IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNALLING, AND IN APPARATUSES EMPLOYED THEREIN, PART OF WHICH IS APPLICABLE TO THE COMPRESSION AND EXHAUSTION OF AIR AND OTHER FLUIDS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Harris, of Hanwell, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNALLING,
AND IN APPARATUSES EMPLOYED THEREIN, PART OF WHICH IS APPLICABLE TO
THE COMPRESSION AND EXHAUSTION OF AIR AND OTHER FLUIDS."
Sealed the 4th June 1858, and dated the 7th December 1865
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Harris at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th December 1857.
I, JAMES HARRIS, of Hanwell, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SIG-
NALLING, AND IN APPARATUSES EMPLOYED THEREIN, PART OF WHICH IS APPLICABLE
TO THE COMPRESSION AND EXHAUSTION OF AIR AND OTHER FLUIDS," to be as
follows:-
My improvements are effected as follows:-I take acylinder with air-tight
piston, rod, and lever, an elastic diaphragm with piston in a cylinder, for
striking upon or otherwise ringing a bell or blowing a whistle, anda pressure
gauge, with words, letters, and figures on the dial thereof, and place them in
the operator's room or office, on a locomotive, or in any carriage in a train, or
in anyother desired situation. Asimilar cylinder, with piston, lever, diaphragm,
and pressure gauge or indicator, is also placed in a guard's vau, or in any part
or parts where communications are to be made, an air-tight pipe or tube being
[Price 8d.1

page_text: employed to connect the apparatusos. The pressing down of a lever, which
is attached to the piston at either end, rings the bell to draw attention at
the other end, and then by the working of the lever, so as to increase or
vary the pressure, the needles or pointers on the pressure gauges or indi-
cators under like pressures tell of similar words, letters, or figures at both
cuds, and communication is thereby effected.
I purpose signalling by means of pressure or vacuum, or both, in the same
apparatus,and te effect this have an improved gauge to indicate both vacuum
and pressure, by means of a cylinder and flexible diaphragın, with piston and
spring on both sides of the diaphragm.
My Invention also consists in a new pump so arranged, that by turning a
cock or valve it will either compress or exhaust air or other fluid. This
pump may be used with or without a reservoir. The same apparatus, with
rollers, paper, nud pencil, and the other necessary appliances, may be made
to register messages.
Instead of the cylinders, air-tight pistons, and diaphragms, I sometimes
use elastic spheres or spherical ended cylinders with suitable pistons, as
described in the Specification of a Patent granted to me,and dated SthJanuary
1857.
Other fluids than air may be used, but I prefer working it by means of
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Farris in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th June 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1, JAMES
HARRIS, of Hanwell, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Harris. Her special licence that I, the said James Harris,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
James Harris, my executors, administrators, and 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, uso,
exorcise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and

page_text: Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SIGNALLING, AND IN APPARATUSES EMPLOYED THEREIN, PART OF WHICH
IS APPLICABLE TO THE COMPRESSION AND EXHAUSTION OF AIR AND OTHER FLUIDS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Harris, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly 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 James Harris, 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 thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
anuexed, that is to say :-
My improvements are effected as follows:-I take a cylinder, with air-tight
piston, rod, and lever, an elastic diaphragm, with piston in a cylinder, for
striking upon or otherwise ringing a bell or blowing a whistle, and a pressure
guage or indicator, with words, letters, and figures on the dial thereof, and
place them in the operator's room or office, on a locomotive, or in any carriage
in a train, on board ship, in a coal pit, or in any other desired situation. A
similar cylinder, with piston, lever, diaphragm, and pressure guage or indicator
is also placed in a guard's van, or in any part or parts where communications
are to be made, an air-tight tube or pipe being employed to connect the
apparatuses. The pressing down of a lever, which is attached to the piston
at either end, rings the bell to draw attention at the other end, and then by
the working of the lever, so as to increase or vary the pressure, the needles
or pointers on the pressure guages or indicators under like pressures tell off
similar words, letters, or figures at both ends, and communication is thereby
effected.
I propose signalling by means of pressure or vacuum, or both, in the same
apparatus, and to effect this have an improved guage to indicate both vacuum
and pressure on one and the same dial, or on separate dials, by means of a
cylinder and flexible diaphragm, with piston and spring on both sides of the
diaphragm.
My Invention also consists in a new pump so arranged, that by turning a
cock or valve it will either compress or exhaust air or other fluid, and is
applicable for signalling by either semaphore or dial at great distances, where
one stroke of my other pump would not be sufficient. This pump may be

