Improvements in or relating to Means for Communicating on Railway Trains Fitted with Air or Vacuum Brakes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Means for Communicating on Railway
Trains Fitted with Air or Vacuum Brakes.
I, JOHN HENRY THOMSON, of 161, Granville Terrace, Thornbury, near Bradford,
in the County of York, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
"
This invention relates to improvements in that class of communication between
the passengers and the officials of railway trains fitted with air brakes such as either
the automatic vacuum or Westinghouse brake in which the brake is placed more.
or less in the control of the passengers and is the means of communication. One
primary object of the invention is, in the case of the vacuum brake, to prevent
the admission of air and loss of vacuum in the branch communication pipes each
time the brake is applied; and in the case of the Westinghouse brake, prevent
the escape of air from such branch pipes. A further object of the invention is to
provide a simple and efficient method of more or less applying the brake to make
communication.
For this purpose I fit an automatic valve at the junction of each branch pipe
with the main train pipe adapted to preserve the vacuum or air pressure as the case
may be in such pipes when the air is admitted or discharged from the main train
pipe.
The branch communication pipes for each compartanent may each bo sealed by a
glass disc or cover held in position by a screw cap or other suitable means and
provision is made for breaking this glass by means of a striking piece operated
from the interior of the compartment when a communication is desired to be made.
To facilitate ascertaining from which compartment a signal has been made the
said glass seals are located in such a position that they are externally visible.
D1
. 01-
1907
Improvements in or relating to Means for Communicating on Railway;
Trains Fitted with Air or Vacuum Brakes.
I, JOHN HENRY THOMSON, of 161, Granville Terrace, Thornbury, near Bradford,:
in the County of York, Railway Official, do hereby declare the nature of this
[Price 8d 1

page_text: invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to improvements in that class of communication between
the passengers and the officials of railway, trains fitted with air brakes such as either
the automatic vacuum or Westinghouse brake in which the brake is placed more
or less in the control of the passengers and is the means of communication. A
primary object of the invention is, in the case of the vacuum brake, to prevent
the admission of air and loss of vacuum in the branch communication pipes each
time the brake is applied; and in the case of the Westinghouse brake, prevent
the escape of air from such brauch pipes. A further object of the invention is to
provide a simple and efficient method of more or less applying the brake to make
communication.
For this purpose I fit an automatic valve at the junction of each branch pipe
with the main train pipe adapted to preserve the vacuum or air pressure as the case
may be in such pipes when the air is admitted or discharged from the main train
.pipe.
The brunch communication pipes for each compartment may each be sealed by a
glass disc or cover held in position by a screw cap or other suitable means and
provision is made for breaking this glass by means of a striking piece operated
from the interior of the compartment when a communication is desired to be made.
To facilitate ascertaining from which compartment a signal has been made the
said glass seals are located in such a position that they are externally visible.
To fully describe my invention, reference is made to the accompanying sheets
of drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of referenco
indicate corresponding parts in each of the figures.
Figure 1, represents a sectional olevation of a portion of a 'railway carriage fitted
with my improvements.
Figure 2, is an end view of the same.
Figure 3, is a view on a larger scale of the said striking piece and case.
Figure 4, is a diametrical section of the same.
Figure 5, is a sectional view of the ball valve used with a Westinghouse or other
pressure brake to prevent the air escaping from the communication pipes when the
brake is applied.
Figure 6, is a similar view of a valve used with a vacuum brake and adapted to
prevent the vacuum being affected in the communication pipes when the brake is
applied.
Figure 7, is a section of a compound valve adapted to be used on vehicles fitted
with both the Westinghouse and the vacuum brake. Figure 8 is a plan view of
the same.
The communication pipe A is connected to the main train pipe B at the end of
the carriage and passing up the end C is carried along through the compartments
to the end compartment. A short branch A³ is connected to the communication
pipe in each compartment to couple it to the tubular fixing D passing through
and fitted in the sido C of the carriage. The outer end of the fixing D is sealed
by tho glass disc E held in position by the screw cap D3 and packed with
suitable washers D³. The cap is preferably made with a projection D having a
socket Ds formed in it adapted to receive and fit an ordinary railway carriage door
koy which can be used as a lever to facilitate unscrewing the cap.
is mounted inside the fixing D, its outer end is supported in the perforated guide
A spindle F
plate G fixed in D and a collar F near its inner end fits an opening through the
end of the fixing. The india-rubber or other suitable washer H secured by the
cap De against the inner end of the fixing and the face of the collar F forms an air
tight joint. A handle or striking piece J is secured to the inner end of the spindle
and a surrounding casing K is preferably secured to the carriage side.
It will be evident that when the spindle F is forced outwards the glass disc E6
will be broken and the vacuum or pressure in the main train pipe will be thereby
sufficiently affected to attract the attention of the engine driver or guard. When

page_text: the train has been brought to a stand the compartment from which communication
has been made will be indicated by the broken disc and the noise created by the
rush of air through the aperture. The cap Ds may then be unscrewed and a now
glass disc inserted.
To prevent communication being accidently made the handle J may be so
arranged that it is required to be turned before it can be forced inwards. For this
purpose a projection L may be formed on the hollow projection Jª on the back of
the handle and a.cross partition Ka formed in the casing. This cross partition has
a central opening K3 surrounded by a projecting flange or rim K. This flange
is partly cut away at K and the projection L normally rests upon this part and
the spindle is thereby prevented from being forced outwards. The flange at K
is however still more reduced consequently if the handle is turned in the direction
of the arrow Figure 3 until the projection L is brought opposite K the projection
no longer bears upon the flango and the spindle may be forced outwards. Figure 9,
represents a section of the cross partition K* on the broken line a, b Figure 3.
In trains fitted with vacuum brakes the valve N (Figure 6) is fitted to the end of
the communication pipe and is connected to the main train pipe by the short
branch A. In this valve the ball O closes the end of the communication pipe
and prevents the vacuum therein being destroyed.
When the train is fitted with the Westinghouse brake the valve S shown in
Figure 5 is employed. The ball R in this valve prevents the air escaping from the
communication pipe.
In vehicles fitted with both the vacuum and Westinghouse brake I employ the
compound valve shown in Figures 7 and 8. The end of the communication pipe A
is connected to this valvo and it is fitted with a plug T which may be turned by
the lever T so as to put either the valve N or the valve S in communication with
the communication pipe. In Figure 7, the pipe A is in communication with the
valve S.
Having now particularly desoribed and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In railway vehicles fitted with a vacuum brake, the combination with the
communication pipes A of the valve N, substantially as herein shown and described
and for the purpose specified.
2. In railway vehicles fitted with a Westinghouse brake the combination with
the communication pipes A of the valve S, substantially as herein shown and de-
scribed and for the purpose specified.
3. In railway train communication apparatus connected with the brake pipes, the
glass soal E in combination with means for breaking same to make the com-
munication, substantially as herein shown and described.
Dated this 28th day of February 1898.
DRACUP & NOWELL,
Patent Agents, Bradford.