Improvements in Regulating the Supply of Gas or Electric Light to Railway Coach Compartments.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Jan., 1896-Accepted, 7th Mar., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Regulating the Supply of Gas or Electric Light
to Railway Coach Compartments.
We, HERBERT TATHAM PROCTER, of 53 Victoria Street, Westminster, London'
Civil Engineer, and ROBERT EDWIN GILL, of 18 The Pavement, Mill Lane'
West Hampstead, Middlesex, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Whereas by Patent No. 1377 of 1895, taken out by one of us, the supply of gas
to railway coach compartments is automatically regulated by means of movable seats
which when depressed by a passenger sitting thereon actuate by means of a system of
levers, rods, and springs a gas-cock fitted into the supply pipe to each compart
ment, thus turning the light up, and in like manner turning it down when the scat
is released by the passenger getting up.
Our present invention provides for a simpler and less expensive means of
accomplishing the aforesaid object by improvements, in the form of gearing which
actuates the gas cock, designated gas economising gear, in the design of the
movable seats, and in the methods of adapting the invention to various kinds of
rolling stock.
The improved gearing which actuates the gas-cock consists of a rod or shaft
At one end is
supported by two bearings. On this shaft there are three levers.
placed and mechanically joined to it the plug or cone of the gas cock which
regulates the supply of gas to the compartment. Around the shaft is wound a
spring which causes the shaft to make a partial revolution when the weight of a
person or the like is taken off the seat, and thus keeps the gas lowered.
In order to prevent the gas being lowered too suddenly, we provide an air dash-
pot in connection with the shaft.
The shaft runs along on the roof longitudinally and is placed over one of the
doors of a compartment. Its length is required to be rather more than the
distance between the two seats. It is operated and connected to each seat by
means of a rod, wire, chain, rope, or cord. We prefer that this rod, wire, chain, rope,
or cord should pass down the inside of the dress guards at each side of the door
which are now fitted to most carriages or coaches, but it may be enclosed in a
tube or other suitable casing and brought down on or in the side framework of the
carriage.
This improved form of gearing can also be operated by means of a movable
floor.
We make the following improvements to the movable seat described in Patent
No. 1377 of 1895 in order that our invention can more readily be adapted to
railway coaches already constructed without disturbing the framework of the
existing seats or occasioning damage to the upholstery.
Between the front longitudinal bearer of the existing framework of the seat and
the cushion which rests upon it we place a batten (hereafter fully described) which
It is secured in its
rests upon springs, and runs the whole length of the seat.
position so that it can move only up and down. The space between the batten and
the back of the seat is covered with laths, canvas, or other flexible material, so that
the utility of the existing springs in the seat will in no way be interfered with.
To prevent anything being placed between this batten and the bearer of the seat
we attach a flap or flaps to the batten, and if this flap be made of leather or other
flexible material we attach it also to the bearer.
In trains which run partly above and partly underground it is customary for the

page_text: guard or other official, in the day time, to raise or lower the gas on arriving at the
first stopping station, either before or after a tunnel, as the case may be. This is
done by an arrangement, at the end of each coach, connected to the main gas cock.
In case it should be desirable that the small flame when thus lowered should
remain approximately equal in size in ali compartments, whether occupied or not,
we provide an arrangement of rods and levers connected with the arrangement just
described, which throws out of action the several sets of gearing on the roof when
the gas is lowered at the main.
We also provide a simple means of regulating the size of any flame to be
retained when the gas is lowered by means of our invention.
In those compartments which have a lavatory attached, the door of which
divides one seat into two parts, we connect the portion of the seat thus isolated
from the gear by means of an arrangement of rods and levers passing on in, or
under the floor.
In order that this invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
operation we describe the accompanying five sheets of drawings, reference being
had to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Figure 1 shows the general arrangement of the gearing on the roof of a coach,
the levers, gas-cock, and spring being covered by cases or covers K and K¹ of
suitable size, made of metal or wood. The gas main G is shown running along the
same side of the roof, but it is not essential that it should do so, as the regulating
gas-cocks are fixed in the branches from the main which lead to cach compartment.
