US1030986A - Train-indicator. - Google Patents

Description

C. B. ELLIOTT n E. E. CLAPPART.

TRAIN INDICATOR.

APELIGANON ULEB JULY 1911.

Patented July 2, 1912.

' UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

CLAUD B. ELLIOTT .AND EMILE E. CLAPPART, OF HEMPSTEAD, TEXAS.

Application filed July 5, 1911. Serial No. 636,893.

To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that we, CLAUD B. ELLIOTT and EMILE E. CLAPPART, citizens of the United States, residing at Hempstead, in the county of Waller and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements` in Train-Indicators, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to train indicators of the kind in which an apparatus is employed for displaying numbers, names or characters.

The invention has for its object to provide an improved apparatus of this kind which will be simple in construction and efective in operation.

Referring to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a View of the front face of a train indicatorlconstructed in accordance with this invention. F ig. 2 is an enlarged detail plan view in horizontal section of a portion of the apparatus showing the manner of guiding the ribbon in front of an opening. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of the apparatus shown in vertical section and with parts broken away. Fig. 4 is a detail view in cross section of an operating shaft. Fig. 5 is a detail view showing a portion of one of the rollers and means for engaging said roller with its shaft. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail end View of the device shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail view partly in section and broken away of a portion of the driving -shaft' and its support. Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail View of a portion of the device shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is a view in vertical section showing a pair of rollers and the means fon-guiding the ,ribbon in front of an openn carrying out the invention an oblong casing 1 is provided having a number of panels 2 in its front separated by partitions 8 which are located and extend transversely in the casing, each of theI panels 2 being' formed with an opening .Extending lengthwise through the casing l adjacent to 501 its top and bottom are shafts 5 having. their bearings in the ends ot the casing and in the partition 3 either of said straits being s operated by; a detachable handle 5 and in each ofthe chambers-formed by the parlitions 3 'there are mounted pairs of rollers 6, each of said rollers 6 being loosely mount Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2, 1912.

ed on a shaft 5 and connected with each other to rotate in unison by vmeans of a grooved pulley 7 adjacentA one end of each of `said rollers, and fixed to the shaft 5 an endlessbelt 8 extending over grooved ulleys 7 on the shafts 53 The rollers are eld 1n spaced position against endwse movement by means of a collar 9 on the shaft 5 between the pulley 7 and the end of the casing 1 or a partition 3. VVound upon each roller G of said pairs of rollers is a ribbon 1() which is held adjacent to the opening 4 1n each panel 2 of the casing'by means of rollers 11, each of which is'mounted on a bracket 12 inside of the casin and above and belowv the opening 4, said ri bon passing over the rollers 11 andy being held thereby in a vertical position over theopening'fi.

Mounted in a longitudinal socket in' one end of each of the rollers 6 is a plug 13 longitudinally movable in said socket and held to turn with the shaft 5 by means ofa pin 14 on the shaft 5 projecting through a longitudinal slot 15 in the plug 13, thereby permitting of the longitudinal movement of the.

plug, and, at the same time causing it to'l rotate with the shaft 5. The plug 1s normally held in its outwardly extended position by means of a coil spring 16 located in thc socket behind the plug 13, as shown in Fig. 3. l

Mounted on one end-of the roller Gis a disk 17 provided adjacent to its periphery with pins 18 with which is adapted to contact, an arm 19 projecting from the plug 13 and movable into and out of engagement with the pin 18. In order to move the arm 19` into engagement with one 'of the pins 18 suitable means is provided, as, for example, the lever arm 20 pivotedto a support 21 on a plate 22 secured to a partition 3, said lever arm having a forked end 23 straddling the shaft 5 and bearing against the lend of the plug 13, and the other endof said lever 20 projecting through an opening 23 in the panel 2 and having a handle 24 at its outerA end.

bearing against a pin 1& will .cause the ad- By operating the lever 20 the plug 13 may y jacent roller 6 to rotate, thereby Winding the ribbon l0 on one roller 6 and unwinding it from the other. Upon releasing the lever 20 the coil spring 16 will automatically throw back the plug 13 to its normal position as shown in Fig. 3, thereby moving the arm 19 out of engagement with a pin 18.

It will be noted that the ribbon can be wound on tof/'cine roller and unwound from' the other by changing the handle 5 from one of the shafts 5 to the other. As shown each of the ribbons cont-ains a number of figures or other characters, so that by operating separately each lever 20 the numbers presented in the openings of the different panels may be changed by operating one or more of the ribbons by the rotation of a shaft 5.

What We claim is In an indicator of the kind described, an oblong casing having a horizontal row of Sight apertures, driving shafts mounted adjacent to the top and bottom of said casing respectively and extending longitudinally thereof, pairs of rollers mounted on thev upper and lower shafts respectively above and below each sight aperture, a grooved roller adjacent to one end of each of said rollers and fi-Xed to the shaft, an endless belt connecting each pair of grooved rollers, a ribbon with symbols extending past each sight aperture and wound upon said first named rollers, a plug slidably mounted in each of said ribbon-carrying rollers and keyed to said shaft, and having a projecting arm, project-ions on the end of each ribboncarrying roller, a spring bearing against said plug to hold its arm out of engagement with the projections on the roller and to automatically return the plug to its normal position, a lever for moving each plug and its arm into engagement with the proj ections on the roller, and means for operating one of said shafts.

In testimony whereof we hereunto affix our signatures in presence of two Witnesses.

CLAUD B. ELLIOTT. EMILE E. CLAPPART. Witnesses L. D. AMSLER, WV. G. MORRISON.

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