IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRICAL APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATION BETWEEN PASSENGERS GUARDS AND DRIVERS OF RAILWAY TRAINS
Year: 1884

page_text: I JAMES RADCLIFFE of East Retford in the County of Nottingham Telegraph
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
ELECTRICAL APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATION BETWEEN PASSENGERS GUARDS AND
DRIVERS OF RAILWAY TRAINS to be as follows:-
I employ a combined Commutator and Indicating apparatus consisting of a Drop
Disc attached to either or both ends of a Rod passing through or across each of the
compartments of the carriages forming Railway trains, the said Rod being free to
revolve through a portion of a circle and carrying at its centre, or other convenient
spot, a cam which engages in a detent attached to a knob inside the compartment,
which knob may be constructed either to pull or push but which I prefer should be
made to pull.
The cam being released, by the knob being pulled or pushed, the Rod revolves
and the Discs fall in front of glazed openings on the outside of the particular com-
partment, on one or both sides of the train; at the same time a point attached to
the Disc or other part, comes in contact with a spring attached to the frame-work,
and forms an Electrical connection between two otherwise insulated wires, per-
manently fixed to the carriages and attached at the ends of each carriage to
couplings hereinafter described, by means of flexible cables.
I maintain the continuity of Electrical connection throughout the length of the
train by means of an improved form of coupling (placed between adjoining carriages)
composed of two pieces or halves, each half consisting of two springs attached to
an insulating block, each spring carrying a wedge-shaped piece of ebonite or other
insulating substance attached to one side of which insulating substance is a plate
of metal, connected to the end of one of the insulated wires in the flexible cable
previously mentioned and arranged in such a manner that when the two halves of
the coupling are joined together the two metal plates on the one half are separated
from each other, and each placed in contact with the corresponding metal plate on
the other half, and when the two halves of the coupling are separated the respective
metal plates on each separate half come in contact with each other, thus completing
an Electrical Circuit on each side of the point of separation.

page_text: To lock the two halves of the coupling firmly together, I attach to each a horse-
shoe shaped spring with projections at the extremities thereof, arranged to engago
between two studs on the other half of the coupling so that they can only be
separated by a longitudinal strain such as would be produced by the separation of
the carriages from each other.
.
I protect the coupling and flexible cable by means of a covering of india-rubber
or other flexible waterproof material in the form of a tube of minimum sizo
sufficient to cover the flexible cable and enlarged at one extremity to fit one half
of the coupling; each enlarged portion is arranged to join the one on the
.corresponding half of the coupling so as to form a thoroughly water-tight
protection.
D
I place within the Guards Vans on the Engine, or in any other part of the
train deemed expedient, Electric Bells with Commutators attached, and Batteries
connected to the insulated wires in such a manner that an equilibrium of Eloctrical
potential is maintained therein when the couplings between the different parts of
the train are complete.
•
I arrange the Electric Bells and Batteries in such a manner that when any of
the Commutators are actuated, by the knobs in the compartments of the carriages
being pulled or pushed, or when the two halves of any coupling become separated
by the detachment of any portion of the train, the equilibrium of Electrical
potential is disturbed and all the Electric Bells are rung by currents from their
respective Batteries.
I arrange the Commutators attached to the Electric Bells in such a manner that
communication can be carried on between the several Guards and the Driver of
the train; this I accomplish by means of a. knob actuating a lever, the fulcrum of
which is connected to one of the insulated wires attached to the carriages and the
free end resting on a point in connection with the Electric Bell and Battery so that
when the knob is pressed the lover is removed from the point in connection with
the Electric Bell and Battery and placed upon a point connected with the other
insulated wire attached to the carriages, thus disconnecting the Electric Bell and
Battery at the place where the Commutator is actuated and establishing a con-
nection between the two insulated wires, disturbing the equilibrium of Electrical
potential in the remainder of the circuit and causing the Bells in the other Guards
Vans and on the Engine to ring.

