IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRICAL INTERCOMMUNICATION IN TRAINS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Kift Winter, F.R.A.S., Telegraph
Engeneer of the Madras Railway, of Arconum, in the Presidency
of Madras, British India, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
ELECTRICAL INTERCOMMUNICATION IN TRAINS."
Sealed the 2nd October 1874, and dated the 28th July 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Kift Winter
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 28th July 1874.
I, GEORGE KIFT WINTER, F.R.A.S., Telegraph Engineer of the
Madras Railway, of Arconum, in the Presidency of Madras, British
India, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for “IM-
PROVEMENTS IN ELECTRICAL INTERCOMMUNICATION IN TRAINS," to be as
Sallawa

page_text: The essential part of the Invention consists in certain inexpensive
alterations to the existing. couplings, whereby the ordinary coupling up
of a train will serve to complete the electrical communication through-
out. For this purpose I utilize the side or safety chains as a means of
communication, the whole circuit being completed between carriago 5
and carriage by their means. This is effected in the following way:
· 1st. I coat that part of the hook of each chain which is likely to bear
against the hook of the next carriage with a metal or alloy, hard, and
not easily oxidized; gun metal is preferred for this purpose.
-2nd. Two wires insulated from each other run from one end of the 1
carriage to the other. These two wires are prolonged at each end of
the carriage, and at each end they run through loops fastened to the
links, and are connected to the hook at the end of the chain.
In one method the circuit thus formed runs along the .connecting
wires, and through the hooks on one sido of the carriagos, and back 1
along the connecting wires, and through the hooks on other side of the
carriages. This method of connecting the carriages is shewn in
Figure L...
A second method is to join the wires connected with the hooks of the
two side chains at each end of the carriage together, making one 2
insulated circuit from end to end of the train, and trusting to the wheels
and rails, aided by the centre chains, for the return circuit. This method.
has advantages in simplicity and greater certainty of the integrity of the
insulated half of the circuit, but the great disadvantage is the danger of
a bad connection between the bearings and the axles of the wheels, &c. 2
In fact there is danger of a bad carth, which more than compensates
for the greater certainty of the continuity of the insulated circuit;
nevertheless this method might be preferred for the sake of its simplicity.
Figure 2 shows this method of connecting the carriages. The return
or carth circuit is not shown, and must be understood.
3
Figure 3 shews the method I prefer of carrying the connecting wire
along the chain, and joining it to the hook at the end. The cable
shown in the Figure is formed as follows:-A piece of rope is first
well soaked in tar, the strands are then slightly opened by untwisting,
and copper wires, having first been well tarred, are laid in the grooves 3
of the rope between the strands; they are thus laid helically along the

page_text: rope, which is then tightly wound by well tarred tape, and in this way
a strong, durable, and flexible cable is formed, which is run through
eyes fastened to the links of the chain.
The cable is protected at places where it passes through the eyes by
belts of leather, vulcanized rubber, or similar substances, and the eyes
themselves are made only just large enough for the cable to pass through,
so that it is held pretty tightly by each eye. The cable is bound tightly
by an eye bolt to the shank of the hook, and finally the wires are twisted
together into a rope, and soldered or otherwise fastened into a hole in
the shank. The object of fastening the cable to the shank of the hook
is to prevent any sudden strain on the joint between the wire and the
hook, which is of course the weakest part.
Coating the inside facing of the hook with gun metal, though very
desirable especially on long trains, is not absolutely necessary. Its
advantages over trusting to the mere contact of the iron hooks one
against the other are,―
1st. That though metallic contact might be established between the
iron hooks, yet under any circumstances there would be much greater
resistance to the passage of the current between surfaces of iron than
between surfaces of a less oxidisable metal.
2nd. Gun metal being bright when clean more easily shews any dirt
or oxide with which it might have got contaminated, and it indicates
clearly that part of the hook which it is desirable to keep free from tar,
paint, or dirt.
The buffer planks of the engines are generally of iron boiler plate, and
further it very generally happens that the engines have no side or safety
chains. There is of course no reason whatever why safety chains should
not be fixed to engines, and for the purpose of uniformity in the method
of electrical coupling set forth in this Specification it would be well to
have all engines fitted with side chains. The bolt however of the side
chain should be insulated from the iron framework of the engine, and
this can be done easily and economically by bushing the holes with
wood, and putting a wooden washer behind, in the manner shewn in
Figure 4.
An electrical communication being established from end to end of the

