IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF COM- MUNICATING OR SIGNALLING BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF RLILWAY TRAINS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Adams, of Sheffield, in the County of York,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF COM-
MUNICATING OR SIGNALLING BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF RLILWAY
TRAINS."
Scaled the 14th March 1865, and dated the 17th September 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Adams at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
17th September 1864.
I, JAMES ADAMS, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF
COMMUNICATING OR SIGNALLING BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF RAILWAY TRAINS,"
to be as follows:-
In communicating or signalling between the different parts of railway
trains I avail myself of the pressure of the air generated by the progress of a
train to produce an audible signal by a whistle or other means.
To carry
this into effect I mount on the roof of cach carriage a projection in external
appearance like a box, but which is furnished with two funnel openings
facing in opposite directions and towards opposite ends of the carriage;
theso funnel openings extend the whole area of the erection projected from
the roof. The small and inner ends of the funnel mouths terminate in a
small chamber common to both, and are opposite each other. They are each

page_text: provided with a pendant hinged flap or valve, which opens inwards only; by
this disposition a constant pressure of air will be maintained in the chamber
by the speed of the train. This chamber has communication with a tubo
running from end to end of the carriage, and such tube is in communication
with a like tube of the next carriage, and so on throughout the train to, say,
the guard's van, where it is provided with a whistle. Between the chamber
and the communicating tubo is disposed a stop-cock or valve furnished with a
handle, so that it can be opened or closed by a passenger. The opening of
this tap or valve will establish a communication between the chamber in
which the pressure of air is generatod, and the tube of communication allowing
the air to rush through and producing the required signal in the guard's van.
At same time that the handle operating the tap or valve establishes that com-
munication it releases a signal staff on the roof of the carriage, which
staff being under the influence of a spring rises up and stands erect on the
roof, being at once a signal to call the attention of the guard to the car-
riage from whence the signal proceeds and a permanent indication to detect
the delinquent should the signal have been made mischievously. Each com-
partment of a carriage is provided with a handle connected by a rod with tho
lever or arm opening the tap or valve, and each carriage is provided with like
apparatus. The tubes of communication I make permanent on the roof of
cach carriage, which permanent tubes are placed in connection by short
pieces of flexiblo tubes between the carriages, such flexiblo tubes being fur-
nished with metal or other sockets, which slide into each other, or they may
bo otherwise united. I either make these connections in direct line with the
permanent pipes at the roof of the carriage, or I conduct the permanent pipes
down at the ends to a position in which it will be convenient for the party
coupling the, carriages to couple such pipes also; or the longitudinal per-
manent tubes may be under the floors of the carriages, and the channel
communicating from the air-pressure chamber with such tubo carried down
from the roof, or from other situation at which it may be disposed. The
tube of communication may be connected with a signal apparatus in tho
guard's van in the rear at the one end and another at the engine, which may
both be sounded at same time, or that of the engine driver may require a
greater pressure of air than is attainable by such means, but which might be
sounded by the guard by means of an apparatus at his disposal, or the guard
may have a separate pipe of communication, by which he might sound a whistle
at the engine, producing the necessary supply and pressure of air in such pipo
by means of a rotary fan, or by a funnel mouth placed above the van and
operating by the pressure of air generated by the funnel mouth being opposedl

page_text: to the progress of the train through the atmosphere. The driver may also
communicate with the guard by similar means.
Another means of signalling consists in disposing a box or channel on the
top of a carriage containing screw blades, which may be operated on by the
current of air produced by the progress of the train. The screw blades are
protected generally from the action of the current of air by damper valves, one
closing tho ingress of the air to the channel containing the screw, and the
other the escape. These valves are connected, so that one handle moves botli
from the inside of the passenger carriage. When the valves are opened the
current of air is allowed to pass through, which gives rotary motion to the
screw; the axis of the screw is in connection with an arm that strikes a gong
or bell to produce a sound which continues incessantly. The gong being
situated on the roof of the carriage will be heard by the guard in the rear of
the train, each carriago being similarly fitted. The lever opening the valves
before mentioned also releases the signal standard, as before, to indicate the
carriage making the signal.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Adams in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
17th March 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
ADAMS, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said James Adams, Her special licence that I, the said James
Adams, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said James Adams, 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 THE MEANS OF COMMUNICATING OR SIGNALLING BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT
PARTS OF RAILWAY TRAINS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said James Adams, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their bands and seals, should particularly

