US829243A - Indicator. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED AUG. 21, 1906.

H. A. WATSON. INDICATOR.

APPLICATION 211,21) 110v. 10. 1904.

s SHEETSSHEET 1.

N0. 829,243. PATBNTED AUG. 21, 1906. H. A. WATSON.

INDICATOR.

APPLIGATION FILED NOV 10 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W EH 4mm 5% @W UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

.Patented Aug. 21, 1906.

Application filed November 10, 1904. Serial No 232,248.

To ail whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY A. WATSON, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Pittsburg, in the county 'of Alle gheny and State of Penns lvania, have in vented certain new and use 1 Im rovements in Indicators, of which the fol owing is a specification, reference being had therein to t e accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in indicators, and more articularly to that type which is adapted or use in street-cars, railway-cars, and like places where it is desired to display the names of streets or stations at which the cars will stop.

The object of my inventionis to provide an indicator of this type which is adapted to be actuated by the motorman of a street-car or when used upon railway-trains by a brakeman, and the indicator is adapted to display at each actuation the name of the street or station at which the car will next sto and in constructing my improved indicator have employed novel means for crating the same an for reversing the mec anism when the cars are about to make a return trip.

The invention finally consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully described and then specificall pointed out in the claims, and, referring to t e drawings accompanying this application, like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which Figure 1 is a pers ective view of my improved indicator, il ustratin the same secured in a street-car. Fig. 2 1s a vertical sectional view of the end of a street-car, showing my improved indicator in position and the mechanism used for actuating the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of my improved indicator. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view of the same. Fig. .5 is a diagrammatical view of the wiring em loyed to operate my improved indicator. ig. 6 is an end view of the indicator looking at the left-hand end of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3.

To put my invention into practice, I preferably employ a rectangular casing consisting of a front and rear wall 1 and 2, res e'ctively, end walls 3 and 4, and the top and ottom plates and 6. The top 5 of the casing provided with lu s 7 7, wl1erehy the casing can be secured to t e end of a car, and in describing the invention we will assume that glass late which is painted said casing.

the indicator is to be employed in a street car. The indicator can be placed in either end of the car and is generally secured above The front wall formed of a lack or otherwise arkened with the exception of the oblong space designated by the reference-nuineral 8. This space is clear, whereby the names of streets may be displayed through Above the space designated y the reference-numeral 8 the Words Next stop are arranged, or suitable words indicating the next etc will be, for instance, "Wood street. n the casin of my improved indicator and between t e end walls 3 and 4 are rotatably mounted the shafts 9 and 10, which carry an apron 11, one end of the apron being secured to the shaft 9', While the opposite end is secured to the shaft 10, and upon this apron are arran 'ed the names of the streets or stations of the route over which the car passes. These shafts are ar ranged one above the other whereby the a ron will travel vertically be ore the space 8 o the front of the casing. Upon the ends of the shafts 9 and 1 0 are arranged the ratchet wheels 12 12, the teeth of which are identical, and upon the opposite end of the shafts are arranged the ratchet-wheels 14 14, the teeth of these wheels bein reverse to those of the wheels 12 12. To t e end walls 3 and 4of the casin are secured the guides 15, and in these guir es are mounted the posts 16 and 17. The post 17 is provided with the springpressed pawls 18, which are normally held in enga ement with the teeth of the ratchet whee s 12 12. The post 16 is provided with springpressed pawls 19, which are reversely arranged to the pawls 18, the pawls 19 being pulling awlsthat is, they operate to turn the rate ets by the downward movement of the post 16. In each end of the casing are arranged the solenoids 20 and 21, the solenoid 21 being connected by an Lshaped arm to the post 17, While the solenoid 20 is connected by a similar arm to the post 16. These solenoids are of the ordinary construction, and the L-shaped arms 22 are adapted to carry suitable cores, which may be attracted b the energizing of the solenoids. In the dmgrammatrc view, Fig. 5, these cores are designated by the reference- numerals 23 and 24. The core 23 is retained in an elevated position by a s iral spring 25 and the core 24 retained in a owered position by the spiral one of the doors of t e car. of the indicator is preferabl sufiicient wei spring 26, mounted upon their respective arms. Between the posts 16 and 17 and the ratchet- wheels 12 and 14 are the plates 27 and 28, said plates having slots 29 formed therein. The plates are supported and connected together by the arm 30, which is carried by a shaft 31, that is pivotally mounted upon the bottom 6 of the casing, said shaft extending without the casing to the front of the casing and carrying a suitable button 32. The opposite end of the shaft 31 is provided with t e insulated arms 33, which carry upon their outer ends the contact'blocks 34 and 35. Each of the contact-blocks 34 35 is made in two sections, and the sections of each block are insulated from one another. One section of the block 35 is connected by a wire 47 to a block 46', and one section of the block 34 is connected to the same block 46', while the other section of the block 35 is connected by a wire 48 to a block 46, and the other section of the block 34 is connected by a wire 47 to said block 46. Upon the bottom 6 of the casing are mounted the contact- blocks 36 and 37, which are connected b wires 38 and 39, respectively, to the solenoids 20 and 21. The blocks 36 and 37 are also each in two sections, the sections of each block being insulated from one another, the terminals of the wire 33 being connected, respectively, to the two sections of the block 36 and the terminals of the wire being connected, respectively, to the two sections of the block 37.

