AN IMPROVED METHOD OF COMMUNICATION BY MEANS OF ELECTRICAL CURRENTS BETWEEN THE PASSENGERS AND OFFICIALS IN RAILWAY TRAINS, AND APPA- RATUS THEREFOR
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Woodcroft Hammond, of 27, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, C.E., for the Invention of "AN
IMPROVED METHOD OF COMMUNICATION BY MEANS OF ELECTRICAL CURRENTS
BETWEEN THE PASSENGERS AND OFFICIALS IN RAILWAY TRAINS, AND APPA-
RATUS THEREFOR." A communication from abroad by Victor Von Scheliba, of
· Saint Petersburg, in the Empire of Russia.
Sealed the 14th January 1879, and dated the 17th July 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Woodcroft Hammond
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th July 1878.
HENRY WOODCROFT HAMMOND, of 27, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, C.E. "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF COMMUNICATION
BY MEANS OF ELECTRICAL CURRENTS BETWEEN THE PASSENGERS AND OFFICIALS
IN RAILWAY TRAINS, AND APPARATUS THEREFOR." A communication from abroad
by Victor Von Scheliha, of Saint Petersburg, in the Empire of Russia.
The object of this Invention is to establish a rapid and safe method of communi-
cation between the passengers and officials in railway trains when in motion, by
the use of signals operated by means of electrical currents.
The first part of this Invention may be thus described :-Two pivotted levers
bars are flexibly connected at a point approximately equidistant from their fulcrums.
At the further extremity of one of these lever bars and firmly attached thereto is an
armature held by the force of magnetic attraction in contact with the poles of an
electro-magnet, thus temporarily neutralizing the effect of a spring placed beneath
the before-mentioned flexible connection, and having a constant tendency to draw
down the extremities of both the levers attached to it.
The corresponding extremity of the other pivotted lever bar is bent to a sufficient
angle to form a detent that temporarily rests in the notch or step of a sector.

page_text: sector, by the action of a spring, has a constant tendency to turn or make a quarter
of a revolution (at which point it would be stopped by a pin), and is only prevented
from so doing by the above referred to detent. To the axle of the sector is securely
attached an arm which will move in the same circular direction as the sector. This
arm, by means of one or more connecting rods, is attached to and capable of acting
upon a steam whistle, bell, or other suitable contrivance of signal. On another or
second arm also firmly secured to the axle of the sector, and having consequently
the same relative motion, may be placed a disc or other covering hiding a signal or
red light.
It will now be evident that if a current of electricity that may be generated in
any convenient manner be passed through the coils of the before-mentioned electro-
magnet, the changing of the positive to the negative pole and the negative to the
positive pole will neutralize the effect of the permanent magnet and release the
armature, thus permitting the spring beneath the flexible joint of the levers to draw
the attached ends downwards.
The detent consequently rises and permits the sector to turn as before described,
while the arms connected with the axle of the sector respectively act on the whistle
or signal, and by removing the disc show the signal light. The entire apparatus
may be replaced in position to act again by placing the sector in its first position, a
pin or knob on the rim of the sector actuating another suitable lever, which in its
turn forces the previously described connected levers back to their normal position.
The second part of this Invention relates to the method of and apparatus for
connecting conducting wires from the generating source with the electro-magnet
and the various carriages of which the train may be composed, and may be described
as follows: Two insulated wires are permanently placed inside of each carriage
following its entire length.
At one end they are in contact with a funnel-shaped case placed outside of the
carriage, at the other end of the carriage they pass to the exterior in the form of a
short cable to which is attached a contact bolt or rod which is placed in the funnel-
shaped case on the exterior of the carriage immediately preceding or following, as
the case may be, and thus a complete connection is formed.
The circuit is held open by a spiral spring which acts on the interior stem stem of
the before-mentioned funnel-shaped case, and prevents the contact points from meeting
unless the spring be slightly compressed. The power of this spring will be over-
come however previously to the carriages separating from any unexpected cause, as
in this case the before-mentioned short connecting cable from one carriage would
draw out the contact bolt or rod from the carriage next in order of procession, not
however without exerting sufficient force before actual separation to overcome the
power of the spiral spring and draw the contact points together, when the circuit
would be at once completed and the current pass to the electro-magnet, causing it
to lose its magnetic attraction and permit the first-described connected lever bars to
act on the herein-before mentioned signals.
For the convenience and security of passengers an isolating button with contact
points is placed in the several compartments of the carriages at points to be decided
upon from considerations of economy or convenience.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Woodcroft Hammond in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
17th January 1879.
HENRY WOODCROFT HAMMOND, of 27, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, C.E. "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF COMMUNICATION
BY MEANS OF ELECTRICAL CURRENTS BETWEEN THE PASSENGERS AND OFFICIALS
IN RAILWAY TRAINS, AND APPARATUS THEREFOR." (A communication from abroad
by Victor Von Scheliha, of Saint Petersburg, in the Empiro of Russia.)
