IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OB MACHINERY FOR COMMUNICATING AND SIGNALLING BETWEEN PASSENGERS, GUARDS, AND DRIVERS OF RAILWAY TRAINS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Bryce Oraig, of Branthwaite, in the County of
Cumberland, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OB
MACHINERY FOR COMMUNICATING AND SIGNALLING BETWEEN PASSENGERS,
GUARDS, AND DRIVERS OF RAILWAY TRAINS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Bryce Oraig at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd January 1869.
I, BRYCE CRAIG, of Branthwaite, in the County of Cumberland, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS OR MACHINERY FOR COMMUNICATING AND SIGNALLING BETWEEN
PASSENGERS, GUARDS, AND DRIVERS OF RAILWAY TRAINS," to be as follows:-
The first part of my Invention consists of an improved method of
communicating between guard and driver, and between passengers and
guard of a railway train. I employ a simple cord or cords extending
along the top of the carriages and in communication at each end with a .
bell or other signal in the guard's van and on the engine. The

page_text: cords between each carriage are united by spring clips. By the
guard or driver pulling the cord either can communicate with the
o'her. The cord which runs along the roof of the carriages passes
through an aperture made in a roller, which latter is supported in
bearings and at certain times free to revolve therein, motion being com-
municated thereto by a spring with ratchet wheel and paul similar in
construction to a spring blind roller. Each compartment of a carriage is
placed in communication with the cord by a bell-pull handle or other
appliance; by pulling this cord or handle pressure is put on the roller,
the paul is thrown out of the ratchet, the roller revolves, and in so doing
winds up the slack portion of the horizontal cord, but as soon as the
slack is taken up the bell in the guard's van is sounded. From the
foregoing it will be seen that the guard may communicate with the driver
and the driver with the guard without in any way interfering with the
passengers in the train, but should a passenger wish to communicate
with the guard the same cord is made available by the introduction of
the spring roller before described.
The second part of my Invention relates to a certain method or
methods, hereafter described, of enabling the guard of a train to ascertain
from what carriage or compartment of a carriage the signal has been
made. I form an aperture in the roof of each carriage or over each
compartment, and to cover this aperture I employ a frame hinged at one
end, but capable of being hinged at the other end, so that it may be
cau-ed to open in whichever direction it may be required; this frame is
kept down by springs until the cord in the carriage is pulled, which
being done the springs are withdrawn and the frame is free to rise and
fly up. A second frame is placed in the outer frame containing a looking
glass, so that the guard upon being signalled to by the sounding of the
bell in his van can by looking along the roof of the carriages see tho
mirror and in it reflected the position of the occupants of the carriage
from which he will be to decide whether the train ought to be stopped
immediately or whether he will wait until it arrives at the next stopping
station. When a signal is made by a passenger the doors of the carriage
are simultaneously locked; for this purpose there is a horizontal bolt
which retains a vertical bolt above the carriage door, but when the signal
is made the horizontal bolt is withdrawn and the vertical bolt falls into
an aperture made in the top of the door to receive it, while falling it
gives a partial rotation and exhibits to view a small arm with which the

page_text: upper portion is provided, and this indicates to the guard the compart-
mont of the train the signal was made from, and prevents any person
leaving the same until the arrival of the guard or other person on duty.
The third part of my Invention consists in the employment of apparatus,
as hieroafter described, whereby the guard is able to inspect the interior
of each compartment of each carriage as the train travels. At each end
of each carriage there is a grooved pulley set horizontally, round which an
endless cord led from the guard's van passes; this cord is united by clips
between the carriages. Along the roofs of the carriages there are pieces
of T iron laid which act as guides to balls or rollers connected to the
endless cord. As the cord is moved from the guard's van the balls
travelling along the guides press against springs and cause the frame
holding the looking glass or mirror to rise, and passing other springs
they cause the same to fall, thus a guard may by moving the endless
cord examine the whole of the compartments in the train without leaving
his van.
From what has been before stated it will be understood that this my
Invention must be divided into several parts, either part capable of being
used separately and distinctly from the others or all in combination;
for example, the arrangement for signalling between passengers and
guards may be used separately and without the other parts, the apparatus
for opening the shutters and inspecting the interior of the carriages in
the same way, or all may be used together as found most convenient or
as circumstances may dictate.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Bryco Craig in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 22nd July 1809.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BRYOB
CRAIG, of Branthwaite, in the County of Cumberland, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date tho. Twenty-second day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Bryce Craig, Her special

