IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN THE PASSEN- GERS, GUARD, AND ENGINE DRIVER IN RAILWAY TRAINS, AND FOR GIVING NOTICE TO ENGINE DRIVERS IN CASES OF ACCIDENTS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Radcliffe, of No. 6, Adam Street, Adelphi,
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN THE PASSEN-
GERS, GUARD, AND ENGINE DRIVER IN RAILWAY TRAINS, AND FOR GIVING
NOTICE TO ENGINE DRIVERS IN CASES OF ACCIDENTS."-A communication
from abroad by Samuel Cornwallis Amesbury, of Fort William, Calcutta,
in the East Indies, Assistant Surgeon in Her Majesty's Thirty-fourth
Native Infantry Regiment.
Sealed the 1st May 1866, and dated the 4th November 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Radcliffe at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 4th
November 1865.
I, HENRY RADCLIFFE, of No. 6, Adam Street, Adelphi, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN THE
PASSENGERS, GUARD, AND ENGINE DRIVER IN RAILWAY TRAINS, AND FOR GIVING
NOTICE TO ENGINE DRIVERS IN CASES OF ACCIDENTS," (being a communication to
me from abroad by Samuel Cornwallis Amesbury, of Fort William, Calcutta,
in the East Indies, Assistant Surgeon in Her Majesty's Thirty-fourth Native
Infantry Regiment,) to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in the first place in the adaptation and application

page_text: to railway trains of apparatus by means of which a passenger may be enabled
to give an alarm to the guard by pulling a handle in the carriage, thereby
bringing into contact two wires, which then form an electric circuit, and
cause a bell in the guard's van to ring. The said wires are laid lengthwise
above the carriages (or in any other convenient manner), from one hook of
the coupling chain to another, and from one hook of the coupling iron to
another, or they may be brought into their required connection by means of
springs projecting beyond each carriage at both ends sufficiently to make them
touch each other. The same depression of the handle frees the end of a
lever carrying a flag on the roof of the carriage from a detent by which it is
confined. At the same time and by the same action of the parts a shutter or
cover is caused to, fall and expose to view a light in a lantern, thereby
indicating either by day or by night the particular carriage or compartment
thereof from which the alarm is given. The handle when depressed is kept
in that position by a spring, and can only be released by means of a key in the
hands of the guard.
This Invention consists, secondly, in arranging teeth or springs in combina-
tion with wires for completing an electric circuit, and causing a bell on the
engine to ring by the deflection of a lever connected to the said teeth or
springs.
And this Invention consists in the last place in the adaptation and applica-
tion to the engine of electrical clockwork apparatus kept from action on a bell
by the tension of an electric magnet. The effect of this magnet being
suspended by a break in the electric circuit a spring is allowed to collapse
whereby a bell is set in motion. The continuous circuit in this last case is
formed either by means of a wire passing over the carriages in connection
with the coupling chains or projecting springs before-mentioned, or by means
of a single wire passing from the axle of the guard's van to the axle of the
engine, the return current passing in this case along the rails. This apparatus
is brought into action by the electric circuit becoming accidentally broken, but
is otherwise self acting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Henry Radcliffe, Her special licence that I, the said Henry Radcliffe,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Henry Radcliffe, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE PASSENGERS;
GUARDS, AND ENGINE DRIVER IN RAILWAY TRAINS, AND FOR GIVING NOTICE TO
ENGINE DRIVERS IN CASES OF ACCIDENTS," being a communication from abroad
by Samuel Cornwallis Amesbury, of Fort William, Calcutta, in the East Indies,
Assistant Surgeon in Her Majesty's Thirty-fourth Native Infantry Regiment,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry Radcliffe, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, 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 Henry Radcliffe, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement (that is to say) :-
This Invention of "Improvements in Apparatus for Effecting Commu-
nication between the Passengers, Guard, and Engine Driver in Railway
Trains, and for giving Notice to Engine Drivers in Cases of Accidents "
consists, in the first place, in the adaptation and application to railway trains
of apparatus by means of which a passenger may be enabled to give an alarm
to the guard by pulling a handle in the carriage, thereby bringing into contact
two wires, which then form an electric circuit, and cause a bell in the guard's
van to ring. The said wires are laid lengthwise above the carriages (or in
any other convenient manner) from one hook of the coupling chain to
another, and from one book of the coupling iron to another, or they may be
brought into their required connection by means of springs projecting beyond

page_text: At
each carriage at both ends sufficiently to make them touch each other. The
same depression of the handle frees the end of a lever carrying a flag on the
roof of the carriage from a detent by which the said lever is confined.
the same time, and by the same action of the parts, a shutter or cover is
caused to fall, and expose to view a light in a lantern, thus by means of
both signals indicating either by day or by night the particular carriage or
The handle when
compartment thereof from which the alarm is given.
depressed is kept in that position by a spring, and can only be released by
means of a key in the hands of the guard.
This Invention has reference, in the second place, to apparatus for enabling
the guard to give signals to the engine driver, and consists in arranging teeth
or springs in combination with wires for completing an electric circuit and
causing a bell on the engine to ring by the deflection of a lever connected to
the said teeth or springs. The particular arrangement of the teeth and springs
and of the wires may be varied, so long as their required connection is suitably
maintained.
And the Invention has reference, in the third place, to self-acting apparatus
whereby an alarm is given to the engine driver in the event of any portion of
the train becoming accidentally detached from the rest. For this purpose the
Invention consists in the adaptation and application to the engine of electrical
clockwork apparatus kept from action on a bell by the tension of an electric
magnet. The effect of this magnet being suspended by any break in the
electric circuit a spring is allowed to collapse, whereby a bell is set in motion.
The continuous electric circuit in this last case is formed either by means of
a wire passing over the carriages in connection with the coupling chains or
projecting springs, as before mentioned, or by means of a single wire passing
from the axle of the guard's van to the axle of the engine, the return current
passing in this case along the rails. This apparatus is brought into action
by the electric circuit becoming accidentally broken, but it is otherwise self
acting.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention communicated to
me from abroad as aforesaid, I hereby declare that what I claim as of the
Invention is,
First, the apparatus herein-before described for enabling passengers to
communicate with the guard of a railway train.
Secondly, the apparatus herein-before described for enabling the guard to
give signals to the engine driver.
And, lastly, the self-acting apparatus herein-before described capable of

page_text: being brought into action by the electric circuit becoming accidentally broken,
the object of the arrangement "being to give an alarm to the engine driver in
case of accidents.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Radcliffe, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Third day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
WILLIAM SPENCE,
8, Quality Court.
HENRY RADCLIFFE. (L.S.)