Year: 1885

page_text: I, WILLIAM TILLEY of No 17 Goalgate Street Stafford in the County of
Stafford, Photographer do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be
as follows:-
This invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for indicating the
names of Stations and giving other information to passengers by which the
passengers are made aware in each compartment of the train at what station
the train may be at any particular time approaching or passing. These indicators
are also applicable for showing other similar information such for instance as
"Tickets already
All change" and other similar or needful matter.
""
"
I place in each coach pipes or cases with glass fronts the cases extending the
whole length of each coach and coupled up between each coach by Flexible piping.
These pipes or cases are placed at the upper part of the coach and are for the
purpose of drawing bands cords or pistons in either direction inside. These bands,
cords or pistons draw other bands which I call "
printing bands on which the
names of Railway Stations or other information are or is printed. These printing
bands are caused to run from the last coach to the first through the before men-
tioned pipes or cases by either drawing bands, cords or pistons, such pistons being
worked inside these pipes by either compressed air or by a partial vaccuum
created in the pipes on either side of a piston or pistons. Or a coiled or other
spring may be used in combination with multiplying wheels, such springs being
wound up when needed the apparatus for so doing being generally mounted in
the guard's van.
I print the name on the band from a type wheel which contains moveable type
so that they can be added or removed as occasion may require to form any name
of station or such like information which can be done as the train is going from
one station to the other or the information may be previously printed upon a band
ready for use and run out as the train proceeds from one station to another. In
the case of printing the name of the stations on the band as the train proceeds
I should prefer to use one coloured ink for the type wheel and another colour for
the surface of the band so that when the train has arrived at the station named
.

page_text: on the printing band I draw it back over the surface of a rubbing out material
such for instance as brushes or sponges thus errasing the old name ready for
another name before it passes to the drawing wheel.
It will be seen that any number of names may be printed at the proper distances
apart according to the number of compartments or coaches in a train so that each
compartment will receive the name of the station which will be seen through the
glass part of the pipe or case.
When I use drawing cords or bands without pistons to draw the printing band
I cause them to lie in the pipe or case and couple them up between each coach and
across the front end of the first coach to make one continuous length which passes
over pulleys up one side of the coaches and down the other the two ends being
made fast to the printing bands on the drawing wheel which is placed in the
guards van and which may be worked either by hand or otherwise.

page_text: Stations and Giving other Information to Passengers.
I, WILLIAM TILLEY of 17 Goalgate Street Stafford in the County of Stafford,
Photographer do hereby declare the nature of the said invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :—
This invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for indicating the
means of Stations and giving other information to Passenger by which the:
passenger are made aware in each compartment of the train at what station
the train will next stop or what station the train may be at any particular time
approaching or passing. These indicators are also applicable for showing other
similar information such for instance as "Tickets ready" "all change" and other
similar or needful matter.
I place in each coach pipes or cases with glass fronts extending the whole length
of each coach and coupled up between each coach by Flexible piping these pipes
or cases are placed at the upper part of the coach and are for the purpose of
drawing bands, Cords or Pistons in either direction inside.
These bands, cords or pistons draw other bands which I call "Printing bands"
on which the names of Railway stations or other information are or is printed.
These printing bands are caused to run from the last coach to the first through the
before mentioned pipes or cases by either drawing bands, cords or Pistons, such.
pistons being worked inside these pipes either compressed air or by a partial
Vacuum created in the pipes at one end by a piston or pistons one of which may
be in a second pipe or by a coiled spring and multiplying wheels such spring
being wound up when needed; the wheel for so doing being placed in the
guards van.
I print the name on the band from a Type wheel which contains moveable type
Bo that such type can be added to or taken from as occasion may require so as to
form any name of station or such like information which can be done as the train
is going from one station to the other or the names of stations and such like
information may be already printed upon a band ready for use and run out as
the train proceeds from one station to another. In the case of printing the name
of the stations on the band as the train proceeds I should prefer to use one coloured
ink for the type wheel and another colour the surface of the band so that when
the train has arrived at the station nained on the printing band I draw it back
over the surface of rubbing out material such as brushes or sponges thus erasing
the old name ready for another name before it passes to the drawing wheel.
It will be seen that any number of names may be printed at the proper distances
apart according to the number of compartments or coaches in a train so that each
compartment will receive the name of the station which will be seen through the
glass part of the pipe or case.
When I use drawing cords or bands without pistons to draw the printing band.
I cause them to lie in the pipe or case and couple them up between each coach
and across the front end of the first coach to make one continuous length which

