Im- PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SIGNALLING ON RAILWAY TRAINS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John O'Neill, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Billiard Table Manufacturer, for the Invention of "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SIGNALLING ON RAILWAY TRAINS."
Scaled the 3rd January 1873, and dated the Sth July 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John O'Neill at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th July 1872.
I, JOHN O'NEILL, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Billiard
Table Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SIGNALLING ON RAILWAY TRAINS," to be
as follows:
The object of my Invention is to provide simple, durable, and inex-
pensive apparatus applicable to existing railway carriages and systems,
whereby by a novel arrangement and action of chains, hanging latches,
and weights, attached to each carriage and coupled between carriages or

page_text: vehicles motion can be transmitted from one part of a train to another,
say from the guard to the driver, and vice versa, or from the passengers
to the guard or driver, to ring an alarum bell or otherwise to give an
audible or visible signal. .
Two lines of main chains, or chains and rods and weights are fitted to
each carriage to allow of proper coupling when carriages are turned, and
to allow the guard and driver to communicate by a line independent of
the passengers' signalling line. If however a train is not required to be
broken up one line will be sufficient.
Each main chain or chain and rod is suspended from the frame of the
carriage and is coupled to the main chain on the next vehicle or vehicles.
At each corner there is affixed a box with a hanging latch. One end of
each chain is attached to the lower end of the hanging latch, and the
other end is attached to a weight. Each weight is supported or held in
a box by a hanging latch. Upon lifting one hanging latch its weight is
released; this raises the hanging latch in the next box, releases its weight,
and so on from hanging latch to hanging latch by weight and main
chain or chain and rod to the engine or guard's van, according as the
apparatus is arranged and it is desired to send the message forwards or
backwards. Instead of four boxes with hanging latches and weights for
a double signalling line being used, two hanging latches, one at opposite
diagonal corners, may be employed, or only one box may be used on
each carriage for a single signalling line.
о
A chain or connection is led from each compartment of a carriage and
is attached to the main chain so as to move the latter when force is 2
applied. A semaphore is so attached as to show at a glance the carriage
and the compartment thereof from which the message has been sent.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John O'Neill in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 8th January. 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
O'NEILL, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Billiard Table
Manufacturer, send greeting.
3

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John O'Neill, Her special licence that I, the
said John O'Neill, my exccutors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said John O'Neill, 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
SIGNALLING ON RAILWAY TRAINS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John O'Neill, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly 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 John O'Neill, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of
illustrative Drawings and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that
is to say :-
The object of my Invention is to provide simple, durable, and inex-
pensive apparatus applicable to existing railway carriages and systems,
whereby by a novel arrangement and action of chains, hanging latches,
and weights, attached to each carriage and coupled between carriages or
vehicles, motion can be transmitted from one part of a train to another,
say from the guard to the driver, and vice versa, or from the passengers
to the guard or driver, to ring an alarum bell or otherwise to give an
audible or visible signal.
Two lines of main chains or chains and rods and weights are fitted to
cach carriage, to allow of. proper coupling when carriages are turned,

page_text: and to allow the guard and driver to communicate by a line independent
of the passengers' signalling line. If, however, a train is not required to
be broken up one line will be sufficient.
Each main chain or chain and rod is suspended from the frame of the
carriage and is coupled to the main chain on the next vehicle or vehicles.
At each corner there is affixed a box with a hanging latch. One end of
each chain is attached to the lower end of the hanging latch, and the
other end is attached to a weight. Each weight is supported or held in
a box by a hanging latch. Upon lifting one hanging latch its weight is
released; this raises the hanging latch in the next box, releases its
weight, and so on, from hanging latch to hanging latch by weight and
main chain or chain and rod to the engine or guard's van, according as
the apparatus is arranged and it is desired to send the message forwards
or backwards. Instead of four boxes with hanging latches and weights
for a double signalling line being used, two hanging latches, one at
opposite diagonal corners, may be employed, or only one box may be
used on each carriage for a single signalling line.
A chain or connection is led from each compartment of a carriage and
is attached to the main chain so as to move the latter when force is
applied. A semaphore is so attached as to show at a glance the
carriage and the compartment thereof from which the message has been

page_text: compartment of a carriage; jare semaphores, working on pivots k and
attached to the chains / by pieces l. On any one of the chains being
pulled by a passenger a semaphore is raised and retained in position by
its detent m. o are covers for boxes a; p are pullies for supporting.
rods and chains. In this view the chain is shown as pulled; the sema-
phore j has thereby been raised and has allowed the weights ƒ³ and f*
to fall.
If it is desired that communication should only take place between
the engine driver and guard or guard and engine driver, and not be
available for use by passengers, I provide the chains with hooks, so
that they can be disengaged from the rods 2, or I make use of catches q
which hook into the chains and so prevent motion being communicated
therefrom to the rods c.
In practice two lines of motion communicators are used, having the
weight boxes fixed at diagonal corners of the carriages, so that the lines
of communication shall be continuous in whatever position the carriages
are placed. One line is thus used for communicating signals between
passengers and guard, the other between guard and engine driver only.
In Fig. 2 my apparatus is shown attached in the position which I
prefer to a guard's van, passenger coach, and locomotive tender. Here
1 are the weight boxes, shown projecting beyond the ends of the cars to
give the weights clear falling space; 2, line of communication from
passengers to guard; 3, semaphores; 4, line of communication between
guard and engine driver, and is as delineated on the opposite side of the
cars to 2.
When a truck or vehicle of like description is interposed between two
passenger coaches I support the connecting chains between the coaches
on arms attached to the said truck or other vehicle to prevent excessive
slack. The arms are made to fold along the side of the truck when not
in usc.
It will be obvious that a lamp instead of a semaphore might be
brought into view for night service.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and particu-
larized the same by details which answer well in practice, I claim, the

page_text: apparatus or appliances, substantially as herein described, operating in
the manner and for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John O'Neill, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Seventh day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
In the presence of
JAMES JOHNSON,
Clerk to J. T. King,
4, Clayton Square,
Liverpool.
JOHN O'NEILL. (L.S.)