IMPROVEMENTS IN COMMUNICATION AND SIGNALLING BETWEEN PASSENGERS, GUARDS, AND ENGINE DRIVERS ON. RAILWAYS, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to, Henry James Ledger, of the City of Manchester,.
Builder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN COMMUNICATION AND
SIGNALLING BETWEEN PASSENGERS, GUARDS, AND ENGINE DRIVERS ON.
RAILWAYS, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR."
Sealed the 24th August 1869, and dated the 26th February 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry James Ledger.
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 26th February 1869.
I, HENRY JAMES LEDGER, of the City of Manchester, Builder, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
COMMUNICATION AND SIGNALLING BETWEEN PASSENGERS, GUARDS, AND ENGINE.
DRIVERS ON RAILWAYS, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is the application of simple, inexpensive,
and reliable apparatus which cannot be tampered with to railway
carriages in order that passengers may communicate or signal to the
guard or driver of a train, and at the same time receive instantaneous
personal assistance in case of necessity whilst the train is in motion from

page_text: their fellow passengers in any other compartment of the same carriage;
and the application of this Invention is also to afford a means of escape
from any compartment in case of fire or accident whilst the train is
in motion.
Now this Invention consists in providing a thoroughfare of ample
dimensions through the whole length of the carriages and from one
carriage to another, if necessary, by forming a doorway and fitting a door
in each division or partition which now seperates carriages into compart-
ments, and if necessary in the ends of the carriages. These thorough-
fares and doors by preference are situated above the seats, and the doors
are made to slide up and down in grooves behind the seats, so that when
closed such doors give all the privacy to each compartment which at
present exists. When closed such doors are fastened by means of a self-
acting hook which is acted upon by a lever or series of levers connected
to a rod running along the whole length of the roof of the carriage.
In each compartment a chain is suspended which is connected to an arm
branching from the longitudinal rod herein-before mentioned, so that
when such chain is pulled by a passenger the longitudinal rod turns
partially in its bearings and thus the hooks are caused to release all the
doors in such carriage so as to open up a communication through the
sliding doorways between all the compartments. At the same time the
doors in falling come in contact with two levers which are connected by
chains passing over guide pulleys to semaphore signals mounted at each
side or on each side of the roof of such carriage, so that such semaphores
are thrown out to signal in which carriage the guard is wanted, whilst at
the same instant the chains connected with the actuating lever of such
semaphores are caused by means of a peculiar clutch attached to them
to pull the ordinary cord or rope which passes from one end of the train
to the other, and thus actuate the hammer of a gong situated either in
the guard's van or on the engine, or both, or if connected with the steam
whistle to cause it to sound an alarm. An indication is also given from
which compartment the chain has been pulled by means of a self-acting
latch which when once released renders it impossible to replace it in its
original position without the use of a key made expressly to suit it.
The whole actuating mechanism of this apparatus is closed in so as to
render it impossible to be tampered with.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry James Ledger in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 26th August 1869..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
JAMES LEDGER, of the City of Manchester, Builder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters:
Patent,, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs. and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Henry James Ledger, Her
special licence that I,, the said Henry James. Ledger, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry James
Ledger, my executors,, administrators, 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN COMMUNICATION AND SIGNALLING BETWEEN. PASSENGERS,
GUARDS, AND ENGINE DRIVERS ON RAILWAYS, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I,, the said Henry James
Ledger, 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 performed, 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.
"
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry James Ledger, 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 :-
The object of this Invention is the application of simple, inexpensive,
and reliable apparatus which cannot be tampered with to railway
carriages in order that passengers may communicate or signal to the
guard or driver of a train, and at the same time receive instantaneous
personal assistance in case of necessity whilst the train is in motion
from their fellow passengers in any other compartment of the same
carriage; and the application of this Invention is also to afford a means

