A Supplementary Door Fastener for Railway Carriages.
Year: 1888

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Supplementary Door Fastener for Railway Carriages.
CHARLES WINGROVE SPONG 170 Canterbury Road, West Croydon Surrey Shipping
Agent do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to prevent accidents to Railway passengers in
consequence of the Carriage Doors being opened before the Train is brought to a
standstill at the proper place for alighting therefrom. It consists of Cross Beams of
Iron or other suitable material, balanced on the top or outside of the Roof of the
Carriage similar to a pair of Scales, from the end of each Beam a Bar or Rod of Iron
or other material runs the whole length of the Carriage so as to drop immediately in
front of the Doors say a few inches from the side of the Roof so that when fixed it has
the appearance of the Pump Handle of a Manual Fire Engine. The Cross Beams are
lifted or raised so as to leave the Doors free to be opened at the proper place for
alighting, this is done by wire or other lines being run the whole length of the Train,
on the top of the Roofs passing through upright, stancheons or supports fitted with
Eyes or Rollers in them one line on each side of the top of the Roofs passing under
the Beams so as raise or lift the one or the other as desired by the Guard of the
Train, these lines are fastened to drums, Levers or other Contrivance in the Brake
Van and are made taut or slackened as occasion may require. When one line is
taut the other is slackened so that immediately a Train is leaving a Station the Bar or
Rod on the alighting Platform side falls down across the Doors and Windows, the
other side is raised by the Guard, hauling on or drawing the line tight by movement
of the Drum, Lever or hauling gear fitted in the Brake Van. When the Train arrives
at the proper place for passengers to alight all the Carriage Doors are simultaneously
set free to be opened by the Passengers or Porters but no Passenger can open the.
Door of the Platform side unless and until the Guard releases it, which of course he
will not do until the Train stops at the proper place for Passengers to alight. Both
Doors are never thus doubly fastened at one time.

page_text: By this contrivance Accidents cannot possibly happen to Passengers by getting out
of the Train before it stops at the alighting Platform. Spring Hooks or other Con-
nectors are used to attach the lines between the Carriages.
Dated this 26th May 1888.
CHARLES WINGROVE SPONG,
170, Canterbury Road, West Croydon.
A Supplementary Door Fastener for Railway Carriages.
CHARLES WINGROVE SPONG 170 Canterbury Road Croydon, in the County of
Surrey Ship Broker I do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
The object of this invention is to provent accidents to Railway Passengers in
consequence of the Carriage doors being opened before the Train is brought to a
standstill at the proper place for alighting therefrom.
It consists of cross Beams d of Iron or other suitable material balanced on the top
or outside of the Roof of the Carriage similar to a pair of Scales. From the end of
each Beam a Bar or Rod of Iron or other material runs the whole length of the
Carriage as to drop immediately in the front of the Doors say about a few inches from
the side of the Roof so that when fixed it has the appearance of the pump handle of
a manual fire Engine. The Cross Beams a are lifted or raised so as to leave the
Doors free to be opened at a proper place for alighting. This is done by wire or
other lines being run the whole length of the Train on the top of the Roofs passing
through upright stancheons or supports fitted with oyes or rollers d in them one line
on each side of the tops of the Roofs passing under the Beams so as to raise or lift the
one or the other as desired by the Guard of the Train as shewn at f these lines are
fastened to drums levers E or other contrivance in the Brake Van and are made
taut or slackened as occasion may require, when one line is taut the other is
slackened so that immediately a train is leaving a Station the Bar or rod 6 of the
alighting platform side falls down across the Doors & Windows and the other side
is raised by the Guard hauling on or drawing the line tight by movement of the
drum lever & hauling gear E fitted in the Brake Van, when the Train arrives at
the proper place for Passengers to alight all the carriage doors are simultaneously
set free to be opened by the Passengers or Porters as shown in Fig. 3 but no
Passenger can open the door of the Platform side unless & until the Guard releases

page_text: it which of course he will not do until the Train stops at the proper place for
Passengers to alight Fig. 2. But doors are never thus doubly fastened at one
time.
By this contrivance accidents cannot possibly happen to Passengers by getting ont
of the Train before its stops at the alighting Platform Spring Hooks or other connectors
are used to attach the lines between the Carriages.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is-
The novelty in the use and construction of the Beams Bars-and fittings in
general.