IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR. COMMUNICATING BETWEEN THE PASSENGERS AND GUARD, AND GUARD AND ENGINE DRIVER ON RAILWAYS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Conry, of the City of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Umbrella Manufacturer, for the Invention of
66
IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR. COMMUNICATING BETWEEN THE PASSENGERS AND
GUARD, AND GUARD AND ENGINE DRIVER ON RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 9th July 1861, and dated the 10th January 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Conry at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th January 1861.
I, JAMES CONRY, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Umbrella Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATING BETWEEN THE PASSENGERS AND
GUARD, AND GUARD AND ENGINE DRIVER ON RAILWAYS," to be as follows:-
I attach to the interior of each railway carriage a tube capable of sliding to
and fro, with a rod or slide inside thereof, by means of suitable bearers, so that
in case of danger, or when the passengers require to communicate with the
guard, any passenger by sliding the tube will give a signal to the guard, then
the guard by giving action or motion to the internal rod or slide will signal
the driver to stop the locomotive power. I place or fix also a tongue or
tongues or other suitable contrivance to act on the sliding tubes to prevent or
control the rolling, turning, or sliding action. To counteract or compensate

page_text: for the contraction and expansion of the buffers, I place an additional tube or
tubes on the aforesaid sliding tubes with a chain and coupling ring to hang
outside of each carriage, van, or truck so as to be easily connected. Or I use
any other coupling suitable for the purpose.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Conry in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
. 9th July 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
CONRY, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Umbrella
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said James Conry, Her special-license_that I, the said James
Conry, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as 1,
the said James Conry, 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 "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATING BETWEEN THE PASSENGERS AND
GUARD AND GUARD AND ENGINE DRIVER ON RAILWAYS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said James Conry, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, 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 James Conry, 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 and accompanying Drawings (that is to say) :-
:-
I place in the interior of each railway carriage a tube capable of sliding to
and fro in suitable bearings, which tube has one or more tongues or feathers
working in slots in the bearings, in order to prevent it from turning. In the

page_text: interior of each tube there is a rod or slide about the same length as the tube,
which with the rod projects through both ends of the carriage, at the ends
both of the tube and rod there are hooks and coupling links for the purpose of
coupling the tubes together independent of the rods, and the coupling the rods
together independent of the tubes; one of the extreme ends of the series of
tubes is connected with a signal in the guard's van, and one of the extreme
ends of the series of rods is connected with a signal on the locomotive or
tender, the other end being so placed that the guard can operate upon it. In
case of danger, or when the passengers require to communicate with the
guard, any passenger by sliding the tube will give him a signal, and, if neces-
sary, the guard will give motion to the internal rod or slide and signal the
engine driver to stop the locomotive.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
This improved apparatus will be clearly understood by referring to the
figures and letters on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in which Fig. 1 is
an external longitudinal view; and Fig. 2 a longitudinal section of one of the
tubes, with a rod in its interior; and Fig. 3 is a plan, shewing one arrange-
ment of couplings for connecting together the series of tubes, and also the
series of rods.
The tube is shewn at a, fitting bearings 6 fixed to the ends c of the carriage.
On the tubes are the tongues or feathers d, working in slots in the bearings b,
in order to prevent the tube from turning. The rod in the interior of the tube
is shewn at e, it has at each end snugs or projections f passing through slots g
in the tube, and thereby prevent its turning. At each end of the tube there
are snugs h, having jointed to them the hooks i, to which are linked the
couplings, by which means all the tubes move simultaneously. To the
snugs on the rods are jointed the hooks l, to which are linked the couplings m
for the purpose of moving all the rods together. The couplings and m have
right and left handed screws, which are turned either way, as required, by.the
milled heads n. The couplings may be varied, as desired, in form and arrange-
ment, and a portion of each may hang on the outside of each carriage, so that
they may easily be connected together.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be understood that I claim
as my Invention, and which to the best of my knowledge and belief has not
been hitherto used within the realm, the employment of a tube or tubes in
each railway carriage sliding in suitable bearings, and having in the interior of
each tube a rod or slide to enable the passengers to communicate with the

page_text: guard and the guard with the engine driver, as such improved apparatus is
herein described and illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Conry, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named James Conry, in the
presence of
E. J. HUGHES, Patent Agent,
Manchester.
JAMES CONRY. (L.s.)