page_text: 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
dato of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Adams, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to bo per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being bad to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
In communicating between different parts of railway trains I avail myself
of the pressure of the air generated by the progress of a train to produco an
audible signal. To carry this into effect I mount on the roof of each carriago
a projection in external appearanco like a long rectangular box, but which is
furnished with two funnel openings facing in opposite directions and towards
opposite ends of the carriage; these funnel openings extend to the whole area
of the erection projected from the roof. The small and inner ends of tho
funnel mouths terminate in the rectangular chamber, which is common to
both. They are each provided with a pendant hinged flap or valve, which
opens inwards only. By this disposition a constant pressure of air will bo
maintained in the chamber by the speed of the train. This chamber has
communication with a tube running from end to end of the carriage, and such
tube is in communication with a like tubing of the next carriage, and so on
throughout the train to (say) the guard's van, where a fan wheel is provided,
on which the air takes effect, putting it in motion, and thereby actuating tho
hammer of a bell or gong, and so producing an audible signal. Between the
chamber and communicating tube is disposed a stop-cock or valve furnished
with a handle, so that it can be opened or closed by a passenger. The opening
of this tap or valvo will establish a communication between the chamber in
which the pressure of air is maintained, and the tubo of communication will
allow the air to rush through and produce the required signal in the guard's
vau. At same time that tho handle operating the tap or valvo establishes
the communication it releases a signal staff on the roof of the carriage, which
staff being under the influence of a spring rises up and stands erect on the
roof, being at once a signal to call the attention of the guard to the carriage
from whence tho signal proceeds and a permanent indication to detect the
delinquent should the signal have been mado mischievously. Instead
of rising upwards, the signal may be projected horizontally or otherwise
exhibited. Each compartment of a carriage is provided with a handle
connected by a rod with the lever or arin opening the air valve, and each

page_text: carriage is provided with like apparatus. The tube of communication I make
a permanent tube on the roof of each carriage, which permanent tubes are
placed in connection by short pieces of flexible tubes between the carriages,
such flexible tubes being furnished with metal or other sockets which slide
into each other, or they may be otherwise united. I either make these con-
nections in direct line with the permanent pipes at the roof of the carriages,
or I conduct the permanent pipes down at the ends to a position in which it
it will be convenient for the party coupling the carriages to couple such pipes
also; or the longitudinal permanent tubes may be under the floors of the
carriages, and the channel communicating the air-pressure chamber with such
tube carried down from the situation in which it may be disposed. The tube
of communication may be connected with a signal apparatus in the guard's
van in the rear at the one end and another at the engine, which may both bo
sounded by the guard by means of an apparatus at his disposal, or the guard
may have a separate pipe of communication by which he may sound a whistle
at the engine, producing the necessary supply and pressure of air in such pipe
by means of a rotary fan. The driver may also communicate with tho guard

