IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN PASSENGERS, GUARDS, AND DRIVERS TRAVELLING BY RAILWAY TRAINS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James .Dilkes, of Welford Place, Manufacturer, and
Edward Turner, of Watts' Causeway, Whitesmith, both in Leicester,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING
COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN PASSENGERS, GUARDS, AND DRIVERS TRAVELLING BY
RAILWAY TRAINS."
Sealed the 27th January 1865, and dated the 13th August 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Dilkes and Edward
Turner at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 13th August 1864.
We, JAMES DILKES, of Welford Place, Manufacturer, and EDWARD TURNER,
of Watts' Causeway, Whitesmith, both in Leicester, do hereby declare the
nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING
COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN PASSENGERS, GUARDS, AND DRIVERS TRAVELLING BY
RAILWAY TRAINS," to be as follows:
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for facilitating
communications between passengers, guards, and drivers travelling by railway
trains. For these purposes a cord, such as is now employed, passing from
end to end of a train is caused to pass through a pulley applied to each body
of a railway carriage, in such manner that when the pulley applied to any one
of the bodies of the several carriages composing a train is turned it will wind
the cord around its periphery, and thus call the attention of the guard and
driver by acting on the usual signals with which the cord ordinarily used com-
municates, and at the same time the rotation of the pulley will, by a cam or
other mechanical instrument, raise or show on the roof or other part of the
body of the particular carriage a signal, such as may be seen by the guard.or

page_text: other proper officer, and then the pulley will by being properly weighted or
otherwise, assume its original position, and the cord will simply pass through
it from side to side, and the cord will be left free to be acted on between guard.
and driver, as at present, whilst the signal will remain in view till put out of
sight by the guard on his coming to the body of the carriage from which the
communication had been made. The pulley to each body of a carriage is
placed outside of the carriage, and the pulleys of all the carriages are arranged
to admit of the cord passing in as straight a direction from end to end of the
train as may be. Inside the body of each carriage is a handle, or it may be
two or more handles, on an axis, on the outer end of which is a pulley, over
which and over the pulley before mentioned, an endless band passes, so that
when motion is communicated to the axis by a handle or instrument in the
body of a carriage, the pulley first mentioned will receive rotatory motion; and
wind part of the cord on its barrel, as before described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Dilkes and Edward Turner in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 13th February 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
DILKES, of Welford Place, Manufacturer, and EDWARD TURNER, of Watts
Causeway, Whitesmith, both in Leicester, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victória, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of August, -in-the-year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said James Dilkes and Edward Turner, Her special licence that we
the said James Dilkes and Edward Turner, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said James Dilkes and Edward Turner,
our 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 inight make, 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
FOR FACILITATING COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN PASSENGERS, GUARDS, AND DRIVERS
TRAVELLING BY RAILWAY TRAINS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we,
the said James Dilkes and Edward Turner, our executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under our or their hands and seals, or under the
hand and seal of one of us or them, should particularly. describe and

page_text: 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 we, the said James Dilkes and Edward Turner,
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:
'
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for facilitating
communications between passengers, guards, and drivers travelling by railway
trains. For these purposes a cord, such as is now employed, passing from
end to end of a train, is caused to pass through a pulley applied to each body
of a railway carriage in such manner that when the pulley applied to any one
of the bodies of the several carriages composing a train is turned, it will wind
the cord around its periphery, and thus call the attention of the guard and
driver by acting on the usual signals with which the cord ordinarily used com
municates, and at the same time the rotation of the pulley will, by a cain or
other mechanical instrument, raise or show on the roof or other part of the
body of the particular carriage a signal such as may be seen by the guard or
other proper officer, and then the pulley will, by being properly weighted or
otherwise, assume its original position; and the cord will simply pass through
it from side to side, and the cord will be left free to be acted on between guard
and driver, as at present, whilst the signal will remain in view till put out of
sight by the guard on bis coming to the body of the carriage from which the
communication has been made. The pulley to each body of a carriage is
placed outside of the carriage, and the pulleys of all the carriages are arranged
to admit of the cord passing in as straight a direction from end to end of the
train, as may be. Inside the body of each carriage is a handle, or it may be.
two or more handles, on an axis, on the outer end of which is a pulley, over
which; and over the pulley before mentioned, an endless band passes, so that
when motion is communicated to the axis by a handle or instrument in the
body of a carriage, the pulley first mentioned will receive rotatory motion and
wind part of the cord on its barrel, as before described.
And in order that this Invention may be more fully understood, .we will
proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed...

