Apparatus for Indicating the Time at the Disposal of Travellers and others before the Departure or Arrival of a Train and the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: Apparatus for Indicating the Time at the Disposal of Travellers and
others before the Departure or Arrival of a Train and the like.
I, Doctor VICTOR RITTER VON F'RITSCH, of III Jacquingasse No. 18, Vienna,
Austina, Literary Author, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention is mainly intended for the convenience of travellers at railway
stations, on steamers &c. and it consists in the use of an apparatus, situated in
any prominent position, which is so arranged as to indicate the number of
minutes that are at the disposal of the traveller before a certain train or boat
starts or arrives, in order that he may judge exactly whether, for example, he has
time enough to partake of refreshment, write a letter, send a telegram, oi generally
to do any thing that requires to be done.
For this purpose the apparatus consists generally of a casing with which may
be combined an ordinary clock, and which has one or more indicators that shew
by numerals the number of minutes that have to elapse before a certain tiain
starts or arrives, that is to say the number of minutes that are at the disposal
of the traveller.
This or these indicators are set in the first instance by an attendant and they
are so actuated or controlled by clockwork mechanism that at the end of every
minute they indicate the next lower numeral until, at the time when the train
starts, they exhibit zero, in which position they then remain until they are again
set for the next train At a station where there are a number of trains starting
for different localities, the apparatus may have a corresponding number of indica-
tors, opposite each of which is marked the designation of the train to which it
refers, and when there are both express trains and ordinary trains, there may be
an indicator giving the time that has still to elapse before an express train starts
and one giving the same information in respect of ordinary trains, these indica-
tors being preferably of different colours for easy distinction
The construction of the indicator mechanism may be varied in a number of
ways, thus according to one construction two discs are mounted parallel to each
other so as to revolve with friction upon a spindle that is 1otated by clockwork,
and they carry round their periphery a number of rods extending across from
the one disc to the other On each of these rods is hung a flat plate bearing a
numeral There are sixty one of these plates which are numbered from nought
to sixty, and the spindle of the discs carrying them is rotated by the clockwork
80 as to revolve once in an hour
The discs with their plates are arranged opposite an opening in the casing
in such a manner that as the discs in rotating carry the plates round, these
tumble over on their pivots as they pass the opening, and thus display the numeral
ther bear through the opening
When by the rotation of the discs the plate marked zero comes opposite the
opening, their further rotation is arrested by a catch so arranged that it will give

page_text: way to a certain pressure, the spindle howevei continues to be rotated by the
clockwork
When it is desired to set the apparatus agam in respect of the next train, the
discs and plates are tuined on their spindle by hand by any suitable device, such
as a ratchet wheel acted upon by a pawl on a lever that may be worked to and
fro by a cam or cams on a spindle rotated by hand.
According to another arrangement the above described plates carried by the
revolving discs are replaced by a band marked with numerals from 0 to 60, each
end of which is wound upon a small barrel, rotated by clockwork so as to cause
the numerals to pass consecutively in front of an opening in a retrograde order,
as before described, the rotation being automatically stopped when zero appeals,
and the band being wound back again by hand for re-setting in a similar manner
to that above described
The continuous motion of the clockwork may be converted into a step-by-step
motion of the band by any suitable device, such as by effecting the rotation of
the barrels by a separate weight or sping and employing the clockwork only
for actuating an escapement device, that only, allows the, rotation of the barrels
once every minute
According to another modification I employ two discs or drums of an
ordinary counter, one of which has the units marked on its periphery and the
other the tens, these discs being actuated by a weight or spring controlled by
a clockwork escapement
According to another modification I employ an ordinary dial marked with the
numerals 0 to 60, and either the dial is made to turn in the direction of the
inverse order of its numerals past an opening or past a fixed pointer, or the pointer
or opening may be made to travel round over the numerals.
Lastly, the numerals may be marked in inverse order in a single row on a
fixed plate, and a pointer, mounted upon a sciew spindle rotated with a step by
step motion by clockwork, 18 made to travel consecutively past the numerals.
Dated this 6th day of June 1898
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant
Apparatus for Indicating the Time at the Disposal of Travellers and
others before the Departure or Arrival of a Train and the like.
I, Doctor VICTOR RITTER VON FRISCH, of III Jacquingasse No 18, Vienna,
Austria, Literary Author, 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.-
--
This invention is mainly intended for the convenience of travellers at railway
stations, on steamers &c. and it consists in the use of an apparatus, situated in
any prominent position, which 18 80 arranged as to indicate the number of
minutes that are at the disposal of the traveller before a certam train or boat
starts or arrives in order that he may judge exactly whether for example he has
time enough to partake of refreshment, write a letter, send a telegram oi generally
to do anything that requires to be done
For this purpose the apparatus consists generally of a casing with which may
be combined an ordinary clock and which has one or more indicators that shew
by numerals the number of minutes that have to elapse before a certain train

