US393237A

US393237A - Station-indicator

Info

Publication number: US393237A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1888-11-20
Anticipated expiration: 1905-11-20

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets- Sheet 1'. J. I. IRVING.

STATION INDICATOR;

No. 393,237. Patented Nov. 20. 1888.

N, PETERS. PhdoLnhcgnphun'Mllshinginlv. D, C.

(No Model.) 8 2 S'hets-Sheet 2.

, J. I. IRVING.

STATION INDICATOR.

No. 393,237. Patented Nov. 20, 1888.

UNITED STATES PATENT QEEICE.

JASON I. IRVING, OFSAN FRANCISCO, GALIFORNIA.

STATION-=INDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 393,237, dated November 20, 1888.

Application filed July 5, 1888.

Y able display matter in connection therewith.

My invention consists in a rotary shaft by which the motion is imparted or transmitted to a suitable indicating mechanism, said shaft being actuated by a spring, a stop for limiting the motion of the shaft, a novel trip for relieving the shaft and rendering its motion periodical, an electric circuit normally open, and an electro-magnet in said circuit for operating the trip, a circuit-closer, and a novel mechanism for automatically condensing the spring which actuates the main shaft, all of which, together with details of construction and arrangement, I shall hereinafter fully describe.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and effective station-indicator.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the application of my device to a car. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the mechanism within the box A.

A is a box or case, which is to be supported in the carin the proper position and provided with a suitable aperture through which the indicating mechanism which is necessary herein to show may be observed. This indicating mechanism may be of any of the wellknown forms-such, for example, as a traveling ribbon, having upon it the names of the streets or stations and other matteror a rotary disk, with attached gravitating plates, it being the office of my invention to furnish the necessary power by which the movement of the indicating mechanism is effected. In my apparatus this movement is effected through a main drive-shaft, B, which is mounted in the box and is adapted to turn in one direction by means of a coil-spring, 0. Upon this shaft is secured a large gear, D, which meshes with a pinion, e, on the counter-shaft E, which carries a larger gear, 0', which meshes with a Serial No.279.1l9. (No model.)

pinion, f, on the shaft F, above which said shaft carries an arm, G. Pivoted to the top of the box and hanging downwardly is a lever, H, which is held in position by means of a small spring, h. Upon the lever H is a fixed pin, h, near its lower end, and a little higher andto one side is a second fixed pin, h and upon the end of the arm G is fixed apin, g, which normally rests in contact with the pin h upon the lever H, this contact of the two pins serving as a complete stop to the whole mechanism, holding the shaft B against the tendency of the spring 0. To trip the lover, I have the following device:

I is an electro-magnet, andz is its armature, which is secured to the lever H, but is held normally separated from the magnet by the spring of the said lever.

J is a battery situated on the floor K of the ear, and j are circuit-wires from the battery, and which include the electro-magnet. Under the floor K of the car is pivoted a swinging arm, L, which hangs downwardly, and is adapted to come in contact with a fixed obstruction, Z, which is located in the roadway.

M is a part of the iron frame-work of the car or truck or other iron piece forming a contact, the circuit -wires being properly connected, one with the swinging arm L and the other with the contact M, said arm and contact thus forming the poles of the circuit,which is normally open because the arm hangs without touching contact M.

The operation of the mechanism as far as described is as follows: hen the arm L comes in contact with the fixed obstruction in the roadway, it is forced back against and touches the contactpiece M, thereby closing the circuit. The electro-magnet is thus energized, and, attracting its armature i, swings the lever H to one side, thereby withdrawing its pin h from contact with the pin 9 on the arm G. This relieves the entire gear-chain, and the spring 0 on the shaft B acts so as to throw the arm G around through a short are, this motion, however, being at once limited by the second pin, If, of the lever; but upon the opening of the circuit again by the passage of the arm L beyond the fixed obstruction the magnet is de-energized, allowing its armature and lever H to fall away, thereby withdrawing the pin 7L2 from the path of the i pin 9, and the arm G thereupon makes a complete or nearly complete revolution, being stopped in its first position by the pin h on the lever H, which, by the falling away of said lever, had come into its first position again.

The object of the intervening gear-chain is simply to reduce the motion to accommodate itself to the necessities of a particular indicator to which the apparatus may be applied, and it is not essential therefor that the particular gear-chain herein described should be used in every case. Now, in order to provide for the automatic winding or condensing of the power-spring (l, I have the following: Upon the shaft B is loosely fixed a ratchet, N, to which is attached one end of the spring G, and upon the shaft is freely pivoted a lever, O, which carries a pawl, 0, engaging with the ratchet N. A spring, 0, holds the lever O in position. From the other end of this lever extends a cord, I, which passes to and is at tached to a drum, Q, from which passes a second cord, I the other end of which is attached to the swinging arm L, suspended under the car. The drum Q has a spring, g, by which it is returned to position. Now, when the arm L comes in contact with the obstruction Z and is forced back, as heretofore described, it pulls upon the cords, thereby turning the lever O, the pawl 0 of which engages the ratchet N, and thereby condenses the spring.

