CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED FOR THE PURPOSE OF COMMUNICATING SIGNALS ON RAILWAY TRAINS AND RAILWAYS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS AXCO ATHED GYMITAD DHRDOSES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Bird, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Chemist, for the Invention "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED FOR THE PURPOSE OF COMMUNICATING
SIGNALS ON RAILWAY TRAINS AND RAILWAYS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS
AXCO
ATHED GYMITAD DHRDOSES
"
Sealed the 13th January 1854, and dated the 22nd November 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Bird at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 22nd November 1853.
1, ALFRED BIRD, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED FOR THE
PURPOSE OF COMMUNICATING SIGNALS ON RAILWAY TRAINS AND RAILWAYS,
WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a novel arrangement of apparatus, for
conveying through the medium of a column of water or other fluid (as
alcohol) visible and audible signals from one end of a railway train to
another.
The apparatus is also intended to be used on board of ship and under
other circumstances.

page_text: In applying this Invention to a railway train, the guard's carriage is
fitted with a cistern, which from time to time supplies water to a
cylinder in which a piston works, and also to a length of flexible pipe
employed for connecting the guard's carriage with the engine. To
permit of the pipe suiting various lengths of trains, it is carried by a
drum which is mounted on a hollow pierced shaft aflixed to the framing
of the guard's carriage, and forming the water communication to the
coil of pipe. The drum by means of any suitable contrivance is
caused to wind up or unwind the coil of pipe, as circumstances may
require. The engine is provided with a cylinder and piston similar to
that in the guard's carriage, and water is conducted thereto by the
length of pipe before mentioned. Connected with the respective
piston rods is a rack, which on the depression of the piston is caused to
act upon the tail of a hammer, and strike a bell to call attention to a
signal. The pistons are severally worked by a hand lever; and by
displacing the water in their respective cylinders, they alternately force
the water forward and backward, and depress the piston in the cylinder
at the opposite end of the train. The hand levers may be provided
with a pointer for indicating the signals, or connected with a slotted
plate which will uncover the several written signals as it passes over
them, and thereby the guard or the engine driver may be directed to
act as the case may require. The coupled ends of the pipe are stuffed
with a metallic or other fitting, which will prevent the water from
running out when the connection is broken, but will allow of the
pistons when put in action forcing the water through the line of
pipe.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty second day of November, 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 Alfred Bird, Her special license
that I, the said Alfred Bird, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Alfred Bird, 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED FOR THE PURPOSE OF COMMUNICATING
SIGNALS ON RAILWAY TRAINS AND RAILWAYS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE
ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Alfred Bird, 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 per-
formed, 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 Alfred Bird, 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, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:
My Invention consists of improvements in apparatus for the purpose
of communicating signals, by the application of hydraulic pressure.
The apparatus may be portable, and is more peculiarly adapted to
transmitting communications between the engine drivers and guards
of railway trains.
On mirn

page_text: Figure 2, that which is to be placed on the guard's van, the two
being connected by the flexible tube shewn in the coil between.
Sheet B, Figures 3 and 4, represent inside elevations of the same
instruments, the doors of the outer cases removed.
Sheet C, Figure 5, a section of the instrument on the guard's van,
taken through the drum and spindle.
Figure 6, enlarged section of the drum and spindle.
Figures 7 and 8, plan and elevation of the coupling joint for con-
necting the tube.
I now proceed to describe the working of the apparatus:
A, A, Figures 1 and 2, shew the outer cases of the instruments that
to be placed on the engine, namely, Figure 1, having a slot cut in the
face as seen at (a), and the other for the guard's van, being furnished
with a code of signals, as seen at Figure 2. On reference to the
section of this latter instrument shewn in (Figure 5, Sheet C,) it will
be seen that the interior consists of a drum (b), mounted on a hollow
spindle (c), firmly screwed and keyed into the back plate of the case.
The drum (b) is furnished with a number of arms (¹), connected
by slight metal rods; these armis are for the purpose of maintaining in
proper position the flexible tubing when coiled on the drum, and to
govern the direction it will take in coillng. Communication between
the flexible tubing and the spindle is effected by a cock of peculiar
construction shewn in section Figure 6. This cock requires to be
completely watertight, and yet it is necessary it should revolve round
the hollow spindle; for this purpose it is mounted on conical bearings
accurately turned on the spindle to fit precisely the portion of the cock
to which they are to correspond, which will admit of the cock turning
on the spindle without allowing the fluid to escape. The cock is pro-
vided with two and the spindle with five escape holes for the fluid,
whilst the groove (e) in the cock, surrounding the holes in the
spindle, and being constantly full of fluid, maintains uninterrupted com-
munication between the cock and the spindle in whatever position the
drum may rest. A short length of copper or metal tubing (d) connects
the cock with the flexible tubing; this is to prevent stricture in the
flexible tube, which might otherwise arise from too sudden coiling