page_text: by the means herein specified, any existing plan of working the samo
and any existing apparatus may be used for the communication of
signals, or for working electrical brakes.
Whatever system of signals be.. used however the following modifi-
reation of Leclancho's clement will be found very well adopted for the
purpose: I place the porous cell containing the carbon and manganese
in a vēssel containing sand moistened with sal ammoniac solution. I
further, in order to diminish the extra resistance that would otherwise
be caused by this plan, surround the porous cell by cylindrical zinc plate
: instead of only using a rod. The sand may be covered with a layer of 1
pitch or other substanco with holes pierced in it for supplying the solu-
tion, and for the escape of air or other gas. The layer of pitch will
prevent any spilling of the contents. A sectional view of the cell is
given in Figure 5; this cell has a very high electro-motive force, small
internal resistance, and is exceedingly clean, portable, and durable, and ]
will therefore be very valuable for many purposes other than that for
which I have specially designed it.
4.
с
t
Should it be considered advisable only to give the passengers power
to attract the attention of the guard, and to leave it to his discretion
whether or not to stop the train, I recommend the following simple 2
arrangements. The general arrangement is shown in Figure 6. One
van must always be placed between the passenger carriages and the
engine, and one van is always in the rear of the train. The principle of
working is by means of opposing batteries, so far as the front and rear
vans and the carriages between them are concerned, but the front van 2
is able to speak to the engine by the ordinary method of sending a
current through to his bell, thus no battery is required on the engine;
and further, the same battery which in the front van is used for the
opposing system is used also for communicating with the driver. When-
ever a passenger makes contact between the two wires running along 3
cach side of the train by means specially provided for the purpose both
the guards' bells are rung. The batteries in the guards' vans, which
under ordinary circumstances oppose cach other, and hence are inactive,
immediately become active and ring their respective bells on contact
being made between the two wires in any part of the train.
It will be seen
Figure 7 shows the connections in each brake van.
that besides the bell there are two keys and a switch.
for communicating with the other guard, and one key is used for com-
:
One key is used

page_text: municating with the driver. The switch handle has three positions,
shewn respectively by the unbroken line, the black dotted line, and the
red dotted line; the connections made by these different positions of the
handle are shown by the corresponding lines drawn between the four
terminals of the switch. The instructions regarding the position of the
handle are very simple, namely, "If the van is either front or rear the
"handle must be turned towards the middle of the train, but if the van
"is intermediate between two other vans the handle must be placed
"upright." Things being thus arranged the train may be run in either
direction, the engine being put on either side of the train, and carriages
may be added or taken off without any alteration being mado in tho
arrangements.
It has been supposed hitherto that the plan of connecting the carriages,
first described and shewn in Figure 1, is used, and in this case it is
necessary that the vans should never be reversed on the turntablo. If
all the vans of a train are reversed it does not matter, but if there is any
chance of a reversed and non-reversed van being joined to the samo
train it is advisable to have a second or battery switch, so that the samo
poles of the batteries may be towards the same side. The instructions
regarding this second switch may be made equally as simple as thoso
respecting the other, for instance, they may be that the handle must
always point towards the engine. In the second mode of connecting
carriages the reversal of vans does not matter, and hence the simplicity
of this method as compared with the first. On most lines there is littlo
or no fear of the brake vans being reversed, provided definite instructions
be given on the subject; but when there is danger of such reversal, and
where the complication involved in an additional switch is thought
unadvisable, it will be best to join the centre draw bars together by a
wire running underneath the carriage, and to trust chiefly to them for
the return circuit; of course the contacts between the centre couplings
and draw bars may be improved by means of gun metal or other facings
in the same way as are the hooks of the side chains. The Inventor has
found that at all events in India the plan of making earth through the
bearings to the axles, and thence by means of the wheels and rails, is
unreliable. The connections in the guard's van according to this plau
are shown in Figure 8, and the same remarks as to the position of the
switch handle are applicable in this case, as in the plau shewn in
Figure 7.
.

