IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FASTENING AND UNPASTENING THE DOORS OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES, AND FOR INDICATING IN THE CARRIAGES THE NAMES OF THE STATIONS
Year: 1874

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Herbert William Hart at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
17th December 1874.
I, HERBERT WILLIAM HART, of 1, Great Winchester Street Buildings,
in the City of London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FASTENING AND UNPASTENING
THE DOORS OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES, AND FOR INDICATING IN THE CARRIAGES THE
NAMES OF THE STATIONS," to be as follows:
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My Invention relates to apparatus whereby the doors of all of the
carriages of a railway train may be fastened or unfastened simultaneously
by the guard of the said train; also to apparatus for indicating to the
occupants of the said carriages the names of the stations as the train
approaches or passes the same.
According to the first part of the said Invention I arrange at the top
or other convenient portion of each carriage door a bolt, hook, button,
or other suitable fastening, and I connect all of these fastenings to rods,
cords, or chains, which extend from the carriages to the guards' van,
and by means of which the guard can fasten or unfasten the doors of all
the carriages at one operation and without leaving his van.

page_text: In a train fitted with my improved apparatus the doors will be always
under the control of the guard, that is to say, the passengers will not be
able to open the doors, and therefore there will be no possibility of an
accident from the opening of a carriage door while the train is in motion,
or from the passengers alighting before the train has reached the
platform, or after it has left the same, or from getting out at the wrong
side of the carriage; while on the other hand the delay frequently
arising from the neglect or tardiness of the porters in unlocking the
doors will be avoided. Morcover, this Invention will tend to the
prevention of assaults or other offences in railway carriages, as any
person committing any offence will be unable to escape before the train
arrives at a station.
I may replace the ordinary latches for fastening the doors by spring
latches, which are provided with the usual handles outside the carriage,
and which have a bolt or rod inside the carriage and near the top of the
door, whereby the passengers can release the latch without putting their
hands out of the window. A spring is attached to the door, so that it
will open when unfastened.
To ensure the proper closing of the doors before operating the aforesaid
locks or fastenings I combine with the said doors sliding bolts connected
with rods extending to the guard's van, and by which the guard can
close the doors before locking or fastening them.
f.
Another part of my said Invention relates to apparatus for indicating
to the passengers in a railway train the names of the different stations on
the line as the train approaches, arrives at, or leaves the said stations.
I may use for this purpose any suitable indicator, so connected with the
said fastening or locking apparatus that the adjusting of the latter will
operate on the indicator. I prefer however to employ an indicator
constructed as follows, that is to say, the said indicator has a case or box
which is attached to any convenient part of the carriage. Inside this
case I fit a revolving disc or plate with the names of the stations thereon.
In the cover of this disc is an aperture or slot, and each name as it is
brought by the said disc opposite this slot can be plainly seen, while the
other names on the disc are concealed. The said disc has on its back a
series of pins or teeth, and I arrange in combination with the same a
stud or pin connected with the bolt or fastener in such a manner that
when the door of the carriage is fastened by the guard the disc will turn

page_text: and exhibit the name of the station which the train is approaching or
passing to the occupants of the carriage. I arrange one of these
indicators in connection with each door or compartment, one being
arranged to indicate the stations in their proper order on the up line,
and the other on the down line, and I provide each side of the carriages
with rods, cords, or chains extending to the guard's van, so that the
guard will have control over the doors on both sides of the train.
To indicate plainly the destination of a train, and for preventing
mistakes or doubt on the part of passengers as to the train they should
enter, I place outside of the carriages plates of glass or other transparent
or semi-transparent material, with the destination of the train plainly.
painted or otherwise marked thereon. When necessary these plates are
illuminated by gas or other light. The color of the glass plates on the
carriages may correspond with the colour of the tickets for the various
classes.