IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Rock Chidley, of High Holborn, in the County.of
Middlesex, Musical Instrument Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES."
Sealed the 6th June 1865, and dated the 11th January 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Rock Chidley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 11th
January 1865.
1, ROCK CHIDLEY, of High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Musical
Instrument Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES," to be as
follows:-
The chief object of this Invention is so to construct railway carriages that
when a number are brought together they will form a saloou the whole length
of the train of passenger carriages, and thus afford easy communication
through the whole length of the train. To effect this object I arrange the
seats longitudinally of the carriages, making three or it may be four lines
according to the width of the carriages, two lines of seats backing against
the sides, and the middle line being either a double row or a single row, the
[Price 8d.1

page_text: line of passengers occupying the single row facing alternately in opposite
directions if thought desirable. Access to the carriages I make by doors in
the sides as usual, but I prefer to set the door in sufficiently far to form a
lobby, and they may be either double or single as thought desirable. Through
the ends of the carriages I form passages, which I connect by means of plat-
forms which project from one end of a carriage, and slide under the flooring of
the next adjoining carriage, a slot or groove being formed in the framing of
that carriage for the purpose. By this arrangement I bridge over the space
between the carriages, at the same time allowing for the contraction and
widening of that space consequent on the buffers coming into and going out
of action. Above the platform I provide a sliding frame, over which is
stretched a hood or covering of waterproof material; this frame is kept ex-
panded by springs, but when pressure is applied to it by the ends of the
adjoining carriages approaching each other it will partially collapse like a
carriage hood, and still afford protection from the weather. For the purpose
of facilitating the connection and disconnection of the carriage couplings it
may be convenient to make a trap door in the platform to provide head room
for the workman.
Another mode of enclosing the space above the platform is to connect a
frame with the platform, or to one end of the carriage, and make it slide over
the end of the next carriage like a telescope slide; by either of these means
a whole train is made into one saloon, giving the guard and others the facility
of communicating from one end to the other of a train.
As a further improvement in railway carriages I introduce below the floor-
ing, which is pierced with holes, a serpentine pipe,which I supply with steam
from the engine. The serpentine pipes of the several carriages I couple
together in any suitable manner by flexible pipes, and furnish them with
stop valves and with taps for blowing off the condensed steam.
In order to improve the ventilation of the carriages I fit below the per-
forated flooring a slide which runs the whole length of a carriage, and is
pierced with holes to allow air to pass through into the carriage. The supply
of air is regulated at pleasure by means of a screw, endless chain, or lever
operating the slide, and the roof I perforate in a similar manner to the floor,
or connect therewith a circular ventilator set below a cowl or fan which is
mounted on the outside of the carriage.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Rock Chidley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th July 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1, ROCK
CHIDLEY, of High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Musical Instrument
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Rock Chidley, Her special license that I, the said
Rock Chidley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I,the said Rock Chidley, 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 "I
PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I,the said Rock Chidley, 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 Rock Chidley, 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 follow-
ing statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and
to the letters and figures inarked thereon (that is to say) :-
The chief object of this Invention is so to construct railway carriages that
when a number are brought together they will form a saloonthe whole length
of the train of passenger carriages, andthus affordeasycommunication through
the whole length of the train. I also propose to improve the ventilation and
to facilitate the warming of such carriages.
In Sheet I. ofthe accompanying Drawing, Figure 1 shews in side elevation
and partial section a carriage constructed according to this Invention, and
coupled to the end of another carriage similarly constructed. Fig. 2 is. a

page_text: sectional plan view of the same taken in the line 1, 2, of Fig. 1. In the latter
Figure it will be seen that the seats are arranged longitudinally of the carriage
in four lines, or they may be disposed in three lines according to the width
of the carriage. The outer lines of seats A, A, back against the sides, and
the seats B being either a double row or a single row, as circumstances may
dictate, occupy the middle of the carriage. The passengers occupying a row,
when it is single, I prefer should face alternately in opposite directions. The
framework and general build of the carriage will be as usual, but I obtain
access to the carriages by doors C, C, in the sides, set in sufficiently far to
form a lobby D. These doors may be either double or single as thought
desirable. When double,they may be set either in a line with each other or at
an angle,as shewn at Figure 2, the latter arrangement giving more room in the
lobby. Through the ends of the carriages I make openings, which I connect
by means of platforms projecting from one end of a carriage for the purpose
of bridging over the space between the coupled carriages, at the same time
allowing forthecontraction and wideningofthat space consequent on the buffers
coming into and going out of action. The way in which this may be effected
is shewn at the right hand of Fig. 1, where E is a platform secured by hinges
to and projecting from the end of the carriage into a groove formed to receive
it in the framing of the coupled or adjoining carriage. Above the platform E
is a sliding frame F, shewn in vertical section in Fig. 1, and in front elevation
at Fig. 3, Sheet II. This frame is carried by rods G, which slide in hollow
screwed rods G', projecting from the end of the carriage. The hollow rods
are fitted into tapped sockets H, which turn in bearings in the framing of the
carriage. These sockets form the axles for chain wheels I, around which
passes an endless chain, which is actuated by a winch and pinion I' for the
purposeof rotatingthe screwed sockets and drawing inwards the slidingframe
by means of the screwed rods G¹ connected to the frame by means of the
rods G. Over the sliding frame is stretched a hood or covering K of water-
proof material, which is also made fast at its opposite edge to the end framing
of the carriage. This covered frame is kept expanded bysprings coiled around
the rods G of the frame, but when pressure is applied to it by the ends of the
adjoining carriages approaching each other it will partially collapse like a
carriage hood, and still afford protection from the weather. For the purpose
of facilitating the connection and disconnection of the carriage couplings it
may be convenient to make a trap door in the platform to provide head room
for the workman, as shewn at Fig. 2.
A modification which I find it may be convenient to adopt,as it admits of