page_text: 1st. The passengers should only be able to communicate with tho
guards.
2nd. That the rear and front guards should be able to communicato
with cach other.
.
3rd. That the front guard should be able to communicato with thở
driver.
.
-
If only the first and third of these is considered necessary a great
simplification may be made by abandoning altogether the opposing:
battery system, and placing the switch handle of the leading van always
away from the engine, and the handle of all the other vans upright..
This being done, the guard in the rear van or any of the passengers are
able to call the attention of the guard in the leading van, and the guard
in' the leading van will be able to communicate with the driver, but the
front guard will not be able to speak to the rear guard. In this casc
only one battery will be employed, viz., that in the front van, and it is
obvious that there need be neither any battery switch or even any order
as to the non-reversal of the guards' vans; but in many cases it is
considered only necessary that all, including passengers and guards,
should have alike the power to call the driver's attention, as in the cord
system. In this case the whole arrangements become simple in the
extremo; one, battery will be required on the engine, but no other is
needed at all. There will be no uccessity for having any rule about
having a front van between the carriages and the engine, no switches or
bells will be needed in the vans, no instructions need be given as to
the non-reversal of any of the rolling stock, and the expense will be
reduced to a minimum. The modus operandi will be understood from
Figure 9.
One pole of the battery on the engine is joined to one of the chains,
the other pole is joined to one terminal of the bell, the other terminal
of the bell being joined to the other chain. So long as the chains are
insulated from each other the circuit is disconnected, and the bell will
not ring, but directly the two wires connected with the chains arc
brought together in any part of the train the engine bell will ring.

page_text: As regards the bell generally I find it preferable to use light hammers,
since they are not liable to be thrown against the bell by the shaking of
the train, and as regards the stroke, what is lost in the weight of the
hammer is gained in the velocity of the stroke, so that there is no great
difference in the amount of sound. It is very important that the bell
should be placed at about the level of the driver's or guard's ear, and
that the rim of the bell should be horizontal. There is no difficulty in
making the same magnet liberate a visible signal, and this is especially
necessary on the engine when the train is running at high speeds. A
good plan is to have a circular frame, half of which may be filled with
red glass or tale, and the other half may be either filled with colorless
glass or be open. Only half the disc is exposed, and under ordinary
circumstances the colorless or open balf fills the exposed space. On a
signal being given the disc turns on its axis one half revolution, and
exposes the red glass or fale. At night a light behind the instrument
will render the signal conspicuous.
Break away signals, though not recommended, can easily be given
automatically by causing the chain when hanging vertically to allow a
small lever connected with the insulated wire attached to it to mako
contact with a stud connected with the insulated wire on the other side.
The lever will under ordinary circumstances be pulled away from contact
by the chain so long as the chain is hanging suspended by being
attached to the chain of the next carriage. Tho studs should be move-
able, so that they may be moved out of the way in the case of the rear
chains of the rear carriage. This would be unnecessary in the arrange-
ment described in reference to Figure 6. Even when it is not so stated
all the arrangements specified are by obvious minor variations applicable
to the plan of connecting the carriages shown in Figure 2, the centro
chains and earth taking the place of one set of chains and insulated
connecting wires.
Should it be considered desirable to sound a whistle on the engine in
lieu of ringing a bell this can easily be done by causing a magnet to
liberate a weight or spring, which in falling or unbending would cause
the whistle to open.
With regard to the joint between the cable and the hook, this may

