IMPROVED MEANS OF, AND APPARATUS FOR, TELEGRAPHING INTO AND FROM RAILWAY TRAINS IN MOTION
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Leonard Hunt of Princes Street Westminster in
"
the County of Middlesex for an Invention of "IMPROVED MEANS OF, AND
APPARATUS FOR, TELEGRAPHING INTO AND FROM RAILWAY TRAINS IN MOTION
Communicated to him from abroad by Rudolph M. Hunter of Philadelphia
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Leonard Hunt at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th November 1882.
WILLIAM LEONARD HUNT of Princes Street Westminster in the County of
Middlesex "IMPROVED MEANS OF, AND APPARATUS FOR, TELEGRAPHING INTO AND
FROM RAILWAY TRAINS IN MOTION"-A Communication to me from abroad by
Rudolph M. Hunter of Philadelphia in the State of Pennsylvania United States of
America.
This Invention relates to various modes of, and arrangements of Apparatus for,
Telegraphing into and from a Railway Train or Trains running at any speed, and
consists; Firstly in utilizing the Rails as an Electric Conductor and providing them
at intervals with Automatic Mechanism adapted for breaking the circuit through
the rails and causing it to traverse a wire up into the Car whilst in motion the said
Car being provided with suitable means for receiving and sending telegraphic com-
munications to and from any Station on the line or between two Trains at any
distance from each other.
In carrying out this part of the Invention a series of four (or more) levers of the
first order are arranged transversely in line with each other at suitable intervals
apart along the track. The inner ends of the two middle levers carry antefriction
rollers which are all arranged in line with each other in the centre of the track.
The outer ends of the outer levers are provided with contact pieces which may
either take between the ends of the adjacent rails or simply rest upon the bottoms
(or other suitable parts) thereof so as to connect the said rails Electrically together
and thereby form a continuous Circuit-Each rail may be a separate circuit if

page_text: desired or only one side may be used. The contacts when down fall into suitable
recesses in the ties or sleepers. The inner ends of the outer levers are coupled to
the outer ends of the inner levers by links, and springs may be used to keep the
various levers and contacts in their normal position. At a Station one of the
contacts is removed and the ends of the two adjacent rails connected by wires to
the usual Telegraphic instruments.
The wheels of the Car are electrically connected with the circuit through the Car
from end to end this Circuit being provided with a key and sounder or a relay
adapted to operate a sounder in a local circuit provided with a local battery. From
the Car is suspended a shoe or key board with curved ends.
As the Car moves along the shoe or key board (which is of sufficient length to
press upon two sets of the contact operating rollers) forces down the rollers which
acting through the levers moves the contact pieces away from the Rails and so
opens the circuit through the latter and as one set of wheels is always to the rear
of the break and the other set in advance of the same the current passes up
through the wheels through the circuit and telegraphic instruments in the car down
through the wheels again to rail circuit. Before one contact is closed the next
adjacent one is opened so as to keep the rail circuit under the car open at all
times.
4
According to another part of this Invention a series of contact or circuit closing
blocks or projections are arranged along the track between or on the outside of
rails and in circuit with a main line wire or conductor which is provided at one or
both ends with a main battery, the Locomotive or Car being provided with a contact
shoe or other equivalent means to complete the Electric Circuit from the main line
wire through contacts to the ground every time the said shoe passes over a circuit
block. Further the main line at the Stations and at the Train is provided with
suitable telegraphic apparatus in circuit with said main line and shoe-When one line
battery is used the line circuit is open on the other end, and Stations in the space
between the Train and line battery can only hold communication with the moving
Train but when batteries are placed at each end of the line with similar polarities
opposing each other then it is possible to telegraph into any or all Stations between
said batteries and vice versd. By this means also communications may be made
between Stations in front of or in the rear of the moving Train so that signals may
be transmitted from one to the other to avoid collisions or other dangers common
to Railway travelling.