page_text: Fcence that I, the said Bryce Oraig, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Bryce Craig, my executors, ad-
ministrators, 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 mako, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
OR MACHINERY FOR COMMUNICATING AND SIGNALLING BETWEEN PASSENGERS,
GUARDS, AND DRIVERS OF RAILWAY TRAINS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Bryce Craig, 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 immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Bryco Craig, do hereby declaro
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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters of referenco marked thereon, that is to say:-
The first part of my Invention consists of an improved method of
communicating between guard and driver and between passengers,
guard, and drivers of a railway train. I employ a simple cord or cords
extending along the top of the carriages and in communication at each
end with a bell or other signal in the guard's van and on the engine.
The cords between each carriage are united by spring clips. By the
guard or driver pulling the cord either can communicate with the other.
The cord which runs along the roof of the carriages passes through an
aperture made in a roller, which latter is supported in bearings and at
certain times free to revolve therein, motion being communicated
thereto by a spring with ratchet wheel and paul similar in construction
to a spring blind roller. Each compartment of a carriage is placed in
communication with the cord by a bell-pull handle or other appliance.
By pulling this rod or handle pressure is put on the roller, the paul is
thrown out of the ratchet, the roller revolves, and in so doing winds up
the slack portion of the horizontal cord, but as soon as the slack is taken
up the bells in the guard's van and engine are sounded. From the

page_text: foregoing description it will be seen that the guard may communicate
with the driver and the driver with the guard without in any way inter-
fering with the passengers in the train, but should a passenger wish to
communicate with the guard the same cord is made available by
the introduction of the spring roller before described.
j
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a view in vertical section,
and Figure 2 is a view in plan of this improved apparatus or machinery
for communicating and signalling between passengers, guards,. and
drivers of railway trains in its simplest form and as before described;
Figure 3 is a view of a similar apparatus with the addition of flanges to
guide the cord. A is a hollow roller mounted on an axis supported
at each end in a frame B and free to revolve therein, this frame B
being secured by bolts or screws to the roof of the carriage and by
preference at or near the centre thereof. The roller is provided with
loops through which a cord F is led; this cord is made a little longer
than the length of each carriage and is provided at each end with a
spring clip. To each carriago I fit a roller for each compartment
therein, for example, a carriage having three compartments would
have three apparatus on the roof, one over each compartment, or some-
times I use only one apparatus for each carriage. All the carriages
intended to compose the train being brought together the cords are
united by the spring clips; one end of the cord is in connection with
a gong or bell on the engine, the other with a bell. or other approved
signal in the guard's van at the end of the train. I leave sufficient slack
between each carriage to allow for expansion in the form just described;
the guard by pulling in the slack and thus tightening the cord may
communicate with the driver or stoker on the engine, or vico versà, and
so a simple communication between guard and driver or driver and
guard is established without in any way interfering with the passengers
of the train. One end of the roller A-carries a ratchet wheel O into
the teeth of which a paul D takes, and the axis of the roller is sur-
rounded by a strong spring or springs, shown by dotted lines in Figure 2,
so that by turning the roller in one direction the springs are compressed
and are prevented from returning or expanding by means of the paul
D taking into the teeth of the ratchet. E is the long arm of the paul
to which a cord is attached leading to the interior of the carriage, or
a rod, handle, or lever may be substituted for the cord. By pulling the
cord the paul is thrown out of the teeth of the ratchet, the spring is

page_text: released, and the roller revolves; the roof cord which, as before described,
passes through the loops x is thus caused to revolve with and to coil
round the roller until all the slack is taken up and the bell or other
signal sounded in the guard's van or on the engine. The attention of
the guard being thus called he can if necessary immediately cause the
driver to stop the train or let it go on, according to circumstances; in
either case he will have his attention drawn to a particular carriage in the
train. In the first place he knows it is a passenger who has made the
signal, because the slack rope has been taken up, whereas if the driver
had signalled there would still be slack rope and he could return à
signal to the driver; but if a passenger has signalled the slack having
been taken up and wound round the drum the guard cannot signal to
the driver until he has released the cord from the drum, and which he
can do by pulling the cord in the contrary direction, which causes the
drum to revolve and to unwind the cord until it is straight as before and
in the position it previously. occupied before the signal was made by a
passenger, the drum being prevented from returning by. the action of
the spring through the paul taking into the ratchet thereon. It will be
seen that only that particular drum which is over the compartment
from which the, signal is made will be affected by the action, for in all
the others the cord runs loosely through the loops as when the guard
and driver are communicating with one another.
The second part of my Invention relates to a certain method or
methods hereafter described of enabling the guard of a train to ascertain
from what carriage or compartment of a carriage the signal has been
made. I form an aperture in the roof of each carriage or over cach
compartment, and to cover this aperture I employ a frame hinged at one
end, but capable of being hinged at the other end, so that it may be
caused to open in whichever direction it may be required; this frame is
kept down by springs' until the cord in the carriage is pulled, which
being done, the springs are withdrawn and the frame is free to rise and fly
up. A. second frame is placed in the outer frame containing a looking-
glass, so that the guard upon being signalled to by the sounding of the
bell in his van can by looking along the roof of the carriages see the
mirror, and in it reflected the position of the occupants of the carriage,
from which he will be able to decide whether the train ought to be
stopped immediately, or whether he will wait until it arrives at the next
stopping station.

