AN IM- PROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNALLING OR COMMUNICATING INTELLIGENCE.
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Carron, of Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Machinist, for the Invention of "AN IM-
PROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNALLING OR COMMUNICATING
INTELLIGENCE.'
"
Sealed the 8th March 1854, and dated the 16th September 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Carron
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 16th September 1858.
I, WILLIAM CARRON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNALING OR COMMUNICATING INTELLI-
GENCE" to be as follows:-
The Drawing represents in elevation a portion of my improvements.
It consists of a case on the exterior of which is a revolving chamber a,
containing a series of barrels b, b,. to be charged with gunpowder or
other detonating composition. Nipples c,.c, provided, with percussion
caps, communicate with the chambers b, b. d, is a hammer or cock

page_text: (similar to that used in guns and pistols) for striking the percussion
caps on the nipples c, c. The said hammer when disengaged from the
mechanism herein-after described is made to strike upon the nipples
c, c, by a spring in the chamber e, coiled on the axis of the hammer.
The axis of the chamber a, carries on its end in the interior of the case
a ratchet wheel f, in the teeth of which the pall g, urged by the
spring h, engages. i, is an arm or lever turning upon the axis of
the chamber a. k, is a click on the arm engaging in the teeth
of the ratchet wheel f. The said click is pressed against the ratchet
wheelf, by the spring 1, and the arm i, is raised by the spring m.
n, n, are a series of studs on the ratchet wheel f, equal in number
to the barrels b, b, and nipples c, c. o, is an arm on the axis of the
hammer d. This apparatus is calculated to make an alarm for various
purposes. For example, it may be used as follows:-For the purpose of
calling attention in cases of burglary the apparatus is fixed in an
elevated situation on the exterior of the premises, and a string p, from
the arm i, carried to a bed room, watchman's room, or otherwise. On
pulling the string p, the ratchet wheel f, and chamber a, are carried
round through a distance equal to the distance between two contiguous
nipples; the hammer d, being raised by one of the pins m, pressing
upon the arm o. As soon as the ratchet wheel f, has been carried so far
that the pall g, escapes over and engages at the back of one of the
teeth a, an undischarged percussion cap and its barrel are brought
under the hammer d, the pin n, escapes under the arm o, the hammer
falls and discharges the contents of the barrel. By loosing the string p
the armi, rises until the click k, engages at the back of another tooth,
when by pulling the string p, again the series of actions described are
repeated, and in this way by pulling the string p, a sufficient number
of times the whole round of charges may be fired. By adding another
hammer, and making it communicate with a detonating and illuminating
composition, such as Bengal fire, the light produced will direct atten-
tion to the spot from whence the report has proceeded.
My Invention may be applied to communicate between the guard
and driver of a railway train. In applying the last described portion of
it I proceed as follows:-I place a divided case on the engine or tender,

page_text: one compartment of the said case having a red and the other a green
glass front, and in the cases I place Bengal fire or other composition,
giving a great light when ignited, and a nipple and percussion cap
outside each case, communicating therewith. Two strings connected
with hammers or cocks are carried to the guard's van, and by pulling
one or other string he can ignite either composition so as to communi-
cate his wishes to the driver. The apparatus described for producing
an explosion may be combined therewith when thought desirable.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Carron in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 15th March 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
WILLIAM CARRON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Machi-
mist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto me, the said William Carron, Her special
licence that I, the said William Carron, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Carron, 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 "AN IMPROVEMENT
OR IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNALLING OR COMMUNICATING INTELLIGENCE," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Carron, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: 4.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Carron, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof (that is to say):
e, is a hammer or
My Invention consists in the methods herein-after particularly
described of effecting signals, the said signals being used for the pur-
pose of making an alarm in cases of burglary, for communicating
between the guard and driver of a railway train, between a policeman
or other person on a line of railway and the engine driver of a moving
train, and for such other purposes as the same are or may be applicable
to. Figure 1, represents niy Invention in elevation; and Figure 2,
represents the same in plan applied as a burglary signal. It consists
of a case (not shewn in the Drawing) on the exterior of which is a
revolving chamber a, turning upon an axis b. The said chamber a,
contains a series of barrels c, c, to be charged with gunpowder or other
detonating composition. Nipples d, d, suitable for the reception of
percussion caps, are placed around the chamber a, each of the said
nipples communicating with one of the barrels c, c.
cock (similar to that used in guns and pistols) for striking the percus-
.sion caps on the nipples d, d. The said hammer, when disengaged
from the mechanism herein-after described, is made to strike upon the
nipples d, d, by a spring coiled around the axis of the hammer, and
contained in the chamber f. The axis of the chamber a, carries on its
end in the interior of the case a ratchet wheel g, in which the pall or
click h, fixed on the arm i, engages, the said pall or click being made
to bear against the said ratchet wheel by the spring k. The arm i,
turns upon the axis b, as represented, and the said arm is raised into
the position represented by the coiled spring 1. m, m, are a series of
pegs or studs on the face of the ratchet wheel 93 the said pegs or studs
being equal in number to the number of barrels in the chamber a. An
arm n, on the axis of the hammer e, comes within the range of motion
of the studs m, m. When this apparatus. is used for the purpose of
making an alarm in cases of burglary it is fixed in an elevated position
on the exterior of the premises, and a string o, tied on the armi, is
carried to a bed room, watchman's room, or other convenient place.