page_text: passes over pulleys up one side of the coaches and down the other the two ends
being made fast to the printing bands on the drawing wheel which is placed in
the guards van and which may be worked either by hand or otherwise.
In order that my invention may be fully understood and more easily carried
into practice I have appended hereunto two sheets of drawings illustrating my
invention applied to any ordinary train.
On Sheet 1
Figure 1 shews an interior elevation of a carriage having four compartments
with the pipes running through and the guards van attached thereto containing
an arrangement for printing the names and drawing the printed band along either
by cords or by the band being coupled up.
Figure 2 is a plan of the guards van sbewing the above arrangement.
Figure 3 shews a plan of portions of a carriage and guard's van with an arrange-
ment for forcing the bands backwards and forwards by pistons,
On Sheet 2
Figure 4 shews a hose pipe coupling for connecting the pipe of one carriage with
that of another.
Figure 5 shews the piston or carrier for printing in the coupled up pipe from
a type wheel or for drawing the printing band.
Figure 6 shews an arrangement for printing direct in the pipes from a straight
row of type.
Figure 7 is an enlarged front view of the type wheel which is used for printing
the the bands in the case of the arrangement shewn by Figure 1 and
Figure 8 is a side view shewing the raised type F'.
The piston A and A¹ Figure 3 to which the printing bands are connected move
up and down the pipes G and G¹ either by compressed air or a partial vacuum
being created inside these pipes at the one end of the piston the pistons are drawn
the reverse way either by a second piston in another pipe at the other side of the
coach or by admitting the moving power to the other end of the piston the pistons
giving a signal by. ringing a bell when arrived at the end of the pipe these pistons
which are connected to the printing band H may also be drawn the reverse way
by the coil spring inside the drum B and multiplying wheels the springs being
wound up as the printing band is drawn of the drum wheel in that case pipes
are only used on one side of the coaches for the one piston to move up and down.
The coil springs and multiplying wheels may also be used for drawing the printing
band without having the piston in the pipes by using pipes and pistons only in
the guards van as shown in Figures 1 and 2 the pipes G and G¹ extending nearly
the length of the guards van for the pistons D and D¹ to move in and thereby
withdrawing the coils which are connected to the coil spring drums E and E¹
placed in the pipes and giving motion to the multiplying wheels e and e³ for the
purpose of drawing the printing bands backwards or forwards the names are
printed from the type wheels F see Figure 4 which contains the band F¹ having
on its surface rubber type or letters cut out the band being removeable and drawn
from the spindle f' to the spindle for vice versa for the purpose of printing any
name of a station or other information to be conveyed to railway passengers during
the time the train proceeds to the particular station to be named or the printing
band H may be run out with the name already printed on it in which case when
the name is printed on the band I use one coloured ink for the type wheel and
another coloured ink for the surface of the printing band in lines or patterns for
the purpose of mixing these two inks together or the printing surface may form
a background of the mixture on the surface on the band ready for the next set
of lines patterns and station name to be marked upon. Or I may apply an oily
or greasy ink to the surface of the printing band only for the types to leave the
impression in the greasy ink which would be applied to the printing surface by
roller, when lines or patterns are used I print from a white line wheel
When the train arrives at the station named, the printing band H is drawn back
over the surface of rubbing out material such as the brushes Jan J Figure 3 and