page_text: copper wires are soldered to the neck of the ferrule as well as to the
shank, and the ferrule itself is soldered to the eye bolt, so that a
duplicate connection is made between the connecting wires and the
hook.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Kift Winter in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 27th January 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
KIFT WINTER, F.R.A.S., Telegraph Engineer of the Madras Railway, of
Arconum, in the Presidency of Madras, British India, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-eighth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said George Kift Winter, F.R.A.S., Her special 1
license that I, the said George Kift Winter, F.R.A.S., my exccutors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George Kift
Winter, F.R.A.S., my 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 ELECTRICAL INTERCOMMUNICATION IN TRAINS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Kift
Winter, F.R.A.S., my executors or administrators, by an instrument in 2
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 calendar
mouths next and immediately after the date of the said Letters 3
Patent.

page_text: the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :—
This Invention has for its object improvements in the means by which
electrical intercommunication may be established in trains.
The essential part of the Invention consists in certain inexpensive
alterations to the existing couplings, whereby the ordinary coupling up
of a train will serve to complete the electrical communication through-
out. For this purpose I utilize the side or safety chains as a means of
communication, the whole circuit being completed between carriage and
carriage by their means. This is effected in the following way :—
1st. I coat that part of the hook of each chain which is likely to bear
against the hook of the next carriage with a metal or alloy, hard and
not easily oxidised. Gun metal is preferred for this purpose.
2nd. Two wires insulated from each other run from one end of the
carriage to the other. These two wires are prolonged at each end of
the carriage, and at each end they run through loops fastened to the
links, and are connected to the hook at the end of the chain.
In one method the circuit thus formed runs along the connecting wires
and through the hooks on one side of the carriages, and back along the
connecting wires, and through the hooks on other side of the carriages.
This method of connecting the carriages is shewn in Figure 1.
A second method is to join the wires connected with the hooks of tho
two side chains at each end of the carriago together, making one insu-
lated circuit from end to end of the train, and trusting to the wheels
and rails aided by the centro chains for the return circuit. This method
has advantages in simplicity, and greater certainty of the integrity of
the insulated half of the circuit, but the great disadvantage is tho
danger of a bad connection between the bearings and the axles of the
wheels, &c.; in fact there is danger of a bad earth, which more than
compensates for the greater certainty of the continuity of the insulated
circuit, nevertheless this method might be preferred for the sake of
its simplicity.

page_text: Figure 3 shows the method I prefer of carrying the connecting
wire along the chain, and joining it to the hook at the end. The
cable shown in the Figure is formed as follows:-A piece of rope is
first well soaked in tar; the strands are then slightly opened by
untwisting, and copper wires, having first been well tarred, aro laid in 5
the grooves of the rope between the strands; they are thus laid helically.
along the rope, which is then tightly wound by well-tarred tape, and in.
this way a strong, durable, and flexible cable is formed, which is run
through eyes fastened to the links of the chain.
The cable is protected at places where it passes through the cycs by 1
belts of leather, vulcanized rubber, or similar substance, and the cyes
themselves are made only just large enough for the cable to pass
through, so that it is held pretty tightly by cach cyc. The cable is
bound tightly by an cyc bolt to the shank of the hook, and finally the
wires are twisted together into a rope, and soldered or otherwise fastened 1
into a hole in the shank. The object of fastening the cable to the shank
of the hook is to prevent any sudden strain on the joint between the
wire and the hook, which is of course the weakest part.
Coating the inside facing of the hook with gun metal, though very
desirable, especially on long trains, is not absolutely necessary. Its 2
advantages over trusting to the mere contact of the iron hooks, onc
against the other, arc,-
1st. That though metallic contact might be established between the
iron hooks, yet under any circumstances there would be much greater
resistance to the passage of the current between surfaces of iron than 2
between surfaces of a less oxidisable metal.
2nd. Gun metal, being bright when clean, more casily shows any
dirt or oxide with which it might have got contaminated, and it indi-
cates clearly that part of the hook which it is desirable to keep free from
tar, paint, or dirt.
3
The buffer planks of the engines are generally of iron boiler plate;
and, further, it very generally happens that the engines have no side or
safety chains. There is of course no reason whatever why safety chains
should not be fixed to, engines, and for the purpose of uniformity in
the method of electrical coupling set forth in this Specification it would 3
be well to have all engines fitted with side chains. The bolt, however,

