IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNALLING APPARATUS FOR TRAMWAY CARS OR CARRIAGES AND OTHER SIMILAR VEHICLES
Year: 1884

page_text: 4.
I JULIUS, RIEDEL, Engineer of No 10 Kleine Hamburger Strasse in the City of
Berlin and German Empire do hereby declare the nature of my, Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNALLING APPARATUS FOR TRAMWAY CARS OR CARRIAGES
AND OTHER SIMILAR VEHICLES 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 improvements in signalling apparatus for tramway cars
or carriages and other similar vehicles which can be readily operated by the driver
or conductor.
The apparatus is operated by means of an excenter and the rotation of the axle.
The device is so arranged that the signal is put out of operation when not.
required.
.
•
Figure 1 is a side view of the apparatus partly in section.
Figure 2 represents the excenter on the axle of the car..
Figure 3 is a side view of the parts of the apparatus which are operated on by
the excenter.
Figure 4 is an elevation of the disc on the catch lever for putting the apparatus
in operation.
:
Figure 5 represents a modification of the arrangement for connecting the catch.
or stop mechanism with the brake crank.
Figure 6 is a part section of this arrangement on an enlarged scale.
Figure 7 shows a further modification of the stop mechanism for the signalling
device.
Figure 8 is a section of the bell with the bell holder and clapper in elevation.
Figure 9 is a section of the bell holder and clapper at right angles to Figure 8.
Figures 10 to 12 are details of the bell holder clapper and bell crank lever.
A is the floor of the car or carriage B the front rail or guard, C the axle on
which an elliptical excenter a is arranged which said excenter presses against a
plate or flap b which is arranged to turn on the pin or pivot c which said pivot
passes through the enlarged part of the lever d which revolves around the bolt
which said bolt is held in the bracket. f on the floor of the car or carriage. The
hinge like connecting rod is connected at h to the lever & which turns on the

page_text: pivot e; the said rod g runs beneath the car or carriage and communicates an up
and down movement through the bell crank lever i to the vertical rod k. The
movement of this vertical rod k is communicated to the clapper of the bell D by
means of the bell crank lever l.
The plate or flap b is pressed forwards by the excenter a, whereas the spring m
which acts against a pin n of the lever d causes a return of the said plate or flap
and the parts connected with the same when the smaller surface of the excenter a.
occupies a horizontal position.
In this manner I attain an intermittent upward and downward movement of
the rod and a continuous series of strokes of the clapper on the bell.
In order to put the signalling device out of operation a tooth or projection ó is
arranged on the rod k which gears with a two armed pawl p which is provided
with a disc q so that the driver or conductor can release the pawl by pressing his
knee against the said disc q.
The pawl p is further operated on by a spring r which has the tendency to keep
the said pawl in a position ready to gear with the rod k.
The tooth or projection o is so arranged on the rod k that when the same is in
gear with the pawl lever. p the.exenter is prevented from operating on the plate
or flap band consequently hinders the movement of the clapper to the bell.
In order to ensure the action of the excenter on the parts for operating the
signalling device when required and at the same time to prevent its acting on the
same when the catch device is not released an intermediate part in the form of a
sector of a circle is employed which said sector turns on a pivot t arranged on the
lever d. This sector is provided with a hole or slot to receive the one end of a
cord or chain the other ehd of which is connected to the bracket o screwed to the
floor of the car, or carriage. The action of this sector like arm & is as follows:-
When the signalling apparatus is put out of operation i.e. when the tooth o is in
gear with the pawl lever p the rods dg and bell crank lever i are drawn so far
forwards that the chain or cable is loose and the intermediate link or sector will
in consequence of its own weight take up the position shown by the dotted lines
in Figure 1 and permit a movement of the flap or plate b when the excenter a
comes in contact with the same..
.
If however the signalling device is to be put into operation the pawl lever p is
withdrawn, the rod k released and the rod g moved forward whereby the chain or
rope is tightened up and the sector like arm 8 assumes a horizontal position.
The plate or flap bis hereby brought into contact with the excenter a so that the
apparatus operates as mentioned above.
Figure 5 represents the manner in which the stop motion can be released by
pressing on the brake lever. E is the brake spindle which is operated by means
of the crank F which is moveably connected with the spindle and can be pressed
downwards but is usually kept up by means of a spring G.
A ring H is laid round the upper part of the brake spindle which said ring is
provided with arms which are at their upper ends H2 pivotted to the brake
crank. A second rotary ring 1 is arranged on the brake spindle E beneath the
ring H and is provided with a connecting link K which is jointed to the lever L
which has its bearings in the rail or guard to the platform. The lower end of
the lever L is forked and embraces the end of the pawl p¹ which is arranged to be
brought in and out of gear with the tooth o¹ of the spindle k¹. On depressing the
crank F the ring I will also be depressed and the pawl p¹ released by means of
the levers K L so that the spindle k¹ will fall a certain distance and the signalling
device p brought into operation.
The signalling apparatus remains in action as long as pressure is made on the
crank F; if the pressure ceases the spring G will press the crank upwards and
bring the pawl p into gear with the projection or tooth o' of the rod or spindle k¹-
According to the arrangement shown in Figure 5 the driver or conductor is
enabled to apply the brake and operate the signalling device simultaneously.
Figure 7 shows a modification of Figure 5. A two armed lever K¹ is jointed to

