A NEW OR IMPROVED METHOD OF, AND APPARATUS FOR, TELEGRAPHING TO, AND FROM, A RAILWAY TRAIN IN MOTION
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Bernard Healey of Princes Street Westminster
in the County of Middlesex for an Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED
METHOD OF, AND APPARATUS FOR, TELEGRAPHING TO, AND FROM, A RAILWAY
TRAIN IN MOTION" Communicated to him from abroad by William Leonard
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Bernard Healey at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd July 1882.
"
FOR,
WILLIAM BERNARD HEALEY of Princes Street Westminster in the County of
Middlesex "A
APPARATUS
NEW OR IMPROVED METHOD OF, AND
A Communication
TELEGRAPHING TO AND FROM A RAILWAY TRAIN IN MOTION
to me from abroad by William Leonard Hunt of the City of New York, United
States of America.
This Invention has for its object a means of Telegraphing to and from a
Railway Train running at any speed, and consists in the application and use of a
line (or lines) of Wire laid alongside or within the metals of the track and dis-
connected at intervals. The disconnected ends are connected with key blocks or
analogous devices placed on the ties or other convenient parts of the track and so
forming a complete and continuous circuit over the entire length of the line
The key blocks or other devices are provided on their exposed surfaces with two
metallic rollers which in their normal position form part of the circuit of the
whole line but if either of the rollers is depressed the line is disconnected and its
circuit broken.
On the Train are two shoes or key boards, placed one at each end of a Car, or
otherwise as found most suitable and suspended therefrom at such a level as just
to come in contact with and depress the rollers when the Train passes over them.
On these shoes are Copper or other metal strips which touch the rollers as the
Train is running and to one of the Shoes is attached a Wire (or Wires) which

page_text: communicates with a telegraph instrument in the Car and from the latter to the
shoe at the other end of the Car.
On a shoe touching and depressing one of the rollers the circuit in lieu of being
directly through the line is made through the instrument on through the other shoe
and then along the line.
By this means Messages can be telegraphed from any part of the Line into a
Railway Train in Motion and similarly from the Train to any part of the Line, at
whatever speed the Train may be running.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Bernard Healey in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd January 1883.
WILLIAM BERNARD HEALEY of Princes Street Westminster in the County of
Middlesex «< A NEW OR IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR
TELEGRAPHING TO AND FROM A RAILWAY TRAIN IN MOTION "-A Communication
to me from abroad by William Leonard Hunt of the City of New York, United
States of America.
This Invention has for its object a means of telegraphing to and from a
Railway Train running at any speed and consists in the application and use of a
line (or lines) of wire laid alongside or within the Metals of the track and dis-
connected at intervals. The disconnected ends are connected with key blocks or
analagous devices placed on the ties or other convenient parts of the track and so
forming a complete and continuous circuit over the entire length of the line.
key blocks or other devices are provided on their exposed surfaces with two
metallic rollers which in their normal position form part of the Circuit of the
whole line but if either of the rollers is depressed the line is disconnected and its
circuit broken.
The
On the Train are two shoes or key boards placed one at each end of a Car
or otherwise as found most suitable and suspended therefrom at such a level
as just to come in contact with and depress the Rollers when the Train passes
over them. On these shoes are Copper or other metal strips which touch the
rollers as the Train is running and to one of the shoes is attached a wire (or wires)
which communicates with a Telegraphic instrument in the Car and from the latter
to the shoe at the other end of the Car. On a shoe touching and depressing one of
the rollers the Circuit in lieu of being directly through the line is made through
the instrument or through the other shoe and then along the line.
By this means Messages can be telegraphed from any part of the line into a
Railway Train in motion, and similarly from the Train to any part of the line at
whatever speed the Train may be running.
And in order that the said Invention may be well understood I shall now
proceed particularly to describe the same reference being made to the accompanying