page_text: I JAMES RADCLIFFE of East Retford in the County of Nottingham Telegraph.
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
ELECTRICAL APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATION BETWEEN PASSENGERS GUARDS AND,
DRIVERS OF RAILWAY TRAINS and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
I employ a combined Commutator and indicating apparatus consisting of a Drop
Disc D (Fig. 1) attached to either or bh ends of a rod R passing through or across
each of the compartments of the carr. ges forming Railway Trains, the said rod
being free to revolve through a portion of a circle and carrying at its centre or
other convenient spot a camb C which engages in a detent E attached to the
knob K inside the compartiment which knob may be constructed either to pull or
push, but which I prefer should be made to pull.
The camb C being released the rod R revolves and the Discs D fall in front of
glazed openings O (Fig. 2) on the outside of the particular compartment on one or
both sides of the train; at the same time a point B (Fig. 1) attached to the Disc D
or other moving part, coming in contact with an insulated spring S attached to the
frame-work forms an electrical connection between two otherwise insulated wires W
and W (Fig. 2) (connected respectively with Disc D and spring S) permanently
fixed to the carriages and attached at the ends of each carriage to couplings
hereinafter described by means of flexible cables.
For the purpose of replacing the Disc D in its normal position I employ a
lever a (Fig. 1) pivotted to the frame-work and provided with a hole h which may
be made any convenient shape to suit a special form of key or preferably square
to suit an ordinary Railway Carriago. key.
The said lever a (being lifted by means of the key from the outside of either or
both sides of the carriage only) rides against the edge of the Disc D and raises the
latter until the camb C passes the detent E which springs back and relocks the
Disc in the normal position.
I maintain the continuity of Electrical connection throughout the length of the
train by means of an improved form of coupling (Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)-composed of
two pieces or halves (Figs. 4 and 5) each half consisting of two springs F and F¹
attached to a Block, G each spring carrying a wedge-shaped piece H of ebonite or
other insulating substance; attached to one side of which insulating substance are
plates of metal M and M¹ connected to the respective ends of the insulated wires in
the flexible cable I and arranged so that when the two halves of the couplings are
joined together the two metal plates M and M' on the one half are separated from
each other and each placed in contact with the corresponding metal plate on the
other half and when the two halves of the coupling are separated the respective
metal plates M and M¹ on-each separate half, spring into contact with each other
thus completing an electrical circuit on each side of the point of separation.

page_text: To lock the two halves of the coupling firmly together I attach to each a horse-
shoe-shaped spring N with projections at the two ends thereof arranged to engage
between two studs P and P¹ on the other half of the coupling so that they can
only be separated by a longitudinal strain such as would be produced by the
separation of the carriages from each other.
For the purpose of preventing the Bells from continuing to ring when any of
the carriages are left detached or during the process of shunting I attach to each
end of each carriage a duminy half coupling d (Fig. 2) of insulating material into
which the detached half of the coupling can be fitted and the plates M and M'
separated from each other.
'
I protect the coupling and flexible cable by means of a covering T of India-
rubber or other flexible waterproof material in the form of a tube of minimum size
sufficient to cover the flexible cable and enlarged at one extremity to fit one half
of the coupling, each enlarged portion is arranged to join one on the corresponding
half of the coupling so as to form a thoroughly water-tight protection.
I place within the Guards' Vans, on the engine or any other part of the train
deemed expedient Electric Bells b and b' with commutators attached and Batteries
connected in such a manner that an equilibrium of electrical potential is main-
tained therein when the couplings between the different parts of the train are
complete.
I arrange the Electric Bells and Batteries in such a manner that when any of
the commutators are actuated by the knobs in the compartments of the carriages
or when the two halves of any coupling become separated the equilibrium of
electrical potential is disturbed and all the Electric Bells are rung by currents from
their respective Batteries.
•
I arrange the commutators attached to the Electric Bells in such a manner that
communication can be carried on between the several Guards and the Driver of
the train; this I accomplish by means of a knob n (Fig. 2) actuating a lever / the
fulcrum of which is connected to one of the insulated wires W and the free end
resting upon the point in connection with the Electric Bell and Battery so that
when the knob n is pressed, the lever is removed from r and placed upon r¹ in
connection with the insulated wire W¹ thus disconnecting the Electric Bell and
Battery at the place where the commutator is actuated and establishing a connection
between the two insulated wires disturbing the equilibrium of electrical potential
in the remainder of the circuit and causing the Bell or Bells in the other Guards
Vans and on the engine to ring.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
First. The combination of a Drop Disc, knob, rod and camb arranged in the
particular or equivalent manner and for the purpose above described.
Second. The particular or equivalent mode of replacing the Disc or Discs from
the outside of the carriage substantially as set forth.
Third. The combination of the electrical quadrant coupling with the horse-shoe-
shaped locking springs and studs, arranged in the manner and for the purpose
above described.