IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SIGNALLING BETWEEN PASSENGERS, GUARDS, AND DRIVERS OF RAILWAY TRAINS
Year: 1875

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James Law at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 25th-
September 1875.
I, JAMES LAW, of the Firm of Samuel Law and Sons, of Cleck-
heaton, in the County of York, Oard Manufacturers, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
SIGNALLING BETWEEN PASSENGERS, GUARDS, AND DRIVERS OF RAILWAY TRAINS,"
to be as follows:-
The apparatus and the improvements thereon to which this Invention
relates is that known as the "cord communicator," which consists of a
cord, one end of which is connected to the catch of a striker and gong
on the engine or its tender, or to a lever connected with the steam
whistle of the engine, the cord being passed from thence through guides
along the several carriages to the break van, and is there wound around
a grooved pulley. In order to communicate or signal with the engine
driver or the guard it is necessary to reach and pull the cord, this being
done from an open window of the compartment of the carriage, and
apart from the loss of time and danger occasioned thereby there is the

page_text: further objection to apparatus as above that in case of assault or personal
violence an opportunity of reaching the cord may not be afforded.
The object of this Invention is that by the application of simple
apparatus such cord communicator may be instantly available from the
interior of any compartment of a carriage or carriages, and the delay
and danger occasioned by the ordinary way of using the cord by pulling
by hand may be avoided and rendered no longer necessary, and further
that the apparatus applied shall also indicate and point out from which
particular compartment the signal proceeded.
At each compartment of a carriage I apply a bell-crank lever, at or near
the extremity of one arm thereof is a guide eye or "pig tail" through
which the cord is passed, the other arm of the bell-crank lever extends
a distance within the compartment in such position (for instance
under the centre of the roof) as to be instantly available to any of the
passengers.
In some cases the bell-crank lever may be applied at the exterior of
the carriage, and a cord connected therewith and passed over guide
pulleys within the compartment of the carriage, so as to be available
for operating the bell-crank lever for purpose aforesaid.
The extremity of that arm of the bell-crank lever having the guide:
eye may be provided with a small disc for indicating as herein-after
described.
It will be understood that the arm of the bell-crank lever or the cord
(or the cord) within the carriage (as the case may be) on being depressed
by pulling will raise the other arm having the guide eye, through which a
the outer or ordinary communicating cord is passed, thereby lifting the
cord and giving the required signal to the guard or engine driver. The
arm and indicating disc so raised above the line of the other like lovers
will be retained in such position by means of a pawl or catch and rack,
thereby pointing out from which particular compartment the signal 3
proceeded.