Improvements in and connected with Street or Stopping Place Indicators for Tramway and other Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 5th June, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 26th Feb., 1897-Accepted, 17th Apr., 1897
Improvements in and connected with Street or Stopping Place
Indicators for Tramway and other Vehicles.
We, ROBERT PLATZ, of 57-58 Nürnbergerstrasse, Berlin, Gentleman, and
ARTHUR PACKSCHEK, Master Smith, of 133 Ringbahnstrasse, in Halensee, Empire
of Germany, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an indicator for tramway, omnibus and other vehicles
whereby the calling out of halting places, cross streets and the like which was
hitherto done by the conductor is now dispensed with, so that the latter will be rid of
a troublesome duty, while the draught caused by the opening of the door each time
a cross street is being passed will be entirely prevented: Further this calling out of
names was often unintelligible owing to the particular dialect of the conductor and
thus another defect will now be obviated.
This indicator, will be visible to every passenger whose attention will also be called
thereto each time a halting place or a cross street is being passed by, by the rattling
or ringing of a mechanical, pneumatic or electric bell which may likewise be utilized
to call the attention of passengers to business advertisements set forth by the side
of it and hence serve as an advertising medium.
The improved indicator and advertising medium consists of a box within which
the matter to be shewn periodically is contained and actuated by mechanism.
In bearings within the box two vertical rollers are mounted which are free to turn,
and are connected together by a band which is unwound from one of the rollers in
order to he wound upon the other roller. This band is printed at intervals
corresponding to the respective cross streets, halting places, &c. in such a manner
that the printing can be read from every part of the vehicle. The box is provided
in front with an opening wherein the passengers can read the printed names as the
band moves along immediately behind the same. To hold the band straight when it
is fully wound up on one of the rollers, there are arranged small guiding rollers
or pulleys over which the band slides." Upon the axes of the main rollers are
arranged detachable spring boxes closed by a lid or cover serving at the same time
as a bearing for a spring pin. In the spring boxes are placed springs which can be
wound up by a crank handle fixed when required on a square part of the spring
pin. For this purpose pins, which connect the lids or covers and hence the spring
boxes with the spring pins, are removed and when the springs bave been fully
wound up the pins which connect the lids or covers are put back into their places
thus restoring the connection. To prevent the spring boxes turning unnecessarily
when the springs are wound up, the outer edges of the boxes are provided with
notches wherein pins are held by spiral springs. Pins or cottars connect the vertical
shafts with the spring boxes so that after the removal of the pins from the notches
the spring boxes are set in rotary motion with the rollers connected therewith.
When this apparatus is in use, one spring only is wound up and the spring box is
connected with the corresponding roller, while the other spring box is thrown out
of action by the removal of the pin or cottar connecting it with its vertical shaft
until the journey starts in the contrary direction.
The lids of the spring boxes carry projections or pins which, at each revolution
f the spring boxes, strike against the lever or arm of a bell or gong and thus attract

page_text: the attention of the passengers in the vehicle who can see the name of the halting
place or cross street in the opening.
The apparatus is operated by the driver or conductor who releases the pin from
the notch by a pull, pressure or the like, thus setting the required spring box and
the two rollers connected by the band in rotation. When the spring box has
accomplished one revolution corresponding exactly to the interval between two
successive stations printed on the band, the pin is pushed by the spiral spring into
the notch and the apparatus being thus stopped the next halting place about to be
reached appears in the opening. After each revolution of the spring box the bell
sounds in order to call the attention of the passengers to the apparatus, so that no
passenger may get out at the wrong place. This operation recurs at each halting
place, cross street or the like until the terminus is reached when the spring which
had been in operation is disconnected, the other spring being brought into play and
wound up, now acts in the manner already described.
It may be finally stated that by using two indicators they may be constructed with
a single spring.
T1000
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
Chartered Patent Agents, 62 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in and connected with Street or Stopping Place
Indicators for Tramway and other Vehicles.
We, ROBERT PLATZ, of 57-58 Nürnbergerstrasse, Berlin, Gentleman, and
ARTHUR PACKSCHER, Master Sinith, of 133 Ringbahnstrasse, in Halensee, Empire
of Germany, do bereby 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 an indicator for tramway, omnibus and other vehicles
whereby the calling out of halting places, cross streets and the like which was
hitherto done by the conductor is now dispensed with, so that the latter will be rid
of a troublesome duty, while the draught caused by the opening of the door each
time a cross street is being passed will be entirely prevented: Further this calling
out of names was often unintelligible owing to the particular dialect of the conductor
and thus another defect will now be obviated.
This indicator will be visible to every passenger whose attention will also be
called thereto each time a halting place or a cross street is being passed by, by the
rattling or ringing of a mechanical, pneumatic or electric bell which may likewise
be utilized to call the attention of passengers to business advertisements set forth
by the side of it and hence serve as an advertising medium.
The improved indicator and advertising medium consists of a box within which the
matter to be shewn periodically is contained and actuated by mechanisın.
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate by way of example such a station
indicator and advertising medium actuated by mechanical means, Fig. 1 is a front
view, and Fig. 2 a side view of the same,
Fig. 3 is a section of the spring box drawn at an enlarged scale; Fig 4 being a
perspective view of the box.
In bearings within the box two vertical rollers bare mounted which are free to
turn, and are connected together by a band c which is unwound from one of the
rollers in order to be wound upon the other roller. This band is printed at intervals

