IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATING BETWEEN THE GUARD AND ENGINE DRIVER OF RAILWAY TRAINS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Bleakley, of Accrington, in the County of
Lancaster, Machinist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR COMMUNICATING BETWEEN THE GUARD AND ENGINE DRIVER OF RAILWAY
TRAINS."
Sealed the 1st March 1859, and dated the 2nd September 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Bleakley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 2nd
September 1858.
I, JAMES BLEAKLEY, of Accrington, in the County of Lancaster, Machinist,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATING. BETWEEN THE GUARD AND ENGINE DRIVER OF
RAILWAY TRAINS," to be as follows:-
To form a communication or signal between the guard and engine driver of
a' train I fix an electric battery in the guard's van, and by means of a con-
tinuous connecting wire through the train I transmit the electric spark so as
to ignite and explode a detonating signal in the presence of the engine driver,
which draws his attention to the guard's van wherever it may be placed in the
train. I also make in the roof of the van a trapdoor or opening, and place the
necessary apparatus to enable the guard to hoist the usual day or night signals,
to enable the engine driver to understand the wishes of the guard. It is
evident that if found nécessary in practice by placing a battery within the

page_text: command of the engine driver he will have the power of communicating with
the guard. To form the necessary continuous connection through the train of
carriages I fix a wire permanently on each and every carriage, truck, or
tender, either at one or both of the sides, tops, or any convenient position,
making a small hook at each end, both of the said hooks to project a small
length beyond the carriage; to one or both of the said books I attach a con-
necting wire of sufficient length to allow for the distance between the two
carriages when connected, and to hang down by the side or end of the carriage,
so that before the train is put in motion the hanging piece of wire has only to
be inserted in the hook or loop of the end of the other carriage, so as to insure
contact with the permanent wire, which will be held in its place by means of
a hoop made of india-rubber or other suitable material. There will be no
trouble in disconnecting the wires, as when the carriages are separated the
wire will draw out of the elastic hoop and through the loop of the permanent
wire to hang down ready.to be connected again when necessary. It is evident
that if found desirable I can allow the wire communication to extend and
hang down at both ends or sides of the carriages instead of one, as described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Bleakley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd March 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
BLEAKLEY, of Accrington, in the County of Lancaster, Machinist, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors; give and.grant unto me, the
said James Bleakley, Her special licence that I, the said James Bleakley, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Bleakley, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATING BETWEEN THE GUARD AND ENGINE DRIVER OF RAIL-
WAY TRAINS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James

page_text: Bleakley, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly 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 James Bleakley, 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
(that is to say)
My Invention consists in forming communications or signals from or
between the guard and engine driver of railway trains by means of electricity,
magnetism, or other means, and for this purpose I place or suspend a galvanic
or magnetic battery in the guard's van, or in any other carriage forming part
of the train. I connect one or more telegraph wires along the sides of each
carriage, and connect the wires of each separate carriage together by twisting
the ends around each other, or in any other convenient manner, the said ends
being composed of small soft copper wire. I also make communications or
signals through any other electric or conducting medium, composing a portion
of such carriages, such as through the shackles or chains which unite or couple
the said carriages together, or through the rails or metals forming the per-
manent way. I also effect the same object by means of one or more new,
novel, and powerful breaks, which can be employed separately or in conjunction
with my improved telegraph..
.
The manner in which my improvements are to be performed will be clearly
understood by reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, with the
figures and letters thereon, such parts only being shewn as are necessary for
sufficient explanation.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a guard's van and two carriages having my
improvements attached; and Fig. 2, a plan with the bodies of the carriages
removed. a represents the guard's van, in which I place a suitable battery in
connection with the telegraph wires b, having suitable appliances, so that the
guard may, operate on the same either in the inside or on the outside of the
van or carriage, as circumstances may require, the telegraph wires extending
to the engine, and are there connected with such appliances, or entered into
such substances as to cause ignition, and thereby produce a peculiar flame; or
they are caused to act upon any detonating substance, and produce a loud
report; they may also operate upon the steam whistle, or act on any other
suitable matter or thing; in any case such communication or signal calls the
immediate attention of the engine driver to the guard's van, after which the

