IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATING BETWEEN THE GUARDS AND THE ENGINE DRIVERS OF RAILWAY TRAINS
Year: 1864

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Edward Wyburd Furrell, at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 14th
May 1864.
I, EDWARD WYBURD FURRELL, of Marlborough Hill, Saint John's Wood,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS
FOR COMMUNICATING BETWEEN THE GUARDS AND THE ENGINE DRIVERS OF RAILWAY
TRAINS," to be follows:-
A pulley of adequate size marked A, on the accompanying. Drawing is to
be fixed within the reach of the guard from the opening in the door on
the side of the break van, such pulley is to be fitted with a handle (a) by
which the guard may turn the same on its spindle, and also with a socket (b)
to receive a bolt (c), fitted on the break van in proximity to the pulley for
staying its revolution when required. A guide pulley B is to be fitted on the
lower framing of the break van in a position relatively with pulley A, shewn on
the Drawing. Both pullies are to be deeply grooved on their circumference;
pulley A so deeply as to allow of its receiving a sufficient coil of the cord of
communication. At a convenient part of the steam chest of the locomotive
a cock C is to be fixed; from this cock a pipe D, D, is carried perpendicularly
downwards and its lower extremity made to support and communicate with
a steam whistle, the position of which will be at the side, and below the top
edge of the engine frame in a horizontal line with guide pulley B, on the

page_text: break van; the spindle of the cock of this whistle is fitted with a segment
and lever F, F, (cast in one piece) by means of which the opening and
closing. of the whistle is effected; the segment is grooved deeply on its
circumference, and the lever is furnished with a sliding weight (d) capable of
being adjusted to any required gravity; cock C will ordinarily be kept open
to allow the passage of steam to the whistle; its use is to enable the engine
driver, if need be, to shut off steam from the whistle.
The cord of communication (0, 0, 0,) is to be composed to four-fifths of its
length of light wire rope or other suitable inelastic material either in a
single length or in several lengths coupled together as may be found most
convenient; the remaining one-fifth of the cord to be composed of vulcanized
india-rubber or other suitable elastic material; the inelastic and elastic
material to be so united as to be capable of separation and junction at
pleasure, and the proportions before-mentioned may be varied to suit the
requirements of practice. The cord at its inelastic end is to be attached by
a hook to a pin at the extremity (1) but when the engine is reversed at
extremity (2) (see Drawing) of the segment on the whistle and thence
carried along the line of carriages round the guide pulley B and up to the
groove on the circumference of pulley A, where it is again attached by its
elastic end by a hook to a pin, and it is then wound upon pulley A, until
the weight and lever on the whistle are brought, as shewn in Drawing at (e, e,)
to a horizontal position; the whistle being then closed the further progress of
the weight and lever is checked by a suitable stop on the spindle of the cock
of the whistle; pulley A is then prevented from revolving by means of the
bolt (c). The cord is to be passed through guide rings (f, f, f.) placed at
suitable intervals on the carriages for confining it as close as expedient to the
iron brackets supporting the lower continuous steps of the carriages.
When it is desired to signal the driver, the bolt (c) is to be withdrawn, upon
which pulley A being at liberty to revolve, the weight and lever on the whistle
will fall to a vertical position, as shewn in red lines on Drawing at (9, 9, 9,)
thereby opening the whistle and effecting the signal. The falling of the weight
attached to the lever on the whistle might be made to strike a bell fitted in
suitable proximity in lieu of sounding a whistle, in which case the whistle
itself and the cock and pipe of communication with the steam chest would
become unnecessary and be altogether dispensed with.