An Improved Door Fastener for Railway Trains, Warehouses, and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Sept., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 10th Dec., 1897-Accepted, 3rd Sept., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Door Fastener for Railway Trains, Warehouses, and
the like.
I, WILLIAM CAMPBELL OMAN, - of 26, Tollington Place, Finsbury Park,
London, N., Architect's Assistant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
:―
It is a door fastener consisting of spring-bolts for securing a door or a series
of doors the bolts being actuated and controlled by hydraulic power transmitted
from a screw press at any required distance.
The invention is intended primarily to give the guard of a railway train
locking control over all the doors of all the carriages in his train so that he can
at any particular moment ensure from his van-every closed door in the entire
train remaining closed until the moment he chooses to remove the check he has
put upon them. Any door left open after the instant on which the guard has
applied his check has only to be slammed-to in the usual way and will remain
closed with the rest at his pleasure.
Similarly the caretaker of a warehouse or other large building would be able
to control the doors in his charge.
The advantages to be gained by my invention are that when a train is about
to start and the doors are being closed by the porters the guard in his van will
by merely turning a handle ensure that none of these doors can be opened by
any one until the train has arrived and come to a stand still at the next station.
Should necessity require it, the guard could, of course, release the doors at any
point between stations. My invention provides for the two series of doors of the
train, on the on, and the off side respectively-being dealt with separately.
The principle of the invention is briefly this:-Each door is provided with a
bolt which is held back by a spring, but which can be thrust forward against the
spring by means of water pressure, communicated through tubes connected in one
unbroken line from carriage to carriage, with a screw press in the van. When
the pressure is off, the bolts are all withdrawn by the actions of the springs,
Fig. 1, Sheet I. When the pressure is on, all the bolts are advanced, Fig. 2,
Sheet I.
The details of the construction of the bolts and springs referred to are shown,
in longitudinal and horizontal sections, in the illustrations, Figures 1, 2, and 3,
Sheet No. I attached.
The mode in which the hydraulic pressure is applied will be understood from
Figures 4, 5 and 6, Sheet No. II attached.
By means of a screw A actuating a piston B, in a metal cylinder C, the pressure
due to the piston would be communicated (1) to the water below it (2) to the water
in the pipe (a) then through the cocks regulated by the handles (b) and (c) to
the water in the pipes (d) and (e) running along from carriage to carriage as
shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6. Sheet No. II, attached..

page_text: In contriving this apparatus two difficulties had to be specially met; one that
the pressure applied should not exceed a certain amount or reach such a point as
might cause bursting or leakage; the other that there should always be suffi-
cient water in the press and communicating tubes to transmit the required
pressure to the bolts."
Both have been provided for."
The former by means of a safety valve (f) in the piston B which is illustrated
with connecting parts in plan and section, Figures 7 and 8, Sheet No. III.
The latter by means of a pipe (9) and conical valve (h) in connection with a
small water tank D (see Figures 4 & 9.)
When the pressure applied by the screw exceeds a certain fixed maximum the
safety valve (f) would open upwards and some water would escape to the upper
side of the piston which is in connection by means of the tube () with the water
tank D (Figure 4 Sheet No. II.) near the roof of the van.
Should the piston in working be withdrawn too far so as to leave an empty
space below it, or in the connecting tubes, the reservoir would at once supply
the deficiency through the tube (g) which is so constructed (see conical valve (h)
dotted in Figure 9, Sheet No. III,) that water when required would flow down
into the cylinder below the piston, but when the water below the piston is under
pressure it would not escape up into the reservoir, the conical valve (h) being:
closed.
It will be understood therefore that when the pressure is applied by means
of the screw, the conical valve (h) is closed the more tightly the greater the
pressure applied.
But the safety valve (f) in the piston may and would open when the pressure
exceeded the limit of safety previously determined; that is the pressure which
the pipes and connections could conveniently bear.
The spring of the safety valve (f) in the piston would be regulated once for all
to yield a pre-determined pressure accepted as a safe limit; so that the tubes
and other portions of the mechanism might not be exposed to unnecessary strain. 3
3rd day of Santambon 100%
An Improved Door Fastener for Railway Trains, Warehouses, and
the like.
