US1120285A - Changeable sign. - Google Patents

Description

G. W. COX & R. SHIELDS. CHANGEABLE SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 10, 1913.

Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

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ATTORNEY.

G. W. COX (Q R. SHIELDS.

OHANLJEABLE SIGNv APPLICATION nun) JULY 10, 1912.

Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

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GLENN W. COX AND RCBERTiSI-IIELDS, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS 'TO ELECTRIC SERVICE SUPPLIES COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A

CORPORATION OF'PENNSYLVANIA.

CHANGEABLE SIGN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

Application filed July 10, 1913. Serial No. 778,292.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GLENN W. Cox and ROBERT SHIELDS, citizens of the United States, and residents of the city of Philae delphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have jointly invented certain Improvements in Changeable Signs, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention is a sign adapted for displaying various indicia in sequence and it is designed primarily for use upon street or passenger cars to display the names of streets "or 'points of destination.

The leading object of our improvements is to provide efficient means adapted for positively winding a curtain, bearing the points of destination, alternately in oppo site directions, so that the winding shall be effected and a proper tension maintained throughout the winding operation in each direction, or so that the rollers by-which the curtain is carried shall have the differential movements desired on account of the varying rolls of the curtain thereon.

Further objects ofthe improvements are to provide for the ready removal, replacement and interchange of curtains; to effect the desired tension by adjustable frictional mechanism with elimination of the uncertain results due to the usual use of springs; to provide a compact device adapted foruse in the limited spaces available, and to secure certain action effecting the proper positioning of the names or other indieia to be displayed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front ele vation ofa sign embodying our improve ments, Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same, Fig. 3 is a broken enlarged view with the back of the casing cut away to show a rear elevation of an interior construction, Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, Fig. 5 is a broken sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3, Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 66 of Fig. 3, Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view taken transversely through the -mechanism provided with a modified operating crank and handle, Fig.

8 is a sectional view on the line 88 of Fig; 7, Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view taken through the axes of rollers having a modiand the door 4 in the rear for giving access to the mechanism which carries the curtain. A plate 5, provided with the studs 6 and 7, is fixedin one endxof the casing, and in the names of streets or points of destination,

otherend thereof are fixed the bracket 8 and the plates 9 and 10, the plate 9 being provided with the arbor ll'and the cams .12, 13 and Li, and the plate 10. being provided with the arbor 15 and the cams 16, 17 and 18. A yoke 19, disposed in the casing, is provided with transverse slots 20 and 21 which engage the studs 6 and 7, and with the set screw 22 which engages the plate 5 so as to hold the yoke in place and-adjust its position, a lock nut 23 onthe screw be-*' ing run in against the yoke to hold the position. Arbors 24 and 25 of the respective rollers 26 and 27 are journaled in the yoke 19. Frictional disks 28 and 29 (pref-- erably of leather) are fixed on the yoke 19 and engage the concave surfaces of the dished frictional disks 30 and 31 fixed to corresponding ends of the rollers. The opposite ends of the rollers are journaled on the arbors 11 and 15, (or 52' and 15 asshown in Fig. 9) and are provided with the dished disks 32 and 33 having the lugs 3t thereon. It will be understood that by loosening the screw 22, the yoke 19 can be drawn back from the bearings 6 and 7, and the rollers 26 and 27, with the curtain 3 removed from the-casing.