page_text: starts or arrives, that is to say the number of minutes that are at the disposal
of the traveller.
This or these indicators are set in the first instance by an attendant and they
are so actuated or controlled by clockwork mechanism that at the end of every
munute they indicate the next lower numeral until at the time when the train
starts, they exhibit zero in which position they then remain until they are again
Bet for the next train. At a station where there are a number of trains starting
for different localities, the apparatus may have a corresponding number of indica-
tors opposite each of which is marked the designation of the train to which it
refers.
The accompanying drawing shews by way of example one construction of
apparatus for carrying my said invention into effect Figure 1 shows a front
alevation, and Figure 2 an enlarged part cross section
The apparatus at Figure 1 18 arranged to shew the times of departure of
railway trains in four different directions. At each of the four different indica-
tions an opening a 18 formed in the casing of the apparatus in which appear
consecutively different numbers representing the number of minutes that yet
remain before the next train departs in the particular direction.
If it be desired also to indicate the particular kind of train in question such as
whether ordinary or express, there must of course be provided a separate indi-
cator for each kind of train.
The indicating mechanism here shewn consists of a number of discs 6 with
numerals marked thereon, which are mounted with pivots c between two cheeks e
fixed at a corresponding distance apart on an axis & This axis carries a ratchet
wheel having 59 teeth, while the place of a 60th tooth is replaced by a space g.
With this ratchet wheel gears a pawl h pivoted to a level mounted loose on
the axis d, and whose free end rests with a small roller upon a disc having a
projection which is fixed on a vertical spindle m driven by suitable clockwork
in such manner that the disc performs one revolution a minute
By this means the lever 2 will be raised once every minute by the projection k
and is thereby made to turn the ratchet wheel through a distance of one tooth
by means of the pawl h The cheeks with the discs are thus turned through
The
oth part of a revolution every minute and this motion suffices to cause the
disc b which for the time being is resting with its upper end against the upper
edge n of the opening a to lose such support and fall down so that the numeral
marked on the back of that disc will appear in the opening vis a locking pawl
which prevents the spindle d from turning backwards, it is formed with two
teeth so that it will also operate when one tooth engages with the space g
vertical spindle m passes through all the compartaments of the indicator, so as
to actuate all the indicating discs simultaneously When the pawl h of a
particular indicator enters the space 9 of its ratchet wheel in which position of
the spindle d, the disc b marked with "0" will be presented at the opening a,
the spindle d will remain stationary, notwithstanding that the lever and pawl ih
continue to be actuated while the discs of the other indicators will continue to
be operated
From the above it will be seen that notwithstanding all the indicators are
actuated by one and the same clockwork spindle whereby great simplicity of
construction is obtained the separate indicators are automatically brought to a
standstill as soon as they arrive in the zero position. For setting them again
for the next train, the spindle d is turned either by hand by means of a crank
handle fitted on a projecting end thereof, or it may be effected by electrical
means in any suitable known manner, from the station masters office or other
locality, in which case all the indicators at the station could he set simultaneously.
Instead of actuating all the indicators by the spindle m and disc Ik as described
the lever i of each indicator might be actuated once a minute by a separate cord
or rod worked by the clockwork.
The tablets bearing the names of the destination of the trains can be made

page_text: changeable, for which purpose the names may for example be arranged on a
cylinder which 18 turned either by hand or fiom a distance by suitable known
electrical means
Having now pailiculaily described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim 18.-
1. Apparatus for indicating the time at the disposal of travellers before the
departure or anival of a train and the like, where there 18 arranged in connec-
tion with an indicator giving the duection of a particular train or the like an
indicating device having consecutive numeruls marked theicon and so arranged
and actuated by clockwork mechanism that at the end of every minute its posi-
tion is changed so as to exhibit the number of minutes that still remain before
the departure or arrival of the particular train or the like, substantially as
described.
2. In indicating apparatus such as is referred to in the first claim, actuating
several separate indicating devices by means of one and the same clockwork
mechanism, through the medium of a pawl and ratchet wheel, the latter being
formed with a space in lieu of a tooth at one point of its circumference corre-
sponding to the zero point of the indicator so that when the pawl engages with
such space it ceases to actuate the ratchet wheel and causes the indicator to
remain stationary at zero, substantially as described
Dated this 3rd March 1899
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant