ALARM APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY TRAINS TO ENABLE PASSENGERS TO GIVE AN ALARM TO THE GUARD OR DRIVER IN CASE OF NECESSITY
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Dottore Salvatore Garau of No. 73 Hatton Garden in
IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRICAL
the County of Middlesex for an Invention of
ALARM APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY TRAINS TO ENABLE PASSENGERS TO GIVE
AN ALARM TO THE GUARD OR DRIVER IN CASE OF NECESSITY"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Dottore Salvatore Garau at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd December 1881.
DOTTORE SALVATORE GARAU of No. 73 Hatton Garden in the County of
Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRICAL ALARM APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY
TRAINS TO ENABLE PASSENGERS TO GIVE AN ALARM TO THE GUARD OR DRIVER
IN CASE OF NECESSITY"
This Invention has for its object improvements in electrical alarm apparatus for
railway trains to enable passengers to give an aların to the guard or driver in case
of necessity.
For this purpose I provide at each end of each carriage of a railway train in
addition to its ordinary buffers two other insulated metallic buffers pressed
outwards by springs to a distance somewhat exceeding that to which the ordinary
buffers are pressed out so that when a train is made up the metallic insulated
buffers are of necessity brought into contact with one another.
The insulated buffer at one end of each carriage I couple by an insulated wire
with one of the buffers at the opposite end of the carriage and similarly couple
together the other two buffers.
At any desired number of points at the sides and ends of the carriages I aflix a
series of contact apparatus so constructed that by the pulling out or pushing in of
a stop an electrical contact may be established between the two terminals of the
contact apparatus to which the stop belongs, One of the terminals of each contact
apparatus I connect by a wire with one of the wires connecting two of the
insulated buffers and the other terminal with the other wire connecting the two
other buffers

page_text: Thus throughout the train from one end of it to the other there are two main
electrical conductors and at one end of the train the conductors are coupled to the
two poles of a battery, Consequently if any one or other of the stops of any of the
contact apparatus in any of the carriages throughout a train are pulled out or.
pushed in an electrical circuit is completed and an electrical alarm bell is caused to
ring continuously either on the engine or guard's van or on both I also arrange
cach of the several contact apparatus in such a manner that the pulling out or
pushing in of its stop for the purpose of giving an alarm shall release a signal arm
and allow it to be thrown outwards so as to project from the side or end of the
carriage so that it may readily be seen from which carriage the alarm has been
given.
Or in place of a signal arm a colored disc may be brought to view through an
aperture in a suitable casing or other such like indicator may be employed for
indicating from which carriage the alarm has been given.
By arranging the apparatus in the manner above described the necessity for
coupling up the wires on one carriage to wires on the carriages before and behind
it whenever a train is made up is avoided as the necessary electrical connections
between the carriages is automatically effected by the mere act of coupling the
carriages together
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Dottore Salvatore Garau in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd June 1882.
DOTTORE SAVATORE GARAU of No. 73 Hatton Garden in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRICAL ALARM APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY
TRAINS TO ENABLE PASSENGERS TO GIVE AN ALARM TO THE GUARD OR DRIVER
IN CASE OF NECESSITY."
This Invention has for its object improvements in electrical alarm apparatus for
railway trains to enable passengers to give an alarm to the guard or driver in case
of necessity.
For this purpose I provide each carriage with two insulated metallic conductors
passing from one end of it to the other. At the ends of the carriages I provide
couplings in the manner hereinafter explained for connecting the two insulated
conductors on one carriage to the two insulated conductors on the carriage next
to it.
At any desired number of points at the sides and ends of the carriages I affix a
series of contact apparatus so constructed that by the pulling out or pushing in of
a stop an electrical contact may be established between the two terininals of the
contact apparatus to which the stop belongs. One of the terminals of each contact
apparatus connect by a wire with one of the two main conducting wires and the
other terminal with the other main conducting wire.

