US329871A - Teleqraph call box - Google Patents

Description

. (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

P. B. WOOD.

TELEGRAPH CALL BOX.

Patented Nov. 3, 1885.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. P. B. WOOD.

TELEGRAPH CALL BOX. No. 329,871. Patented Nov. 3, 1885.

y. m M A k m UR t l 7 i (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. F. B. WOOD.

TELEGRAPH OALL BOX. No. 329,871. Patented Nov. 3, 1885.

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FRANK B. XVOOD, OF NEXV YORK, N.

Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE NFAV HAVEN CLOCK COMPANY.

TELEGRAPH CALL-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 329,871, dated November 3, 1855.

Serial No. 153,221, (No model.)

T at whom 2125 may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK B. \VOOD, a resident of New York city,in the county and State of New York, have invented an Improved Telegraph Call-Box, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a face view of my improved call- IO box. Fig. 2 is a face View of the same with the cover removed, the pusher rod being shown in section. Figs. 3 and 4 are vertical cross-seetions of the same on the line 0 c, Fig. 2, the parts of the apparatus being shown in different positions in said Figs. 3 and 4. Figs. 5 and 6 are vertical cross-sections on the line k k, Fig. 2, showing the parts in different positions, and Fig. 7 is an enlarged section of the spring-shaft, showing the winding-arm in face View.

This invention has for its object to so construct a call-box of the kind used in the district-telegraph service for calling messengers, hacks, police, firemen, and the like, that its 2 5 operation cannot be interfered with in any manner, except to give a signal that will correspond precisely with the movement of the pusher or actuating rod or lever.

Another object is to so construct the mech- 3o anism within the box that when the same is at rest the contact-finger on the index-wheel will not be in circuit, thereby preventing corrosion, which takes place when the said parts are in circuit,if they are made of the alloys such as German silver-of which they are usually composed.

A third object of the invention is to so construct the signal-box with reference to the parts by which it is attached to a wall or sup- 0 port that the box itself will be out of circuit.

This is to avoid grounding the circuit by accidental contact of the box with gas-brackets or other metallic instrumentsan objection which is frequently met with in the boxes now 5 in use.

The invention consists, first, in a new combination of parts, whereby the pusher-rod, when once it has started the signaling mechanism, cannot be moved to arrest the motion thereof, or in anywise to interfere with the same.

The signal-box now mostly used, containing a rotating handle which is to be moved in a circle to a certain posit-ion, thence to be carried back to its normal position by the spring within the box, can be, and is,frequently, intercepted in its return motion, thereby arresting the action of the Spring, and causing confusing signals to be given at the receivingstation. 6

I am aware that instruments have already been devised in which a sliding rod is used to arrest the rotation of the index-wheel, which rod, when drawn, releases said wheel and al lows the same to be turned; but this has only been applied to instruments in which the spring had to be wound from time to time, while my invention is strictly applicable to an instrument in which each movement of the pusher-rod winds the spring sufficiently for one signal, no separate winding of the spring being required.

My invention consists, secondly, in combining the contact-finger, which bears against the index-wheel, with a nonconducting sup port, to whichsuch finger is attached, and with an elongation having a projecting stop, and with a vibrating releaser for the indexwheel, all arranged so that when the instrument is at rest the said vibrating releaser will be in contact with the said projecting stop, thereby short circuiting the contact finger; but the moment the pusher-rod is moved the releaser will be moved out of contact with said stop, thereby returning the contact-finger to the circuit.

