Improved Means for Automatically Displaying Advertisements, and the Names of Streets and Stations in Tramway and Railway Vehicles.
Year: 1889

page_text: "
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Automatically Displaying Advertisements, and
the Names of Streets and Stations in Tramway and Railway
Vehicles.
I, MARK ANTHONY of the City and County of San Francisco, State of California,
United States of America, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of my 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 relates to a system of devices for operating and displaying for the
information of passengers in a street or railway car the names of streets or stations
as they are approached by the car or train.
My improved station indicator consists, first, of a mechanism for holding and
dropping the cards inside the car where they can be seen by the passengers; and
secondly, of an automatic mechanism which is tripped and set in motion by an
obstruction on the car track so as to transmit to the card dropping mechanism
the necessary impulse to drop the cards singly, as they are required to give the
desired information.
The cards on which the names of the streets are displayed are made large enough
to contain advertisements in addition to the names of the streets or stations, so
that both are displayed simultaneously.
The card dropping mechanism can also be used as a simple advertising medium
and operated by clock or other power as is hereinafter more fully described.
Referring to the drawings which form a part of this application
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of one end of a car showing the plan of my entire
mechanism or system.
Fig. 2 is a broken section of one end of a car taken in cross section.
Fig. 3 shows a wheel which takes its motion from the axle of the car for trans-
mitting the necessary power and motion for dropping the cards.
Figs. 4, 5, 6, 13 and 14 are modifications of said wheel.
Figs. 7 and 8 show the mechanism of my device for converting a vertical rectilinear
reciprocating motion into a horizontal reciprocating motion having one-half the
number of strokes.
Fig. 8 is a side and plan view of the same mechanism.
Fig. 9 is a bottom view of the card holding box in which my book of card is
contained.
Fig. 10 is an end view of the box showing the lever for closing the book.
Fig. 11 is a transverse section of the book showing the line of joints which permits
them to fall to a vertical position.
Fig. 12 is a back view of the book.
Fig. 15 represents a worm gear which can be used instead of the notched wheel for
taking motion from the axle for operating the card dropper.
The card A on which the matter to be displayed is printed I place side by side like
the leaves of a book and secure them together by a clamp frame B, at the upper end
of the pack as shown at Figs. 11 and 12. In order to permit the leaves to drop from
a horizontal to a vertical position I make a joint in each one just the thickness of a
leaf in advance of the joint below it. This feature is also plainly shown at Fig. 11.
This book I place in a small box frame C, shown at Fig. 9 by means of ears or lugs a,
on the upright side pieces of the clamp frame, which lock into and seat themselves
in ear-shaped sockets inside the frame or box C.
This box C, containing the book of cards above described I then secure against the
roof of the car close up against the wall at one end so that when the cards are
dropped they will fall to a perpendicular position parallel with and against the end
wall of the car.

page_text: A rod D (Fig. 9) runs through the front end of box close to its bottom,
and is long enough to slide end wise to the distance of an inch more or less, and this
rod carries two or more lugs e, which project inside the box. The four ends of the
cards A rest upon the lugs e, of the sliding rod (as shown in Fig. 9) and have notches
made in their edges large enough to allow the lugs e to pass through them when the
lugs and notches are in line with each other, but the notches in each alternate card
are placed so as to come in line and drop a card when the lugs have reached the end
of their stroke in each direction. By this arrangement only one card can be dropped
at each movement of the rod and lugs. The lugs can be turned up however against
the front of the box and thus allow the cards to pass by them which will be necessary
in order to return them to the horizontal position in the box after they have all heen
dropped.
The mechanism which operates rod D (Fig. 9) is actuated by power derived from
the axle of the car and a tripping mechanism which is brought into operation by
an obstruction on the track in the following manner. A driving wheel E, which
has a portion of its periphery removed is mounted on hanger in such position
that the axle will rotate in the notches or removed portion as shown at Fig. 4
which is a detached view showing the relative position of the car axle X and
wheel E, with a modification of the trip lever g'; another modification of trip gear
being shown Fig. 14. The hanger F is braced by an inclined rod f, from the
bottom of the car and a spiral spring g allows the wheel and hanger a slight
backward motion. A depending lever G extends downward from the axle on which
it is loosely placed and operates a trip lever g', when the lower end of lever G
strikes against an obstruction on the track and causes said lever g to bring the
face or outer circle of the wheel against the rotating axle. The instant the axle
strikes this outer face of the wheel the consequent contact and the pressure of
spring g causes wheel E to make a complete revolution until the axle drops again
into the notch in the periphery of the wheel. To prevent the lever G being operated
by other than the obstruction placed for that purpose the guard f' is provided; this
guard may be secured in position in any suitable manner; it may surround the
lever G on three sides and be hinged as at Fig. 14, and may act as a fender in the
slot of a cable road when it passes round a curve to open the slot which in such
places is frequently arranged to close after the grip shank has passed through.