page_text: of the side chain should bo insulated from the iron framework of the
engine, and this can be done easily and economically by bushing the
holes with wood, and putting a wooden washer behind, in the manner
shewn in Figure 4.
An electrical communication being established from end to end of the
train in either of the ways shewn respectively in Figures 1 and 2, and
by the means herein specified, any existing plan of working the same
and any existing apparatus may be used for the communication of
signals or for working electrical brakes.
Whatever systém of signals be used, however, the following modifi-
cation of Leclanche's element will be found very well adapted for the
purpose. I place the porous cell containing the carbon and manganese
in a vessel containing sand moistened with sal ammoniac solution. I
further, in order to diminish the extra resistance that would otherwise
be caused by this plan, surround the porous cell by cylindrical zinc
plate instead of only using a rod. The sand may be covered with a
layer of pitch or other substance, with holes pierced in it for supplying
the solution, and for the escape of air or other gas. The layer of pitch
will prevent any spilling of the contents. A sectional view of tho cell
is given in Figure 5. This cell has a very high electro-motive force,
small internal resistance, and is exceedingly clean, portable, and durable,
and will therefore be very valuable for many purposes other than that
for which I have specially designed it.
Should it be considered advisable only to give the passengers power to
attract the attention of tho guard and to leave it to his discretion
whether or not to stop the train I recommend the following simple
arrangements: The general arrangement is shown in Figure 6. Onc
van must always be placed between the passenger carriages and the
engine, and one van is always in the rear of the train. The principle of
working is by means of opposing batteries so far as the front and rear
vans and the carriages between them are concerned, but the front van is
able to speak to the engine by the ordinary method of sending a current
through to his bell, thus no battery is required on the engine, and
further, the same battery which in the front van is used for the opposing
5 system is used also for communicating with the driver. Whenever a
passenger makes contact between the two wires running along each side
of the train, by means specially provided for the purpose, both the guards!

page_text: bells are rung. The batteries in the guards' vans, which under ordinary
circumstances oppose each other, and hence are inactive, immediately
become active and ring their respective bells on contact being made
between the two wires in any part of the train.
It will be seen
One key is used
Figure 7 shews the connections in each brako van.
that besides the bell there are two keys and a switch.
for communicating with the other guard, and one key is used for.
communicating with the driver. The switch handle has three positions
shown respectively by the unbroken line, the black dotted line and the
red dotted line. The connections made by these different positions of
the handle aro shewn by the corresponding lines drawn between the four
terminals of the switch. The instructions regarding the position of the
handle are very simple, namely, "If the van is either front or rear the
"handle mustbe turned towards the middle of the train, but if the van
"is intermediate between two other vans the handle must be placed
"upright." Things being thus arranged the train may be run in either.
direction, the engine being put on either side of the train, and carriages
may be added or taken off without any alteration being made in the
arrangements.
It has been supposed hitherto that the plan of connecting the carriages 2
first described, and shewn in Figure 1, is used, and in this case it is
necessary that the vans should never be reversed on the turntable. If
all the vans of a train are reversed it does not matter, but if there is any
chance of a reversed and non-reversed van being joined to the same
train it is advisable to have a second or battery switch, so that the same 2
poles of the batteries may be towards the same side. The instructions
regarding this second switch may be made equally as simple as those
respecting the other; for instance, they may be that the handle must
always point towards the engine. In the second mode of connecting
carriages the reversal of vans does not matter, and heuce the simplicity 3
of this method as compared with the first. On most lines there is little
or no fear of the brake vans being reversed provided definite instructions
be given on the subject; but when there is danger of such reversal, and
where the complication involved in an additional switch is thought
unadvisable, it will be best to join the centre draw bars together by a 3
wire running underneath the carriage, and to trust chiefly to them for
the return circuit. Of course the contacts between the centre couplings
and draw bars may be improved by means of gun metal or other facings