One form of apparatus which may be used for carrying out this part of the
Invention consists in arranging upon the cross ties or sleepers a continuous wooden
rail in which a continuous conductor or line circuit is placed and protected from
injury by a cap or cover kept down by nails or contact spikes driven through it
and the conductor into the wooden rail. One end of this conductor may be
connected with a battery and the other end left ungrounded or both ends may be
provided with batteries having like polarities to Line and at any intermediate
Station the conductor or line circuit may be cut and separated and the ends
connected by wires with a relay and key which may control a local circuit and
sounder. If desired the contact spikes or blocks before mentioned may be secured
to the ties and connected by an electrical circuit running upon poles as now used
or they may be cast solid on a metal base and these bases electrically connected.
Each Station is provided with a relay, key local circuit and sounder as is now used
in ordinary telegraphing or if the circuits be short the relays and local circuits may
be dispensed with.
The Car or Locomotive carries a contact or circuit closing shoe which may be
pivoted by an arm and is provided with a wearing piece. This shoe may be raised
or lowered by a rod and is prevented from falling too far by a nut and is made to
give vertically by a spring. The rod may be raised, by a handle to break circuit
with the contact spikes or blocks-In lieu of raising the shoe so as to miss contact
with the spikes or blocks an auxiliary circuit may connect the shoe with the ground
through the wheels the said Shoe being insulated from the car and the circuit may

page_text: have a relay, key local circuit and sounder or the local circuit and relay may be
dispensed with.
If desired the key on the Engine may be operated by mechanism driven from
the driving shaft and consisting of a rotating disc carrying an eccentric strap
which is provided with a projection guided by a Collar or eye on the disc and an
eccentric loose upon the shaft of the disc and provided with a handle working
between stops. If desired a closed circuit may be used by having a continuous
contact strip and using a make and break key which may be operated by the
mechanism just described or by mechanism in which power is transmitted from the
driving shaft by band to a pulley which rotates gearing which in turn continually
rotates two cams arranged upon swinging shafts or bars provided with handles the
handles and cams being kept away from the key by springs and by pressing either
one forward to the stop the key may be kept open while the Train or the shoo
passes over the spaces either equal to one or two contacts and thereby represent
dots and dashes or if desired the simple Telegraphic keys may be used in this case.
According to another arrangement of this apparatus combining automatic
registering devices the Station Master at any Station is enabled to know the exact
location of the Train and whether it is stopped or running and at what speed it is
travelling. Also if desired an operator in the Train may telegraph to the Station or
vice versa either when the Train is at rest or in motion. In this case the Locomotive
or Car is provided as before with a metallic shoe both ends of which are suitably
curved upwards. This shoe is pivoted to the Locomotive or Car and may be
provided with a spring to force it down towards the track and with an adjusting
device. Secured upon the ties and preferably between the rails are arranged
contact blocks say half a mile apart (more or less) which may be composed of a
cast iron bed plate provided with means such as dovetailed flanges to hold an
insulating block which may have projections and over which fits the contact
metallic piece curved at each end.
The conducting wire is electrically connected with the contact metallic piece
from which it may be directly connected to Line or may be passed through a lead
tube which conducts through the ground and ties to the main line which may be
arranged on poles as in the case of ordinary telegraph lines. Each end of the main
line circuit is provided with a battery so arranged that they counterbalance and
render neutral their effects.
The Stations on the Line are provided with any suitable recording instrument in
circuit with the main line so that upon every pulsation of the Electric Circuit which
passes through the line the recorder will automatically record the fact. If desired
a relay may be arranged in the Line at the Stations which may control the usual
local circuit in which a sounder is located and may be operated by a key when the
shoe is resting on a contact block and if desired the current which passes through
the shoe may be directed through corresponding telegraphic instruments in the
Cab of Engine or Car and then put to ground by wheels.
