IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR ENABLING PERSONS IN CABS OR OTHER VEHICLES TO COMMUNICATE WITH OR GIVE DIRECTIONS TO THE DRIVERS OF THE SAME
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Farleigh Armstrong of Beckenham in the County of Kent
for an Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR ENABLING PERSONS IN
CABS OR OTHER VEHICLES TO COMMUNICATE WITH OR GIVE DIRECTIONS TO
THE DRIVERS OF THE SAME
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Farleigh Armstrong at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th April 1883.
FARLEIGH ARMSTRONG of Beckenham in the County of Ként " IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR ENABLING PERSONS IN CABS OR OTHER VEHICLES TO COMMUNICATE
WITH OR GIVE DIRECTIONS TO THE DRIVERS OF THE SAME
"
My invention relates to signalling apparatus designed for use in cabs, and other
vehicles.
Heretofore considerable difficulty has been experienced by the occupants of cabs
and other vehicles in communicating with the drivers thereof. The object of my
said invention is to overcome these difficulties and to provide a simple, cheap and
efficient means of communication.
According to the said invention I provide a suitable box or case, which is let
into the roof of a cab or otherwise suitably arranged for containing the mechanism
hereinafter described. The upper part of the said case which projects through the
roof is provided with a metal cap or cover having a number of openings at which
the instructions to the driver are caused to appear. I usually have only five
openings as being sufficient for all ordinary purposes. The outer openings at the
right and left are respectively used for "right turn" and "left turn;" the next for
right side" and "left side" respectively and the central one for "stop"
"
I have given these indications merely as examples, as it is obvious that both the
number and the character of the instructions may be varied without departing
from the nature of this invention.

page_text: For the purpose of exposing the necessary instructions on the indicator I fix
within the said box or case a number of spring catches over each of which is placed
a guide carrying a slide having attached to it a small indicator which is adapted
to come before the said openings, to the lower side of each of the said slides is
attached a hook, adapted to engage with the corresponding spring catch and to one 5
end thereof a small rod or push which projects through the side of the metal cap or
cover. These pushes, when in their normal position, are almost entirely within the
case the hooks on the slides being in engagement with the spring catches.
The spring catches have attached to them cords or wires the pulling of which
draws down the said catches from engagement with the hooks on the bottoms of 1
the slides, which being thus released are caused to move along the guides by the
pressure of spiral springs one of which is provided for each slide, the said springs
being compressed by the driver when the push is forced in to reset the apparatus
after it has been operated to give some instruction. Other springs are arranged
as cushions to prevent any concussion when the slides are released and also to 1
cause the indicators to coincide with the opening in the cover
The instructions may be painted on the indicators so that when the latter are
released with the slides they will come in front of the openings; or, the instructions
may be painted over the said openings and the indicator painted with some
distinctive color which will show when the apparatus is operated and indicate to
the driver which of the instructions he is to follow. A bar carrying a small hammer
is arranged to be acted upon by small arms or projections upon the slides, in such
a manner, that when a catch is released to give some instruction to the driver the
said hammer will ring a bell and attract the driver's attention.
A bar or the like provided with a number of small guide rollers or pulleys is
arranged within the box at such an angle that the cords or wires which are con-
nected to the spring catches shall not come in contact with each other. Other
guides are also arranged within the vehicle in a similar manner, over which the
wires or cords will pass to a plate provided with a number of pulls by which the
respective spring catches are moved.
The said plate is provided with a number of grooves or slots corresponding with
the number of openings in the cap. Each of these grooves carries a pull which is
connected with one of the said cords or wires. These pulls are arranged on the
plate in such a manner that the occupants of a vehicle can pull one of them without
his fingers coming into contact with the others.
Each of these pulls is marked in a corresponding manner to the indicator against
the driver so that no mistake shall be made in the instruction given.
If a person is desirous of turning to the right he draws down the pull to the
extreme right of the plate and with it the spring catch whereby the slide on the
right hand side of the indicator is released and the instruction "right turn" is
given to the driver
In a similar manner any other instructions can be given as desired.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Farleigh Armstrong in the Great Seal Patent Office. on the.
5th October 1883.
FARLEIGH ARMSTRONG, of Beckenham, in' the County of Kent " IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR ENABLING PERSONS IN CABS OR OTHER VEHICLES TO COMMUNICATE
WITH OR GIVE DIRECTIONS TO THE DRIVERS OF THE SAME.”
My invention relates to apparatus for enabling persons in cabs or other vehicles
to communicate or give directions to the drivers of the same.
Heretofore considerable difficulty has been experienced by the occupants of caba
and other vehicles in communicating to the drivers thereof instructions such as
when to stop, or when and in which direction to turn.
The object of my present invention is to provide simple, inexpensive and efficient
apparatus whereby such communication can be effected.
My said invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which.
Figure 1 is a plan of my improved indicating apparatus with the cover partly
broken away to shew the internal mechanism.