page_text: On pulling the string o, the arm i, descends till it comes in contact
with the stop p, and the click or pall h, carries the ratchet wheel
through such part of a revolution as is equal to the distance between
two contiguous nipples d, d; the hammer c, is at the same 'time
raised by one of the pins m, m, acting on the arm n, on the axis of
the hammer e. As soon as the ratchet wheel g, has been carried so far
that the pall or click q, attached to the case of the instrument escapes
over and engages at the back of one of the teeth of the said ratchet
wheel g, an undischarged percussion cap and barrel are brought under
the hammer e, the pin m, escaping at the same tinie under the arm n,
(by moving which said arm the hammer e, had been raised,) the ham-
mer falls on the percussion cap on the nipple under it and discharges
the barrel. On loosing the string o, the arm i, is raised by the spring 1,
and the click or pall h, engages at the back of another tooth, when by
pulling the string o, again the series of actions described are repeated.
By alternately pulling and loosing the string o, a sufficient number of
times the contents of all the barrels may be fired in succession. By
adding another hammer », connected with and worked by the lever i,
through the toothed wheels s, t, a percussion cap struck by the said
hammer , may be made to ignite an illuminating compound, such as
Bengal fire, the light from which will direct attention to the spot from
whence the report has proceeded. Or a lamp u, containing any
suitable volatile and inflammable liquid may be lighted by the
action of the apparatus. A fuse v, tipped with sulphur, being con-
nected with the nipples w, w, so that when the said hammer falls
on one of the nipples w, w, the fuse v, is ignited, and the sulphur
on the end thereof bursting into flame the wick a, immediately
below the fuse, v, takes fire.. I sometimes modify my Invention
in the manner illustrated in Figure 3; that is to say, instead of
connecting a cord with the lever i, by the alternating motion of which
the discharges are effected, I connect the said lever by means of a
link y, to a crank, on the axis of a pulley 1, working in the frame of
the instrument. A cord 2, passed many times round the pulley 1, enters
the bed room or place from whence the apparatus is to be worked, and
by pulling the said cord 2, continuously (instead of alternately pulling

