US421709A - Station-indicator - Google Patents

Description

4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

F. C. HBLLMUTI-I.

STATION INDICATOR.

No. 421,709. Patented Peb. I8, 1890.

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No. 421,709. I Patented Feb. 18, 1890.

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` PATENT EEicE.,

FREDERICK o. HELLMUTH,

OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

STATION-INDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 421,709, dated February 18, 1890.

Application ned July 26,1889.

To all whom, 1315 may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK C. HELL- MUTH, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, a citizen of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Station-Indicators, of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to an improved station-indicator of that class in which the names of the stations are printed on two webs that are guided in opposite direction over suitable guide-rollers, so as to displaysimultaneously the name of a station at opposite sides of the indicator and permit the same to be read from both ends of the car.

The invention consists of a station-indicator which is operated either automatically in connection with fixed projections along the track or by the conductor of the car, said indicator being supported transversely to the axis of the car at the central top part of the same and provided with two independent Webs, which are attached at their ends to two main rollers and stretched over driverollers and over guide-rollers at both sides of the main rollers. The webs are moved by a pawl-and-ratchet mechanism applied to the shaft of one of the main rollers. The pawls are pivoted to oscillating arms placed loosely on the shaft of one of the web-carrying main rollers, and are adapted to engage recesses of the ratchet-wheel. Suitable check-pawls lock the ratchet-wheel in position when it is turned for the distance required by the webs. A

suitable lever mechanism is arranged at the bottom of the car and connected by chains or cords with the actuating-pawls, said lever mechanism being operated by contact with fixed projections along the track, so as to operate thereby the indicator and display successively the names of the stations on both Webs and at opposite sides of the indicator.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a vertical transverse section of a car, showing my improved station-indicator attached to the upper center part of the same, and also the mechanism for operating the 'same automatically from fixed projections or stops along the track. Fig. l"L is a side elevation of the mechanism for automatically actuating the indicator, drawn on a larger scale.

Sen'al No. 318,747. (No model.)

Fig. lb is a top view of the operating-lever and iiXed stop, drawn on a section-line a', Fig. la. Fig. 2 represents an end elevation of the station-indicator, showing the operating pawl-and-ratchet device. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section ofthe indicator on liney y, Fig. 4, parts being broken away; and Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the same with one of the webs partly removed, so as to show the relative position of the main and guide rollers and their actuating mechanisms.

Similar letters of referenceindicate corresponding parts.

In lthe drawings, A represents the support ing-frame of my improved station-indicator, which frame is suspended by suitable hangers from the central top part of the car. The frame A is inclosed by a suitable casing A', which is provided with openings in its side walls, so as to display through said openings successively the names of the stations, which are printed or otherwise arranged on two Webs B B of stoutpaper or other suitable material. Both webs B B are attached at one end to a lower winding-roller C and at the opposite.

end to the upper winding-roller O. Thewebs B Bare conducted from the lower rollerObetween rubber-covered feed-rollers D D, below the winding-rollers, thence outward from said drive-rollers to opposite sides of the case, overv guide-rollers E E at the lower pari. thereof, over guide-rollers E at the 'top of the case, and over two top guide-rollers F F,supported above the winding-rollers, to the upper Winding-roller O', as shown clearly in Fig. 5. `The `webs B B overlap each other when they are wound up on thewinding-rollers, but separate below the feed-rollers D, and pass in opv posite direct-ion over guide-rollers E and F, and come together again when winding around the winding-rollers C O. Both Webs B B wind up on one roller while unwinding from the other roller. The winding-rollers C O are provided near their ends with flanged heads CZ d, by which the webs are guided onto the rollers, so as to be wound up uniformly on the same. The shaft of the lower windingroller C is supported in stationary bearings, while the shaft of the upper winding-roller O is supported in bearings e, which are guided in slots c at the upper part of the supporting- IOO frame A,.said bearings being cushioned by spiral springs c2, which are placed on guide-rods e3 between said bearings and crosspieces at the top part of the frame A, as shown clearly in Fig. 2. Bythe spring-cushioning bearings c c the webs wound up on the upper windingroller C are always held in contact with the webs wound up on the lower winding-roller C, so that the tight winding of both webs on the rollers C C is secured in a reliable manner. To the shaft gx of the lower winding-roller C is applied a gear-wheel g, which meshes with a pinion g' on the shaft of one of the lower feed-rollers DD, so as to impart rotary motion to said roller. A gear-wheel g2 on the shaft of the last-mentioned roller D meshes with a gear-wheel g3 on the shaft of the other feed-roller D and transmits rotary motion to said roller, but in opposite direction to the first roller D. V