page_text: of escape from any compartment in case of fire or accident whilst the train
is in motion.
Now this Invention consists in providing a thoroughfare of ample
dimensions through the whole length of the carriages and from one
carriage to another, if necessary, by forming a doorway and fitting a
door in each division or partition which now separates carriages into
compartments, and if necessary in the ends of the carriages. These
thoroughfares and doors by preference are situated above the seats, and
the doors are made to slide up and down in grooves behind the seats so
that when closed such doors give all the privacy to each compartment
which at present exists. When closed such doors are fastened by means
of a self-acting hook which is acted upon by a lever or series of levers
connected to a rod running along the whole length of the roof of the
carriage. In each compartment a chain is suspended which is connected
to an arm branching from the longitudinal rod herein-before mentioned
so that when such chain is pulled by a passenger the longitudinal rod
turns partially in its bearings and thus the hooks are caused to release
all the doors in such carriage so as to open up a communication through
the sliding doorways between all the compartments. One of such doors
in falling comes in contact with the longer arms of two levers, thereby
depressing them and causing their shorter arms to be raised up; these
latter, having peculiar clutches connected to chains attached to them,
in rising push out a semaphore signal, and at the same instant pull the
ordinary rope which passes from one end of the train to the other, and
thus actuate the hammer of a gong situated either in the guard's van or
on the engine, or both, or if connected with a steam whistle cause it to
sound an alarm. An indication may also be given from which
compartment the chain has been pulled by attaching such chain to one
end of a bolt, to the other end of which the actuating arm of the
longitudinal rod is connected, such bolt being prevented from going
back by a self-acting latch which shoots into an opening formed in the
bolt and thus renders it impossible to replace the bolt without the use
of a key made expressly to suit it. The whole actuating mechanism of
this apparatus is closed in so as to render it impossible to be tampered
with.
In order that this my said Invention may be the more readily seen
and understood I have hereunto annexed a Sheet of Drawings
illustrating two modifications of my signalling apparatus. Similar
letters are used to denote similar parts in all the views.

page_text: Fig. 1 is an end sectional view, and Fig. 2 a side sectional view of
a portion of a railway carriage, having one modification of my apparatus
applied thereto, drawn to a scale of about one inch to the foot; Fig. 3
represents (about quarter size) an end view of the longitudinal rod
which passes along the roof of such carriage from one end to the other,
shewing how the actuating arm branching from it is coupled up to the
hook, upon which the sliding door hangs, Fig. 4 is a plan (in section)
of a portion of the roof of the carriage illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2
shewing the upper side of the lock and indicating bolt connected to
the arm branching from the longitudinal rod; Fig. 5 is a side view in
section, and Fig. 6 an end view of Fig. 4 all drawn to a scale of about
quarter size. Fig. 7 illustrates an end sectional view of a portion of a
railway carriage having another modification of my improvements
applied thereto in which no sliding doors are used, but a falling weight
is substituted; and Fig. 8 is a side view of Fig. 7 shewing a section
through the line from a to b both drawn to a scale of about one inch to
the foot. Fig. 9 is a side view partly in section, and Fig. 10 an end
sectional view (drawn about quarter size) of the lower portion of the
railway carriage shewn in Figs. 7 and 8 illustrating more clearly how
the weight and double armed levers are disposed under the seat of the
carriage, and also shewing the method of working and mounting the
semaphore signal which is of a different description to that shewn in
Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 11 is a back view, Fig. 12 an end view, and Fig. 13
a front sectional view of the weight used in Figs. 7, 8, 9, and 10 in
substitution for the sliding doors.
In Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, A represents the divisions or partitions
which ordinarily separate railway carriages into compartments. In each
of these partitions a doorway is formed with grooves on its side edges in
which a door B (constructed of wood or iron) slides up and down, which
door in descending falls behind the back cushion C, and thus opens up a
means of communication through such doorways from one compartment
to another. The ends of the carriage may be fitted with similar doors
and doorways, and thus if necessary open a communication into the next
carriage. The sliding door B is held up when closed by means of the
swivel hook D (see Fig. 3) which grips on to a catch E affixed to the
upper edge of such door and thus prevents it falling; F is the longi-
tudinal iron rod mounted in bearings and extending along the roof or
Upon this rod is
ceiling of the carriage from one end to the other.
affixed in the centre or other convenient part of its length in each com-

