Improvements in Illuminated Name Indicators, or like Plates for Road or Railway Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Dec., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 28th Sept., 1897-Accepted, 30th Oct., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Illuminated Name Indicators, or like Plates for
Road or Railway Vehicles.
I FREDERICK WILLIAM FLETCHER of 6 Streatley Road Kilburn London in the
County of Middlesex Dentist do hereby declare the nature of my invention to
be as follows:
The aforesaid name indicator distinctive mark or sign to consist of an illuminated
transparency, a diaphragm or dise or plate of glass, paper, metal, gelatine, linen,
celloloid, or similar material, either white, black, or coloured, and on which white,
black, or coloured letters, words, or distinctive marks, may be painted, printed,
or placed superficially to denote the ownership of vehicle so marked, or to denote
the locality to or from which the aforesaid railway trains, tram-cars, omnibuses or
other vehicles may be proceeding.
The aforesaid diaphragm, plate or transparent disc to form part of or to be attached
to an ordinary carriage lamp, or railway lantern, or to be fitted as a part of the
vehicle in the same way as a window, or to be fitted in a frame or case that may be
placed upon any portion of a railway train, tram-car, omnibus or other carriage.
The illuminating agent or source of light to be either candles, gas, oils, or
electrically produced, or by reflection.
D00th 1000
Improvements in Illuminated Name Indicators, or like Plates for
Road or Railway Vehicles.
I, FREDERICK WILLIAM FLETCHER, of 6 Streatley Road, Kilburn, in the County
of London, Dentist, 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 :-
This invention relates to illuminated indicators for road and railway vehicles
and has for its object to provide means for indicating chiefly at night time the
locality or place to which the vehicle is travelling, or in some cases for indicating
the ownership of the vehicle, or for exhibiting a private or special mark for the
convenience of the user in the case of hired vehicles. The illumination of the
name or mark to be exhibited is effected by a light within the apparatus, or by light
projected into the apparatus either directly or by reflection.
The said apparatus comprises in the preferred form a box or case having
transparent or semi-transparent sides upon which the names or marks to be

page_text: exhibited are applied in any suitable manner, and a lamp or lamps or other means
for illuminating the interior of the box so that the names or marks can be seen at
night time. Preferably one or more of the ordinary lamps already provided on the
vehicle are utilised for illuminating the indicator, but where desirable a special light
may be provided for the purpose, and in some cases the light may be inside the
box. The box or case is supported with a capability of rotation so that different
sides of it can be brought to the front, the indication being thereby changed.
By a modification of my invention the indication is afforded by a device applied
to a lamp window for example in such a manner that it can be changed when
desired. This form of the invention is particularly intended for application to
hired vehicles.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood I will now describe the
same with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
Fig. 1 is a front view partly in section of my improved device, showing a lamp at
each end thereof for illuminating the interior."
Fig. 2 is an end view, with the lamp removed.
Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of a device furnished with a reflector at one end
for a purpose hereinafter specified.
Fig. 4 is an end view of a modification furnished with reflectors for deflecting the
light from a distant source into the lamp, and
Fig. 5 illustrates a carriage lamp having my invention applied thereto.
Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
A is a box or case having three or more sides which are composed of transparent
or semi-transparent material such as glass, paper, gelatine, celluloid, linen or the like
either white, black or coloured. Upon these sides are painted, printed or otherwise
applied the names that are desired to be exhibited, as for example in the case of a
railway train or omnibus the name or names of the place or places to which the
vehicle is travelling. The said box is furnished with hollow trunnions A which rest
in rings or bearing brackets B secured to the vehicle. One or both rings may be
divided or hinged to allow of removing the box when desired. The box can be
turned in its hearings so as to present any of its sides to view from the front, and it
can he locked to prevent accidental turning when set with the desired face to the
front, a convenient form of locking device being a pinc carried by a spring Cor
by a chain and adapted for insertion into any one of a series of holes in
the trunnions A' so as to prevent the turning of the box except when desired. The
interior of the box is illuminated by one or if necessary by two or inore of the
ordinary lamps D, D carried by the vehicle which lamps in addition to performing
their usual function serve to illuminate the box. In some instances a special lamp
or light may be provided, as for example in Fig. 3 an incandescent lamp E is shown
near one end of the box. I prefer however to employ for this purpose the ordinary
lamps carried by the vehicle wherever that is feasible.
In Fig. 1 I have shown two lampe D, D one at each end with openings at the side
to correspond with the openings in the end of the box, the latter openings being if
desired fitted with lenses or with flat glasses which may be hinged or removable to
allow of obtaining access to the interior of the box. In this way the interior of the
box is brightly illuminated and the names on the sides can then be readily seen and
read at night. For example on a railway carriage travelling from say Liverpool to
London the box will be set to show the name Loudon which will be detected
instantly by passengers on the platform who will thus be saved the trouble of making
enquiries as to the destination of the train. On the return journey the box would
be turned so as to exhibit the name Liverpool. The device is of course equally
applicable on omnibuses, tramcars, and other road vehicles and affords a ready and
usefu!' indication of the destination of the vehicle. The device will even serve a
useful purpose in the daytime by indicating the destination of the vehicle, as the
methods heretofore in use on omuibuses and the like merely state the various
districts passed through and do not indicate in which direction the vehicle is
travelling.

page_text: In the modification illustrated in Fig. 3 I have shown an illuminating lamp at one
end of the box, and a reflector F at the opposite end of the box. In all cases where
feasible I prefer to employ a reflector (F, Fig. 1, behind the light to increase the
illumination in the box. In Fig. 4 the illumination is effected by a distant light, say
for example in a railway carriage the ordinary roof lamp which shines through the
carriage windows on to the reflectors II, II which deflect the light through the sides
of the box into the interior and illuminate it sufficiently to show up the name on
the front of the box. The back of the box or case in this instance may be made of
clear glass. This device may if desired be fixed inside the carriage.
In the modification shown in Fig. 5 a letter or design is placed on a semi-transparent
diaphragm J in one side of the lamp, the same being illuminated when the lamp is
lit. This modification is intended chiefly for the lamps of hired road vehicles and'
provides an indication that will be readily detected at night amongst a number of
others by the person hiring the vehicle, so that on coming out of a theatre for
example he will have no difficulty in recognising his own carriage. The letter or
design is removable being for example applied by a suitable adhesive substance, and
is changed by the owner to suit different customers who may thus have their own
initials for example or monogram on the lamp. My invention, especially the form
shown in Fig. 1, can be applied to tradesmens cycles and other vehicles for
advertising and other purposes, the same being illuminated by the lamps usually
carried by such vehicles.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed; I declare that what I
I claim is
1. An illuminated transparent or semi-transparent name or like indicator for use
in connection with road or railway vehicles, substantially as, and for the purpose,
herein specified.
2. The construction of the indicator in the form of a box and soithat it can be
turned or adjusted to exhibit different names, with or without the means for
locking it to prevent accidental turning, substantially as, and for the purpose,
described.
3. The combination, with my improved indicator, of the ordinary vehicle lamps
arranged to illuminate the iudicator while at the same time serving their ordinary
purpose, substantially as described.
4. The modified form of my invention as applied to ordinary carriage lamps,
substantially as described with reference to Fig. 5 and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 27th day of September 1897.
GEORGE HARRISON,
35 Therafia Road, Honor Oak, London, S.E., Agent for the Applicant.