US590176A - Station-indicator - Google Patents

Description

u e e h S V M nu h S ,2 R .E V A E W ,SW am a. .d 0 M o m STATION INDIGATOR.

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(No Model.) 2 sheetssheet 2.

G. S. WEAVER. STATION INDICATOR.

Patented Sept. 14, 1897. Y

|`\ ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT Orrrcn.

GEORGE S. WEAVER, OF ALBANY, NEXV YORK.

sTATloN-INDicAToa SPECIFICATION forming part of Lehrers Patent No. 590,176, dated september 14, 1897.

Application filed December 28, 1893. Renewed Octolgel 15, 1895. Serial No. 565,809.

T0 CLZZ whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE S. WEAVER, of Albany,

My invention relates to an improvement in station-indicators; and it has for its object to provide an indicator which will be exceed-` ingly simple in its construction and by means of which the stations along the line of a given road may beindicated as they are approached or at any desired time before they are approached and whereby also when used in connection with a street-car the names of the various streets may be indicated just prior tothe arrival of the carat the said streets or when a street is reached.

A further object of the invention is to provide a station-indicator which will be under the complete control of the conductor, brakeinan, or driver of the car and which when operated to move the belt containing the names of the stations will automatically act to prevent the belt from movingback in the direction of the support from which it was drawn.

The invention consists in the novel con'- struction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set. forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar iigu res and letters of refer# ence indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved station-indicator, a portion of the casing being broken away;` Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the casing, taken practically on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a partial rear elevation of the indicator. Fig. il. is a section taken practically on the line et 4 of- Fig. 3, illustrating' the parts at rest or in their nor` mal position. Fig. 5 is a section similar to Fig. 4, in lwhichv the parts are shown in the position they occupy when about to operate to move the station belt or apron; and Fig. G is a detail view of one of the draw-bars, illustrating the manner in which the dog itcarries is connected therewith.

Theform of indicator illustrated is adapted in the county of Albany and Statey of New York, have invented a new and Improved Station-Indicator, of which the -fol-y lowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

(No model.)

to be secured in an upright position at, for example, the ends of a car or like vehicle. The loack of the casing iSordinarily open, but may be closed, if desired, and the said lcasing is provided at top and bottom of its rear portion with lugs 1,0, whereby it may be secured to a support. The ends of the casing are ordinarily madestraiglit and the entire casing is made square, but the front is made more or less cylindrical. Preferably, as shown in the drawings, the front of the casing is provided with two surfaces 11 and 12, located one at the bottom and the other 'at the top, the said surfaces extending from end to end of the casing, while between the 'cylindrical surfacesa flat surface 13 is produced, Ain which an opening 1e is made, said opening being normally of a length corre sponding to the length of the casing.

Within the casing beneath eachiof its cylindrical surfaces a roller is journaled in the ends of the casing, the upper roller being designated asl and the lower one as 16. Each roller at'one of its ends is provided with a gear securely fastened to it, the gear of the upper roller bei ng designated as 17, while that of the vlower roller is designated as 1S, and the upper gear 17 has attached to its outer face a ratchet-wheel 19, while the lower gear is provided with a like ratchet-wheel 20, the teeth of the two ratchet-wheels facing in opposite directions. rPhe gears of the two roll- 'ers are connected through the medium of a pinion 21, and the said pinion may be and preferably is located upon a stud 22, attached to Vone end ofthe casing, as `illustrated in Fig. 1.'

At the end of the casing near which the gearedends of therollers are located sliding or draw bars 23 and 24 are located.. The draw-bars are independent one of the other and one of them extends upward through an opening 25 in the top of the casing, its lower end being attached to a spring 26, which is firmly attached to the bottom portion of the casing, while the other draw-bar extends outward through an opening in the bottom vportion in the casing and its upper end is se cured to the spring 27, secured to the casing itself at the top or to any convenient support. The draw-bar 23 carries a spring-pressed dog 23 and the draw-bar 24: is provided with a wardly from it, and a boxing 29, located upon one side, as shown in detail in Eig. G. The studs 2S of the draw-bars are adapted to have limited movement-in one direction by being brought in contact with a guide 30, located about centrall7 between the top and bottom of the casing and through which the drawbars have movement, like guides being provided for the draw-bars near the top and bottom portions of the casing, as shown best in Fig. 2. Thus when what may be termed the lower draw-bar 23 is drawn downward an d is released its upward movement will be limited by its stud 23 engaging with the guide 30 and when the upper draw-bar 24 is drawn upward and released its stud 23 will limit the downward movement of said bar. Each draw-bar has attached at its outer end a cord 3l, or the equivalent thereof, passed over one or more friction-rollers 32 to a point within convenient reach of the driver, conductor, brakeman, or whoever has charge of the machine.