page_text: partment an actuating arm G (shewn dotted in Figs. 1 and 3) which is
held rigidly up in the position illustrated by means of an india-rubber
band or spring H. To the extremity of the arm Ga chain I is affixed for
the passengers to lay hold of and to pull when they wish to open the sliding
doors B, this chain I may or may not be connected to indicating apparatus
herein-after described for indicating the exact compartment from which
the chain I has been pulled. For working each sliding door B a short
arm J. is also affixed upon the rod F to knock off the swivel hook D from
the catch E and thus to release the door B and allow it to fall, which is
accomplished by means of a connecting link K.jointed to the arm J and
having its lower extremity bent down so as to grasp the upper end of
the swivel hook D, such link being prevented falling down and at the
same time guided in action by a slot L formed in it which slides upon a
fixed pin or stud. The link K is bent as illustrated in order that it may
not come in contact with the lamp M when such lamp is arranged to
light two compartments as in this Drawing. The indicating apparatus
herein-before alluded to is seen in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, and consists of an
ordinary spring lock N affixed inside a box O formed on the roof of the
carriage, but which box does not project down below the ordinary ribs
supporting the carriage roof and thus does not take up head room in the
carriage, one of such ribs being seen alongside such box marked P. The
bolt of the spring lock N is bevilled off at its top edge and shoots into
either of the two slots P' formed in the indicating bolt R, which bolt can
only be pulled down in consequence of its only being bevilled one way
and when once down cannot be replaced without the assistance of a
special key Q to unlock the bolt. The indicating bolt R has the chain I
connected to it inside the box O, and the chain S for the passengers to
pull in this case is affixed to the head T of the indicating bolt, which is
necessarily situated outside the box O.
Having thus explained how the sliding doors B with their actuating
mechanism are mounted, I will proceed to show how the guard or engine
driver is signalled to. This is effected by means of the existing rope
which passes from the guard's van to the engine, and which rope may
either be connected to a gong or to a whistle on the engine, or an inde-
pendant rope may be used for the passenger's signal attached to the
whistle or gong. The advantage however of this Invention is that the
existing signal rope may be utilised for the passengers to signal by and
yet be left at perfect liberty for the guard to signal to the engine driver
as heretofore. This rope is represented on all the views in the Drawing

page_text: by the letter a and at the points where such rope is drawn up by the
passengers it passes over guide pulleys U to reduce the friction, or such
rope if a separate and independant one may pass through enamelled iron
tubing, the extremities of which should be trumpet mouthed so as to
avoid all unnecessary wear and friction. One only of the doors B in
cach carriage is arranged in falling to come in contact with the ends of
the longer arms of two levers V mounted upon pedestals W rising from
the floor of the carriage or supported on pivots projecting from the
partition A, and thus depresses such longer arms, at the same time raising
their shorter segmental arms X. To the upper extremity of the arms X on
each side of the carriage are connected chains Y which carry at their
lower ends a catch Z or what I technically call a "tako up" which will
be more particularly described hereafter in reference to Figs. 9 and 10.
This "take up" grips the ordinary signal rope a and draws or pulls up
a portion of it and thus sounds the gong or whistle, and at the same
time in rising comes in contact with the semaphore signal boards Z'
(which are hinged to the framework of the carriage and fit into cavities
formed in the side of the carriage for their reception being held up when
in position by a round nosed spring bolt usually employed for preventing
doors opening) thus forcing such signal boards to fall down to the
position represented on Fig. 1 on the right hand side of the carriage, and
thereby indicating from which carriage the signal has been given. The
action of this modification may be thus described. When a passenger
pulls down the arm G by means of the chain affixed to it the longi-
tudinal rod F partially turns in its bearing (the spring H yielding
sufficiently to allow it to do so) and the arms J thus draw the connecting
links K forwards, thereby releasing the swivel hooks D upon which the
doors B are suspended; these doors then instantly fall down, and the
door which is fitted for the purpose in its descent comes in contact with
the ends of the levers V, thus raising the shorter arms, which in turn raise
the "take up," thereby pulling the signal rope a and throwing out the
semaphore signal boards. A communication is thus opened up through-
out the entire carriage, and the signal rope a is held up until the doors B
are closed again. In case of the indicator being applied the passenger
pulls the chain S, thus drawing down the indicating bolt R and with it
the arm G, but immediately the bolt R has descended far enough to
release the doors B the bolt of the spring lock N shoots into the upper
slot P formed in such bolt and thus effectually prevents it being pushed
up again, which can only be done by the guard who uses a special key