page_text: or compartments of a railway carriage is fitted a bracket carrying a small
pulley A; through each of the pullies A the cord B, such as is now employed
is passed, its ends being attached to suitable signalling apparatus; and where
two carriages are coupled together, the cord B is connected in the usual
manner, so that by turning one of the pullies A the cord B is wound thereon,
and the cord will be caused to act on the alarum apparatuses, one of which is
placed in the guard's van, and one on the engine or tender.
In Figures 2 are shown two views of the pulley, with its bracket, which is
fitted to the under side of the carriage, and it will be seen that by turning the
pulley the cord B will be wound thereon, and when released the pulley will
assume its original position by reason of the weights cast on its sides.
The pulleys A are caused to turn by the small wheel or pulley C, one of
which is placed in any suitable position in each compartment or body of a
carriage. We however prefer to place them as shown in Figure 3: From
each of the wheels or pullies C.a cord D, or it may be an endless band, passes
to one of the pullies A, around which it makes two or more turns, so that by
turning one of the wheels or pullies C the cord is wound from off the pulley A
on to the wheel or pulley C, and thus revolution is given to one of the
pullies A. On the back of each of the wheels or pullies C is formed a cam;
or it may be two projections, which at the same time that the wheel or
pulley C is turned acts on a rod or rods, which set up or raise a signal or
signals on the outside of a carriage, to denote from which particular compart-
ment of a particular carriage composing a train the signal was given. We
would here state that only one signal may be used; we however prefer to
place one on each side of the carriage.
Figure 4 shows a front view of the wheel or pulley C, and two signals; and
Figure 5 shows. a section of the wheel or pulley C. The wheel or pulley is
mounted on an axis a, carried by the case 6, which is secured to the partition
of the carriage. On the back of the wheel or pulley C are formed two
projections c, c, which, when the wheel or pulley is turned by means of the
handle c*, act on the ends of the two rods d, d, and push them outwards.
The outer ends of the rods d, d, act on the signals, one of which is placed on
each side of the carriage.
In Figure 6 are shown two views of the form of signal we prefer, which is
composed of a plate e firmly screwed or otherwise affixed to the side of the
carriage. On the plate e are formed two lugs e', e', which carry between them
the axis f, on which an arm 9 turns. On the back of the arm 9 are two other
lugs, to which the rod d to actuate the signal is pin-jointed, so that by pushing
the rod d outwards the arm g will be caused to assume the position indicated

page_text: by red lines. in one of the Figures, and be locked in that position by the spring
bolt h until released by the guard or other officer in charge of the train.
At Figure 7 is shown a front view of the alarum apparatus we prefer, both
for the guard and engine driver, although any suitable alarum apparatus may
be used; it consists of a plate i, which is firmly secured to any suitable part
of the guard's van or engine. The cord B before referred to is secured to one
end of the lever k, which turns on a stud / fixed to the plate i. At the other.
end of the lever k is formed a hook or catch, turning on another stud, also
fixed to the plate i is another lever m, at the end of which is the pin n, over
which the hook at the end of the lever k catches, and it is there held by the
strong spring o. To the other end of the lever m is attached the bell, which
when the apparatus is at rest is held against the pad p, carried by the arm q
attached to the plate i to prevent its ringing by the motion of the train. By
causing one of the pullies A to revolve, the cord B will be shortened, and the
catch released from the pin n, when the lever k will be drawn quickly back by
the spiral spring r, coiled round its axis, and the bell will be caused to ring,
and so give the necessary signal to the guard and engine driver.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we would have it. understood that we make no claim to
any of the parts separately; nor do we confine ourselves to the exact details
herein shown and described; but what we claim is, the mode herein described
of combining pullies A and C with cords B and D, and apparatus for signalling
between passengers, guards, and engine drivers of railway trains, as herein
explained.
In witness whereof, we, the said James Dilkes and Edward Turner,.
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Eleventh day of February,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Signed by the said James Dilkes
and Edward Turner, in the
presence of
SAMUEL STONE, Solicitor,
Leicester.
EDWARD TURNER. (L.S.)