IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR SIGNALLING ON AND EFFECTING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN PARTS OF RAILWAY TRAINS
Year: 1866

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Thomas Alderman at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th April
1866.
I, THOMAS ALDERMAN, of Tring, in the County of Hertford, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR
APPARATUS FOR SIGNALLING ON AND EFFECTING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN PARTS OF
RAILWAY TRAINS," to be as follows:-
Each carriage of a train is provided with tubes which by means of other
flexible tubes may be connected to other of the carriages of a train, for the
purpose of conveying air for sounding whistles or other communication
between different parts of such train. Each compartment of each carriage is
provided with cord or other pulls and a mouth-piece. The cords or other
pulls are for the purpose of acting upon a lever arm or wheel, or segment
thereof, to open a valve in the pipe leading to the mouth-piece, and at the
same time to act upon a lever arm in a chamber applied to that carriage to
raise a signal into position to be visible along the series of carriages. The
same action by these cord or other pulls also opens a pair of valves, one of
which opens a passage communicating between the tube to the mouth-piece
in the compartment where assistance is needed, and the other direct to the
guard or other person in charge of the train, and the other of this pair of
valves closes the communication with other parts of the train; by this means
a free passage may be opened between the mouth-piece of any compartment
and the guard or others in charge of a train, and at the same time communi-

page_text: cation through the main tube to other parts of the train, except to such guard
or others in charge, will be prevented. The signal before referred to is
applied on an axis or spindle formed at the end of its lever, so as to be
capable of revolving thereon, and the lever to which it is applied is formed
with a knee joint and springs, acting with a tendency at one time to keep the
signal when raised in that position, in order to its being seen, or when down
to prevent it from being raised simply by the action of the atmosphere. The
acting on the lever arm to raise the signal also by connecting rods or links
works bellows or air chambers to supply air for sounding a whistle or such
like alarm. The bellows or air chamber is provided with an outlet valve to
admit of free passage of air when desired. I prefer that there should be
double sets of these tubes, and that the apparatus of different carriages be
connected to them alternately. When one of the pulls has been acted upon
a locking of the parts in position is effected by a spring catch, and the
releasing of such catch is effected by the guard or others in charge of the train,
and who may employ for this purpose the same key which at other times is
used to lock or unlock the doors of the carriages. The branch tubes or
mouth-pieces to the respective compartments are provided with whistles to be
used for signalling therewith, as well as speaking tubes for effecting commu-
nication between the compartment where assistance is needed and the guard
or others in charge of a train. The flexible tubes to the ends of each carriage
are provided with air-tight joints to connect on to the tubes of adjoining
carriages, and these flexible tubes are arranged so that either end of any
carriage may be brought to either end of any other carriage. Air pumps may
be used in the guard's van or on the tender or other carriage to aid the
whistle, particularly for long trains. The air-tight joint is formed with a
revolving ring which is provided with a groove to pass over and when turned
lock on to a projection on the end to which it is to be connected, and the
flexible tubing is connected to the joint by revolving or vibrating connecting
pieces and spring and telescopic connections.
I claim the general combination.