Vehicles and Riders therein.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 10th May, 1887.
Specification Accepted, 10th June, 1887.
Vehicles and Riders therein.
I CHARLES HENRY BURGESS of Number 205 Uxbridge Road in the County of
Middlesex Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of my invention for AN IMPROVED
MEANS OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE DRIVERS OF VEHICLES AND RIDERS
THEREIN, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
:
The object of this Invention is to provide a means whereby communication between
the Drivers of vehicles and Riders therein is made very easy.
My Invention consists in the provision in Cabs, Hansom cabs Broughams Omnibuses
Tramcars and other like vehicles of a Speaking tube through which the voice is to be
transmitted by the Rider to the Driver and vice versa.
This Speaking tube may be either a flexible tube provided with transmitting and
receiving mouth-pieces or it may be a rigid tube for its entire length the mouth pieces
being spun to the desired shape out of the same piece of metal. Or I may make my
speaking tube partly of rigid metal or other material and attach thereto at either end
pieces of flexible tubing provided at the end with suitably shaped mouthpieces of
vulcanite or other material.
In Cabs Hanson Cabs Broughams and like vehicles the tube may be carried up on
one or both sides of the vehicle and bent at right angles at a convenient place and
ending in a trumpet shaped mouth piece so that a Rider desiring to speak to a Driver
has simply to turn his head and give his direction which is conveyed up the tube and
transmitted to the Driver at the other end of the tube which also ends in a trumpet
shaped mouth piece and is fixed in a convenient position for enabling the Driver to
hear the direction given.
In the case of Omnibuses and Tramcars I provide two main tubes running through
the entire length of the Omnibus or tramcar at the top or roof and each of which

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terminate in a trumpet shaped mouth piece suitably placed beside the Driver.
Connected with these main tubes are a number of flexible tubes fitted with mouth-
pieces of suitable shape so disposed as to hang down and be in easy reach of the
Riders on both sides of the Omnibus or Tramcar.
Any Rider desiring to be set down at a certain place can by this means
communicate his desire direct to the Driver.
It is obvious that whistles can be employed in the mouthpieces, if desired and that
one main tube may be employed instead of two.
Having now particularly described my said Invention and in what manner
the same is to be carried into effect I declare that what I claim as my Invention is :—
(1.) The employment in and combination with Cabs Hansom Cabs Broughams
Omnibuses Traincars and other like vehicles of means for rendering communication
between the Riders therein and the Drivers thereof substantially as hereinbefore
described.
(2.) A main tube or tubes running through the entire length of an Omnibus or tramcar
ending in a suitably shaped manner beside or close to the Driver of the vehicle and
provided with a number of flexible tubes as and for the purpose substantially as
herein before described.
Dated this Sixth day of May 1887.
CHIVERS & FRANCE,
27, Chancery Lane, W.C.,
Agents for the said Charles Henry Burgess.