IMPROVEMENTS IN STATION INDICATORS
Year: 1888

page_text: THOMAS WILLIAM MUNROE, of San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco, State
of California, United States of America, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STATION INDICATORS and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to indicators which are connected to railway cars, for the
purpose of indicating the name of the next station or stopping place. This invention.
consists in the novel combination of the parts, as hereinafter fully described and
claimed, whereby the cards on which the names of the stations are printed, are operated.
and changed by means of a spring trip lever on the travelling car, which lever strikes
against a stationary projection between the rails and is connected to the card cylinder.
by suitable intermediate mechanism..
In the drawings:
Figure 1 is a side view of the complete device, those portions of the framing of the:
car to which it is attached being shown in section. Figure 2 is a plan view, from
above, of the intermediate mechanism which connects the trip mechanism with the
_card cylinder. Figure 3 is a side view of the eccentric on which the back toothed
wheels are journaled. Figure 4 is a front view of the card box. Figure 5 is a cross
section through the card box-taken on the line x, x, in Figure 4. Figure 6 is a side:
view of the clutch shaft, and the mechanism connected to it. Figure 7 is a sectional
view of the same, taken on the line y, y, in Figure 2.
A, A, are portions of the frame of a railway car; a is the axle, and a¹ is one of the
wheels. B is one of the rails the car runs on; b is a piece of wood between the rails,
to which is secured the projection 6' for the trip lever to strike against. One of these
projections b¹ is secured between the rails at each of those points where it is desired to
change the name card in the box. C is a chain wheel secured to the axle a, and c is.
the driving chain which connects the wheel C with the chain wheel c¹, which is secured
to the toothed pinion d. Both wheels c and d revolve as long as the car is in motion,
and are loosely journaled on the shaft D which does not revolve, and which is sup- :
ported by the side frames.E,.secured. to the car frame A.

page_text: F is a second shaft which is also supported by. the said side frames E, and which
also does not revolve. A toothed wheel e, and the toothed pinion ƒ are secured
together, and loosely journaled upon the eccentric bearing f, which is secured to the
shaft F. The eccentric f¹ may be turned upon the shaft F to adjust the engagement
of the teeth of the gear wheels on shafts D and F.
G is a toothed wheel which is also loosely journaled upon the shaft D, and has the
chain wheel secured to it. A chain g¹ connects the wheel g with the chain wheel /
upon the shaft H, which turns as long as the car is in motion. I are levers pivoted to
the car frame A, and provided with springs and rollers for taking up the slack of
the driving chain c. J is a crank plate secured upon shaft H, and j is a bar connected
at one end to the adjustable crank pin j¹. The other end of bar jis supported by the
roller K which is carried by the bracket k, secured to the car frame. A.
L is the card box, provided with cards 1, which are pivoted to discs and form the
card cylinder. As this card cylinder revolves, each card falls against the stop ¹ at
the front of the card box, and one side of it is displayed. The continued revolution of
the card cylinder disengages the card from the stop, and allows it to fall, as indicated
by the dotted line in Figure 5, and the reverse side of the card is displayed at the
lower part of the card box. M is the card cylinder spindle, and m is a ratchet wheel
outside the box, for turning the spindle, N. is a pawl pivoted on the pin n, and pro-
vided with a spring m¹ for restoring it to its original position when it has been pulled
around by the rod n¹ so as to turn the ratchet wheel and display another card. O is a
bar which is connected to the rod n¹ by the bell crank lever o, which is carried by the
bracket o¹, secured to the car frame A. Pare the lifting arms upon the free end of
which the bar Orests. These arms P are secured upon the sleeve p which is loosely
journaled upon the shaft D. P¹ is a weight, and p' is a spring, which keep the arms
in the position shown in Figure 1, when not in action. O is a catch rivetted to the
bar O. When the arms Paro turned in either direction so as to raise the bar O, the
end of the bar j strikes against the catch O', and thereby turns the bell crank lever o,
and pulls upon the rod n', causing another card to be displayed in the card box. Qis
a catch lever, pivoted to the bracket Q¹, secured to the card frame A, and provided
with the double catch q, at its end. R is a pin which projects from the plate on the hub
of the lifting arms P. When the arms P are turned the pin R is also turned, until it
engages with one or the other end of the catch g, according to the direction of the
motion. A pin q¹ projects from the catch lever Q, and works in the slot of plate r¹,
secured to bar 0. The catch a prevents the arms from slipping back when turned,
and until the continued motion of bar O causes the end of the slot in plate r¹ to strike
the pin g', and lift the catch lever clear of the pin R. When this has been done, the
arnis P are restored to their original position by the action of the weight P¹, or
spring pl, according to the direction of the motion.
p by
The clutch mechanism for raising the bar O, so that it may be operated by the
reciprocating bar j, is as follows:-S is a sliding clutch connected to the sleeve
the long key S¹, and provided with pins s which engage with holes in the hub s,
which revolves continuously with the wheels G and 9. The clutch S has rollers T
projecting from its sides, and which bear against the inclines T¹ of the bracket t
which is secured to the car frame A. When sufficient rotary motion has been com-
municated to the sleeve p, to raise the bar O and change the card in front of the card:
box, the rollers arrive at the top of the inclines T¹, and the clutch pins are withdrawn
from the holes in the hub s¹.
The clutch is thrown into gear by the trip lever U, which is pivoted to the
bracket U', secured to the card frame A. A small roller u is provided at one end of
lever U to strike against the projection b¹, as before described, and u' are spring
buffers for restoring the trip lever to its central position, after it has passed over the
projection b¹.
V is a segment provided with the arm V³, and is a rod which connects the end of
the arm with the top of the trip lever. The segment V has inclines upon its side,
and when the segment is turned by the trip lever, these inclines bear against the back
of the sliding clutch S, and force it into the position shown in the drawings.