In order to provide against the working of indicator by the trip mechanism the
rod H, is provided with the clongated slot for the purpose of allowing for the lost
motion consequent upon the revolving of the wheel the distance of the cut away
portion until contact is made between the axle and outer periphery of the wheel. It
will thus be observed that the elongated slot serves to provide against the operation
of the indicator until the wheel has been carried heyond the removed portion and the
periphery thereof and axle brought into contact; otherwise the depending lever
would of necessity be compelled to serve the function of operating the indicator
mechanism.
A crank I on one end of the axle of wheel E shown at Fig. 3 is connected to one
arm of a bell crank lever by a connecting rod H, or any suitable mechanism in
order to transmit this motion. The opposite arm of this bell crank lever operates to
move up and down a vertical rod J which can pass up inside the car or between its
walls as desired. This rod extends up to the box C at the top or roof of the car and
its upper end terminates at the end of box C opposite the rod D, the movement of
which drops the cards. Fig. 5 is a plan and Fig. 6 a side elevation of a modification
of the arrangement shown Fig. 4, in which the wheel E is shown as a truncated cone
in contact with the wheel or cone z secured concentrically on the car axle X. In
Fig. 13 the wheels or cones E and are shown as spur or toothed wheels.
For converting the rectilinear vertical movement of rod J into an intermittent
rectilinear horizontal movement of rod D I employ the following device which is
represented more plainly at Fig. 7. The rod j has a short rack k at its upper end.
This end of the rod passes through one side of a circular box or case I, which is
repre-ented in the drawing Fig. as being secured upon the side of the card holding

page_text: passes
the
box C, but it might be secured to any part of the car so long as it is in line with the
end of rod D.
Inside of case L is wheel m, having notches n, n, opposite each other in its
periphery into which a spring pawl o drops every time the wheel makes a half
revolution. A smaller toothed wheel p is secured upon the side of wheel m, but this
wheel has two flat faces opposite each other. The rack portion k of rod J
along the flat portion of the wheel as the rod moves up and down and engages with
the teeth of wheel p, causing both wheels, m and p, to make a half revolution at each
movement of the rod. is a revolving disk which forms the outside face of case L,
and it has a spring pawl r on its inner face which is engaged by a curved tooth s on
the face of gear wheel p, when wheel p moves in one direction but without engaging
when the whee! moves in the opposite direction. A crank pint is connected by a
rod v with a bell crank lever U at the end of the box opposite the projecting end of
rod D. The opposite arm of this bell crank lever is constructed like a fork and
embraces a groove on the end of rod D, so that at each rotation of disk
rod D is moved endwise in one direction, thus dropping one of the cards.
By this
arrangement the disk makes only a half revolution in one direction each time
the rod moves up and down, or in other words each time the driving wheel E
makes one revolution against the axle of the car, and only one card is dropped
in the card box for each revolution of that wheel; that is to say: when rod J is
moved upward its rack coming into engagement with the gears of wheel p, turns
it a half revolution in one direction, and at the same time the notch of one of the
ratchet teeth of said gear engages the inner pawls of the revolving disk q, and
causes the latter to turn a half revolution and through its crank pin and pitman
to operate the dropper slide in one direction bringing its lugs opposite the notches
of one of the leaves so that the latter will fall. On the return or downward
movement ef rod J however, although the gear wheel p is turned backward half
a revolution, its ratchet tooth s slides under the pawi r of the crank disk so that
the latter remains stationary, and there is no movement of the dropper slide. On the
next upward movement of rod J. the ratchet causes the gear p to turn forward
again, and by the engagement of its other ratchet tooth s with pawl r the disk is
given another half revolution, thereby moving the dropper slide in the reverse
direction bringing its lugs opposite the notches in the next leaf and dropping another
leaf.
By constructing gear wheel p with the flat places on each side the rod J is not
limited in its movement as it can move freely up and down without affecting the
position of the wheel after the rack has passed beyond the toothed portion. This is an
important feature as it avoids the necessity of any close adjustment and permits a
positive action of the card dropping mechanism.
