US1260450A - Electrically-controlled indicator. - Google Patents

Description

' 1-1. s. u. v ELECTRICALLY CONTROLLED INDICATOR. 7

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 29. I916.

1360,450. Patented Mar. 26,1918.

J I KB 43 R Q\ L Q I T Y N EARL S. RAU,.OZF-ELKINS PARK, EENNSYLVANIA.

ZELECTRICALL'SGGONTROLL'ED INDICATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 26,1918.

Application filed November 29, 1916. Serial No. 134,126.

To all/whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, 'EARL S. RAU, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elkins Park, in the county of Montgomery and State of Pennsylvania, have inventedoa'certain new and useful-Improved Electrically- Controlled Indicator, of which the following is a specification.

The invention broadly stated relates to electrically controlled indicators and has more particular relation to anindicator -it'or use upon moving passenger carriers, such as electric cars. The principal object of the present invention is to provide a simple, efficient and relatively inexpensive street or station indicatorfor'electric cars for automatically displaying in sequential relation the streets or stations as approached, wherein provision is made itorthe electrical cutting out of the indicator operating mech anism immediately the indication is displayed. Other and further objects of the present invention reside in the provision of novel and automatic devices cooperating in a practical manner for advancing a band or ribbon having delineated thereon the names of streets or stations. YVith these and other objects in view theinvention consists of the improvements hereinafter described and finally claimed.

The nature, characteristic features and scope of the invention will be more fully understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part'hereof andiin which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammaticview illustrating the circuit connections of the invention for operating an indicator for electric-cars.

Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating a trolley wire connection at a street crossing or station, and

Fig. 3 is a detail View hereinafter 'referred to.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention, I have shown in the accompanying drawings one form thereof whichis'at present preferred by me since the-same has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which my invention consists can be 'vari ously arranged and organized and that my invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of the instruinentalities as herein shown and described.

In the drawings 10 designates a trolley wire supported as upon stringers 11, between poles 12 and 13 at a street crossing or station as may be along an electric car line. Paralleling the'trolleywirev 10 in advance of a street or station is a short section or auxiliary wire .14 which maybe supported between adjacent stringers 11 as shown in Fig. 2 or in any other desired manner. Such auxiliary wire is alive at all times. The trolley pole 15 of a car (not shown) is provided with an auxiliary trolley 16 adapted for tracking upon the auxiliary wire 14 as a car approaches a street or station. Electrically connecting with auxiliary trolley 16 is conductor 1.7 which sub-divides one wire 18 leading to a solenoid 19 or electro-magnet and the other wire 20 leading to a solenoid 21 or electro-magnet. From solenoids 19 anc'21 wires 22 and 23 lead to a conductor 24: which is grounded, for instance, through the motor of a car. Within the solenoid circuit thus formedis located a switch 25, the purpose of which will presently appear. Located adjacent the solenoids 19 and 21 are contacts 26 and 27 of which contact 26is electrically connected. by wire 28 with conductor 18 and contact 27 is electrically connected by wire 29 with solenoid 30 which in turn is connected by wire 31with the return conductor 24 at a point betweenswitch 25 and connection of wire 22 with the return conductor 2%. Below solenoids 19 and 21 is located a pivoted detent "32 for releasing at predetermined periods an escapement 32' of roller 32" of a reel for the display of a street or station designation. Such reel may be of any "desired construction. The detent 32 is provided at its free end with a contact piece 3% disposed in alinement with solenoid 21 and with the energizing of said solenoid, said free end oi'thedetent is drawn up free of the escapement. 'The-detent is further provided with a movable contact piece 35 for bridging the oppositely disposed 'contacts 26 and 27, when the solenoid 19 is energized, see Fig. 3. In this respect,it may be stated that the contact piece35 is fiXed upon a pin 36 of insulating material but is relatively movable-with respect to said detent.