page_text: Sheet of Drawings like letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in the
respective figures.
Figure 1, is a Sectional Elevation of a Railroad and Car provided with these
improvements. Figure 2 is a plan of same and Figures 3 and 4 shew modifications
of the main circuit breaking device which causes the Current to pass up into
the Car.
A represent the Rails and B, the ties or sleepers-C, is a Car of any desired
construction Supported in bearings D on the ties B are arranged end to end
Metallic rollers E. F. which act as Electric Conductors The rollers F, which are
arranged all on one side are loose in their bearings and may be free to revolve
while the rollers E. carry at one end the key blocks G, which are formed with
straight contact faces a and curved contact faces a¹ the latter working between
pole blocks H. and kept in a normal position or in contact with both pole blocks H.
by Springs J. which may be located under the blocks G, or on the end of same as
shown in the modified arrangement Figure 4. These rollers E. F. and pole
blocks H. may be arranged upon every tie or sleeper or as far apart as is found
practically sufficient and the pole blocks H are Electrically connected together by
wires I through which the Electric Current flows and which acts as the line wire.
The Wires I may be run off into Stations as at I¹ which are provided with
Telegraphic instruments. The bottom of the Cars may be provided with Spring
supports K. for the two contact shoes L. M. one of which is arranged before the
other and to one side so that one of the Shoes L, runs over the rollers E. and the
other M, over the rollers F. These Shoes L. M. may be made of Metal or Wood
provided with a Metal face b, and they are Electrically connected together by
wires N. which pass up through the Car and are provided with the necessary
Telegraphic instruments as a key O, and Sounder or line circuit may be made to
work a relay P. which controls a local circuit P. in which is located a Sounder P³.
The operation is as follows:-The key blocks G, being in their normal position
throughout the line the Circuit is completed through the wires I, pole blocks H.
and key blocks G. the latter being as shewn at Q. Now as the Car C. runs over the
track the shoe L. runs over two or more of the rollers E simultaneously so as to
keep at all times contact with one of the said rollers and these rollers E. while in
contact with the shoe L. are partially rotated thereby causing the key blocks G. to
be turned so as to free their faces a' from one pole block H. and bring the other
faces a respectively in contact with the other pole block H. the latter acting as a
stop as shewn at R. thus breaking the line circuit and causing the Electricity to
run up the Shoe L. into the Car and then down Wire N. into shoe M. and from
Shoe M to rollers F. thence back through rollers E. to line I. This invention is
equally adapted to Cars running either way. In lieu of causing the contact or key
blocks G. to turn they may be made to simply slide from one pole block H, to the
other when the Car is passing over them but when in their normal position they are
kept upon both pole blocks as shewn in Figure 3. by means of suitable springs J
In this case the inner bearings of the rollers E. are pivoted.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect I would observe in conclusion that what is considered novel and original and
therefore claimed as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part
recited Letters Patent is,
1. Providing a Railroad with an Electric Circuit in combination with a Car
furnished with Telegraphic Apparatus and in combination with means actuated by
the moving Car to cause the Electric Current from the line Circuit to flow through
the Telegraphic Apparatus in said Car substantially as and for the purposes herein-
before described and illustrated by the accompanying Drawing.
2. Providing a Railroad with an Electric Circuit or main line in combination with
means to automatically make or break said circuit as the Car passes over it, the Car
being provided with Telegraphic Apparatus and an auxiliary Electric Circuit and
with Automatic Mechanism to cause the Electric Current to flow from said line

page_text: Circuit through said Auxiliary Circuit upon the line Circuit being broken
substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated by the
accompanying Drawing.
3. Providing a Railroad with an Electric line circuit furnished with key blocks
at intervals along its length by which said Circuit may be broken in combination
with a Car furnished with Telegraphic Apparatus and in combination with Apparatus
attached to said Car to automatically open said key blocks so as to break the Main
Circuit and with means to conduct the line Current through the Telegraphic
Apparatus in said Car while the same is in motion substantially as and for the
purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated by the Drawing.
In Witness whereof I the said William Bernard Healey have hereunto set
my hand and Seal this Eighteenth day of January in the Year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty three.