page_text: round the drum. On the front end of the spindle is a plate of brass (1)
acting as a cap (see Figure 4), and screwed on to the spindle is the elbow
(f) connected to the pipe (g); this pipe joins the barrel (g'), and in
this barrel the piston (h) works by means of the lever and handle (i).
The rack () attached to the rod () and also to the piston at its junc-
tion with the lever works parallel to and simultaneously with the piston.
On the rack are a series of catches () corresponding with the number
of signals required; those on the passage of the rack downwards operate
on the hammer (¹), which is thereby caused to strike the bell (). An
index () on the lever handle points to the signal intended to be com-
municated. (m) Figure 5, are two reservoirs communicating with
each other, and one of them being connected with the barrel (y) by the
supply pipe (m), which is provided with a stop cock for the purpose of
regulating the admission of fluid to the piping. (n) Figure 5, are two
friction rollers preventing any abrasion of the tubing during its passage
into or out of the case. (¹) is a wheel provided with a handle and
banded to the drum on which the tubing is coiled, and is of such size
that for one revolution of the wheel the drum is caused to revolve three
times, affording great expedition in coiling the tube. On reference to
Sheet B, Figure 3, it will be seen that the case of this instrument con-
tains duplicates of nearly all the parts already described and shewn in
Figure 4, videlicet, the working barrel and piston, the lever, bell appa-
ratus, and rack, the last-named part being placed at right angles to the
position of the rack, shewn in Figure 4, to admit of a signal plate being
screwed on to the front. The lever handle in this instrument passes
through a slot in the side of the box or case. (0) is a waste pipe to
allow superfluous fluid to escape. There are two iron pegs at the back
of this case, which the engine driver has to draw out when he requires
to signal the guard; this operation being necessary only when the driver
has to direct the guard to put on brake or return signal. Figures
7 and 8 shew a plan and elevation of the union or coupling joint
I propose to employ for connecting the lengths of tubing. (79) are
two gas cocks secured to the ends of the flexible tube; () being a lock
plate hinged to one of the stop cocks, and having slots cut in it at right
angles to the line of the tube; this lock plate is for the purpose of

page_text: ensuring that the joint shall not be uncoupled until the stop-cocks have
been turned off, and also to add to the strength of the joint. It will be
seen that whilst the cocks are turned on, the plate cannot be released,
as the handles of the cocks will not in that position pass through the
slots, but when turned off these thumb pieces are in a parallel position
with the slots in the plate, and will pass through them when the plate
is raised. The union socket (s) may then be unscrewed, and the joint
is severed. It is of course requisite that there should be communica-
tion of the fluid between the stop and mouth of the cock at the parts
marked (1, 2), and for this purpose I ram tightly into the spaces between
(1 and 2) copper wire gauze completely filling them; this forms a
porous metallic channel consisting of a number of fine tubes through
which the fluid may be forced, but from which, by the laws of capillary
attraction, it is prevented escaping unless pressure be exerted, conse-
quently no fluid escapes when the joint is disunited.
It now remains to describe the working of the apparatus. The fluids
I prefer to employ may be either simple water or a mixture of alcohol
and water, or pure alcohol, according to the temperature, the alcohol
being anti-freezing. With this the whole of the flexible tubing, the work-
ing barrels, and the reservoirs are completely charged, so that on raising
either of the lever handles the corresponding one must be lowered by
the pressure of the fluid on the piston in the working barrel; for in-
stance, the instrument shewn at Figure 3, being placed on the engine,
and that at Figure 4, on the guard's van, the flexible tubing runs along
the entire length of the train under the steps or on the roofs of the car-
riages, as may be desired. The guard's index now rests at the word
("yes"), which is the "zero" or no signal point; he signals the driver
to start by raising the lever handle until the index points to the Figure
1, above the word "start"; when the lever falls back to that word, by
the pressure of the fluid along the flexible tube, the piston in the work-
ing barrel of the instrument on the engine is driven down, lowers the
rack connected with the piston until one of the catches on the rack re-
leasing the bell hammer causes it to strike the gong, thereby attracting
the driver's attention; the rack descending, the signal board screwed to
it also descends, and the word "start" appears in the slot in the face

page_text: of the instrument; the driver then responds to the signal by raising the
lever of his apparatus, when the guard's index returns to the word
"yes," the driver's signal board also denoting the same word; the
instrument is ready for any other signal. It is evident that, changing
the code of signals, this apparatus is applicable for communication
between the captain and engineer of steam vessels, and other similar
purposes; the construction being the same, further detail becomes
unnecessary.
Having thus described the nature of my said improvements, and the
manner in which the same are practically to be carried into effect, I
wish it to be clearly understood that I do not confine myself to the pre-
cise details herein specified so long as the main features of my Inven-
tion be retained; but that which I claim as my Invention is, the
combination and arrangement of the various contrivances, chemical
and mechanical, herein described and set forth, in constructing appa-
ratus to be employed for the purpose of communicating signals on
railway trains and railways, and for other similar purposes.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Bird, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
ALFRED (L.S.) BIRD.