Sheaves or sprocket wheels 37 and 38 are journaled on the respective arbors Hand 15 and are provided with the respective pawls 39 and 40 adapted to rock on the bearings 41 and 42 into and out of engagement with the respective sets of lugs 34, the pawls having the respective pins 43 and 44 eX-. tending. laterally therefrom through the apertures and 46 of the wheels into the planes of the respective sets of cams 12, 13 and 14, and 16, 17 and 18. A link belt 47 passes over the wheels 37 and 38 whereby they are adapted to be operated together. As shown in Figs- 3, 4 and 5, the belt 47 is engaged by a sprocket wheel 48 to which is fixed the beveled gear wheel 49, these wheels being journaled by means of the shaft supported by the bearing 8. The wheel 49 is engaged by a beveled gear wheel 51 which is fixed on the shaft 52, the latter being journaled in the bearing 8 and revolved by the crank 53. When the crank 53 is turned clockwise, the pawl 39 is caused, by the intermediate mechanism, to revolve in the forward direction and positively engages a lug or ratchet tooth 34 of the top roller 26. In this operation, the cam 14 deflects the pin 43, as it travels upwardly from its dotted line position, so that it passes between the tops of the cams 12 and 13 (Fig. 4), when gravity will effect the engagement of the pawl 39 with the corresponding teeth 34. The roller .26 is now positively revolved to wind thereon the curtain 3, which is drawn off the lower roller 27 subject to the tension imposed thereon by the engaging frictional disks 29 and 31, the lower pawl 40 being moved by the wheel 38 in the reverse direction so as to permit the lower roller to turn with the desired differential movement relative to the roller 26. 'hen the crank 53 is turned anti-clockwise, the pawl 40 is caused to revolve in the forward direction and positively engages a lug or ratchet tooth 34 of the lower roller 27. In this operation, the cam 18 will engage the' pin 44, as it moves upwardly from the full line position shown in Fig. 4, andrcause it to pass between the tops of cams 16 and 17, when the pawl will drop by gravity into engagement with a corresponding'tooth 34. The roller 27 is now positively revolved to wind thereon the curtain, which is paid off the roller 26 revolving to the action of the engaging fricevices 28 and 30, the pawl 39 being fiiled by the wheel 37 in the reverse direction. It will be observed that in the rearward movement of the, respective pawls, gravity will cause their respective pins 43 and 44 to pass to the outside of the respective cams 12 and 16 (as indicated by the dotted line position of the pin 44 in Fig. 4), from the tops of which they pass to the outside of the respective cams 13 and 17, so 7 that in the reverse movement the pawls are held removed from the ratchet teeth of the respective rollers and either roller is permitted to revolve independently of the corresponding pawl in the operation of paying off the curtain.

The back of the curtain, exposed to the view of the operator, is provided, near an edge thereof, with indicating marks, such as the arrow shown in Fig. 3, corresponding with the destination to be centered in the sight aperture, as Broad st. shown in Fig. 1, and on the yoke 19 is fixed a pointer 19 with which the arrow registers when the name of the destination is in the desired central position. As a guide to the operator, the names to be displayed to the public through the sight aperture are printed on the back of the curtain, on each side of the corresponding arrows, so that in turning the curtain in either direction the operator can see on the back of the curtain the name on the front approaching the sight aperture.

In the construction shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the parts 49, 51, 52 and 53 of the form shown in Figs. 3 and 5 have been eliminated: a crank 49 is fixed to the shaft 50 to effect the revolution of the sprocket wheel 48, and a handle 51' is pivotally connected to the crank 49 to revolve it, the crank lying wholly within the casing 1 and the handle being adapted to stand on the casing bottom, within the door, so that the mechanism shall be held thereby.

As illustrated in Fig. 9, the shaft 52- extends through the end of the casing 1, is

journaled in the plate 9 and has the sprocket wheel 37 fixed thereon by the nuts 54 and 55, the top roller 26 and its disk 32 journaled on the inner end thereof, and the operating crank 53' fixed thereto, while the sprocket wheel 38 is journaled on the stationary arbor 15 (between the bearings 56 and 57) by which an end of the roller 27 is journaled.

It will be understood that the improvements are not limited to a particular form of construction.

Having described our invention, we claim:

1. In a sign, a casing having a sight aperture, a pair of rollers, means whereby said rollers are detachably supported in said casing, said means comprising a yoke connected in movable relation to said casing and connecting ends of said rollers, a cur tain having indicia thereon carried by saidrollers across said aperture, said curtain having indicia on the back thereof arranged in relation to said indicia first named, and a pointer fixed to said yoke and adapted to cooperate with said second named indicia to position said first named indicia.

2. In a sign, a frame, a yoke movably connected with said frame, rollers journaled in said yoke and having frictional devicesthereon, a'curtain on said rollers, frictional devices fixed relatively to said yoke and engaging said first named frictional devices, and a screw engaging said yoke and frame, said yoke being movable by said screw relatively to said frame and rollers so as to adjust the braking action of said frictional devices.

3. In a sign, a frame having arbors at one end and bearing pins at the other end thereof, a yoke having slots whereby it is movably supported by said pins, a screw whereby said yoke is adapted to be adjusted to and fixed in position, frictional devices carried by said yoke, rollers having ends thereof engaged by said arbors, frictional devices on said rollers engaging said frictional devices first named, and arbors whereby ends of said rollers are supported by and journalcd relative to said yoke.

