Improvements in and relating to the Lighting of Railway Carriages and other Vehicles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 13th Apr., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Lighting of Railway Carriages
and other Vehicles.
I, ARTHUR FITZSIMMONS, of 17, Frederick Street, Bury, Fireman, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same has to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to an apparatus especially intended for use in railway
carriages, but applicable to other vehicles, and has for its object to provide an
arrangement by means of which the gas used for lighting purposes may be
economized when the carriages are not occupied.
In the ordinary case the light is fully turned on, irrespective of whether any
person is in the carriage or not, thereby expending a large amount of the illuminant
unnecessarily.
With my invention the gas is turned very low, when every person has left the
carriage, the light being turned on automatically on the entry of a passenger.
In carrying out my invention, the floor of the carriage is adapted to move
slightly, and to operate, through suitable levers, a cock permitting of free passage
of gas. The seats are also connected to the same operating mechanism, so that as
a passenger sits down, he will still keep the supply open, the seats being adapted
for a slight motion, similar to that of the floor.
In order that the invention may be more clearly understood reference is had to
the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which
and
Fig. 1 is a cross section of part of the carriage with my arrangement applied,
Figs. 2 and 3 are detail views, showing a device used to prevent the light being
tampered with.
The carriage A is provided with the floor B adapted as above mentioned to move
slightly, so that it can be depressed on any weight being applied.
At each side of the carriage and under the seats C is placed the rod D, connected
to the under side of the seats, and moved vertically with them when any person sits
down. These rods are connected by the cross piece d and the stays d' forming a
triangular frame, in order to give great strength and rigidity without much weight
or expenditure of metal.
These stays and cross piece are fitted at the centre to the operating rod E which
is moved by them, opening or closing the cock f belonging to the gas supply pipe F.
the end of E being connected to the arm f¹ of the cock. Underneath the floor, the
lower part of which is rigid, is fixed the bracket G depending downwardly for some
distance, and serving to support the rod E, a spring e being fitted to the latter to
return the parts to the normal position when the weight is removed from the floor
and seats.
The floor operates the rod D by means of the forks or projections 6 at
each side which engage with a collar or lug on the rods D and press them down
when the floor is lowered. The extensions are preferably hinged to admit of the
floor being lifted for cleaning purposes.

page_text: Each rod D is provided with a coupling a2 so that its length may be adjusted and
the quantity of gas regulated.
In the arrangement shown in full lines in Fig. 1, the gas is turned down, there
being no weight on the seats or floor. The dotted lines show the positions taken up
by the parts when the gas is turned full on.
In order that a boy or other person may not mischievously tamper with the gas,
causing the light to rise and fall, the arrangement shown clearly in Figs. 2 and 3 is
employed, retaining the apparatus in fixed position when the carriage doors are
closed. The rod E is furnished with an extension e¹ at top, hinged to it, and
a sliding bar H is fitted at each side, extending transversely across the carriage
underneath the floor. These sliding bars are bent down at the inner ends, and are
furnished with the tips or caps 4 by means of which, when slidden together, they
may grip the extension e' securing the rod E and preventing its moving, as shown
in Fig. 3.
The extremities of these bars project slightly beyond the sides of the floor and
come into contact with the carriage doors J, when the latter are closed. Fig. 2
shows one door open, and the other closed. A coupling is fitted to each bar or
rod, by which its length can be adjusted easily as required, and a spring h² is also
furnished to push the bars out when the doors are opened. Thus when both doors
are closed the rod E will be held securely in the position into which it has been
moved, either by the entrance or the exit of a passenger.
A simple and automatic apparatus is thus provided, which will permit the gas to
be turned on fully only when the light is required, and will economize by reducing
the supply when the carriages are not in use. A small jet is of course left burning
when the carriage is empty.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I am aware
that movable seats have been previously used to operate the gas cocks in connection
with the lighting of the compartments of railway carriages, & I make no claim
thereto but what I claim is :---
(1.) An apparatus for use with railway and other carriages, consisting of
mechanism connected with the light supply, operated from the seats and floor on
the entrance or exit of a passenger, turning on or shutting off the supply,
substantially as and for the purposes specified.
(2.) An apparatus for use in railway and other carriages, consisting of rods fitted
underneath the seats, connected together by stays, seats and floor, capable of slight
vertical movement, a vertical spindle operated by the said rods, and a tap or cock
in the supply pipe, opened and closed by the said mechanisın, substantially as and
for the purposes specified.
(3.) In an improved apparatus for use in railway and other carriages, the
combination with movable seats and floor, of a frame under the said floor with rods,
connected to the seats and floor, and operated by them, a central spindle fitted to
the said frame, a bracket supporting the spindle, a spring returning the apparatus
to its normal position and a tap or cock in the supply pipe, connected to the spindle,
substantially as described and shown in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings and
for the purposes specified.
(4.) In combination with the apparatus claimed above, sliding bars under the
floor, projecting at each side and adapted for operation by the carriage doors,
gripping devices on the bars for the central spindle, springs connected to the said
bars and couplings for regulating their length, substantially as described and
shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings annexed and for the purposes specified.
Dated this 6th day of March 1895.
GEO. H. RAYNER,
37, Chancery Lane, London, Agent for the Applicant.
GEO. H. RAYNER,
37, Chancery Lane, London, Agent for the Applicant.