IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED AS A MEDIUM OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN PASSENGERS, GUARD, AND ENGINE DRIVER ON RAILWAY TRAINS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Steward Hazlehurst, of Runcorn, in the
County of Chester, Mechanical Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED AS A MEDIUM
OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN PASSENGERS, GUARD, AND ENGINE DRIVER ON
RAILWAY TRAINS."
Sealed the 1st February 1870, and dated the 4th August 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Steward
Hazlehurst at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
his Petition, on the 4th August 1869.
I, GEORGE STEWARD HAZLEHURST, of Runcorn, in the County of
Chester, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED
AS A MEDIUM OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN PASSENGERS, GUARD, AND ENGINE
DRIVER ON RAILWAY TRAINS," to be as follows:-
The Invention is designed for the purpose of enabling passengers
conveyed in the carriages of railway trains in cases of emergency to

page_text: communicate with the guard and engine driver similtaneously by the
novel employment of an electric medium, the arrangement and con-
struction of which may be thus described:-Mounted upon the top of
the carriages are horizontal bars supported in bearings secured near the
ends of each carriage. These bars at their extremities outwards from the t
carriage are provided each one with a block or piece of wood, attached
to the outer surface of which are bars of copper or other metal forming
a conducting medium, the surfaces of which are caused slightly to
protrude, the copper bar at one end of the carriage being connected to
the bar at the other end by means of a wire. The opposite end of each
sliding horizontal bar from the block containing the copper bar is con-
nected to a cord or chain that passes over a pulley or bowl and to which
a weight is suspended, thus the copper surfaces protruding outwards
from the ends of the carriages are by means of the weight kept con-
stantly in contact, and in which position they are maintained when the
draw bars of the carriages are connected together, as the varying distances
of the carriages are compensated for by the rising and falling weight as
the carriages recced from or close in with each other, effecting thereby
a perfect communication from one end of the train to the other; but in
order to obtain a perfect electrical current the return wire forming the
circute from the north to the south pole of the battery is provided with
terminations in each compartment of the carriage, connected together
by means of spring catchers to which are connected semipheres, which
when the wires are connected and in their normal state lay flat against
the side of the carriage, but when the spring connection is released
by acting inside the carriage upon a knob or handle conveniently placed
inside the compartment of the carriage the semiphere flies out so as to
indicate the place or locality of the train where the electric connection
has been broken.
Having now described the method I adopt for producing a continuous
electric current, I will proceed to describe how I through such a medium
obtain an alarm at the terminations or such other portions of the train
where the alarm apparatus may be placed. The immediate cause
through which the alarm is effected is kept in a state of inertia by
electric adhesion so long as the current of electricity is maintained
between the poles of the battery, but should any one of the spring
connections in the compartment of the carriages be disconnected the

page_text: alarm apparatus becomes released, and at once signals that the attentions
of the conductors of the train are required, the semiphere in connection
with the disconnected spring catch indicating, as before described, the
locality from whence the alarm was given.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Steward Hazlehurst in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 3rd February 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
STEWARD HAZLEHURST, of Runcorn, in the County of Chester,
Mechanical Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said George Steward Hazlehurst, Her special
license that I, the said George Steward Hazlehurst, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George Steward
Hazlehurst, 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED AS A MEDIUM OF
COMMUNICATION BETWEEN PASSENGERS, GUARD, AND ENGINE DRIVER ON RAILWAY
TRAINS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George
Steward Hazlehurst, my executors or administrators, 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 the said George Steward Hazlehurst, do
hereby declaro the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner.
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained

page_text: to say:-
The Invention is designed for the purpose of enabling passengers
conveyed in the carriages of railway trains in cases of imergency to
communicate with the guard and engine driver simultaneously by the
novel employment of an electric medium, the arrangement and con-
struction of which may be thus described:-Mounted upon the top of
the carriages are horizontal bars supported in bearings secured near
the ends of each carriage. These bars at their extremities outwards
from the carriage are provided each one with a block or piece of wood,
attached to the outer surface of which are bars of copper or other
metal forming a conducting medium, the surface of which are caused
slightly to protrude, the copper bar at one end of the carriage being
connected to the bar at the other end by means of a wire. The opposite
end of each sliding horizontal bar from the block containing the copper
bar is connected to a cord or chain that passes over a pulley or bowl
and to which a weight is suspended, thus the copper surfaces protruding
outwards from the ends of the carriages are by means of the weight kept
constantly in contact, and in which position they are maintained when
the "draw bars" of the carriages are connected together, as the varying
distances of the carriages are compensated for by the rising and falling
weights as the carriages recede from or close in with each other, effecting
thereby a perfect communication from one end of the train to the other;
but in order to obtain a perfect electric current the return wire forming
the circuit from the north to the south pole of the battery is provided
with terminations in each compartment of the carriage, connected
together by means of spring catches, to which are connected semiphores,
which when the wires are connected and in their normal state lay flat
against the sides of the carriage, but when the spring connection is
released by the passenger acting inside the carriage upon a knob, handle,
or cord conveniently placed the semiphore flies out so as to indicate
the place or locality of the train where the electric connection has been
broken.
Having now described the method I adopt for producing a continuous
electric current, I will proceed to describe how I through such a medium
obtain an alarm at the terminations or such other positions of the train
where the alarm apparatus may be placed. The immediate cause through