Reference will now be had to Fig. 2 of the drawings, wherein I have illustrated the mechanism employed for actuating my improved indicator, and while I have onl illustrated this mechanism as being a plie to one end of a car I wish it to be un erstood that the same may be employed upon the opposite end, whereby should the car be operated from the opposite end my improved indicator can. be readily actuated. Beneath the latform of the car is pivotally mounted, as indicated at 40, an insulated lever 41, carryin a contact-block 42, composed of two meta ic sections insulated from one another and mounted adjacent to the opposite end of the lever and within the platform 43 is a sleeve 44, through which a headed in 45 protrudes and en ages the end of the ever 41. Upon the un er face of the platform and in vertical alinement with the contact-block 42 of the lever 41 are the contact- blocks 46 and 46, which are connected by wires 47', 48 and 47 48', respectively, to the posts 49, from whence the wires pass up through the framework of the car to the contact- blocks 34 and 35. The lever 41 is constructed whereby the contactin end of the lever will be of a ift to normall hold the pin 45 in an elevate position, as i lustrated m Fig. 2 of the drawings. In the casing of my im proved indicator are mounted the incandescent bulbs or lamps 50 50, which are connected by wires 51 51 to the car-circuit of electric energy.

O eration: We will assume that it is desire to displa the words Wood street, as illustrated in ig. 1 of the drawings, and to accomplish this the motorman upon passing the street prior to Wood street presses downwardly with his foot upon the headed pin 45, which raises the contact-block 42 into engagement with the contact- blocks 46 and 46 the metallic piece at each side of the block 42 then spanning the insulation between the two metallic sections of which each of the blocks 46 46 is composed, and a circuit will be completed to operate my improved indicator in either one or the other direction. The reversing mechanism of my im roved indicator is adapted to be operated y the conductor of the car, and b rotatin the button 32 he can actuate mec anism w ereb the indicator will be operated in either d1rectionthat is, whereby the shaft 9 will take up the a ron or the shaft 10 will take up thea ron. Ksheretofore stated,the ratchetwhee s upon one end of the shafts differ from the ratchet-wheels upon the opposite end, and I employ the lates 27 and 28 for reversing the travel of the apron. These plates control the pawls 18 and 19, and by referring to Fig. 3 of the drawings it will be observe that the plate 27 is in an elevated position, the body portion of the plate bein then interposed etween the pawls 19 an the ratchet-wheels and holding the pawls 19 out of engagement with the ratchet-wheels 14, while the plate 28 upon the opposite side is in such a position that the pawls 18 can 0 erate throu h the slots 29, formed in said ates. (See i 2.) When the button 32 has been rotate to rock the lever 30 and raise the plate 27, the contact-block 35, carried b the shaft 31, is placed in engagement with t e contact-block 37 of the casing, and when the motorman depresses the headed pin 45 and completes the circuit through the contact- blocks 46 and 46 the circuit is as follows: The source of electrical energy is the car-circuit, which is connected to the contactblocks 46 and 46, and the current then passes through one side of the divided contact-block 42, which is now bridging the s ace between two sections of the contactb ock'46 and through the wire 47 to the contact-block 35 contact-block 37, through wires to the solenoid 21, and upon this solenoid being energized the core 24 is raised, carryin with it the post 17, which raises the paw s 18 and rotates the ratchet-wheels 12 sufiiciently to unwind the apron from the shaft 9 and wind it upon the shaft 10, displaying the name of the street which the car 1s approaching. The circuit is completed by a wire 48 to the whence it passes, crossin over the portion of the contact-block 42 whic is now bridging the contact-block 46, from space between the two sections of block 46, b wire 51 through lamp 50 to the other wire of the car-circuit. When the button 32 has been rotated by the conductor, he has placed the contact-block 35 in engagement with the contact-block 37 and has lowered the plate 28 to emit the pawls t0 0 erate the ratchetwhee s 12. Simultaneous] with this operation the contact-block 34 as been elevated and disengaged from the contact-block 36, thereby breaking the circuit through the solenoid 20 and rendering that solenoid inactive, and the plate 27 has been raised, which disengages the pawls 19 from the ratchetwheels 14. 1

