IMPROVED ARRANGEMENTS FOR COMMUNICATING BETWEEN THE PASSENGERS, GUARDS, AND ENGINE DRIVERS OF RAILWAY TRAINS.”
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Reilly, of the New Globe Chair and
Cabinet Works, Barrack Street, Hulme, Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVED ARRANGEMENTS FOR
COMMUNICATING BETWEEN THE PASSENGERS, GUARDS, AND ENGINE DRIVERS OF
RAILWAY TRAINS.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Reilly at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th February 1872.
I, JAMES REILLY, of the New Globe Chair and Cabinet Works,
3 Barrack Street, Hulme, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED ARRANGE-
MENTS FOR COMMUNICATING BETWEEN THE PASSENGERS, GUARDS, AND ENGINE
DRIVERS OF RAILWAY TRAINS," to be as follows :–

page_text: the top a flanged pulley, the shaft passing through the roof of the
carriage, so that the pulley shall be outside and the crank handle inside.
Each pulley has a horizontal hole in the centre, and through these holes
in the pulleys is passed a single cord extending from one end of the
train to the other, and having one end connected to the arm or body of the
guard, and the other end to the arm or body of the engine driver when
the train is in motion, the cord being of sufficient length to allow for
the expansion of the train and also to allow the guard and driver to
attend to their ordinary duties. When a signal is wanted to be given
the passenger by means of the crank handle turns a pulley in either
direction, the effect of which is to wind the cord on the pulley and give
pulls or signals both to the guard and driver, there being some part of
the cord which would give way in case it was pulled too hard.
In another arrangement I dispense with the pulleys and use an
ordinary cord in one length passed along the train through metal eyelets
screwed in the sides of the carriages sufficiently close to keep the cord
from bagging and have the ends of the cord connected to the guard and
engine driver, so that when the slack of the cord is pulled up signals
will be given to them. Or I pass through a small hole in the side of
each compartment of the carriage a metal rod having a knob in the
inside and an eyelet at the outside, and through these eyelets is passed
a cord in one length having its ends connected to the guard and driver,
and when a signal has to be given a passenger by simply pulling the
knob can draw in the cord and give the required signal, and I employ
similar continuous cords and connections for giving signals to the guards
and engine drivers of goods and passenger trains, if by the breakage of a
coupling or other cause the train should be parted asunder, and in all
the arrangements instead of connecting the rods to the guards and
drivers they may be made to work steam whistles or other well known
1
sionals
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Reilly in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th August 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
REILLY, of the New Globe Chair and Cabinet Works, Barrack Street, ;
Hulme, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of February in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said James Reilly, Her special license, that
I, the said James Reilly, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said James Reilly, 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 ARRANGEMENTS FOR COM-
MUNICATING BETWEEN THE PASSENGERS, GUARDS, AND ENGINE DRIVERS OF RAILWAY
TRAINS," upon the condition, amongst others, that I, the said James
Reilly, 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 Reilly, 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 Figures on the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings, and to the letters of reference marked
thercon (that is to say) :-
One of my improved arrangements for passenger trains consists in
placing in each compartment of the carriage a vertical shaft or spindle
having at the bottom a crank handle and on the top a flanged pulley,
the shaft passing through the roof of the carriage, so that the pulley shall
be outside and the crank handle inside. Each pulley has a horizontal
hole in the centre, and through the holes of the several pulleys is passed.
a single string or cord extending from one end of the train to the other,
and having when the train is in motion one end connected to a button
on the dress or the arm or body of the guard, and the other end to a
button on the dress or to the arm or body of the engine driver, the string
being of sufficient length to allow for the expansion of the train and also.
to allow the guard and driver to attend to their ordinary duties.

