NEW OR IMPROVED ARRANGEMENTS OR MECHANISM FOR COMMUNICATING. BETWEEN ANY PASSENGER AND THE GUARD,. AND ENGINE DRIVER OR RAILWAY TRAIN
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles William Allen, of Hoddesdon, in the County.
of Hertford, for the Invention of." NEW OR IMPROVED ARRANGEMENTS OR
MECHANISM FOR COMMUNICATING. BETWEEN ANY PASSENGER AND THE GUARD,.
AND ENGINE DRIVER OR RAILWAY TRAIN"
A
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles William Allen
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th September 1864.
I, CHARLES WILLIAM ALLEN, of Hoddesdon, in the County of Hertford, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "NEW OR IMPROVED
ARRANGEMENTS OR MECHANISM FOR COMMUNICATING BETWEEN ANY PASSENGER AND
THE GUARD AND ENGINE DRIVER OF A RAILWAY TRAIN," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in certain mechanical arrangements whereby a sign
board is exposed to the view of both the guard and engine driver by the
instrumentality of machinery under the control of the passengers: On the
outside of the carriage, and directly between the compartments, I have a
window extending into both compartments, and closed by two shutters
mounted on suitable self-acting spring hinges so constructed that the shutters
when disengaged 'will stand at right angles with the carriage; these said
shutters, which compose the signal boards, are to be painted in some con-
spicuous manner so as to be distinctly visible by day or night; or they may be
constructed with reflecting surfaces to render them more visible when used ate

page_text: night, as lights may be placed upon the guard's van and on the engine, so that
when a signal is given the light on the guard's van shall not be visible from
the engine, nor that on the engine be visible from the guard's van. These afore-
said shutters are acted upon by means of a mechanical contrivance under the
control of the passengers, as, for instance, a double-cranked iron or brass rod
working in journals in the sides of the carriage and extending across the roof
of the carriage, and so connecting the corresponding signal shutters at opposite
sides of the carriage until a signal is required to be given, and the aforesaid
rod is acted upon by the passengers, and so the shutters are disengaged and
fly out at right angles to the railway train so as to be visible by either the
guard or engine driver.
In order that my arrangements may be used at night I have a lamp placed
in each corner of a compartment, so that the same lamp may give light to two
compartments and also shine through the afore-mentioned windows in the
sides of the carriage, 'and so illuminate both sides of the signal shutters when
exposed to view. These said shutters are to be of such a length that they will
clear the sides of. tunnels and the piers and arches of bridges:when extended
for the purpose of giving a signal; and. I. also propose that the guard's van
should be made of a greater width than the other carriages, so that the signal
boards or shutters may be more easily visible, and the carriages should be
furnished with a handrail jointed at the carriage doors to facilitate the passage
of the guard from his van to the carriage whence the signal may have been
given.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed,
by the said Charles William Allen in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 28th March 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
WILLIAM ALLEN, of Hoddesdon, in the County of Hertford, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of September; in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and-grant unto
me, the said Charles William Allen, Her special licence that I, the said.
Charles William Allen, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Charles William Allen, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time

page_text: 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 "NEW OR IMPROVED ARRANGEMENTS OR MECHANISM FOR COM-
MUNICATING BETWEEN ANY PASSENGER AND THE GUARD AND ENGINE DRIVER OF A
RAILWAY TRAIN," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles
William Allen, 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. Charles William Allen, 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
following statement:
:: .:
"
My Invention consists in certain mechanical arrangements, whereby a sign
board is exposed to the view of both the guard and engine driver by the
instrumentality of machinery under the control of the passengers.. On the
outside of the carriage, and directly between the compartments, I have a
window extending into both compartments, and closed by two shutters
mounted on suitable self-acting spring hinges so constructed that the shutters:
when disengaged will stand at right angles with the carriage; these said
shutters, which compose the signal boards, are to be painted in some con-
spicuous manner so as to be distinctly visible by day or night; or they may be
constructed with reflecting surfaces to render them more visible when used at
night. These aforesaid shutters are acted upon by means of a mechanical
contrivance under the control of the passengers,, as, for instance, a double-
cranked iron or brass rod working in journals in the sides of the carriage and
extending across the roof of the carriage, and so connecting the corresponding.
signal shutters at opposite sides of the carriage until a signal is required to
be given, and the aforesaid rod is acted upon by the passengers, and so the;
shutters are disengaged and fly out at right anges to the railway train so as
to be visible by either the guard or engine driver.
In order that my arrangements may be used. at night I have a lamp placed:
in each corner of a compartment, so that the same lamp may give light to two
compartments and also shine through the afore-mentioned windows in the
sides of the carriage, and so illuminate both sides of the signal shutters when!
exposed to view. This, lamp I propose to make of a triangular shape, so that.
'