4. In a sign, a curtain. a pair of rollers therefor, gravity actuated clutching mechanism for engaging the rollers in their respective winding movements, mechanism operable in opposite directions whereby the respective clutching mechanisms alternately engage and revolve their rollers, and means for preventing said clutching mechanisms from engaging in the respective unwinding movements of sa d rollers.

5. In a sign, a curtain, a pair of rollers therefor, oppositely acting clutching mechanisms comprising revolving pawls and stationary pawl engaging cams for revolving the respective rollersin opposite directions, and means for positively driving said rollers alternately through their respective clutching mechanisms, said cams preventing engagement of the respective clutching mechanisms when said rollers are revolved in the reverse directions.

6. In a sign, a curtain, a pair of rollers therefor, a pair of wheels, means whereby said wheels are connected in cooperating relation, a pawl and ratchet mechanism for positively engaging a wheel and roller to effect movement of said curtain in one direction, an oppositely acting pawl and ratchet mechanism for positively engaging the other wheel and roller to effect the movement of said curtain in the opposite direction, and a plurality of cams in the path of movement oi 1 part of each of said pawls for controlling the actions thereof.

7. The combination of a pair of journaled rollers, a pair of sheaves respectively journaled relatively to said rollers, means comprising a belt connecting said sheaves whereby they are operated together, clutching mechanism positively connecting one of said sheaves with a corresponding roller in one direction of movement while disengaging in the reverse movement, and mechanism disposed and acting oppositely to said clutching mechanism first named whereby the other of said sheaves is positively connected with a corresponding roller in one direction of movement while disengaging in the reverse movement, each of said clutching mechanisms comprising a revoluble pawl and a stationary cam adapted for engaging a part of said pawl to guide the movement thereof.

8. The combination of a journaled wheel and roller having a common axis of revolution, a second journaled wheel and roller having a common axis of revolution, clutching mechanism comprising a pawl and ratchet adapted for engaging said first named wheel and roller, stationary cam mechanism adapted for engaging a part of said pawl for effecting and preventing the engagement of said clutching mechanism in the opposite movements thereof, oppositely acting clutching mechanism comprising a pawl and ratchet adapted for engaging said second named wheel and roller, stationary cam mechanism adapted for engaging a part of said pawl for effecting and reventing the engagement of said secon named clutching mechanism in the opposite movements thereof, and means for operating said wheels together in the same direction.

9. The combination of a roller havin a braking device at one end and a clutching disk at the other end thereof, a braking device engaging said braking device first named to restrain the movement of said roller, a wheel journaled on the axis of said roller adjacent to said clutching disk, a clutching device carried by said wheel and adapted for engaging said clutching disk in one direction of movement of said wheel, and means for preventing said clutching disk and device from engaging in the other direction of movement of said wheel.

10. The combination of a roller having a braking device fixed to one end and a ratchet fixed to the other end thereof, a braking device frictionally engaging said device first named, a Wheel j ournaled on the axis of said roller adjacent to said ratchet, a pawl carried by said wheel for engaging said ratchet and revolving said roller in one direction, said wheel having a slot therein and said pawl having a pin thereon extending through said slot, and stationary cams adapted for engaging said pin to effect the engagement of said pawl in its forward movement and to prevent the engagement thereof in its rearward movement.

11. The combination of a pair of journaled rollers, a pair of sprocket wheels respectively journaled on the axes of said rollers, a sprocket chain connecting said wheels, a sprocket wheel for driving said chain, ratchets carried by the respective rollers, oppositely disposed pawls carried by the respective wheels first named and adapted to engage the respective ratchets alternately when said chain is wound in opposite directions and cams for controlling the respective pawls.

12. The combination of a casing, a pair of rollers journaled therein, a curtain carried by said rollers, sprocket wheels respectively journaled at the corresponding axes of said rollers, a sprocket chain connecti said wheels, a ratchet carried by each- 13 said rollers, oppositely acting pawls carried by set our names this 7th day of May, 1913, in the respective wheels and adapted for enthe presence of the subscribing witnesses.

gaging the respective ratchets, and earn GLENN \V. COX.

mechanisms whereby each pawl is thrown ROBERT SHIELDS. 5 toward its ratchet when advancing and held \Vitnesses:

therefrom when retracting. \VM. H. (iRAVER,

In testimony whereof We have hereunto \V. J. JAMISON.

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