Figure 2 shows a plan of the gear, for one compartment, on a larger scale, the
cases being removed. B B are bearings supporting shaft A, which is mechanically
joined to the gas cock E, and which through the medium of levers C and D and
rods I connected to the seats makes a partial revolution upon either seat having a
weight placed upon it. This movement is shown in dotted lines in Figure 3. This
partial revolution of the shaft and the plug of the gas-cock causes the gas to be
raised. Upon the weight being taken off the seat the shaft is returned to its
normal position by the spring H, which has one end attached to the fixed bearing B',
and the other to the shaft A, either by means of a washer 4 which is fixed on
shaft A, or by other known means. To prevent the spring I turning the light
down too suddenly, either of the levers C or D might be arranged to work against
an air piston or dash-pot of known construction. We do not confine ourselves to
the position of the spring H shown on the drawings, that is to say between the
bearings it would be equally efficacious if placed outside the bearing 11, the shaft
being lengthened for this purpose, and such a position might facilitate renewal.
A weight might be substituted for the spring. In this case it would be placed on
the opposite side of the shaft A to which the power is now applied by the rods I.
The fixing of the levers and washers on the shafts on the rods call for no
explanation, there being several well known methods.
In place of the rods I from the seats, a wire, chain, rope, or cord might be used,
but we prefer to use a rod of about inch in diameter. It is obvious that if these
rods or the like were continued down below the seats, the gearing might be worked
by a movable floor.
Figures 5, 6, and 7 show the method of connecting our form of gearing with
the arrangement already alluded to for regulating the supply of gas to each coach
during the daytime or at night when an unoccupied train has to wait for a long
space of time on a siding or in a station. Figure 5 is a side elevation of Figure 6.
The shaft F, Figures 1 to 7 is connected to the main gas-cock lever L by means of
a vertical rod with suitable levers at each end as shown. Figure 7 shows the
position of the rod f and its accompanying levers when the gas is turned full on at
the main. Upon lever L being pulled over to lower the gas at the main, as shown
in Figure 6, shaft F throws out of action, by means of levers J fixed to this shaft
and levers D' fixed to shaft A, the gear on the roof. This position is shown in
Figure 4.
The rods I not being mechanically joined to levers C and D (see Figure 3^)

page_text: they will now move up and down with the seats without moving shaft A. The
size of the flame to be retained in any compartment can be easily regulated by an
adjusting stop screw d, Figure 3, upon which levers D' would rest.
Figures 8 and 9 show the construction of our improved movable seat as fitted to
an existing seat without alteration to the framework or damage to the upholstery.
In these figures M represents the front bearer or front support of the existing seat,
hereafter called front bearer; N, (Figure 8) a detachable cushion; P the back
bearer of the seat; Q the space occupied by springs. In this case we form our
movable seat by placing between the cushion N and the front bearer M a batten
or plank of wood O the same length as the seat and running along the front. This
batten is held in position by two or more strips of iron o or other rigid material,
one end of which is fixed to the batten, and the other formed as a hinge and
attached either to the back bearer P or to the sides or back of the compartments.
Another method of keeping this batten in position is by guides at each end of
the batten attached to the side framework of the coach as shown in Figure 9.
To complete the movable seat the superficial space between the batten O and
the back bearer P may be covered or partially covered with laths, canvas, or
other flexible material, so as not to interfere with the utility of the existing springs
in the space Q, for it is obvious that if this space were covered with planks of
wood or other rigid material the whole effect of these springs in space Q would be
neutralized.
Figure 1 shows the spring space partially covered with laths, which might be
of thin iron bearing a great similarity to the old form of bedstend, or they might
be thick canvas tapes commonly known as webbing.
Figure 11 shows the spring portion of our movable seat covered with canvas.
In Figures 12 and 13 are shown two means of strengthening the batten. In
Figure 12 it is represented as an inverted tee iron Z running the whole length. In
Figure 13 it is represented as a piece of wood Z' permanently fixed to the front of
the batten and padded in the front.