page_text: The segment is restored to its original position by the action of the spring buffers u
attached to the trip lever, and the clutch is revolved until again thrown out of gear by
the action of the inclines. T¹ as before described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention,
and what manner the same is to be performed; I declare that what I claim is
:-
1. In a station indicator, the combination of the continuously revolving clutch
hub s, and the continuously reciprocating bar j, both operated from the axle of tho
car, the bar O connected with the card changing mechanism, a clutch operated
through intermediate mechanism by a stationary projection on the road bed, and
engaging with the hub s¹, where by the bar is caused to actuate the bar O at
intervals, and a fixed bracket for subsequently disengaging the said clutch, substan-
tially as set forth.
2. In a station indicator, the combination of the continuously reciprocating bar j
the bar O connected with the card changing mechanism, and the arms P operated
through intermediate mechanism by a stationary projection on the road bed, and
causing the bar to actuate the bar O at intervals, substantially as set forth.
3. The combination of the revolving card cylinder provided with the pivoted cards 1,
with the box L provided with the stop k¹, so that the cards are displayed by the
revolution of the card cylinder, substantially as set forth.
4. In a station indicator, the combination of the continuously reciprocating bar j,
the bar O connected with the card changing mechanism, the arms P causing the bar j
to actuate the bar O at intervals, the catch lever Q, provided with the disengaging
pin q, and the pin R engaging with the catch lever, and, preventing the return of
arms P until the continued motion of bar O operates the disengaging pin g', substan-
tially as set forth.
5. In a station indicator, the combination of the continuously revolving clutch
hub s', the sliding clutch S engaging therewith and causing the card changing
mechanism to operate, the segment operated through intermediate mechanism by a
stationary projection on the road bed, for throwing the clutch into gear with the
hub sat intervals, and the fixed bracket t, provided with inclines T for subsequently
throwing the clutch S out of gear, substantially as set forth.
Datad this Tained day at IL 1. 1000
HERBERT W. T. JENNER,
519, Seventh Street, Washington, D.C., Ú.S.A.,
Agent for Applicant.