Improved Route Indicating Map or Plan, more especially Adapted for Use in the Roofs of Railway or other Carriages.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd May, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Feb., 1894-Accepted, 3rd Mar., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Route Indicating Map or Plan, more especially Adapted
for Use in the Roofs of Railway or other Carriages.
We GEORGE WASHINGTON BACON of 127 Strand in the County of Middlesex
Map Publisher and LOT RICHARDS of 93 Woodford Road, Forest Gate in the
County of Essex, Map Draughtsman do hereby declare the nature of our invention
to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to an improved route indicating map or plan for indicating
the route on railways and for exhibiting the changing places on the said route and
other like particulars or general features on the route and is more especially
intended for application to the roofs of railway carriages and we will explain our
invention with reference to that application from which its other applications will
also be understood.
According to our invention we apply to the inner surface of the roof of the
carriage a map or plan of the route having thereon the names of stations or other
information so arranged as to read right side up both ways starting from the centre
of the carriage. The names may be printed or drawn in opposite directions to
read right side up, or they may be in duplicate printed head to head, longitudinally
or otherwise.
The map is drawn on what may be termed an "overhead" projection so that the
points of the compass are in their usual relative positions when the face is toward
or under any point of the map. An opening or openings may be made in the said
map or plan to permit of a lamp or lamps passing through the map or plan the
light from the lamp or lamps lighting up the map or plan.
The said map or plan may be made in one or more parts and the names or other
particulars may be made detachable to allow for corrections in case of the
alteration of the names of the stations or other particulars which may be marked on
the sides of angular projections so as to be in duplicate and readable in different
directions.
There may be reflectors used in combination with the map or plan so that
reflected images of the map or plan may be viewed and arrows may be provided
either fixed in the case of circular railways or in other railways movable to indicate
the direction in which the carriage is travelling.
The map or plan is not limited in its application to the roofs of railway carriages
as it may be applied to the roofs or overhanging parts of stations and the like or
may be posted up on a platform or elsewhere.
Dated this 2nd day of May 1893.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Route Indicating Map or Plan, more especially Adapted
for. Use in the Roofs of Railway or other Carriages.
We GEORGE WASHINGTON BACON Map Publisher of 127 Strand in the County
of Middlesex, and LOT RICHARDS of 93 Woodford Road, Forest Gate in the
County of Essex, Map Draughtsman do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
011...מ

page_text: railway or other routes, also changing places on the said routes and other like
particulars or general features, and is more especially intended for application to
the roofs of railway carriages, and we will explain our invention with reference
to that application, from which its other applications will also be readily
understood.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows a map of the Metropolitan District Railway on a reduced scale
constructed according to our invention.
Figure 2 shows a modified system of lettering the said map.
:
Figure 3 shows a triangular name-plate for attachment to the said map as hère-
after described.
In a map constructed according to our invention the "outline" of the said map.
is drawn or otherwise produced in what is known -in photography as a "reversed
positive" position which reverses two of the opposite cardinal points of the compass
relatively to the other two, so that the said outline presents to the eye the
appearance which it would present when drawn upon a lithographic stone intended
to produce a map with the points of the compass in their usual relative positions.
This is clearly shown in Figure 1 in which the points E and W are in the reverse
positions to that which they occupy in a map constructed in the ordinary manner.
When a map with the outline constructed as above described is affixed to any
overhead surface, the points of the compass are in their usual relative positions and
agreeing with those in nature when the observer's face is toward or under any
point of the map.
In "lettering" the said map, with names of stations, or places, or other
information, we arrange the said names so that the tops or heads of the letters on
each opposite half of the map are toward an imaginary line drawn through the centre"
of the said map, the said names on each half being arranged parallel with those on
the opposite half or at such slight inclination from parallelism as will render them
more readable in an overhead position. This arrangement of lettering is clearly
shown in Figure 1. The lettering, however, may be arranged in the above manner
with relation to an imaginary line drawn through some point, other than the
centre of the said map if it is found more suitable for the position which the map
is to occupy.
When a map constructed as shown in Figure 1 is affixed to a plane or curved
overhead surface, such as the roof of a railway carriage, the names can be read
right side up by a passenger seated in any position in the said carriage.
:
The lettering arranged as above described may also be duplicated, the names
being written or formed in reversed positions, head to head, or foot to foot
throughout the map, as illustrated at A and B respectively in Figure 2.
The names on the said map may, be, detachable, or they may be written in
reversed directions on the sides of angular prismatic or other suitable shaped
projections so as to be readable from either side, one form of which is shown in
Figure 3.
There may be reflectors or mirrors used in combination with the said map, so
that reflected images of the said map or plan may be viewed. The "projection"
or "outline of the said map when thus reflected will appear in its natural
position. The lettering would be arranged according to our invention bút reversed,
e. written backward. Arrows or other pointers, or indicators, fixed or movable,
may also be used in connection with the said map to indicate the direction in which
the train or other conveyance is travelling.
Our improved map or plan is not limited in its application to the roof of railway
carriages, as it may be applied to the roofs of other vehicles, or to the overhanging

page_text: parts of stations or the like, or it may be posted up on a platform or
elsewhere. When affixed to a roof of a railway carriage, suitable spaces are
left through which the lamp or lamps may project as shown in Figure 1, illuminating
the map.
The said map may be drawn, printed, cast, or otherwise produced, in or upon
any suitable opaque or transparent material.
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 :-
First. A map or plan in which the outline or projection is so drawn or otherwise
produced that two of the opposite cardinal points of the compass are reversed from
their usual positions relatively to the other two, substantially as herein described
and illustrated in Figure 1.
Second. A map or plan in which the names or other lettering on each of the
two opposite sides of an imaginary central or other suitable dividing line are
arranged parallel or nearly so to those on the opposite side, and with the heads of
the letters towards or in the direction of the said central or other imaginary dividing
line, the said names being produced upon the said map or upon suitably shaped
projections fixed to or formed in or upon the said map, substantially as herein
described and illustrated in Figure 1.
Third. A map or plan in which the names or other lettering are duplicated,
being written or produced head to head or foot to foot, either upon the same map,
or upon suitably shaped projections fixed to or formed in or upon the said map
substantially as herein described and illustrated in Figures 2 and 3.
Dated this 2nd day of February 1894.
G. W. BACON.
LOT RICHARDS.