page_text: on the back part and closes it immediately. It will bo obvious that with this
arrangement of valves, tho ono in front opposed to the force of the air entering
the funnel mouth will open and admit the pressure of air, while the one in the
rear will close, thereby always maintaining a pressure of air in the capacity a, a,
while the train is in motion. Immediately under the box or chamber a, a, is
a pipe d, d, of communication fitted to cach carriage, and having junction
picces e, c', at each end fitted so as to slide into each other and make a tight
joint. I prefer to employ gutta percha or india-rubber pipes stiffened
with internal wire for this purpose, as it will be flexible but will remain
stiff, so that the one part on the one carriage will always be presented to the
other, and at samo timo allow sufficient freedom of motion between the car-
riage for oscillation and for the motion of the buffers without disturbance of
the junction and air communication required; the surface of the india-rubber
being elastic will ensure the necessity fit to prevent the escapo of air. The
pipe d, d, has an opening f of communication at each compartment of the
carriage, which opening terminates and is flush with the sole of the box a, a;
each of such openings fis furnished with a valve g mounted on the end of an
arm h, which arm is fixed on an axis i fitted in a bearing in the roof of the
carriage and passing through inside, where a handle is fixed conveniently
accessible to the passengers. The valves are usually kept closed, but when a
passenger desires to signal the guard, ho moves the handle / so as to displaco
the valve g and open the passage f, thereby establishing communication between
the pipe d and the box or capacity a, in which the pressure of air is maintained
while the train is in motion, and thus establishing the same pressure in the
pipo das exists in a. Tho fore end of pipe d (that is at the front of tho
train) is plugged or stopped up so that the air entering from a into pipe d
passes to the rear of the train and to the guard's van, that being the only
egress for it. The air so conducted and emitted is disposed so as to act on
a fan or bucket wheel m mounted in the guard's van, and so impinge on it as
to impart rotary motion thereto. On the axis of the fan wheel m is mounted a
crank arm o, having a pin p, which every time it comes round in the revolution
of the wheel ni effects contact with part 2 of a double-cranked arm mounted
on a fulcrum at r; the other arm q' is furnished with a hammer 9, which
strikes a gong & every time it is lifted and released by pin p, and so sounds an
alarm.
The fan or bucket wheel M, I make of light material, and poise it deli-
cately, so that the slightest current of air from the pipo impinging upon it will
cause it to revolvo; to ensure this also the wheel m should be carefully pro-
tected from adverso currents by enclosure in a box from which the air is

page_text: allowed to escape by preference below the floor of the carriage, and guarded in
its escape so that it will not be opposed by a current of external atmosphere.
The vanes or buckets 2, 2, are made hollow, and open at the hinder part opposed
to receive the pressure of the air, while at the opposite or front part (the part
in advance while moving in the direction of the arrow) they are carried to a
sharp point to cleave and pass through the air more readily. In order that
the hammer t may allow of the vibration of the gong after striking the arm is
a little springy, and is allowed to fall on a stop u, which keeps it from actual
contact with the gong except under the influence of the blow, as well under-
stood in mounting bell hammers..
The cross section, Fig. 3, of the roof of the carriage shows more particularly
a semaphore signal to indicate from which compartment and carriage of a train
the signal proceeds from. For this purpose I enclose in a box A a board or
surface B, mounted on a rod C, fitted to slide in bearings D, D'; at the inner
end of rod C is a hook piece, which hooks on to a catch nib H, projecting from
the boss of arm h, see Fig. 2, which holds the board B in the inward position ;
a spring E is placed on stem C, bearing against D at the one end and the
collar Fon rod C. On moving handle to position to open valve 9 (seen
dotted in Fig. 2, and produce the signal in the guard's van by air pressure as
before described, the catch nib I releases the rod, when the board B flies out
to the dotted position, and remains so until returned by the guard or other
attendant of the train. Fig. 4 represents a partial lateral section, and Fig. 5a
partial cross section of the bucket wheel M on an enlarged scale.
v, v, is a second pipe of communication of smaller diameter, which I carry
under each carriage, and continue from the guard's van to the engine. It is
formed with flexible ends wand couplings a between each of the carriages,
which may slide into each other or be connected by screw or other couplings,
as will be readily understood, which are united at same time as coupling up
the carriages. The pipe v communicates with a whistle on the engine, and
is in connection with a fan blowing machine y in the guard's van. By turning
the hand wheel the guard will give rapid motion to the blowing fan y, and
cause the immediate sounding of the whistle before mentioned, and so attract
the attention of the driver either on his own account, or after having been
signalled by any of the passengers by means of the apparatus first herein
described in case it should be necessary to stop the train.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be pro-
tected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the means and
apparatus herein-before described in which the air pressure generated by

page_text: the force of the wind or by the progress of a train through the atmosphere is
employed to communicate a signal between distant parts of a railway train
while in motion by the means and in the manner herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, tho said James Adams, have hereunto set my
hand and soal, this Fifteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
JAMES ADAMS. (L.S.)