IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATING AND SIGNALLING ON RAILWAY TRAINS AND FOR SECURING THE DOORS OF THE CARRIAGES
Year: 1864

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Thomas Wood at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 12th
December 1864.
I, THOMAS WOOD, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Fur Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATING AND SIGNALLING ON RAILWAY
TRAINS AND FOR SECURING THE DOORS OF THE CARRIAGES," to be as follows:-
Firstly, I place in the partitions of railway carriages small shutters or
windows so arranged that by simply moving or turning them, sufficient noise
will be made to attract the attention of passengers in the next compartment.
They, the said shutters or windows, would usually be closed or would fill
up the spaces in the partitions formed for them, but, when open, passengers
would be enabled to look from one compartment to another. This improvement
could be conveniently carried into effect by constructing the shutters or windows
hollow, of sheet iron or other metal, and placing a quantity of shot therein;
they could be hung on two pivots, one at each side. By moving or turning
them the shot would roll or full noisily from one side to the other and so be
a signal to passengers in the next compartment that their attention was
desired; if no communication followed then they could look through.
Secondly, in combination or conjunction with any of the arrangements of
details under that system of communicating from the passengers to the guard
or driver where wires, chains, or their equivalents are carried from carriage

page_text: to carriage, and there are handles or pulls placed in the compartments of the
carriages and connected to the wires or other communicators, or separately,
I provide signals suitable for day and night in the following manner, viz.,
an arm or bracket is placed at one or both sides of each compartment, say
just above the door. A handle or pull in the carriage is connected to the
arm or lever so that by pulling the former the latter is pushed or drawn out
and secured in extended position by a catch or spring over which it passes.
The lamps for lighting the compartments are borne by the arms or brackets,
and the lamps, glass covers, or lanterns fit into openings, preferably in the side
of the carriages; such lanterns can be made of glass of different colours or made
partly opaque so as to be easily distinguishable by the gaurd when extended,
In the combined system of communicating and signalling, the guard would
receive intimation by the sounding of a bell, gong, or other means close to
him, he would then require to look along the train and see the extended signal
informing him where he was required. The simple system of signalling would
require frequent and careful examination to ascertain whether an arm or
lever was extended.
Thirdly, the handle or pull which is employed to communicate and signal,
or either of them, or a handle provided for the purpose operates on one or
more bolts or fasteners and pushes it or them into recesses in the door or
doors of the compartment of a carriage. These bolts or fasteners are, when
passed into the door, held by springs or catches and can be released only by
the guard.
Fourthly, to prevent a passenger, should the door of a compartment be
got or become unfastened, from opening the door or leaving the train without
being detected, I set a lever or tappet in such a position that the door will,
if opened, come into contact with it and sound a gong, bell, or other apparatus
for causing vibration of the air, with which it is connected.