IMPROVEMENTS IN Apparatus for SECURING THE DOORS OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES
Year: 1872

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Sampson Gompertz at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 31st
December 1872.
I, SAMPSON GOMPERTZ, Lt.-Colonel, Retired List, Madras Army, of
Bedford, in the County of Bedford, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN Apparatus for SECURING THE DOORS OF
RAILWAY CARRIAGES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object the prevention of accidents arising
from the opening of the doors of railway carriages after the starting or
before the stopping of the train by means of apparatus which prevents
the passengers from getting in or out of the carriages except at the
proper time or when allowed to do so by the guard or other attendant
having control over the apparatus which secures the doors.
"
And in order that my Invention may be readily understood, I will
proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed, which show
apparatus arranged and applied to railway carriages in accordance with
my Invention.

page_text: The apparatus consists of a bar or lever A moving on a pivot or centre
pin B, which is attached to the sole bar D or to the framing of the
carriage in any suitable manner. The bar or lever A. (called the locking
bar or lever) at one end projects in front of the lower opening corner of
the carriage door, the other end of the locking bar or lever A being
forked and attached by a pin to a sliding bar or rod C which extends the
whole length of the carriage. The sliding bar C actuates the locking
bars or levers A (one to each carriage door), and the bar O may be
attached to the sole bar D or to any other. convenient part of the
carriage, so as to work or actuate each locking bar, bolt, spring catch;
or other suitable mechanical contrivance arranged either outsido or
inside the carriage, or between the panels of the carriage for securing
the doors.
The sliding bars C of the different carriages are by preference coupled
to one another by means of a right and left hand screw coupling E to
regulate the tension, by a socket and pin fastening, or by any other
suitable means.
The series of sliding bars C may be actuated from either or both ends
of the train, and by preference under the control of the guard of the
train, or the fireman, or driver of the engine, or both.
In the guard's van or compartment or attached to the engine or
tender of the train a lever is mounted and arranged with a spring catch
working between two ratched quadrants, the lower end of the lever being
attached by any suitable means to the sliding bar C, and by preference
the forward movement of the lever actuates the locking bars or levers A
so as to prevent the opening of the carriage doors, the backward
travel of the guard's lever acting to remove the locking bars from the
doors, and thus permit them to be opened, the spring catch retaining the
guard's lever in the required position.
.
The sliding bar C and the locking bars or lovers A may also be
actuated by means of gearing attached to the carriage wheels or axles of
the wheels, and preferably by means of a cam or projection arm or a
pinion wheel actuating a rack attached to the boss of the wheel. The
cam arm or pinion wheel on the forward movement of the wheel forcing
the sliding bar C into such a position that the carriage doors are locked
as previously described, the backward movement of the wheel acting to
unlock the doors; but the object of my Invention is such that the guard,

page_text: driver, or fireman of the train, has the power to lock and unlock the
doors, and that he may also be prevented from traversing the said lever
and unlocking the doors of the carriages until the train is at a standstill
by means of the said cam arm or other suitable mechanical con-
trivance.