IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATING BETWEEN THE PASSENGERS AND GUARDS AND PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION ENGINE DRIVER OF A RAILWAY TRAIN
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Reuben Lyon, of Bristol, in the County of
Gloucester, Silversmith, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATING BETWEEN THE PASSENGERS AND GUARDS AND
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Reuben Lyon at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on tho
12th February 1873.
I, REUBEN LYON, of Bristol, in the County of Gloucester, Silver-
smith, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATING BETWEEN THE PASSENGERS AND
GUARDS AND BETWEEN THE GUARDS AND ENGINE DRIVER OF A RAILWAY TRAIN," to
be as follows:-
This Invention consists of a bellows placed on the roof or other con-
venient part of each carriage in a railway train, one to every compartment,
all the outlet pipes of the several bellows being in communication with
a tube carried over each carriage, and ending in the two guards' breaks,

page_text: or in the rear guard's break at one end, and at the tender or engine at
the opposite end. At both ends of the tube whistles are inserted which
(when the air is forced by one or more bellows in any part of the train)
arc sounded loud enough to attract the guard's or driver's attention.
Each bellows is fitted inside with a spring powerful enough to inflate
it, and when drawn down by a handle (which is capable of being
fastened or held down till required for use by a bolt in each com-
partment), and the stoppers which are placed inside the bellows over
every outlet hole are in proper position so as to close such outlets, in all
the other bellows a current of air will be forced each way through the
pipe and will sound the whistle or whistles.
Each bellows (to protect it from the weather) may be inclosed in a
case, at one side of which is an arm and a lamp to act as a signal; the
arm working on a pivot and being drawn up by means of a spring so as
to expose the light of the lamp when used at night, thus indicating in
The arm is held
which compartment the instrument has been used.
down when the apparatus is set ready for use by a catch or hook on the
bellows so that when the arm and bellows are drawn down the catch
engages with the arm, and the handle is fastened by the bolt or other
convenient fastening inside the compartment which holds each in it its
proper place. The arm is so placed that it is a matter of impossibility to
replace it whilst the train is in motion. The coupling of the tubes in
each carriage is effected by means of india-rubber pipes provided with
the necessary fittings, and these pipes and tubes will form a speaking
tube between the guards, however numerous, or between the guard and
engine driver.

page_text: of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in tho
36th year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Reuben Lyon, Her special
license that I, the said Reuben Lyon, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Reuben Lyon, my
executors, administrators,. or assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
anḍ vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE.
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATING BETWEEN THE PASSENGERS AND Guards
AND ENGIND DRIVER OF A RAILWAY TRAIN," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Reuben Lyon, my executors, or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Reuben Lyon, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:
My said Invention consists of a bellows placed on the roof or other
convenient part of each carriage in a railway train, one to every compart-
ment, all the outlet pipes of the several bellows being in communication
with a single tube common to the lot carried over each carriage and
ending in the two guards' breaks or in the rear guard's break at one end,
At both ends of the
and at the tender or engine at the opposite end.
tube whistles are inserted which (when the air is forced by one or more
bellows in any part of the train) are sounded loud enough to attract both
the guard's and engine driver's attention.
Each bellows is fitted inside with a spring powerful enough to inflate
it, and the end of each outlet hole opening within the bellows is so
placed that a spring stopper is acted upon by an arm (to be afterwards
mentioned) which, when drawn down, presses the stopper against the

page_text: hole and effectually closes it. The act of pulling the handle releases the
pressure of the arm against the stopper, which by means of a spring
flies back, allowing the air to pass through and sounds the whistles at
the same time.
Each bellows to protect it from the weather is enclosed in a case made
either of metal or wood, at one side of which is an arm (and a lamp if
required) both to act as signals, the arm working on a pivot and being
drawn up by means of a spring as a signal by day and exposing the light
of the lamp if used at night, thus indicating in which compartment the
apparatus has been used. The arm is held down when the apparatus is
set ready for use by a catch fastened to the arm, and a hook placed on the
bellows, so that when the arm is drawn down the hook engages with the
catch and causes the arm to press against the stopper, thus preventing
the air from entering the other bellows, however numerous, when only
one or more bellows are in use. The arm is so placed that it is a matter
of impossibility to replace it whilst the train is in motion.
The coupling of the tubes on each carriage is effected by means of
india-rubber or any pliable tubing provided with slide or spring joints
and stoppers, and the pipes and tubes will form a speaking tube between
the guards, however numerous, or between the guards and engine
driver.
. And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose
shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the
Figures.
Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section of the signal box, and Figure
2 a corresponding front elevation of the same.
A represents a portion of the roof and side of an ordinary railway
carriage, and B is the signal box, one of which is fitted on to each a
compartment of each carriage in a train. Within each box B there is
provided a bellows C, each bellows being in communication with a tube
D, which passes along the roofs or other convenient part of the carriages
to the front and rear guards' vans, or to the guard's vau in the rear and
to the engine driver, the said pipes being coupled up between each of the a
carriages when making up a train by a union slide or spring joint or
other well-known and simple form of pipe coupling. A whistle is

page_text: inserted into this tube at each end of the train, so that on forcing air
therethrough by collapsing any one of the bellows the attention of the
guard or driver will be called. Each bellows is kept inflated by a
sufficiently powerful spring contained therein, and a spring slide or
stopper a is placed over the outlet aperture in each bellows leading to
the air tube, so as to keep that aperture closed so long as the apparatus
is not in use. This slide or stopper is connected to a pin b, which passes
out through the side of the bellows and is fitted with a projecting head
for a helical spring to press against such spring opening the stopper or
slide when not pressed upon by the signal arm E. This signal arın is
pivotted at c.between the uprights F on the small signal box, and when
in its closed position it is concealed and is held in that position whilst
the apparatus is not in use by a hook d fixed to the side of the bellows
engaging into a socket e on the signal arm. On drawing down any one
of the bellows by pulling the handle G, which enters the compartment
of the carriage, the hook d is disengaged from its socket c, and the
signal arm is released, being instantly caused to assume a horizontal
position by the action of an india-rubber or other spring f, at the same
time allowing the slide or stopper a to uncover the outlet aperture of the
bellows. The continued pull on the handle collapses the bellows, forcing
air through the signal tube, and sounding the whistles at both ends.
The position of the signal arms shows at once in which of the compart-
ments the signal has been given. Any two or more passengers may thus
signal the guard or guards and driver from any two or more compart-
ments of the train simultaneously. The apparatus is reset or adjusted
by simply drawing down the signal arm and engaging it.with the hook
in the bellows.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
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 I consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The peculiar construction and arrangement of signal apparatus
substantially as and for the purposes herein-before described and illus-
trated by the Drawings annexed.
Second. The application and use of bellows and air tubes in com-
bination with whistles and signal arms when arranged to operate

page_text: together substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein-before
described and illustrated by the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Reuben Lyon, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, the Fifth day of August One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
REUBEN LYON. (L.S.)