page_text: in the same way as are the hooks of the side chains. The Inventor has
found that at all events in India the plan of making earth through the
bearings to the axles, and thence by means of the wheels and rails, is
unreliable. The connections in the guard's van according to this plan
are shewn in Figure 8; and the same remarks as to the position of the
switch handle are applicable in this case, as in the plan shown at
Figure 7.

page_text: One pole of the battery on the engine is joined to one of the chains,
the other pole is joined to one terminal of the bell, the other terminal of
the bell being joined to the other chain. So long as the chains are
insulated from each other, the circuit is disconnected and the bell will
not ring; but directly the two wires connected with the chains are
brought together in any part of the train the engine bell will ring.
As regards the bell generally I find it preferable to use light hammers,
since they are not liable to be thrown against the bell by the shaking
of the train, and as regards the stroke what is lost in the weight of the
hammer is gained in the velocity of the stroke, so that there is no great
difference in the amount of sound. It is very important that the bell
should be placed at about the level of the driver's or guard's car, and
that the rim of the bell should be horizontal. There is no difficulty in
making the same magnet liberate a visible signal, and this is especially
necessary on the engine when the train is running at high speeds. A good
plan is to have a circular frame, half of which may be filled with red
glass or talc, and the other half may be either filled with colorless glass
or be open. Only half the disc is exposed and under ordinary circum-
stances the colorless or open half fills the exposed space. On a signal
being given the disc turns on it axis one-half revolution, and exposes
the red glass or tale. At night a light behind the instrument will render
the signal conspicuous.
Break away signals though not recommended can easily be given
automatically by causing the chain when hanging vertically to allow a
small lever connected with the insulated wire attached to it to make
contact with a stud connected with the insulated wire on the other side.
The lever will under ordinary circumstances be pulled away from contact
by the chain, so long as the chain is hanging suspended by being attached
to the chain of the next carriage. The studs should be movable so that
they may be moved out of the way in the case of the rear chains of the
rear carriage. This would be unnecessary in the arrangement described
in reference to Figure 6. Even when it is not so stated all the arrange-
ments specified are by obvious minor variations, applicable to the plan
of connecting the carriages shown in Figure 2, the centre chains and
carth taking the place of one set of chains and insulated connecting
wires.
Should it be considered desirable to sound a whistle on the engine

page_text: to liberate a weight or spring, which in falling or unbending would
cause the whistle to open.
.
With regard to the joint between the cable and the hook, this may
perhaps be made more secure by covering the end of the cable with a
brass or copper ferrule in the way shewn in section in Figure 10. The
copper wires are soldered to the neck of the ferrule as well as to the
shank, and the ferrule itself is soldered to the eye bolt so that a duplicate
connection is made between the connecting wires and the hook.
-
Having described my said Invention and the method of performing
the same, I would have it understood that I claim the plan of con-
necting railway vehicles together by means of the side chains in the way
herein described, namely, by prolonging the connecting wires along the
chains, fastening them electrically to the hook of each chain, and if
necessary coating that part of each hook which bears against the hook
of the next carriage with gun metal or other hard and not easily oxidized
metal, so that the existing couplings only are used, and at the same
time the number of loose joints is reduced to a minimum.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Kift Winter, have here-
unto set my hand and scal, this 26th day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.