page_text: the corner will come against the partition, and two sides will give light into
the two compartments, while the third side will face the outside of the
carriage. The two inner sides will be furnished with reflectors, so as to throw
the light of the lamp upon the face of the shutter when extended. These
said shutters are to be of such a length that they will clear the sides of
tunnels and the piers and arches of bridges when extended for the purpose
of giving a signal; and I also propose that the guard's van should be made of
a greater width than the other carriages, so that the signal boards or shutters
may be more easily visible, and the carriages should be furnished with a hand-
rail to facilitate the passage of the guard from his van to the carriage whence
the signal may have been given. For the same purpose also the footboards
of the carriages should be prolonged so that an easy passage may be effected
between the carriages,-and- they should also be raised to admit of easy access
to the compartment whence the signal has been given.
Having thus far described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I will now for the further and better
description of the same refer to the illustrative Drawings accompanying this
Specification, like letters denoting similar parts throughout all the Figures.
Fig. 1 represents a portion of the exterior of two compartments of a railway
carriage, and Fig. 2, a view of the interior of one side of a compartment fitted
up with my Invention for signalling between any compartment and the guard
and engine driver of a railway train."
A, A, represent the two shutters or signal boards, 'one belonging to each
compartment, mounted upon spring hinges H, H, which have a tendency to
make the boards fly out, so as to stand at right angles or nearly so with the
body of the carriage. They are retained closed, as shewn, by means of hooks,
which are connected with or form part of a steel, iron, or brass rod B, B, B,
stretching across the roof of the compartment to the opposite side of the
carriage where it is attached to a similar shutter. This metal rod should 'be
so bent as to form a double crank, as shewn, so that moving it in either direc-
tion will disengage the shutters at the opposite sides of the carriage at one
and the same time. S, S, S, are seats; and the metal rod B, B, should be so
placed as to be within easy reach of a person sitting; L, L, are lamps made
in a triangular form, and placed in the corners of the compartment, so that
the same lamp will lighten two compartments. One of the three-sides is
placed parallel with the sido of the carriage, and a portion of the opposite
sides may be faced with a reflecting surface, so that light may be reflected on
to the faces of the shutters at night, when they are disengaged, to give alarm.
The shutters or signal boards A, A, may be made either to fit into recesses in

page_text: the top panel of the carriage, or merely fit against it, as shewn in Fig.-2.
There are other arrangements, whereby the shutters may be simultaneously
disengaged, but this is the mode which I prefer to adopt; C, C, is a handrail
extending along all the carriages to facilitate the passage of the guard or
attendant along the carriages, and F is the footboard raised to within a short
distance of the carriage door and prolonged at the end of the carriages in
order to prevent accident, so that when the carriages come together there may
be but a short distance to step from the one to the other.
Having now fully described the nature and object of my said Invention,
together with the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same into
practical effect, I would remark in conclusion that I do not confine myself to the
precise or relative forms, dimentions, or proportions, or to the arrangements I
have herein-before described and illustrated to disengage the shutters, as there
are many ways in which this may be done, as by cords to pull, or lever handles
to be turned, and in other ways; but what I claim is,-
First, the general arrangement of signal boards or shutters, herein-before
described, placed on each compartment of a railway carriage, so as to be dis-
engaged by mechanism under the control of the passengers, whereby each
compartment of a railway carriage is complete in itself.
Secondly, the triangular form of lamp in combination with the general
arrangement of signal boards or shutters, herein-before described, whereby
light is given to two compartments, and also caused to be thrown or reflected
on the signal boards or shutters when used at night or in tunnels.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles William Allen, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
CHARLES WILLIAM ALLEN. (L.S.)
Witness to the seal and signature of the said
Charles William Allen,
CHARLES S. BAKER,
Gen' Patent Comp³, Limited,
71, Fleet Street,
..Agents.