Figures 14 to 18 inclusive illustrate a framework of oval shaped steel tubes as
used for the front forks of bicycles which might take the place of the batten or
plank hereinbefore described. Figure 14 is a plan of this framework. T and T
are two tubes running nearly the length of the seat. They are joined to side
pieces which hold them in position in the manner described and shown for the
batten in Figure 9. U and U are plates for the plungers of spring S (hereafter
described) to press against. Figure 15 shows a front elevation of this frame.
W is a tube to strengthen the tube T'. The two tubes W aud T' are both brazed or
otherwise joined to the castings u and u. Figure 16 shows on a larger scale an
end elevation of these castings u or '. Figure 17 shows the casting for joining T
to t or t. Figure 18 shows a section on dotted line.
This framework may be covered with canvas, or the like, after the manner
described for the batten in Figure 11. We wish it to be understood that the
relative sizes of castings and tubes may be varied as found necessary for securing
strength and also lightness; and further, a round tube might be substituted for the
oval one without departing from the spirit of this part of the invention.
In Figures 8, 9, 12 and 13 a flap R is shown to prevent anything being placed
between the movable seat and the bearer. This flap may be either flexible,
constructed of some material such as leather or cloth, and in this case it would be
fixed to both the batten and the bearer; or it may be rigid, and fixed to the batten
only. When the seat is partially covered after the manner shown in Figure 10
a second flap or flexible cover r, Figure 9, is placed at the back of the batten.
The movable seat, however it may be formed, when not occupied by any appreciable
weight, that is to say a weight not more than seven to ten pounds, in addition to
the cushions, is forced up and held up by the piston S of spring n, Figures 8
and 9.
Figure 22 shows in section the socket and spring placed in a hole bored in the
We do not limit ourselves to any fixed position for the spring, as in

page_text: Figure 19 it would he placed about the mid-lle of the seats, as shown dotted.
Instead of placing this socket in the bearer of the seat, it might be placed in the
space immediately behind the bearer and attached to it as shown dotted in
Figure 9. The batten O would in this case have a plate attached to it for the
piston of the spring to work against. Nor do we confine ourselves to the form of
spring to be employed, as ordinary "bow" spring might be used with one end fixed
to the top surface of the hearer M, and the other free to move.
If a helical spring be used its socket will have at the bottom a screw plug with
a triangular or other unusual shaped head (see Figure 23) to facilitate the removal
or inspection of the spring without interfering in any way with the existing frame-
work or upholstery. The object of the unusual shaped head is obviously to prevent
any unauthorised person interfering with the same.
Figure 19 shows a cross section through a compartment which bas communication
with a lavatory. The door leading to the lavatory divides one of the seats into
two portions, 1 and 2. seat 2 being thus isolated from the gear. In order that
this seat may be connected to the same set of gearing as seat 1 and the ordinary
long seat on the opposite side of the carriage we connect it by a rod Y, Figure 21,
and lever V to the shaft X, which in turn is connected by a lever V to the rod I
leading to the roof, and which in this case is lengthened to admit of this connection.
The rod or shaft X may run on, in, or under the floor so long as it is tree to
move, and may be enclosed in a suitable casing. If placed on the floor this
casing may he tapered at the edges to prevent a person stumbling over it.
The movable seat may be used for switching on or off the electric light, the
necessary amount of light being provided by two lamps of equal or unequal candle
power, one of which would always be lighted, and the other turned on and off by
means of switches in the seats.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The combination of parts called the gas economising gear, consisting of a
shaft, levers, spring bearings, gas cock, and regulating flame stop herein described
and shown in Figs. 1 to 4.
2. The combination of parts consisting of rod, shaft, and levers used for the
purpose of disconnecting the above gas economising gears at the option of the
guard or other official, as herein described and shown in Figs. 1 to 7.
3. The various forms of movable seats adapted for use with the spring seats
at present in use without a material alteration of the latter, substantially as
herein described and shown in Figs. 8 to 23.
4. The use of flaps in connection with the movable seat and bearer in the
positions shown, Figs. 8 and 9, and for the purpose herein described.
5. The method of connecting the subdivided seats of a lavatory compartment
to enable each of the three seats to work one gear.
Dated this 2nd day of January 1896.
BOTTOMLEY & LIDDLE,
154 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicants' Agents.