US524202A - Electric signal for steamboats - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) V 2 sheets-sneer 1.

' R. H. GRUSCHOW. ELECTRIC SIGNAL POR sTBAMBoATs.

No. 524,202. Patented Aug. 7, 1894.

G) Q o:

2 5 a vertical cross section of the same.

UNITED STATES PATENT.- OFFICE- l i l* ROBERT H. GRUSCHOW, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRIC SIGNAL FORfSTEAMBOATS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 524,202, dated August '7, 189.4.

Application fled January 30, 1894.

Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Devices for Giving Electric Signals on Steamboats, of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to devices for electric 1o signals on steamboats, in 'which a series of signals is operated by means of electric currents passed through coils and armatures; and the object of my invention is to construct an electric signal which shall be reliable and unfailing in its work.

In order to illustrate the practical manner of carrying out the invention, and to enable Y others, skilled in the art to which'it appertains, to make and the same, drawings are 2o hereto annexed and herein described, in which similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In my drawings,--Figure l represents a top view of my invention. Fig. 2 represents Fig. 3 represents a detailed View of bar M, showing lever support N. Fig. 4 shows view in detail of armature E. Figs. 5 and 6 show cross sec- Y tions in detail of push buttons.

In `my drawings a, a', represent electric wires or conductors leading from a battery U shown in Fig. I of the drawings.

A designates a metallic plate, which forms the base upon which the whole of my mech` 3 5 anism is built. Y y Upon base Ais fastened a number of sets i of electric coils B, my drawings only show two sets, but I may have any desired number,

which lcoils B. are in connection with wires a..

C, C, are uprights fastened to base A, which serve to support strip D.

F., E, represent pieces of soft iron, preferably of the shape as shown in my drawings,

' they serve as armatures for the coils B. as

illustrated. These armatures are hinged in lugs e, e, which lugs are fastened upon strip D. l The armatures are further provided with the tongues e e.

Fzrepresents a bridge, also fastened to base 5o A; this bridge F is provided with the lugs f. i f., which serveas fulcrums to levers hereinafter described.

G, G, are levers, the short lever arm is rep- Serial No.4c98,5`33. (No model.)

resented by g,the long arm' by g. The fulcrum of lever G is at f. The long lover arm g is provided with the perforation t' and also with ,the display signal H, fastened to said arm at an acute angle.

K. K. are uprights, firmly attached to base A, in the position as illustrated in my drawings. 'lhese uprights K. K. are provided with i preferably of the shape as shown in Fig. 3 of` my drawings. y

O represents an ordinary electric belt which is connected by wire with the insulated bar L. Y P. represents a push button, and R is a rnetallic strip connected by wire with the battery. The button consists of a push bar p, the grooved base fr, the spiral spring s and the thimble S.

Fig. 5 represents a vertical cross section of y push 'button P. n

The operation of my invention islas follows: My electric signal is contemplated to be used, preferably, O11 Steamboats, and it establishes a mode of communication between the officer f in Acommand of the boat and the engineer.` The battery may be placed anywhere on the boat. The push buttons are placed within convenient reach of the commanding officer,

and the signal boxes are -placed so thatthey Y may be conveniently'observed by the engineer. The bell O. is also placed so that its sound can be heard by the party pushing the button. The current passes from the battery through the wires a 0,', through the coil B. as

the button. The coils B af'e'ene'rgized by the current from battery U, one of the conductors R of which is connected by the binding post R to the plate R that sustains the series of push buttons P, the other conductor T being connected through the binding post T. to the carrying plate T which is supported illustrated and the circuit is closed by theconnection formed by the metallic strip R and l on but insulated from the plate R. This carrying plate T is provided With a series of metallic contact plates t which are insulated from said plate T to which they are fixed,