Thus as solenoid 21 draws up the detent, solenoid 19 draws up the contact piece 35 bridging said contacts 26 and 27. With the bridging of contacts 26 and 27 current passes to and energizes solenoid 30 or electro-magnet, which solenoid operates switch 25 to break the circuit within which is located solenoid 21 thereby denergizing the latter and permitting detent 32 to assume its normal position, the reel in the meantime having advanced a predetermined distance for proper display of street or station designation.

mal position, as is the switch 25. The lower roller 36 may also be provided with a spring to insure positive reel movement.

In operation, as a car nears a street cross ing or station, the auxiliary trolley rides uponthe short section or auxiliary trolley wire and energizes the solenoids 19 and 21, whereby the detent is raised free of the upper reel roller to permit the latter to operate. At the same time, the movable contact of the detent is raised by solenoid 19 to bridge contacts 26 and 27, see Fig. 3,

with the result that current passes to and energizes solenoid 30 which opens switch thereby dee'nergizing soleno d 21 to permit detent to assume its normal position. It is to be observed that these solenoids areproperly proportioned for cooperatively accomplishing the above operations.

It will now be apparent that I have devised a novel'and useful construction whichv embodies the features of advantage enumerated "as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description and while I have in the present instance shown and described the preferred embodiment thereof which has been found in'practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understood that the same is suscep tible of modifications in various particulars without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any "of its advantages.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus of the character stated comprising an indicator providedwith an escapement, an electrical circuit, an electro magnet in said circuit,.a detent for releasing the escapement upon energizing of said electro-magnet, a bridge piece movably carried by and insulated from said detent, spaced contacts and an electro-magnet adjacent thereto also disposed in said circuit, said bridge-piece upon'energizing of saidsecond electro-magnet being drawn up into bridging relation with said contacts and means located in said circuit operative for .deenergiz ng the detent operating electro-niagnet when said contacts are bridged.

copies of this patent may be obtained for The detent 32 as shown is spring (2011- trolled for rapid and positive return to norfive cents each,.by addressing Washingtoml). U. I

2. Apparatus of'the character stated comprising an indicator provided with an escapement, an electrical circuit, an electromagnet in said circuit, a pivotaldetent for releasing the'escapement upon energizing of said electro-magnet, a non-metallic pin car-f "ried by the detent and movable with respect thereto,a bridge piece fixed upon said pin,

spaced contacts and an electromagnet adjacent thereto also disposed in said circuit,

said bridge piece upon energizingot' said;

second electro-magnet being drawnup into bridging relation with said contacts and a switch and electro-magnet adjacent theretolocated in said circuit which electro-magnet is operative for opening said switch to deenergize the detent operating electro-magnet magnet adjacent thereto; also disposed in said circuit, means carried by, insulated from and movable with respect. tov said 'de-- tent for contacting with said contact-means upon energizing of said second electro-mag net and means located in saidcircuit' for-de energizing the detent operatingelectro-niag i net upon eifecting of said contact; 7

. 4. Apparatus ofthecharacter stated com-' prising an indicator provided with an escapenient, an electrical circuit, an electromagnet in said circuit, an apertureddetent for releasing the'escapement upon energizing of'saidelectro-magnet, a member having a stop movable through the aperture in said 1 detent but insulated i therefrom, a bridge piece carried by said member, contacts and an electro-magnet adjacent thereto also Cll$ posed in said circuit, said bridge pieceupon energizing of saidsecond electro-niagnet be l ing drawn into bridging relation'wi'th said contacts and aswitch and anelectro-magnet ad] acent thereto located 111G316. circuit which electro-magnet is operative tor opening said contacts.

In testimony whereof, "I have hereunto V signed my name. 7 V EARL S. RAU- Witnesses? '7 V HELEN M. BYRNE, WILLIAM J .'JACKSON.

ice

the Gommissioner of Barents.

switch to deen'ergize the detent operating V electro-magnet withthefbridging of said

Images