Improvements in Indicators and Means for Advertising on Railway and other Conveyances.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Dec., 1888
Specification Accepted, 11th May, 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Indicators and Means for Advertising on Railway
and other Conveyances.
I DUNOAN SMITH of 33 and 34 Horsley Fields, Wolverhampton in the County of
Stafford, Wine and Spirit Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:—
My invention relates to further improvements in my patents numbered 2744 and
dated 24th February 1888; and 8953 dated 19th June 1888, for enabling passengers
or others to see by night or day the number, class or other specified particulars of
any compartment from any position on the platform and at the same time to
effectively light up the surroundings or platform and footboard of the carriage or con-
veyance and my present improvements refer particularly to the indicators and the
opening and closing of the indicator doors in certain cases without the necessity of
connecting any arrangement together when coupling the carriages and without the
aid of guard or driver although in many cases I may find it best to continue to use
such aid.
In order that my invention may be clearly. understood and more easily carried
into practice I have appended hereunto two sheets of drawings illustrating a new form
of lamp together with few of the methods I prefer of automatically operating the
indicating doors.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of part of a railway.compartment shewing a lamp in
position with the indicator doors A and B open.
Figure 2 is a sectional side elevation of same.
Figure 3 is a similar side elevation to Figure 2 but with the indicating doors closed.
Figure 4 is a sectional plan showing the rack K for opening and closing the doors
shewing it in position when the doors are closed.
Figure 5 is a similar sectional plan to Figure 4 shewing the rack in position when
the doors are open.
Figure 6 is a sectional plan through the lamp on line 1: 2.
Figure 7 shows an arrangement for operating the doors shewn by figure 4 and 5
and is attached to the ordinary axle of a railway carriage.

page_text: Figure 8 shews one modification of the arrangement for opening the marcating
doors A and B which are shewn closed. *
Figure 9 shews the method of operating the doors by means of a cord the doors
being shewn open.
Figure 10 shews a modification in diagram of the rack K. shewn by Figures .5
and 6 the rack in this case being straight and slotted at a² and 6 for the toothed
wheels a¹ and b¹.
Figure 11 shews another modification in which the indicator doors are pivoted at a*
and and opened by means of the levers a³ and having a roller working in the
slots a³ and a².
My invention consists of a lamp or lamps D fixed to the conveyance or carriage Z
above the doors X or every or any number of compartments or in any position
desired, but so that the light will be thrown equally outside, and inside of such con-
veyance or carriage. The outside facing portion of the lamp may be of coloured
glass if desired as in my Patents 2744 of 1888, and 8953 of 1888 and can have
permanently fixed to it the particulars of such conveyance or compartment such as
required i.e. the class No. of carriage Letters of compartment whether smoking,
whether engaged, or for hire or any desired notice or advertisement, or such lamp
may have an external transparent cover temporarily fixed to them, or permanently
fixed to the carriage having such indication on it or such indications may be made
of letters suspended and fixed either to the lamp or carriage or indicators temporarily
or permanently thus saving the cleaning such being indispensable when the indicators
are painted or burned on glass at the same time it has the advantage of allowing
the lamps to be removed without having the necessity to remove the indicators. For
convenience such night and day indicators and lamp can be made of any shape such
as a round, half round globular angular, prismatic, oval, hexagon or any other shape
that may be desired, but so as to present the external part or the indicators, which
can be one or more in number to the view whatever position one may stand, at the
side or in front of 'them at the same time to allow as much light as possible onto
the platform, footboard or surroundings when required or when for example the train
or such conveyance is stationary while during the time such conveyance is in
motion if the light is objectionable doors can be attached to the carriage in front or at
the side, top or bottom of such lamp or these doors or indicators may be attached to
the carriage, the doors can be automatically shut or opened by means of the device M
and spring W shown by Figure 7 which is similar to the steam governor attached to
or put in motion by any rotating part of such conveyance and acting upon the
doors by means of the lever or cranked rod m¹ which is pivoted or worked through m²
acting upon excentrics slides, springs, or cranks and operate the racks K in the
direction of the arrows which in turn act upon the cogs a' and ' or on any other
suitable device and so open and close the doors A and B when the conveyance is at a
stand still or in motion.
I may effect the same result by means of the levers & Figure 12 engaging with
the draw bar provided with springs 8 or by coupling the indicating device of
one carriage to the body of the next carriage as shewn by Figure 14.so that when
the distance between the carriage is slightly increased when travelling the indicator
doors are closed or by levers which should engage with the sides of the platform .or
with any raised part or projection erected on purpose near to such platform as shewn
by figure 13 in which is a projection on the platform which operates the levers.k
and which in turns operates the rod K in the desired direction during the time
the train is in the station thereby opening the indicating doors or levers may be
made to act in conjunction with the brake systems so as to open the indicator doors
when the brake is put on. They can be also closed or vice-versa, by means of
compressed air or vacuum having the pump lever for convenience .attached to any
rotary part of the Locomotive or tender carriage or Guard's van by.means of eccentric
friction wheels etc. The carriages are coupled to the pump and to each other by
indiarubber pipes or any other tubular conductors N Figure 8, the pump being an
ordinary air compressing or exhaust pump fitted with a safety valve and may be fitted

page_text: either to the Engine, to the tender, or to one, to some, or to each carriage and when
the conveyances are in motion will act upon the indicator doors and close them by
means of a small piston or ram P which will work in conjunction with the double
rack R and spring S acting on the cog wheels a¹ and 6' or by levers cranks or rods as
most conveniently applicable and so soon as the conveyance or carriage is at a stand
still in the case of the piston the compressed air or vacuum will be disturbed by
the aid of perforations made in the conducting tubes N or near or on the pump
and thus allow the back pressure of the springs S will open or close the indicator
doors A and B as the case may be. Such compressing or exhausting pump can be
fixed in the guard's van Engine, or tender and be worked by hand. In this case
no perforation need be made in the tubes as the guard or any other attendant
can open a cock or valve and thus let the air in or out as required. The indicator
doors A and B may also be opened by the aid of vanes such as weather vanes and
fixed on the top of such indicators at right angles to the carriage and during the
time the conveyance is in motion they will act upon the doors or indicators by
the draught causing them to turn parallel to the motion of the conveyance
or carriage. Another method of operating the doors is shewn in Figure 9 by
allowing a weight for the purpose to act upon a lever or chain or rope T working
over pullies V and passing through the eye of a rod terminating in a double rack R
and working between guides Fig. 9 which in its turn will at once act upon the doors
or indicators A & B. I may attach the operating cord to the steam regulator on the
engine so that the turning off of the steam will operate the indicators. I do not
confine myself to any of the particular details above described as they may be
modified in many ways, for instance I may use the lamps without the letters notices
or indicators or with one or more as shall be desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what mauner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
First. The indicators for Railway and other conveyances attached temporarily
to the lamp or attached temporarily or permanently to the carriages substantially
as and for the purpose herein set forth.
Second. In improvements in indicators for Railway and other conveyances the
means described for automatically operating the indicating doors substantially as
herein set forth or illustrated.
Third. In improvements in Indicators to conveyances the means described for
manually operating the indicator doors, substantially as herein set forth or illustrated.
Fourth. The closing doors attached to the conveyance in front at the sides or top
& bottom of the said indicators substantially as herein set forth and for the purpose
specified.
Fifth. Railway or other conveyance indicators constructed with all or any of the
improvements shown or described.
Dil: 30 1 1 Donoho 1000
GEORGE BARKER,
77, Colmore Row, Birmingham,
Agent for Applicant.