My invention consists, thirdly, in combining the metallic signal-box which contains the mechanism for sending the signal, with a nonwhich is made of non-conducting substance of well-known composition, or of wood or the like, and which is by preference rabbeted Thus it will be seen that the box, although it constitutes the chief support for the back, leaves the mechanism which is on the back B wholly out of metallic connection, or, in fact, out of any direct connection with the supporting wall or post. Small screws d or equivalent fasteners may be used as means of connecting the non-conducting back B to the body of the box A. To this non-conducting back 13 is secured the frame-work C of the signaling mechanism, Whichframe-work, to--J gether with all its attachments, is wholly out of metallic contact with the body of the box A. The framing G carries the shaft D of the circuit-breaking wheel E. The shaft D also carries a toothed wheel, 6, and a pinion, f. The wheel 6 gears into a pinion, g, on the shaft F of the esoapementwheel h, which is in engagement with the anchor G. The pinionf meshes into a toothed wheel, 1', which ishung upon the shaft H, and connected thereto by pawl and ratchet-wheel,- as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4. To the shaft H is secured the inner end of the coiled spring I, the outer end of said spring I bearing against a fixed stud, j. The shaft H carries a projecting crank, Z, (see Fig. 7 which is rigidly attached to it, and to which is pivoted, at m, a click, J, which by a spring, n, has its inner end ordinarily pressed against a pin, 0, that projects from the crank Z, as shown in Figs. 5 and 7.

K is the pusher-rod,which slides in suitable bearings, 19, which areprovided for its support, and which by a spring, q, is ordinarily pressed forward, as in Figs. 3 and 6. The spring qis represented as a flat spring which bears against the back end of the pusher-rod K; but in lieu of a flat spring a coiled spring surrounding part of the pusherrod maybe employed. The pusher-rod is provided with a projecting pin, 1", which normally is in front of the forwardly-extending crank Z and click J, as in Fig. 6; so that when the pusher-rod is pushed backward from the position shown in Fig. 6 into the position shown in Fig. 5 this pin 1*, engaging the click J,will turn the shaft H about one-quarter of a revolution, thereby winding the spring I sufficiently to enable the same to turn the shaft H afterward back into its normal position. As the pusherrod starts in its movement from the position shown in Fig. 6 to that shown in Fig. 5, it will, as just mentioned, engage the click J, which at this stage is rigid on the shaft on the crank Z, the said click being at this time crowded, both by the spring a and by the pin r,against the pin o,which keeps it stiff. When the shaft Hhas been turned nearly to the position shown in Fig. 5, the click J will be raised by the pin 1' sufficiently to 2 ,low said pin r to pass on its backward mothn away from under the click, thereby releasing the spring I and causing the same to immediately turn the shaft H back to the position shownin Fig. 6. Now, in order to prevent the apparatus from in anywise interfering with this backward rotation of theshaft H, which is caused by the uncoiling of the wound spring I, I have pivoted to the frame 0 a trigger, L, (see Figs. 3 and 4,) against which a small spring, 8, bears. .The upper arm of this trigger rests normally against a pin, 25, that projects from the shaft H, and which pin t in turn rests against a pin, u, that projects from the side of the framing 0.

Fig. 3 represents the normal position,or the position of rest,of all the parts that are there shown. Fig. 4 represents the position of the same parts when the pusher-rod K has been pushed back as far as possiblethat is to say, as the pusher-rod is being pushed backward or inward it immediately begins,as already stated, to turn the shaft H in the direction of the arrow which is shown in Fig. 3. Thereby the pin it is made to leave contact with the upper arm of the trigger L, thus enabling the spring 8 to crowd the lower arm of said trigger down into the path of a pin, a, that projects from the pusher-rod. Meanwhile the upper arm of said trigger rest-s against the pin a, as shown in Fig. 4. As the pusher-rod is pushed inward, its projection 12 finally passes the end of the trigger L until it gets beyond it, as in Fig. 4. In this position of the parts just mentioned the spring I is released and turns the shaft H back in the direction opposite to that shown by the arrow in Fig. 3; but it will be perceived that while this backward rotation of the shaft H takes place the operator will be unable in any manner whatsoever to arrest such motion, because the trigger L prevents-him from pulling the pusherrod forward, since said trigger is in the way of the projection v and does not let it come forward, the spring (1 pressing said projection 12 against the end of the trigger until the backward rotation of the shaft H has been substantially completed, when the pin 25 will move the trigger L,so as to release the projection 12, thus allowing the spring q to crowd the pusher-rod forward or outward again into its normal position. As the pusher-rod flies outward or forward, its pin r leaves the pivoted click J and passes under the same and forward thereof into the position shownin Fig. 6, ready for repeated action.

