IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF COMMUNICATING AND SIGNALLING BETWEEN THE PASSENGERS, GUARDS, AND DRIVERS OF RAILWAY TRAINS
Year: 1865

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by George William Garrood at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 17th
April 1865.
I, GEORGE WILLIAM GARROOD, of Woolmore Street, Mile End, in the
County of Middlesex, Plumber, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF COMMUNICATING AND SIGNALLING
BETWEEN THE PASSENGERS, GUARDS, AND DRIVERS OF RAILWAY TRAINS," to be as
follows:-
My Invention relates, first, to communicating between the passengers of a
railway train and the guard, and between the guard and driver, by mechanical
means, consisting of rods or shafts disposed on the roofs of the carriages or
otherwise, such rods being fitted in bearings and free to rotate; the ends of
each rod on each carriage terminate in cranked arms, that is to say, arms
extending radially from such shafts in a downward direction, the one end
of each shaft has simply the extended arm, while the other has an addition
thereto consisting of a longitudinal part projected in a direction parallel with
the shaft, and terminating in a part inclined to that direction; these rods are
fitted in pairs on each carriage, that is to say, the rods at each end of a
carriage are provided the one end with a simple radial arm, and the other with
the addition of the parallel and inclined part before-mentioned extended

page_text: towards the next carriage. This extended cranked part when two carriages are
brought close together slides alongside the radial arm on the bar of the next
carriage, and vice versa, by this means any rotary motion communicated to
the one bar is transmitted to the next shaft, and so on throughout the several
similar shafts of a train. By this arrangement of the shafts in pairs as
described (being disposed at equal distances on each side of the centre of
the carriages) the carriages may be turned end for end and made up in any
way, but will always provide the continuity desired to transmit the torsion
from one shaft to another throughout the line of shafts in a train. The one
line of shafts I utilize as a means of communication between the passengers
and the guard, the other for communication between the guard and driver.
To each of these shafts are affixed or otherwise applied in connection
therewith horizontal arms with pulls depending therefrom through the roof
into each compartment of a carriage; by pulling any of these pulls the shaft
connected therewith receives a partial rotation which is transmitted to the next,
and so on throughout the train to the guard's van, or in such proximity that
the guard may hear it readily where the shaft communicates with a bell hammer
and strikes a bell or gong; springs may be employed, if necessary to bring
the shafts back to their normal position after being so pulled, but I believe
the crank arms being all in a pendant position will of themselves by their
gravity effect such return; this pull may be repeated as often as necessary
and the bell so repeatedly sounded. At same time that the bell is so actuated
by the shaft a signal disc or other indication is thrown out from the carriage
by which the signal was made; this indicates to the guard from whence the
signal proceeds, being actuated by the particular pull operated on, and which
disc cannot be returned to its normal position except by the guard or person
in charge. This disc or other indicator will form the day signal, but supposing
it to be night another signal is made, which I will more particularly describe,
as it constitutes the second part of my Invention and may be used as a night
signal in combination with any other apparatus employed. This night signal
I produce by means of an artificial light, but instead of using a special lamp
for such night signal I utilize the light of the ordinary lamp used in railway
carriages, and this without moving it from its place or disturbing it in any
way. For this purpose I provide a direct channel (or it may be simply a
direct and clear space) from the light of the ordinary carriage lamp through
the sides of the carriage compartment, or it may be the roof; at the termination
of such channel or channels I place a concave reflector (one for each) at a
short distance from the termination of the said channel, and in such manner
that the light shines directly upon it. In connection with the pull of each

page_text: compartment in manner similar as for the day signal or disc (it may be on
a lever or arm) I so apply a silvered or reflecting ball, or it may be a ball or
lens of glass, that it shall be moved into position between the light and the
aforesaid reflector, and remain there after the first pull; this silvered ball or
lens will reflect or refract the light vividly, and so that it can be seen from
either end of the train, and will produce a powerful visible signal which can
be clearly seen at night; this signal will also remain a permanent indication
of whence the signal proceeds, and until the guard shall have replaced it in
its normal position after attending to the signal of the passenger. The
concave reflector may move in and out of position with the ball or lens
instead of being a fixture as before described. This application of a signal
produced by reflection or refraction from the light of the ordinary carriage
lamp may be applied without the application of the mechanical appliances
for communicating the audible signal herein-before described, or it may be
made available in combination with any other mechanical appliances for that
purpose. Instead of the light shining directly on the ball or lens or concave
reflector it may be reflected thereon. If necessary the guard can signal to the
driver by the second series of rods communicating between him at the rear
and the driver at the tender or engine in front by a bell or other audible
signal connected therewith. The pulls of the carriages are so arranged
that those on the line of shafts communicating between the guard and driver
will be inoperative as a communication between the passengers and the guard,
while those of the other shaft will be available exclusively for communication
between the passengers and guard.