to the driver and the driver can signal to the guard by any
arranged "code.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Sheet 1, is a general arrangement showing the apparatus attached to a train.
Sheet 2, is a detail of the valves fixed on the engine and brake vans.
Sheet 3, is a detail of the single and double valves fixed in the ends and partitions
of the passenger carriages.
Sheet 4, is a detail of the semaphore or indicator fixed on passenger carriages.
Similar parts are marked with the same letter.
Sheet Fig. 1 shews the engine, passenger carriages and brake van.
Fig. 2 is an enlarged section through carriage. A is the ordinary pressure or
vacuum brake main coupled between the carriages. The signalling main B is a
small pipe coupled between the carriages in the same way and connected to all the
valves C, D, and E, F, is the pipe connecting the brake main with the valve, G is
the connection between the valve and the signalling main. H, H, are branch
pipes to actuate the semaphores.
Sheet 2, Fig. 3, I is the valve with openings.J to brake main K to signalling main and
L to whistle, M is the hollow plug with one side opening. The lever is kept down by
the counterbalance N, or a spring O. This spring may be made flat to act upon
two flats cut on the boss of the lever or coiled spring as shown so that the whistle
is always open to the signalling main unless the guard or driver turns and holds it
to the right or left, namely, turned to the left to stop the whistle and turned to the
right to signal on to guard or vice versa.
Figs. 4 and 5 are cross sections through valve showing passages and whistle.
Fig. 3, shows the ordinary steam whistle suitable for air pressure. Fig. 5 shows
my vacuum whistle P, with a circular opening and tongue P¹, or an opening on one
or both sides.
Sheet 3. Fig. 6, Q is a single threeway valve fixed at the ends of carriages with
one plug and lever only terminating at the dotted lines Q¹, Q', but in all other
respects the same as the double valves fixed in the partitions of the compart-
ments R. R. are hollow plugs with openings R R right through, K is the passage
to the signalling main, S to semaphore and J. to brake main. TT are levers with
catches U. U. which engage into notches U', U¹, which prevent the lever from
being put back after being turned, except by the aid of a key inserted at U and
turned so as to release the catches sec Fig. 8 and 9. Fig. 7 is a cross section
at AB. Fig. 10 is a cross section through the centre.
Sheet 4. Fig. 11 is a section of semaphore and disc. V is the elastic disc or
diaphram either plain or corrugated fitted in a box W and actuated by the pressure
or vacuum forcing or drawing the lever X, so as to release the indicator arm Y
which flys open as at Y' by means of the spring Z. When the disc V moves
outwards due to the pressure of air the lever releases the indicator at X¹ but in the
case of vacuum the notch is on the opposite side X' as the lever acts the reverse
way or the lever may be made with the fulcrum reversed. I sometimes use a cylinder
fitted with a small piston instead of the box W. for actuating the semaphore or
indicator Y.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
(1) Making use of the pressure or vacuum in the brake main for signalling
between passengers guards and drivers substantially as described.
(2) The valves, semaphores, vacuum whistle and apparatus as arranged for
signalling between passengers, guards and driver substantially as described.

page_text: (3) The method of and apparatus for signalling between guards and driver and vice
cersa, by means of the pressure or vacuum in the brake main independently of the
passengers substantially as described.
Dated this Twenty-first day of August 1891.