page_text: duty of the guard would be to turn the signal lamp or board c in such direction
that the engine driver would, at once understand what information the guard
wished to convey. A lighted lamp, with different colors of glass in each side
of the frame, will answer the purpose by night or in passing through long dark
tunnels, and the framework of the lamp painted in corresponding colors would
answer the purpose by day. The signal lamp c, shewn in the Drawing, can be
worked either from the inside or the outside of the van a. The reels or barrels d
are wound full of small soft copper wire, one end of which passes through a hole
or loop, or connected in any convenient manner at the end of the telegraph wires
on the side of each carriage, thereby connecting and insuring unbroken contact
with the battery. The employment of the reels or barrels is for the purpose
of maintaining the communication between the guard and engine driver, if one.
or more carriages should be detached from the train, such communication
being maintained until the coils of copper wire wound on the same are entirely-
exhausted, the distance depending on the length of the wire. The Figures
represent a supposed case of a guard's van detached by accident from the
other carriages.
As already stated the rails or metals forming the permanent way of the
railway may be employed as a medium for conducting the electric or magnetic
current. I also effect a communication between the guard and engine driver
by means of a break or breaks.
In Fig. 1, f represents the break blocks composed of wood and iron or
other suitable material, one part of the said blocks being hollowed circular,
so as to clip the wheels, and the other or bottom part formed so as to
slide upon the rails, but rounded at their ends, so as to avoid coming in
contact with the points of the rails or any projecting substance; g is a strong
centre shaft extending across the carriage, and working in the bearings h, fixed
to the framework of the carriage. On the centre shaft g are fitted the arms
or levers i, to which are coupled by joints or otherwise the arms j, which are
secured to the break blocks. The suspending rods k are attached at one of their
ends to the carriage, and at their other ends to the arms j, so as to guide the
break blocks against the peripheries of the carriage wheels, and also at the same
time against the rails or metals of the permanent way, and likewise on reversal
to take the blocks off the wheels and rails. On- the centre shaft g I fix an
arm 7, at the end of which is a boss or screwed nut, into which is fitted the
screwed end of the rod or shaft m, at the other end of which is fixed a bevil
wheel gearing into another bevil wheel, so that when motion is given to such
wheels or gear the rod m will revolve, thereby drawing forwards or forcing
backwards the arm 7, and force the break block against the carriage wheels

page_text: and rails at the same time, and also withdraw the same, according to which
direction motion may be given. The breaks may be worked or applied either
from the inside or outside of the carriage or van, as circumstances may
require. In consequence of the great power of the aforesaid breaks, it is
obvious that to apply more breaks than are attached to one carriage at the
same time would be to give too great a shock or check to the train in motion,
which disadvantage I remedy by an arrangement for applying in rapid
succession the breaks upon the several carriages, thereby accomplishing the
object without incurring the risk and danger of throwing the carriages off the
rails, or breaking the couplings which connect the carriages together, thus
ensuring a greater degree of safety to the passengers.
In the plan, Fig. 2, I shew the mode of working and applying the breaks
on the various carriages, either from the inside or outside of the guard's van,
the wheels n acting upon the breaks of the van. The wheels o act upon the
breaks of the first carriage when the rod p is in the socket q, and the wheels r
on the breaks of the second carriage, other carriages being acted upon by
means of other wheels and appliances, if required.
Having thus fully described the nature of my said Invention and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be distinctly
understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein set forth,
as such may be varied or modified without departing from the principle
thereof; but I claim as my Invention, and which to the best of my knowledge
and belief has not been hitherto used within the realm, the construction and
employment of the various improved meaus and appliances for communicating
between the guard's van and the engine driver of railway trains, as all such
improvements are herein described and illustrated in the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Bleakley, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this First day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
JAMES BLEAKLEY. (L.S.)
Signed; scaled, and delivered by the within-
named James Bleakley, in the presence of
E. J. HUGHES, Patent Agent,
Manchester.