IMPROVEMENTS IN APPA- RATUS FOR SECURING THE DOORS OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES, AND PREVENTING THE OPENING OF THE SAME WHILE THE TRAIN IS IN MOTION."
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Charles Davies, of Water Lane, Bradford, in the
County of York, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPA-
RATUS FOR SECURING THE DOORS OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES, AND PREVENTING
THE OPENING OF THE SAME WHILE THE TRAIN IS IN MOTION."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Charles Davies at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th June 1878.
EDWARD CHARLES DAVIES, of Water Lano, Bradford, in the County of York,
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SECURING THE DOORS OF RAILWAY
CARRIAGES, AND PREVENTING THE OPENING OF THE SAME WHILE THE TRAIN IS IN
MOTION."
My Invention relates to apparatus whereby the doors of railway carriages are
kept securely fastened while the train is in motion, or arriving at a railway station,
or at any objectionable time, and can be opened simultaneously by the engine
driver or by the guard from the break van throughout the entire train when the
same is stopped at the platform of a station, or at any desired place, thereby
preventing any passenger leaving or falling from a train at such times as aforesaid,
preventing all those numerous and often serious and fatal consequences attributable
to the above-named causes, and securing increased safety in railway travelling.
For this purpose I fit in the pillars of the doorways of each railway carriage, or in
any convenient place next to the doorways, an apparatus made with a socket,
spring chamber, and cup; in the socket works a strong bolt which is made to pass
in the spring chamber; the end in the spring chamber is made with a shoulder and
head; the shoulder works in the spring chamber and forms the hearing of a spiral
spring fitted over the bolt; and in the spring chamber, the other end of the spiral
spring bears against the projecting metal formed between the bolt hole and the
spring chamber; on the head of the bolt presses an india-rubber disk, which

page_text: prevents steam, water, or air passing in the spring chamber or bolt sockets; the
india-rubber disk is fitted in a recess formed in the flange of the cup; and over the
cup, and fitted on the flange is placed and secured a cover which is made with a
socket, in which screws a pipe which is connected to main steam pipes fitted over
the doorways, or over the top, or beneath the railway carriages; the main steam
pipes are connected to a steam pipe fixed to the locomotive; to this pipe is fitted a
tap, and a tap may be also fitted to a connecting pipe from the locomotive to a pipe
in the break van, and from the tap a pipe connected to the main pipes, so that the
engine driver or the guard may fasten or open the doors of the carriages.
Each of the said bolts is arranged to enter an eye or socket on the door, and is
so arranged that by turning on the steam, the steam rushes through the main pipes
and connecting pipes, and through the sockets of the cup covers, and acts on the
india-rubber disk and the honds of the bolts, pressing the bolts out and in the cyes
or sockets of the doors, locking the 'doors.
When the train is stopped at a platform of a railway station, or at any desired
place, thic steam is turned off, and simultaneously the springs in the spring
chambers force out the bolts from the eyes- or sockets of the doors, entering the
sockets of the apparatus, and all the doors on either or both sides of a train, as the
case may be, are free to be opened by their inner or outer handles.
The apparatus can be worked by hydraulic power, by compressed air, or by a
vacuum, as well as by steam.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edward Charles Davies in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th
December 1878.
EDWARD CHARLES DAVIES, of Water Lane, Bradford, in the County of York,
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SECURING THE DOORS OF RAILWAY
CARRIAGES, AND PREVENTING THE OPENING OF THE SAME WHILE THE TRAIN IS IN
MOTION."
The said Invention relates to apparatus whereby the doors of railway carriages
are kept securely fastened while the train is in motion, or arriving at a railway
station, or at any required time, and can be opened simultaneously by the engine
driver or by the guard from the break van throughout the entire train when tho
same is stopped at the platform of a station or at any desired place, thereby
preventing any passsenger leaving or falling from a train at such times as aforesaid,
preventing those numerous and often serious and fatal consequences attributable to
the above-named causes, and securing increased safety in railway travelling. For
this purpose I fit in the pillars of the doorways of each railway carriage, or in any
convenient. place next to the doorways, an apparatus made with a socket, spring
chainber, and cup; in the socket works a strong bolt which is inade to pass in the
spring chamber; the end in the spring chamber is made with a shoulder and head;