page_text: the ring I and operates a hook L¹. The bell holder or carrier M can be placed on
a peg or stud N of the platform rail or guard by means of the boring or slot M¹ in
the said holder or carrier and the hook L' which serves to operate the tongue or
clapper of the bell be connected to the bell crank lever l.-In this manner the
brake crank effects not. only the braking of the car or carriage but also the
operation of the signalling apparatus without the employment of a vertical spindle
or other rods.
Figure 10 represents the bell holder or carrier on an enlarged scale; the same is
provided with a boring or slot M' so that the same can be placed on a suitable
pin, pivot or peg and is either screwed to the bell or connected to the same in
other suitable manner. The holder or carrier M is provided with a pivot or lug O
on which the double tongue or clapper is hung (Figure 11) which is operated by
means of a bell crank lever Q (Figure 12) turning on the pivot R (Figure 9). A
slot S in the bell holder or carrier M permits the reciprocal movement of the
clapper or tongue P. The stops M M on the bell holder or carrier serve to limit.
the movement of the clapper or tongue which can strike both sides of the bell
freely and must not be pressed against the same.
The tongue or clapper is double one half being arranged at each side of the bell'
holder or carrier and both halves being connected by means of the pivot R of the
bell crank lever O.-In order to attain an alternate action the cavities T in the
upper part of the tongue or clapper halves are of unequal size. The bell and the
tongue or clapper mechanism can be protected from dirt or damage by means of.
suitable guard plates U. V.
Having now particulary described my said Invention and the manner in which
the same is to or may be performed I claim :-
1. A signalling apparatus for tramway cars or carriages consisting of the
combination of an excenter a on the car axle C with a lever mechanism for
operating the bell signal whereby the rotary movement of the axle C transmits a
reciprocal motion to the spindle k for moving the tongue or clapper, by means of
the excenter a substantially as described and shown in the accompanying
Drawings.
2. The arrangement and application of the plate or flap b wich moves on the
pivot c in combination with the lever arm & which turns on the pivote and is
acted on by the spring m in such manner that the connecting rod g jointed to d
transmiths its movement to the vertical rod or spindle k by means of the bell
crank lever i substantially as described and shown in the accompanying
Drawings.
3. The arrangement of the sector like arm s in such manner that the same
turns on a pivot or bolt in the lever d and is connected to a bracket o by means of
a chain or rope u in order to transmit the action of the excenter.on the flap or
plate to the rod connections when in a horizontal position and to prevent the
transmission of the said excenter motion when in the position shown by the dotted
lines whereby the excenter in such position does not act on the loose moveable
plate or flap b substantially as described and shown in the accompanying
Drawings.
4. The arrangement and application of a tooth or projection o on the vertical
spindle or rod K in combination with the pawl lever p, the disc or equivalent
device q for operating the said pawl lever and with the spring r substantially as
described and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
5. The modification (Figure 5) for operating the pawl lever p¹ by means of the
brake crank F consisting of the arrangement of a ring H with arms H on the
brake spindle E to form a centre H for the crank F which said crank is operated
on by the spring G, and of a second ring I whereby the movement of the pawl p'
is attained through the aid of the lever rods K. L. (Figures 5 and 6) substantially
as described and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
6. The connecting the ring I with a two armed lever K¹ for the direct operation
of the bell crank lever Q of the bell by means of the hook L¹ Figure 7-whereby .

page_text: the bell is placed on a suitable stud pin or peg N substantially as described and
shown in the accompanying Drawings.
7. The construction and arrangement of the signalling device consisting of the
bell D; the bell holder or carrier M with boring or slot M₁ the tongue or clapper P
of two parts which are hung on the pin or pivot O and are so moved by the pin
or pivot R of the bell crank lever Q that the stroke of the tongue or tongues,
clapper or clappers is or are limited by the stops M² M³ and whereby the unequal
size of the cuts or slots Fig. 5 produces an alternate striking on the part of the
double tongue or clapper substantially as described and shown in the accompanying
Drawings..
8. The general construction arrangement and application of the parts substan-
tially as described in Figures 1 to 12 in the foregoing Specification and shown
in the accompanying Drawings.
9. The moveable crank attached to the break spindle by means of which said
crank the bell mechanism can be set in operation by depressing and raising the
said crank substantially as described and shown in the accompanying Drawings
(Fig. 6).
Dated this 3rd day of May 1884.
Witnesses,
EDWIN A. BRYDGES.
ANTHONY STEFFEN.
JULIUS RIEDEL.