The operation is as follows: The effects of the batteries being counterbalanced
the Train is made to move in either direction and as it passes over the contact
blocks the shoe completes the double circuit through the Engine or Car wheels to
ground, this causing a discharge from both batteries to line and inducing all the
recording instruments records the fact and as every discharge indicates the passage
of the Train over a contact block the number of discharges multiplied into the
distance the contacts are apart will give the distance the Train is from the Station
in its rear.
It is to be understood that this Invention is not confined to the precise detail
form and arrangement of parts constituting the apparatuses herein described as
many modifications thereof may be found necessary without departing from the
principle of the Invention.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Leonard Hunt in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th May 1883.
"
WILLIAM LEONARD HUNT of Princes Street Westminster in the County of
Middlesex "IMPROVED MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR TELEGRAPHING INTO AND
FROM RAILWAY TRAINS IN MOTION a communication to me from abroad by
Rudolph M. Hunter of Philadelphia in the State of Pennsylvania United States of
America
This Invention relates to various modes of and arrangements of apparatus for
telegraphing into and from a railway train running at any speed and is illustrated
by the accompanying sheet of drawings
It consists according to one method in utilising the rails as an electrical conductor
by providing them at intervals along their length with automatic mechanism which
is adapted to break the circuit through the rails and cause it to traverse a wire up
into the car while in motion the car being provided with suitable means for
receiving and sending telegraphic communications
Figure 1 on the drawing is a sectional elevation of a car and railroad arranged
according to this part of the invention. Figure 2 a plan of same with car removed.-
Figure 3. a section across the railroad shewing the method of closing the rail
circuit. Figure 4 a similar view shewing method of opening the circuit to cause
the current to pass up into the car and Figure 5 a side elevation of the contact
between any two adjacent rails-Like letters of reference indicate like parts in the
respective figures
A represent the rails secured to the ties B. but so arranged that their ends do
not butt against each other-C and D. are supports or bearings for the levers E
and F which are connected together by links G-The inner ends of levers E
carry antifriction rollers H. which are all arranged in line in the centre of the
track. The outer ends of levers F. are provided with contact pieces a which may be
made of springs or simple contact pieces and may either fit between the ends of the
adjacent rails as shewn in figures 3. and 5 or simply rest upon the bottoms of the
two rails as shown in dotted lines in figure 5. so as to connect the said rails
electrically together and thereby form a continuous circuit-Each rail may be a
separate circuit if desired or only one side may be used-The contacts a when
down fall into recesses b in the ties B.-Springs c may be used to keep the various
levers E. F. and contacts a in their normal position as shewn in figure 1. and in
which the circuit is closed-At a station X one of the contacts a is removed and
the ends of the two adjacent rails connected by wires I to the usual telegraphic
instruments The car J is provided with the usual wheels K. the axles of which are
electrically connected with the circuit L through the car from end to end which
circuit is provided with a key and sounder M or a relay N adapted to operate a
sounder in a local circuit provided with a local battery 0-P are spring supports
arranged to carry a shoe having curved ends d.
As the car J. moves along the shoe Q. which is sufficiently long to press upon two
of the contact operating rollers H forces down the latter to the positions shown in
figure 2. thereby acting through lever E. so as to open the circuit though the rails
and as one set of wheels is always to the rear of the break the circuit passes up
through the wheels K through circuit L and telegraphic instruments in car J down
through the wl eels K again to rail circuit-Before one contact is closed the next
adjacent one is opened thereby keeping the rail circuit under the car open at
all times
According to another arrangement of apparatus a series of contact or circuit
closing blocks or projections are used along the track between the rails or on the

page_text: outside of same and in circuit with a main line wire or conductor which is provided
at one or both of its ends with a main battery the locomotive or car being provided.
with a contact shoe or other equivalent means to complete the electric circuit from
the main line wire through contacts to ground every time the said shoe passes over
a contact block and further the main line is provided at the stations and the train
with suitable telegraphic apparatus in circuit with said main line wire and shoe.
