IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SIGNALLING OR COMMUNI- CATING BETWEEN THE PASSENGERS, DRIVERS, AND GUARDS OF RAILWAY TRAINS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Stewart, of Islington, in the County of Middlesex,
for the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SIGNALLING OR COMMUNI-
CATING BETWEEN THE PASSENGERS, DRIVERS, AND GUARDS OF RAILWAY
TRAINS"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Stewart at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th April 1876.
"IMPROVED
CHARLES STEWART, of Islington, in the County of Middlesex.
APPARATUS FOR SIGNALLING OR COMMUNICATING BETWEEN THE PASSENGERS,
DRIVERS, AND GUARDS OF RAILWAY TRAINS."
My Invention has for its object to provide a means of instantaneously signalling
or conveying an alarm from the passengers to the guard and driver of a railway
train, and it consists in the combination with part of the Invention described in a
former Patent granted to me, and dated September 22nd 1875, No. 3309, of an
electric circuit and apparatus for sounding a gong or bell in the guard's van and
another on the engine at the same time that the flag is displayed from the side of
the carriage whence the alarm proceeds.
According to my Invention a roller around which the signal flag is wrapped is
mounted on a horizontal axis or rod, fitted to slide outwards through an aperture
in the side of the carriage near the roof, said rod being connected to a spring or
springs so arranged as to be distended when the rod is pushed inwards, in which
position it is retained by means of a catch. To this catch is connected a cord which
passes through all the compartiments of the carriage just beneath the roof, or in any
other convenient position. On releasing the catch which retains any one of these
rods, by pulling the cord within the carriage the whole length of the flag roller
will be caused by the contraction of the spring or springs to project from the side of
the carriage, and the flag will 'unroll itself by its own gravity and indicate the
carriage whence the alarm proceeds. At the same time an electric circuit is completed
by the said outward movement of the rod bringing into contact two wires connected
with the two poles of an electric battery, and the electric current passes through
electro-magnets placed in the circuit, whose armatures are connected with the
striking mechanism of the bells or gongs in the guard's van, and on the engine as
aforesaid. The bells or gongs are sounded by the passage of the current, and the
IPrice 6d1

page_text: attention of the guard and driver is thereby attracted, the flag serving to point out
the situation of the carriage whence the alarm has proceeded. The flag can be
readily wound up again on its roller, the rod pushed home, and the apparatus reset
by the guard or other person.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said Charles Stewart in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th October
1876.
"
CHARLES STEWART, of Islington, in the County of Middlesex.
« IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR SIGNALLING OR COMMUNICATING BETWEEN THE PASSENGERS,
DRIVERS, AND GUARDS OF RAILWAY TRAINS."
My Invention has for its object to provide a means of instantaneously signalling
or conveying an alarm from the passengers to the guard and driver of a railway
train, and it consists in the combination with part of the Invention described in a
former Patent granted to me, and dated September 22nd 1875, No. 3309, of an
electric circuit and apparatus for sounding a gong or bell in the guard's van, and
another on the engine at the same time that the flag is displayed from the side of
the carriage whence the alarm proceeds.
The electrical circuit and apparatus are therefore substituted for the cord con-
nection described in my said former Patent, as running along the outside of the
carriages.
In Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings I have represented a view of the
casing containing the flag which is fitted inside the carriage as described in my
previous Patent.
According to my Invention a roller a around which the flag is wrapped is
mounted on a horizontal axis or rod b fitted to slide outwards through an aperture
in the side of the carriage near the roof, said rod being connected through a.
cross head to spring c, which are distended when the rod is pushed inwards, in
which position it is retained by means of catch d. To this catch a cord e is
connected, the cord passing through all the compartments of a carriage just beneath
the roof or in some other convenient position, so as to be available to every person in
such carriage. On releasing the catch which retains any one of the cords by pulling
the cord the whole length of the roller will be caused by the contraction of springs c
to project from the side of the carriage, and the flag being weighted at the bottom
will unroll itself by its own gravity and indicate the carriage whence the alarm
proceeds. So far the apparatus is the same as that described in my former Patent.
I will now describe the improvements of my present Invention:-At the same
time that the flag is displayed as above described an electric circuit is completed
by the outward movement of the rod b, connecting through the cross head i to
which the springs c are attached the two wires g and h, which wires are respectively
in connection with the two poles of an electric battery placed in the guard's van or
other convenient situation. For this purpose the inner side of the cross head i is
provided with a metal plate (Figure 2), and as the rod is projected outwards, this
plate will make contact with two metal springs 1, 1, connected respectively with
the wires g and h and fixed in the box or casing, and the electric current will pass
through electro-magnets placed in the circuit and located in the guard's van, and
on the engine whose armatures are connected with the striking mechanism of the
bells or gongs in the guard's van and on the engine as aforesaid. The construction
of these electro-magnets and alarm mechanism does not require particular descrip-
tion as it may be of any ordinary and known kind in use for other purposes.
The electric current may be thus made:-The wire g is connected with a wire
running along the top or other part of the carriages, and terminating at one of the
poles of the battery in the guard's van. The wire h is connected with the metal
framework of one of the wheels of the carriage, and the framework of the wheels

page_text: of the guard's van is likewise connected by a wire with the other pole of the battery.
The electric circuit is incomplete until the metal springs l, l, are connected by the
outward movement of the cross head i, when the electric current passes from one pole
of the battery to the other in the following manner (viz.)
:- -Along the wire placed
on the top or other part of the carriages along wire g, through the cross head i,
through the wire and the framework and wheel of the carriage, thence along the
iron rail over which the wheel is passing to the wheel of the guard's van, and
through the wheel and framework, and the wire connected to the other pole of the
battery. The wire described as running along the top or other part of the carriages
is fitted with hook and eye or other suitable connections between the carriages in
order that they may be readily coupled and uncoupled. The electric circuit instead
of passing through the rail as above mentioned inay also be made by a second
wire running along the top or other part of the carriages with connections like the
first, the two wires being connected with the two poles of the battery and with
the wires and before mentioned. In all cases the wires are covered like
ordinary telegraph wires. On a passenger giving an alarm by pulling the cord
within the carriage the flag is displayed, and the bells or gongs are sounded by the
passage of the current, and the attention of the guard and driver is thereby
attracted, the flag serving to point out the situation of the carriage whence the
alarm lias proceeded.
Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the combination with the carriage
indicating mechanism constructed as shown and described of electrical apparatus
for sounding an aların operating in connection therewith, substantially as set forth:
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Stewart, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eleventh day of October, in the year of our Lord Onc
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
CHARLES STEWART.
(L.S.)