IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MEANS FOR EXHIBITING RAILWAY SIGNS
Year: 1884

page_text: I WALTER ROWLAND HOLYOAKE, Gentleman of 3 Clifford's Inn, Fleet Street
in the City of London do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MEANS FOR EXHIBITING RAILWAY SIGNS, to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to Exhibit the Name of the next Railway Station
to the passangers in each compartment of the railway carriage so as to prevent or
lessen the risk of being taken beyond the station to which they are booked.
By adopting my invention the Company will save time and trouble and require
less assistance at the stations-the passangers saved the expense and annoyance of
being taken past their station.
The said invention consists in the following combinations of parts of mechanisin
affixed to each compartment of a railway carriage so as to be actuated by a suitable
Incline Plane situated between each Station and permanently fixed on the line
between the rails.
I make a number of tablets (of suitable material) equal in number to twice the
number of Stations the train has to pass-each tablet about 12 inches long and
inch wide The edges of the tablets are rounded off and the tablets being
jointed at each end form an endless chain-on one half of the tablets are the names
of the stations on the up line on the other half are the names of the Stations in the
reverse order as they occur on the down line.
The endless chain of tablets is passed over a flat sided roller whose section is a
polygon of a suitable number of sides which has a pivot at each end and the roller
with the chain of tablets is droped into bearings affixed to the carriage-each
tablet is made of the same width as the flat side of the roller and the tablets being
jointed they fit the side of the roller so that when the roller is caused to advance it
takes with it the chain of tablets On the one end of the said roller is secured a
Ratchet wheel containing the same number of teeth as there are flat sides on the
roller and in order to prevent the roller from being jerked too far I secure a check
disc on the other end of the roller having on its perephery the same number of
shallow V indentations as there are teeth in the ratchet wheel and a pawl which is
shaped to fit the indentations is forced in contact with the disc by means of a
spring,
The roller is moved by another pawl which is so hinged or jointed on a pivot or
stud on a vertical rod sliding through bearings affixed to the carriage, as to
encounter the teeth of the said ratchet wheel and force the wheel and roller forward
when the rod moves in one direction but to give way to the teeth without moving
them when the rod returns.
This vertical rod is forced upwards to a stop by means of a spring-Under the
carriage in a suitable position is a lever on the end of this lever is attached the one
end of a chain which passes over or under groved conducting pulleys and the other

page_text: end of the chain is attached to the lower end of the vertical rod. Or the said
lever and vertical rod may be connected by means of a copper wire conducted by
means of bell cranks. The other end of the lever is armed with a friction wheel
and points vertically downwards to meet and to be set in motion sideways by the
Incline Plane hereinafter described. To prevent the said two pawls being
way when putting the roller and tablets in and out they are furnished with stops
so that the spring can not force the pawls two far when the roller is out.
the
The roller and tablets may be fixed in any suitable position but I prefer to fix
them outside the carriage so that the aperture and tablet showing the name of the
next Station may be seen through the bottom part of the window of each com-
partment and securely boxed up because in this position the apparatus can not be
tampered with by malicious passangers and it is easily accessible to the Porter when
it is required to change the chain of tablets on passing from one line to another.
An Inclined Plane of sufficient hight to encounter the lower end of the afore-
said lever whatever may be the compression of the carriage springs should be
permanently fixed on the Line between each station and between the rails on the
up and down Line.
The operation of this automatic apparatus is as follows-When the train of
carriages passes the fixed Inclined Plane the lower end of the lever is moved and
with it the chain draws down the vertical rod and the pawl on the rod causes the
roller to advance so far as to present the next side to that previously shewn and
the name of the next Station appears to view on the Tablet. When the said Lever
has passed beyond the fixed Inclined Plane the spring forces the rod back and the
joint on which the pawl moves allowing it to pass the wheel without moving it the
rod remains in position ready to be again actuated by the next Inclined Plane.
