CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATING BETWEEN GUARD AND DRIVER AND PASSENGERS ON RAILWAYS
Year: 1872

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Samuel Moorhouse and William
John Kendall at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 11th March 1872.
We, SAMUEL MOORHOUSE, of Cheadle Bulkeley, in the County of
Chester, Cotton Spinner, and WILLIAM JOHN KENDALL, of Heaton.
Norris, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of our said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR COMMUNICATING BETWEEN GUARD AND DRIVER AND PASSENGERS ON RAILWAYS,"
to be as follows:-
The Invention consists in the use and employment of two distinct
sets of double armed or bell-crank levers attached to the ends of each
carriage at a convenient height from the rails, and in connection with
a cord, chain, or rod, or cords, chains, or rods, running from end to end
of each carriage in any convenient place thereof. The arms of the lever
of one of the above-mentioned two distinct sets are placed at an angle of
90 degrees or nearly so, forming thus square levers 7, while the arms of
the other set of levers are placed at an angle of about 35 degrees, forming
thereby a kind of <V levers. Two of these said levers are attached
to one end of each carriage, that is, a square lever at one side of the

page_text: centre of the carriage and a V lever on the other side of the centre of
the carriage; two other levers are attached to the other end of the
carriage, also one on each side of the centre of the carriage but in
reversed order, so that each side of the carriage carries a square lever
on one end and a V lever on the other. Thus in a plan of the carriage
the two square levers would be seen diagonally opposite each other
and the two V levers also. By this arrangement the square lever
and V lever on one end of a carriage will be always opposite and
engaged with a V lever and square lever on the end of the next carriage
whichever way the carriage may be turned or changed. Each of the square
levers is placed in such a manner that in its normal position, that is, when
not acted upon, one arm projects horizontally, or nearly so, from the end
of the carriage, while the other arm is suspended vertically, or nearly
so, downwards and rests against the end of the carriage. The V lever
on the other end of the carriage but on the same side is placed so that
one arm projects horizontally, or nearly so, from such end of the
carriage and the other arm inclines upwards. The lever is held in this
position by means of a cord or chain or other equivalent, which is attached
to the end of the arm inclining upwards, it passes along the upper
part of the carriage, over conveniently situated guide pulleys to the
other end, then downwards and over a guide pulley to the end of the
vertically suspended arm of the square lever to which it is connected.
Instead of the continuous cord or cords a rod or bar or rods or bars
may be used extending from end to end of the carriage, and connected
to the levers by means of short lengths of cord or chains. These cords,
chains, or rods, may be acted upon and put in motion by the passengers
inside the carriage by any convenient means, but in gaining access to
such cords, chains, or rods a semaphore or other signal will be thrown
out on the top or side of the carriage by any available mechanism, so
as to distinctly indicate the compartment from which the communi-
cation proceeds. If now a train is made up the horizontally projecting
arms of the square levers on each side and each end of any carriage
will pass and overlap the horizontally projecting arms of the V levers
of the opposite sides and ends of any adjoining carriage or carriages,
thus forming a self-acting connection. In order to ensure the passing
of the horizontal arms of the square levers over those of the
V.levers when the carriages are coupled, the V levers may be placed
slightly lower than the square levers, and the horizontal arms of the

page_text: V levers may be made to incline slightly downwards, and the ends
of the horizontal or nearly horizontal arms of both levers tapered off.
Each length of cord or chain or each rod connecting the square and
V levers on each side of a carriage can be acted upon and put in motion
on convenient points between the two levers by the passengers when
required, and if this is done the upward inclining arm of the V lever
is pulled towards the carriage end, the horizontal or nearly horizontal
arm of the same lever lifts the horizontal arm of the square lever on
the end of the next carriage, the vertically suspended arm of such square
lever thereby is caused to move from the end of the carriage drawing
with it the chain attached to its extremity, this chain being connected
as before described to the inclined arm of the V lever on the other end
of this latter carriage, this V lever is put in motion, moving in its turn
again the square lever of the next carriage, and communication is
thereby obtained throughout the train to either engine or guard's van.
It will be easily understood from the aforesaid that two lines of com-
munication are provided, one on each side of a train, the signal being
conveyed on one side to the engine, and on the other side, by reason
of the reversed order of levers to the guard's van. Both lines may either
be worked separately or together as found most suitable.