IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE NAMES OF STATIONS TO THE PASSENGERS IN RAILWAY CARRIAGES, STEAMBOATS, AND OTHER CONVEYANCES OR VEHICLES
Year: 1876

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Robert Lake at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st June 1876.-A communication
from abroad by Clarence A. Evans, of Upland, Pennsylvania, United States of
America, Gentleman.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE
NAMES OF STATIONS TO THE PASSENGERS IN RAILWAY CARRIAGES, STEAMBOATS,
AND OTHER CONVEYANCES OR VEHICLES." A communication.
One object of my Invention is to provide means for operating all the station
indicators of a train of railway carriages simultaneously by devices under the
control of the engine driver, such operation being effected through the medium of a
vacuum created in a pipe extending from the locomotive or engine to the carriages,
and forming connections with cylinders or equivalent apparatus communicating with
or attached to suitable gearing for moving said indicators.
Another object of this Invention is to improve the construction of these indicators
to cause them to work easily and be readily reversed.
The said Invention consists essentially in a station indicator or series of such
devices operated through the medium of a vacuum produced in a pipe leading from
the locomotive or engine to the carriages of a railway train.
Further, in the peculiar construction and combination of parts as herein-after
more fully described.
The pipe or tube extending from the engine to the carriages has suitable con-
nections or joints for coupling and uncoupling. The forward end of this pipe
connects on the engine with a steam syphon cr equivalent device for creating a
vacuum operated from the boiler of said engine, and communicates by means of
branch pipes with collapsible cylinders located on or beneath the carriages, so that
when a vacuum is created in said pipe the cylinder heads will be brought towards
each other, causing the shaft to be partially rotated through the medium of levers
and a pawl and ratchet or equivalent mechanical means.
Instead of collapsible cylinders ordinary rigid cylinders with a piston head and
rod may be employed. A coiled spring is placed within these cylinders for causing
the return of the head or piston after the vacuum in the cylinder has been destroyed.
One of these indicator cases will be located on the engine, so as to permit the engine
driver to observe that the changes are always properly made, and one or as many

page_text: more as may be necessary or desirable will be placed in each of the carriages within
easy view of the passengers. Each of these cases has a window through which the
name of the next station to be reached will be shown. The names of the various
stations at which the train stops are printed. on a band wound upon rollers, one of
said rollers containing a spiral spring to cause the slack of said band to be taken up
when unwinding from the other roller. The shaft of these rollers has oppositely
faced bevil gear wheels meshing alternately with the mitre wheel on the said shaft.
To cause either of the said bevil gear wheels. to mesh with the said mitre wheel the
inner frame in which the rollers are sustained is moved laterally by means of a bar
having notches with which engages a plate fastened to the outside of the casé. A
gong or bell is provided having a spring striker operated by curved arms proceeding
from a collar on the aforesaid shaft.
If desired the aforesaid cylinder may be located below the floors of the carriages,
and one cylinder may be caused by suitable devices to connect with and operate
two or more bands in different cases.
The improvements herein described may be adapted to steamboats as well as
railway carriages, the indicators being located in any suitable parts or places in the
vessel, and operated through the medium of a vacuum produced by means of steam
from the boiler, as above set forth.