page_text: to
to draw back the spring bolt. The doors B cannot be closed again until
the bolt R has been replaced, as the hook D is held back meanwhile.
The sliding doors B are equally applicable to first-class carriages as the
cushions covering them may be affixed to such doors, and either fall with
them, or such cushions may be held in position by being suspended from
the top of the doorway. In Figs. 7, 8, 9, and 10, b is the longitudinal
iron rod mounted in bearings and extending along the roof the same as in
Figs. 1 and 2; c are the actuating arms, one of which is affixed upon
such rod in any convenient part of its length in each compartment, and
to which arms the chains d are connected for the passengers to lay hold
of when they wish to signal; e is a short arm also affixed upon the rod b,
from the extremity of which a chain is connected to a lever hook f
working upon a stud fixed to the carriage; g is the weight (which is a
substitute for the sliding door B in Figs. 1 and 2), an enlarged view of
which is seen in Figs. 11, 12, and 13. This weight has a longitudinal
channel or groove formed in it for the ends of the levers
work in, having a transverse bolt passing through its centre, and
through slots formed in the ends of the levers h. It is further
provided with a handle i to raise it by, and on its rear side has
a pin projecting out for the lever hook f to grasp, and thereby
hold it up in the position assigned for it in a box partitioned off under
the seat of the carriage, such weight being guided in its descent and
prevented rocking sideways by sliding loosely in guides k.
perform the same function in this modification as the
Figs. 1 and 2, being connected by links to the clutches or "take-ups" m,
which thus pull or raise the signal rope a and at the same time throw
out the semaphore signal to indicate the carriage from which the signal
has been given. The semaphore signal employed in this modification is
of a different description and is actuated in a different manner to that
used in Figs. 1 and 2, and has this advantage over the latter that it does
not necessitate a cavity being cut into the side of the carriage for its
reception, but being fixed and complete in its own frame is planted
bodily on to the framework of the carriage and is secured thereto by
ordinary screws. In this semaphore the signal board n is pivotted or
hinged in the top and bottom of the framework O, and is provided with
a spiral spring p, which pulls against a crank pin projecting from the
bottom pivot, and thus keeps such board at right angles with its framc-
work. A spiral projection q, on the inner side of the signal board n
forms the means of closing such signal board into its framework by the
The levers h
levers V in

page_text: tongue or tab (which for this purpose extends from the bottom of the
take-up" m and works in a slot provided for it), coming in contact
with such spiral projection when the "take-up" is down, and thus
forcing the signal board n to lie back in the framework O, the spring p
yielding sufficiently to allow it to do so. The "take-up" m is seen more
clearly in Figs. 9 and 10 where it is shewn as having drawn or taken up
the rope a, and as such "take-up" is the same in both modifications I
may now explain its construction and principle :-8 is a vertical bar, to
the upper end of which the chain or link is connected for coupling it to
the lever h. Upon this bar one end of a link u is jointed, its other end
being linked to a slide v, which works up and down upon the fixed
stud w. Between the bar 8 and the slide v, in elongated bearings formed
to receive it, is mounted a pulley x, over which the ordinary signal rope
a passes. In Figs. 7 and 8 it will be noticed that the signal rope a
passes under the guide pulleys and over the take-up pulley x, thus
leaving such rope at liberty to be used by the guard, but immediately
the passengers put their signal in action the "take-up" rises up and its
pulley falls on one side in consequence of the slide v giving way, thus
gripping the rope a, preventing it sliding, and thus ensuring the signal
being given. The action of the modification seen in Figs. 7 and 8 is as
follows: The passenger who wishes to signal takes hold of the chain
and by pulling it causes the rod v to turn partially in its bearings, when
the sinall arm e raises the lever hook f by means of the chain, and
thereby unhooks it off the pin j projecting from the weight g. This
weight immediately falls, depressing the longer arms and raising the
shorter arms of the levers, which in turn raise the "take-ups" m, thus
pulling the signal rope, and the semaphore board n being no longer held
in by the tag or tongue r of the "take-up" m, flies out by the action of
the spring connected to its bottom pivot to a position at right angles
with the side of the carriage, and thus indicates the carriage to which
the guard's attention is requested. In order to reset this signal ready for
action action the guard opens a small door formed in the seat (which is
secured by a lock), under which the weight is located, and by taking
hold of the handle i raises the weight g on to the lever hook f again,
which immediately grips the pin j projecting from its rear, and thus
holds it up until released again. The signal chains may be carried over
pulleys to any convenient part of the interior of the carriage, and the
indicator shewn in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, is equally applicable to this modifi-
cation. The whole of the mechanism, with the exception of the chain,

page_text: may be cased in in both the foregoing modifications, thus rendering it
impossible for it to be tampered with.
I wish it to be distinctly understood that I lay no claim to using the
ordinary signal rope now used by guards for signalling to the engine
driver, except in the manner herein-before described, and that I do not
confine myself to the precise details, relative proportions, shapes, or
configurations of the various parts of the apparatus herein-before de-
scribed and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, as the same may
be considerably varied without departing from the Invention, but what I
do claim is,-
1st. The use and application of sliding doors fitted to. doorways
formed in the partitions or divisions which ordinarily divide railway
carriages into compartments, or in the ends of such carriages, and
actuated as and for the purposes described and illustrated in the accom-
panying Drawing.
2nd. The general arrangement and combination of mechanism de-
scribed for signalling to the engine driver or guard of a railway train,
and for indicating the exact carriage and compartment from which the
signal has been given, as herein-before described and illustrated, or any
mere modification of the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry James Ledger have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of August, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.