WILLIAM CAMPBELL OMAN, 26, Tollington Place, Finsbury Park, London, N.,
Architect's Assistant, 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 : —
It is a door fastener consisting of spring bolts for securing a door, or a series
of doors the bolts being actuated and controlled by hydraulic power transmitted
by a screw press at any required distance. The invention is intended primarily
to give the guard of a railway train complete locking control over all the doors
of all the carriages in his train so that he can, at any particular moment ensure
from his van every closed door in the entire train remaining closed until the s
moment he chooses to remove the check he has put upon them. Any door left
open after the instant on which the guard has applied his check has only to be
slammed-to in the usual way and will remain closed with the rest at his pleasure.
Similarly the caretaker of a warehouse or other large building would be able to
control the doors in his charge.

page_text: When a train is about to start and the doors are being closed by the .porters,
the guard in his van will by merely turning a handle ensure that none of these
doors can be opened by any one until the train has arrived and come to a stand
still at the next station.
Should necessity require it the guard could release the doors at any point be-
tween stations; my invention provides for the two series of doors of the train;
on the on, and the off sides respectively being dealt with separately.
The principle of the invention is briefly this:
Each door is provided with a bolt which is held back, by a spring, but which
can be thrust forward against the spring by means of water pressure communi-
cated through tubes connected, in one unbroken line from carriage to carriage;
with a screw press in the van; when the pressure is off, the bolts are all with-
drawn by the action of the springs: (Fig. 1, Sheet I, left with the Provisional
Specification,) when the pressure is on all the bolts are advanced (Fig. 2, Sheet I,
left with the Provisional Specification.).
Details of the construction of the spring bolt referred to and the catch to be
fitted to the door are fully shown in (Figs. 1, 2, and 3, Sheet I, left with the
Provisional Specification and Figs. 10, and 11, I Sheet attached.)
The mode in which the hydraulic pressure is applied will be understood from
(Figs. 4, 5, and 6, Sheet II, left with the Provisional Specification.).
By means of the screw A actuating a piston B, in a metal cylinder C; the
pressure due to the piston would be communicated I, to the water below it;
II, to the water in the pipe (a) III, through the cocks regulated by the handles (b,)
and (c,) IV, to the water in the pipes (d) and (e,) running along from carriage
to carriage as shown in (Figs. 4, 5, and 6, Sheet II, left with the Provisional
Specification.).
In contriving this apparatus two difficulties had to be specially met; one that
the pressure applied should not exceed a certain amount or reach such a point
as might cause bursting or leakage; the other that there should always be suffi-
cient water in the press and communicating tubes to transmit the required pressure
to the bolts. Both have been provided for.
The former by means of a safety valve (f) in the piston B which is held in
position by a spring and is illustrated with connected parts in section and plan
(Fig. 7 and 8, Sheet III, left with the Provisional Specification.).
The latter by means of a pipe (g) and conical valve (h) in connection with a
small water tank D. (Figs. 4, and 9, Sheets II, and III, left with the Provisional
Specification.).
When the pressure applied by the screw exceeds a certain fixed maximum
the safety valve (f) would open upwards and some water would escape to the
upper side of the piston which is connected, by means of the tube () with the
water tank D near the roof of the van (Fig. 4, Sheet II, left with the Provisional
Specification.).
Should the piston in working be withdrawn too far, so as to leave an empty
space below it or in the connecting tubes the water tank would at once supply
the deficiency through the tube (g) which is so constructed (see conical valve (h)
dotted Fig. 9, Sheet III, left with the Provisional Specification,) that water when
required would flow down into the cylinder below the piston, but when the water
below the piston is under pressure it would not escape up into the water tank.
the conical valve being closed.
It will be understood therefore that when the pressure is applied by means of
the screw the conical valve (h) is closed the more tightly the greater the
applied.
pressure
But the safety valve (f) in the piston would open when the pressure exceeded
the limit of safety previously determined, that is the pressure which the pipes
and connections could conveniently bear.
The spring of the safety valve (f) in the piston would be regulated as may be
necessary to yield to a pre-determined pressure accepted as a safe limit so that

page_text: the tubes and other portions of the mechanism might not be exposed to unneces-
sary strain.
