AN IMPROVED ARRANGE- MENT OF MECHANISM FOR CABS, OMNIBUSES, AND OTHER VEHICLES, TO INDICATE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL TO DRIVERS, OR TO OTHER VEHICLES FOLLOWING BEHIND
Year: 1884

page_text: Wo MICHAEL JOHN ROWLEY of 14 Blandford Street and CHARLES ALEXANDER
WHEELER of 22 Euston Street, both in the county of Middlesex, Engineers, do
hereby declare the nature of our said invention for "AN IMPROVED ARRANGE-
MENT OF MECHANISM FOR CABS, OMNIBUSES, AND OTHER VEHICLES, TO INDICATE
DIRECTION OF TRAVEL TO DRIVERS, OR TO OTHER VEHICLES FOLLOWING BEHIND,"
to be as follows:-
"
The object of this invention is to arrange mechanism to Cabs and other vehicles
by which passengers can indicate to the drivers the direction they wish to travel or
to stop, the invention is also applicable to omnibuses to indicate to vehicles
following directly behind that the driver is going to stop and to thus avoid a
collision.
For the purpose of our invention we attach to two hands or other indicators
rods encircled by springs so as to return the hands or indicators to their normal
positions.
Each rod has a projecting lip piece which can engage in a bell pull so that when
acted upon by cords or wires from any suitable part of a vehicle, the hand or
indicator is shot out sideways to the right or to the left according to the direction
of travel the passenger or other person or persons may desire to travel, the bell
being preferably sounded at. the same time to engage attention.
This is intended for, say, a cab or hackney carriage but it can be similarly fitted
to other vehicles at any convenient part and when the passenger desires the vehicle
to stop, both hands or indicators can be acted upon at one time.
If the apparatus be fitted, say, to the rear of "an omnibus or other vohicle, notice
is given to the vehicle following close behind that said omnibus is going to draw
up or to stop.

page_text: COMPLEM
DEVIFICATION
We MICHAEL JOHN ROWLEY of 14 Blandford Street, and CHARLES ALEXANDER
WHEELER of 22 Euston Street, both in the county of Middlesex Engineers do
-hereby declare the nature of our said invention for "AN IMPROVED ARRANGE-
MENT OF MECHANISM-FOR-CABS OMNIBUSES AND OTHER VEHICLES TO INDICATE
DIRECTION OF TRAVEL TO-DRIVERS-OR-TO_OTHER_VEHICLES FOLLOWING-BEHIND."_
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 this invention is to arrange mechanism to a Brougham, a Cab or
other vehicle-by-which-the-occupant or passengers can indicate to the driver the
_ direction it is wished to travel or when the vehicle is desired-to-be-stopped, the
invention is also applicable-to-omnibuses-or other vehicles to indicate to vehicles
following directly behind that the driver is going to pull up, to alter his course, or
going to stop and to thus avoid a collision.
Our invention is illustrated in the annexed drawings Figure 1 of which show
two hands A, B, in their normal position within a casing C. The hands A, B, are
suspended from the pivot pins D, D, and have rods E, E, attached close to the
pivot pins so that on the rods being pulled by cords F, F, the opposite ends of
which are within reach of a person, the hands A, B, or one of them only, will be
thrown upwards in a circular direction as represented at Figure 2 to indicate to
the driver that the occupant desires the vehicle to "draw up" on that side of
the road.
The rods E, E, are encircled by springs G G and these when the cord is "let go"
causes the hand to return to its normal position ready to be again acted upon in a
similar manner.
In order that the driver may know when one of the hands is acted upon we fit
the abutments H with pins I, I, and these project through the casing as at Figure 3
to operate the striking mechanism J of a gong or bell K.
The apparatus thus referred to can be applied to any vehicle and fitted in any
desirable position.
If fitted to a Brougham, Cabriolet, Landau or other close vehicle it can be on the
Dash board Las at Figure 4 to direct the driver while seated on his box M and if
fitted to a "Hansom " or "Forder" Cab it may be on the front of the roof the
cords F, F, being arranged at the sides of the cab within reach of the passengers as
at Figure 5.
We prefer to place the apparatus within the Butterfly N so as not to interfere
with luggage or the sight of the driver.
According to this arrangement the apparatus is distinct from the Butterfly but
the casing may be part of the Butterfly as at Figure 6 the gong being protected
from rain by the half cover P.
When the apparatus is affixed to Gigs, Carts and the like it can be fastened to
the back as at Figure 7 and the hands can be operated by a foot or hand lever, so

page_text: that vehicles following close behind, may be warned that the gig or other vehicle
to which the apparatus is affixed is going to draw up, or to stop.
In this view Figure 7 both hands are thrown out, which we purpose should be
done when the vehicle has to be stopped only but this will not be essential as
the sound of the gong which is struck at the same time as the hands are moved
will be sufficient for the driver of the vehicle following to know that something
is intended.
Figure 8 shows the back view of an omnibus with one of our apparatus fixed just
over the door but it may be fitted to any other part of the vehicle as in fact it
may be at any part of any other vehicle, the object being as before stated to signal
from the inside of a vehicle to the driver in front, or by the driver to other vehicles
following close behind that said vehicle is going to alter its course, such as turn a
corner, to pull up, or to stop, the sound of the gong drawing sufficient attention to
prevent collisions.
In the drawings thus referred to we have shown the representation of a hand as
the indicator but any other suitable form or shape may be employed such as we
have shown in Figure 9 this being a simple plate of metal.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
The particular construction and arrangement of apparatus hereinbefore described
and shown in the annexed drawings or any mere modification thereof by which
indications of desired movements of vehicles can be communicated to or from the
driver as hereinbefore set forth.
The 26th day of May 1885.
H. GARDNER,
166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said M. J. Rowley
and C. A. Wheeler.