page_text: and loosing the same, as is necessary with the apparatus Figures 1,
and 2,) the alternating motion of the lever i, is effected, and the round
of charges fired. I sometimes also modify the last described apparatus
in the following manner; that is to say, I attach a weight (indicated in
dotted lines at 2', in Figure 3,) to the cord 2, sufficiently heavy when
free to descend to turn the pulley 1, and work the apparatus, and a
bolt or catch or click (indicated in dotted lines at 21, in Figure 3,) is
made to engage in the periphery of the pulley 1, so as to lock the same
and prevent the descent of the weight on the cord 2. A cord attached to
the said bolt, catch, or click passes to the room from whence the appa-
ratus is to be worked, and by pulling the last-mentioned cord the bolt,
catch, or click may be withdrawn, and the pulley 1, being at liberty to
move, the weight on the cord 2, runs down and works the apparatus in
the way herein-before described. Or, instead of a weight on the cord 2, I
sometimes use a coiled spring as a motive power; the said coiled spring
being wound up and kept in a state of tension by any suitable locking
mechanism, until by the pulling of a cord or otherwise the said locking
mechanism is disengaged from the said spring, when its clastic force
works the apparatus. I do not consider it necessary minutely to de-
scribe the details of this last modification of my Invention, as they are
well known in their application to the working of other instruments,
and I believe the description I have given sufficient to enable a compe-
tent mechanic to carry this modification of my Invention into effect.
That portion of my Invention herein-before described with reference
to Figures 1, and 2, which has for its object the lighting of a lamp or
igniting of Bengal fire or other illuminating compound, may be applied
to communicate between the guard and driver of a railway train in the
manner illustrated in Figures 4, and 5. Figure 4, representing a side
view; and Figure 5, a front view of this modification of my Inven-
tion; 4, 5, is a case divided into two compartments by the partition 6;
the front of one compartment is made of green glass, and that of the
other of red glass, or other coloured glasses; 7.7, are cocks pressed against
the nipples 8, 8, by a coiled spring in the boxes 9, 9. 10, is a slide
pressed by the spring 11, against the discs 12, 12, on the axes of the
cocks or hammers 7, 7; the tooth 13, of the slide 10, engaging behind

page_text: the tooth 14, on the discs 12. When the hammers 7, are drawn down
or cocked the nipples 8, communicate with funnel-shaped vessels 15,
containing Bengal light or other inflammable illuminating composition;
the case 4, 5, is fixed on the engine near the driver; and rods 16, or
cords connected with the slides 10, pass along the train to the guard's
van. Before the train starts, the vessels 15, are filled with the inflam-
mable composition. The nipples 8, are furnished with percussion caps,
and the hammers 7, are cocked. By pulling the cords connected with
the slide attached to either of the compartiments 4, 5, the guard can
ignite the composition in either of the said compartments, and by
producing a red or green light communicate his wishes (according to
a previous arrangement) to the driver.
That part of my Invention herein-before described, and represented
in Figures 1, and 2, which has for its object the discharge of gun-
powder or other detonating compound, contained in a gun or pistol
barrel, may be applied to enable a policeman or other person on a
line of railway to signal the engine driver in the manner illustrated
in Figure 6. 17, is the barrel containing the gunpowder or other
detonating composition; 18, is the nipple communicating with the
said barrel 17; the hammer 19, is retained in a cocked position by
the lever 20, as represented; 21, is a lever, the upper end of which
bears against the under side of the lever 20, as shewn in the Drawing.
The lever 21, is kept in its position by the spring 22. The whole
apparatus is fixed on the right-hand side of the engine or tender,
and the lower end of the lever 21, (not shewn in the Drawing,)
extends nearly to the ground and outside the outer rail. The motion
of the train is in the direction indicated by the arrow.
When a
policeman wishes to signal the driver he places a block of wood or
stone or other substance against the outside of the outer rail in such a
position that when the engine passes over the spot the lower end of the
lever 21, strikes against the said block of wood or stone. The upper
end of the lever 21, moves in the direction of the arrow, and raising
the end of the lever 20, against which it bears, disengages the hammer
19, and causes the explosion of the contents of the barrel 17.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the

page_text: manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that
I do not limit myself to the precise methods herein described, as the
same may be varied without departing from the nature of my said
Invention; but I claim as my Invention,―
Firstly, the arrangements of mechanism herein described, "and
illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 3, of the accompanying Drawing, for
producing the successive discharge of a series of loaded barrels for
signalling purposes.
Secondly, the lighting of a lamp or an illuminating compound by
percussion for signalling purposes, as herein-before described, and
illustrated by Figures 1, 2, 4, and 5, of the accompanying Drawing.
Thirdly, the arrangement of mechanism herein described, and illus-
trated in Figure 6, of the accompanying Drawing, for communicating
a signal by percussion and detonation from a policeman or other person
on a line of railway to the guard or driver of a moving train.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Carron, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
WILLIAM CARRON. (L.S.)

page_text: LONDON: Irted by GEORGE EDWARD EYDE and WILLIAM SPOTTISWOODE.
Printers to the Queen's most Excellent Majesty. 1854