US755735A - Station-indicator. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED MAR. 29,1904;

0; H. BISSELL. STATION INDICATOR. APPLIOATIOfR FILED JULY 22,: 1903.

no MODEL.

INVENTOR lV/TNESSES A llama UNITED STATES Patented March 29, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

ORLANDO H. BISSELL, WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

STATION-INDICATOR.

I SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 755,735, dated March 29,1904.

Application filed July 22, 1903. Serial No. 166,606. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ORLANDO H. BISSELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at VVash ington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Station-Indicators; and I do declare the fol lowing 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.

This invention relates generally to indicating devices, and particularly to street or station indicators for street-cars and other public conveyances; and it has for its object to provide a simple, comparatively inexpensive, and durable device adapted to be operated by the driver or motorman so as to disclose to the passengers the next street or station which the car or conveyance is approaching or at which it will stop; and it consists in the parts and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a partof this specification, Figure 1 is an end view of my device as arranged in position in a car and having the door of the casing open;

Fig. 2, a front view showing the casing, &o., broken off; and Fig. 3, a detail view.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout all the views.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the casing for my improved device, which in this instance is shown as a rectangular-box secured by screws to the end wall of the car and having formed in its front wall the rectangular opening a, which is. preferably glass-covered in order to exclude dust and dirt from the interior of the casing.

Within the casing A is arranged the vertical partition L, in which and in the opposite end wall of the casing are journaled the trunnions or shafts O of the rollers B, said rollers being arranged one above the other and in the same vertical plane, while in the space between the door 6 and the partition-wall L are arranged the ratchet-wheels E, which are secured to the trunnions or shafts O of the roller B. As will be observed, the teeth of the wheels E pro ject in opposite directions, so that the revolution of said wheels will rotate said rollers in opposite directions. Vas D, having printed or painted or otherwise marked thereon at suitable distances apart the names of the streets or stations on the car-line on which the device is to be used, is secured at one end to one of the rollers and at the other end to the other roller B, so that it may be unwound-from one roller and wound on the other roller by the rotation of said rollers. The canvas is kept taut and guided by passing over friction-rollers a, arranged in front of the roller. In order to revolve the rollers B, I have provided adouble pawl bthat is, a pawl having a tooth at each end-whioh is pivoted centrally, as at cl, to avertical rod F,which extends through the flooring M of the car and is guided and supportedby eyes m, secured to the casing, through which it extends. A small collar c, secured to the rod, supports it on the lower eye m and limits its downward movement, while a similar collar jlimits its upward movement. As clearly shown in Fig. 1, the rod F is bent slightly to one side in an inclined direction or obtuse angle, as at 01., within the casing and then carried or extended up vertically for the rest of its length, so as to provide for A strip or roll of canthe attachment thereto and the operation of v the spring a. The spring 0 is formed of a flat bar of metal having one end attached or secured to the rod F and the other end bent to form a V-shaped projection, as at 0, which extends under the inclined portion of rod F and into position to be engaged by a V-shaped projection f, formed centrally on pawl 12 and extending laterally therefrom. The pawl, as shown, is formed somewhat on the arc of a circle. To the pawl are attached the cords or ropes 0, or chains maybe used, if found more convenient, which extend through openings in the end wall of the car and terminate in the hanger and the other to the crank-arm 9, so as to normally hold the shaft in position to hold the rod F down.

A pin H, having a head thereon, extends through the platform-flooring of the car and at its lower end is connected to a crank-arm 8, similar to arm g, but projecting from shaft G in an opposite direction, (see Fig. 3,) so that when the pin H is driven or forced down it will impart a partial revolution or rocking movement to shaft Gr, and thus elevate or raise the rod F. As soon as the pin H is relieved of pressure the spring it will return the shaft to its normal position, and thus bring the rod F down to its normal position.

A spring N is arranged on a pin-or bolt P within the casing at a point between the two rollers B, with its ends pressing against the rollers, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, so as to retard the movement of the rollers and to hold the same against accidental rotation.

In operation with the parts in position shown in Fig. 1 the motorman or driver presses the pin H down until the rotation of the shaft Gr raises the rod F until its collar j engages the upper eye m. The operator then releases the pin H, and the shaft G is returned to its normal position by the spring It, thus drawing down the rod F and causing the pawl to engage a tooth of the upper ratchet-wheel, and thus wind onto the upper roller the canvas D until the movement of the rod F is arrested by the collar 71 engaging the lower eye 77!, the spring N acting to prevent the roller which is being moved from slipping either forward or backward after the movement of rod F has ceased. This operation moves the canvas a distance sufficient to exhibit the name of the next street or station through the opening a in the casing. At the end of the route or line the motorman draws the pawl away from the upper ratchet-wheel by pulling the upper cord 0 outward, and thus forcing the spring 6 backward until the projection f slips past the edge of the V-shaped end of spring 6, when the latter is at once forced under projection f, and thus holds the pawl with its upper end away from the ratchet-wheel and with the lower tooth of the pawl in position to engage the teeth of the lower ratchet-wheel, and thus operate the latter to wind the canvas from the upper roller onto the lower roller.

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

1. In a station-indicating device, the combination of the revoluble rollers, ratchet-wheels secured to said rollers, a strip of flexible material having one end secured to one of said rollers and its other end secured to the other roller, a vertical movable rod, a pawl pivoted to said rod to operate said ratchet-wheels and means for operating said pawl from the platform of a car.

2. In a station-indicator, the combination of a pair of rollers arranged one above the other, flexible material bearing the names of the stations connecting said rollers and adapted to be wound from one roller to the other, ratchetwheels secured to said rollers, a verticallymovable rod, a pawl pivoted to said rod for operating said ratchet-wheels, means for throwing the pawl into position to engage either of said rollers, and means for imparting movement to said rod to cause the pawl to operate said ratchet-wheels.

3. A station-indicator comprising a pair of rollers arranged one above the other, ratchetwheels secured to said rollers, a strip of flexible material having marked thereon the names of the stations, connecting said rollers and adapted to be unwound from one roller onto the other, a vertically-movable rod, a pawl pivoted to said rod, means for adjusting said pawl to engage either of said rollers, a shaft connected to said rod, and a pin connected to said shaft for imparting a partial revolution thereto.

4. A station-indicator comprising a pair of rollers arranged one above the other, ratchetwlieels secured to said rollers, a strip of flexible material, bearing the names of the stations, connecting said rollers and adapted to be unwound from one roller and onto the other, friction guide-rollers for said fl exible material, a pawl adapted to be adjusted for engagement with either of said rollers, a rod carrying said pawl, means for imparting a vertical move ment to said rod, and means for retarding the revolution of said first-named rollers.

5. In a station-indicator, the combination of a pair of rollers, a strip of flexible material connecting said rollers and adapted to be wound off one roller onto the other, ratchet-wheels secured to said rollers, a pawl for operating said wheels, a rod for operating said pawl, means for adjusting said pawl to engage either of said ratchet-wheels, means for operating said rod, and means for retarding the movement of said rollers.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ORLANDO H. BISSELL.

Witnesses:

HUGH M. STERLING, DANL. F. HALL.

IIO

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