Improvements in Apparatus for Indicating the Stopping-places of Railway Trains, Tramcars, and the like.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Dec., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 11th Feb., 1891-Accepted 18th Apr., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Indicating the Stopping-places of
Railway Trains, Tramcars, and the like.
I, MARCUS WILLIAM LOWINSKY, of 7, Queen's Mansions, Victoria Street,
in the City of Westminster, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to apparatus for indicating the stopping places of railway
trains, tramcars and the like and is designed to provide simple and efficient means
for indicating in each compartment of a train or in tramcars or other vehicles the
name of the next station or place at which the said train will stop, or such other
information as may be desirable.
In carrying my said invention into practice I provide in each of the compartments
or vehicle an apparatus comprising a strip or roll of paper or other suitable material
upon which the names of the consecutive stations are printed or otherwise marked
in their proper order and clockwork or other suitable operating mechanism which
is restrained from movement until a change in the name of the station is required,
when it is released and moves the said strip so as to effect the desired change, the
names of the stations being thus exhibited one by one at a suitable window or
opening in the case or cover of the apparatus.
For this purpose I arrange the said roll or strip of paper or other suitable
material in the form of an endless band upon rollers arranged one above the other.
One of these rollers has rigidly connected thereto a toothed wheel or disc gearing
with a pinion driven by suitable clockwork by the operation of which the rollers
and the stop are caused to move. The speed of the clockwork is governed or
controlled by a suitable fly, while the extent of the movement is controlled by a
suitable escapement device or stop-lever. This escapement or stop-lever is provided
at one extremity with a pin or projection adapted to enter one or other of a series
of holes or perforations in the face of the toothed wheel aforesaid, connected with
one of the rollers. The said lever is moreover acted upon by a spring which tends
to move the said projections into the said holes. The said lever is provided with a
short arm or projection which extends into the path of the above mentioned fly, the
parts being so arranged that when the pin or projection on the stop-lever enters
the hole or perforation in the toothed wheel or disc, the above arm engages with the
said fly or fan and arrests the motion of the clockwork, so that no undue strain is
thrown upon the mechanism.
The clockwork is caused to operate and the names of the stations are displayed
in succession by drawing back the stop lever against the force of the said spring,
whereby the toothed wheel or disc and the clockwork are simultaneously released
and the partial rotation of the roller is effected the extent of this rotation being
limited by the distance apart of the holes in the wheel or disc into which the
projection on the stop-lever enters under the influence of the above mentioned
spring.
The withdrawal of the stop lever may be effected either manually by means of a
handle provided upon one or upon each car or carriage operated by the conductor
or attendant or by a cord or chain connecting all the devices in a train with the
guard's van or the like.
I prefer however to provide automatic means for withdrawing the said lever and
thereby displaying the names of the stations or stopping places. For this purpose
I provide a suitable engagement piece or lever connected with the said stop lever
and adapted to engage with suitable fixed cams or arms conveniently situated on
or near the railway or track whereby when the train passes one of these fixed cams

page_text: or arms, the aforesaid engagement piece coming in contact therewith will liberate
the clockwork and the roller and will cause the roll or band to be moved so as to
display the name of the next station.
The said roller is provided with suitable pins or studs preferably at one end
thereof adapted to enter corresponding holes or perforations formed in the roll or
band, thereby preventing slipping of the said roll or band upon the roller. Or
other suitable means may be employed to prevent slipping of the band.
The names of the stations are arranged on the roll or band preferably in the
following manner that is to say the names of the stations or stopping places on the
outward journey are first arranged consecutively thereon, and then following these
in consecutive order come the names of the stations or stopping places on the return
journey all the names on the band being situated at equal distances apart from one
another, so that the band or roll moves constantly in the same direction both for
the outward and return journey.
Dated this 10th day of December 1890.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Indicating the Stopping-places of
Railway Trains, Tramcars, and the like.
I, MARCUS WILLIAM LOWINSKY, of 7, Queen's Mansions, Victoria Street,
in the City of Westminster, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention is designed to provide simple and efficient apparatus for indicating
in each compartment of a train or in a tramcar or other vehicle the name of the
next station or stopping place at which the said train, tramcar or other vehicle will
stop, and for affording such other information as may be desirable.
In the accompanying drawings I have shown how my said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a front elevation.
Figure 2 is a similar view to Figure 1, the front portion of the box or case and
some other parts being removed.
Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line a a Figures 1 and 2 and
Figure 4 is a vertical section on the line y y Figures 1 and 2 illustrating one
form of my improved station indicator.
Figure 5 is a front elevation illustrating a slight modification hereinafter
described.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
A is a box or case which is provided with a window or aperture A¹, and with a
suitable door or doors for permitting access to the interior thereof. B is an endless
band formed of a strip of canvas, paper or other suitable material and upon which
the names of the stations or stopping places on the line are consecutively printed or
otherwise marked.
The names of the said stations or stopping places are preferably arranged on the
band B in the following manner, that is to say, those on the outward journey are
first arranged thereon in their proper order and then those on the return journey, all
the names on the band being situated at equal distances apart.
The endless band B is mounted upon two main rollers C C¹ and upon a supple-
mentary roller C³. The spindles or gudgeons C of the roller C are supported in
suitable bearings A² on a bracket A³, and those of the rollers C¹ C in stays A*
and brackets A secured to the said box or case A. D is a toothed wheel or
pinion firmly secured upon the spindle C of the roller C at one end thereof, and
gearing with a toothed wheel E connected with and adapted to be driven by a