Upon all the names of the streets having been dis layed by the motorman de ressing the hea ed pin 45 and the end of t e route having been reached, the conductor again rotates the button 32, which will break the circuit just described and place the pawls 18 out of operation by the elevation of the plate 28, and upon the car starting upon its route and the motorman depressing the pin 45, the plate 27 having been placed in such a position that the pawls 19 can be operated, the circuit in connection with this operation is as follows: When the headed pin 45 is depressed, the current passes through the wires 47 to the contact-block 34, contact-block 36,

through the wire 38 to the solenoid, energiz ing the solenoid, which attracts the core 23 and causes a downward movement upon the pawls 19, which will rotate the ratchetwheels in the opposite direction from that in which the rolls have been previously rotated, the current returnin over the wire 48 to the contact-block 46. t will thus be seen that with the reversing of the mechanism the circuits are reversed, and with the assistance of the conductor and motorman of the car my improved indicator can be operated to display the different names of the streets of the route over which the car passes. The incandescent lamps 50 are always in circuit with the car-circuit, as is now the common practice, and these lamps are intended to reflect their rays upon the apron containing the names of the streets whereby the occupants of the car can readily observe the same.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the type set forth, the combination with a car, of a casing mounted in said car, two shafts mounted in said casing, an apron carried b said shafts, ratchetwhee s on the opposite ends of each shaft, a pawl adapted to engage each ratchet-wheel, two solenoids arran ed adjacent to said shafts, each solenoid eing adapted to operate two of said pawls, electric circuits includ ing a switch under control of the motorman for energizing said solenoids, and movable plates arran ed adjacent to said ratchets at each end 0% the shafts, each plate being adapted to throw the pawls at the same on of the shafts into and out of action, and means for moving said plates, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the character set forth, the combination with a car, of a casing, two shafts arranged in said casing, an a ron connected to both said shafts, a rate et-wheel on each end of said shafts, a pawl engaging each of said ratchet-wheels, electrically-actuated means for moving two of said pawls simultaneously, and movable plates manually operable, and adapted to be alternately interposed between the pawls and ratchet wheels at one end of the shafts, and the pawls and ratchet-wheels at the other end of the shaft.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a car, of a casing, shafts mounted in said casing, an a ron connected to said shafts and adapted to ive wound upon one shaft and unwound from the other shaft, ratchet-Wheels mounted upon both ends of both of said shafts, pawls mounted adjacent to said wheels, solenoids carried by said casing and adapted when energized to rotate said ratchet-wheels, mechanism located u on the platform of the car to complete an e ectric circuit to energize said solenoids, and means carried by the casing for controlling the direction of the movement imparted to said apron by the said electric actuating means.

4. The combination with a car, of an indicator, said indicator consisting of a casing having a sight-opening in one of its sides, shafts rotatably mounted adjacent to'said opening, an apron attached to said shafts, a solenoidmounted at each end of said casing,

'mechanism actuated by one solenoid to ro- .nately rendering inactive the solenoid-actuating mechanism at each end of the casing. In testimony whereof I affix my signature 1n the presence of two witnesses.

IlAR RY A. WATSON.

Witnesses:

Tnos. MGCAFFREY, K. .H. BUTLER.

Images