IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR INCREASING THE SAFETY OF RAILWAY PASSENGERS AND TRAINS, SIGNALLING, LIGHTING, AND FORMING A COMMUNICATION BETWEEN ALL PARTS OF SUCH TRAINS, ALSO FOR SECURING THE CARRIAGE DOORS
Year: 1865

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Richard Howarth at the Office of
the Commisioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 31st May 1865.
I, RICHARD HOWARTH, of 13, Gloucester Crescent, Paddington, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
INCREASING THE SAFETY OF RAILWAY PASSENGERS AND TRAINS, SIGNALLING, LIGHTING,
AND FORMING A COMMUNICATION BETWEEN ALL PARTS OF SUCH TRAINS, ALSO FOR
SECURING THE CARRIAGE DOORS," to be as follows:-
My first improvement consists in so fitting and making the footboards of
railway carriages that they may form a continuous platform or gangway along
the sides of the train. To effect this, at each side of the carriages I fit a
number of brackets or arms which turn radially and carry the footboards
(which are mounted thereon) in and out from and parallel with the sides of
the carriages, and forwards at one end. The length of these footboards I
make equal to the distance between the buffer at one end and that at the
other end of the carriage, or nearly so, in order that the forward end of the'
footboard of one carriage may reach sufficiently near to the hinder end of
the footboard of the next carriage to enable the guard to step from one to
the other. The ends of these boards are bevelled so that one will slide under
the other when the compression of the buffers causes them to meet and pass -
each other. Another plan which I propose to adopt in fitting these footboards
is to divide and bevel them as above described in the centre, or somewhere
between the ends, and couple the ends or the whole together by slot and'

page_text: spring-studs, so that the guard by means of a lever, screw, or other power
may be able to move the entire platform when necessary.
Instead of fixing
the footboards upon the radiating brackets to move therewith in the manner
above described, they may be hinged to rise and fall, and when raised be
supported upon the radial brackets; in this case the footboards could be
raised and lowered and the brackets be turned endways and flatways to the
*carriage side by longitudinal shafts.
My next improvement consists in, the introduction of a shaft and levers
along each side of the carriages, and coupled at the ends, carrying rising and
falling steps at the doors, and securing the doors thereby. I fit these shafts
below the floor line against the bottom frames, and in order that the entire
series of shafts on one side may be turned together I bend or crank them
respectively at each end. The cranks on the ends of the shafts are made short
and rigid and fixed thereto in a vertical position, and tied by short lateral
connecting rods to longer and flexible cranks, which are fitted to turn upon
the buffer rods or upon studs at the ends of the carriage. The coupling is
effected by joining the ends of these latter or flexible cranks together, when
upon turning any one of the shafts the steps will turn therewith, while the
flexible cranks which may be made of flat blades of tempered steel, will form
a compensating coupling and adjust themselves to the varying distance
between the ends of the shafts caused by the expansion and compression of
the buffer springs. The shafts are turned by the guard, and are fitted with
a lever or other equivalent for that purpose. Upon these shafts, opposite
each carriage door, I fix crank step bearers, and hinge the step to rise and
fall, making each step to rest upon the bearers when down and to secure the
door from being opened from within when turned up (the levers can be
turned down without letting down the steps) the steps when turned up being
held secure in that position by vertical rods which pass up the sides of the
carriage and are connected at the top to rising and falling signal arms, which
arms are held by clutches and let down from a "pull" within the carriage,
which at the same time shoots a bolt into the door at the top. The step
when up shoots a bolt into the door at the bottom, and when let down turns
the continuous shaft and thereby rings a bell in the guard's van or a number
of bells along the train (in connection therewith) and at the same time lowers
the signal arm cover of a lamp formed by or fitted at each alternate, window
at the carriage sides. When this lamp or bay window is lit with gas the tap
is or may be moved by the rising and falling arm, which when lowered turns
the light "on," and when raised turns it nearly but not quite "off." The
bell calls the attention of the guard, and the lowered steps, projecting arms,

page_text: and uncovered lamp, indicate the carriage and compartment where he is
required on the "6-foot" side, while the door on the entrance side remains
secured, egress therefrom being prevented by the top bolt before mentioned.
The rising and falling lamp-cover and signal arm clutch at the top of the
carriage on one side is coupled to that on the opposite side by a connecting
rod or wire over or in the roof out of reach from within, so that when the
arms on either side of the carriages are set to operate on the "6-feet," side
of the train those on the entrance and exit side of the train are unaffected by
the pulls, except that when any one of the pulls on the "6-foot " side has been
operated it drops a bolt or clutch, which secures the entrance and exit door
of that particular compartment from being opened from within, and thus
prevents the escape of any one wishing to leave it, while all the other steps
on that side can be lowered by the guard simultaneously. I further propose
to use the range of steps when raised as the signal from the guards to the
engine men to "start the train," and in addition thereto I also propose to
fix and use a 4-way lamp at the head of the carriage next to the engine, or
in such other position clear of or above the parts of the train that it can
be seen both by the engine men and guards of that train and also by those
in charge of all approaching trains. I denominate this the train signal lamp,
and cause it to be turned by means of a vertical shaft actuated from the
guard's van and in gear with the horizontal side shafts. This train signal
lamp is to be fitted with white, green, and red lenses on three sides thereof
respectively, while the 4th side is blank, the shaft which actuates the same is
so geared to the horizontal side shafts that when the latter are turned so as
to raise the door steps the blank side of the train lamp is turned towards the
engine and indicates that the train is now ready to start; the train being
supposed to be at a standstill, the red lens, which is opposite to the blank
side and can be seen from the back of the train, indicates to all approaching
trains the signal "stop," again when any one of the door steps is let down
by the pulls and the side horizontal shaft turned to indicate "caution" to
the engine driver, his duty being then to "slacken speed," the attention
of guards and all in the train is thereby called, when becomes the duty of
the guard to ascertain the cause, he will now by means of the continuous
platform of footbourds be able to traverse the length of the train on the
"6-feet" side and by means of the side shafts to turn the "train signal lamp,"
to "slacken speed" to "stop," or to "all right," as the case may require,
when the train will either immediately be brought to a standstill (and the
approaching trains each way signalled) or proceed on its course.
Another improvement which I propose to effect relates to the mode of

page_text: lighting the carriages and signal lamp by gas. For this purpose I place com-
pressible gasholders under the seats, on the top, or under the carriages formed
according to the plan introduced by Mr. J. Newal and referred to in his
Patent Specification No. 785, in the year of our Lord 1862, or in any other
available and suitable way.