page_text: the shoulder works in the spring chamber and forms the bearing of a spiral spring
fitted over the bolt; and in the spring chamber the other ond of the spiral spring
bears against the projecting metal formed between the bolt hole and the spring
chamber; on the lead of the bolt presses an india-ruhber disc, which prevents
steain, water, or air passing into the spring chamber or bolt socket; the india-rubber
disc is fitted in a recess formed in the flange of the cup; and over the cup, and fitted
on the flange, is placed and secured a cover which is made with a socket, in which
screws a pipe which is connected to main steam pipes fitted over the doorways, or
over the tops, or beneath the railway carriages; the main steam pipes are connected
to a steam pipe fixed to the locomotive; to this pipe is fitted a tap or steam-cock,
and a tap may also be fitted to a connecting pipe from the locomotive to a pipe in
the break van, and from the tap a pipe is connected to the supply pipes, so that the
engine driver or the guard may fasten or open the doors of the carriages.
Each of the said bolts is arranged to enter an eye or socket fitted in the door,
and is so arranged that by turning on the stean, the steam rushes through the
supply pipes and connecting pipes, and through the sockets of the cup covers, and
acts on the india-rubber discs which press on the heads of the bolts, pressing tho
.bolts out and into the eyes or sockets of the doors, thus locking the doors.
When the train is stopped at the platform of a railway station or at any desired
place, the steam is turned off, and simultaneously the springs in the spring
chambers force out the bolts from the eyes or sockets of the doors, the bolts
entering the sockets of the apparatus, and all the doors on either or both sides of a
train, as the case may be, are free to be opened by their inner or outer handles.
The apparatus can be worked by hydraulic power, by compressed air, or by a
vacuum, as well as by steam.
I may also employ my improved. apparatus for securing warohouses, shops,
houses, and premises, but I prefer in this case to employ water under pressure.
For this purpose I fit a supply pipe to the water main, and carry pipes fitted to the
supply pipe or pipes to the different doors of the buildings to which is fixed my
improved apparatus; I can thus secure all doors by bolting them when required,
and unbolt thom all simultaneously on shutting off the water from the main pipe.
But in order to enable my improvements to be better understood, I will proceed
to more particularly describe the same by reference to the accompanying Drawing,
in which,
Figure 1 represents a sectional clovation of my improved apparatus drawn full
size; Figure 2, side view; and Figure 3, plan of the same.
Figure 4 represents a railway carriage partly in section, with my improved
apparatus fixed to the same, also shewing means of connecting the supply pipes to
the carriages.
Figure 5, end section of a railway carriage, shewing the position of the apparatus
when fixed.
Figure 6, front view of door socket.
Similar letters of reference are used in all the Figures to represent similar parts.
In the pillar A of the doorway is fitted the socket B of the apparatus, which is
kept securely fixed by the washer C, which is fitted to the pillar; in the washer
screws the screwed end D of the socket; the socket is prevented from moving by
the flange E, cast on the barrel F of the apparatus; in the barrel and socket is
passed a bolt G having a shoulder H and head I; the barrel is made with a
chamber J, in which is fitted a spiral spring K, and through which passes the
bolt G; on the end of the barrel F is screwed a cup L, in which is formed a
recess M, and in which is placed the rim of an india-rubber disc N, which is secured
by the flange O of the cup cover P, fastened by screws to the cup L; in a socket
or boss R of the cup cover is fixed a syphon pipe S, to which is secured the steam
pipe T; the syphon pipe allows condensed water to remain in the pipe when the
apparatus is not in action, and when steam is admitted, the water is pressed on the
india-rubber disc, which prevents the steam destroying the india-rubber; but I may
employ a pipe with an elbow U only. :

page_text: In a suitable place in the locomotive I fix a valve or tap A' to which is fitted a
pipe V, which is connected to a reducing valve W to reduce the pressure of the
steam to fifteen or twenty pounds, or to any other required pressure, the reducing
valve W is fitted with a steam pipe X, which is connected to flexible pipes Y of
similar construction to those employed for working carriage brakes; the flexible
pipes are connected to a main supply pipe or pipes Z, which are fitted by preference
under the railway carriage; to the supply pipe Z are connected the steam pipes T,
which are secured to the syphons or to the cup covers; these steam pipes are by
preference fitted in the space B¹ of the sides of the railway carriage. To securely
fasten the doors while the train is in motion, or arriving at a railway station, or at
any other required time, the engine driver or the guard (if a valve or tap is fitted
in the guard's van) turns on the steam, which passing through the reducing valve
W, travels through the pipes X, Y, Z, and T, and which acts on the condensed
water if syphons are employed; the water is pressed against the india-rubber disc N,
which presses on the bolt head I forcing out the bolt G, which enters the eyes or
sockets C', which are secured to the doors D' by screws; the sockets C' are made
taper and with plenty of room for the bolts to pass in. When the train is stopped
at the platform of a railway station, or any desired place, the valve or tap A¹ is
closed, and the steam is turned off, and simultaneously the springs K. acting against
the shoulders H of the bolts G bring back the bolts into the apparatus, and all the
doors on either or both sides of a train, as the case may be, are free to be opened by
their inner or outer handles; the apparatus is fixed by preference a short distance
below the handle.
Instead of steam I may employ compressed air, and for that purpose I fix in the
guard's van pressing bellows F' having weights G¹; the bellows are fitted on a
framework ; under the bellows I fix a pipo I', to which is fitted a tap J' to turn
on and off the supply of compressed air, which acts on the discs, forcing out the
bolts.
I also fit in the guard's van a standard K¹ having an indicator for indicating
whether the carriage doors are open or shut; in the standard works a rod L¹ to the
upper end of which is fitted a pointer and hand wheel M³, the lower end of the rod
is fitted to a tap or cock N' to enable the guard to discharge any condensed water
(or compressed air, if compressed air is employed) that may be in the supply
pipes.
Having thus described my improvements and the best means I am aquainted
with for carrying the same-into effect, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise details shewn and described, as they may be varied
without departing from the peculiar character of the Invention, but what I do
claim is, the construction and employment of my improved apparatus, whereby the
doors of railway carriages are kept securely fastened while the train is in motion, or
arriving at a railway station, or at any other required time, and whereby the doors
may be simultaneously unfastened or unbolted throughout the entire train when tho
train is stoped, substantially as herein-before described, and represented by the
Drawing annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Charles Davies, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
Witness,
WALTER JAS. TURNER, C.E.,
Patent Agent,
Bradford.
EDWARD CHARLES DAVIES. (LS.)