The dogs 23 and 24 are of like construction, but face in opposite directions. Each dog is more or less angular in its formation, comprising a foot a, having movement in the box 29 of the draw-bar with which it is connected, and an actuatingarm or body portion CL, adapted for engagement with the ratchetwheel to be operated, and the arm or body .ft is held in operative position by means of a spring 33, as shown in Eig. 6, which spring normally holds the foot-section cl of the dog against the wall of the box facing in the direction in which the draw-bar is to be moved. The dogs are pivoted upon the studs 28 and ltheir pivot-pins are proj ected outward to form horizontal studs 34.

Vhemfor exam ple,the d raw-bar 23 is drawn downward, the dog 23a will engage with the lower ratehet-wheel 2O and turn that wheel, for example, the distance of one tooth, and when the said draw-bar 23 is released it will be returned by its spring 27, the dog slippingv over the teeth of the ratoliet-wheel, and when the draw-bar assumes its normal position, which is shown in Eig. 4, the dog will be removed entirely out of engagement with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel.

A belt or apron is wound upon one roller and is adapted to be unwound therefrom upon the other roller, and according to the direction in which the belt is to be moved one or the other of the draw-bars is'manipulated. By using two draw-bars the necessity of winding the belt or apron entirely from one roller to the other is avoided, since the belt or apron may be moved upon the return trip in a direction the reverse of its movement upon the initial trip; but it will be understood that if in practice itis found desirable a single drawbar only need be employed.

Then the two draw-bars are employed, it ofttimes happens when the rollers have been manipulated to remove the name of one station from the opening 14 and present at the said opening the name of the next station that after the movement has been accomplished the belt or apron carrying the names 'of the stations will sag more or less or move in the direction from which the apron was drawn. To avoid such slipping of the apron, two pawls 3G and 37 are employed. These pawls are i'ulerumed upon suitable pins or studs 3S, attached to one side of the casing, and each pawl consists of a locking member b and av releasing member b, as is best shown in Figs. 2, 4, and 5. These members are located one at each side of the pivot-point, the locking member of the pawl 3G being adapted for engagement with the ratchet-wheel 19 of the upper roller and the corresponding member of the pawl 37 engages with the ratchetwheel 2O of the lower roller, while the releasing members of these pawls are carried in reverse directions between the two rollers, and iny order that the releasing member of one pawl shall not interfere with the corresponding member of the other pawl the releasing member of the pawl 36, for example, is so curved as to extend over and entirely out of the way of the corresponding member of the pawl 37. The extremity of the releasing member' of the pawl 36, which engages with the ratchet-wheel of the upper roller7 is adapted to be tripped by the stud 34, carried by the lower draw-bar, while the stud on the upper draw-bar will operate upon the releasing member of the pawl acting in connection with the lower roller.

The locking members?) of both of the pawls are held in engagement with their respective ratchet-wheels through the medium of springs 30, which, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, may be attached to studs 40, projected from one side of the casing, Vthe longer ends of the springs having bearing upon proj eetions formed upon the releasing members of the pawls near the pivot-points thereof, while the opposite ends of the springs may have bearing upon the hub of the pinion 2l or a sleeve located on the shaft or pintle of that pinion.