I propose to adopt a Roller with six sides but do not confine myself to this
number. The chain of tablets may be of various lengths to suit the number of
Stations on the Line.
The same key which unlocks the carriage door may be used to unlock the door
of the sign apparatus--But I prefer a different one as passangers have the door key.
When the train has to pass from one line to another the chain of tablets has to
be changed.
The porter has only to unlock and open the door lift out the roller from the
hooked bearings take off the chain of tablets and put on the one required drop the
roller in again and shut the door-But when the same carriages are continuously
used on the same Line the tablets would not be removed.
If it is prefered to change the tablets at each end of the journey the chain of
tablets in this case would be half the length-This would be necessary for long
distances.
When the Tablets are not changed I some times use two rollers in place of the
hexagonal one and a canvas made continuous or endless with the names of the
Stations printed on it-The edges of the canvas being eyelet holed at equal distances
and the rollers being furnished with pegs the same distance apart so as to fit into
the eyelet holes and move the canvas forward.
The position I prefer for this kind of apparatus is the roof or top of each com-
partment and I connect each apparatus so that one motion actuates all the rollers
in the same carriage.
In this case the Rod and Pawl in each compartment will be placed horizontally
with the canvas and the whole encased with a glazed aperture in which the name
of each subsequent Station would appear.
I connect a Bell to each apparatus to call the attention of the passangers in each
compartment to the tablet of the next Station.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION,
I, WALTER ROWLAND HOLYOAKE, of 3 Clifford's Inn Flect St. in the County of
Middlex in the City of London, do hereby declare the nature of said Invention.
for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS FOR EXHIBITING RAILWAY SIGNS, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:―
The object of my invention is to provide a suitable automatic apparatus for
indicating to the passengers occupying a railway carriage or similar vebicle the
name of the next station about to be reached.
To enable my invention to be more readily understood I have annexed drawings
to this description; in said drawings,―
Figure 1 shows sectional end view of the box or casing enclosing the roller upon
which runs a chain of tablets as hereinafter set forth, and also the mechanism for
actuating the same.
Figure 2 is a front elevation of the casing with the door or lid removed so as to
show the chain of tablets, and it likewise shows the actuating mechanism.
Figure 3 shows the end of the roller opposite to the end shown in Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a sectional view of part of a railway carriage fitted with my
invention.
.
Figure 5 is another section of the same, taken transversely to Figure 4.
Figure 6 shows how the tablets are connected in a different manner.
Figure 7 is a plan showing a portion of a rail fitted with an inclined plane
actuating a bell crank lever or a similar device attached to the vehicle for operating
my improved indicating apparatus, and the bell crank in position.
The essential feature of my invention consists in an endless chain consisting of
tablets inscribed with the names of stations (or an endless band or apron similarly
inscribed) such chain being so worked by automatic apparatus that the name of
the station next to be reached may be visible behind a glazed or unglazed aperture,
the other inscriptions being hidden by the casing which encloses the chain.
In the drawings I have shown a series of tablets A A, connected by links a a,
and by hinges if desired, thus forming an endless chain as will be readily under-
stood; this chain passes over a roller B at the top. The journals b b, of the
roller B work in bearings C. As will be seen in Figures 1 and 3 the roller is
polygonal, each of its sides being of the same width as one of the tablets A.
At one end of the roller B is fixed a spur wheel D having the same number of
teeth as the roller has sides and when this spur wheel (and with it the roller) is
moved the distance of one tooth, the tablets are shifted so that the next one becomes
visible at the sight hole as will hereinafter more fully appear.
A pawl E (see Figure 1) engages with the spur wheel D and is pivoted at f
upon a rod F being pressed into the teeth of wheel D by a spring e. It will be
seen that when the rod F is moved downwards the pawl E moves the wheel D one
tooth, when however the rod F rises, the pawl is depressed and the wheel remains
stationary. To ensure proper action of these parts another spring pawl G (Figures 2
and 3) engages with a toothed wheel or disc H fixed at the other end of the

page_text: roller B, and this prevents all accidental movement of the roller. To enable the
rod F to rise again after having moved the roller, it is fitted with springs f¹ of
sufficient strength, whilst a stop f2 limits its upward movement.
