IMPROVEMENTS IN LIGHTING AND WARMING TRAINS OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Edward Dering, of Lockleys, in the County
of Herts, for tho Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LIGHTING AND WARMING
TRAINS OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES."
Sealed the 24th July 1857, and dated the 28th January 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Edward Dering
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th January 1857.
I, GEORGE EDWARD DERING, of Lockleys, in the County of Herts, do hereby
declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LIGHTING AND
WARMING TRAINS OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in lighting and warming
trains of railway carriages, and consists of combining apparatus in a suitable
manner for employing gas to be burned in the various lamps used in a train
of carriages for signals, and for lighting the interiors of the passenger or other
carriages, and in, suitable stoves or other apparatus for-warming the same, in
place of employing oil or candle lamps for the purpose of signals and illumi-
nation, and vessels of hot water for warming the carriages, as at present. For.
the accomplishment of this object, it is preferred to attach a separate carriago
or truck of light construction to each train for carrying the requisite quantity
of coal or other gas in suitable holders or gasometers, using by proference bags

page_text: or flexible holders, pressed on by water or other liquid, or by weights or springs,
and supported upon springs. Each carriage of a train has, by preference,
permanently attached to it a length of g
length of gas pipe from end to end, com-
municating by branch pipes with the several burners, each such main length of
pipe having a length of flexible tubing attached thereto at both ends with stop-
cocks and gas-tight couplings, to facilitate the joining up of the main gas pipes
throughout the length of the train, and each separate burner having a stop-
cock, as usual in gas. lighting. In order to prevent the endosmodic mixture
which usually takes place between gas contained in flexible holders and the
surrounding atmosphere, it is preferred to envelop them in a jacket of water
or other liquid. And in order to insure a good light, it is advisable, particu-
larly when bags or flexible gasholders are employed, to bring the gas into
contact with benzole, or other suitable hydrocarbon, either in the holder or in
its passage from thence to the burners.
The apparatus is by preference arranged to be under the control of the
guard' or other officer travelling with the train, by means of cocks or valves, in
such manner that all the lights or some of them can be modified at pleasure
in the extent of their flames, by which means the expenditure of gas may be
economized almost to nothing during daylight, except whilst passing through
tunnels, and a ready means is afforded the guard of attracting the attention of
the engine driver by modifying the supply of gas to a burner within his view;
and there may even be carried on telegraphic conversation between different
parts of the train by varying the character of distant gas lights according to an
established code of signals, the stop-cocks for all which purposes may have
stops or checks to the movement of the handle regulating the orifice or gradu-
ations to determine its position, or other devices to òbviate the risk of extin-
guishing the lights when intending only to diminish them...
.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Edward Dering in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 28th July 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
EDWARD DERING, of Lockleys, in the County of Herts, send greeting:
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me;

page_text: the said George Edward Dering, Her special licence that I, the said George
Edward Dering, my..executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said George Edward Dering, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LIGHTING AND WARMING TRAINS OF RAILWAY
CARRIAGES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George
Edward Dering, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said. Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Edward Dering, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in lighting and warming
trains of railway carriages, and consists of combining apparatus in a suitable
manner for employing gas to be burned in the various lamps used in a train of
carriages for signals, and for lighting the interiors of the passenger or other
carriages, and in suitable stoves or other apparatus for warming the same, in
place of employing oil or candle lamps for the purpose of signals and
illumination, and vessels of hot water for warming the carriages, as at
present.
?
For the accomplishment of this object, it is preferred to attach a separate
carriage or truck of light construction to each train, for carrying the requisite
quantity of coal or other gas in suitable holders or gasometers, using by pre-
ference bags or flexible holders, pressed on by water or other liquid, or by
weights or springs, and supported upon springs. Each carriage of a train
has, by preference, permanently attached to it a length of gas pipe from end
to end, communicating by branch pipes with the several burners, each such
main length of pipe having a length of flexible, tubing attached thereto at
both ends, with stop-cocks and gas-tight couplings, to facilitate the joining up
of the main gas pipes throughout the length of the train, and each separate
burner having a stop-cock, as usual in gas lighting.
:
In order to prevent the endosmoilic mixture, which usually takes place.

page_text: between gas contained in flexible holders and the surrounding atmosphere, it
is preferred to envelop them in a jacket of water or other liquid. And in
order to ensure a good light, it is advisable, particularly when bags or flexible.
gasholders are employed, to bring the gas into contact with benzole, or other
suitable hydrocarbon, either in the holder or in its passage from thence to
the burners.
The apparatus is by' preference arranged to be under the control of the
guard or other officer travelling with the train, by means of cocks or valves,
in such manner that all the lights or some of them can be modified at pleasure
in the extent of their flames, by which means the expenditure of gas may be
economized almost to nothing during daylight, except whilst passing througli
tunnels, and a ready means is afforded the guard of attracting the attention
of the engine driver, by modifying the supply of gas to a burner within his
view; and there may even be carried on telegraphic conversation between
different parts of the train by varying the character of distant gaslights
according to an established code of signals. The stop-cocks for all which
purposes may have stops or checks to the movement of the handle regulating
the orifice, or graduations to determine its position, or other devices to
obviate the risk of extinguishing the lights when intended only to diminish
them.
In order to avoid the inconvenience of the lights being extinguished' during
temporary disconnexions of the carriages of a train at the various stations, I
find it advisable to attach to each separate carriage, in connexion with its pipe
and burners, a small gasholder, acted on by springs or other pressure, but of
less force than the pressure of the main reservoir. The stop-cocks at the ends
of the pipe of each carriage must of course be closed during the time that they
are uncoupled, and it is advisable always to close them previous to uncoupling
the separate lengths of pipe, and to keep them closed whilst the carriages are
out of use, in order to prevent the entrance of atmospheric air.
van for
In some cases, instead of employing a separate carriage for the conveyance
of the gasholders, it is preferable to set apart a portion of the guard's
this purpose; or the separate carriages of a train may be each fitted up with
gasholders of sufficient capacity to dispense with any external supply, and in
any case the gas may be compressed to a less volume if desirable.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself
to the details which I have given of my Invention, as the mode of carrying
out the same may be greatly varied, according to the length of trains, the
frequency of stoppages, and other circumstances; but what I claim is, the

page_text: fitting up of railway carriages with pipes and other appliances, whereby to
convey gas from reservoirs carried with the train to suitable burners for the
purpose of lighting, warming, and signalling, and the various accessory and
precautionary arrangements herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Edward Dering have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
S. CARPMAEL.
GEORGE E. DERING. (L.S.)