US107440A - Improvement in street-indicators for city cars - Google Patents

Description

UNITEDA STATESr PATENT FFICE.

VILLIAM BIi-OYVN, OF'DUNOANNON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND SAMUEL NOSS, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN STREET-INDICATORS FOR CITY CARS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 107,440, dated September 20, 1870 antcdated September 14, 1870.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM BROWN, of Duncannon, in the county of Perry and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Street-Gar Signal; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, making a part of this specitication, in which- Figure l is a front elevation, and Fig. 2 is an end elevation, the box end being removed.

This invention has for its object to enable conductors to show inside street-cars a label bearing the name of the street the car is running on, and at every corner a label bearing the name of the street about to be crossed, for the purpose of saving the conductors the trouble of making, and the passengers the difficulty often experienced of understanding, ver# bal announcements.

To this end the invention consists of a cylinder to be placed within the car, and provided with any suitable mechanism through which it may be rotated by the conductor on turning a crank outside the car, and bearing the required number of rectangular plates hinged at one side, lengthwise of the cylinder, which plates are inscribed on one side with the name of the street along which the car is proceeding, each plate having on its other side the name of one of the intersecting streets, which the conductor exposes to view by turning the crank j ust-before reaching the crossing.

In the drawing, A is the cylinder, having at each end a projecting iiange, a. I) b, Sto., are the rectangular plates, each provided with a wire placed along one edge, whose ends project into holes made in a circular series in each ilange a. By this arrangement the plates are hinged to the cylinder, and they lie one upon another in an inclined position, as shown in Fig. 2, until, owing to the rotation of the cylinder, they turn downward on their trunnions by their own gravity at the front of the inclosing-box and hang reversed. Previous to such revolution each plate shows the same iuscription, as, for example, Ninth and. On its opposite side each plate bears the name of one of the intersecting streets, and it is the business of the conductor to cause the fall of each plate just before or immediately upon crossing the street whose name it exhibits.v A bell may be connected with the mechanism, as shown in Fig. 2, in such amanner as to call attention to each fall of a plate. This mechanism, therefore, always indicates clearly to each passenger what street he is traversing and what one he is just crossing or has just crossed. Each plate as it falls hides the one on which it lies, so that there is never exposed to view the name ot more than one intersecting street at once.

The mechanism is operated by a circular rack, c, attached to one end of the cylinder A, and a screw, d, meshing with the rack on the shaft B, which projects outside the car, and is furnished with a crank, B', for the conductor to take hold of.

The apparatus is inclosed in a box having an opening at one side, through which the plates may be read.

Having thus described my invention, lwhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A revolving cylinder having a number of plates hinged upon its exterior, said plates being so arranged as to turn over bytheir own weight on passing a certain point when the cylinder is rotated, thus displaying in succession the names of streets, &c., inscribed upon them, substantially in the manner described.

2. The combination of the cylinder A,hinged plates b, circular rack c, screw d, and shaft B, all constructed and operating substantially as set forth.

WM. BROWN.

Titnesses GHAs. J. LEHMAN, E. C. IRVIN.

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