The object of the spring-drum Q is to take up the slack of the cords in returning.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a station-indicator, the shaft B, by which the indicating mechanism is operated, and a spring tending to turn said shaft in one direction, in combination with the arm rotated by the shaft, a swinging lever with which said arm comes in contact, thereby holding the shaft, a normally-open electric circuit, a circuit-closer, and an electro-magnet in said circuit for moving the pivoted lever to release the arm when the circuit is closed, substantially as described.

2. In a station-imlicator, a rotary shaft by which the indicating mechanism is operated, and a spring tending to return it in one direction, in combination with an arm rotated by the shaft and having a pin, a pivoted lever having a pin with which the pin on the arm comes in contact, whereby it is stopped, and a second pin with which the pin on the arm comes in contact when released from the first pin, a normally-open electric circuit, a circuitcloser, and a magnet in said circuit for moving the lever when the circuit is closed to cause its pins to release the arm, substantially as described.

8. In a station-indicator, the shaft B for operatin g the indicatingmechanism and a spring, 0, tending to turn it in one direction, in combination with an arm rotated by the shaft and having a fixed pin, a pivoted lever having fixed pins with which the pin on the arm comes successively in contact, a spring for holding the lever in position, the armature on the lover, a normally-open electric circuit, a circuit-closer, and an electro-magnet, and said circuit, substantially as described.

4'. In a station-indicator, the shaft 13 for operating the indicating mechanism and the spring tending to turn it in one direction, in combination with the arm rotated by the shaft and having a fixed pin, the pivoted leverhaving the fixed pins with which the pin on the arm successively comes in contact, a normally-open electric circuit having an electromagnet by which the lever is moved to release the arm, and the circuit-closer consisting of a pivoted arm, L, suspended from the car and adapted toeome in contact with a fixed obstruction in the roadway, and a contact-piece which the arm is forced to touch, said arm and contact-piece being in the electric circuit, substantially as described.

5. In a station-indicator, the shaft B, by which the indicating mechanism is operated, the spring 0, tending to turn it in one direction, the shaft F, having an arm, G, with the fixed pin and gearing between the shaft B and the said shaft F, whereby the arm is rotated, in combination with the pivoted springcontrolled lever H, having the stop-pins h h", a normally-open electric circuit, and a magnet in said circuit for swinging the lever to release the arm and the swinging arm under the car, and opposing contact-piece for closing the circuit, substantially as described.

6. In a station -indicator, the shaft B, by which the indicating mechanism is operated, and a spring, G, tending to turn it in one direction, in combination with the means for automatically condensing the spring, consisting of the ratchet loose on the shaft and connccted with one end of the spring, the lever pivoted on said shaft and having the pawl engaging the ratchet, the arm L under the ear adapted to come in contact with the fixed obstruction in the roadway, whereby it is moved, and cords connecting the said arm L with the lever on the shaft, whereby the ratchet is moved to wind the spring, substantially as described.

7. In a station'imlicator, the shaft B, by which the indicating mechanism is operated, and a spring, 0, tending to turn it in one direction, in combination with the mechanism for automatically condensing the spring, consisting of a ratchet loosely mounted on the shaft and connected with one end of the spring, the lever pivoted 011 the shaft and having the pawl engaging the ratchet, the spring for controlling the lever, the swinging arm L under the car and adapted to come in contact with a fixed obstruction in the roadway, whereby it is moved, the intervening spring-drum, and the cords connected with said drum and with the lever and arm, respectively, substantially as described.

8. In a station-imlicator, the mechanism for IIO operating the indicating device, consisting of the combination of the rotary shaft B, having a spring, 0, tending to turn it one direction, the arm G, rotated by the shaft and having a fixed pin, the pivotedspring-controlled lever H, having fixed stop-pins h h" and an armature, the normally-open electric circuit having a magnet for swinging the lever H, the swinging arm L under the car and adapted to come in contact with a fixed obstruction in the roadway, the contact-piece M, which the arm L touches to close the circuit, the pivoted ratchet connected with the power-spring O for con- (lensing it, the pivoted lever 0, having a pawl for operating the ratchet, the spring-controlled r 5 drum Q, and the cords connecting said drum with the lever O and arm L, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JASON I. IRVING.

Witnesses:

S. H. N OURSE, H. 0. LEE.