IMPROVED APPARATUS OR MEANS FOR SECURING THE SAFETY OF PERSONS TRAVELLING BY RAILWAY TRAINS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Coleman Defries, of the Firm of Jonas Defries
and Sons, of Houndsditch, in the City of London, Manufacturer, for
the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS OR MEANS FOR SECURING THE
SAFETY OF PERSONS TRAVELLING BY RAILWAY TRAINS."
Sealed the 27th July 1866, and dated the 31st January 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Coleman Defries at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the.
31st January 1866.
I, COLEMAN DEFRIES, of the Firm of Jonas Defries and Sons, of
Houndsditch, in the City of London, Manufacturer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS OR MEANS FOR
SECURING THE SAPETY OF PERSONS TRAVELLING BY RAILWAY TRAINS," to be
as follows:-
The first part of my Invention relates to a means of communication
between the passenger and guard and guard and driver of a railway train,
for which purpose I propose attaching to the roof of each carriage a signal,
which will be either a plain piece of wood or metal, or in preference a glass
or lens set in a strong frame. This signal will pivot on one of its ends, and
when not signalizing will be held in a vertical position by means of a spring
catch, but when in action it will fall and project over the side of the car-
riage. The spring catch when holding the signal in a vertical position wil!
be caught by a lever, which will also be in connection with the detent of a
spring roller, from which a cord or wire will pass to an alarm placed in the

page_text: guard's van. From the aforesaid lever a cord will pass to the inside of the
carriage, or the lever will be placed in connection with a spring catch, the
knob or handle of which will be within reach of the passenger. When the
passenger pulls the cord or presses the knob the lever will retire from the
spring catch which holds the signal in a vertical position, and this latter
will fall by its own weight and project over the side of the carriage; at the
same moment the lever will have lifted the detent of the spring roller, and
this latter winding up its cord will release the hammer of the alarm or
gong in the guard's van, and on the guard looking along the edge of the
roof of the train the projecting signal indicates to him the carriage from
which the alarm has been sounded. At night lamps with reflectors will be
so placed as to cast a strong light on the signal when it has fallen. When
the alarm has been sounded the guard may by means of a similar spring
roller and cord strike a gong or ring a bell on the engine, and communicate
with the driver by means of signals of coloured glass, which he can place
in front of a lamp at the side of his van.
In order that the guard may ascertain the cause of the alarm before
stopping the train, I propose to enable him to pass without danger to him-
self from one carriage to the other throughout the train by furnishing his
van and every carriage with a sliding panel or door opening in the middle
or at the side of each end of the carriage, and with a bridge which he may
lower on opening the panel. The panel or door will not come lower than
the passenger's seat, so that he will merely have to rise to permit the
guard to step over it, and the guard will touch a bell before opening the
door of communication in order not to alarm the passengers by his sudden
appearance among them. The bridge will be provided with a rail to further
ensure the safety of the guard.
The next part of my Invention relates to a means of preventing the
numerous accidents which arise from passengers leaving a train before it
has ceased to move. For this purpose I propose fitting a staple on to the
interior of the opening side of each carriage door, and passing a rod or
bar lengthwise through the carriage, the said rod or bar having catches or
bolts at intervals, and when the carriages are coupled these bars or rods
are also coupled with a rigid joint. The bar which is in the guard's van
carries a rack into which gears a toothed pinion, or a lever is fastened on
to it, the fulcrum of the lever being but a short distance from the bar, as
the movement required is but slight. The train having left a station and
the doors being closed by the porters, the guard by turning a crank or
moving the lever causes the rods to move forward or backward (according to

page_text: the position of his van), and the bolts enter the staples and secure all the
doors. When the train has arrived at the next station and is completely
stopped, by reversing the movement the bolts leave. the staples and the
doors may be re-opened.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters, Patent,
filed by the said Coleman Defries in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 31st July 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, COLEMAN
DEFRIES, of the Firm of Jonas Defries and Sons, of Hounsditch, in the
City of London, Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-
ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Coleman Defries, Her special licence that
I, the said Coleman Defries, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Coleman Defries, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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 OR MEANS FOR SECUR-
ING THE SAFETY OF PERSONS TRAVELLING BY RAILWAY TRAINS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Coleman Defries, my executors or admi-
nistrators, 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 Coleman Defries, 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 :-
The first part of my Invention relates to means of communication between
passenger and guard in railway trains and the latter with the engine