Figure 2 is a section thereof on the line a, a, Figure 1, the bell being shown in
elevation.
Figure 3 is a sectional side elevation of the same, showing also the means for
operating the indicators, and
Figure 4 is a sectional view of part of the apparatus:
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the drawing.
A is a box or case, which can be fitted into the roof of a cab or similar vehicle,
or otherwise suitably arranged upon the same. The upper part of the case shown
in the drawing projects through the roof and is provided with a metal cap or
cover A' having a number of apertures B. Five of these apertures are generally
sufficient for all ordinary purposes, but any other number may be employed.
I arrange a series of indicating devices within the caso A, each of which devices
is constructed as follows, that is to say, two guide-bars C are fixed to the sides of
the said case and carry between them a slide D having attached to it an indicator
or tablet E which is arranged below the cap or cover A so that it is visible through
one of the apertures B. The slide D is made with a hook or projection D' on its
underside, which hook is adapted to engage with a spring catch F fixed at F¹ to
the side of the case A. A. rod G having a head G¹ passes through the side of tho
cap or cover A' and bears upon, or is attached to, the slide D. This rod, when the
hook or projection D' is engaged with the catch F, is almost entirely within the
caso A. The spring catch F has a cord or wire H attached to it for drawing the
said catch out of engagement with the hook or projection D'. A spiral spring I
surrounds the guide-bars C and bears upon one end of the tablet E. This spring
is compressed when the hook D' is engaged with the spring catch F. A spiral
spring J also surrounds the said guide-bars C. This spring acts as a cushion to
diminish the concussion when the slide D is released as hereinafter set forth; and
the said spring also causes the indicator or tablet to assume the proper position
relatively to the aperture in the cover A¹. One of the said indicating devices is.
arranged in combination with each of the apertures B.
A flat bar K is pivotted at its upper edge to the sides of the case A and bears
lightly upon the push-knob L of the bell M. A spring arm N is attached to each
of the slides D and is so arranged that, when either of the catches F is released,
the corresponding arm N will press upon the pivotted bar K and thereby cause
the hammer O to strike the bell to attract the driver's attention.
P is a bracket provided with a number of small guide-rollers or pulleys Q,
This bracket is arranged within the box or case A at such an angle that the cords

page_text: or wires H which are connected to the spring catches F shall not come in contact
with each other. P' is a similar bracket also provided with pulleys and
arranged within the vehicle at a suitable angle. Over these pulleys Q the wires
or cords H pass to a number of hooks or buttons R capable of sliding up and
down in slots in the plate S, to which hooks or buttons the said cords or wires are
attached.
The plate S is provided with grooves or slots corresponding in number with the
apertures B in the cap or cover A'. Each of these grooves carries a hook or
button R which is connected with one of the said cords or wires. The said hooks
or buttons are arranged on the plate as shown, so that the occupant of a vehicle
can pull one of them without his fingers coming into contact with the others.
It will be seen that the cover A¹, opposite the apertures B, commencing from the
lower one, is marked "Left turn," "Left side," "Stop," "Right side;" and the said
cover, opposite the top aperture, is marked "Right turn." This is the arrangement
which I prefer to employ, and I also prefer to make the central aperture square
and the other apertures circular, as shown.
I have given these indications merely as examples, as it is obvious that both the
number and the character of the instructions may be varied without departing
from the nature of my said invention.
The plate S below the hooks or buttons R is marked in a similar manner to
the cover A¹ so that no mistake shall be made in the instructions given. In the
drawing, the central hook R is shown pulled down and the central indicator is
shown in the corresponding position.
The instructions may, if desired, be painted on the indicators or tablets, so
that, when the latter are released, the said instructions will be visible through
one of the apertures B; or the instructions may be painted over the said
apertures and the indicator or tablet be painted with some distinctive colour
which will show when the apparatus is operated, and indicate to the driver
which of the instructions he is to follow. In some cases I provide for using
the apparatus at night, by painting that part of the indicator tablet that is
normally visible with Balmain's luminous paint, and I paint the other part thereof
black as shown in the drawing.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows, that is to say :-If the occupant of
the cab or other vehicle is desirous of turning to the right hand, he draws down
the hook or button to the extreme right of the plate S and with it the spring &
catch F so as to release the corresponding slide D and cause the indicator or tablet
opposite the words "Right turn" to be operated, and thus inform the driver how
he is to proceed. In a similar manner any other instructions can be given as
desired. The indicators can be returned to their normal positions by the driver
by means of the rods G.
Having thus fully described my said invention and the manner of performing
the same I wish it understood that I Claim :-
4
The above described improved apparatus provided with a series of indicators or
tablets which are arranged within a case having a corresponding series of apertures
and are provided with means for operating them to communicate directions to the 4
driver of a cab or other vehicle, substantially as, and for the purposes, set forth.
In witness whereof I the said Farleigh Armstrong have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Fourth day of October in the year of Our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.