IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATING OR SIGNALLING BETWEEN THE GUARD AND DRIVER AND BETWEEN THE PASSENGERS AND GUARD OR DRIVER OF RAILWAY TRAINS
Year: 1864

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Alfred Allen Davis at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 10th
September 1864.
I, ALFRED ALLEN DAVIS, Auctioneer, of 9 and 10, Basinghall Street, in
the City of London, do hereby declaro the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATING OR SIGNALLING BETWEEN THE
GUARD AND DRIVER AND BETWEEN THE PASSENGERS AND GUARD OR DRIVER OF
RAILWAY TRAINS," to be as follows:-
According to my Invention I provide each carriage of a train with a double
rope, chain, or suitable substitute, which I place along the roof of each carriage,
and provide such rope of communication with connecting links and hooks,
whereby it may be readily united to a similar rope of communication on the
next carriage. The one part of the rope is rather shorter than the other, and
is simply led over pullies or other conducting parts in a direct line, while part,
in addition to being led over connecting pullies, is also led under a pulley
supported on a rod leading down into a compartment of the carriage; this rod
is provided with a handle by which it may be pulled. The handle pulley is
disposed between two of the guiding pulleys situate in close proximity, so that
when such pulley is drawn down, it takes up the slack of the rope and deflects
it further from the direct line, and produces tension thereon; this tension is

page_text: transmitted to the ropes of the other carriages of the train, and thenco to the
hammer of a bell in the guard's van, causing it to be struck and the attention
of the guard aroused; the rope of communication is of course secured at tho
opposite end of the train.
The handle in the carriage when so pulled is retained by a clutch in its
downward position, and can only be released by the guard or person in charge,
so that ho can detect by whom the handle was pulled, supposing such to have
been unnecessary. At the same time that the handle pulley places the rope
in tension, the rope of the same carriage acts on a lever arm placed in com-
munication with an arm carrying a colored glass or spectacle, which being
moved is placed opposite to the lens of a lamp disposed on the roof or at the
side of the carriage, so that the guard on looking out can see the carriage from
whence the alarm proceeds. The lamp of each carriago may exhibit glassos
or spectacles of different colors, so that the guard can see which is the carriago
and at what part of the train it is. He will then proceed along the foot-
board to such carriage or stop the train, as ho may deem advisable. To do-
press the lever arm as described, it carries a pulley over which the rope passes,
in its course being carried under two guiding pullies in sufficient proximity, and
from which the rope leads up over the pulley arm in question. A spring or
springs returns the several parts to their normal position when the pull handlo
is released; each compartment of the carriage should be similarly fitted with a
pull handle, but one lamp apparatus will be sufficient for each carriage, and
which will be operated by any and all of the pull handles of such carriages. The
second part of the rope of communication of the adjoining carriage transmits
the pull or tension produced as described; this proceeds in a direct line to the
guard's van through the several intervening carriages (if any) through the
second parts of the double rope. The second part of tho rope which is in a
direct line should be nearly taut when the train is made up, that is to say, just
allowing sufficient slack between the carriages to allow of the play of the
buffers without producing sufficient tension to sound the alarm. A singlo
rope and apparatus as described might be used when there are only two or three
carriages in a train, but I prefer the rope to be in two parts with a single con-
nection at each end as described. Instead of being along the roof, the rope of
communication may be under the carriage bodies and in central position, or it
may be at the sides, but in such caso it would necessitate duplicate parts in
order that the carriages might be turned end for end as : usually required.
Instead of the rope being deflected in a vertical direction to produce the tension
as described, it may be deflected laterally for a like purpose, and the guiding

page_text: and other pullies disposed accordingly. The rope of communication may lead
either to the guard or driver, or it may be both, and if only to the former, it may
be desirable to place bim in communication with the driver by a separate rope;
proper hand holds and footboards should of course be provided where it is
required; the guard should proceed to the carriage instead of signalling the
driver to stop the train.