The object of this Invention is to establish a rapid and safe method of communi-
cation between the passengers and officials in railway trains when in motion, by
the use of signals operated by means of electrical currents.
The first part of this Invention may be thus described, reference being had to the
three accompanying Sheets of Drawings, upon the second sheet of which is shown
one form of electric battery B, B, Fig. 1, which may be used for the purpose herein;
after described.
At Fig. 1, Sheet 1, are shewn two pivotted lever bars c, c, which are flexibly
connected at a point approximately equidistant from their fulcrums. At the
further extremity of one of these lever bars and firmly attached thereto is an
armature & held by the force of magnetic attraction surrounded by electric coils
m, m, as shewn for the purpose herein-after mentioned in contact with the poles of a
permanent magnet S, S,- thus temporarily neutralizing the effect of the spring b
placed beneath the before-mentioned flexible connection, and which has a constant
tendency to draw down the extremities of both the levers attached to it.
The corresponding extremity of the other pivotted lever bar is bent at a sufficient
angle to form a detent d that temporarily rests in the notch or step of a sector c.
This sector, by the action of a spring, as shewn attached to V, has a constant
tendency to turn or make a quarter of a revolution (at which point it would be
stopped by the pin t), and is only prevented from so doing by the above referred to
detent d. To the axle f of the sector e is securely attached an arm g which will
move in the same circular direction as the sector. This arm, by means of one or
more connecting rods i, i, is attached to and capable of acting upon a steam whistle
w, Fig. 2, Sheet 1, bell, or other suitable signal. On another or second arm also
firmly secured to the axle f and having consequently the same relative motion,
may be placed a disc S or other covering hiding a danger signal or red light for
additional security in attracting the attention of the engine driver or his assistants
by night.
It will now be evident that if a current of electricity (which may be generated
in any convenient manner) be passed through the coils m, m, on the permanent
magnet 8, the changing of the positive pole will neutralize the effect of the permanent
magnet and release the armature a, thus permitting the spring b to act and draw
down the extremities of the lever bars c, c, to which it is attached. The detent d
then rises and permits the sector e to turn as before described, while the arms con-
nected with the axle f respectively act on the whistle or bell and on the disc S,
which on being moved discloses the afore-named red or other danger signal light or
device L, Sheet. II.
The entire apparatus may be replaced after action in position to act again by
placing the sector in its first position, a pin or knob on the rim of the sector
actuating another suitable lever or other device h, which in its turn forces the con-
nected levers c, c, back to their original position.
Fig. 1, Sheet 2, shews the plan of apparatus, of which Fig. 1, Sheet 1, is a side
view or elevation.
The second portion of this Invention relates to the method of and apparatus for
connecting the conducting wires from the electric generating source to the electro-
magnets and the various carriages of which the train may be composed; this portion

page_text: of the Invention may be described as follows:-Two insulated wires f, f, Figs. 1
and 2 (Sheet III.) are permanently placed inside of each carriage following its entire
length.
At one end they are in contact with a funnel-shaped case a extending to the
inside of the carriages, at the other end of the carriages they pass to the exterior
in the form of a short conducting cable i, to which is attached a contact bolt or rod
b (see Fig. 2, Sheet 3), which is placed in the funnel-shaped case a on the exterior
of the carriage immediately preceding or following, as the case may be, thus a
complete connection is formed.
The electric circuit is held open at the button c by a spiral or other spring fl
Fig. 2, which acts on the interior stem of a, and permits the contact points m, m',
from meeting unless the spring be slightly compressed. The power of this spring
would be overcome however previously to the carriages separating from any un-
expected cause, as in this case the short connecting cable i from one carriage would
draw out the contact bolt 6 from the carriage next in order of procession, not
however without first exerting sufficient force on a (by reason of the holding
springs 8, 8,) to compress f¹ and bring the contact points m, m³, together, when the
circuit would be at once completed and the current pass to the electro-magnet,
neutralizing its magnetic force and permitting the spring to act on the first-
mentioned lever bars, as herein-before described.
A box, cap, or other covering d, d, c, c, is used to prevent rain, snow, or dust from
entering into the case a. The conducting wires from the engine and tender may be
protected by a pipe (g¹) as shewn, Fig. 3, Sheet 3.
For the convenience and security of passengers isolating buttons of any desirable
form or shape with contact points, as shewn at C, in Fig. 4 (Sheet 3), which may be
covered with parchment, paper, or isinglass, are placed in the several compartments
of the carriages at points to be decided upon from considerations of economy or
convenience.
Having thus described the Invention as communicated to me by my foreign
correspondent, what I now claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-
First. The signal apparatus as herein-before described.
And Second. The automatic contact and method of establishing electric com-
munication in railway trains, as herein-before set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Woodcroft Hammond, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of January, One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-nine.
TIR TOT
HAADADARM
TOND