US610844A - Station-indicator - Google Patents

Description

N0. 610,844. Patented Sept. I3, i898.

E. c. cnossMA'N. STATloN INDICATOR.-

(Application filed May 20, 1897.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I,

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STATION INDICATOR.

(Application med may 2o, 1897.)

(No-Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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EDUARD CYRUS CROSSMAN, OF ALLGIIENY, PENNSYLVANIA.

STATION-INDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 610,844, dated September 13, 1898.

Application iiled May 20, 1897. Serial No. 637,336. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom t Nutr] concern.-

Be it known that I, EDUARD CYRUs Cnoss- MAN, of Allegheny, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Street-Indicators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. 1

This invention relates to improvements in street-indicators for railway-c`ars or other analogous purposes, the object of the same be-A ing to provide a device of this character that is comparatively simple and cheap in construction and also possesses the additional advantages of being readily and conveniently operated tobring the names of the streets in proper alinement with the sight-opening, in cluding an arrangement for more eifectually displaying the letters at night, the operation of the device in bringing the names in position being controlled by a pull-cord in the saine manner as a fare-register.

To these ends and to such others as the invention may pertain the same consists in the employment of an inclosing case, rolls mounted therein and carrying a strip extending from one to the other and perforated at its edges, intermediate cog-Wheels engaging the perforations in the strip, and means for operating the cog-Wheels to control the movement of the strip with respect to the sight-opening in the casing. l

The invention also contemplates an arrangement for more eectually displaying the letters at night.

In the following specification I have entered into a detail description of the parts which constitute the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to numerals thereon, which designate the different parts, and what I consider to be the novel features of construction are specifically set forth in the claims.

In the drawings forming part of this speciication, Figure l is a perspective view of the the street-indicator constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation with a part of the inclosing casf ing removed to show the mechanism therein. Fig. 3 is a front elevation with the front of the casing removed and a part of the strip broken away to show the brake or friction device, and Fig. 4 is a detail view of the device Which is used for moving the pawls out of operative position in changing the direction of rotation of the driving-shaft. Fig. 5 is a detail View of the brake-wheel. Fig. 6 is a detail View showing the double ratchet- Wheel hereinafter referred to.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, l designates the in'closing case, which is made up in any suitable design or coniguration, the object ofthe same being to inclose the mechanical parts of the device, the front wall of the casing having a horizontal slot or sightopening 2, through which the names of the streets are displayed. Within this inclosing case and journaled within the side pieces 3 and 4L thereof are rollers 5 and 6, located a suitable distance above and below the sightopening 2, and around these rollers is wound a strip or band 7, which contains the names of streets crossed by the line of cars or other vehicles on which the indicator is used and extends from one of the rolls to the other. At each edge of this strip or band 7 are openings S, spaced a distance apart corresponding with the teeth 9 of sprocket-wheels 10 and ll, around which the strip 7 runs, said Wheels being mounted upon a transverse shaft l2, journaled in the side pieces of the inclosing case. The sprocket-Wheels are located between the rolls and are so disposed with respect to the inclosing case that they act to bring the intermediate portions of the strip between the said rolls close to the front of the casing at the sight-opening therein, and the strip being moved by means of these sprocket-wheels is preferably made of thin ,Sheet metal which is pliable. The sheet metal is also employed because of its strength and durability, as Well as possessing the additional advantage of not being likely to stretch. In order to keep the sheet wound tightly upon the rolls as they are fed from one to the other, the shafts upon which the said rolls are mounted are turned against `the action of the sprocketwheels by ineansof coil-springs 13,

secured thereto and to the stationary casing at the ends of the respective rolls, the tendency of the springs being neutralized by means of a friction device or brake Il, consisting of a scalloped wheel 15, fixed on the shaft 12, which is pressed upon by a spring-arm 15, mounted on the inside of the case. The letters or other characters are preferably cut through the metal strip or sheet 7 anda White or colored transparent backing is attached to said sheet, showing through the spaces which are cut out to represent the letters or other characters. This manner of forming the letters upon the strip provides for displaying them at, night by the use of a small electric light placed within the inclosing case in the rear of the strip. The stri p is moved to bring the names thereon in line with the sight-opening by means of a pawl-and-ratchet mechanism. To this end a double ratchet-Wheel 16v is fixed upon one end of the shaft 12, the said ratchet-Wheel having two sets of teeth pitched in opposite directions and located at opposite sides of a central flange 17 extending therefrom, said ratchet-teeth engaging independent pawls 18 and 19, carried by levers .2O 20, fulcrumed upon the shaft to which the ratchetwheel is attached. The pawl 19 engages the upper part of the ratchet-wheel while the pawl 18 engages the lower part thereof, the last-mentioned pawl having a weighted end 2l to insure its proper. engagement 'with the teeth. The pawls are operated from a suitably-supported lever 22, which is fulcrumed in the rear of the ratchet-wheel and connected at one end to the arms 2O by connecting-rods 23 and 24, while to the other end of the said operating-lever is attached a pull-cord 25, which may extend to any convenient point for manipulation. The operating-lever 22 is provided with a counterbalancing-weight 26, which brings it to a normal position, and the throw of said lever is limited, so as to provide for a proper turning of the shaft 12. A bracket 27 supports this operating-lever and is provided with a stop 28, that limits the throw of the same. It will be apparent that should the operating-lever be thrown without some provision for holding one of the pawls out of engagement with the ratchet-wheel said pawls would act against each other and prevent the turning of the said wheel. For

lthe purpose of moving the parts out of an operative position I have provided a device which consists of an arm 29, fulcrumed upon the bracket 27 and shaped to present curved portions 30 and 3l, located on opposite sides of the ratchet-wheel, the said portions being brought together in front of the ratchet-wheel and joined to an arm 32,which extends through an S-shaped slot 33 in the front of the inclosing case and is provided with a knob 34. This arm is manipulated to move one or the other pawl out of engagement with the ratchetwheel to control the rotation of the main driving-shaft, which carries the sprocketwheels, and by providing the S-shaped slot the arm will be held in an adjusted position.

