Improvements in and relating to Locks, Specially Applicable to Doors of Railway Carriages and like Vehicles.
Year: 1887

page_text: Improvements in and relating to Locks, Specially Applicable to
Doors of Railway Carriages and like Vehicles.
I RALPH DENIS JAQUES of 17 and 18 Southampton Buildings in the county
of Middlesex, Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Great danger is now experienced by reason of the doors of railway or other carriages
not being at all times under the immediate control of the guard or other person in
charge.
My invention is designed to provide means whereby the locking bolts on each door
can be controlled from the brake van engine or other part of the train when the doors
are pushed to and consequently such doors cannot be opened until the guard, driver
or person in charge chooses to release them.
Various mechanical devices have been proposed to effect the desired purpose but
have proved more or less unsatisfactory.
According to my invention I fit electro magnots in each lock on which the bolt or
bolts work or abut such electro magnets being in communication with an electric
generator such as a primary or secondary battery or a small dynamo driven off the
carriage axles or by the engine. The guard or engine driver can control a switch and
so send a current through the electro unguets which will then hold the bolts of all
the locks as long as the current runs so preventing the closed doors being opened till
the circuit is broken.
Such locking arrangement could be applied to buildings and to other purposes
where one or a number of locks or bolts have to be kept closed for a certain period
or placed under other control.
Dotad this 4th day of November 1887
POPPLEWELL, COLTON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in and relating to Locks, Specially Applicable to
Doors of Railway Carriages and like Vehicles.
RALPH DENIS JAQUES of 17 and 18 Southampton Buildings in the County
f Middlesex 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 :—
Great danger is now experienced in railway carriages when the doors are not
locked by the guard. My invention is designed to provide means whereby the locking
bolts on each door can be controlled from the brakevan, engine or other part of the
train when the doors are pushed to, and consequently such doors cannot be opened
till guard driver or other person or persons in charge of the train chooses to release
them. Various mechanical contrivances have been proposed to effect the desired
purpose but have not proved satisfactory.
According to my invention I fit electro magnets in each lock on which the bolt or
bolts work or abut such electro magnets being in communication with an electric
generator such primary or secondary batteries or a small dynamo driven off the
carriage axles or off or on the engine.
The guard or engine driver can control a switch and so send a current through the
electro magnets which will then hold the bolts of all the locks, as long as the current
runs, so preventing, the closed doors being opened till the circuit is broken, such locks
could be applied to buildings or for other purposes where one or a number of locks
or bolts have to be kept closed for a certain period.
And in order that this my said invention may be understood and carried into
practical effect I have caused to be annexed to this specification the accompanying
sheet of drawings and now make mention of figures and letters of reference marked
thereon.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a locomotive and carriage fitted with my invention.
Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional elevation of the lock.
A is the locomotive B the carriage is a small dynamo or electro-magnetic machine
as shewn supposed to be driven by a three cylinder engine or other suitable motor.
The current from the dynamo is taken by suitable leads D to insulated rods E
carrying discs or contact surfaces F advantageously coated with platinum or made
with non-oxidizable surfaces.
The rods are set up by springs (not shown) so that as the train is marshalled the
discs or surfaces F touch on each opposite carriage, there are a pair of discs or
surfaces on the end of each carriage to complete the circuit, abutting on the pair on
the adjacent carriage.
From the discs or surfaces F carried by each carriage, leads G go to electro
magnets H fixed on the door frame.

page_text: Armatures I are
being shown at J.
current is not on.
pivoted (advantageously below) the electro magnets H the pivot
K are springs pulling the armatures from the magnets when the
The end of the armature carries a locking knob or piece L which
can engage with a recess in the end of the bolt M of the lock when the latter is shot
or forced home, N is the handle of the lock.
The magnets H are all in series as will be well understood, the leads being shewn
in Fig. 1. The electro-magnets on each side of the carriage are thus coupled to the
pairs of discs or surfaces F.
I lay no claim broadly to these spring discs or abutting surfaces for use in electrical
train-intercommunication as such have been previously in use.
If desired I could use other or hand-adjustable coupling devices of any suitable
construction for establishing the electric-circuit. Similarly primary or secondary
generators of electricity could be placed in any suitable part of the train to furnish
the necessary current.
The action of the apparatus as shewn is as follows. The train being marshalled the
discs or surfaces Fabut so establishing the current when the dynamo C or other
generator is started. The doors of the train are all previously shut, then the magnets H
pull on the armatures I causing the locking knobs or pieces L carried thereon to
engage with the recesses in the ends of the lock bolts M.
So long as the current is sent through the magnets the lock bolts are held thereby
and the doors cannot be opened but on the guard or driver or other official breaking
the circuit by switch or otherwise the springs K will release the armatures H and the
doors can then be opened as usual.
As before mentioned my improved arrangement can be adapted to other purposes
than railway carriages.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is;
The improved electro-magnet arrangement for controlling the locks of doors of
railway vehicles and for such like purposes, substantially as described.
Dated this 4th day of August 1888.
POPPLEWELL, COLTON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.