US217397A - Improvement in electrical-circuit closers for hotel-annunciators - Google Patents

Description

P. NEWHOFP. Electrical Circuit-Closer for Hotel-Annunciators.

No. 217,397. Patented July 8,1879.

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"'iPETERS. PNOTO LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON D C,

FRANK NEWHOFF, OF SAN FRANGISGO, CALIFORNIA.

IMPROVEMENT lN ELECTRICAL-CIRCUIT CLOSERS F05 HOTEL-ANNUNCIATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 217,397, dated July 5, 1879 application filed January 9, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK Nnwuorr, of the city and county of San Francisco, California, have invented certain Improvements in Mechanical Hotel-Annunciators; and that the following is a clear and exact description of my invention, reference being had to the annexed drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top view and section through the long axis x y in Fig. 2; and Fig. 2 is a back view of the improvement,showing all the machinery contained therein.

My invention relates to that class of annunciaiors which are in communication with the rooms or other places by means of wires, so arranged that a pull on said wire causes the indicator to show the number of the room, and also to move a common hell or the hammer of a gong, so as to attract the notice of the attendant; and the object of my improvement is to reduce the wear and tear of tilt wires and other parts of the apparatus.

The method I claim to have invented to attain this end is the substitution of an electric alarm in combination with a circuit breaking and closing device,. actuated by a suitable part of the machine, in lieu of the heavy gong and hammer heretofore used.

A is the box containing the machinery. V B is the wire connecting tithe room with the annnnciator, and is attached at B to the crank O, pivoted at O. The movement given to the crank C is comnumicated to the lever E, piv oted at E, by means'of wire D.

To the lever E is also attached the wire F, which passes through a hole in the plate G, and is provided at the end with the loop F. The plate G is fastened at the ends of the levers H H. I

By the above combinatioirof parts the pull on the wire B is transmitted to the blade G, the reciprocating spring I setting the levers and wires back again to their place when the pull at B ceases.

The tumhler' or indicator J is fastened to a bolt passing through the side of box A. At the other end'of this bolt are riveted the projections K S S.

The projection K serves to rest on the branch L of lever E, so that when lever E is withdrawn by the action of wire B the indicator J tumbles off and uncovers the numher on the dial. It is set back again in its place by means of the crank M, bell-cranks M N, rods 0 P Q, and pins R Rengaging in the prongs S S of the tumbler, and reciprocatin g spring M The plate G is perforated with as many holes as there are wires connected with that part of the annunciator, and these wires are all provided with the loop, as in F, so that the motion of one wire has no effect on the others, as the plate G in its receding motion simply slides over them.

The above description of parts relates to the manner in which the annuncial'ors have been for a long time and are now built for the purpose of indicating the number of the room from whence the signal is sent. The hell or gong is sounded by means of an attachment placed on the levers H H.

The power needed to raise the hammer and set it again in its place is the cause of great strain on the wire or wires B, especially in the case of long distances.

The object of my improvement is to relieve the wire and machine of all such strain by taking off the bell or gong attachment and substituting in its stead an ordinary electric alarm, and to connect it with the :mnunciator in such a mannerthat the movement of lever H breaks or closes the circuit of the battery and alarm wires.

There are several methods of accomplishing this result, and the followingdescription shows the one I have adopted:

T and T are the insulated buttons to which are fastened the ends of the wires connected with the battery and alarm in the usual manner. U is a stationary flexible rod of brass, connected with button T, and having a blade of brass, U soldered at its end. U is another flexible rod of brass, provided with the blade U The rod U is set, so as to bear lightly on the lever V, pivoted at r, and the two rods U and U are placed so that the ends U U sit about one-thirtyseeond of an inch apart. This lever V is connected with lever H by means of rod V so that when the motion of the lever H, and consequent tumbling of indicator J, takes place, the two ends of rods U and U are brought into contact, thus closing the circuit and causing a common electric bell to ring an alarm.

When the pull on Wire 13 ceases, the action of the reciprocating spring V sets the parts back in their place, as shown in Fig. 1.

It is evident that the power needed to effect a contact between the rods U and U is extremely small, and nothing in comparison with the strain brought to bear on the machinery in the gong action heretofore used, and that I have thus accomplished the object sought for in my improvement.

Now, I do not claim any invention or change in the tumbling mechanism of the annunciator nor do I claim the exclusive use of an electric bell with an anrmnciator, but simply the controlling of the circuit in the bell by means of the motion of lever H; and, therefore,

That I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a mechanical annunciator, the combination of the lever H With the conducting-Wires X Y of an electric bell, and the circuit closing and breaking dex'ice composed of lever V, reciprocating spring V connecting-rod V, and contact-rods U and U, or their equivalent, as described, and for the purpose specified.

FRANK NEWVHOFF.

\Vitnesses:

J. W. HAGGERTY, H. K. BROWN.

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