A Bedroom Indicator to Indicate the Requirements of Lodgers.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 24th June, 1892-Accepted, 6th Aug., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Bedroom Indicator to Indicate the Requirements of Lodgers.
I, FRANCIS ARENAS, of Christchurch, in the Provincial District of Canterbury
and Colony of New Zealand, Hotel-keeper, do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for "A. BEDROOM INDICATOR TO INDICATE THE REQUIREMENTS OF
LODGERS," and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to an apparatus to be attached to the door of a bedroom,
whereby a lodger may indicate (1) the time at which he desires to be awakened,
(2) what refreshment he may require and (3) in case of need, that a doctor is
required.
The apparatus also contains a thermometer to indicate the temperature of the
room, besides having two luminous discs which give sufficient light at night to enable
the occupant to see about the room without being always compelled to strike a match
to obtain a light.
The apparatus is easily attached to the door, has a neat and ornamental appearance
and is not likely to get out of order; it consists of two pairs of dials, (upper and
lower) one pair on each side of the door, the upper pair having numerals thereon
similar to a clock dial, while the lower pair are divided into segments, having the
names of various refreshments thereon.
The outer pair of dials are covered with glass faces, mounted in a frame preferably
of stamped metal. Each pair of dials are fitted with hands which can be set by the
Occupant of the room, at any position on the dials, and a bell is attached to the dial
frame, inside room, between the dials and fitted with a handle. The occupant of
the room can set the hands of the upper dial to point to any hour he desires to be
awakened, and the hands of the lower dials to point to the name of any refreshment
he may require.
,,
At the time thus indicated on the upper dial outside the room, the "boots
(or other servant whose duty it may be) inserts a small key with handle (which
may be carried in the pocket) into a keyhole in the frame of outer dials, and
by turning this key round it causes the bell inside room to ring, at the same
time causing a small tell tale indicator to show itself in front of upper outside
dial, but inside the glass face) thus indicating that the servant has fulfilled his
duty in calling the occupant of the room.
When the said occupant has been thus aroused the key is withdrawn; the
"boots "
or other servant then seeing on the lower dial what refreshment (if
any) is required immediately orders it, so that by the time the occupant of the
room is ready, the desired refreshment is also ready for him.
If the occupant of the room at any time requires attention or refreshment or
even a doctor if need be, he (the occupant) sets the hands of the lower dial
pointing to what he requires and then rings the bell, the action of the bell
handle, at the same time causing a tell tale indicator to fall in front of lower
outside dial, (but inside glass face), the person answering to the bell sees at
once by the tell tale indicator, which room requires attention.
The tell tale indicator of the upper dial is replaced by means of a pin attached
to key hereafter described, the tell tale indicator of the lower dial is replaced by
pressing a projecting pin in frame of outer dials as hereafter described.
In order that my invention may be better understood, I will now proceed to
describe the same by reference to the annexed sheet of drawings in which :-
Fig. 1 is a front view of the dials and frame attached to outside of door.
Fig. 2 is a section showing both the outside and inside dial frames, also the bell,
method of connecting and other mechanism.

page_text: 15 Iront View
the dials and frame with bell, attached to inside of
door.
Fig. 4 is a back view of the dial frame, which is attached to outside of door,
showing the arrangement of the tell tale indicators.
Fig. 5 is a view of the dial frame which is attached to inside of door, but with
the bell removed in order to show the mechanism for ringing the bell and operating
the lower tell tale indicator liereafter described.
Fig. 6 is a side view of the toothed wheel and pinion with bell clapper hereafter
described.
Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional plan of the socket and spring collar with pin,
attached to the lower tell tale indicator.
Fig. 8 is an enlarged view of the said lower tell tale indicator showing the
notched disc and stop. pin against which it catches when down.
Figs. 9 and 10 are side and end views respectively of the key with handle, and
pin for releasing the upper tell tale indicator.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in either of the
figures.
A is the door. B the frame of outside dials preferably of stamped metal. C the
upper outside dial. D the lower outside dial. E glass face of upper outside dial.
