Improvements in Apparatus for Communicating or Signalling between Passengers and the Guards of Trains, Signalmen, Station Staff or others.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Aug., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 29th Apr,, 1899-Accepted, and June, 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Communicating or Signalling
between Passengers and the Guards of Trains, Signalmen,
Station Staff or others.
I, JOHN VERNON, of King Street, Knutsford, in the County of Chester, Coal
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention is designed to provide a more efficient method of communicating
between the passengers and the guard of a train when in motion, than the com-
municating cord at present in use, and also by which a signal can be transferred
from the passengers to the signal men, station staff and others on the look-out
for the proper running of the train.
In carrying out the invention I carry a connecting bar or rod from end to end
of the carriage or coach suspended from the roof or top in any convenient manner.
It is capable of either rotary movement, longitudinal movement or both, preferably
the former, being supported by suitable bearings. At one or both ends of the
coach, preferably at both ends, and at opposite sides so as to be visible at both
sides of the train, is fitted a lamp on a sliding arm, bracket or the like, capable of
being moved so as to project beyond the side of the carriage and back again.
The connecting bar or rod is provided at each end with a pinion, bevel or other
wheel or device by which the lamp can be moved and the lamp bracket is fitted
with a rack, link or other device to engage with the wheel or device on the con-
necting rod whereby by the motion or movement of the rod, the lamp can be
moved outwards clear of the carriage as required.
The lamp and lamp bracket are mounted upon suitable slides or fixing brackets
so as to easily be moved to and fro. A hood or its equivalent on the end of the
carriage may be employed to cover the lamp when in normal position.
The rod is provided with a handle in each compartment of the coach by which
to operate it, the handle being hinged or pivoted and having a spring catch or the
like which holds it in an extended position after use 'thereby forming an indicator
to indicate where the signal was operated. Instead of a lamp any other form
of signalling device may be employed for daylight use.
In one or more of the compartments is placed a bell or gong which is sounded
by the operation. of the communicating rod thus drawing attention of other
passengers to the adjoining compartments.
A pawl and ratchet or similar device prevents the backward movement of the
lamp after the signal has been given.
The lamp should be painted in strong contrast to the colour of the conch so as
to be visible in day-light and the light of the lamp renders it visible in darkness.
In operation the passenger who desires to communicate with the guard or signal
that he is in distress pulls down the handle in one compartiment, and thus rings
the bells and alarms the passengers in the adjoining compartments and at the same
time projects the lamp or signal beyond the side of the coach, the guard who keeps
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page_text: a look-out towards the front of the train sees the lamp or signal and stops the train
at his discretion; the engine driver or fireman who keeps a look-out towards the
back of the train sees the projecting lamp or signal and can stop the train in the
same way as the guard; the signalman who always watches the passing of each
train would see the lamp or signal projecting and he would take means to have the
train stopped; the station-staff, plate-layers or others could see the signal and
have the train stopped by communicating with the signalman and the drivers of
approaching trains could also see the projecting lamp or signal and call the
attention of the guard or driver thereto by his whistle.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
6, Bank Street, Manchester, Patent Agents.
Improvements in Apparatus for Communicating or. Signalling
between Passengers and the Guards of Trains, Signalmen,
Station Staff or others.
I, JOHN VERNON, of King Street, Knutsford, in the County of Chester, Coal
Agent, 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 :-
This invention is designed to provide a more efficient method of communicating
between the passengers and the guard of a train when in motion, than the com-
munication cord at present in use, and also by which a signal can be transferred
from the passengers to the signal men, station staff and others on the look-out for
the proper running of the train.
It consists essentially of a sliding signal arm fitted to one or both ends of the
carriage capable of being projected beyond the side or front of the carriage to
give the desired signal and connected with a bar or rod running longitudinally of
the carriage which by the movement of a handle operates the sliding signal arm
and brake valve.
It will be fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings;—
Fig. 1. Longitudinal elevation partly in section of railway carriage showing the
invention applied thereto.
Fig. 2. Transverse section of same.
Fig. 3. End elevation of carriage showing the position of signal arm.
Fig. 4. End elevation of the other end of the carriage.
Fig. 5. Plan of the apparatus removed from railway carriage.
Fig. 6. Enlarged detail of operating rod and handle in position before being
nsed.
Fig. 7. Plan of same.
Fig. 8. Section of same through supporting bracket and end of handle.
Fig. 9. End elevation of operating rod and handle in position after being used.
At one or both ends of the railway coach is fitted a sliding signal arm A carry-
ing at its end a lamp B or other signal device. I prefer to employ two of these
signal arms one at each end of the coach one to project at one side and the other
to project at the other side so that the signal may be visible at both sides of the
train. The sliding signal arms A are connected to operating mechanism inside the
nsed.
Fig. 7. Plan of same.
Fig. 8. Section of same through supporting bracket and end of handle.
Fig. 9. End elevation of operating rod and handle in position after being used.
At one or both ends of the railway coach is fitted a sliding signal arm A carry-
ing at its end a lamp B or other signal device. I prefer to employ two of these
signal arms one at each end of the coach one to project at one side and the other
to project at the other side so that the signal may be visible at both sides of the
train. The sliding signal arms A are connected to operating mechanism inside the
coach.
