IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM WHISTLES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Cuthbert, of Doncaster, in the County of
York, Brass Finisher, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM
WHISTLES."
Sealed the 5th March 1867, and dated tho 6th September 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Cuthbert at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th September 1866.
I, WILLIAM CUTHBERT, of Doncaster, in the County of York, Brass
Finisher, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STEAM WHISTLES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in carrying through the crown of the bell and
through the tongue a rod, the lower end of which carries a valve which is
kept raised either by a spring or by the pressure of the steam; the upper end
of the rod extends a short distance above the crown of the bell, and a lever
which is hinged to an upright supported by an arm carried out from the
crown bears upon the top of the rod. When it is required to sound the

page_text: whistle the lever is pressed down by hand or otherwise, so as to force down
the rod and thereby open the valve; the steam is thus allowed to escape
through the ordinary apertures and sound the whistle.
My Invention further consists in constructing a double-toned whistle as
follows-I employ between the bell and the tongue a cylinder, the diameter
of which is equal to that of the mouth of the bell; this cylinder is connected
to the central support of the bell and tongue by a bridge or arms. The bell is
kept at about a quarter of an inch, more or less, above the cylinder by means
of a spring. When the ordinary shrill whistle is required I press down the
rod by means of the lover as before explained, but when a fog or guard
signal is required I press down a second lever, which at the same time that
it forces down the rod to open the valve also forces the bell down upon the
cylinder, and a duller or less shrill whistle is thereby produced. This whistle
can be sounded by the driver or fireman on the foot plate by hand, or by the
guard from his van by means of a wire or string communicating with it.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Cuthbert in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th March 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CUTHBERT, of Doncaster, in the County of York, Brass Finisher, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Cuthbert, Her special licence that I, the said William
Cuthbert, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Cuthbert, 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 STEAM WHISTLES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Cuthbert, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,

page_text: 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 William Cuthbert, 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:
My Invention consists in carrying through the crown of the bell and
through the tongue a rod, the lower end of which carries a valve which is kept
raised either by a spring or by the pressure of the steam; the upper end of
the rod extends a short distance above the crown of the bell, and a lever
which is hinged to a projection attached to the nut on the crown or otherwise.
bears upon the top of the rod. When it is required to sound the whistle this
lever is pressed down by hand or otherwise, so as to force down the rod and
thereby open the valve; the steam is thus allowed to escape through the
ordinary apertures and sound the whistle.
I
My Invention further consists in constructing a double-toned whistle as
follows:-I employ between the bell and the tongue a cylinder, the diameter
of which is equal to that of the mouth of the bell; this cylinder is connected?
to the central support of the bell and tongue by a bridge or arms.
The bell
is kept at about a quarter of an inch, more or less, above the cylinder by
means of a spring. When the ordinary shrill whistle is required I press down
the rod by means of a lever as before explained, but when a fog or guard
signal is required I press down a second lever, which at the same time that it
forces down the rod to open the valve also forces the bell down upon
the cylinder, and a duller or less shrill whistle is thereby produced. This
whistle can be sounded by the driver or fireman on the foot plate by hand,
or by the guard from his van by means of a wire or string communicating
with it.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a vertical section of a single-
toned whistle constructed according to the first part of my Invention.
A is the bell, and B the tongue; C is their central support; D is a rod
carried through the crown of the bell and through the tongue within the
central support C. The lower end of the rod D is furnished with a valve E,
which is kept raised by a spring F and is kept tight by the pressure of steam
below. The upper end of the rod D extends a short distance through the
crown of the bell.. G is a lever or handle hinged to a projection attached to

page_text: the nut II; this lever bears upon the top of the rod D. By pressing down
the lever G the valve E is opened, and steam is thereby allowed to escape
through the ordinary apertures I and sound the whistle.
Figure 2 is an elevation and Figure 3 a vertical section of a double-toned
whistle constructed according to the second part of my Invention.
A is the bell as before; B, the tongue; C, the central support; D, the rod;
E, the valve with spring F and apertures I. K is a cylinder between the bell
and the tongue, and of the same diameter as the bell; it is connected
to the central support C by a bridge or arms L. M is a spring which
keeps the bell about a quarter of an inch, moro or less, above the
cylinder K when not forced down as hereafter explained. N, O, are
two levers at right angles to each other. The handle G, which may be
carried, as shown, through the weather board P, is formed with a double-headed
lever Q about an inch from the end of the rod R of the handle; the end
of this rod fits into a hole near the top of the central support C and midway
between the right-angled levers N, O, so that when the handle G is in a
vertical position the valve E is closed and the bell is in its highest position.
On turning the handle to the left, as shewn in dotted lines, the lever N is
lowered, and the rod D having its upper end under this lever is thus caused
to descend, whereby the valve is opened and a shrill whistle sounded. On
turning the handle G to the right, as shown in full lines, the lever O is moved
downwards and carries the bell A with it as well as the lever G, and as the
bell is in contact with the cylinder K, as in the Figures, a fog or guard signal
is sounded.
Figures 4 and 5 show a modification of my double-toned whistle with only
one lever; in these Figures the bell and handle or lever are in their highest
position.
The handle or lever G is forked, which passes over instead of through the
central support C; a raised lip on each side of the fork rests on a slack
collar R on the bell, and a pin S passes through this collar, against which
pin the upper end of the valve rod D bears. A slight downward movement
of the handle or lever G opens the valve E and sounds a shrill whistle, and on
further lowering the handle to the position shown in dotted lines the bell A
comes down upon the cylinder K and a fog whistle is sounded.
In the double-toned whistles the bell is turned on its lower edge to form a
rim, as shown, and this rim fits into a corresponding recess on the upper
circumference of the cylinder K, whereby a complete union is formed when
the bell is brought down as before explained.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what

page_text: manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my improve-
ments in steam whistles,-
First, constructing single-toned whistles substantially as herein-before
described, and represented in Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings.
Second, constructing double-toned whistles substantially as herein-before
described, and represented in Figures 2, 3, 4, and 5 of the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Cuthbert, have hereunto set.my
hand and seal; this Fourth day of March, One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-seven.
WILLIAM CUTHBERT. (L.B.)