Intermittent rotary motion is imparted to the upper roller C by frictional contact with the lower roller C and to the lower winding-roller C, and thereby to the webs B B, by a pawl-and-ratchet mechanism, which is clearly shown in Fig. 2, and which is constructed in thefollowing manner: To the shaft g of the lower winding-roller C is keyed at the end opposite to that on which the {rearwheel g is located a ratchet-wheel H, which is provided with a number of equidistant recesses 7L 7L in its circumference. Back of the ratchet-wheel H are arranged two arms H /which are placed loosely on the shaft g and which are adapted to oscillate between stoppins 7L 0f the supporting-frame A. The arms H are held in a normal position of rest against the upper stop-pins 7L by stron g spiral springs 1712, which are attached to the outer ends of said arms and to fixed bracket-arms at the upper part of the frame A. To the ends of each oscillating arm H is pivotcd a pawl G, the extent ot' swinging motion of which is controlled by an arc-shaped slot e' and by a pin on the arm H. To the outer ends of the pawl G are a-pplied actuating chains or cords G', which are either operated automatically by suitable actuating` mechanism applied to the bottom of the car and operated by iixed projections P, arranged alongside of the track, or which may be operated intermittently by the conductor as the stations are approached by the car. The act-uating chains or cords G are applied to eyes at the outer ends ot' the pawls G, while the inner ends of the same are acted upon by spiral springs 2, which are attached to said pawls and to pins attached to projecting arms i3 of the oscillating arms H', as shown in Fig. 2. The spiral springs i2 serve to retain the pawls G in their normal position of rest and to withdraw them from the recesses zot the ratchet-wheel H when the oscillatin g arms H are returned to their normal position ot rcst against the upper stop-pin 71/ Above the ratchet-wheel Il' are arranged, one back of the other, two spring-actuated check-pawls I I, which partly overlap each other, and which are fulcrumed to pins of the supporting-trame A, one of said checlcpawls engaging a recess h of the ratchet-wheel H when one or the other arm ll is pulled in downward direction by its chain 'or cord G', so as to prevent the ratchet-wheel H from turning for a greater distance than the distance between two adjoining` recesses h. Vhen the arm H arrives at its lowermost position, it is arrested by one of the lower stop-pins 7L.

The check-pawls I are provided near their pivots with short heels or cams I', which abut on the arms H when they are in their normal position of rest, and which serve to lift the ends of the check-pawls I out of engagement with the recesses h whenever the arms H are returned by their springs I-l2 into contact with the upper stop-pins h.

The oscillating arms H are actuated by chains or cords G', which are conducted over suitable guide-pulleys to the ends of the car when they are to be operated by the conductor, or t0 the bottom of the car when the stationindicating apparatus is to be operated automatically by a suitable lever mechanism and fixed stops or projections arranged along the track, as shown in Fig. l. One actuating chain or cord G serves to move the webs in one direction while the car ismoving in one direction over the track, while the other actuating chain or cord G serves to move the webs in the opposite direction when the car,

is ruiming' in opposite direction over the track. By pulling one ot` the chains G the pawl G is iirst thrown into engagement with one of the recesses of the ratchet-wheel Il. Its oscillating arm H is then moved in downward direction, during which motion the outer end of the check-pawl I rides on the circumference of the ratchet-'wheel H until it drops into the next recess of the same and stops thereby the motion of the ratchet-wheel. At the same time the arm ll is arrested by the lower stop-pin 7L', as indicated in dotted lines in Fi 2. By the action of the pawl-andratchet mechanism described the shaft gx is turned, and by the gearwheels g g g2 g; motion imparted to the feed-rollers D D, which cause the webs B l to be unwound from the lower winding-roller C and wound up to a corresponding degree on the other roller C'by frietional contact with the roller C. The webs B B are thereby fed forward to such an extent that the name of the next station is displayed through the openings in the inclosing-casing of the indicator at opposite sides of the same, so that persons at opposite ends of the car may readily read the names ot' the stations which the train is approaching. When. the ear is moving in one direction, the chain and pawl at one side of the ratchet-wheel are used for operating the stationindicator, while when the car is moving in the opposite direction the chain and` pawl at the opposite side of the ratchet-wheel are operated.

lVhen it is desired to operate the stationlOO IIO

IIS

. as shown clearly in Figs. ln and 1b.

