Mechanism for Operating the Bells of Cars or Carriages of Electric or other Railways.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd June, 1897-Accepted, 3rd July, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Mechanism for Operating the Bells of Cars or Carriages of Electric
or other Railways.
I, JOSEPH TORRY-HASKINS, Electrician, of 89 Cross Street, Malden, in the County of
Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, U.S.A., 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 chief object of this invention is to lessen the labor of the motor man.in
ringing the bell of a car or carriage on an electric railway or tramway, and to provide
for ringing it either by mechanical or electrical means as occasion may require. To
this end my said invention consists partly in the combination of an inclined spring
arranged to be easily touched and depressed by the foot of the motor man with the
push button actuated by the said spring, and circuit-closing devices against which the
said button bears. My said invention further consists in the combination of two
hammers with a single bell, one of them being actuated electrically, the other
mechanically, the latter serving also to support the movable contact of the former..
The said invention also consists in certain additional improvements in construction
and combination, hereinafter more particularly set forth and claimed.
In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the
mechanism embodying my invention; Figure 2 represents a plan of the same, taken
from below; and Figure 3 represents an enlarged detail view of the electric
circuit-closing devices.
A designates the floor of the car having a plate B attached to the under side
thereof, to which plate the bell C is attached, as well as a pair of lugs D, between
which a hammer E is pivoted to strike the said bell, when a push-pin G is forced by
the motor mau's foot, as usual, through the floor against the tail of the said
hammer.
A second and lighter hammer F partly formed into an armature F1, is pivoted to a
flange of the plate B and attracted by an electro magnet H also fixed to said plate,
this hammer being caused to strike the bell when the magnet is energized. This is
effected by any slight movement of the motor-man's foot against and upon an
inclined spring J, which is fastened to the floor but bears on a push pin I. It also
serves as a replacing spring for the said push-pin, being provided with a hook j which
catches under the head of the pin. The latter bears down against a movable contact
plate K, provided with inclined flanges at each end; and brings these flanges.
against contact plates L L', which are fixed to the under side of the floor and similarly
inclined. A wire M runs from the plate L to the magnet and another wire N runs
from the plate L' to conductors leading to the trolley or to the wheels and rails as
preferred. A wire O from the said electro magnet completes the circuit when the
flanges k and plates L L¹ are in contact as stated.
For convenience, the plate K is attached, with the necessary insulation, to the tail of
hammer E, so that the greater weight of the other end of the said hammer may
operate to raise the said contact plate K and open the circuit when the pressure on
the pin I is withdrawn.
So long as the trolley runs on the wire and the circuit through the motor is

page_text: uninterrupted, the electrically operated hammer F is exclusively employed; the
motor man merely needing to slide his foot upon and up the incline of spring J,
giving a very gentle pressure thereby to the pin I, which brings the plate K into
circuit-closing contact as stated and slightly lowers the tail of hammer E, though not
nearly enough to make the said hammer strike. This circuit-closing operation will
be effected almost involuntarily by the motor man's forward step, naturally taken in
putting on the brakes or reversing the power. Such a step might well miss the head
of a pin, but is almost certain to bring his foot against some part of the rather long
inclined spring, so as to operate the same.
The ordinary hammer E becomes very useful when the electrical current is not
available, as for example in running down hill, with the trolley by accident off the
wire.
But this hammer E requires a great deal more force and precision of movement
than the electrically operated hammer F; since it is by no means easy to work with
both hands and at the same time put down one foot exactly and vigorously. This
hammer E will therefore be used at most only as a supplementary signalling device
very rarely needed. Its push button G may indeed be dispensed with converting the
said hammer into a mere support for plate K, without at all interfering with the
operation of the electric hammer F. Still there is of course some advantage in giving
to hammer E a double function as described.
Of course both kinds of the said bell ringing devices may be used with a cable or
other non electric railway; but there must be a source of electricity for actuating
the hammer F.
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
:
1st. In mechanism for sounding the bell of a railway carriage or car, a push-pin,
and mechanically actuated hammer, in combination with a second hammer, electro-
magnetic mechanism for actuating the same, and circuit closing devices arranged to
be operated at will by the motor man, both hammers being arranged to strike the
same bell substantially as set forth.
2nd. In combination with a car-bell and mechanically operated hammer, a second
hammer, electro-magnetic mechanism for actuating the same and circuit-closing
devices for said mechanism, consisting in part of a movable contact mounted and
actuated substantially as set forth.
3rd. An inclined spring, a push pin depressed and raised thereby, a contact plate
depressed by the said pin and provided with inclined flanges, fixed contact plates
arranged for contact with the said flanges, conductors connected to the said fixed
plates, an electro magnet in circuit with the said conductors, means for automatically
replacing the said contact plate and a hammer and bell actuated by the said magnet
substantially as set forth.
СТПА
or day v
F. W. GOLBY,
36, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agent for the Applicant.