Improvements in and relating to "In and Out" Indicators.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Mar., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 11th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 11th Jan., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to "In and Out" Indicators.
I, JOHN PARKER MILBOURNE, of 11 Brackley Road, Monton, near
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an automatic indicator and my object is to afford
information to persons calling at offices or the like as to whether the individual
they are seeking is in or out without having to mount the stairs or go far into the
building for this purpose.
I accomplish this object by having an indicating name plate at or near the
entrance of the building and connecting electrically or otherwise a hat peg in each
office to a press button and disc or other signal indicating and representing the
individual who uses the hat peg so that when a hat or coat is placed on the peg the
disc indicates that the owner is in when the caller presses the button in order to
ascertain this fact.
In place of coupling hat pegs to the press buttons and discs I might connect the
slides of an ordinary sliding name indicator.
Dated this 8th day of March 1895.
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
Agents for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to "In and Out" Indicators.
I, JOHN PARKER MILBOURNE, of 11 Brackley Road, Monton, near
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Electrical Engineer, 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 :-
My invention relates to an automatic indicator and my object is to afford
information to persons calling at offices or the like as to whether the individual
they are seeking is in or out without having to mount the stairs or go far into the
building for this purpose.
I accomplish this object by having an indicating name plate at or near the
entrance of the building and connecting electrically or otherwise a hat peg in each
office to a press button and disc or other signal indicating and representing the
individual who uses the hat peg so that when a hat or coat is placed on the peg the
disc indicates that the owner is in when the caller presses the button in order to
ascertain this fact.
In place of coupling hat pegs to the press buttons and dises I might connect the
slides of an ordinary sliding name indicator.
And in order that my invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect I will describe the accompanying sheet of drawings reference being had
to the figures and letters marked thereon.

page_text: Fig. 1 is a front view of an indicating name plate with the cover partly removed,
and Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation, taken on the line A A, Fig. 1,
Figs. 3 and 4 represent a back view and side elevation respectively of a pivoted
hat peg and
Fig. 5 is a front elevation, and Fig. 6 an edge view of a sliding name indicator,
either the hat peg or the sliding name indicator can be used in connection with the
name plate shown in Figs. 1 and 2.
In Figs. 1 and 2,-a is the body and the cover of the name plate the press
buttons fitted in the cover each button c being held by two springs dd out of
contact with two spring contact pieces e e in the position indicated in Fig. 2.
Secured to the body a is an "in and out" dial and pivoted to the body is an
electro magnetic needle g placed between electro magnetic coils of which the
coil is connected by wires i to the contact pieces e and the coil h¹ is connected by
wires to the contact pieces e'.
The hat pegj, see Figs. 3 and 4, is pivoted at ¹ to a metal plate k to which
plate are secured two insulating blocks on each of which is secured a metal spring
piece m m. The spring piece m is counected by a wire n to the coil and the
spring piece m by a wire n' to the coil ; to a screw o on the plate k is attached
a wire p, from a battery, not shown, which wire places the plate k and hat peg i
in an electric circuit. The hat peg j is held by a light spring q normally in the
position shown in full lines, Fig. 4, with its end j¹ resting in contact with the
lower spring piece m so that by pushing the corresponding button and closing
the electric circuit to the electro magnetic coil h by means of the spring contact
piece the name indicator will show "out if the peg is in the position shown in
full lines in Fig. 4.
"
When the hat peg is depressed by the weight of the owner's hat or coat thereon
into the position indicated by dotted lines, Fig. 4, and its end is brought into
contact with the upper spring piece m¹ the other electric circuit to the magnetic
coil will be closed when the button is pushed inward and the needle will be
moved to indicate that the person is "in."
" indicator which is
In Figs. 5 and 6,-q is the base plate of the "in and out
placed in an office in place of the pivoted hat peg and for the same purpose; to
this indicator are secured two terminals r r which are connected by wires shown
Mounted on this
in dotted lines, Fig. 5, to two contact studs 3 on the plate g.
plate is a studs on which is pivoted a spring contact levers and below this lever
and connected to it by a stud t¹ is a sliding plate t. The terminals r¹ are
connected by the wires an¹ respectively to the coils while the stud sis
connected by a wire p to a battery, not shown. The lever s' is shown with its end
in contact with the contact stud and when the corresponding button c on the
indicating name plate is pushed the electric circuit between the terminal r and the
coil will be closed and the needle on the name plate will indicate that
the indicator in the office stands at "out.'
When the occupant is in his office and moves the spring lever s¹ so as to bring it
out "and uncover
over the contact stud the plate t is moved to cover the word ".
"in" and the corresponding press button c is pushed and thus the circuit is closed
between the contact stud terminal and coil and the needle g will move to
"in" thus indicating that the occupant is in his office.
One feature of my invention is the combination and arrangement of parts
whereby a single electro magnetic needle or other suitable indicator is made to
serve for any number of names on an indicating plate the electric circuit being only
closed and the battery in action during the time that a press button or its
equivalent is pressed inward to ascertain whether the owner of the corresponding
hat peg or name indicator is "in or out."
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed-I wish it to be clearly
understood that I lay no broad claim to the use of a pivoted or movable hat peg

page_text: as a means for actuating an "in and out" indicator as I am aware that such have
been used prior to my present invention but-I declare that what I claim is :-
In combination, a series of pivoted or movable hat pegs, or "in" and "out"
indicators, each connected electrically to a spring contact maker actuated by a
press button on a name plate, so that by pressing any one button and closing the
electric circuit controlled thereby an electro magnetic needle or other suitable
indicator will be actuated to show whether the owner of the corresponding hat peg
or indicator is "in or out" substantially as herein set forth.
Dated this 10th day of December 1895.
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
17 St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for Applicant.