page_text: driver; the second to means enabling the guard to pass from his van to any
part of the train (while in motion); and the third to apparatus for fastening
the doors of carriages when closed and releasing them that they may be
opened when required.
I will first describe the means or apparatus I employ to facilitate com-
munication between the passenger and guard and the latter with the driver.
I attach to the roof as near one edge thereof as possible a signal composed
of a plain piece of wood or metal, or (which I prefer) a glass or lens set
in a strong metal frame. This signal pivots on one of its ends, and when
not in action is either held in a vertical position by means of a spring catch
or is pushed into a socket or rest by the guard after it has performed its
duty as signal. But when signalizing it projects beyond the top edge of
the carriage, and thus shews the. guard where his services are required.
When the spring catch is used it holds the signal in a vertical position until
it is caught by a lever also in connection with the detent of a spring roller,
from which a chain, cord, or wire passes to an alarm (of the ordinary cha
racter of a clock alarm, but of greater power,) placed in the guard's van.
I would here observe that a signal is placed at every compartment of each
carriage of a railway train. Inside each compartment hangs a pulley, or
it may be, if preferred, a knob, lever, or crank, which is connected with the
signal and consequently with the alarm apparatus, and it is so placed as to be
within reach of every passenger in the train. When a passenger pulls at
the pulley, presses the knob, or turns the lever or crank, the lever before
mentioned retires from the spring catch, which till then holds the signal
in a vertical position, and this latter falls by its own weight, projecting
over the carriage roof; at the same moment the lever will have lifted
the spring, and this latter acting upon the chain, cord, or wire releases the
spring or hammer of the alarm in the guard's van, who at this intimation
looks along the edge of the roofs of the carriages forming the train, and
the projecting signal indicates the carriage and compartment from which
the alarm has been sounded. At night lamps placed on a line horizontally
even with the signals when they are in projection cast a strong light on the
signal when it has fallen. If when the before-mentioned alarm has sounded
the guard desires to communicate with the driver, he may do so by appa-
ratus similar to that above described (excluding the disc apparatus), com-
municating with a similar alarm placed on the engine or tender; and when
the guard has attracted the attention of the driver he communicates with
him in the daytime by means of different colored flags, the color desig-
nating what is required, and at night lenses or glasses of different colors in

page_text: frames are placed in a box before a lamp, and the signal given by raising.
the colored glass that designates stop, go slow, and other cautions:
The second part of my Invention is required because bridges over tlie:
permanent way of British railways and other erections at its sides are so;
constructed as not to permit the passage of the guard of railway trains
along the sides of the vehicles composing: such train in order that they inay:
ascertain the cause of any alarm or signal given without danger of being
crushed. For remedy I furnish his van and every carriage of a train with:
a sliding panel.or door, opening either in the middle or at either side of
each-carriage at the ends thereof, in combination with a bridge or suspended;
bridge of sufficient length to span, or nearly so, the interval between the.
carriages when they are coupled up. The panel does not come lower than
the seat of the passenger, so that he merely rises to permit the guard to:
step over it, who will touch a spring bell before opening the door, in order
not to alarm the passengers by his. sudden appearance among them. There.
are guide cords of elastic material so placed on each carriage that when
the guard lets down the bridge he can affix the end of the cord, which is
furnished with a hook, into a staple in the opposite or fronting vehicle. Or
the bridge may be dispensed with, and in such case metal projections are.
fitted to the projections of each carriage immediately or nearly over the
coupling chains on which the guard steps, being supported by the guide
ropes or straps, which, being of strong but elastinc material, are always
sufficiently rigid to steady him while he opens the sliding panel before
him.
The third part of my Invention relates to securing the doors of railway.
carriages when in motion, and thus preventing the numerous accidents
which arise from passengers leaving a train before it has ceased to move.
To effect this purpose I fit a staple on the interior of the opening side.
of each carriage door, and pass a rod or bar lengthwise through the car-
riage, said rod or bar having catches or rods at intervals, and when the
carriages are coupled these bars or rods are also coupled with a rigid joint.
The bar which is in the guard's van carries a rack, into which gears a
toothed pinion, or a lever is fastened on to it, the fulcrum of the lever being
but a short distance from the bar, as the movement required is but slight.
The train having left a station, the doors being closed by the porters, the
guard by turning a crank or moving the lever causes the rods to move
forwards or backwards (according to the position of his van), and the bolts
enter the staples, thus securing all the doors. When the train has arrived
at the next station and is completely stopped, by reversing the movement

page_text: above described the guard causes the bolts to leave the staples, and the
doors can be opened in the usual manner, or can be made to open of them-
selves either by the aid of a spring or by placing one of the hinges out of
the perpendicular.
The first part of this Invention may be modified by attaching the sig
nalizing disc to the end of a metal rod carrying a strong spiral spring (both
being enclosed in a tube and together with the disc.placed horizontally in
a box within the compartment, and just beneath (or above) the roof of the
carriage). A double 'crank lever pivots at the side of the tube, one crank
being in connection with the alarm chain and the bell pull hanging in the
compartment, and the other.having a handle running parallel with the tube
to the outside of the box and carriage. To set the signal the disc is
pushed (inwards), a pin on its rod compresses the spiral spring, and the lever
being then pulled over by its handle one crank comes in front of the pin
on the rod and retains the disc in its box. On drawing down the bell pull
the crank lifts from before the pin, the disc is shot out by the spiral spring,
and the chain by which the lever is attached to the alarm chain being
lowered by the same movement this latter runs over its pulleys and sounds
the alarm in the guard's van, as before described.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and means by
which it is carried into practical effect, I would have it distinctly understood
that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein given or set forth,
nor to any proportions of parts in relation to other parts, as they may be
varied to suit the circumstances of particular cases, nor do I lay claim to
any of the parts of apparatus or mechanism herein-before directed to be
used or employed in carrying out my Invention taken as parts and not put
together or used in combination or for the purposes of my Invention of
* Improved Apparatus or Means for Securing the Safety of Persons Tra-
velling by Railway Trains," the whole substantially as herein-before
described.
"
In witness whereof, I, the said Coleman Defries, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
COLEMAN DEFRIES. (L.S.)