IMPROVED MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATING FROM THE PASSENGERS OR DRIVER TO THE GUARD OF A RAILWAY TRAIN
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Wellington Howell, of Leadenhall. Street, in
the City of London, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MEANS
OR APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATING FROM THE PASSENGERS OR DRIVER TO THE
GUARD OF A RAILWAY TRAIN."
Sealed the 17th March. 1865, and dated-the 20th September 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Wellington Howell
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
.the 20th September 1864.
I, CHARLES WELLINGTON HOWELL, of Leadenhall Street, in the City of
London, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVED MEANS OR APPARATUS POR COMMUNICATING FROM THE PASSENGERS OR
DRIVER TO THE GUARD OF. A RAILWAY TRAIN," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in fitting longitudinally to the roof of every carriage
of a train a tube, say two inches in diameter, more or less. The ends of the.
tubes are fitted with joints and flexible or elastic parts, in order that any,
number of carriages and tubes may be connected together, and that the tubes.
may accommodate themselves to curves of the line.. The fore end of the tube
of the foremost carriage or tender is formed with a trumpet or funnel mouth
for free access of air, and the tube in the guard's van at the end of the train.
terminates in a wirework or other cage. The tube on each carriage is.
accessible from an aperture in the roof of every compartment, and corre-

page_text: sponding with every aperture, the tube is fitted with a valve opening inwards,
and of sufficient size to admit a small air ball or other like article. When it
is desired to communicate with the guard, the passenger places a ball,
several of which may be stored in each appartment, through the valve into the
inside of the tube, when the current of air thro' the tubes caused by the
onward motion of the train will immediately carry the ball through the tubes
to the cage in the guard's van and draw the attention of the guard. To
increase the current of air through the tubes, a small air pump, worked from
the axle of the guard's van or otherwise, may be fitted at the after end of the
tubes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Wellington Howell in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 20th March 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
WELLINGTON HOWELL, of Leadenhall Street, in the City of London, Gentle-
man, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her: Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Charles Wellington Howell, Her special licence that I, the
said Charles Wellington Howell, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Charles Wellington Howell, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein- expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend; within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATING
FROM THE PASSENGERS OR DRIVER TO THE GUARD OF A RAILWAY TRAIN," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles Wellington Howell, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, 'or-their
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and -immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.:

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Wellington Howell, 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 thereof, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, that is to say:
.'
This Invention consists in fitting longitudinally to the roof or other part of
every carriage of a train a tube, say two inches in diameter, more or less.
The ends of the tubes are fitted with joints; and flexible or elastic parts, in
order that any number of carriages and tubes may be connected together, and
that the tubes may accommodate themselves to curves of the line. The fore
end of the tube of the foremost carriage or tender is formed with a trumpet
or funnel mouth for free access of air, and the tube in the guard's van at the
end of the train terminates in wirework or other cage. The tube on each
carriage is accessible from an aperture in every compartment, and corre-
sponding with every aperture, the tube is fitted with a valve opening inwards,
or is formed with an aperture of sufficient size to admit a small air ball or
other light article. When it is desired to communicate with the guard, the
passenger introduces a ball, several of which may be stored in each compart-
ment, into the inside of the tube, when the current of air through the tubes
caused by the onward motion of the train will immediately carry the ball
through the tubes to the cage in the guard's van and draw the attention of
the guard. To increase, the current of air through the tubes, a small air
pump or other apparatus, worked from the axle of the guard's van or other-
wise, may be fitted at the after end of the tubes.
•
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents a portion of two tubes
such as I prefer to fit to the roofs of carriages.
A, A, are the two tubes, the ends of which have connected to them, short
tubes B, B, free to slide, on the tubes A, A, to adjust themselves to variations
in the space between the two carriages; the tubes B, B, are fitted with
flexible coupling pieces C, C, in order that the tubes may accommodate
themselves to curves in the line and to differences in heights of the carriages;
these pieces C, C, are formed with overlapping joints D, D', in order that
they may be readily connected, The foremost tube in the train is formed
with a trumpet mouth, as before mentioned, for free access of air, and to
increase the current of air through the tubes, I sometimes fit to each tube
two hinged flaps E, E, acting in the opposite directions, so that in whichever
direction the carriage is travelling one flap will be open and admit a current
of air into the tube. In the roof of every compartment I fit a cage, as
represented in Figure 2, with, say, three divisions F, G, H, the division F

