A NEW OR IMPROVED KIND OF SIGNAL FOR COMMUNICATING BETWEEN PERSONS TRAVELLING IN RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND THE GUARDS OR CONDUCTORS OR OTHER OFFICIALS IN CHARGE FOR THE TIME OF THE TRAIN OF WHICH SUCH CARRIAGES FORM PART
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Burd Hill, residing at Springbank, Stirling, in
the County of Stirling, in Scotland, for the Invention of "A NEW OR
IMPROVED KIND OF SIGNAL FOR COMMUNICATING BETWEEN PERSONS TRAVELLING
IN RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND THE GUARDS OR CONDUCTORS OR OTHER OFFICIALS
IN CHARGE FOR THE TIME OF THE TRAIN OF WHICH SUCH CARRIAGES FORM
PART."
Sealed the 13th June 1865, and dated the 12th January 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Burd Hill at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 12th
.January 1865.
I, JOHN BURD HILL, residing at Springbank, Stirling, in the County of
Stirling, in Scotland, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"A NEW OR IMPROVED KIND OF SIGNAL FOR COMMUNICATING BETWEEN PERSONS
TRAVELLING IN RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND THE GUARDS OR CONDUCTORS OR OTHER
OFFICIALS IN CHARGE FOR THE TIME OF THE TRAIN OF WHICH SUCH CARRIAGES FORM
PART," to be as follows:-
A board or boards, plate or plates, or flat piece or pieces of wood, iron, or
other suitable material, and of any dimensions which may be suitable to be
carried on the outside of the roof of every passenger railway carriage or com-
partment thereof, and to be capable of turning either upon horizontal hinges

page_text: or about an axis in any convenient position. The ordinary position of each
such board or plate will be either lying flat or standing edgeways towards the
guard or other official. By means of a cord, handle, or other suitable appa-
ratus any person inside the carriage who wishes to communicate with such
official may cause the board or plate to turn flatwise towards the guard or
other official so as to be seen by him by day, or to conceal a light from him
by night. The way of effecting this, which I prefer, is as follows:-The
board or plate to be connected with the roof at the one end by strong elevator
spring hinges, or by hinges and separate spring so placed as when unfastened
at the other end would elevate or raise the board or plate to an upright posi-
tion. The other and opposite end to be so constructed as to admit of its
being fastened by means of a loop or other suitable fastening to pass through
to the inside roof of the carriage, and a bolt or other apparatus to be operated
on from the interior of the carriage. When such loop and bolt or other appa-
ratus are fastened and not operated on, the board or plate will lie flat on the
roof of the carriage, but the bolt or other fastening being withdrawn by
operating on the apparatus from the interior of the carriage, the board or
plate will rise or spring upwards into an upright or perpendicular position, be
locked erect, and remain in that position till again shut down. The signal
being thus visible to the guard, conductor, or other official accompanying the
train he may respond either by passing along to the carriage or compartment
to which it is attached, or by bringing the train to a stand. During daylight
the board or plate when erect will be easily seen by the guard, conductor, or
other official, and during night or in darkness such an arrangement of lights
can be made as may be most suitable for showing when the boards or plates
are erect, for example, a box or foot light, or lamp with lighted face towards
the guard, and furnished with strong reflectors (the dimensions of which box
or foot light, or lamp, may be such as to suit the carriages or the boards or
plates, and the position in which the latter are placed on the former) may be
placed on the top of the fore part of the first carriage, or on the tender or
engine, so that when a signal board has sprung a part of the light from the
box or foot light or lamp will be obsoured, and the existence of an obstruction
easily seen by the guard, conductor, or other official. The boards or plates,
and the lights or glasses of the lamps could be painted or colored with such
colors as may be most suitable.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Burd Hill in the Great Seal Patent Office or the
8th July 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
BURD HILL, residing at Springbank, Stirling, in the County of Stirling, in
Scotland, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of January, 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 John
Burd Hill, Her special license that I, the said John Burd Hill, my execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Burd
Hill, 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 "A New OR IMPROVED KIND OF SIGNAL
FOR COMMUNICATING BETWEEN PERSONS TRAVELLING IN RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND THE
GUARDS OR CONDUCTORS OR OTHER OFFICIALS IN CHARGE FOR THE TIME OF THE TRAIN
OF WHICH SUCH CARRIAGES FORM PART," upon the condition, amongst others, that I,
the said John Burd Hill, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the saine 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 John Burd Hill, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, that is to say:-
My Invention consists in the use of a board or boards, plate or plates, or flat
piece or pieces of wood, iron, or other suitable material, and of any dimensions
which may be suitable for being carried on the outside of the roof of every
passenger railway carriage or compartment thereof, and so constructed as to
bo capable of being made to spring up or to turn either upon horizontal
hinges or about an axis in any convenient position by means of a cord, handle,
or other suitable apparatus placed or suspended inside the carriage in such a
way that any person inside the carriage who wishes to communicate with such

page_text: official may cause the board or plate to spring up or turn flatways towards the
guard or other official so as to be seen by him by day, or to conceal a light
from him by night. The ordinary position of each such board or plate will
be either lying flat on the outside roof or standing edgeways towards the
guard or other official. The way which I prefer is as follows:-The board
or plate to be connected with the roof at the one end by strong elevator spring
hinges, or by hinges and separate spring so placed as when unfastened at the
other end would elevate or raise the board or plate to an upright position.
The other and opposite end to be so constructed as to admit of its being
fastened by means of a loop or other suitable fastening passing through to the
inside roof of the carriage, and a bolt or other apparatus to be operated on
'from the interior of the carriage. When such loop and bolt or other appa-
ratus are fastened and not operated on, the board or plate will lie flat
on the roof of the carriage, but the bolt or other fastening being with-
drawn by operating on the apparatus from the interior of the carriage the
board or plate will rise or spring upwards into an upright or perpendicular
position, be locked erect and remain in that position till again shut down.
The signal being thus visible to the guard, conductor, or other official accom-
panying the train he may respond or act either by passing along to the
carriage or compartment to which it is attached, and so communicate with the
party or parties within, or by bringing the train to a stand and then proceed-
ing to the carriage indicated. During daylight the board or plate when erect
will be easily seen by the guard, conductor, or other official, and during night
or in darkness such an arrangement of lights can be made as may be most
suitable for showing when the boards or plates are erect.
For example, a
box or footlight, or lamp with lighted face towards the guard, and furnished
with strong reflectors (the dimensions of which box or foot light, or lamp, may
be such as to suit the carriages, or the boards and plates and the position in
which the latter are placed on the former) may be placed on the top of the
fore part of the first carriage, or on the tender or engine, so that when a
signal board has sprung a part or the whole of the light from the box or foot
light, or lamp, according to its relative dimensions or position will be obscured,
and the existence of an obstruction easily seen by the guard, conductor, or
other official. The boards or plates, and the lights or glasses of the lamps
could be painted or colored with such colors as may be most suitable.
What I claim as my Invention is, the application of the foregoing combina-
tion or arrangement of apparatus for the purpose of communicating signals
as before mentioned, and the mode of shewing any movement of the boards

page_text: or plates during night or in darkness by the obscuring of light in the manner
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Burd Hill, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of July, in the year of our Lord
Eighteen hundred & sixty-five.
JOHN B. HILL. (L.S.)