Upon the shaft H is mounted the plate M, which I have heretofore called the vibrating releaser, and which in reality is a circuit breaker, which plate partly faces, as in Fig. 3, the wheel E, and which, when the parts are in the normal position shown in Fig. 3, bears against an outwardly-projecting stop, w. This metallic projection is, by a metallic arm or elongation, 00, connected with the contactfinger N ,which bears with its spring end against the edge of the wheel E. The contact-finger N, and its extension 00, and the stop w are attached to a non-conducting block, 0, which is fastened to the framing of the machine. A conductor, a connects with the insulated plate N, and another conductor, 1), with the metallic portions of the apparatus,with which the wheel E is in metallic contact. The wheel E has the customary notches for producing signals, and may also have a projecting stop, 2, to arrest it on the circuit-breaker H.

I have now described all the characteristic features of my invention, and will proceed to explain its operation. The wheel E being notched, to produce, in contact with the finger Nwhen it (the wheel) makes a complete revolution, a certain signal at the receiving-station, the apparatus is intended to revolve said wheel once to produce a single call, or more than once for multiple calls. ,l/Vhen the apparatus is at rest, the wheel E will be in bodily contact with the contact-finger N, and corrosion would set in if that finger N were in circuit during the position of rest, it being understood that the instrument, even in condition of rest, is in the closed battery-circuit. By resting the metallic plate M against the stop to it will be seen that a shorter circuit is produced,which leaves the fingeritself, N, out of circuit. This prevents corrosion at the contact-faces of N and E, and leaves these faces always in condition for proper metallic contact when they are in circuit.

In order to produce a signal, the pusher-rod K is shoved inward, so as to turn the shaft H one-quarter of a revolution about in the direction of the arrow which is shown in Fig. 3. This quarter-revolution of the shaft H is not transmitted to the shafts D and F, because the wheel t is loose on the shaft H, joining it only by pawl-andratchet-wheel connection, which is shown in dotted lines Fig. 4; but the first quarter-revolution of the shaft H has for its object, in the first instance, to remove the plate M from contact with the stop w, (see Fig. 4,) thereby throwing the arm N into circuit. Next, to wind the spring I, and catch the pusher-rod K by means of the trigger L.

VVhen this position is attained, the spring I becomes released and turns the shaft in the opposite direction to that first mentioned, and when turning in this direction the shaft H, by the toothed wheels, imparts motion also to the shafts D and E; hence the wheel E will be revolved, so as to give the requisite signal by the alternate breaking and closing of circuit.

The attendant, it will be seen, will not be able to tamper with the instrument. He can either send a signal by wholly pushing the rod in, and after having pushed it in he will not be able to prevent the signal being sent as a continuous signal; or he can push the rod partly in without affecting the instrument at all, for the signaling action will not commence until after the shaft H starts on its return motion, at which time the trigger L holds the pusher-rod and prevents its being drawn forward.

I claim-- 4 1. The combination of the pusher-rod K, having pins-r and o, with the spring q, trigger L, click J on the crank Z, shaft H, and spring I, said shaft H having pin 15, for the purpose herein shown and described.

2. The combination of the pusher-rod K, having pins 1- and o, with the spring q, trigger L, click J on the crank Z, shaft H, spring I, pin it, and circuit-breaker M, substantially as herein shown and described.

3. I11 combination with the circuit-breaking wheel E, the contact-finger N, metallic extension 00 of the same, and outwardly-projecting stop 20 thereon, the parts N x w being of one piece, non conducting block 0, and movable circuit-breaker and conductor M, all arranged for operation substantially as described.

4. The metallic signal-box A, having me tallic cars a and rearwardly-projecting tubes 1) at the back, in combination with the non conducting back plate, B, which carries the signaling mechanism, substantially as herein shown and described.

FRANK B. WOOD.

\Vitnesses:

J. GILLET NoYEs, ARTHUR v. BRIESEN.

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