page_text: being open to the tube A, and the divisions G, H, respectively containing
'balls for indicating fire or assault. The cage is free to turn in either direction,
to bring one of the divisions G, H, in a line with the tube A, according as
the cord I or the cord J is pulled by a passenger, these cords lead to any
convenient part of the carriage. Supposing, for example, the division G to
have been brought in a line with the tube by the pulling of the cord I, the
current of air passing though the tubes will carry the ball from the division G
into a cage in the guard's van at the end of the train, and draw the attention
of the guard by striking against any apparatus for producing a sound or
signal.
Figure 3 represents another method of introducing balls into the tube.. K
is the ball held 'between two elastic cushions L, L, in a box M. The ball is
pushed into the tube A by means of a piston N, which works-in-the-box.
Figure 4 illustrates another method, in which an opening in the lower side of
the tube A is filled by an india-rubber air ball K; squeezed into it. If the
ball be pushed into the tube, the current of air will carry it back into the
guard's van. Figure 5 shews a similar method, except that the ball K is
held loosely in a box M, below an aperture in the tube A, the box being also
provided with an aperture O, to allow of access to the ball. Figure 6 shews
an arrangement in which the tubes A are fitted below the frame of the
carriage instead of to the roof; the bails may be introduced into the tubes by
any of the methods shewn in Figures 2, 3, and 4, but I prefer the methods
represented in Figures 7 and 8. In Figure 7, P is a vertical tube leading at
bottom into the tube A, the top of this tube is fitted with a pair of weighted
flaps Q, Q, in different compartments of the carriage. To communicate with
the guard, a passenger may drop a piece of paper or other article into the
tube P, and as soon as it reaches the tube A, it is carried back to the guard's
van. In Figure 8 two balls K, K, one in each of two compartments of a
carriage, are held in a frame R, R, to which cords are connected; the cords
run to any convenient parts of the carriage, and when any one of them is
pulled upon the frame R is drawn with it, so as to bring one of the balls
directly over the vertical tube P, into which it drops. Figures 9 and 10
represent a tube S, fitted by preference under the seat of the carriage, and
made to contain several balls K; T is a slide which prevents the balls
falling into the tube A, except when acted on by a cord I, which leads to
any convenient parts of the carriage. Instead of one slide, two may be used,
similar to those in the nozzle of a shot pouch, to prevent more than one ball
being released at a time. Figure 11 represents another method of connecting
the tubes A; in this case I prefer to make the whole of the tubes flexible, and

page_text: to carry them over. rollers fitted below the framing of the carriages. The
ends of each tube are fitted, with (nozzles. U, screw-threaded externally, and
each nozzle has a threaded nut V screwed on to it.. To join two ends, one
of the nuts is screwed partly over the end of its own nozzle and partly over
the nozzle to be connected thereto. The object of having a nut on each
nozzle of each tube is, that there may be no chance of two nozzles without
nuts.coming together in making up a train. Sometimes, to increase the
draught of air through the tubes A, or to enable communications to be made
from the back to the front of the train, I employ bellows,. "Schiele's
exhausters," or other air forcing or exhausting apparatus. Figure 12.is a
section of a portion of a guard's van with a pair of bellows fitted thereto;
Figure 13 is a face of the, bellows and parts connected therwith. On the
axle A of the wheels I form a worm B, into which a worm wheel C, held by
vertical supports D, D, depending from, the frame of the carriage, gears. The
wheel C carries a pin, to which is connected the rod E of the bellows F; as
the wheel of the carriage rotates, the worm wheel C is also caused to revolve,
and a reciprocating motion is imparted to the rod E, whereby the bellows
are worked; the bellows are guided in their movement by lugs G, G, running
on rods H. The front of the bellows is fitted with a box I, with two apertures
J, K. When it is desired to blow through the tubes leading along the
carriages, the aperture J is open and K closed, but when required to exhaust,
the aperture J is closed and K opened by the guard depressing the rod L, to
which shutters M, M, are connected. The rod L is kept in either position
by a pin passed through one of the holes N. The apertures J, K, lead to
the interior of the bellows; in the bellows there are two valves (not shewn)
opening in opposite directions, one being the blowing valve and the other the
exhaust. 0, 0, are two pipes leading to a single pipe P, the end of the pipe
O' is closed when the aperture J is open, and the end of the pipe O is closed
when the aperture K is open, and vice versâ. When the bellows are blowing,
air is drawn in by the aperture J and its valve, and is forced through the
pipe O into the pipe P; when the bellows are exhausting, the air is sucked
from the pipe P through the pipe O' into the bellows, and is expelled through
the aperture K. The pipe P leads into a box Q, with a transparent lid fitted
hermetically thereon, and from this box another pipe R leads to the tubes,
which run along the carriages; a ball or other article placed in the tubes is
received and retained in this box. By means of the arrangement shewn in
Figures 9 and 10 the guard, if the guard's van is at the rear of the train,
can communicate with the driver by causing the bellows to blow through the
tubes, and for this purpose a cage must be fitted near the driver, to receive

page_text: the ball or other article; or if the guard's van be at the front of the train, the
bellows are caused to exhaust the tubes, to enable the passengers to communi
cate by placing a ball or other article in the tube below or above the
carriage.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in wha
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim;-
First, fitting to railway carriages tubes which when à train is made up
form one continuous "tube, by' 'means of which the passengers or driver can
cominunicate with the guard by introducing balls or other articles into such
tube, substantially as herein-before described.
Second, the several arrangements or methods herein-before described for
introducing balls or other articles into such tubes.
Third;-the-employment of bellows or-other-forcing or exhausting-apparatus
for increasing or causing the current of air through such tubes, substantially
as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Wellington Howell, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of March, One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.