I place an operating or communicating rod C in the interior of the coach or

page_text: carriage extending from end to end suspended from the roof or top or supported
in any convenient way. The rod C is capable of rotary movement but may be
arranged to move longitudinally to operate the signal arm A.
The operating bar or rod C is provided at one or both ends with a toothed
quadrant D by which to operate the signal arm A and the arm A is fitted with a
rack a with which the quadrant D on the operating rod engages and by which
the motion or movement of the operating rod is transmitted to the signal arm A
and it is moved outwards until the lamp or signal B is clear of the carriage as
required to attract attention.
Instead of a toothed quadrant or pinion on the operating rod C to engage a
rack on the signal arm A the rod C may be connected thereto by means of a bevel
wheel link lever inclined plane or other device whereby the rotary or longitudinal
movement of the operating rod may be employed to move the signal arm outwards.
The signal arm A and lamp B are mounted upon suitable slides or fixing brackets
so as to easily be moved to and fro. A hood or its equivalent on the end of the
carriage may be employed to cover the apparatus and the lamp when in normal
position.
The operating rod C is provided with a handle E in cach compartment of the
coach by which to operate it, the handle E is so attached to the operating rod C
that it remains in an extended position after use thereby forming an indicator
to indicate where the signal was operated.
A convenient way of attaching the handle E to the operating rod C is shown in
Figs. 6 to 9. The handle is placed loose on the rod with a slot e working over a
pin e fixed into the rod. The slot prevents the turning back of the rod after it
has been operated and the weight of the handle will hold it in position shown in
Fig. 9. A spring may also be applied for the same purpose. The slot e in the
handle also permits of the movement of the rod C without any movement of the
handle so that on the operating of the signal the position of only one handle is
disturbed. The handle E may be supported in its outer end by a bracket Fand
a peg G of wire, metal, wood or the like which will readily bend pr break when
the handle E is pulled down with any force.
At the end of the coach is placed a pawl H to prevent the returning of the
signal arm A until released. This may be done by the cord or chain h.
A small handle may be applied to end of the rod C or a key may be used to fit
in slot of handle E in the compartment where it has been disturbed to put it in
its normal position.
In one or more of the compartments is placed a bell or gong K which is sounded
by the operation of the communicating or operating rod C thus drawing attention
of other passengers in the adjoining compartments.
The communicating or operating rod C and the bells or gongs K are enclosed in
a suitable cover.
The lamp should he painted in strong contrast to the colour of the coach so as to
be visible in day-light and the light of the lamp renders it visible in darkness.
The operating of the communicating rod C may also apply the brake to stop the
train by causing the movement of the rod C to open a valve on the brake pipe L.
A suitable valve or cover M may be applied to the brake pipe L at the end of the
coach and be connected by a cord or chain m to the quadrant D or otherwise con-
nected to the rod so that the movement of the rod opens a valve in brake pipe and
operates the brakes.
When the valve M is applied to the brake pipe a stop tap N may also be applied
to throw the valve M out of operation when desired.
In operation the passenger who desires to communicate with the guard or signal
that he is in distress pulls down the handle E in one compartment and thus rings
the bells and alarms the passengers in the adjoining compartments and at the same
time projects the lamp or signal B beyond the side of the coach, the rear guard
who keeps a look-out towards the front and front guard towards the rear of the
train sees the lamp or signal and stops the train at his discretion; the engine

page_text: driver or fireman who keeps a look-out towards the back of the train sees the pro-
jecting lamp or signal and can stop the train in the same way as the guard; the
signalman who always watches the passing of cach train would see the lamp
or signal projecting and he would use his fixed or hand signals to have the train
stopped; the station staff plate layers or others could see the signal and have the
train stopped by using their hand signals or by communicating with the signal-
man and the drivers of approaching trains could also see the projecting lamp or
signal and call the attention of the guard or driver thereto by his whistle. Or
when the apparatus is connected with a valve on the brake pipe L. the operating
of the handle E in one of the compartments not only signals that something is
wrong but applies the brake and stops the train when the signal arm A and lamp B
indicate the coach from which the alarm was given and the handle E that has been
drawn down indicates the compartment.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. Apparatus for communicating between passengers in trains and guards or
other railway officials comprising signal arms, lamps or the like placed at one or
both enils of the coach which are projected beyond the edge of the coach by a com-
municating or operating rod placed inside actuating a handle substantially as
described.
2. Apparatus for communicating between passengers in trains and guards or
other railway officials comprising sliding signals, arms and lamps or signals at the
ends of the coaches a rotating communicating or operating rod supported in and
running the length of the coach a quadrant or other mechanism connecting the
red with the signal arm handles for operating the rod and bells or gongs placed in
the other compartments substantially as and for the purpose described.
3. Apparatus for communicating between passengers in trains and guards or other
railway officials constructed and arranged with or without connection to the brake
pipe substantially as described and shown.
Daten this IB (ay of April .
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Manchester, Liverpool, and London, Patent Agents.