At the end of the track is a projection Q along side the track which strikes a
pendant lever R, throwing it to one side. The opposite arm of this lever is connected
by a cord T with a bail W, which is connected with the card box C, behind the
dropped leaves. This side movement of lever R, pulls upon the cord and lifts the
entire lot of dropped leaves back into their horizontal position in frame C ready
to commence to drop again.
When my card dropping device is used as a simple advertiser I mount it in a
suitable frame and connect the sliding rod which drops the cards with the mechanisms
of a clock or other motor, so that once in every minute or other stated period of time
the rod will be moved and a card dropped.
The book might be set vertically so as to exhibit one face of the card when they
are raised, and then be dropped to a vertical position below, thus exhibiting both sides
and doubling its advertising capacity.
Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by letters
patent is :-
1. A street or station indicator for exhibiting cards, consisting of a series of cards
secured together like a book and supported horizontally by lugs on a sliding rod

page_text: under the free end of the cards, said cards having notches so disposed that when
the sliding rod moves in either direction its lags come in line with the notches in one
leaf and drops each leaf singly as described.
2. An advertising device consisting of cards each of which is supported at one
end by a hinge and at the other end by lugs which correspond with notches in the
cards, so that the cards are dropped when the notches and lugs are brought in line
with each other.
3. A device for operating a street or station indicator from the axle of a car,
consisting of a wheel having a notch or mutilated portion which fits close to the axle
without touching it, in combination with the mechanism for bringing the face of
the wheel in contact with the axle, and thus producing a single rotation of the wheel,
as described.
4. In a station indicator operating device, the combination of a notched wheel
loosely journaled in a hinged hanging bracket attached to a car or truck, and
another wheel concentrically secured to an axle of the car, said wheel being so placed
in relation with or to one another that the notched wheel may be rotated by contact
between the peripheries of the two wheels, and a stationary obstruction in the
railway or tunnel of a cable road, and any suitable device for partially rotating the
notched wheel by coming in contact with a stationary obstruction, a station indicator
located on the car, and a suitable connecting mechanism between the notched wheel
and the indicator for the purpose of operating it by the rotation of the notched wheel,
substantially as described.
1
5. In a station indicator operating device, the combination of a wheel, a segmental
portion of the periphery of which is removed, said wheel being loosely journalled in
suitable brackets attached to the bottom of a nr or truck, another wheel attached
to the bottom of a car or truck, and a wheel secur concentrically on an axle of
the car, the wheels being suitably placed in relation to one another that the notched
wheel may be rotated by contact between the peripheries of the two wheels, a stationary
obstruction in the roadway or tunnel of a cable road and a lever or other suitable
mechanism attached to the car for rotating the notched wheel into contact with the
wheel secured to the car axle, said lever or other suitable mechanism being operated
by the stationary obstruction in the roadway or tunnel of a cable road, a station
indicator located on the car, and a suitable connecting mechanism between the
notched wheel and the indicator for the purpose of operating it by the rotation of
the notched wheel, substantially as described.
6. In a station indicator operating device, the combination of a notched wheel
loosely journaled in a hinged hanging bracket attached to the car, or truck, a
crank pin secured to the side of the notched wheel, a pivoted lever depending
from the car or truck or from a suitable shaft attached to the car or truck, said
lever being arranged to rotate the notched wheel into contact with an axle of the
car, a wheel concentrically secured on the axle of a car by means of the crank pin
attached to the notched wheel and a stationary obstruction in the street which operates
the lever by the forward motion of the car, a station indicator located on the car,
suitable connecting mechanism between the notched wheel and the indicator for the
purpose of operating it by the rotation of the notched wheel, substantially as described.
7. In a station indicator operating device, the combination of a notched wheel
loosely journaled in a hinged hanging bracket attached to the car or truck and another
wheel secured concentrically on an axle of the car, said wheels being suitably
placed in relation to one another that the notched wheel may be rotated by contact
between the peripheries of the two wheels, a spring brace, one end of which is attached
to the hinged hanging bracket in which the notched wheel is journaled, the other end
of the brace being secured to any suitable part of the car or truck for holding the
Dotched wheel in contact with the wheel on the axle, a stationary obstruction in the
road way or tunnel, of a cable road, and a pivoted lever depending from the car
suitably located to be brought into contact by the forward motion of the car, with the
stationary obstruction in the roadway or tunnel of a cable road for the purpose of
partially rotating the notched wheel by means of the crank pin attached thereto, a

page_text: station indicator located on the car, and a suitable connecting mechanism between the
notched wheel and the indicator for the purpose of operating it by the rotation of
the notched wheel, substantially as described.
