Improvements in Means for Conducting Electricity along Railway Trains for the purposes of Communication and Lighting.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in Means for Conducting Electricity along Railway
Trains for the purposes of Communication and Lighting.
JOHN TAYLOR, of Lower Chesham, Bury, in the County of Lancaster, 'Railway
Stationmaster, and JAMES EDWARD DUCKWORTHI, of 41, Hornby Street, Bury, in
the County of Lancaster, Railway Passenger Guard, do, hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention consists of fixing electric wire connections to the couplings of
the vacuum brake pipes at present in use on railway trains, or on couplings specially
made for that purpose, so that the vacuum pipes and electric wires are connected
simultaneously by the simple action of joining the vacuum brake pipes together,
between the railway carriages.
We claim for our invention, the simultaneous joining together of the vacuum
pipes, and electric wires, for the purpose of conducting electricity from vehicle
to vehicle, for electric alarm bells, electric light, telephones, &c.
Improvements in Means for Conducting Electricity along Railway
Trains for the purposes of Communication and Lighting.
We, JOHN TAYLOR, of Lower. Chesham, Bury, in the County of Lancaster, Railway
Stationmaster, and JAMES EDWARD DUCKWORTHI, of 41, Hornby Street, Bury, in
the County of Lancaster, Railway Guard, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
Our invention relates to improvements in means for conducting electricity,
along railway trains for the purposes of communication and lighting, and our
improvements consist ohiefly in a novel mode of fitting and applying electric
wire connections and contact makers to the couplings of the vacuum or similar
brake pipes at present in general use on railway trains in order that the simple
action of joining the brake pipos together by uniting the 'couplings will simul-
taneously-connect the electrio wires.
In the accompanying two sheets of drawings
.I
Figure 1 is a view of the interior of one half of a vacuum brako, pipe coupling

page_text: formed with a flange or ears to carry the electric wire connections according to
our invention.
Figure 2 is a side view, partly in section, showing two half couplings united.
Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the mode of applying and connecting the
electric wires for communicating purposes, the wires for lighting being omitted
for the sake of clearness.
In these views, a designates the metal coupling and b the flexible vacuum or
similar brake pipes. On each coupling a we cast or secure two ears 1, 2, and on
the ear we form a projecting flange 3 which, when the two half couplings are
united as shown in Fig. 2 comes over the ear 2 on the other half coupling and so
forms a cover. Each ear carries three spring contact makers marked e c, d d, e e,
respectively, and each contact maker is suitably insulated from the metal coupling,
and has an insulated electric wire bearing a similar reference letter connected
to it so that when the couplings are united (Fig. 2) the electric circuits are com-
pleted and ready to be closed by switches or contact makers as hereinafter
described.
As will be seen from the diagram, Fig. 3, one wire c runs the full length of
the train being connected electrically to a bell and battery for other source of
electricity, say in the guard's van g, and passing through a bell h on the engine i
is connected to and returns as one of the wires d along the full length of the train.
The other wire c runs the full length of the train being connected electrically
to the bell and battery for other source of electricity in the guard's van and is
connected on the engine to the other wire d which returns along the full length
of the train. The wires d are not connected to the battery f in the guard's van g
except indirectly through their connections to the wires c on the engine.
The wires have branches ; running from them controlled by switches or
contact makers by means of which the electric cirouit can be closed in every
carriage and compartment as well as in the guard's van and on the engine, and
electric communication can thus be established throughout the train whether
the engine be running in the ordinary way or tender first and whichever end of
any carriage or van happens to be running first, and whether there are carriages
behind the guard's van or not.
By these means audible or visible signals, or both, can be transmitted or arrange-
ments for telephonic communication can be made if practicable and desirable.
The wires are intended to convey electricity say from a dynamo or other
source for lighting purposes to each vehicle attached to the train, and a single
switch for making and breaking the electric circuit would preferably be placed
in the van to enable the guard alone to switch the electric light on when entering
a tunnel or at any other time and to switch it off when not required.
To provide for the lighting of carriages running behind the guard's van it 4
would be necessary to provide a switch for closing the electric circuit at the rear
end of the last carriage.
It will be readily understood that in addition to the passengers having the
power of communicating with the guard and engine driver the two latter can
communicate with one another, and further the guard when his van is at the end 4
of the train has a ready means for ascertaining whether the brake pipes are properly
coupled up as by closing the electric circuit in his van his own bell will be rung,
and if he is able to ring his own bell in this way he knows at once that both the brake
and the electric connections have been properly made. When, however, the guard's
van is not at the end of the train, it would be necessary for him to send a man 5
to close the electric circuit in the last compartment at the rear end of the train
in order to check the coupling of the carriages behind his van.
We are aware that previous to our present invention attempts have been made
to utilize the vacuum brake pipe fittings for the purpose of making and breaking
an electric circuit but we believe that such attempts were unsuccessful or im- 5
practicable and we wish it to be understood that we do not claim the same broadly.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said in-

page_text: vention and in what manuer the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. The combination with the couplings of vacuum and similar brake pipes, of
the contact makers and breakers and connected electric wires c c and d d forming,
when the brake pipes are coupled, nu electric circuit for the purpose of inter-
communication, extending from end to end of the train and capable of being closed
by the driver on the engine, by the guard in the van, or by a passenger at any
point in the train, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.
2. The combination with the couplings of vacuum and similar brake pipes, of
the contact makers and breakers and connected wires e e forming an electric
circuit for lighting purposes, said wires being used either alone or in combination
with the electric circuit wires c c and d d, substantially as and for the purposes
herein set forth.
3. The special construction of vacuum or similar brake pipe coupling having
ears 1, 2, formed with- or secured to it for the purpose of carrying electric circuit
contact makers and breakers, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.
n0011
100
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
Agents for Applicants,
17, St. Ann's Square, Manchester.
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
Agents for Applicants,
17, St. Ann's Square, Manchester.