page_text: J Figure 1 or sponge felt or rollers to deface or. rub out the old name and as the
printing band is drawn back on to the wheel B Figure 1 or is forced is drawn
backwards by the piston I print on the band or bands H as many names of a
station as the are compartments in in coaches along the train at proper distances
apart for each compartment to receive a name to be seen through the glass parts g³
of the pipes or cases. The cords or bands may be used without pistons in which
case they lie in the pipes G when the coaches are uncoupled and when in use they
are coupled up by spring hooks or buttons between the coaches and cross the front
end of the first coach being passed over roller or pulleys with a grooved surface so
as to form one length and connected with the guard's van or other suitable coach
and may be moved by suitable power such as compressed air or a partial vacuum
obtained from an air or partial vacuum chamber K Figure 1 which receives its
supply from the compressed air or partial vacuum system of brakes, or the sup-
plying power of such brakes by pipes the chamber K being supplied with a valve
to open inwards when the brakes are worked by compressed air and when the
vacuum system of brakes are used the valve opens outwards the pipe K¹ runs from
this air or vacuum chamber to convey the power to the working cylinders C and C¹
or pipes H. Air or vacuum power is also used for coupling up the hose pipes
between the coaches for the purpose of allowing the pistons to move along from
one coach to another which is done by the hose pipe L being forced towards the
next coach by air or vacuum power being created in the cylinder which contains
the piston N and metal pipe N¹ this cylinder also contains a spiral spring O for the
purpose of drawing back the piston and metal pipe and to cause the pipes to be
drawn nearly straight from the one coach to the other after being coupled to the
next coach by the lever P with the spiral spring p' fast to it at its one end the
other end being fast to the coach.
The rubber surface to the flange of the metal on the coupling up end of the
hose piping passes over the flange 71 which is fast to the flange of the coach this
flange has the rubber surface the two rubber surfaces when pressed together
making an air tight joint the lever pressing upon it for the purpose of forcing the
flange of the hose pipe up to the rubber on the flange of the coach the hose pipe
flange having projecting pieces upon it for the lever to move the hose pipe flange.
To couple up this hose pipe I turn the power on for working the pistons by the
tap S which is made to turn one way for air pressure power and the other way for
vacuum power and each working power enters the cylinder by the separate inlet
pipes and 8 the air pressure going to the back end of the piston to force it
outwards and the vacuum power going to the front end of the piston to cause it to
move outwards, the power being kept in the cylinder till the hose pipe is fastened
to the next coach by pulling the handle P¹ of the lever P with the spiral spring
outwards far enough for the pieces on the hose pipe flange to pass the projection
pieces på on the lever P then on releasing the handle of the lever the projecting
pieces p of the lever will force the hose flange along by its projecting pieces
until both rubber surfaces to press together when the power tap is turned back to
the zero point where it is held by the spring catch S³ this will allow the atmo-
sphere to enter the cylinder at both ends of the piston when the spiral spring inside
the cylinder will exert its power by pulling the piston back and consequently the
hose pipe straight and if two coaches should part from their coupling while the .
hose pipe is coupled up the spiral springs at each end of the hose pipe will be
extended and the lever will be pulled outwards by the hose pipe and so liberate
itself from its coupled up end without damaging the hose pipe. I can arrange for
the various names to be printed in the pipe G as shown in Figure 5 in which case
a square side g³ is formed inside the pipe and opposite the glass front g¹ is the
portion g raised so that as the piston is drawn or forced along the type wheel
roller on the raised portion g₁ and prints the required information. The type
wheel is inked by the jockey roller t¹ working against the ink roller t² which runs
in the ink well and a further roller U is provided and inked in the same way
for running white lines while the brush J is provided for brushing off the previous

page_text: :
name and is operated by the wheel U falling into a recess and the levers V and V₁
are operated by the wheels v² and running in a recess which is arranged at the
particular points required, or it may be done similar to the above but with straight
rows of type which in this case are placed in the piston the action being as
follows as the piston is forced or drawn along the pipe G it revolves the wheel Y
and thereby winds up the band H which is attached thereto while at the same time
the type X as it passes over the wheel prints the name upon the band as soon as
the piston has passed the coil spring h¹ draws back the band until the printed
name is opposite the glass gl in the case W one of which is fixed in each com-
partment.
When the band is being drawn on to the wheel Y the sand wheel is depressed
by the piston sufficiently for the band to press against the brush J and thereby
cleaning off the old name ready for the next to be printed but as the band returns
after being printed the wheel Y is clear of the piston and therefore the brush J
does not then act upon the band.
The type X is inked by the wheel 3 supplied by the inkwell ¹ the wheel ³ is
for printing patterns upon the band if required and the wheel x is for depressing
the inkwell at the particular parts where it is not required to work.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is,
1st In apparatus for indicating the names of stations and giving other informa-
tion to passengers in railway coaches by means of cords or bands drawn through
the pipes or cases coupled together or by means substantially described as herein
Bet forth.
2nd In apparatus for indicating the names of stations and giving other informa-
tion to passengers in railway coaches of the arrangement for printing in various
colours and cleaning off any information either on bands or in the pipes or cases by
means substantially as herein set forth.