8. In a station indicator operating device in which a pivoted lever depending from
the car brings the indicator operating mechanism into working contact with a rotating
portion of the car, the lever being operated by being brought into contact with a
stationary obstruction in the roadway or tunnel of a cable road, the combination of the
pivoted operating lever, G, and the guard, which surrounds the lever, G, on three
sides, the front and the two lateral sides with the exception of a short distance near
the extremity where it is open in front, the guard, ƒ³, being suitably connected to the
car, substantially as described.
9. In a station indicator operating device, the combination of a notched wheel
loosely journaled in a hinged hanging bracket attached to the ear or truck, and
another wheel secured concentrically on an axle of the car, said wheels being suitably
placed in relation to one another that the notched wheel may be rotated by contact
between the peripheries of the two wheels, a spring brace one end of which is attached
to any suitable part of the car or truck, for holding the notched wheel in contact with
the wheel on the axle, a crank attached to the axle of the notched wheel and a
connecting rod or pitman attached to the crank, said connecting rod extending to and
being connected with any suitable indicator attached to the car which may be operated
by reciprocating motion, the hole in the connecting rod, in which the crank pin
operates to reciprocate it being slightly elongated in the direction of the length of the
connecting rod, a stationary obstruction in the roadway or tunnel of a cable road and
a pivoted lever depending from the car or truck, suitably located to be brought into
contact by the forward motion of the car, with the stationary obstruction in the road-
way or tunnel of a cable road for the purpose of partially rotating the notched wheel
by means of the crank pin attached thereto, substantially as described.
10. In a street or station indicator, the combination of the reciprocating dropper
slide applied to a box or casing and pivoted to swing backward and provided with
lugs on its lower edge, of projection on the track way, a rod or slide extending through
the car bottom and engaging said projection or slide, a bell crank, a rack thrust bar,
a rocking gear, an intermittently rotating notched disk, a pitman and an angle lever,
all coacting to actuate the dropper slide, substantially as set forth.
11. In a street or station indicator, for cars, the combination with a reciprocating
dropper slide, of a reciprocating rack thrust bar, a rocking gear K, having diametrically
opposite ratchet teeth, an intermittently revolving crank disc having a pawl engaging
said teeth, a spring pawl engaging notches of said crank disc, and devices connecting
the crank disc to the dropper slide, and mechanism for operating said dropper slide,
substantially as set forth.
12. In a street or station indicators for cars, the combination with a pivoted
reciprocating dropper slide, and mechanism to move the same, of the hinged indicator
leaves engaging said dropper slide, provided with disengaging devices on their edges,
substantially as specified.
13. In a street or station indicator for cars, the indicator book having its leaves
notched in their free edges, and provided with binges raised a little in succession from
the front to the rear leaf of the book, and mechanism to effect the dropping of said
leaves, substantially as specified.
14. In a street or station indicator for cars, the combination with the open box or
case, and its holding attachments having openings, of the removable indicator book,
having its leaves hinged to a bound back portion, and extension lugs from said back
portion to engage said holding attachments, and mechanism to effect the dropping of
said leaves, substantially as specified.
15. In a street car or station indicator, the combination of the pivoted reciprocating
dropper slide and its hinged actuating mechanism, the hinged indicator leaves, the
replacer shaft and bail, the lever pivoted to the under side of the car and engaging an
incline or guide on the track way, and means connecting said lever, to and operating
said shaft and bail, substantially as set forth.

page_text: 16. In a street or station indicator for cars, the combination with hinged indicator
leaves, of a reciprocating pivoted dropper slide, a replacer bail and automatic devices
for operating the same and the hinged indicator leaves, substantially as specified.
17. In a street or station indicator for cars, the combination with hinged indicator
leaves, and a pivoted reciprocating dropper slide, of a rack thrust bar, rocking gear,
and ratchet an intermittently revolving crank disc, and its holding and moving pawls,
and mechanism for dropping or operating said leaves, substantially as specified.
18. A street car and station indicator comprising the pivoted reciprocating dropper
slide, and its actuating mechanisin, a removable indicator book, having upright hinged
leaves, a guide or projection on the track way, a rod or slide extending through the
car bottom and engaging said projection or guide, a bell crank, a rack thrust bar, a
rocking gear, an intermittently rotating notched disc, a pitman and an angle lever, all
co-acting to actuate the dropper slide to permit said leaves to fall or swing down,
substantially as set forth.