From the foregoing description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of my improved street-indicator will be readily apparent, for

by the operation of the lever 22, either by the pull-cord 25 or other device, the pawl which is in engagement with the ratchet-wheel will' ment with the sight-opening, the said leverl being operated for each street or station. The springs which are attached to the roller-shafts act to wind the strip or band tightly thereon, the tension of the said springs when tightly wound by the unwinding of the strip being offset by the brake or friction shoe which engages the main shaft. By providing the strip with the openings which are engaged by the sprocket-wheels and by turning the sprocketwheels, as here'inbefore described, a positive and regular movement is imparted to the strip or indicating-band, so as yto bring each street or name in proper alinement with the sightopening. It will be understood t-hat upon the return trip of the car the reversing arm or lever is manipulated to throw the other pawl in engagement with the ratchet-wheel, and thereby reverse the winding of the indicating-band. Y

Though I have described the invention as being applied to a railway-car, it is apparent that its application need not be limited to this particular use, for it could be located in any other traveling vehicle. In order to plainly display the letters at night, I propose to inclose a small electric lamp or other light IOO within the inclosing case, and by providing y the said indicating-band with a colored transparent sheet located in the rear of the same the effectiveness of the device will be increased.

I also contemplate providing the device with an alarm attachment actuated by the operating-lever. To this end a cup-shaped bell 37 is attached behind the inclosing case and the counterbalancing end of the operating-lever extended, as shown, to form a clapper 38, which strikes the bell at each movement of the lever, attracting attention to the device.

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

1. In a street-indicator, the combination with an inclosing case having a sight-opening therein, of upper and lower spring-rollers, an indicating-band wound about the rollers and extending from one to the other and provided with perforations or openings adjacent to its edges, sprocket-wheels arranged in the ends of the case between the upper and lower rollers, a shaft upon which said sprocket-wheels are keyed, closely-arranged ratchet-wheels on the said shaft having their teeth pitched in opposite directions, levers mounted upon said shaft and carrying pawls engaging the said ratchet-wheels, a weighted-lever sup- IIO -weighted lever and an arm mounted on the support of the said weighted lever and having curved portions in advance thereof, and

a front arm in connection with said curved portions projecting through a slot in the case, substantially as described. I

2. In a street-indicator, the combination with an inclosing case having a sight-opening therein, of spring-rollers mounted within the case and spring-actuated in opposite directions, an indicating band or strip having its opposite ends connected with the respective spring-rollers, said indicating-band having perforations adjacent to its edges, a shaft eX- tending longitudinally of the case between the rollers, sprocket-Wheels mounted on the said shaft adjacent to its opposite ends and adapted to engage the perforations in the indicating-band, closely-arranged ratchet-wheels near one of the sprocket-wheels and having their teeth pitched in opposite directions, a pair of levers mounted on the said shaft and carrying pawls adapted to engage the said ratchet-Wheels, a rear weighted operatinglever having a pull-cord attached to the lower end thereof, and rods connected to the upper end of said weighted lever and to the separate levers carrying the pawls, substantially as described.

3. In a street-indicator, the combination with-an inclosing case having a sight-openin g therein, of spring-rollers located within the upper and lower portions of the said case, and spring-actuated in opposite directions,a shaft extending from end to end of the case intermediate of the said rollers and having thereon opposite sprocket-Wheels, an indicating bandor strip having perforations adjacent to the edge thereof and engaging the said sprocket- Wheels, a scalloped Wheel mounted on the shaft adjacent to one of the sprocket-wheels and having a spring-arm engaging the saine,

a pair of ratchet-wheels closely arranged near one of the sprocket-wheels and having their teeth pitched in opposite directions, a pair of levers mounted on the said shaft, each carrying a pawl to engage one of the sprocketwheels, a weighted operating-lever in rear of the ratchet-wheels having a pull-cord attached to the lower portion thereof and adapted to be limited in its required movement and also to operate a gong or alarm, connections between the upper end of the operating-lever and the said levers carrying the pawls, and an arm pivotally connected to the support of the operating-lever having curved portions, and a forwardly-projecting part extending through the casing and adapted to release the pawls, substantially as described.

4. In a street-indicator, the combination of an inclosing case, upper and lower, oppositely-movable, spring-actuated rollers inclosed by the said case, a shaft intermediate of the said rollers having sprocket-Wheels on opposite portions thereof, an indicating band or strip engaging the said sprocket-wheels and adapted to be wound upon the said rollers, closely-arranged ratchet mechanism having the teeth of opposite parts thereof pitched in opposite directions, adj acently-situated. independent pawls engaging the said ratchet mechanism, an operating-lever connected to the said pawls and having a pull-cord attached thereto,and an arm pivotally mounted on the support of the said operating-lever and having opposite curved port-ions and forwardly-extending ends projecting through the said ease whereby the pawls may be released from the ratchet mechanism, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscrib ing witnesses.

EDUARD CY RII S CROSSMAN.

Witnesses:

MABEL E. GiBsoN, E. W. MOORE.

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