An Improvement in Apparatus for Communicating, by Passengers, with the Guard or Engine Driver of a Railway Train when in Motion.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd July, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 11th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 21st Nov., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Apparatus for Communicating, by Passengers,
with the Guard or Engine Driver of a Railway Train when in
Motion.
ROBERT LANSDALE Stanley House, Halewood near Liverpool Gentleman do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide an improved method for passengers to
communicate with the guard or engine driver of a moving train as follows-The
pressure knob connected by electric wire are to be fixed in the most convenient
part of each compartment of the carriages, the said wires to be carried under the
carriages and to be connected to the end of the coupling under the carriage, and
the coupling of the carriage when coupled forms a part of the continuence of the
electric current, the wire is again attached to the end of the coupling of the next
carriage and so on forms a connection to any length of train the bell is to be fixed
on the engine and at all times when a train is coupled up, the connection is made
and any compartment of the train can communicate with the engineer and guard as
the case may be.
Dated this Third day of July 1896.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Apparatus for Communicating, by Passengers,
with the Guard or Engine Driver of a Railway Train when in
Motion.
I, ROBERT LANSDALE of Stanley House Halewood near Liverpool in the
County of Lancaster, Gentleman 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 :-
This invention relates to effecting electrical communication on railway trains, as
between the passengers and the officials in charge, and has for its object to utilise
the wheels and rails and the couplings between the carriages as electrical conductors
or leads, instead of providing special electric couplings between the carriages.
It will be understood from the following description, reference being had to the
accompanying drawings, which show an outline plan view of a train composed of
two passenger carriages and a guard's van with my invention applied thereto as an
electrical bell communication between the passengers and guard. The figure has
been divided into two parts in order to compress it within the required space.
In this figure, A is the guard's van, B and C passenger carriages, C₁ the screw
couplings, D D the drawbars and hooks, E bearings or contact devices under the
carriages which are adapted to make electrical connection with the wheels and rails,
F the positive wires of the electric circuit and G the negative wires.
In the

page_text: guard's van the positive wire F is led from the positive pole of the battery first to
the electric bell (not shown) and then to the drawbar D and coupling C, the
wire being electrically coupled to the drawbar D so as to ensure electrical
connection. Similar positive trunk wires F in the adjacent carriages connect
electrically the drawbars D₁ together, and so on throughout the train. The
negative wire G passes from the negative pole of the battery in the guard's van to
the bearings or contact pieces. E which secure electric connection with the axles
and wheels and the rails of the permanent way. In order to absolutely ensure
electrical connection being made with the rails. under all circumstances, I prefer to
provide, say four of these bearings or electrical contacts E on each vehicle, that is
to say, two in electrical connection with each. axle, with wires G led from bearing
. to bearing with a cross wire connecting them. In the adjacent and all the other
carriages of the train negative wires G are also provided which electrically connect
the bearings E together. It will thus be seen that when the train is made up, and
the carriages fastened together by the couplings, electrical, connection is bound to
be made, whether the train is running or standing still.
In order to enable the circuit to be closed and the.bell rung, for example in the
guard's van by a passenger in any of the carriages,, who requires to call the
attention of the guard in A, I conduct a branch or bye-path wire F1 from
the positive trunk, wire F at f to a push knob or circuit closer in the carriages.
A negative branch wire G¹ connects this circuit closer with the trunk negative
wire G at g, and thus immediately the push in carriage B is pressed so. as to close
the circuit, the electric current is set in motion through the circuit and the. bell, in
the guard's van is, rung, the current passing from the battery and bell through
wire F, draw-bar D, coupling C, drawbar D, branch F', circuit closer, branch G¹,
trunk wire G, bearing. E, axles B', wheels B2, the rails of the permanent way,
wheels A, axles A¹ bearings E and wire G to the battery. A precisely similar
action takes place if the circuit closer be depressed in the carriage C or any other
carriage of the train, the current passing through the couplings and trunk wires F,
and, back through the, rails, of the permanent way to the battery in the guard's van.
A relay may be and is by preference included in the circuit for switching into
action a local battery for ringing the bell. In the drawings, the carriages B
and C are, for the sake of clearness, not shown divided into compartments, but it
will be obvious that in, the, case of the invention being applied to compartment
carriages, short branch positive or negative wires may be led from the wires F
and Gto.circuit closers in each. compartment, and thus the wires F and G.¹ with
their branches are, ao, arranged that by pushing any one of the circuit closers
throughout the train; the bell will be rung in the van.
I have described the above way of carrying my invention into effect as applied to
communicating, in trains. but, it; will be obvious. that certain, alterations may be made
in the arrangement, without departing from the, principle of the invention, thus it
will, be, seen that, the negative wire- may pass first. to. the bell, and; the battery
instead of the positive wire, and. furthermore, the; bell, with the appliances, for
ringing it may be fitted on the engine instead of, or in addition to the one in the
quard's van. In cases however where it is not required to ring a bell on the engine
suitably insulate the engine,, by preference, providing an insulating, substance
between the link of the screw coupling, and, the draw hook. Furthermore the
circuit, might be completed through the brake. coupling, in cases, where the train is
fitted with a continuous brake, system, of the, vacuum, or other, type, the current, in
such case being carried through the metallic foundation. of the, flexible brake tubes,
or through a wire fitted, to, the, tube, in such, manner that, when the coupling; is
joined together, the wire from, each carriage:shall be in electrical contact.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner-.the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim.is.:-
1. In appliances or fittings applicable for communicating electrically on trains

page_text: between the passengers and the officials in charge, utilising the wheels and rails
and the screw couplings or brake couplings of the vehicles as electrical connections
or leads between the carriages substantially as described.
2. In electrical train communication apparatus, making the electrical connections
between the carriages by means of the wheels and rails and the screw couplings,
instead of providing special electric couplings as heretofore substantially as
described.
3. In electric bell communication appliances for railway trains, the application
of branch or bye path wires to the trunk wires of the system, in such a manner that
the depression of a circuit closer in any one of the compartments will ring a
bell in the guard's van or in any other given part of the train substantially as
described.
4. The system of electrical communication or signalling on railway trains
substantially as herein described.
5. The general combined arrangement of parts forming my improved appliances
or fittings applicable for communicating electrically on trains between the
passengers and the officials in charge and for other purposes substantially as
set forth.
Dated this 3rd day of October 1896.
ROBERT LANSDALE.