Improved Means for Enabling Railway and other Carriages to be Readily Distinguished.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 13th June, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 8th Mar., 1893-Accepted, 8th Apr., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Enabling Railway and other Carriages to be
Readily Distinguished.
I, EDOUARD CRO8, of 21, Rue Hamelin, Paris, in the Republic of France,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to means for enabling railway and other carriages to be
readily distinguished.
All travellers by railway have experienced the difficulty of again finding the
carriage which they had temporarily left at a station. The number of the
carriage is not sufficient to recall it to the memory and besides it is very difficult
to distinguish this number in foggy weather or at night especially when in conse-
quence of the train having been moved the position of the carriage has been
changed. With excursion trains as well as those for the transport of troops this
difficulty leads to confusion and loss of time which might give rise to serious
consequences. In order to remember the number of the carriage many travellers
write the number on their ticket or coupon or on their cuffs but this precaution is
frequently neglected.
At the present time the number employed to distinguish the carriage, which
number it is necessary to remember or write down, is generally composed of 3 or
4 figures and constitutes an abstract sign, fugitive to the mind, and insufficient for
any but a very tenacious memory.
According to this invention I provide designs or symbols placed in prominent
positions on the carriages, which designs or symbols are easy both to examine and
recollect, and in carrying out the invention I employ indicating plates in which
the designs or symbols are by preference cut out the said plates being arranged at
the upper part of and at about the middle of the carriages in such a manner
that the symbols may be clearly outlined against the sky. The plates are enamelled
or covered with a phosphorescent substance (sulphide of calcium) to render the
symbols luminous at night or they may be provided with a lantern arranged to
produce the same effect which is the arrangement I employ when applying my
invention to omnibuses or hackney carriages.
The plate formed by preference of sheet iron of a square shape and the side and
bottom edges are bent at right angles and form flanges the bottom flange being
formed with holes to receive screws for fixing it to the roof of the carriage. The
device on the plate may be varied indefinitely, for example, it can be a simple
object such as an animal, fruit, a flower or a utensil or a combination of these
devices.
Or the plate may be in the form of a shield and enamelled and be applied to the
side panels of a carriage between two doors for example. Each carriage will thus
have a shield on each side. A plate for example enamelled blue will have a device
thereon in white enamel which renders it easily visible at night.
In some cases the devices are placed on movable plates provided with a hook and
fixed by a bolt.
From the preceding description it will be seen that railway or road carriages
provided with my plates will have in this manner a kind of individuality which will
allow of their being easily recognized by reason of the effect produced upon the
mind by the symbolical device. It will be easily understood that a sign such as a
cock, a lyre or a balloon which has been the distinguishing mark of a particular
carriage in which a person has travelled can be easily brought to mind which
may be of great use in recovering a lost article or recollecting a particular
circumstance.

page_text: There may be added to the devices on the plates an indication of trade mark by
combining such marks with the devices, for instance on a bottle there may appear
the word "Vichy."
Dated the 13th day of June 1892.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Enabling Railway and other Carriages to be
Readily Distinguished.
I, EDOUARD CROS, of 21, Rue Hamelin, Paris, in the Republic of France,
Civil 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 :-
My invention relates to means for enabling railway and other carriages to be
readily distinguished.
All travellers by railway have experienced the difficulty of again finding the
carriage which they had temporarily left at a station. The number of the carriage
is not sufficient to recall it to the memory and besides it is very difficult to
distinguish this number in foggy weather or at night especially when in consequence
of the train having been moved the position of the carriage has been changed.
With excursion trains as well as those for the transport of troops this difficulty
leads to confusion and loss of time which might give rise to serious consequences.
In order to remember the number of the carriage many travellers write the number
on their ticket or coupon or on their cuffs, but this precaution is frequently
neglected.
At the present time the number employed to distinguish the carriage which
number it is necessary to remember or write down, is generally composed of 3 or
4 figures and constitutes an abstract sign, fugitive to the mind, and insufficient
for any but a very tenacious memory.
According to this invention I provide designs or symbols placed in prominent
positions on the carriages which designs or symbols are easy both to examine and
recollect, and in carrying out the invention I employ indicating plates in which
the designs or symbols are by preference cut out the said plates being arranged
at the upper part of and at about the middle of the carriages in such a manner
that the symbols may be clearly outlined against the sky. The plates are
enamelled or covered with a phosphorescent substance (sulphide of calcium) to
render the symbols luminous at night or they may be provided with a lantern
arranged to produce the same effect which is the arrangement I employ when
applying my invention to omnibuses or hackney carriages.
The accompanying drawing illustrates suitable means for carrying my invention
into practice.
Figures 1 and 2 are respectively an elevation and a cross section of a plate
formed by preference of sheet iron a of a square shape and the side edges b, b and
bottom edge c are bent at right angles and form flanges the bottom flange c being
formed with holes d, d to receive screws for fixing it to the roof of the carriage.
The device on the plate is an elephant but it may be varied indefinitely, for example,
it can be a simple object such as an animal, fruit, a flower or a utensil or a combina-
tion of these devices.
Some idea may be gained of the great variety of devices which may be employed
by referring to Figure 3 which shews a train of carriages which are respectively
provided with plates having cut out representations of a cock, a goat, the Eiffel
tower, an elephant, a crescent and other devices.
Or the plate, as shewn in elevation at Figure 4, may be in the form of a shield
and enamelled, and be applied to the side panels of a carriage between two doors,

page_text: for example. Each carriage will thus have a shield on each side. A plate for
example enamelled blue will have a device thereon in white enamel which renders
it easily visible at night.
In some cases the devices are placed on movable plates provided with a hook
and fixed by a bolt.
From the preceding description it will be seen that railway or road carriages
provided with my plates will have in this manner a kind of individuality which
will allow of their being easily recognized by reason of the effect produced upon
the mind by the symbolical device. It will be easily understood that a sign such
as a cock, a lyre or a balloon which has been the distinguishing mark of a particular
carriage in which a person has travelled can be easily brought to mind which
may be of great use in recovering a lost article or recollecting a particular
circumstance.
There may be added to the devices ou the plates an indication of trade mark by
combining such marks with the devices, for instance on a bottle there may appear
the word "Vichy."
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The use of plates bearing mnemonical symbolical devices to individually
and instantaneously distinguish the carriages of railway trains, hackney carriages,
omnibuses and other vehicles substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 9th dor of March 1902
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.