` and these contact plates t lie in the path of the endwise movable stems p of the seri es of push buttons P, whereby the rear end of the stem p of each push button,when it is pressed, is adapted to .make contact with one of the plates t and close the circuit through the conductors a, a', so that the current from the battery U passes through the plate R, the stem p, the contact plate t', the conductor a', the coils B, the other conductor a and the plate T back to the battery, it .being noted, by reference to Fig. 1, that the conductors a, a' are in electrical connection Wit-h the plate T and the contact plate t respectively. When the coils B are energized in the manner described, they attract the proper armature E whichis depressed to bear against the heel or short arm g of the lever G, the other arm g of which carries the visual signal H; and when this lever is turned it elevates its arm g and the visual signal H, in order to display the latter to View, the arm g making electrical connection with a metallic bar L which is supported above the series of levers G and is thus common to all of the levers of the visual signal devices. This bar L is insulated from the base A, and to a binding post at one end of the bar L is connected one of the conductors o of an alarm signal circuit. This signal circuit includes the audible signal mechanism, O, and a local battery O for energizing the audible signal circuit when the latter is closed by the lever G coming in contact with theinsulated bar L; the other conductor 0 of this signal circuit is connected to a binding post in which is pivoted or fitted the trunnion of one of th'e armatures E, the bearings for the series of armatures E being in electrical connection with each other. When the connection is formed the coils B. are charged and their respective armatures E are drawn and held whereby the tonguev E ot' the armature presses upon the short lever arm g, thus raising vand displaying the display signal as it raises the long lever arm g. As the long lever arm g is raised the lever supports N, step out of the perforationsz', and under the lever arm g, thus holding the display signal in place until released. The small spring attached to the bar M pulls the bar back so that when the lever support N steps out of the l perforation it must move back. One signal is displayed and stays in its place until the next signal is given. When *the next signal is to begiven, and by a pushfrom the button, the long lever arm is raised by the. peculiar bend in the lever support, the bar M is revolved forward, thus admitting the first lever support again into the perforation thus dropping the first display signal. The long arln g of the visual signal makes electrical connection with the insulated bar L and thus closes the alarm circuit through said lever G, the armature E and the conductors o, o to ring the bell O in the audible alarm circuit.

There is a push button for each signal, but

if preferred I may operate two or more signals by one push button. It will also be seen that instead of having a display signal boX only with engineer, l may have one or more such boxes connected with the same circuit in different vparts of the boat placed Where they are most desired.

What l claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isy 1. The combination with a series ot' magnets each included in circuit-With a push button and a battery and each magnet provided With an armature, of a series of independent levers each carrying a visual signal at one end and having its other end arranged in the path of the armature of one of the magnets, a rock shaft common to the series of levers, and ngers carried by said rock shaft to sustain each lever in position when its signal is displayed, the rock shaft and its series of fingers being so organized and controlled with relation to the series ot levers that an elevated lever and its signal will be lowered when another of the levers and signals of the series are elevated by the closing of its respective circuit, substantially` as described, for the purposes set forth.

2. In an electric signal, the combination of a series of levers carrying the visual signals, a magnet for each lever included in circuitf with a battery and circuit closer and.

having its armature arranged to depress the lever, and a rock shaft common'to all ot' the levers of the series and provided with de- IOO tents adapted to engage With the lever when the signal is displayed and retain the lever in its raised position.

3. In an electric signal, the combination of a series of levers each provided with an eye and carrying a visual signal, a magnet for each lever included .in circuit with the battery and circuit closer and having its armature arranged to act against vone end of the level', a rock shaft M provided with the fingers N adapted to pass through the eyes of the levers, and a spring connected to the rock shaft, substantially as described.

4. In an electric signal, the combination ofv a series of levers each carrying avisual signal, a magnet for each of the levers, included in circuit with the battery and a circuit closer, and having its armature adapted to actuate the heel ot' the lever, an elevated bar L common to all of the levers and arranged inthe path of the same, and an alarm circuit including a local battery and an audible signal mechanism, and having its conductors in electrical connection with the bar L and the armatures of the electro-magnets.

ROBERT H. GRUSCHOW.

-Witnesses:

JOHN O. KRAUsE, CHARLES F. GLAESER.

TIO

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