IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE USE OF PASSENGERS AND OTHER'S FOR SIGNALLING ON RAILWAY TRAINS
Year: 1865

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Michel Siégrist at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 22nd June
1865.
I, MICHEL SIÉGRIST, of 12, Montpelier Street, Brompton, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE USE OF PASSENGERS AND OTHER'S FOR
SIGNALLING ON RAILWAY TRAINS," to be as follows:-
The object of the improvements is to afford facility to passengers and others
in signalling on railway trains. In each compartment or division of a railway
carriage I apply suitable pulls or communicators, each of which communicates
with an indicator and with a rope, chain, or band extending from each end of
the carriage to a lever arm, so that by drawing upon any one of these pulls
or communicators the indicator in connection with it will be brought into view
at the side or upper part of the carriage to indicate the compartment to
which attention is desired to be drawn; and this pull or communicator
simultaneously with its action on such indicator will also act upon to draw
the portion of the rope; chain, or band to which it is attached, and conse-
quently the lever arm to which one end of such rope, chain, or band is
attached. This lever arm turns upon an axis of motion, and at its opposite
end it carries apparatus which at once serves when raised as an indicating
signal for day use, and when not raised as a cover to a lamp, the uncovering
of which by the raising of the covering apparatus will serve as a signal for
night purposes. The raising of the covering apparatus at once serves as a

page_text: signal for day or night purposes, and is effected by the pull on its arm. A
ratchet or other catch may be applied to retain the apparatus in position for
indication. I also apply along the train a tube communicating with vacuum
chambers in the compartments occupied by the guards, engine driver, or
others in charge of a train, and with tubes, one of which rises to the upper
part of each carriage, and is there provided with a tap. or valve, which by
lever or other connection is opened at the instant of operating on a lever arm
carrying the combined day and night signal apparatus above referred to.
.
The vacuum chambers in the compartments occupied by the guards, engine
driver, or others in charge of the train are each formed capable of expansion
and contraction, and so as to be acted upon by spring or weight. The vacuum
is obtained to these chambers by a suitable pump or exhauster worked by the
attendants, or by an axle of a carriage, or by the engine. Each end of the
portion of tube to cach carriage is fitted to receive a corresponding tube
dropped or pressed therein, the parts of which are ground or otherwise packed
to fit together by simple insertion of one into the other and pressure so as to
'be air-tight. These connecting portions of tubes may be applied to short
lengths of flexible or other tubing used between adjoining carriages of a train,
- and the end of such flexible tube may, when a carriage is disconnected, serve
to close the open end thereof, and this will be found useful in respect of the
last carriage of a train.
When the train is travelling the tube and its chambers will be kept
exhausted so that the external pressure of the atmosphere will tend to collapse
the chamber in the compartments occupied by the guards or others in charge
of the train, but on opening any one of the taps or valves by acting on the
external signal apparatus, air will be allowed to flow into the tube to these
chambers when they will expand, and in doing so may act on bell or other
signal apparatus to draw. the attention of the guards or others in charge of
the train, who will then by looking along the train see the carriage and the
compartment thereof to which attention is desired to be drawn. I prefer to
apply the pulls or communicators on opposite sides of the carriage in each
compartment as then the indicators will be on each side, and thereby indicate
not only the carriage and its compartment but the side of it where assistance
,is required. To prevent the too ready operating upon these pulls or com-
municators I prefer to pass their ends into cases with screw or other suitable
covers which must be removed before the pull or communicator can be acted
upon.
To the tubing referred to or such like tubing may also be applied funnels
capable when open and facing the direction of motion of the train of col-

page_text: lecting the air, and as the train progresses of causing a current to flow
through such tubing to the compartment occupied by the guard or others in
charge of the train, and of there acting on the vanes of a wheel to cause the
rotation of such wheel and an indicator worked thereby, or to act on other
indicating means by which to attract the attention of such persons. There
may be double sets of these funnels or air collectors to meet the air in which-
ever direction the carriage may for the time be travelling, or they may be
formed to turn to such direction, and these openings may be closed, except
when required to be in use, by covers acted upon for uncovering by leverage
such as that referred to.
The tubes to the funnels are provided each with a valve or tap to be opened
by the current of air, and so that the current of air cannot escape through the
funnels which for the time are not in action in order to insure the draft of air
passing direct to the guard's van. These tubes may also be used as speaking
tubes between guards and others. When the guard has received a signal in
his compartment of the train, by closing the opening thereto from the tube
the air already in the tube will serve to facilitate an immediate communication
by whistle or otherwise with the engine driver.