It remains to be stated that should the pressure be put on by the guard before
any one or more of the doors were actually closed; the spring bolts for these
doors would still be closed by merely slamming them in the usual way; special
provision being made for this in the construction of the catch in the door. This
catch (k, Fig. 11-I Sheet) consists of a bevel snap attached 'to a strong spiral
spring contained in a metallic tube as shown in the drawing and is fixed in
the door in such a manner as not to project beyond the edge. On the inner side
of the door there would be a narrow groove cut in the door up to the snap so as
to admit of its coming into contact with the shot bolt when the door is slammed
after the pressure has been. put on. It is evident that when a door is so slammed
against the thrust-forward bolt the bevelled edge of the snap could strike the
bolt and the snap would be driven back against its spring. In this way it would
pass the bolt and regain its normal position behind the bolt.
There would be no strain put upon the bolt except a lateral one; and the slam-
ming of the doors would not affect the hydraulic mechanism in any way.
A point needing special notice is the possibility of the mechanism refusing to
work in the event of the freezing during winter of the water used in working the
machine.
This however can be obviated.
In all cold or moderately cold climates the tubes would of course be protected
from cold by being coated or covered with materials which are bad conductors
of heat. But other very cheap, very simple, and more effective precautions might
be resorted to.
In the event of the atmospheric temperature being likely (ie. in winter) to
fall below the ordinary freezing point of water 32 degrees F. it would only be
necessary to add some common salt to the water used in the cylinder and con-
necting vessels, in order to lower very considerably the temperature at which
ice would be formed, experiment having shown that by mixing salt and water
in certain proportions the freezing point of the mixture can be reduced as low
as 23 degrees C, or-94 F i.e. 414 degrees F below the usual freezing point.
Similar results, viz.; the lowering of temperature at which ice could be formed
might be attained by mixing glycerine (insead of common salt) with water used in
the machine.
1
In extremely cold climates it might be advisable to steam jacket the pipes
allowing some waste steam from the engine to circulate round the tubes; but
this would not be necessary in the British Isles.
The only other difficulty to be provided against is the possibility of a spring
being broken or so far damaged as to be unable to pull the bolt back, in which
case the door to which it belonged could not be opened without some special
arrangement to meet such a contingency. In ordinary circumstances the bolt
could be removed and attended to in the usual way but as the refusal of a bolt
to work while the carriage is acually in use might be productive of serious incon-
venience a special arrangement has been provided to meet the case in the two
sliding pieces (1) and (m) over the bolt and the hinge in the bolt (Figs. 10, and 11,
I Sheet attached.).
One sliding piece, (m) is on the outside of door and when in position is just
over the end of the bolt; the other sliding piece () is in the door-frame of the
carriage and when in position is over the joint (n) in the bolt. The sliding
piece () is under ordinary circumstances kept locked in the dotted position (p)
Fig. 10, I Sheet attached.
The sliding piece (m) is not necessary for the security of the locked door but
for appearance sake to cover the end of the shot bolt from view. The necessity
of making it a sliding piece and not a permanent fixture is that unless it can
be withdrawn it would be impossible to pull the bolt up upon its hinge even if
sliding piece (7) were unlocked and withdrawn.

page_text: When the pieces (m) and (1) are made to slide back into the positions shown
in Figs. 10 and 11, Sheet attached, it is evident that the bolt is exposed and
can be drawn up on its hinge as illustrated by the dotted lines (r) Fig. 11,
I Sheet attached. When this is done the door is, of course, free and can be
opened at once.
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.) A bolt held back by a spring and thrust forward against the spring by
means of liquid pressure communicated through pipes.
(2.) The safety valve (f) in the piston B, Fig. 7, Sheet III, (left with Provi-
sional Specification) with connected parts for preventing (i.) excess pressure in
the tubes (ii) deficiency of water in the tubes.
(3.) In the locking apparatus of the kind claimed in Claim 1, the catch (k
Fig. 11, Sheet I, attached) for closing the doors by mere slamming even after
the bolts have been shot.
(4.) In the locking apparatus of the kind claimed in Claim 1, the sliding
pieces (7) and (m) together with the hinge in the bolt (n) Fig. 10 and 11, Sheet I,
attached) for effecting the opening of a door in the event of any accident to a
spring or connected mechanism.
(5.) The arrangement of the handles (b) and (c) Fig. 4, Sheet II, left with
Provisional Specification, and connected tubes for placing the doors of the two
sides of the train separately under the control of the guard.
(6.) The improved door-fastener for railway trains giving the guard of a train
complete locking control of all the doors of the train."
Dated this 3rd day of Amount 1000