US314324A

US314324A - George f

Info

Publication number: US314324A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1885-03-24
Anticipated expiration: 1902-03-24

Description

( o Model.)

F. POLSOM.

SIGNAL STAFF.

No. 314,324. Patentd Mar; 24, 1885;

Wiiqasseg,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE F. FOLSOM, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HENRY M. ESSELEN, OF SAME PLACE.

SIGNAL-STAFF.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 314,324, dated March 24, 1885.

Application filed February 11, 1894. (N model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. FoLsoM, of Boston, county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Signal-Staffs, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like letters on the drawing representing like parts.

Thisinvention relates to asigual-staffadapted to be fixed in an upright or inclined position and to support or carry a lantern or signal-flag for'use on railways for the purpose of marking dangerous points along the road or for signaling or warning approaching trains. i5 Heretofore it has been common to employ as a flag-support a rod or staff provided at its end with a metal point adapted to be driven into the ground or into a tie; but such plan does not afford a sufficiently reliable hold for 2 the staff. A staff of this kind is not used to support a lantern.

My invention has for its object the production of a signal-staff provided with a foot adapted to engage the rail and maintain the 2 staffin position to display the flag or lantern attached to it, and preferably the staff will be inclined inward from the inner side of the rail, the said foot being so constructed that it may be readily attached to or detached from the rail.

The drawing shows in elevation my improved signal-staff attached to a rail and supporting both a signal lantern and flag.

The rod or staff A, of any suitable length,

thickness, and material, may in practice be provided with a book, a, and staple or screweye a, or any suitable equivalents therefor, whereby a lantern and a flag, either or both, may be attached to the staff near its point or 0 upper end and be supported thereby.

The rail-engaging foot B is herein shown as a curved piece of metal forming a hook, I), to hook over or engage the convexed edge of the tread c of the rail 0, the under side of the foot resting upon the top of the said rail. The foot 5 has, as herein shown, two eyes or sockets, b b",t0 receive the lower end of the staff A loosely,

a screw or pin, 6, being inserted into the staff between the said eyes or sockets, so that the staff has a limited amount of vertical play 0 therein. In this instance the staff is free to rotate in the foot or to move longitudinally therein the distance between said eyes or sockets b b, so that the lower end of the staff may be projected below the foot when the latter is applied to the rail and assist in retaining the foot in position thereon.

To remove the staff from the rail, it will be lifted in the eyes or sockets until the screw 6 strikes the upper socket, b, which will then 6 cause the foot to rise with the staff.

I In practice the metal of the foot extended over the tread of the rail will be sufficiently thin to prevent throwing a car from the track should a wheel run over it.

I have herein shown a hooked foot; but I desire it to be understood that I do not limit my invention to the particular shape of foot shown, as the shape of the same may be variously modified without departing from my in- 7o vention.

I claim- The foot or clamp 1), adapted to embrace the rail, provided with the staff-receiving eyes I) I), combined with the signal-staff A, thelower end of which is passed entirely through said eyes to come in contact with the rail to assist in retaining the foot in place, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEO. F. FOLSOM. \Vitnesses:

G. W. GREGORY, W. H. SIGsToN.