IMPROVEMENTS IN SPEAKING TUBES FOR APPLICATION TO AND TO BE USED IN CONNECTION WITH VEHICLES AND OTHER PURPOSES.
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas William Redfern and Richard Wilkinson both of
Derby in the County of Derby for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN
SPEAKING TUBES FOR APPLICATION TO AND TO BE USED IN CONNECTION
WITH VEHICLES AND OTHER PURPOSES.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by tho said Thomas William Redfern
and Richard Wilkinson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
9th August 1883.
THOMAS WILLIAM REDFERN and RICHARD WILKINSON both of Derby in the
County of Derby. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPEAKING TUBES FOR APPLICATION TO,
AND TO BE USED IN CONNECTION WITH VEHICLES AND OTHER PURPOSES."
"
This invention consists in the application of speaking tubes to vehicles and for
other purposes and also consists in the construction and arrangement of a telescopic
tube or tubes fixed or suitably arranged in to or on the top or roof or to or in some
other convenient part of the vehicle such tubes are so arranged that they can bo
pulled or drawn out any desired length and so be conveniently placed to the
drivers ear when the signal from the passenger within the vehicle is sounded, this
signal may be given by any suitable known means preferably by blowing in the
tube inside the vehicle and sounding a whistle near the drivers seat or in the case
of a Hansome Cab on the roof or in any other convenient part of the cab or
vehicle, or such signal may be given by sounding a bell or gong from the inside at
the sound of which the driver will lift the tube and place the mouthpieco to his
ear through which a communication will be carried on between passenger and
driver.
This invention also consists in the construction of a whistle so arranged that
when the telescopic tube or tubes are shut the air or wind blown into the tube by
the passenger or person inside must go through the tube and sound the whistle,
this is caused by the telescopic tube or tubes being closed around the whistle
within the body or outside case, When the telescopic tubes are withdrawn by the

page_text: driver they are thereby opened so as to cause the sound of the voice to pass up
between the whistle and outside case to the driver.
Another method of constructing our invention is to employ a suitable tube
composed of india rubber or other suitable material which is caused to slide up
and down within a tube of brass iron wood or other similar substance, by its own
weight, or nearly so, The mouth of the speaking tube may be lot into a recess
in the roof or other convenient part of the cab or vehicle.
In the firstly before described arrangement the whistle apparatus is placed
within a cylinder like body or case and the telescopic tube is provided with an
elbow or bend to which is attached the mouthpiece, speaking tubes for vehicles
thus constructed are most convenient as the driver can place his ear to the mouth
piece and receive the directions or orders of his fare or passenger and thus save
time instead of bringing his horse or horses to a standstill when it is necessary for
him to receive directions as is the case in the present construction of cabs or
vehicles and this arrangement is at the same time much more convenient both to
the driver of the vehicle and to the passenger within it.
"
.
We construct in connection with the before mentioned apparatus a suitable
arrangement for preventing the wet from entering the tubes and to prevent such
tubes getting out of working order.
Our invention is so constructed that the whistle may be placed in any desired
part of the body or case of the vehicle or it may be conveniently arranged within
any of the telescopic tubes.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Lotters Patent filed by
the said Thomas William Redfern and Richard Wilkinson in the Patent
Office on the 9th February 1884.
THOMAS WILLIAM REDFERN and RICHARD WILKINSON both of Derby in the,
County of Derby "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPEAKING TUBES FOR APPLICATION TO, AND
TO BE USED IN CONNECTION WITH VEHICLES AND OTHER PURPOSES.”
This Invention consists in the application of speaking tubes to vehicles and
other purposes and consists in the construction and arrangement of a telescopic
tubo or tubes fixed or suitably arranged in the top or roof or other convenient part'
of the vehicle, said tube is so arranged that it can be pulled out any required
length so as to be conveniently placed to the drivers ear when the signal from the
passenger within is sounded this signal may be given by any suitable known
means proferably by blowing in the tube inside the vehicle and sounding a whistle
near the drivers seat or it may be given by sounding a bell or gong from the
inside, at the sound of which the driver will lift the tube and place the bell shaped
mouth piece to his ear and answer the passenger through the same,
This Invention also consists in the employment of a whistle so arranged that
when the telescopic tube or tubes are shut that the air or wind blown into the tube by
the passenger or person inside must go through the whistle and sound it, this is
caused by the tubes being closed around the whistle and the cylinder-like case in
which they are enclosed, When the telescopic tubes are withdrawn by the driver,
it is thereby opened so as to cause the sound of the voice to proceed through
same to the driver,
In the speaking tube above described the said apparatus is placed within a
cylinder like body or case and the telescopic tube is provided with an elbow or
bend to which is attached the mouth piece, This part of our invention is so
constructed that the whistle may be placed in any desired part of the body or
case and it may also be conveniently arranged within any of the telescopic tubes.
Reference is now mado to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
Specification in which is shewn one method of constructing our speaking tube-
this arrangement being preferable in practice, like letters of reference refer to
similar parts throughout the drawings.
Fig: 1 is an elevation of our improved speaking tube for vehicles the upper
portion of which is shewn partly withdrawn and Fig: 2 is a sectional view
of same.
A is a suitable tube, leading to the interior of vehicle, the head of the tubo is
lined internally with leather to prevent wear by friction, B shews the position
of the mouthpiece for passenger to communicate with driver, C is a portion of
the roof of a Hansom cab, D flexible tube, E spring for keeping samo in position,
G cover to keep out wet, H is a bend attached to flexible tube for convenience of
handling, and, J is the mouthpiece and whistle for driver.
Referring more particularly to the drawings A represents a tubo composed of
metal wood or other suitable material passing through the roof or other desired part
of the vehicle to the interior thereof where it is carried down a convenient distance
and connected with a suitable mouthpiece D shewn in dotted lines, said mouth-
piece B may be placed in any desired part of the vehicle so as to be conveniently
applied to the ear or mouth of the passenger to communicate with the driver, We.
may also connect this mouthpiece B to the tube A by a suitable bend or elbow
this mouthpiece may be supplied with a whistle or other signal if desired.-In
constructing our improved vehicle speaking tube we supply the tube A with a

page_text: supplementary tube D which is preferably composed of india rubber, or other
flexible substance, this tube D is surrounded by a spring E to keep it in position,
It is also provided with a cover G to prevent the wet from entering the interior of
the tube or vehicle-Said tube being flexible and provided with a suitable bend H
formed at the upper end thereof (as is shewn in the drawing) can be easily applied
to the ear the bend forming a kind of handle, to said bend is attached the mouth-
piece. and whistle J for the driver, This part of our invention can be let in a
recess or box in the roof C of the cab or other vehicle if desired so as to prevent
its being damaged by any luggage that may be required on the roof, or from other
causes.
-
Having now described our invention and in what manner it is carried into
effect we wish it understood that we do not confine ourselves to the exact details
as herein described and shewn in the foregoing Specification and accompanying
drawings as the same may be slightly varied without departing from the nature of
our invention, But, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is.
The application to vehicles of a speaking tube or tubes provided with suitable
signals for communication between driver and passenger or vice versa, said tubes
being composed of metal wood india rubber or other suitable material and
constructed arranged and operating in manner herein before described, and shewn
in the drawings
In witness whereof I the said Richard Wilkinson have hereunto set my
hand_and_seal_this ninth day of February One thousand eight hundred and
eighty four
ני
RICHARD WILKINSON (L.S.)