Figure 6 on the drawings is a side elevation of a railway locomotive and
electrical apparatus embodying this arrangement.-Figure 7 an enlarged sectional
elevation showing the contacts and circuit closing shoe on line-Figure 8 a cross
section of same on line-Figure 9 an elevation showing the arrangement of the
telegraphic apparatus on the locomotive (or car) Figure 10 an elevation and
section of a modified form of shoe particularly adapted to a continuous conductor
and figures 11 and 12 an elevation of mechanism adapted to control and govern
the duration of make and break of the line circuit or the interval of time between
the intermittent closing of same
A¹ are the rails and B₁ the ties upon which between (or on the outside of) the
rails A¹. is arranged a continuous wooden rail R in which a continuous conductor or
line circuit S is placed and protected from moisture and injury by a bevilled cap
or cover T which may be kept down by nails or by the contact spikes U. being
driven through the cover T and conductor S. into the rail R.-The conductor S.
One end of the conductor S.
may be made of a thin narrow strip of sheet copper.
may be connected with the battery 01 and the other end left ungrounded or both
ends may be provided with batteries O' having like polarities to line and at any
intermediate station the conductor or strip S. may be cut and separated and the
ends connected by wires V with the relay N' and key M. which may control a
local circuit L' and sounder M³ as shewn in figure 7 When one battery only is
used the telegraphic communications can only take place between the train and
battery but when two batteries are used then telegraphing or signalling may take
place in both directions and any where between the two line batteries-If desired
the contact blocks U. may be secured to the ties B'. and connected by an electrical
circuit running upon poles as now used or the contact blocks U may be cast solid
on a metal base and the said bases electrically connected-Each station is provided
with a relay, key, local circuit and sounder as is now used in ordinary telegraphing
or if the circuits be short the relays and local circuits may be dispensed with
The locomotive (or car) J¹ carries a contact or closing shoe W which may be
This shoe W may
pivoted by an arm W₁ and is provided with a wearing piece e.
be raised or lowered by a rod f. and is prevented from falling too far by nut g and
is inade to gear vertically by a spring h-The rod f may be raised by a handle i to
break circuit with contacts U. and shoe W.--In lieu of raising the latter so as to
miss contact with blocks U an auxiliary circuit L2 (see figure 9) may connect the
shoe W with the ground through the wheels the shoe W. being insulated from the
locomotive (or car) J'-The circuit L2 may have a relay N', key M³. local
circuit L³ and sounder M. or the local circuit and relay may be dispensed with as
in the case previously referred to--In operating there is no passage of current
until the shoe W strikes the contact blocks U and as the train is running rapidly
the relays respond rapidly-Now should the key at any station or on the car J
be opened no current will pass and if the key is kept open long enough to miss
one contact we may consider it the "dot" in the Morse alphabet and if kept open
long enough to allow the shoe W. to pass over two or three blocks U we may
consider it the "dash "-By this means the communications may be made by
different lengthened spaces or intervals between sounds.
If desired the key on the engine may be operated by mechanism driven from
the driving shaft Y. (figure 11) said mechanism consisting of a rotating disc j
carrying an eccentric strap k provided with a projection 7 guided by a collar or
eye m on the disc j and an eccentric loose upon the shaft of the disc j and provided
with a handle working between stops n when the handle is pressed up as shewn
in figure 11 the projection as it is carried round by the discj raises the key at

page_text: every revolution and keeps the circuit open while passing over one block. As long
as this handle is up the circuit will remain open but by lowering the handle the
projection is drawn out of range with the key and the latter remains closed.