The chain of tablets A A is enclosed in a casing I fitted preferably on the
carriage and at the outside, whilst a sight hole K allows one tablet to be seen
through the lower part of the carriage window (see Figures 4 and 5), I prefer to
fix the apparatus in this manner as it will prevent the same being unduly tainpered
with, whilst the attendants of the line can readily gain access. The casing has a
door which may be provided with a lock of any suitable kind.
I have already set forth how the movements of the rod Factuate the roller B
and the tablets A. A. To depress this rod at the suitable moment I use the
following means: To the lower end of the rod is attached (as seen in Figures 1
and 2) one end of a chain, wire, or cord L passing over a guide pulley . The
other end of the chain is attached to one limb of a bell crank lever M mounted in
suitable bearings on the lower part of the vehicle. The other limb of the bell
crank lever carries a long roller m. On the line of rails over which the vehicle is
to run and at suitable points are provided inclined planes N, somewhat raised
above the head of the rail. When the carriage travels over the rail at the point
where one of these planes N is provided, the roller m strikes said incline and is
thereby moved sideways. The roller m is of sufficient length to ensure action when
the vehicle body rises or descends under varying loads. The upper limb of the bell
crank lever M. when actuated as above described pulls the chain L thus drawing
the rod F downward and causing the next tablet to be exhibited. As soon as the
carriage has passed the incline the springs f' f¹ raise the rod to its former position,
the pawl E engages with the next tooth on wheel D and the apparatus is ready for
further action.
In Figure 6 I have shown in edge view and plan a somewhat different arrange-
ment of the tablet chain; in this the tablets are connected by hinges instead of
being united by the links a a, but both modes of connection may be used together
or other convenient means may be adopted for this purpose.
I have in Figure 1 illustrated how the bell crank lever may be conveniently
mounted in a bracket O bolted to the underside of the vehicle.
When the vehicle is to run on a different line from that for which the tablets A A
are arranged the door of the casing I is opened and the roller B lifted out of its
bearings and another chain of tablets may then be readily introduced.
Although I have described and shown the apparatus as mounted vertically on
the side of the carriage, it is obvious that it can be fixed in any other suitable
position say horizontally in the roof of the carriage, in that case the apparatus
will require slight modification; it will be well for instance to provide a guide
roller at each end of the chain. The required adaptation will however readily
suggest itself to anyone of ordinary skill in such matters and need not be more
fully described.
In some cases, for instance where a carriage invariably runs over the same line,
it may be convenient to substitute for the chain of tablets an endless band or apron
of canvass or similar material upon which the names of the stations are suitably
inscribed. Such band may conveniently be stretched over two rollers, the
arrangement as a whole is however substantially the same as that hereinbefore
specified.
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
First. An apparatus for indicating the station next about to be reached by a
railway carriage or the like, consisting substantially in an endless chain or band
upon which are inscribed the names of the stations on the line, said chain or band
being automatically operated by suitable gearing when the vehicle passes those
points on the line where inclined planes or the like are fixed as set forth and
Illustrated in the drawings.

page_text: Second. In an indicating apparatus fixed to a railway carriage or the like and
operated by an inclined plane fixed in the path over which the vehicle travels the
endless chain of tablets A A passing over a roller B actuated by a spring pawl
attached to a rod F receiving motion from a bell crank lever M so fixed on the
vehicle that one of its limbs will come into contact with the inclined plane above
referred to substantially as set forth and shown in the drawings.
.
Third. As a means for actuating an indicating apparatus such as hereinabove
described, an inclined plane provided on the rails of a railway line, substantially as
set forth and illustrated in the drawings.
W. R. HOLYOAKE.