Improvements in Station Indicators.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Sept., 1896-Accepted, 8th Dec., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Station Indicators.
I, HERMANN FRENTZEL, Merchant, of 33, Kurfurstenstrasse, Berlin, in the
Empire of Germany, 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:-
The object of the present invention is a contrivance, by means of which, in
railway carriages, tramcans, and similar means of conveyance, the names of the
station into which the train or car is running at any time is made visible, whilst
The new station indicator
a simultaneous sounding of a signal bell may occur.
is illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Figure 1 is a representation of a railway carriage fitted with the indicator.
Figure 2 is a front view of the indicator on an enlarged scale.
Figure 3 a side view of the working contrivance.
Figure 4 a detail of the last mentioned.
From the carriage marked A in Figure 1 a lever b extends transversely. This
lever is centered at a. Before the entrance of the train or tramcar into a station
the outwardly projecting end of this lever strikes against a pole, post or other stop
such as c which is situated at the side of the rail.
When the outer end of the lever b is struck by the inner end is caused to
strike against the bent lever d, shown in figures 2 and 3, and this actuates the
indicating arrangement as will be shown.
The indicator itself consists of a series of outwardly projecting arms or leaves
upon which are printed the names of the stations, the number of arms or leaves
corresponding to the number of stations on the line. These arms or leaves are
arranged on a chain p as shown on Figures 1 and 2 and the whole is covered
by a casing B save one opening e which corresponds in size to one of the indicator's
arms or leaves. At this opening the names of the various stations appear in suc-
cession and indicate to the passenger the name of the station which they are
approaching.
The arms or leaves are operated in the following manner:-
in
The bent lever d which is actuated by the lever b as has been already shown; is
connected to a second lever g by means of the rod f. At the opposite end of the
lever from which the rod f is attached is articulated the end of the connecting
link h. To the other extremity of his articulated the lever i which is centered
at where it broadens out into what may be termed the outer disc 'y. The
outer disc y is capable of free rotation about the centre k common to the whole
working mechanism It is evident that when the connecting link his actuated
this outer disc and its crank like projection or lever are caused to execute
occilating movements, the amplitude of which is so adjusted that the displace-
ment of the outer disc and lever i relative to the inner disc y of the actuating
mechanism is equal to an angle of 90 degrees. The outer or crank disc is provided
with four grooves set at an angle of 90 degrees relatively to each other, and the
connection between the inner and outer discs is obtained in such a manner that

page_text: a finger z under the action of a spring is caused to engage with any one of the
four grooves. Keyed or otherwise rigidly attached to the shaft on which y rotates
is the squared nut o shown in dotted lines in Figure 2. Round this squared
nut o is passed the endless chain p on which are hung the arms or leaves r.
This endless chain after passing round o is carried upwards and round the corre-
sponding nut q.
The finger before mantioned has its bottom end provided with a bevel-edge
as seen in Figure 4 so that when moving in one direction this finger is enabled
to carry the inner disc or pulley y along with it, whilst when moving in the other
direction the said finger will under the spring action receed from the grouve with
which it formerly engaged. The consequence is that the inner disc is compelled
to always rotate in' one and the same direction, since the finger z during the back
stroke of the connecting rod leaves the groove, whereas at the subsequent forward
stroke the said finger is caused to engage with the following groove and so on.
So that during the forward stroke the inner disc is again rotated through an angle
of 90 degrees, this toperation being repeated again and again. The finger z¹ is
bevel-edged in the same manner as the finger z and likewise engages with the
grooves of the inner disc y. This finger is however immovably fixed to a
bracket w¹ or other support and its bevelled portion is arranged in an opposite
direction to that of the finger z so that during the return stroke of the connecting
link h the finger 2 will prevent the inner disc y from participating in the return
movement in case of any frictional contact occuring.
A spring w assists in the efficient working of the apparatus its function being
to keep the lever d in its normal position.
Connected with the levers g and h is a small hook which holds the signal
lever .
This hook upon a movement of the levers g and h takes the signal
lever from its position of rest and lets it go again, so that the lever u strikes
against the signal gong and causes it to sound.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-
If the lever b strike against the post c the lever d is pressed back, the inner
disc y is rotated and thereby one of the arms or levers r bearing the name of the
particular station is brought before the opening e. The striking against the pole
or post or stop belonging to the next station causes the name of this latter to appear
before the station is actually reached accompanied by a sounding of the signal
gong. This action is repeated until the terminus is reached.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. A station indicator in which on the act of striking a post ca lever b is
actuated whereby through the movement of a system of levers and connecting
links d, g, h, i, pins 7 or s with accompanying pawls or catches actuate a ratchet
wheel, the endless chain 7 bearing the arms or leaves r with the names of
the different stations being thereby carried a stage further, corresponding with
а part or stage of the journey the name appearing before the opening e, whilst
a signal bell may be sounded, substantially as set forth.
"
2. The arrangement and combination of parts substantially as set forth.
Dated this 4th day of September 1896.
4
HERMANN FRENTZEL
per J. G. Lorrain, C.P.A., Norfolk House, London, W.C.
Filing Agent.