Year: 1888

page_text: I, DUNCAN SMITH of 33 and 34, Horsley Fields, Wolverhampton in the County of
Stafford, Wine and Spirit Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention
to be as follows:-
==
My invention has for its object improvements in indicators for carriages and has
particular reference to Railway Carriages by which travellers are enabled at a glance
to see by night or day the position of their carriage from a distance as well as readily.
ascertain the class or number of any particular compartment.
I will explain my invention as applied to an ordinary train slight modifications
being only required to apply it to any other carriages. On one or both sides of the
compartment say above the doors I place an oil, gas, electric, or other Lamp which is
let into the framework of the carriage so as to give an equal light both inside the
carriage and out. The outside glass or lens of the lamp would be of different colours
and marked either 1st, 2nd, or 3rd as the class might be or "smoking" as well as
the number of the compartment or any other information which it might be desirable
to exhibit. These are covered when the train is in motion by covers or doors which
are similarly marked to the lamps and when opened as hereinafter described are made
to project out at right angles to the carriage from the centre of the lamp in such a
manner that when it is dark the lamp shines sideways on each side of the door and
thereby they form an indicator which can be seen from some distance up the train.
These doors may be opened and closed at the proper time from the guard's van
or engine in several ways as for instance for opening a rod may be provided having
upon it a number of small bushes each of which is fixed to a small pin upon a
ever connected with each of the indicators and the rods would be connected with
the guard's van or engine and provided with a simple coupling between each of
the carriages which would allow of any one carriage being disconnected from the

page_text: train indeed in this case a cord with hook and eye coupling would be sufficient as
each indicating door would close when released by a spring.
The guard, engine-driver or other in charge would be provided with a pulley and
rack or other suitable arrangement by which on entering any station by night
the indicator doors would be opened thereby not only instantly illuminating the
platform but also clearly denoting the position and particulars of any compartment
as before described.
This arrangement of lighting would allow the present centre lamp being dispensed
with and its place would allow of a ventilator being inserted which would be a
great acquisition especially in smoking compartments.
Dated this 23rd day of February 1888
GEORGE BARKER,
77, Colmore Row, Birmingham.
Agent for Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Indicators for Railway and other Carriages.
I, DUNCAN SMITH of 33 and 34, Horsley Fields, Wolverhampton, in the County of
Stafford, Wine and Spirit Merchant, 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:―
My invention has for its object improvements in indicators for carriages and has
particular reference to Railway Carriages by which travellers are enabled at a glance
to see by night or day the position of their carriage from a distance as well as
readily ascertain the class or number of any particular compartment.
I will explain my invention as applied to an ordinary train slight modifications
being only required to apply it to any other carriages. On one or both sides of
the compartment say above the doors I place an oil, gas, electric, or other Lamp
which is let into the framework of the carriage so as to give an equal light both inside
the carriage and out. The outside glass or lens of the lamp would be of different
colours or white and marked either 1st, 2nd, or 3rd as the class might be or "smoking"
as well as the number of the compartment or any other information which it might
be desirable to exhibit. These are covered when the train is in motion by covers or
doors which are similarly marked to the lamp and when opened as hereinafter described
are made to project out at right angles to the carriage from the centre of the
lamp in such a manner that when it is dark the lamp shines sideways each side of the
door and thereby they form an indicator which can be seen from some distance up
the train. These doors may be opened and closed at the proper time from the guard's
van or engine in several ways as for instance for opening a rod may be provided
having upon it a number of small pins each of which works in a slot in a lever
connected with each of the indicators and the rods would be connected with the
guard's van or engine and provided with a simple coupling between each of the
carriages which would allow of any one carriage being disconnected from the train
indeed in this case a cord with hook and eye coupling would be sufficient as each
indicating door would close when released by a spring.
The guard, engine-driver or other in charge would be provided with a pulley and
rack or other suitable arrangement by which on entering any station by night the
indicator doors would be opened thereby not only instantly illuminating the platform
but also clearly denoting the position and particulars of any compartment as before
described.
This arrangement of lighting would allow the present centre lamp being dispensed
with and its place would allow of a ventilator being inserted which would be a great
acquisition especially in smoking compartments.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and more easily carried into.
practice I have appended hereunto. two large sized sheets of drawings upon which I

