IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATING BETWEEN THE PASSENGERS IN RAILWAY TRAINS AND THE GUARDS OR ENGINE DRIVERS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Morris, of Manchester, in the County of Lan-
caster, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
COMMUNICATING BETWEEN THE PASSENGERS IN RAILWAY TRAINS AND THE
GUARDS OR ENGINE DRIVERS."
aled the 18th January 1878, and dated the 23rd November 1877.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Morris at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd November 1877.
HENRY MORRIS, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Merchant.
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATING BETWEEN THE PASSENGERS IN
RAILWAY TRAINS AND THE GUARDS OR ENGINE DRIVERS."
IM-
My Invention consists in an improved arrangement of apparatus whereby in case
of need the passengers in any compartment of a railway train can set into operation
the requisite mechanism for striking a detonating signal, and for indicating the com-
partment from which the signal is given.
To each carriage of the train I apply the apparatus for striking the detonating
signal, thereby dispensing with the necessity of couplings to connect the signalling
apparatus from one carriage to the others.
On the roof or side of the carriage is supported a rod connected to every com-
partment by a cord, wire, or chain, passing over a guide pulley; on pulling this
cord, wire, or chain the rod is traversed endwise, and draws a vertical bolt placed at
the end of the carriage; this bolt releases a ring attached to a short chain connected
to a weight fixed to the end of a lever. As soon as the bolt is withdrawn, the
weight drops by its own gravity and strikes against the box containing one or more
detonating cartridges or signals, and causes them to explode. The descent of the
weight also throws out a signal arm at right angles to the carriage, the said. signal
arm being fixed to the axle of the weighted lever; by this means the attention of
the guard or driver is called to the carriage from which the signal is given, and the
particular compartment from which the signal proceeds is indicated by an arm

page_text: jointed to a bracket supporting the guide pulleys above referred to; this arm is
held by a catch, and is acted upon by a tumbler lever.
On pulling the cord, chain, or wire that moves the rod on the roof or side of the
carriage, the catch holds the arm in a slot of the bracket is raised, and allows
the tumbler lever to bring the arm (previously concealed by the bracket) into
view.
The apparatus for indicating the compartment from which the signal is given may
be modified.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Morris in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd May
1878.
HENRY MORRIS, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Merchant. "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATING BETWEEN THE PASSENGERS IN
RAILWAY TRAINS AND THE GUARDS OR ENGINE DRIVERS."
My Invention consists in an improved arrangement of apparatus whereby in case
of need the passengers in any compartment of a railway train can set into operation
the requisite mechanism for striking detonating signals, and for indicating the com-
partment from which the signal is given.
To each carriage of the train I apply the apparatus for striking the detonating
signals, thereby dispensing with the necessity of couplings to connect the signalling
apparatus from one carriage to the others.
On the roof or side of the carriage is supported a rod connected to every com-
partment by a cord, wire, or chain passing over a guide pulley; on pulling this
cord, wire, or chain, the rod is traversed endwise, and draws a vertical bolt placed
at the end of the carriage; this bolt releases a ring attached to a short chain con-
nected to a weight fixed to the end of a lever. As soon as the bolt is withdrawn
the weight drops by its own gravity and strikes against the detonating signal and
causes it to explode. The descent of the weight also throws out a signal arm or
semaphore at right angles to the carriage, the said signal arm or semaphore being
fixed to the axle of the weighted lever; by this means the attention of the guard or
driver is called to the carriage, from which the signal is given, and the particular
compartment from which the signal proceeds is indicated by the position of a collar
on the cord, wire, or chain, connected to the horizontal rod above referred to.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
operation I will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,―
Fig. 1 is a side view of an ordinary railway carriage, to which my improved
signalling apparatus is applied, and Fig. 2 is an end view of the same.
Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are detached views on an enlarged scale of parts of my improved
apparatus.
a is the body of an ordinary railway carriage, to the roof or side of which are
fixed bearings supporting a rod b; to this rod are attached cords, chains, or wires c,
which pass through holes in india-rubber washers, into each compartment of the

page_text: carriage. At each end of each cord, chain, or wire c is a handle c¹, and on each
cord, chain, or wire c is fixed a collar c², and near one end of the rod 6 is a guide
pulley d, over which a cord, chain, or wire e passes from the rod to the bolt f, this
bolt holds the ring g, connected by a short chain to the weighted lever h; this
weighted lever is connected to the semaphore arm i.
On the boss of the lever h is an eccentric j, which actuates the shot bolt k; this
shot bolt holds up a second weighted lever, connected to the semaphore arm m;
n, n, are detonating signals fixed on brackets attached to the end of the
carriage.
When one of the handles c¹ is pulled down by a passenger the rod b is drawn
endwise in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1; this motion of the rod raises the
bolt f, and liberates the ring g, thereby allowing the weighted lever h to fall and
strike against the detonating signal n; the descent of the weighted lever h actuates
the eccentric j, which draws the shot bolt k, and thus liberates the second weighted
lever ; by this means the second detonating signal n¹ is exploded after the signal n,
thus giving two distinct reports.
The descent of the weighted levers throws out the semaphore arms i and m at
right angles to the carriage, as shewn in dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 3. By this
means the attention of the guard or driver is called to the carriage, from which the
signal is given, and the particular compartment from which the signal proceeded is
indicated by the position of the collar c², shewn in Fig. 5, which had been drawn
down by the passenger pulling the handle c¹, but which can only be drawn up to
its place by moving the rod b on the outside of the carriage.
Before restarting the train the guard raises the weighted lever 7 into the hori-
zontal position shewn in full lines in Figs. 2 and 3, and then he raises the weighted
lever into the same position; this action causes the shot bolt k to hold up the
lever 1, the ring g is then again secured by the bolt f, and the various parts are
thus brought back to their original position. It is evident that fresh detonating
signals must be attached to the carriage before starting.
If desirable lamps may be attached to the semaphore arms to call the attention of
the guard to the carriage from which the warning is given, or one of the ordinary
lamps may be raised out of a compartment of the carriage by the rod b, releasing a
weight, the details of the apparatus may also be otherwise varied.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described a convenient mode
of performing the same, I declare that I claim,-
First. The application of detonating signals attached to railway carriages as a
means of communication between the passengers and the guard or driver, and the
apparatus for exploding same or any equivalent apparatus.
And, Secondly. The apparatus for indicating the carriage and the compartment
from which the signal has been given, as shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Morris, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of May, One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-eight.
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HENRY MORRIS. (L.S.)