US1081389A - Street-car indicator. - Google Patents

Description

H. KLARMAN.

STREET GAR INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24, 1912.

1,081,389. Patented Dec. 16, 1913.

GEL: "Hum? -30 32 27 Inventor:

COLUMIHA PLANOGRAPH co, WASHINGTON, u. c.

HEINRICH KLARMAN, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

STREET-CAR INDICATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedDec. 16, 1913.

Application filed February 24, 1912. Serial No. 679,544.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HEINRIGI-I KL-ARMAN, a citizen of Austria-Hungary, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Street-Car Indicators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in indicators for vehicles and particularly to street car indicators adapted to indicate the names of successive streets passed by the car.

It is an object of the invention to provide an indicating strip adapted to be wound upon rollers and carrying the names of streets, and to provide means operable by the movement of the vehicle or car for moving said strip to expose successive street inclications to view.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a continuous street indicator having electrical contact means, whereby an alarm or safety device will be operated in conjunction with the change of street indications, to attract the attention of the occupants of the vehicle or car.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a transverse vertical sectional view through a car showing the improved indicating mechanism installed therein. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view through the indicating rolls of the mechanism and showing the adjacent actuating means therefor. Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal detail sectional view through the indicating mechanism, the interior mechanism being shown partially in section and partially in elevation and looking at the same from the top. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail sectional view of one of the gear wheels showing the adjacent actuating gear in mesh therewith. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of the alarm mechanism employed in connection with the indicator.

The details and features of the invention will now be more particularly described, reference being had to the said drawing in which- 10 indicates a car of ordinary construction, and 11 an indicator casing mounted therein. The casing is preferably located in any conspicuous position in the Vehicle or car, so that all of the passengers or occupants thereof may readily see the same. The casing is formed with an opening 12 through which the indications or street markings may be exhibited. WVithin the casing is mounted a frame 13 carrying an upper roller 14 and a lower roller 15 upon which. is wound a web or strip 16 of suitable material, having the names of the streets or other desired indications placed thereon. The rollers 14; and 15 are actuated by sprocket wheels 17 and 18 respectively which are connected and operated in unison by an endless sprocket chain 19. Between the rollers 14 and 15 a bar or plate 20 is mounted adapted to hold the web or strip 16 outwardly and in close proximity to the opening 12.

The indicator is preferably operated automatically by the movement of the car and for this purpose the car axle 21 carries a gear 22 which meshes with a gear 23 journaled upon a car bolster 24. A flexible rotatable connection 25 is interposed between the shaft of the said gear 23 and a vertical shaft 26 mounted within the car 10, so that said shaft 26 will be rotated when the wheels of the car are in motion. The shaft 26 is carried upwardly to a point near the indicator 11 and is connected with a shorter shaft 27 journaled to one side of the indicator. An ordinary gimbal or other universal joint 28 is interposed between the ends of the shaft 26 and the shaft 27, so as to permit of a slight adjustment of the upper shaft 27 when desired. The said shaft 27 carries an actuating gear 29 having preferably a single tooth 30 upon the periphery thereof. This tooth 30 is adapted to engage or mesh with teeth 31 formed upon the adjacent side face of a gear 32 which is mounted upon an axis at right angles to the axis of the shaft 27. The said gear 32 is j ournaled upon a bracket 33 which projects from the frame 13, the said gear being also provided with a single tooth 34 upon its periphery, adapted to engage the links of the sprocket chain 19, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing. The gearing is thus of such a character, that its wheels will be turned a number of times before the indicator is actuated, for exhibiting a new street name opposite the opening 12. The gearing is proferably so timed that a street indication will be set forward each time a new crossing is passed, so that the next stop of the car will be shown by the indicator.

It will of course be understood that the relative size and action of the various gears may be altered as found needful to accommodate the indicator to the particular run of a particular car. The rewinding or setting of the web or fabric 16 at the end of the;

run is facilitated by the mounting of the shaft 27 and the universal joint 28. The bearing of the shaft 27 at its upper end is provided with an elongated slot 35 permitting of the moving of the upper end of said shaft by means of a lever 36 pivoted at suitable point within the car and connected with said shaft by means of a link 37 and a collar 38. A spring 39 normally tends to force said shaft 27 toward the indicator so that the gear 29 will actuate the gear 32 and the sprocket chain 19. By drawing the shaft 27 to one side by means of the lever 36, the gear 29 will be prevented from engaging the gear 32 and the webbing 16 may be wound in an opposite direction from that in which it is actuated by the gearing. A crank 40 secured to the roller 15 may be used for winding the web at such a time.

It is also desirable to call attention of the passengers to the changes of indications and for this purpose the webbing or strip 16 is preferably provided with a series of contact plates 41, adapted to bridge and connect electric contacts 42 and 43 at proper intervals for the ringing of a bell 44. The bell is an electrically operated bell and is in circuit with a battery 45, conductors 46, 47 and 48 being employed for permitting of a completion of a circuit through the said battery and bell operating means when the plates 41 connect the contacts 42 and 43. The contacts 42 and 43 are preferably carried by the plate or board 20 so that when the Webbing or strip 16 is moved over the same to bring forward a new street indication, one of the said plates 41 will be passed over the contacts 42 and 43.

The operation of the mechanism will be evident from the above description.

lVhat I claim is:

A street indicator for cars, comprising a web having indications thereon, rollers for carrying said web, sprockets mounted on and adapted to revolve said rollers, a

sprocket chain connecting the said sprockets, a plurality of gear shafts, one of said shafts being swingingly mounted, interrupted gears mounted on said shafts and adapted to move the said sprocket chain, one intermeshing gear mounted on said shaft adapted to swing in a plane away from the cooperating gear, an actuating shaft having a universal connection with said swinging gear shaft, a gear connected with said actuating shaft, and an intermeshing gear carried by the axle of the car wheels whereby the mechanism will be operated automatically through the movement of the car.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 16th day of February, 1912.

H. KLARMAN.

WVitnesses:

EDMUND A. STRAUSE, EARLE R. POLLARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C.

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