If desired a closed circuit may be used by having a continuous contact Ui as
shewn in figure 10 and using a make and break key which may be operated by
the mechanism just described or by that shown in figure 12 in which power is
transmitted from the driving shaft Y. by band o to pulley p. which rotates gearing q
which in turn continually rotates two cams r l arranged upon swinging shafts or
bars 8 provided with handles t. These handles and their cams are kept away from
the key by springs u and by pressing either one forward to the stop v the key M
may be kept open while the train or the shoe W passes over the spaces either
equal to one or two contacts U. and thereby represent dots" and "dashes" or if
desired the simple telegraphic keys may be used in this case thereby dispensing
with the mechanism before described
Figure 13. on the drawings represents a sectional elevation of a railroad and
locomotive to which is adapted a modification of the apparatus last described
combined with suitable automatic registering devices whereby the station master
may know the exact location of a train whether it is at rest or running and at
what speed it is travelling, also that if desired an operator on the train may
telegraph to the station and vice vered Figure 14 is a plan of the railroad and a.
number of stations thereon. Figure 15 is an enlarged view of the circuit closing
block and shoe and figure 16 a sectional elevation of one of the circuit closing
blocks
A² are the rails and B2 the usual ties. J' is the locomotive (or car) which is
provided with a metallic shoe W' having a wearing piece w (see figure 15) secured
thereto by bolts x both ends of the shoe W being preferably curved upwards as
shewn The shoe W is pivoted to the locomotive at y and inay be provided with
a spring z to force it down towards the track and an adjusting rod a' to limit its
downward motion-Secured upon the ties B' and preferably between the rails A³
are contact blocks U2 arranged say half a mile apart (more or less) and constructed
as shewn in figure 16. in which a cast iron bed plate C¹ is secured to the ties B2 by
bolts or nails b' and are provided with flanges c. made dovetailed to hold the
insulating block D' which may be provided with projections E'. and over which
fits the contact metallic piece U2. made curved on each end as shewn-The top of
this contact piece is formed with a depression or recess F'. in which the head of
bolt G. rests the bolt G' passing through the contact piece U2. and insulating
block D. to hold them together. The nut of bolt G'. fits loosely into a
depression H'. in the bedplate C-If desired the nut of bolt G¹ may be in the
depression F'. to allow of the easy removal of piece U-I is the conducting wire
electrically connected with contact piece U. from which it may be directly
connected to line or it may be passed through a lead tube which conducts it
through the ground and ties B. to the main line L which may be arranged on
poles as in the case of ordinary telegraph lines-Each end of the main line
circuit L is provided with a battery Os so arranged that they counterbalance and
render neutral their effects-K' are stations provided with any suitable recording
instrument P¹. in circuit with the main line L so that upon every pulsation of the
electric current which passes through the line the re order will automatically
record the fact-If desired a relay N. may be arranged in the line at the stations
which may control the usual local circuit L' in which a sounder M is located and
may be operated by a key M. when the shoe W2 is resting on a contact block U³.
and if desired the current which passes through the shoe W. may be directed
through corresponding telegraphic instruments in the cab of engine or car and
then put to ground by wheels-By this means telegraphic communication could
be had should an accident occur.
The operation is as follows:-The effects of the batteries 0 being counter-
balanced the train is made to move in either direction and as it passes over the
contact blocks U the shoe W2. completes the double circuit through the engine or

page_text: car wheels to ground this causing a discharge from both batteries to line and
inducing all the recording instruments P¹. record the fact and as every discharge
indicates the passage of the train over a contact block U the number of discharges
multiplied into the distance the contact blocks U are apart will give the distance
the train is from the station in its rear-By this means it is easy to ascertain the
exact location of the train to know whether it is moving or at rest. and to enable
an operator to carry on telegraphic communication with the stations should an
accident make it necessary
This invention is not limited to the precise detail forms and arrangements of the
mechanism described as these may evidently be modified as found necessary in
practice without departing from the principles involved by the invention
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect I would observe in conclusion that what is considered novel and original and
therefore claimed as the invention is,
The various methods of, and arrangements of electrical and other combined
apparatus for, telegraphing into and from a railway train in motion or at rest,
substantially as herein before described and illustrated by the accompanying
drawings
In witness whereof I the said William Leonard Hunt have hereunto set
my hand and seal this Twenty eighth day of May in the year of Our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty three.
Witness
EDWARD W FURRELL Mem Inst M E.
11 Southampton Bldgs.
Chancery Lane
W.C.
WL. HUNT (L.S.)