An Indicating Apparatus and Circular Distributor for Attachment to Railway Carriages.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Jan., 1898-Accepted, 26th. Feb.,
1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Indicating Apparatus and Circular Distributor for Attachment to
Railway Carriages.
I, EDOUARD CROS, of 10, Avenue Camot, Paris, in the Republic of France, Civil
Engineer, 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:―
All those who travel by railway have experienced the difficulty of finding their
particular carriage after having descended from the train when stopping at a
station.
In the hurry of re-starting the search for the proper place gives rise to excessive
inconvenience most, which is increased by the nervousness induced by the preoccu-
pation of starting and the vibrations of the carriage.
The passenger seeing on every side the same lines, the same shapes and almost
always the same colours (nearly all the companies having adopted uniformity in
colour for carriages of all classes) the traveller halts in his uncertainty; in short,
travellers run to-and-fro and when the crowd is considerable as is the case with
parliamentary trains, excursion trains, and when transporting troops, the confusion
which arises assumes the proportion almost of a panic often causing thereby loss of
time in consequence of the risk of accidents.
These disadvantages tend to increase day by day. Furthermore, as the number
of passengers increases continually, trains, are constantly being lengthened, and the
search has therefore to extend over a much larger number of carriages.
The number painted upon the outside of the carriage is not impressed at all
on the memory and nothing so much resembles a number of several ciphers as
another number of several ciphers. Moreover, this number is always very difficult
to find, particularly by night and after the train has changed its position.
Now according to the invention I provide indicating plates having different signs
or designs enable the passenger to distinctly remember a particular carriage.
The subject of the design or sign may be an animal, a tree, a fruit, a flower, an
industrial machine, an agricultural implement, an implement of war, a musical
instrument, an article of clothing, etc., and these designs or signs can be taken from
trade marks when these latter possess to a sufficient degree, the qualifications neces-
sary for the purpose, that is to say, when they present the simplicity and clearness
necessary to strike the eye of the passenger and be indelibly impressed on his
memory. Below the sign (trade mark) the name of the proprietor of the mark can
be imprinted.
The plate carrying the trade mark serving as the sign of the carriage can be
simply fixed to the said carriage as a shield or the like or better, it can be combined
with a box for distributing circulars and the like for which it will form a kind of
front and at the same time a vertical cover. The box is secured to the carriage in
the same manner as that employed for the signal light of the end carriage of the
train the sign facing the platform and being placed at a height such that the sign
cannot be covered by the doors when opened.

page_text: The sign is painted in black upon a white ground so as to render it equally
visible by night as by day.
The circulars contained in the automatic distributor contain:-
1. A reproduction of the sign of the carriage,
2. The map of the line.
3. Advertisements.
My box furnished with its indicating plate is represented in the accompanying
drawing in which :-
Figure 1 is an elevation;
Figure 2 is a vertical section;
Figure 3 is a rear elevation; and,
Figure 4 shews the apparatus placed in position upon a car.
It comprises two compartments a and b of which a serves as the distributor and b
contains a supply of the circulars. These latter are folded and placed one within
the other so that they are successively presented with great facility within reach
of the passenger. The folding is so effected that the part of the circular which is
offered to the passenger bears a reproduction of the particular sign indicated upon
the plate.
The cover of the distributing box is formed by the indicating plate c which slides
in the front wall d of the box properly so-called. As above explained the design is
painted in black upon a white ground so as to make it as visible as possible.
The lower part of the apparatus is provided with two jaws e, e designed to protect
the circular which is within reach of the passenger's hand, from dust and rain.
The box is provided with a hook f by means of which it can be secured to the
carriage which is to this end provided with a socket of suitable construction. The
hook is secured to the indicating plate in such a position that when the apparatus
is in position it hinders the passage between two adjacent cars to as small an extent
as possible.
The box is furnished at each side with windows or slots such as g whereby the
contents of the distributor b can be inspected.
It will be obvious that I can arrange my apparatus in any suitable manner and
that I can make it of any form and size which may be desirable.
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;-
The described indicating apparatus and circular distributor for enabling
passengers to easily re-find their carriage after having descended therefrom when
the train has stopped, the said apparatus comprising a distributing box formed of
a vertical cover carrying a distinguishing sign or design reproduced upon each of
the circulars contained in the box, substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawing.
D121.
T
1000
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.