page_text: which the alarm is effected is kept in a state of rest by electric adhesion
so long as the current of electricity is maintained between the poles of
the battery, but should any one of the spring connections in the com-
partments of the carriages be disconnected the alarm apparatus becomes
released and at once signals that the attention of the conductors of the
train are required. In connecting the disconnected spring catch after
the semiphore has indicated as before described the locality from whence
the alarm was given the guard should replace such semiphore and catch,
as he alone has access to the connections.
In order that the Invention may be better understood and explained
in detail I have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawing made upon a
scale of about three inches equal to one foot, similar letters of reference
being marked on corresponding parts on all the Figs. alike.
Fig. 1 represents a detached front elevation of a portion of a railway
train shewing the peculiar arrangement of self-acting electric connection
between the carriages, and also the position of the disconnecting cord to
be used by the passenger or passengers when signalling; Fig. 2 repre-
sents an end elevation of a railway carriage shewing more particularly
the disconnecting apparatus and semiphore for indicating the carriage
the communication has been sent from; Fig. 3 represents a plan view
of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 represents a front elevation of the bracket on the top
of the carriage supporting the compensating coupling rod; Fig. 5
represents a front elevation of the electric coupling block; and Fig. 6
represents the elevation of another modification of compensating self-
acting coupling in connection with the tender.
In these Figs. a, a, is the body of the railway carriages, upon the roofs
of which are mounted bars & supported in the bearings c, c, secured to
the ends of each carriage; these bars at their extremities outward from
the carriage are provided each one with a block d, to the outer surface
of which contact plates or bars of copper e are attached. These copper
electric mediums are connected together in each carriage independently
by the copper wires f, thus making the electric current complete and
independent in itself. The opposite end of each bar 6 from its block d
is connected to a cord g that passes over the pulley h, its opposite
extremity being attached to the weight i which is suspended therefrom.
By this means the copper surfaces of the blocks d, d, are caused to
protrude outwards from the ends of the carriages so as to come and be

page_text: maintained in contact so long as the carriages are coupled together, as
the varying distances of the carriages are compensated for by the rising
and falling of the weights i, i, effecting thereby a perfect communication
from one end of the train to the other. In order to obtain a perfect
electric current the return wire f¹ forming the circuit between the
poles of the battery is provided with spring catch terminations k in
cach compartment of the carriage, which when the wires fare con-
nected their termination m are retained under the metal catch m forming
the coupling or continuation of the wire f. The spring catches k are
connected with the transverse cords o in each compartment of a carriage,
which when pulled disconnect the spring from its catch and thus
destroying the electric current. The electric current so long as main-
tained acts upon a magnet in the guard's van that attracts a detent
or other equivalent that retains a catch in position in connection with
a train of wheels which are weighted and wound up, so that when the
electric connection is broken the magnet no longer retains the detent,
which relieves the weight and causes the wheels to actuate a striker
that gives a succession of raps upon a bell and thus cry the alarm. The
portion of the train from which the alarm was transmitted is indicated
by the semiphores p, which are connected on either side of the carriage
by means of the cord q, the connection of such semiphore being effected
therewith through the longitudinal cords o. Thus if a passenger pulls
the longitudinal cord o by means of the transverse cord it simultaneously
breaks the electric current by disconnecting the spring m from its
catch n and throws out the semiphore, thus indicating the portion of
the train from whence the communication was made, the semiphore
having after been released to be put into its normal or non-telling
position by the guard.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, together with
the method of carrying the same in practical effect, I wish it to be
distinctly understood in conclusion that I do not confine myself to the
particular arrangement and configuration of parts shewn; but what I
claim is,―
First. The novel employment, adaptation, and use to internal electric
railway carriage communication of the peculiar self-acting compensating
coupling between the carriages, as described, by which I am enabled to
maintain a perfect electric connection.

page_text: And, secondly. I claim the novel and peculiar arrangement generally
of the several parts and of the electric communication, its connections,
and adaptation to railway trains, as herein-before described, set forth,
and fully illustrated in the Drawing attached.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Steward Hazlehurst, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this the Twenty-ninth day of
January One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
GEORGE STEWARD HAZLEHURST. (L.S.)
Witness to the signature,
THOMAS WRIGLEY,
Imperial Chambers,
1, Market Place,
Manchester.