page_text: fitted with two roservoirs, one for pressure and the other exhausted, and so
connected with the pump and pipes as by means of a four-way cock, to allow
of using either. The same apparatus, with rollers, paper, and pencil, and
the other necessary appliances, may be made to register mesanges.
Instead of the cylinders, air-tight pistons and diaphragms, I sometimes use
clastic spheres or spherical-ended cylinders, with suitable pistons, as described
in the Specification of a Patent granted to me, and dated Eighth January, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Other fluids than air may be used, but I prefer working it by means of
air.
Fig. 1 shews in external elevation the arrangemont of signalling apparatuses
which I employ at two ends of a tube to communicate signals. A is acylinder,
shewn on an enlarged scale, and in section at Fig. 2; B is an air-tight piston;
C is the piston rod, to which is connected a lever ]), free to nove upon a
centre on the top of an arm y, which is free to vibrate upon a pin s; E is
a spring fixed to the lever, for the purpose of raising or assisting in raising it,
after having been depressed. The compressed air passes from the cylinder A,
through a pipe F, under a diaphragm a, fixed over the top of a branch pipe a;
on the upper part of this diaphragm the lower end of a rod rests. This rod
upon being raised by the force exerted under and upon the diaphragm, sets
in motion a spring hammer b, which strikes upon a bell c. The bell and parts
connected therewith are shewn in detached views, Figs. 3 and 4; G is
a pressure gauge or indicator fixed over another pipe branching off from
the pipe F. There is a flexible diaphragm fixed over the top of this
pipe, which upon being raised gives motion to an indicator, through
the appliances generally used in pressure gauges. It is not necessary that
there should be bells and indicators, as bells only or indicators only need be
used; but I prefer to use both, the bell to call attention, and the indicator
to shew the signal intended.
Fig. 5 is a section of part of the apparatus I employ to indicate both
pressure and vacuum in the same instrument; d is a flexible diaphragmn fixed
in a chamber H, furnished with an inlet pipe J; K is a hollow piston rod
fixed to the diaphragm, and connected, through the usual appliances, with
the pointer employed to denote the sigual when the apparatus is worked
by pressure; L is another piston rod, working inside the hollow rod K, and
so connected to the pointer as to cause it to indicate the signal when worked
by vacuum.
Fig. 6 is a section of the pump heroin-before referred to; A is the bottom
of a compressed air cylinder, with my arrangement of parts for using the

page_text: apparatus for forcing or exhausting air. The lower part of the apparatus at a
is intended to be connected to a pipe for working the signals and apparatuses
herein-before described; b, b, are passages open to the external air; c, c, are
valves, and the reversing cock. In the position shewn in the Figure, the
pump is arranged for forcing, but by reversing the position of the cock dit
will then act as an exhaust pump.
Figure 7 is a section of the four-way cock, which may be used in connection
with the pump last described and two reservoirs, one for compressed air, and
the other exhausted; so that working by pressure or by vacuum can be carried
on. A is a pipe leading to the compressed air reservoir, and B, to the
exhausted chamber; C is a passage connected to the pump, and Da passage
leading to and connected with the signalling apparatuses.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,
First, the method of signalling by air or other fluids by pressure or vacuum,
as described.
Second, the improved vacuum and pressure gauge combined.
Third, the improved pump, as arranged for vacuum or pressure;
And, fourth, the improved four-way cock, constructed and acting in the
manner herein-before described, whether employed in connection with
signalling apparatuses or otherwise.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Harris, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventh day of June, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-eight.
JAMES HARRIS. (L.S.)