page_text: have illustrated an example of the manner in which my invention may be applied to
existing Railway carriages.
On Sheet 1,
Figure 1 shews an elevation of part of a passenger carriage and part of a guard's
van coupled together and having my invention applied thereto.
Figure 2 is a vertical section through part of the passenger carriage shewing the
lamp A in position and indicators B open.
Figure 3 is a similar section through part of the guard's van shewing the rack in
guard's van for operating indicators.
Figure 4 is a plan of the top of the carriages showing, the rods connections and
coupling for operating the indicators.
Sheet 2 contains the following enlarged details of the various parts.
Figure 5 is a front elevation of the lamp from the outside of the train showing the
indicators closed.
Figure 6 is a side elevation of the lamp looking from the end of the train with
indicators closed and reflector R open.
Figure 7 is a sectional plan on line 1. 2.
Figure 8 is a plan of the top of the lamp.
Figure 9.is a. similar elevation to Figure 5 but showing the indicators open. -
Figure 10 is a section through the carriage shewing a side elevation of the lamp
with indicators open.
Figure 11 is a sectional plan on line. 3. 4.
Figure 12 is a sectional plan on line 5, 6, shewing an arrangement for opening the
indicators.
Figure 13 is a front elevation of the arrangement in the guard's van for operating
the indicators.
Figure 14 is an end elevation.
Figure 15 is a plan of the same.
7
:
Figure 16 is a plan of the slotted lever for opening the indicating doors, B and B¹.
On one or both sides of the carriage Z above the doors, I place the gas, oil, electric,
or other lamp A which is let into. the framework of the carriage so as to give an equal
light both inside the carriage and out. The outside glass or lens A¹ of the lamp
would be of different colours and marked either 1st, 2nd, or 3rd as the class might
be or "smoking" as well as the number of the compartment or any other information
which it might be desirable to-exhibit. These are covered when the train or carriage
is in motion by the covers or doors B and B¹ which are similarly marked to the lamps
and when opened as shown by Figures 9, 10, and 11 and as hereinafter described
project out at right angles to the carriage from the centre of the lamp so that
the rays of light shine sideways on each of these doors B and B thus forming:
indicators which can be seen at any distance along the train. These doors are
opened when required by the rods E which are operated from the guard's van as
hereinafter described and mounted on the pulleys el or other equivalents so as to
allow of a longitudinal movement and are provided with a small pin e' above each
indicator which fits into a slot. formed in the lever . This lever bis fixed to the a
top of the pivotted spindle 63 of the indicating door B so that as the rod is drawn
in the direction of the guard's van the door B is opened and on the bottom of this
spindle a small cog wheel Figure 12 is fixed which gears with a similar wheel &*
on the spindle 6 of the indicating door B' which is thereby opened the reverse way.
The rods may be operated from the guard's van or other position in a variety of ways (
but Figures 13, 14, and 15, shew a simple arrangement for doing this. The toothed
quadrant M is secured to the van X and a radial handle K is mounted at k' to which
the cord N for operating rods E is attached, this handle K has the ratchet mounted
upon it which is kept down by the spring and by engaging in the teeth of the
quadrant allows of the cord being drawn tight the small handle being provided to
release the ratchet and thereby free the handle and rods and allow the doors to spring
..to by means of the spring F Figure 12 one end of which is attached to the arm b
which is fixed to the spindle the other end being attached to the back of the lamp

page_text: at f. The arrangement in guards van may be put in any convenient position and
the pullies arranged so that on the reversal of the train it would only be necessary to
alter the connection of the cord.
The action of opening the indicating doors B and B is as follows:-
The guard presses down the handle K thereby drawing part of the cord chain or
wire N into the guard's van which causes the rods E to travel in the direction of the
arrow W and the pins upon these rods operate the levers 62 which revolve the
spindle 3 of the indicating doors B and opens it thus in turn by means of the cog
wheels and revolves the door B¹ the reverse way. On the release of the handle K
in the van the two doors fly to as before described. The lids A² of the lamps are
made to open on the spindle a³ so as to allow of the lamp being attended to and the
reflector R may be hinged on a spindle so as to reflect the light on to the platform or
it may be fixed when the indicating doors are open and the revolving spindle 6³ passes
through the spindle a³ which is stationary. Reflectors a' and a' are provided to direct
the light into the carriage.
83
The coupling between the rods on each carriage might be arranged with either cord
wire or chain with simple hook and eye attachment and would be arranged so that
whichever way the carriage might be shunted connection could be made. Of course
I may open and close the indicating doors B and B in a variety of ways for instance
may open them by means of a small pulley upon the top of each spindle of the
doors around which a wire would be so wound that when pulled it would revolve the
doors different ways as required and may then be closed by a coiled spring round
the spindle and I may substitute a pulley and rack arrangement in the guard's van
for winding up the wire in place of the arrangement shown.
The old lamp space in the top of the carriage would be provided with any suitable
ventilator P which would then efficiently ventilate without draughts.
The indicating doors may be fixed open as Figures 9, 10, and 11 without being
operated or an ordinary indicating disc plate may be fixed outside the lamp at
right angles to the carriage in place of the indicating doors.
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 :-
:-
First The Improvements in indicators for railway and other carriages in which
the carriage lights are fixed in the sides thereof in combination with the indicators
substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth and shown upon the drawings.
Second-In indicators for Railway and other carriages the doors B and B¹ operated
substantially as herein set forth and illustrated.