US545306A - Street-car sign - Google Patents

Description

W fina 220215 ZMM ail/f Patented Aug. 27 1 15. l.

i STREET GAR SIGN.

J. M. PETER & w. GARRETT.

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- UNITED STATES PATENT Onrron.

JOSEPH M. PETER AND NINFlELD GARRETT, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

STREET-CAR SIGN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 545,306, dated August 27, 1895.

Application filed June 6,1895. Serial No, 551,809. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOSEPH M. PETER and WINFIELD GARRETT, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county 5 of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented an Improvement in Street-Oar Signs, of which the following is a specification. 7

Our invention relates to that class of street car signs which are made hollow, have two or nated from within, are mounted in bearings on the car-tops, and are revoluble to enable the presentation of the several indicator-faces to view in proper succession; and our invention consists in the novel features hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal elevation, partly broken and in section, showing our sign in working position on a oar-roof, the lat-terbeing broken off and shown in cross-section, taken on a line a little forward vertically of the axial line of said sign; Fig. 2, a central longitudinal section of our invention; Fig. 3, an end elevation (from the right side) of Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a full-size broken elevation of one corner of our cylindrical sign slide or case; and Fig. 5, a broken transverse section, taken on the line m a: of Fig. l, of the corner seen in said Fig. 4.

A represents the car-roof, B and B upright arms or standards mounted thereon, and O the sign revolubly mounted in said standards. has a circular flanged base which accommodates the securing bolts or screws. The central bore of this standard turns inwardly at the top toward the sign, and is there made with a screw thread. The standard B is made in two corresponding parts b 2), each having at its lower end an outwardly-project ing ing or eye b which bears in a housing b on the car-roof, and at its upper end a semicircular concavity b and also a hemispherical screw-threaded upright projection 5 a is a nut engaging the two projections b when the two parts I) and b of this standard B are brought together, back to back, and held coupled or closed, as best seen in Fig. 3.

The sign is composed of an outer skeleton frame and an inner hollow cylinder, both being square in cross-section and the latter more destination-indicator faces, are illumi The standard'B is made hollow and forming the sign proper. The said skeleton frame comprises four longitudinal metal bars 0, right-angled in crosssection, and provided at one end with an inwardly-flanged head or plate cQlthe other end being openand provided with a surrounding band 0 Said open end is provided with a pair of hinged doorplates 0 and c, the latter overlapping at the center when closed and locked by means of ordinary slide latches D D. The said internal cylinder or sign proper comprises four longitudinal metal bars d, rightangled in cross-section, and four glass sides (2, whose longitudinal edges overlap said bars d, and are secured in place thereto by means of metal clips orsuitably-bent strips (1 arranged and suitably secured at intervals along the four corners of the sign, as best seen in Figs. 2, 4, and 5. Bars d are secured and braced at their opposite ends to open square frames or heads 61 The glass sides (1 are preferably of the color to suit that of the route or line over which the car is passing, and letters such as in the word Norwood, Fig. l are either painted thereon or etched clear and transparent in the surrounding colored ground. This internal cylinder is readily slid into and from place within the skeleton frame through its open end when the doors 0 and c are thrown open, and spaces or open panels between the bars of said skeleton frame allow the presentation to View of the glass signplates 01, as best seen in Fig. 1.

E represents a central longitudinal shaft passing through the sign, a suitable opening being made in the end head a, and registering semicircular notches in the contiguous edges of the door-plates c c for the outwardlyprojectingends thereof, which latter rest in the'openings at the upper ends of the standards 'B and B. One end of this shaft is screw-threaded to engage the threaded opening in the upper end of standard B, thus making the shaft a non-revolving or stationary one, and the other end is left smooth to simply rest in the circular opening formed by the registering concavities b at the upper end of standard '13. The shaft is preferably composed of hollow materialsuch as ordinary gas-pipe or the likeand is bent laterally intermediate its ends to provide a central position for the illuminator F, the latter being est seen in r V V met-creme r agesairi rat her and-the g by" present unnecessary backward movemen and also by its friction prevent the accidental turning of the sign while the car is in motion.

The operation is so simple and obvious that a detailed description herein, beyond that given in connection with the above description of the several parts, would be superfluous; but we desire to state that the sign is welladapted for both day and night use, convenient to change exposed fronts from one destinationpoint to the other without getting on the dash or climbing on the car, and also readily cleaned, repaired, and sign-plates rearranged, replaced, or exchanged.

To remove the inner sliding cylinder or sign proper when desired, the nut a is removed from the top of standard B,-when the two parts of the latter drop to either side on their lower hinges. Then the latches on the doors 0 c are thrown back, permitting the latter to open and said cylinder to be readily drawn forth lengthwise and then replaced.

The bend in the shaft is so arranged that it will not cast a forward shadow or intervene between the illuminator and the front signplate.

iVe claim-- tie thence aid 53 said sh ft 'tiiG Qii-lfiifi he eperatercn: the p-latforrnzbelcw tially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a street-car sign, the combination of a stationary hollow-shaft having a bend or offset therein, and a suitable illuminatingdevice mounted in said offset; a pair of standards for supporting the opposite ends of said shaft, one standard being hollow and receiving in its upper lateral opening the screwthreaded end of said shaft, and the other standard being made in two corresponding parts hinged at their lower ends upon the oar-roof, and divisibly coupled at their upper ends by means of a suitable nut; a transparent-sided sign having an internal sleeve. which latter is mounted on said shaft free to permit the rotation ofsaid sign thereover; and a sprocket wheel and chain mechanism having a suitable ratchet and spring-pawl device, leading from said sign to the under side of the car-roof convenient to the motorman or driver; substantially as herein set forth.

JOSEPH M. PETER. \VINFIELD GARRETT. Witnesses:

GEORGE EDWIN HEMMINos, GEO. H. MARTIN.

IOC

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