IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OF COMMUNICATION APPLIED TO RAILWAY CARRIAGES, AND IN APPARATUS FOR MAKING SIGNALS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE IN PART APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hugh Hughes Lloyd, of Fort William, Douglas,
Isle of Man, Colonel, late of the Bengal Army, for the Invention of:
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OF COMMUNICATION APPLIED TO RAILWAY
CARRIAGES, AND IN APPARATUS FOR MAKING SIGNALS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS
ARE IN PART APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 19th May 1868 and dated the 20th November 1867..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hugh Hughes Lloyd at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 20th November 1867.
I, HUGH HUGHES LLOYD, of Fort William, Douglas, Isle of Man, Colonel,
lute of the Bengal Army, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OF COMMUNICATION APPLIED TO RAILWAY
CARRIAGES, AND IN APPARATUS FOR MAKING SIGNALS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE
IN PART APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists, first, in an improved mode of attaching and employ-
ing signal cords for the purpose of ringing signal bells applied to a railway
train. I connect, by means of a signal cord attached in the manner herein-
after described, two signal bells, one of which is placed in the guard's van, and

page_text: the other upon the engine driver's locomotive. To the top of the engine
driver's bell I attach by means of a ball-and-socket joint a steel spring socket
clamp of a conical form roughed inside, capable of being opened sufficiently to
receive the end of the signal cord, and then made to close upon the cord and
nip it tightly by means of a milled edged ferrule or ring which slides up the
cone and fastens it with the requisite tight nip. By sliding back the ferrule
or ring the nip of the clamp is relaxed, and the end of the cord is instan-
taneously released. I propose that the bells should be each of about six or
eight inches diameter, and be provided with a double-headed clapper. The
signal cord is carried from the guard's van to the locomotive, and supported
upon brass hooks or brackets, which may have, if requisite, retaining springs
or other suitable means of retaining the cord, and are attached to the roofs
of the intervening railway carriages. The length of the cord should always
exceed that of the carriages and couplings by full six inches, and should be
secured in that position by the guard in the guard's van as herein-after
described, immediately after starting the train, when the screw couplings have
attained their utmost distension between carriage and carriage, thus rendering
accidental ringing almost impossible. Six or more brass supporting hooks or
brackets should be attached to each railway carriage, three on each side; the
middle one should be always clear of the door on the opening side to prevent
the cord from catching it. Within each carriage I attach to the roof two
ringing bolts, one on each side, connected with an outside supporting hook
or bracket. The ringing bolt is made to work in a frame of wood secured to
the roof of the carriage. In the frame a square oblong piece of wood is made
to traverse in grooves through the pannel of the carriage, close above and
clear of the opening of the door; to this piece of wood is attached the sup
Parallel to
porting hook or bracket which sustains the signal cord outside.
the sides or transversely to the bolt a metal handle is attached, by means of
which the bolt may be moved backwards and forwards, and so distend the
signal cord and ring the signal bells. When it is pressed outwards the
sliding block and its hook or bracket will by being pushed out indicate the
carriage where the alarm has occurred, and will be securely held in an extended
position by a spring acting within the grooves of the frame attached to the
roof of the carriage. The signal bell carried in the guard's van is made to
swing upon a moveable frame which can be moved and placed in the van in
the required position according to the direction in which the van is travelling
Attached to the frame is a reel worked by a winch on which the signal cord
may be readily wound. The signal cord is to be attached and supported or
the left or near side of the vans and carriages, and the guard's signal bell an

page_text: frame are fixed on that side before the train is started. The signal cord is then
unwound from the reel, passed through a hole in or near the roof of the van
over a pulley, and is carried by a station porter and passed over and supported
upon every intervening supporting hook or bracket. The loose end is then
given to the engine driver or stoker who inserts his end of the signal cord in
the clamp attached to his signal bell, and instantaneously fastens it by means
of the nipping ring or ferrule. After the train has started and the couplings
are fully distended the guard in the guard's van connects his end of the signal
cord to a short length of cord attached to his signal bell by a ball-and-socket
joint. The cords are connected by means of a double clamp of similar con-
struction to the single clamp above described, and of a tubular form to allow
the signal cord to be passed completely through one of the holders, capable of
being instantaneously engaged or disconnected, and such tension is to be given
to the signal cord as will enable the ringing bolts above mentioned to ring
the bells, but will not readily allow the bells to be rung accidentally.
Another part of my Invention relates to the use of moveable double wedge-
formed planks connected with and made to slide upon or jointed to the plat-
form or footboard outside railway carriages so as to bridge over the space
intervening between two carriages; a person is then able to pass along the
outside of the whole train while in motion, suitable rails or bars being attached
to the carriages to enable a firm hold to be taken.
My plan of rapidly attaching and detaching cords is also applicable to
other purposes, such as for fastening cords used in mines, and generally for
connecting the two loose ends of cords where the use of knots would be
inconvenient or objectionable.