IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF TRANSMITTING COMMUNICATION FROM ONE PART OF A RAILWAY TRAIN TO ANOTHER
Year: 1853

page_text: I, JOSEPH HALEY, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF TRANSMITTING COMMUNICATION FROM
ONE PART OF A RAILWAY TRAIN TO ANOTHER" to be as follows:-
I propose to effect a communication from the engine driver to the
guard or guards, in whatever part of the train he or they may be placed,
by means of a continuous longitudinal shaft throughout the whole train.
This shaft must of course be capable of being quickly separated or
disconnected as the carriages are separated from each other; therefore
it will be obvious that the principal part of this my Invention will
relate to the method of connecting the said longitudinal shafts, so as to
make the rotatory motion given at any part continuous throughout the
train, and at the same time capable of yielding to the oscillating motion
of the carriages when in motion, to the required elongation or contraction
of the said shaft, when the train travels or curves, or the carriages
become a little separated by various causes, or to accommodate itself to

page_text: the different heights of carriages caused by depression of the springs or
other causes. These desiderata I propose to accomplish by making
the ends of each shaft slide in a groove, socket, or similar contrivance
to allow for elongation or contraction, as may be required. And I also
make an universal joint in that part of the said shaft which projects
between the different carriages.
The action of this universal joint, in conjunction with the socket
aforesaid, will allow for the motion of curves, different heights of
carriages, &c. This continuous shaft, so connected, I propose to fix
under the carriages, or at the top or sides, as may be found most con-
venient, and so fixed in bearings, or similar contrivances, as to have a
free rotatory motion. I then propose to to connect this longitudinal
shaft to a perpendicular shaft at some convenient position near the
engine driver, by means of bevil wheels, similar to the connection now
used for working the breaks.
On this perpendicular shaft I fix an arm or projection to strike a bell
or other signal, when the rotary motion is given to the longitudinal
shaft by the guard or guards turning a handle attached to another
upright shaft, wherever he may be situated, such upright shaft being
connected to the longitudinal shaft also by bevil wheels. I propose
also to arrange this apparatus so that the engine driver, by the same
means, can signal the guard, or one guard signal the others; or arrange
the parts which cause the haminer to strike the bell so that they shall
only act when the shaft is turned in one direction, so that, if a guard
wishes to signal his brother guard, and not the engine driver, he shall
turn his handle to the left, or backwards; and if he wishes to signal the
engine driver only, to the right, or forwards; and if, in case of emer-
he wishes to signal both, a turn each way will signal all.
gency,
I desire it to be distinctly understood that this is only an outline
of my Invention, which I will more fully describe in my Complete
Specification.