page_text: corresponding to the respective cross' streets, halting places, &c. in such a manner
that the printing can be read from every part of the vehicle. The box d is provided
in front with an opening e wherein the passengers can read the printed names as..
the band c moves along immediately behind the same. To hold the band straight
when it is fully wound up on one of the rollers, there are arranged small guiding.
rollers or pulleys over which the band c slides. Upon the axes c¹ of the main
rollers bare arranged detachable spring boxes fclosed by a lid or cover serving at.
the same time as a bearing for a spring pin h. In the spring boxes are placed
springs i which can be wound up by a crank handle fixed when required on a square
part of the spring pin A (Fig. 3). For this purpose pins k, which connect the lids
or covers g and hence the spring boxes with the spring pins A, are removed and
when the springs have. been fully wound up the pins which connect the lids or
covers are put back into their places thus restoring the connection. To prevent
the spring boxes turning unnecessarily when the springs are wound up, the outer
edges of the boxes are provided with notches I wherein pins n are held by spiral
springs m. Pins or cottars o connect the vertical shafts with the spring boxes f
so that after the removal of the pins n from the notches the spring boxes are set
in rotary motion with the rollers connected therewith. When this apparatus is in
use, one spring only is wound up and the spring box is connected with the
corresponding roller, while the other spring box is thrown out of action by the
removal of the pin or cottar o connecting it with its vertical shaft until the journey
starts in the contrary direction.
The lids of the spring boxes carry projections or pins p which, at each revolution
of the spring boxes, strike against the lever or arm of a bell or gong and thus
attract the attention of the passengers in the vehicle who can see the name of the
halting place or cross street in the opening e.
The apparatus is operated by the driver or conductor who releases the pin a
from the notch I by a pull, pressure or the like, thus setting the required spring
box and the two rollers connected by the band c in rotation. When the spring
hox has accomplished one revolution corresponding exactly to the interval between
two successive stations printed on the band, the pin n is pushed by the spiral
spring m into the notch and the apparatus being thus stopped the next halting
place about to be reached appears in the opening. After each revolution of the spring
box the bell sounds in order to call the attention of the passengers to the apparatus,
so that no passenger may get out at the wrong place. This operation recurs at each
halting place, cross street or the like until the terminus is reached when the spring
which had been in operation is disconnected. The other spring being brought into-
play and wound up, now acts in the manner already described.
It may be finally stated that by using two indicators they may be constructed
with a single spring.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In an indicator for tramway and other vehicles the combination of two vertical
rollers mounted in bearings and connected together by a band printed at certain intervals
and sliding over guiding rollers, with detachable spring boxes arranged upon the
axes of the said rollers closed by a lid or cover serving as bearing for a spring
pin; as and for the purpose set forth.
2. In an indicator for tramway and other vehicles the combination of two vertical
rollers mounted in bearings and connected together by a band, with detachable
spring boxes arranged upon the axes of the said rollers closed by a lid or cover
serving as bearing for a spring pin, the said spring boxes containing springs capable
of being wound upon by a crank handle fixed on a square part of the said spring
pin; as and for the purpose set forth.
3. In an indicator for tramway and other vehicles the combination of two vertical
rollers mounted in bearings and connected together by a band, with detachable

page_text: spring boxes:arranged upon the axes of the said rollers and provided with notches,
with pins held by spiral springs and actuated by a pull, pressure or the like; as
and for the purpose set forth.
4. In an indicator for tramway and other vehicles the combination of detachable
spring boxes closed by a lid or cover and provided with projections or pins, with a
bell the lever or arm of which being actuated by the said projections or pins; as
and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 25th day of Februar 1907
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
Chartered Patent Agents, 62 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Agents for the Applicants.