page_text: the facile coupling up of carriages of a train when they are of unequal heights,
and also ensures the contraction of the space between the carriages underend-
way pressure, is shewn in Sheet II, Fig. 4 being a plan view, and Fig. 5 a
sectional elevation,of so much of two coupled carriages as will serve to explain
the improvement. The expanding hood is formed as already described, but in
addition to the rods G the frame in this instance carries bars G*, G., which
are free to slide through the end framing of the carriage which carries the
hood. These bars serve to support a platform formed of slats or bars L, con-
structed of wood or metal, or both combined, attached to flexible bands M of
leather or other material, which bands are secured to the metal frame F, and
will admit of the platform being thrown up into a vertical position within
the hood when it is desired to close up the hood. The end slat or bar is pro-
vided with metal eyes, which are intended to drop over studs carried by
projecting ledge on the carriage carrying the hood; this ledge serves to support
the platform, and it is further supported by a similar ledge on the coupled
carriage. When the carriages are coupled up, as shewn at Fig. 4, it will be
obvious that a strong covered platform will be formed between the coupled
carriages, which platform will expand and contract to suit the contraction
and elongation of the train under the action of the engine and the brakes.
A further modification of the sliding platform is shewn at Fig. 6, where O
and P are two projecting ledges on the adjoining carriages, and coupled
together by planking Q, which has slot holes made in it to receive coupling
screws which enter the ledges and secure the platform thereto, but in such
manner as will permit of its sliding, and thus contracting the bridged space
to an extent corresponding to the length of the slots.
a
By the means above described a whole train is made into one saloon,
thereby giving the guard and others the facility of communicating from
one end to the other of a train.
I will now describe the further improvement in railway carriages relating
to the warming and heating of the same. These improvements are shewn in
Figures 1 and 2. Below the flooring R, which is pierced with holes, I intro-
duce a serpentine pipe S which I supply with steam from the engine. The
serpentine pipes of the several carriages I couple together in any suitable
manner by flexible pipes; and to facilitate the blowing off of the condensed
water I connect the pipe S at several points along its length, with a straight
pipe T leading to a well or receptacle U, where the water may collect, and
from which it may from time to time be discharged. A convenient form of
safety valve which I propose to apply to the extreme end of the steam pipe is

page_text: shewn at Figures 7, Sheet II. It consists of a tube a secured by a screw
coupling 6 to the steam pipe. In this tube a is fixed a seat for the valve c,
which is held down by a spring d coiled around the valve stem. When
there is an excess of steam pressure the valve is forced from its seat, and
the steam passing it escapes at the open end of the tube a.
In order to improve the ventilation of the carriages I admit air thereto
through the perforated flooring. The air enters through slots or openings
made in the planking on the under side of the carriage; above this plank-
ing, and below the perforated flooring I fit a slide V of any suitable width,
and extending along the whole length of the carriage; this slide is pierced
with elongated or other holes corresponding to those in the planking, and
when these holes are brought into coincidence air will be allowed to pass
freely through into the carriage. The supply of air I regulate at pleasure by
shifting the slide by means of a chain U attached to the slide V, and passing
over guide pulleys to a pulley which receives axial motion from a lever
mounted at any convenient part of the carriage. A tendency may be given
to the slide to return to its closed position by means of tension springs. In
order, therefore, to resist the pull of the springs, an ordinary stop arrange-
ment must be used for maintaining the lever in its forward position. A
somewhat similar contrivance I provide for discharging the vitiated air
through the roof. Between the top of the compartments and the roof of the
carriage I form an air passage, and set up ventilators in connection therewith,
I connect the compartments with this air passage by perforations, as shewn
at Fig. 1, and in the roof I set circular ventilators W, each below a cowl X.
which may turn with the wind. The circular ventilator I open or close by
means of an endless chain passing from a pulley which is operated by a crank
handle Y (see Fig. 1) to a pulley on the valve spindle. Or instead of this
arrangement I may use clack valves in the roof, and a pierced slide actuated
like the slide below the floor for opening a way for the escape of the vitiated
atmosphere. This arrangement is shewn at Figures 8 and 9, which are
cross sections of the roofs of two carriages. The arrangement of the valves
slightly differs in these Figures, but in both the valves which meet the
wind will close, and thus prevent a down draught.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of improvements in
the construction of railway carriages, and explained the manner of carrying
the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that nuder the above in
part recited Letters Patent I claim,-
First, constructing a covered way between the carriages of a train, and

page_text: obtaining access to carriages so fitted in the manner and for the purpose
above described.
And, secondly, the arrangements above described for warning and
ventilating railway carriages.
In witness whereof, I, the said Rock Chidley, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Eleventh day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
ROCK CHIDLEY. (L.S.)