The operation of the device will be best understood when the action of one draw-bar is explained-the lower one, for exampleand therefore such movement has been illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. In Fig. 4 the parts are shown in their normal position. Both pawls are in engagement with their ratchet-wheels and the dogs are out of engagement with said wheels. It being desired to change the name of the station at the easing-opening 14 by drawing the station belt or apron from the upper roller upon the lower one, on drawing downward upon the draw-bar 23 the dog 23 ot' that draw-bar will be carried to an engage- IIO , will be free to turn a distance corresponding ment with the teeth of the lower ratchetwhecl and at the time that the ratchet-wheel 2O is moved by the dog 23L the stud 34 upon the draw-bar 23 will have raised the releasing member Zi of the upper pawl 3G sufficiently to carry its locking member out of engagement with the upper ratchet-wheel, thus permitting that ratchet-wheel to turn and likewise permitting the upper roller to revolve and the apron or belt to be wound around the lower roller. Vhen the stud 34 releases the pawl 36 in its further action Vupon the lower ratchet-wheel, the pawl in engaging with the upper ratchet-wheel will strike it between two of its teeth. Therefore the upper roller to the distance between two teeth ot' the upper ratchet-wheel, which will be the extent of the movement of the lower ratchet-wheel by the dog 231. lVhen the draw-bar 23 is released, it will again trip the upper dog 36, but the return of the bar will be so rapid, owing to the strength ot the spring 27, that the movement of the pawl will be really instantaneous, and therefore will not affect the tension upon the station belt or apron.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. In a station-indicator, the combination, with rollers and a belt or apron connecting the rollers and adapted to have produced thereon the names ot' stations or streets, of gears secured to the rollers, a. transmitting-gear connecting with the rollers, ratchet-wheels attached to the rollers, spring-controlled drawbars having reverse movement, dogs carried bythe draw-bars and adapted for engagement one with each ratchet-wheel, the teeth of the ratchet-wheels facing in opposite directions, detents normally held in engagement with each ratchet-wheel, said detents Vbeing provided with releasing-arms, and a trip conn ection, substantially as shown and described, between the dogs acting upon one ratchetwheel and the detents operating uponvan opposing ratchet-wheel, substantially as and for the purpose specified. Y

2. In a station-indicator, the combination, with rollers and a belt or apron connected with the rollers and adapted to have produced thereon the nam es of stations or streets, of gears secured to the rollers, a transmittinggear connecting the roller-gears, ratchet wheels secured upon the rollers, draw-bars located adjacent to the rollers, dogs carried by the bars and adapted for engagement with the ratchet-wheels of the rollers, pawls engaging with the ratchet-wheels, and a trip connection, substantially as shown and described, between the dogs and the pawls, for disengaging the pawl from one ratchet-wheel when the dog operates upon the opposing ratchet-wheel, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a station-indicator, the combination, with rollers geared together and a belt or apron attached to both rollers and adapted to be rolled upon either, the said belt or apron having produced thereon information of a predetermined character, of a ratchet-wheel attached one to each roller, spring-controlled draw-bars located adjacent to the ratchetwheels and adapted to have movement in opposite directions, a spring-controlled dog carried by each draw-bar, one dog being adapted for engagement with each of the ratchetwheels, spring-controlled pawls normally in engagement one with each ratchet-wheel, and means for releasing the-pawl from one ratchetwheel when the opposite ratchet-wheel is operated upon by its dog, as and for the purpose set forth.

'4. In a station-indicator, the combination with rollers geared together, and a displayapron connected with the rollers, of a ratchetwheel on the end of each roller, a spring-controlled draw bar adjacent to the ratchetwheels, a spring-pressed dog carried by the draw-bar and adapted to engage one of the ratchet-wheels, a spring-pressed detent normally held in engagement with the other ratchet-wheel, and means for disengaging the detent from its ratchet-wheel when the dog operates upon its ratchet-wheel, substantially as described.

5. In a station-indicator, the combination with two rollers geared together, and a display apron or belt connected with the rollers, of a ratchet-wheel on the end of each roller, a spring-controlled draw-bar adjacent the loo' ratchet-wheels, a spring-pressed dog carried by the draw-bar and adapted to engage one of the ratchet-wheels, a spring-presseddetent normally held in engagement with the other ratchet-wheel, and provided with a `releasingarm, and a stud on the draw-bar for engaging the releasing-arm of the detentto disengage the said detent from its ratchet-wheel at the time the dog engages its ratchet-wheel, substantially as described. A

GEORGE S. WEAVER. Witnesses J F. ACKER, C. SEDGWICK.

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