indicator automatically, the following construction is preferably employed by me: The actuating chain or cord G is conducted over guide-pulleys 7" at the sides and bot-tom of the car and through openings in the latter over guide-pulleys rf to the ends of levers L, which are fulcr'umed to pivots r2 of plates L', that are attached by screwfbolts to the under side of the car-bottom, as shown in Fig. la. a forked main part Z, which swings on the pivot-pin r2, attached to the car-bottom, and of a part Z', which is pivoted to the forked main part Z and acted upon at one side by the free end of a flat'spring Z2, which is at tached at the other end to the main part Z,

The adjoining ends of the forked main partZ and outer pivoted part Z are inclined, soy that when tlie'outer part Z is acted upon from one side it carries the main part Zalong, while when it is acted upon from the'other side it will turn on its pivot against the tension of the spring Z2 without affecting the main part Z, which latter abuts against a stop s. The fixed projections or stops P are arranged at a proper height on suitable supports along the track and are provided, like the pivoted parts Z', with pointed ends, as shown` in Fig. ll. When the car moves in the direction indicated by the farrow in Fig. lb, the end of the pivoted partvZ moves over the pointed end of the fixedprojection P, so as to operate thereby the lever L,`causing it toI swing on its fulcrum sufficiently to pull the actuating cord or chain G and operate thereby the webs of the indicator, so as to indicate the name of the next station on both webs. lVhen the car is running in the opposite direction, the pivoted 4part Z is moved pastthe fixed projections P without actuating the lever L and the indicator, as the part Z yields sufficiently without affecting the lever L. The indicator is operated when the cars are running in opposite directions by the projections alongside of the returntraek, which operate the lever L at the opposite side of the car and aotuate thereby the indicator, so as to move the webs in a reverse direction and display thereby the names of the stations in their reverse order on both webs of the indicator.

The station-indicator described is of comparatively simple construction, and can be furnished at comparativelysmall expense, so as to overcome the objections of the railway companies to such indicators, which are mainly based on the complicated constructions and large expense connectedwith the introduction of such indicators.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination of two web-carrying winding-rollers, intermittently-rotatcd feedrollers-below the same, guide-rollers at oppo- Each lever L is made of two parts-' site sides of the winding-rollers, andA two feed-rollers below the same, guide-rollers at.

both sides of and above the winding-rollers, two webs having the names of the stations printed on the same, said webs being exhibited at opposite sides of the case and both attached at one end to one of the winding-rollers and at the opposite end to the other winding-roller, a pawl-and-ratchet mechanism applied to the shaft of one of thewinding-rollers, actuating cords or chains fory operating said pawl-and-ratchet "mechanism, and transmitting-gearing bywhich the motion of the winding-roller is transmitted to the feed-rollers, so as to wind up both webs on one of the winding-rollers and unwind them from the other.

3. The combination of two station-indicat ing webs, winding-rollers therefor, feedfrollers and. guide-rollers for exhibiting said webs at opposite sides of thecase, aratchet-wheel keyed to the shaft of one of the winding-rollers, two oscillating and spring-actuated arms loose on said shaft and extendingin opposite directions therefrom, two `pawls fulcrumed to said arms, respectively, separate actuating chains or cords applied to said pawls, stops for limiting the motion of the oscillating arms, and spring actuated check pawls adapted to engage the recesses of said ratchet-wheel for arresting the motion thereof, one

of said pawls being engaged by one of said arms when the latter is moved in downward direction. Y l

4. The combination of a winding-roller supported in fixed bearings, a second windingroller supported in sliding andspring-actnated bearings, two station-indicating webs,

which are both attached at one end to one winding-roller and at the other endto the other winding-roller, feed-rollers for moving the belts, guide-rollers atboth sides of the winding and feed rollers exhibiting the webs at opposite sides of the case, a pawland-` ratchet mechanism for imparting rotary vmotion to the stationary winding-rollers, trans- IOO IIO

mitting-gearing between the shaftsof said V winding-rollers and the shafts of the feedrollers, and actuating-chainsv foroperating the pawl-andratchet mechanism' in opposite directions, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of a stationary and a spring-actuated winding-roller, two stationindieating webs, which are both :attached at one endvtoone winding-roller and at the other end to the other Winding-roller, intermitteutlyqotated feed-rollers fol` moving the Webs,zu1d guide-rollers at both sides of the Winding-rollers over which the Webs are Con- 5 ducted from one Winding-roller to the other and exhibited at opposite sides of the ease, Substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

FREDK. C. HELLMU'IH.

Vituesses:

PAUL GOEPEL, JOHN ALONZO STRALEY.

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