page_text: On the accompanying Sheet of Drawings Fig. 1 is a side view of part
of a railway train provided with this arrangement for signalling to the
guard and engine driver; Fig. 2 a plan of part of the same, and Fig. 3
an enlarged section of some of the parts; and a represents the string or
cord; b, the horizontal flanged pulleys; c, the shafts or spindles to
which they are fixed, and d the crank handles for working the pulleys.
The string or cord a must be continuous or in one piece instead of being
coupled together as at present, the object being to prevent the possibility
of any of the connections being overlooked by the carelessness or neglect
of the porters, and it will be the duty of the stoker or other appointed
person to thread the string through the horizontal holes e in the pulleys
previous to the departure of the train, leaving the ends loose so that
the guard and engine driver can attach them to their arms, buttons, or
bodies as soon as the train is in motion by means of hooks, buckles,
buttons, or any other connections, but at the same time allowing them
freedom of action, and the string or cord can be given out or taken up
according to the number of carriages by the stoker or driver making a
loop at the required place and thereby avoid any cutting of the string,
and when the string or cord is not in use it is wound on the reel fon the
tender or in any other desired position. When there is a necessity for
giving a signal the passenger turns the crank handle in the corresponding
compartment in either direction, the effect of which is to wind the string
on the pulley so as to take up the slack and give pulls or signals both
to the guard and engine driver, there being some part of the string
which would give way to prevent injury in case it was pulled too hard,
or if the string was attached to the button the latter would give way
and prevent excessive straining by not having the button sewn on too
fast.
In another arrangement shewn in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, I form in the top
of each compartment of the carriage a hole and place over it an india-
rubber washer h kept in position by a metal ring i, and through the
hole and washer is passed a flat or square metal rod k having in the
inside of the compartment a handle or knob 7 and at the outside an
eyelet in an enlarged head m so that the india-rubber can keep the rod
in position until a signal is to be given, and through the several eyelets
is passed a continuous length of string or cord u having its ends attached
to the guard and engine driver when the train is in motion, and when a
signal has to be given a passenger by simply pulling the handle or knob

page_text: can draw the head of the rod through the india-rubber washer and pull
up the slack of the string, thus signalling the guard and engine driver
at the same time by giving pulls to their arms, buttons, or, bodies, and
it will be seen that the handles with the eyelets are placed out of the
centre to escape the lamps, but the difference is scarcely noticeable when
the carriages are turned from end to end.
The employment of the india-rubber washer is for the purpose of
preventing the admission of water or draughts of air, but these objects
can be obtained in various ways, and in Fig. 7 I shew an india-rubber
cork formed by surrounding the flat or square metal rod k with a tube
or packing of india-rubber, the cork being pushed firmly into a hole
bushed with metal of a corresponding shape in the roof of the carriage
when no signals are required, but when the handle is pulled by a
passenger the cork is pulled down, the slack of the string taken up, and
signals given both to the guard and engine driver.
In Fig. 8 the india-rubber cork is circular, the tube or packing being
passed between the flanges of the round metal rod k, the ends of which
are turned down to enable the eyelet p and handler to swivel upon
them so that in whatever position the cork may be placed the eyelet
can turn to correspond with the longitudinal line of the string and
also allow the handle to be turned by accident or otherwise without
affecting the signal.
When it is desired to have the string or cord in the centre of the
carriages. I adopt the arrangement shewn in Figs. 9 and 10, in which
there are hollow pillars & on the tops of the carriages over each compart-
ment, each pillar having at the top a socket or recess for the reception
of an india-rubber washer or ring kept in position by the plate u, and
through each pillar is passed a flat or square metal rod o having an
eyelet in an enlarged head, and through the eyelet is passed the con-
tinuous string or cord w which is attached as before described to the
guard and engine driver, and if from any cause after signalling by
means of any of the arrangements the train has to be stopped the
stoker or guard must go back and put fog or detonating signals on
the line in the usual manner. I also apply these continuous strings
with their ends attached to the arms or bodies of the guards and drivers
of goods trains so that the guard and driver can telegraph to each other
when to put on the break or for anything else, and if the train should
be parted asunder by the breakage of a coupling or other cause pulls

page_text: will be given both to the guard and driver, and if the passenger trains
should be parted asunder signals will be given in a similar manner.
Having now described the nature and particulars of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be
understood that I claim the attachment to the arms, bodies, or buttons
of the dress of the guards and drivers of passenger trains of continuous
uncoupled strings or cords passed over the tops of the carriages, the
slack of which strings or cords can be taken up to give signals by
pulleys worked by crank handles or by pulling rods with cyclets, and
also the attachment of similar continuous uncoupled strings or cords
to the guards and drivers of goods trains, as all such improvements are
herein described and illustrated on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Reilly, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
JAMES REILLY. (L.S.)