F glass face of lower outside dial. G frame of inside dials preferably of stamped
: metal. H the upper inside dial. J tlie lower inside dial.
Each pair of dials may be of paper, card-board or other suitable material.
K is the bell. L bridge which secures the-bell. M handle for ringing bell
inside. N the thermometer.
O is the spindle of upper dials to which spindle the hands P P are attached.
Q is the spindle of the lower dials to which spindle the hands R R' are attached ;
the inner ends of these spindles have milled heads 'S S¹ in order to be easily turned
by the fingers, the face of each milled head being coated with luminous paint.
The hands P and R.are each secured by two lock nuts which press against
springs a a.
.
Tis the spindle to which the bell is fixed, as also the toothed wheel b, and the
cranked pin and collar c; the spiral spring d being placed between the said collar.
and the bell; e is a pinion having flange to which the bell clapper is pivotted;
is a bracket for carrying the end of the spindle of pinion e. hand are upper and
lower arms respectively, attached to a collar i (thus forming a double lever) which
collar works on a pin which forms the fulcrum; is a lever attached to the inner
end of spindle 1, which spindle has a spiral spring m fitted thereon, one end of which
is secured to a screw fixed to spindle, while the other. end is inserted into lug of
inner dial frame; the outer end of this spindle is square and fits into a corresponding
square hole in collar n to which the lower tell tale indicator o is attached as also a
projecting pin p.
Round the collar n and within the socket r, there is a spiral spring q. The disc
of lower tell tale indicator is notched (see Fig. 8) for the purpose of catching
against a projecting pin when the said indicator is turned down as hereafter
described; t is the tell tale indicator for upper dial having a slot through which
the projecting pin upasses forming a stop the said tell tale indicator is held
against the dial frame by a spring v. The inside of outer dial-frame B is recessed
as shown to allow the tell tale indicators to work clear of the face of door; w is
the keyhole into which the key a is inserted for the purpose of ringing the bell and
raising the upper tell tale indicator as hereafter described.
y is the hole into which the pin zon handle of key is inserted to release the
upper tell tale indicator. The apparatus is worked as follows :—
Supposing a lodger desires to be called at six o'clock in the morning, he merely
sets the hands of the upper dials (by turning the milled head S) pointing to six
o'clock; and if he also desires refreshment prepared, he sets the hands of the lower
dials (by turning the milled head: S') pointing to the name of the refreshment he
requires. At the hour indicated on the upper dial, the "boots or other servant,
"

page_text: inserts the key a into the keyhole w, pressing forward until the lip on the key clears
the dial frame, thereby pressing the spindle T inwards and causing the pin and
collar c to clear the upper lever arm h, (so that the said spindle can turn without
dropping the lower indicator o,) the key w is then turned round when the toothed
wheel b engages the pinion e and causes the clapper f to strike the bell in rotating;
the lip of the key w meanwhile raises the tell tale indicator t. As soon as the
occupant of the room is aroused and answers, the key is withdrawn when the
spindle T shoots back by the action of spring d into its former position.
When the bell is rung by the handle M the pin on collar c raises the upper lever
arm h causing the lower arm to press the lever which causes the spindle / to
turn the collar n thereby turning down the tell tale indicator o, meanwhile the
spring presses said collar n and indicator o forward until the notched disc of said
indicator is caught by the projecting pin s. The upper tell tale indicator t is
replaced by inserting the small pin z attached to handle of key a into the hole y
thereby pressing the spring and thus releasing the tell tale indicator which falls
by its own weight against stop pin n. The lower tell tale indicator is replaced by
merely pressing the pin which causes the notched disc of the said indicator to
clear the pins, when the action of the spring m causes the said indicator to shoot
back out of sight.
The lower dials may of course have any desired kinds of refreshments named
thereon to suit different establishments.
I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to any particular shape
size or materials in the construction of my bed room indicator nor to the precise
details as shown in the drawings as they may be altered or modified without
departing from the nature of my invention.
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 general combination and arrangement of parts constituting a bed room
indicator, substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 10th day of M AD 1000
FRANCIS ARENAS.