page_text: Figure 4 is a view in longitudinal section, and Figure 5 in plan of so
much of the roof or upper part of a railway carriage as will be necessary
to illustrato the manner in which this part of my Invention is carried
into effect. II, H, are the apertures formed in the roof, and I, I', are
the shutters hinged thereto; they are mounted on axes, as shown by the
dotted lines, and have always a tendency to open by means of the
springs K, K. These shutters are fitted with mirrors K', K', which
when the shutters are down form a portion of the ceiling or top of
the compartment of the carriage, but when raised they act as a mirror,
whereby the interior of the carriago the shutter of which is raised may
bo inspected even from the end of a train of moderate length, tho
occupants being reflected therein, and this takes place at night as well
as day, or even better at night than day, for the light from the carriage
lamp throws its light thereon with great power, the glass being set with
that object. L, L, are rods extending across the frame and carrying
arms M and N; the arm M presses against a spring on the shutter, and
keeps the same down securely in or on its framo; the arm N is connected
by a cord or clain to the cord itself, or to the arm E of the paul, best
seen in Figures 1 and 2, so that by pulling the paul as before described
the roller or drum A is set in motion, and the corresponding shutter I'
is thrown open and which may be closed, as will be more fully described
hereafter.
By the combination of the arrangement first described and this last
arrangement I afford means for the passengers to signal to the guard, and
the guard to be able to ascertain what is the matter by seeing the
occupants of the particular compartment of the carriage from which the
signal was made reflected in the mirror which has been raised. When
this arrangement is used I pass the cord over the roof but below the
shutters, so as not to interfere with the rising or falling thereof.
When a signal is made by a passenger the doors of the carriage are
simultaneously locked; for this purpose there is a bolt which retains
another bolt above the carriage door, but when the signal is made ono
bolt is withdrawn, and the other bolt falls into an aperture made in tho
top of the door to receive it; while falling it gives a partial rotation
and exhibits to view a small arm with which the upper portion is
provided, and this indicates to the guard the compartment of the train
the signal was made from, and prevents any person leaving the same
until the arrival of the guard or other person on duty.

page_text: 9
Figures 6 and 7 are views of this apparatus; Figure 6 showing the
same as it appears when set for action, and Figure 7. its position when
the signal has been made and the doors of the said compartment of the
carriage are locked. a is a semaphore arm or signal pivoted at 6 in a
standard c; the tail end of this arm a is provided with a pin d which is
acted on by the long arm of a lever e having its fulcrum at f; the short
arm of this lever is connected or linked to a rod g encircled by a helical
spring g', and passing through a slot cut or formed in the carriage frame
the rod g forms a bolt which is.free to enter into an aperture formed in
the top of the carriage door, and the helical spring has always a tendency
to drive it therein; his a notch formed in the arm a, into which a
hook on a lever takes; this lever is supported in a bracket k, and the
other end has a chain or cord attached to it which leads to the handle
or cord inside the compartment of the carriage, and which is worked
therefrom when required by a passenger or other person; m_is a spring
having a tendency to keep the tail end of the lever i up, and to cause the
hook thercon to take into the notch h on the arm a. At Figure 6 the
apparatus is shewn set for action, the signal not being made, the door of
the carriage unlocked, and in the position the parts ought to occupy on
all ordinary occasions. To make the signal, which is accomplished by
pulling a cord or handle, as before described, in the interior of tho
carriage, the cord is pulled down, drawing with it the tail end of the
lever i, and thereby withdrawing the hook from the notch h; the arm a
being thus released the helical spring g' contracts, causing the bolt g to
fall, and the long arm of the lever e to press against the pin d, and the
arm a moving on its pin 6 falls into the position indicated at Figure 7.
When in this position the arm a projects from the side of the roof of
the carriage, and points out to the guard of the train the carriage and
the particular compartment thereof from which the signal was made.
No passenger can leave the compartment until the guard or other person
releases him or them therefrom, and which is done by raising the arm a
until the notch again takes into the hook on the lever i; the bolt is
thus withdrawn from the carriage door.
Apparatus of the description described are fitted to each side of
the carriage and work together simultaneously, so that the doors
on both sides of the carriage are locked at one and the same time.
Sometimes I fit only one or only a pair of such apparatus to cach
carriago, in which case a rod extends along the roof to cause bolts to

