Improvements in Apparatus for Indicating the Names of Streets or Stations in Tramway and other Vehicles and for similar Purposes.
Year: 1888

page_text: [Communicated from abroad by WILLIAM P. WILLIAMS, of Chicago, Illinois,
United States of America].
Improvements in Apparatus for Indicating the Names of Streets
or Stations in Tramway and other Vehicles and for similar
Purposes.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex, 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 is more especially designed for street-cars or other vehicles to
indicate the next street that will be arrived at in the route, and at the same time is
designed to afford a convenient and conspicuous advertising medium, in which curtains
bearing the street-names, as they are changed to indicate the next in order of travel
shall also expose to the observer a change of advertisement. This do by attaching
a number of sheets or curtains to a rotatable centre, that are successively exposed, and
by which construction and arrangement I am enabled to embrace within limits that
are not objectionable a number of changes sufficient for all practical purposes. I am
aware that station or street indicators combining with them advertising space, in
which a continuous sheet or belt was a medium for effecting the changes have been
tried; but such construction so greatly limits the changes permitted when reasonably
confined in the matter of space or bulk as to render such movements greatly
objectionable, if not impracticable, and such arrangement is also unsatisfactory because
of the difficulties in obtaining a uniform succession by reason of strotching of the
continuous sleet or canvass.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a front elevation.
Figure 2 is an end elevation.
Figure 3 a transverse vertical section and
Figure 4 is a side elevation showing the method of securing the curtains to their
rotable support.
A case A is provided that is adapted to be secured to the interior of the car at the

page_text: of a cylindrical shaft b, having journaled ends c seated in the ends of case A, and
discs a and a mounted on said shaft at each end and of equal diameter to said shaft, so
that their edges are flush with the surface of the cylinder. Said cylinder is provided
with a series of longitudinal grooves or slots a", of sufficient depth to receive therein
rods e and permit said rods to lie entirely below the surface of the cylinder, so as not
to interfere with the action of the brake-bar, hereinafter described. These rods are
slightly longer than the cylinder and project beyond the ends thereof. The discs a a
are provided on their inner surfaces respectively with an annular groove or channel a³
adapted to receive the ends of the rods e. Upon each of these rods is mounted a
curtain or sheet d. The discs are screwed or otherwise secured to the ends of the
shaft b, and the rods which are slender, are readily sprung into their seats or
removed therefrom with the curtains attached, thus affording a ready means of
removing one sheet and substituting another. I therefore consider this a preferable
method of applying the sheets. These sheets are preferably in width equal to the
distance between discs a and a¹, and in length and depth sufficient, as indicated to
extend when suspended to near the bottom of the case, thus utilizing the available
space for the purpose for which the apparatus is designed.
On the periphery of one of the discs a ratchet-teeth are provided, (shown by
dotted lines in Figure 2). The bar j having a hearing on the inner surface of the
case end, is designed to extend through the end of the car to be manipulated by the
conductor. Bar has bearings that admit of longitudinal play thereof within proper
limits and is provided with an actuating pawl j. By this arrangement provision is
made for rotating the discs and sheets, though I do not desire to limit myself in this
feature of the apparatus. Secured to the face of the upper portion of the case is a
brake-bark, the edge of which is under pressure of a spring or springs. This bar
extends, or preferably so, from side to side of the case, and its edge, which should be
parallel to the axis of rotation of the curtains or sheets, bears upon the latter. The
free ends of the sheets should also be cut to a line parallel to the line of the axis of
rotation. The sheets have attached to their free ends small strips or bars d', that are
sufficient in weight to cause the sheets to drop promptly and hang smoothly when
released. A door A', in the front of the case is hinged at t and secured by suitable
fastenings at the bottom that will give access to the case. The door A is of glass,
excepting the necessary frame for holding the latter, thus exposing to view the front
surface of the first suspended sheet d.
At the top of the door A' may be supplied the words "Next street," as shown, as
a complement to the street-names. On the sheet-fronts, respectively, are affixed, by
painting or in any desired manner, the names of the streets in the order of succession
for the trip.
The balance of the space on the sheet-front may be devoted to advertising-cards.
The movements of the ratchet-dises are designed to be such that an outer end of one
curtain at each stroke of the bar j shall be released from beneath the brake-bar k to
drop down and another brought beneath it. A curtain may thus be dropped as each
street is passed, to indicate the name of the next. It is obvious from the drawings
and foregoing description that a large number of sheets may be contained in an
operative manner in a comparatively small compass, and, as before stated, neet
the requirements as to numerical quality that are unattainable by the continuous
sheet.
The various details of construction and arrangement, as I have shown and described
them, are not essential to the success of my invention, as modifications thereof may
be substituted. The features, however, that do form its essential elements have their
foundation in the fact of mounting a number of sheets upon a rotatable bearing, with
the outer ends free to successively drop, and adapted to be retained until released by
rotation of the central support.
The invention may of course be used for one or the other of the purposes named, or may
be used for advertising independently of a car for example, may be placed in a show,
window and operated by automatic mechanism for bringing the curtains successively
into position for exposing their faces or the advertising cards thereon.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by
my foreign Correspondent, I declare that what I claim is
of
First. A street or station indicator consisting of a case A, and a revoluble displaying-
drum journalled within said case, and consisting of a central shaft b, discs a a
mounted upon said shaft and provided with seats upon their inner surfaces, rods
flexible material, having their ends sustained within said seats, whereby said rods may
be readily sprung into and ont of place, and display-sheets attached to said rods, sub-
stantially as described.
Second. A street or station indicator consisting of an enclosing case A, a revoluble
display drum journalled within the upper part of said case and provided with an
annular series of dependent flexible display-sheets, said sheets being loaded at their
lower ends, and a spring-actuated swinging bar resting upon said sheets and connected
by a pivotal joint to the inside of the case, and engaging consecutively the weighted
ends of the display-slieets, substantially as described.
Third. A street or station indicator consisting of an enclosing-case A having a
glass door at its lower part and a revoluble display-drum journalled within its upper
part, said drum consisting of a central shaft b, discs a, a mounted upon said shaft
and provided with ennular seats upon their inner surfaces, rods e, of flexible material,
having their ends sustained within said seats, display-sheets loaded
and attached to said rods, a swinging bar connected by a pivotal j
the case and resting upon said sheets, and a spring, intermedial
and case, substantially as described.
their lower ends
it to the inside of
petween said bar
g-case A, and a
Fourth. A street or station indicator consisting of an enck
revoluble display-drum journalled within said case and composed of a central shaft b,
dises a a' mounted upon said shaft, one of said discs having upon its periphery a
series of ratchet-teeth, a sliding bar J, journalled within said case and projecting there-
from, said bar being provided with a spring-pawl engaging with the ratchet-teeth and
with stops for limiting its throw, and display-sheets dependent from the drum, sub-
stantially as described.
Fifth. A street or station indicator consisting of an enclosing-case A, a revoluble
display drum journalled within said case and composed of a central shaft b, provided
with a series of longitudinal grooves or channels, discs a, a secured to the ends of
said cylinder and having on their inner surfaces, respectively, annular seats, and
flexible rods e, adapted to lie within the grooves of the cylinder and have their ends
secured in said seats, substantially as described.
Untal the 1st dove of Suntamh.... 1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.