An Improved Apparatus for Simultaneously Locking Railway Carriage Doors.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Sept., 1887
Complete Left, 22nd Dec., 1887
Complete Accepted, 27th Jan., 1888
An Improved Apparatus for Simultaneously Locking Railway
Carriage Doors.
I SAMUEL JOHN ROFE of 4 Hollybrook Road Birkdale Southport Lancashire
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
This Invention consists of an arrangement of rods or bars and cranks placed by
preference under the bottom of each carriage and connected from carriage to carriage
by means of a telescopic arrangement consisting of a rod or bar sliding within a
tubular rod the sliding rod or bar having upon it a catch to hold into a spring coupling
which is upon the end of the rod or bar on the carriage to be attached so that when
the carriages are brought together the rods will become automatically attached
throughout the whole train.
These rods and cranks are connected with other rods and cranks running across
each carriage which rods and cranks are connected with bolts so arranged that the
actuating of the rods and cranks shall cause one of these bolts to enter into the bottom
of each door and securely fasten same.
In the guards van is a foot or hand lever or other arrangement for actuating these
rods so that the locking and unlocking of the doors in the whole train is entirely
under the control of the guard and when all are thus fastened no one door can be
opened without the knowledge and assistance of the guard.
Dated this 15th J
L
Who An 1007
PAYNE & TALBOT,
7, Cherry Street, Birmingham,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for Simultaneously Locking Railway
Carriage Doors.
I SAMUEL JOHN ROFE of 4 Holly brook Road Birkdale Southport Lancashire
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this 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 and figures marked thereon:-
This invention consists of an arrangement of rods or bars and cranks placed by
preference under the bottom of each carriage and connected from carriage to carriage
by means of telescopic arrangement consisting of a rod or bar sliding within a tubular
rod the sliding rod or bar having upon it a catch to hold into a spring coupling which
is upon the end of the rod or bar on the carriage to. be attached so that when the
carriages are brought together the rods will become automatically attached throughout
the whole train.
These rods and cranks are connected with other rods and cranks running across each
carriago which rods and cranks are connected with bolts so arranged that the actuating
of the rods and cranks shall cause one of these bolts to enter into the bottom of each
door and securely fasten same.
In the guards van is a foot or hand lever or other arrangement for actuating these
rods so that the locking and unlocking of the doors in the whole train is entirely under
the control of the guard and when all are thus fastened no one door can be opened
without the knowledge and assistance of the guard.
Referring to the accompanying drawings upon which similar letters refer to similar
parts,
Fig. 1. is a sectional view of the coupling attachment of rods from carriage to
carriage.
Fig. 2 an enlarged view of a slightly modified arrangement of the same..
Fig. 3. an end view of a carriage shewing the positions of the connecting rods below
the carriage floors.
Fig. 4 a sectional view of a carriage shewing the relative positions of the several
parts of the apparatus.
(a) is the rod with the spring coupling (b) which coupling slides into the tubular
end (c) of the telescopic rod (d) the spring catch (e) holding into the slot (f).
The coupling may be constructed as shewn in Fig. 2. with the spring (9) to keep
the catch (e) up to its work and the projecting piece (h) for the convenience of
releasing. Joints may be made in either of the bars similar to those at (i) to allow
for the travelling of the carriages round curves or placed the reverse way on the bars
to allow for the varying levels, of the bottoms of the carriages.
These couplings may be arranged. to act automatically or be connected at the same

page_text: time as the ordinary carriage couplings. Two rods run beneath cach carriage one ond
of each being fitted as (a) the other end as (d).
In the guards van is an ordinary rack and levers which are attached to the rods to
actuate them or these levers may be made as shewn in Fig. 4 which shews one side
out of action and one side in action (e) (1) being the levers to which are attached
arms (m) so that the levers can be worked from the outside of the carriages when
desired by means of the handle (k) which passes through the side of the carriage (o)
(p) are small levers to release the catch (g) when altering the positions of the levers on
the rack.
To these levers are attached the bars and cranks (7) (r) which carry the spring
bolt (s) so arranged that when the lever is in the position of lever (1) the bolt is shot
into the socket (t) in the bottom of the carriage door and when in the position of
lever (¹) the bolt is withdrawn (n) is a spring at the back of the bolt (s) so that the
doors being closed when the bolts are shot the bolts will give way and shoot back into
position.
The details of all the parts are not minutely described as there are various ways in
which a combination of bars and cranks actuated by a lever may be made to shoot
into or withdrawn from the bottom of Railway Carriage, doors, bolts, or catches.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is,
1st. An apparatus for simultaneously locking Railway Carriage doors consisting of
an arrangement of bars and cranks actuated by a lover so as to shoot a bolt into each
carriage door substantially as herein set forth and specified.
2nd. A coupling arrangement of the connecting bars substantially as herein set
forth and specified for the purpose of making a continuous connection of the apparatus
throughout the whole train.
PAYNE & TALBOT,
7, Cherry Street, Birmingham,
Agents for the Applicant.