AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATING BETWEEN THE SEVERAL PARTS OF RAILWAY TRAINS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Graham Tatters, of Plymouth, in the County
of Devon, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS
FOR COMMUNICATING BETWEEN THE SEVERAL PARTS OF RAILWAY TRAINS."
Sealed the 4th October 1867, and dated the 5th April 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Graham Tatters
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th April 1867.
I, JAMES GRAHAM TATTERS, of Plymouth, in the County of Devon, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD
OF AND APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATING BETWEEN THE SEVERAL PARTS OF RAILWAY
TRAINS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in certain arrangements whereby through the
agency of electricity signals can be given by the passengers and guards in
railway trains to the drivers in a simple and efficient manner. A narrow
copper band is fixed along both sides of the carriages and near the roofs
thereof. The bands of the several carriages pass down the ends thereof, and
are made to terminate near the buffers or coupling chains, the respective ends
being connected together by means of copper wires either in the form of

page_text: spiral coils, or so arranged and of such length as to admit of the carriages being
separated to the fullest extent of the coupling chains. The final connection
of the bands is made at the end of the train by simply hooking or connecting
one of the copper wires to the two ends that terminate there; connected with
the copper band at each compartment of the carriages is a flat disc, each disc
forming when closed or in its normal position part of the band, a portion of
which is removed to admit of the disc filling the space thus left; each disc
is provided with a spring and catch, which latter will keep the disc closed until
it is released. The catches are connected with the interior of the carriages
by wires passing along the inside of the roofs from the sides to the centres of
the carriages, the lower ends of the wires being provided with handles. A
voltaic battery is fixed on the tender, the same having two wires representing
the two poles, one of which is connected with the bands passing along the
train; near the whistle of the engine is placed a box, the same being without
a bottom, and having enclosed therein a soft iron electro-magnet, the
armature of which is attached to the handle of the steam whistle by a small
chain. The electro-magnet is connected with both poles of the battery, with
one direct and with the other after making a circuit of the train. The
electro-magnet unless it is supplied with an electric current has of course no
power to hold the armature, but upon such current being supplied it will
sustain a heavy weight of iron with ease. Supposing the train to be in
motion and the battery in connection with the electro-magnet any passenger can
by simply pulling the handle suspended from the roof of the carriage release
the catch attached to the disc in connection therewith, and which is instantly
thrown open by the action of the spring, thus registering the compartment
of the carriage. The band of copper traversing the train is thus rendered
non-continuous and the electric current arrested; the electro-magnet thus
instantly loses its attractive power and the armature falls, by so doing turning
the handle of the whistle, thus informing the driver that bis attention is required;
the driver can at once ascertain whether the guard or a passenger has signalled
by simply stopping the whistle and lifting the armature to the electro-magnet.
If it is not attracted thereby it is indicated that a passenger has given the
alarm, the compartment in which he is situated being indicated by the disc;
if, on the other hand, on the armature being lifted to the electro-magnet it
is attracted thereby it indicates that the guard has signalled. For the latter
purpose any suitable code of signals may of course be adopted.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Graham Tatters in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 5th October 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
GRAHAM TATTERS, of Plymouth, in the County of Devon, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said James Graham Tatters, Her special licence that I, the said
James Graham Tatters, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said James Graham Tatters, 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 Inven-
tion for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATING BETWEEN
THE SEVERAL PARTS OF RAILWAY TRAINS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said James Graham Tatters, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in 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 months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Graham Tatters, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, that is to say :-
My said Invention consists in certain arrangements whereby through the
agency of electricity signals can be given by the passengers and guards in
railway trains to the drivers in a simple and efficient manner. A narrow
copper band is fixed along both sides of the carriages and near the roofs
thereof. The bands of the several carriages pass down the ends thereof, and
are made to terminate near the buffers or coupling chains, the respective ends
being connected together by means of copper wires either in the form of
spiral coils or so arranged and of such length as to admit of the carriages
being separated to the fullest extent of the coupling chains. The final con-
nection of the bands is made at the end of the train by simply hooking or

page_text: connecting one of the copper wires to the two ends that terminate there;
connected with the copper band at each compartment of the carriages is a flat
disc, each disc forming when closed or in its normal position part of the band,
a portion of which is removed to admit of the disc filling the space thus left.
Each disc is provided with a spring and catch, which latter will keep the disc
closed until it is released. The catches are connected with the interior of the
carriages by wires passing along the inside of the roofs from the sides to the
centres of the carriages, the lower ends of the wires being provided with
handles. A voltaic battery is fixed on the tender, the same having two wires
representing the two poles, one of which is connected with the bands passing
along the train. Near the whistle of the engine is placed a box, the same being
without a bottom, and having enclosed therein a soft iron electro-magnet, the
armature of which is attached to the handle of the steam whistle by a small
chain, the armature may actuate the whistle by means of a lever and
wheel and pinion, as will be well understood by persons conversant with
mechanical contrivances. The electro-magnet is connected with both poles of
the battery, with one direct and with the other after making a circuit of the
train. The electro-magnet unless it is supplied with an electric current has
of course no power to hold the armature, but upon such current being supplied
it will sustain a heavy weight of iron with ease. Supposing the train to be
in motion and the battery in connection with the electro-magnet any
passenger can by simply pulling the handle suspended from the roof of the
carriage release the catch attached to the disc in connection therewith, and
which is instantly thrown open by the action of the spring, thus registering
the compartment of the carriage. The band of copper traversing the train is
thus rendered non-continuous, and the electric current is arrested. The
electro-magnet thus instantly loses its attractive power, and the armature falls,
and by so doing turns, the handle of the whistle, thus informing the driver
that his attention is required. The driver can at once ascertain whether the
guard or a passenger has signalled by simply stopping the whistle and lifting
the armature to the electro-magnet; if it is not attracted thereby it is indi-
cated that a passenger has given the alarm, the compartment in which he is
situated being indicated by the disc; if, on the other hand, on the armature
being lifted to the electro-magnet it is attracted thereby it indicates that the
guard has signalled. For the latter purpose any suitable code of signals may
of course be adopted.
Having thus fully declared and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I would observe in
conclusion that what I consider novel and original and therefore claim a

page_text: constituting the Invention secured to me by the said herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent are, the method of and apparatus for communicating
between the several parts of railway trains herein-before described and set
forth, or any mere modifications thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Graham Tatters, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
JAMES GRAHAM TATTERS. (L.S.)