page_text: lock all the doors in the carriage at one and the same time; and
sometimes I apply the apparatus without the locking arrangement
simply to indicate the particular carriage from which the signal was
made, and thereby to facilitate the attraction of the guard or others
to that particular carriage the occupant or occupants of which require
aid, protection, or otherwise.
This apparatus is also shown fitted to the roof of the carriage at
Figures 4 and 5 in order to show clearly how it may be worked with the
other parts before described, and which are all simultaneously operated
by pulling one cord or handle in the carriage.
The third part of my Invention consists in the employment of
apparatus as hereafter described whereby the guard is able to inspect the
interior of each compartment of cach carriage as the train travels. At
cach end of each carriage there is a grooved pulley set horizontally,
round which an endless cord led from the guard's van passes; this cord
is united by clips between the carriages. Along the roofs of the carriages
thero aro pieces of T iron laid, which act as guides to balls or rollers
connected to the endless cord. As the cord is moved from the guard's
van the balls travelling along the guides press against springs and cause
the frame holding the looking-glass or mirror to rise, and passing other
springs they cause the same to fall, thus a guard may by moving the
endless cord examine the whole of the compartments in the train without
leaving his van.
The arrangement is also shown at Figures 4 and 5. p, p, are frames
extending along the roof of the carriages and acting as guides to the
apparatus, which is worked by the guard and about to be more fully
described. is a slido carrying an arm g', which takes into a loop
formed on the arm M; the inner end of this arm is raised and somewhat
projects at 8, so as to form a sort of stop or termination to the slido
plato q. is a spring connected to the slide 9 and to the frame to keep
the slide back by pressing the projection forward. The arm q' is
released from the arm M, and the shutter rises by the action of the
spring K, but without interfering with the signalling cord or cords in
the compartments of the carriages composing the train. The axis on
which the shutters aro mounted carry a cam-shaped plate t connected to
a rod, the other end of which is free to slide in a slotted plate P, and
carries a projecting stud or termination similar to the other marked a;
by pulling this projection the rod is caused to travel along the slot in

page_text: the slotted plate to draw the cam-shaped plate t with it, and so to cause
the shutter to descend and to close, and be there held as before by tho
spring and arm M. This action of opening and closing is accomplished
from the guard's van in the following manner:-is an endless cord
extending from the van and passing over pulleys u, u³, (two only of
which are shown) at the ends of each carriage, and running along the
frames p, p; this cord carries a ball, which is also caused to travel
with the cord along the frames; supposing this ball to occupy the
position shown in the Drawings at Figure 5 it has just passed the
projection & against which it has come in contact and has thrown the
arm q' out of the arm M, and the shutter has come open; now by con-
tinuing to move the ball along by drawing the cord it comes into contact
with the projecting stud f, pushes the same, and in manner before
described causes the shutter to close, and so on for all the shutters fitted
to the several compartments of the carriages throughout the train. The
cord is shown in the Drawing passing round pulleys at the end of the
carriage in order to show it is an endless cord, but in action, unless it is
the carriage next the engine, the cord would continue on to pulleys on
the end of the next carriage, and so on throughout the train. The cords
in this case, as in the signalling cord, need only be the length of the
carriage, the connections throughout being made by spring clips.
From what has been before stated it will be understood that this my
Invention must be divided into several parts, either part capable of being
used separately and distinctly from the others, or either two combined,
or all in combination; for example, the arrangement for signalling
between passengers and guards and between guards and driver may be
used separately and without the other parts, the apparatus for opening
the shutters and inspecting the interior of the carriages in the same way,
as well as the arrangement for locking the doors, or two or all may be
used together as found most convenient or as circumstances may require.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I do not claim
as of my Invention the employment of a simple cord extending along
the roofs of railway carriages except when used in combination with the
apparatus before described; but I do claim,―
'
First. The construction, employment, and method of action of
apparatus or machinery for taking up the slack cord of a signalling
cord or rope running along the roofs of railway carriages, whereby the

page_text: said cord or rope may be tightened and thereby caused to sound a
signal in the guard's van or on the engine, and be again set to mako.
another and similar signal without tho stopping of the train, all
substantially as herein-before described and illustrated in the accom-
panying Drawings, and particularly at Figures 1, 2, and 8, together with
any mere modifications thereof.
Second. The construction, arrangement, and method of action of
apparatus essentially consisting of shutters carrying mirrors for
enabling the interior of a carriage to be inspected from the guard's
van or other distant portion of the train, the same being caused to act
either in conjunction with the signal made by a passenger to the
guard or by the guard alone independently of a passenger, all sub-
stantially in manner heroin-before described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawings.
Third. The employment of apparatus for locking the doors of railway
carriages and for indicating the particular compartment or carriage
from which a signal has been made, all constructed and acting
substantially in manner herein-before described and particularly
illustrated at Figures 6 and 7 of the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Bryce Craig, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Ninth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
('S'T) "DTENT