IMPROVEMENTS IN OR ADDITIONS TO SPEAKING TUBES FOR INTERCOMMUNICATION IN RAILWAY TRAINS, BUILDINGS, AND OTHER PLACES WHERE SUCH TUBES ARE OR MAY BE USED
Year: 1868

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Stephen Holness at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 14th
March 1868.
I, STEPHEN HOLNESS, of No. 13, Ufton Grove, Southgate Road,
Kingsland, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of my said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR ADDITIONS TO SPEAKING
TUBES FOR INTERCOMMUNICATION IN RAILWAY TRAINS, BUILDINGS, AND OTHER
PLACES WHERE SUCH TUBES ARE OR MAY BE USED."
The object of my Invention is the establishment of reliable oral
intercommunication for such a length of time as may be desired between
one particular compartment or place and that with which it is wished
to communicate.
My Invention consists in fixing in each carriage, compartment of
carriage, room, cabin, or other place from which it may be intended
to signal a box or chamber piece so constructed that it contains within
it a plug or socket piece, which plug or socket piece is free to rotate
in bearings. Into this box or chamber piece are entered the ends of
the main tube, and a hole formed in the plug transversely to its axis
of rotation allows the sound to enter the box or chamber piece. At

page_text: the top or other convenient part of the rotating plug or socket piece
teeth are cut for a portion of its circumference. Taking into the
teeth of the first rotating plug or socket piece are the teeth of a second
rotating plug or socket piece carried or formed in the end or top of
a branch tube, which branch tube has also a shorter branch carrying
the mouth piece. This plug has, like the one first named, also a
hole cut through it transversely to its axis of rotation. The branch
tube first named is provided with a spring which retains it against the
wall of the compartment or place within which it is used parallel with
the same, and in this position communication between the branch
tube and the main tube is cut off. When it is desired to signal the
mouth piece branch is pulled away from the wall until it is at right
angles with the same, and thus the hole in the plug will be brought
opposite the opening in the box or chamber piece, and communication
may be effected.
At the same time this is done the teeth of the
rotating plug on branch tube acting on the teeth of first rotating plug
will move or rotate it so as to cut off the communication between
the box or chamber and that portion of the main tube in which it is
desired the sound shall not travel. Communication having ceased
the spring will return the branch tube to its original position. It will
be evident that in the case of a railway train communication must be
made always in one direction by the arrangement spoken of, and if
for example say in a forward direction to the guard in first brake van it
will be necessary should the guard be placed in the after break van
to use a second length of tubing along the train connecting with the
first and leading from its forward end back to the after break van.
When used for railway communication any suitable coupling arrange-
ment may be used to couple the ends of the tubes between the carriages.
The branch tube also where it rests against the side of compartment
may be secured in such manner by cords or tapes and seal that the latter
must be broken before use can be made of the communicator, thereby
preventing its being without detection unduly tampered with.