IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING COMMUNICATION BY SIGNALS BETWEEN DIFFERENT PARTS OF A RAILWAY TRAIN, PARTS OF WHICH APPARATUS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1864

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John William Cowles Brewer and
William Warren at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 21st December 1864.
We, JOHN WILLIAM COWLES BREWER, of King's Holm, in the County of
Gloucester, and WILLIAM WARREN, of Cheltenham, in the same County, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS
FOR FACILITATING COMMUNICATION BY SIGNALS BETWEEN DIFFERENT PARTS OF A
RAILWAY TRAIN, PARTS OF WHICH APPARATUS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER
PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
It is scarcely necessary to say that an efficient means of communication
between the passengers and the guard or engine driver of a railway train, or
between the two latter is very desirable, or to observe that many attempts
have been made with more or less success for this purpose. We deem the
field still open to Inventors to supply such an apparatus as will effect the
object in view without being too expensive to be accepted by railway directors,
and therefore likely to be generally applied.
In connection with the apparatus, the subject of our Invention, we make
use of the cord which of late years has been passed under railway trains for
communication from guard to driver, or we place a cord or chain under, at
the side, or above each carriage, joining it together by hooks when the train
is made up.
On the roof of a carriage we attach a box or case varying from
3 to 5 inches deep, passing from the edge of the carriage roof to about
the centre of its breadth, and of sufficient width to hold our apparatus, which
will consist of a ratchet wheel and spindle, a cord or chain being wound on

page_text: the spindle in one direction, and another cord or chain being wound in a
groove on the ratchet wheel in an opposite direction, a click or paul taking
into this ratchet wheel. The cord from the spindle passes and is fixed to the
end of a rod lying in the box, the other end of which rod carries a disc bearing
any number or sign which may be desired; round this rod coils a spiral
spring, one end fixed to the rod and the other to a stop. The cord or chain
from the ratchet wheel passes, assisted by rollers and cranks, either over the
top of the carriage and down one. of its ends or otherwise to the before-
mentioned cord or chain under, at the side, or above the carriages. Another
cord or chain is fastened by one end to the click, and passing over a roller,
its other end enters the carriage, where it hangs within reach of the
passenger.
The action of our apparatus will be easily understood; it is set by winding
up the ratchet wheel as in clickwork, this winding coiling up the chain and
distending the spring coiled on the rod carrying the disc which is thus drawn
into the box and unwinding the cord or chain on the ratchet wheel, which
cord or chain is then fastened to that under, at the side, or on top of the train
by means of a catch, hereafter described. Supposing a passenger, baving
good cause for alarm, pulls the cord within the carriage, the pull will release
the click or paul from the teeth of the ratchet wheel, and the spring on the
rod carrying the disc being now also released, flies back, carrying with it the
disc rod which then projects the disc from the side of the carriage; this action
making the ratchet wheel also fly rapidly round, causes it to wind up the cord
or chain which is in its groove, drawing the said cord or chain several feet,
which pull causes the whistle on the engine or a bell or alarm near the driver,
and one in the guard's van, all being in connection with the cord or chain
under, above, or at the side of the carriage, to act simultaneously and instan-
taneously, when the guard or driver, or both can ascertain to which carriage
-and compartment it is desired to draw their attention by the projection of the
disc, before mentioned; the train is then stopped, and the guard descends and
proceeds to the carriage in question. Before the train is again started, the
guard (who will be furnished with a proper key) again winds up the apparatus
(as in clockwork) and replaces the catch on to the train cord or chain from which
it has been released, as we will now describe. This catch is made in form
of a loop, one arm of which is moveable on a pivot or hinge within the loop,
and attached to its fixed arm is a spring, and on the shank of the loop pivots a
balance lever bent at one end to receive the end of the moveable arm, and
with a bar pinned loosely on to the other end at right angles to the balance
lever, this bar carrying a stop or stops. In setting this catch or snap, the

page_text: cord or chain is first placed within the loop, and the moveable arm is then
brought close againt the shank (some little force being requisite to compress
the spring within the loop,) and its end is supported and presses on the bent
end of the balance which is made to pivot forward to receive it. When the
train cord is pulled, as above described, the catch is drawn with it until one
of the stops on the bar of the balance meets a projection placed for this
purpose, and the bar then pushes forward the top of the balance lever, the
lower end of which is consequently away from the moveable arm of the
loop which is then thrown back by the spring, and the cord or chain is
released. It will be evident that this catch may be applied to other purposes
than that above set forth.
The click which we use may also be applied to other purposes, and is con-
structed as follows:-It is pinned on to the box or a plate so as to pivot like
an ordinary click, but in order to keep it firmly in the teeth of the ratchet
wheel it is assisted by a spring pressing on its shoulder, and also, if required,
by one pressing on its back; upon it rests transversely a bar pivoting in
bearings having a clutch at one end, and under its other end a spiral spring.
When the click is in the teeth of the wheel the clutch of the bar rests on top
of it, but when the cord in the carriage is pulled the pull causes the click, as
it leaves the teeth of the wheel, to move under the bar, and the clutch passing
beyond it prevents its return until the guard, in again setting the apparatus,
presses with a rod or key on the end under which is the spiral, and so releases
the click from its pressure. Our arrangement for winding and unwinding
from different diameters on a ratchet wheel and spindle combined in one, as
described, may also be applied to various purposes.
It will be observed, that we do not mention any particular metals or
materials to be used in the construction of our apparatus, as we would reserve
the right of using those which, in practice, we may find most suitable. It
will also be understood that the apparatus, herein described, is for one carriage
or compartment of a carriage, and may be repeated for every carriage door
if deemed desirable; if both sides of the carriage is to be furnished with the
disc apparatus, it is only necessary to place a double apparatus on the roof of
each compartiment.