page_text: Thus throughout the train from one end of it to the other there are two main
electrical conductors and at one end of the train the conductors are coupled to the
two poles of a battery. Consequently if any one or other of the stops of any of
the contact apparatus in any of the carriages throughout a train are pulled out or
pushed in an electrical circuit is completed and an electrical alarm bell is caused
to ring continuously either on the engine or guard's van or on both. I also arrange
each of the several contact apparatus in such a manner that the pulling out or
pushing in of its stop for the purpose of giving an alarm shall release a signal arın
and allow it to be thrown outwards so as to project from the side or end of the
carriage so that it may readily be seen from which carriage the alarm has been
given.
Or in place of a signal arm a colored disc may be brought to view through an
aperture in a suitable casing or other such like indicator may be employed for
indicating from which carriage the alarm has been given.
I also arrange the couplings which connect the main conducting wires on one
carriage with the main conducting wires on the carriages next to it in such a
manner that if one or more carriages or trucks should happen to break away from
the rear-end of a train an alarm is at once sounded on the engine or front guard's
van,
The Drawings hereunto annexed shew electrical alarm apparatus arranged as
above described.
Figure 1 shews a side elevation of three railway carriages shewing how the
conducting wires on one carriage are coupled to the conducting wires on the
carriages next to it-and also shewing how the signal arins or discs may be mounted
upon the outer sides of the carriages so that a guard of the train may quickly sco
from which carriage an alarmn has been given.
Figure 2 is a sectional plan view of a railway carriago shewing the arrange-
ment of the two main conducting wires and their connections with the electrical
couplings.
Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of a railway carriage shewing how a series of
contact apparatus may be affixed along the sides of the carriages and connected by
branch conducting wires with the two main conducting wires.
Figure 4 shews how the signal indicator may be a disc caused to drop in front
of an aperture and Figures 5 and 6 shew how the signal indicator may be an
arm made to project outwards from the side of the carriage.
A, B, in Figures 2 and 3 are the two main conducting wires-one wire A is
shewn by a full line the other wire B by a dotted line-On oneside of each end
of a carriage is jointed a metallic rod C and on the other side of each end a metallic
hook D. One of the main conducting wires is connected to the metallic rod Con
one side of the carriage and to the metallic hook D on the same side of the carriage
at its opposite end. The other main conducting wire is similarly connected to the
metallic rod C and hook D on the opposite side of the carriage. Thus when a
train is made up and the metallic rods C at the ends of one carriage are made to
rest on the metallic hook D on the carriages next to it-there will be two main
conductors insulated one from another and running from one end of the train to
the other.
In the front guard's van is an electric battery one pole coupled to one main
conductor the other pole coupled to the other main conductor-one conductor is
also carried through an electric bell apparatus either in the van or on the
engine.
E, E, Figure 3 are a series of contact apparatus of any ordinary construction in
which an electric connection can be established between two terminals either by
the pushing inwards or pulling outwards of a stem or button, one terminal is as
shewn connected to one main conducting wire the other terminal to the other main
conducting wire, thus whenever an electrical connection is established between
the terminals of any one or other of the contact apparatus a circuit is completed
through the main conducting wires and the alarm bell is caused to ring.

page_text: As before stated I make the pulling out or pushing in of the stem or button of
any contact apparatus to press back and put out of action a spring catch which
previously held up a signal arm and so set the signal arm free to drop or to be turned
downwards by the action of a spring.
At Figure 4 and on the left hand carriage shewn at Figure 1 the indicating
apparatus is formed with a disc carried by the signal arm which whenever a contact
is made is caused to drop and come behind an aperture G. On the other two
carriages shewn in Figure 1 the indicating apparatus is such as is shewn at
Figures 5 and 6 where a signal arm is caused. to drop down and project outwards
from the side of the carriage, whenever a contact is made.
The giving of an alarm in case of any one or more of the carriages breaking
away from the rear end of a train is effected in the following manner.
Below each metallic rod C, a metallic hook or stud H is made to project outwards
from the side of the carriage. If the metallic rod C is coupled to the main con-
ducting wire A then the hook H is coupled to the main conducting wire B. Or if
the rod C is coupled to B then the book H is coupled to A as shewn at Figure 2.
Thus if the rod C at either end of a carriage is allowed to drop into the position
shewn by dotted lines at the right hand end of the carriage at the right hand of
Figure 1 an electric circuit is completed through the two main conducting wires
and the alarm bell is rung. The weight of the rod carries it into this position
whenever the end of the rod is not supported by a hook on the carriage next to it.
Thus when two carriages are separated one from the other the rod must when it
drops into the position shewn cause an alarm to be sounded.
Having thus described the nature-of-my-Invention and the manner of performing
the same I would have it understood that I claim :-
First. The combination of apparatus substantially as herein before described for
enabling passengers to give an alarm to the guard or driver in case of necessity.
Second. The combination substantially as described whereby an alarm is sounded
whenever a carriage or carriages becomes detached from the end of a train.
Third. The construction of the indicators of the alarm apparatus substantially as
herein before described whereby a guard passing along outside a train can at once
see from which carriage an alarm has been given.
In witness whereof I the said Dottore Salvatore Garau have hereunto set
my hand and seal this Twenty second day of June in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
DOTTORE SALVATORE GARAU. (L.S.)