IMPROVED METHODS OF AND APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATING BETWEEN THE SEVERAL PARTS OF RAILWAY TRAINS
Year: 1872

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Bewick Quelch at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd June 1872.
I, WILLIAM BEWICK QUELCH, of Wigston Magna, in the County of
Leicester, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVED METHODS OF AND APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATING
BETWEEN THE SEVERAL PARTS OF RAILWAY TRAINS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the combination and arrangement of me-
chanism and apparatus by means of which the several parts of railway
trains are placed in a condition of intercommunication with each other
in a simple and effectual manner, such apparatus being equally capable
of being employed when required by drivers, guards, and passengers.
The agent used for actuating the signal apparatus, which may consist
of a bell or bells or any other suitable arrangement, and which in itself
forms no part of this Invention, is a cord, rope, wire or chain, which
extends from one end of the train to the other, and which in its normal
or inactive condition is held in a state of tension by means of weights
or clock work attached to or in connection with each end of the same in

page_text: the brake van and on the engine, or in other desired positions. The
communicating medium (which for convenience will be herein-after
termed the "cord") is constructed in separate sections, which can be
readily connected or disconnected with or from each other, when the
several component parts of the train are coupled or uncoupled. The
cord is taken or looped up by means of pulleys or other suitable con-
trivances at certain points on each carriage, in such a manner that by
withdrawing or actuating a pin or mandril, or by other suitable means
such as will be well understood, the cord is slackened and the weights
or clockwork before mentioned released, thus bringing the signal appa-
ratus into operation. The pin or mandril is by preference withdrawn
or actuated from the inside of the compartment on the exterior of which
the cord is looped up, or is actuated by means of well known con-
trivances from any part or from any number of places in such compart-
ment. The variation in the length of the train is compensated for by
arranging the cord in connection with the buffers, and also, if necessary,
with the draw bars. Levers or other suitable apparatus, such as will be
well understood are provided, by means of which the drivers and guards
can actuate the signal apparatus irrespective of the passengers.
This Invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the
annexed Drawing, in which Figure 1 represents a train with the appa-
ratus attached. The cord is shewn by a red line at A, and the pulleys by
which the same is looped up at B, the bar connecting the pulleys with the
buffers being shewn at C. The weights by which the cord is kept in a
state of tension are represented at D, and the levers by which the
weights are operated upon by the drivers and guards are shewnat E.
By the term "weights" must of course be understood either weights as
their equivalents, as before mentioned.
Figures 2, 3, and 4 are transverse sections of one of the compartments
of a carriage, shewing a portion of the apparatus in section, the same
letters of reference being used in each Figure as referring to similar
parts.
A is the cord; B, B, the pulleys, over which the same passes; F is a
pulley over which the cord runs to hold the upper pulley B in position,
and enable it to be returned after the signal has been given; G is a
cord, wire, or chain to be used when drawing up the pulley B to hold
the same fast when in position; H is a weighted handle attached to G;
K is a crank which holds B in position by passing through a link in G,

page_text: or by means of a fork and enlargement of G at L. The cord A and
upper pulley B are released by pressing the knob M attached to the
crank K. It is manifest that the crank K can be actuated from any
part of the compartment by means of wires or other arrangements well
5 known to persons conversant with mechanism.