page_text: spring drum or barrel F similar to that employed in an ordinary train of clockwork
and provided with a ratchet wheel F1 pawls F F³, and an arm or handle F* for
permitting the winding up of the spring in the said drum or barrel F so as to
compress or store energy therein for operating the apparatus as hereinafter
described. G is a toothed wheel or toothed disc firmly secured upon the spindle C³
at the opposite end of the roller C to the toothed wheel D. The toothed wheel
or toothed disc G gears with a pinion G¹ the spindle of which is connected by
means of a toothed wheel G2 pinion G³, worm wheel G and worm G* with a
suitable fan or fly H for governing or controlling the speed of the clockwork
when released as hereinafter described. I is a lever pivoted at I' to an exten-
sion A on the bracket A'. The upper or one arm of the lever I is provided with
a pin or projection I which works in a circular groove G³ provided in the face of
the toothed wheel or toothed disc G and engages in one or other of recesses G
therein, as more clearly shown in Figure 3, so as to form a catch, detent or
escapement device.
I is a spring which acts upon the said lever I so as to tend to move the said pin
or projection 12 into one or other of the said recesses Go and to maintain it engaged
therein. The other arm of the lever I moreover is provided with a pin or
projection I which extends into the path of a pin or projection H' secured to the
spindle of the fan or fly H; the parts are so arranged that when the pin or
projection I enters or engages in one of the recesses G in the face of the toothed
wheel or toothed disc G, the pin or projection I engages with the pin or
projection H¹ upon the spindle of the said fly or fan thereby arresting the motion
of the clockwork, and preventing any undue strain from being thrown upon the
mechanism.
To permit the release of the said clockwork when desired and allow it to operate
to rotate the roller C through a sufficient angle and thus move the endless band B,
to bring the name of the succeeding station or stopping place next in order
opposite the window or aperture A¹, I provide the following mechanism, that is
to say is a lever pivoted at J' to the box or case A (as shown more clearly
in Figure 4) and having at one extremity a pin or projection J' which engages
with the upper or one arm of the lever I, or the said levers I and J may be
connected together in any other suitable manner. To the other extremity of the
said lever J is secured one extremity of, a cord wire or chain K which passes
through eyes G* and over a suitable guide wheel or pulley K', and the other
extremity of which is connected to a handle provided upon one, or upon each car
or carriage, or with another cord wire or chain connecting all the devices in
a train with the guard's van or the like. JB is a spiral or other spring for
retaining the said lever J in its normal position, and returning it thereto after each
operation.
B' B' are metal or other cross pieces secured at suitable intervals to the endless
band B, and adapted to engage with pins or projections C provided upon the
rollers C C so as to obviate any slipping of the said band which might otherwise
occur when the apparatus is in operation.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows, that is to say when it is desired
to move the endless band B so as to exhibit the name of the next, or succeeding
station or stopping place at the window or aperture A' the wire cord or chain K
is pulled or operated so as to disengage the pin or projection I' from the recess G
in which it may be engaged and at the same time remove the pin or projection I*
from the path of the pin H' on the spindle of the fly or fan H, and permit the
operation of the clockwork, which will then rotate the roller C through a sufficient
angle to bring the name of the next station or stopping place opposite the window
or aperture A', the pin or projection I* moving into or engaging in the next or
succeeding recess G under the action of the spring I and the movement of the
clockwork being arrested by the pin or projection I as above described. The
extent of the said rotation is limited by the distance apart of the said recesses G
in the wheel or disc G, into which the said pin or projection I* enters.

page_text: The names of the said stations or stopping places being arranged upon the
endless band B as before mentioned in consecutive order both for the outward and
return journey the said endless band is moved in the same direction for both
journeys.
In some instances I provide a suitable engagement piece or lever connected with
the escapement device by means of a cord, wire chain or the like and adapted to
engage with suitable fixed cams or arms conveniently situated on or near the
railway or track whereby when the train passes one of these fixed cams or arms,
the aforesaid engagement piece coming in contact therewith will be moved or
operated to liberate the clockwork as above described and thus permit the operation
thereof to rotate the roller C, and shift or move the endless band B sufficiently to
display the name of the next station or stopping place at the window or
aperture A¹.
Figure 5 illustrates an arrangement for preventing any possible slip of the endless
band B upon the roller C, wherein the pins or studs C are arranged to enter
corresponding holes. or perforations 132 formed in the endless band B.
Or other suitable means may be employed to prevent slipping of the said endless
band.
It is obvious that any other suitable train of clockwork may be used or any
other suitable escapement device for permitting the release of the said clockwork
and the operation thereof to cause a partial rotation of one of the rollers carrying
the endless band. Instead of or in addition to the names of the said stations or
stopping places, other information or matter may be printed or otherwise marked
upon the endless band, and exhibited at each operation of the apparatus, such as for
instance advertisements or the like.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I wish it understood that
I claim :-
First. An apparatus for the purpose above specified, wherein suitable clockwork
for moving an endless band having thereon the names of the stations or stopping-
places, is arranged in combination with a detent or equivalent device operated
either automatically or by hand, whereby the said clockwork is restrained from
movement, but which will, or may be disengaged to permit the required movement
thereof while the train, tramcar or the like is travelling from one station or stopping-
place to another, substantially as hereinbefore described.
Second. The improved apparatus constructed substantially as described with
reference to the accompanying drawing and operating as and for the purpose herein-
before specified.
Dated this 11th 1...
1901
M. W. LOWINSKY.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.