provements in Route Indicators for Tram Cars and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Improvements in Route Indicators for Tram Cars and the like.
I, CHARLES REVILL BELLAMY, General Manager of the Liverpool Corporation
Tramways, of Sir Thomas Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
-
This invention relates to route indicators for tram cars and the like, and the
object is to provide a route indicator equally applicable for day or night use
(in which latter case it is illuminated) and so constructed that by a simple move-
ment it may be made to indicate any one of, say, four specified routes or, by
the substitution of an interchangeable rortion, to indicate any desired route.
The indicator consists of a square prismatic box which is adapted to rotate,
about the centres of its square ends, on fixed hollow axes; the sides of the box
are of opal glass or other translucent material and a different route is indicated
on each of the sides either by opaque letters on a translucent ground or by trans-
lucent letters on an opaque ground.
The hollow fixed axes on which the box rotates are carried through into the
interior of the box, and incandescent lamps are carried from the ends of the
axes, the leads for supplying the current being carried through the said axes.
A suitable catch is provided so that the box may be held in any one of four
quadrantal positions, and the box is so carried that its axis is horizontal and at
right angles to the length of the car; when so located, either behind or in front
of a car, it will be seen that only that side whose plane is vertical and remote
from the car body is seen from the street, and this is the side on which the parti-
cular route to be indicated is marked; by rotating the box into any one of its
four quadrantal positions any one of the four routes marked on the four sides
can be indicated.
One of the sides of the box is detachably secured and forms the door, and all
the doors of the various route indicators in use are made interchangeable so that
if a car is to be used on a route other than one of the four for which it is marked,
a door marked with that route can be easily substituted for the door in ordinary
use.
After dark the incandescent lamps are, of course, lighted, and as the material
either of the letters or of the back ground is translucent, the indicators are equally
effective by day or night.
The number of the sides may, of course, be greater or less than four, according
to the number of routes to be indicated.

page_text: Improvements in Route Indicators for Tram Cars and the like.
I, CHARLES REVILL BELLAMY, General Manager of the Liverpool Corporation
Tramways, of Sir Thomas Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates, to route.indicators for tram cars and the like, and the
object is to provide a route indicator equally applicable for day or night use
(in which latter case it is illuminated) and so constructed that by a simple move-
ment it may be made to indicate any one of, say, four or more specified routes,
or by the substitution of an interchangeable portion, to indicate any desired route.
The indicator consists of a prismatic box which is adapted to rotate, about the
centres of its ends, on fixed hollow axes; the sides of the box are of opal glass
or other translucent material and a different route is indicated on each of the
sides either by opaque letters on a translucent ground or by translucent letters
on an opaque ground.
A suit-
The hollow fixed axes on which the box rotates are carried through into the
interior of the box, and incandescent lamps are carried from the ends of the axes,
the leads for supplying the current being carried through the said axes.
able catch is provided so that the box may be held in any one of the desired posi-
tions, and the box is so carried that its axis is horizontal and at right angles
to the length of the car; when' so located, either behind or in front of a car, it
will be seen that only that side whose plane is vertical and remote from the car
body is seen from the street, and this is the side on which the particular route
to be indicated is marked; by rotating the box into any one of its positions, any
one of the routes marked on the sides may be indicated.
One of the sides of the box is detachably secured and forms the door, and all
the doors of the various route indicators in use are made interchangeable, so
that if a car is to be used on a route other than one for which it is marked, a door
marked with that route can be easily substituted for the door in ordinary use.
After dark the incandescent lamps are, of course, lighted, and as the material
either of the letters or of the background is translucent, the indicators are equally
effective by day or night.
The number of the sides is, of course, arranged according to the number of
routes to be indicated.
I have illustrated, by way of example, a route indicator with six sides, in the
accompanying drawings, in which Fig. I is an elevation, Fig. II an end elevation,
and Figs. III, IV, V and VI are detail views to a larger scale; Fig. III being an
elevation of the end of the box, partly in medial section, Fig. IV an end view
of one half of the end frame, Fig. Va detail of the cross bar and saddle piece,
and Fig. VI a perspective view of the spring.
"
The prismatic box in this particular example is six sided, and consists of two
end frames 1 connected together by six cross bars 2, of " Y' shaped cross-
section, provided at each end with an ear hy which they are secured to the
respective end frames. The peripheral portions of the end frames are, except at
the corners, of "L" shaped cross section as shown in Fig. IV, and their inwardly
projecting ledges form, with the inclined sides of the cross bars, the necessary
ledge on which the translucent sides 3 rest, and these latter are secured in posi-
tion by saddle pieces 4 secured to the cross bars. The ends 1 are each provided
with a centre bearing or collar 5, secured to them by bolts passing through the

page_text: radial bars and screwing into a washer piece 5*, the whole box so formed is
adapted to rotate on the hollow axes 6 and is kept in position axially by the nuts
and lock nuts as shown. The axes 61 are carried from standards 7 attached to
the frame work of the car. A lamp holder 8 is screwed into the inner end of
each of the hollow axes 6, and to these the incandescent lamps 9 are attached,
the leads 13 being led in through the standards 7 and the axes 6.
A spring 10 is also carried from the axis, but is incapable of rotation thereon,
and its notched end engages with the appropriate radial arm necessary to hold
the box so as to display the desired route lettering.
In order to prevent the confusion which might arise in event of two route let-
terings being each partially visible, I employ a screen; this consists of two
adjustable end frames 11 carrying two light metal plates 12, and these latter,
whilst allowing the one side of the box to be clearly visible between their margins,
effectually screen the two adjacent sides.
In the arrangement indicated, six distinct routes may be severally indicated
at the appropriate time, the indicator being rotated by the conductor as occasion
may require.
I have shown two incandescent lamps to provide the internal illumination of
the indicator, but, of course, if desired, more may be added; and I usually paint
the names of the routes in black opaque letters on a white translucent material
such as opal glass or the like, but in some cases the letters, or the translucent
material, may be coloured to further distinguish the cars.
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: -
1. The improved route indicator, consisting of a prismatic box with translu-
cent sides, on which the several routes are indicated, adapted to be rotated on
fixed hollow axes, which carry electric lamps located in the interior of the box,
and through which the conducting wires pass to supply current to the said lamps,
and means for locating the box in any desired angular position on the axes,
substantially as described and illustrated.
2. The combination of the prismatic box with translucent sides, the hollow
axes, the lamps, the locating spring and the screen; substantially as described
and illustrated.
3. The combination and arrangement of parts forming the improved route
indicator substantially as described and illustrated in Figs. I to VI.
Dated thin 10th dow of August 1000
SLOAN & LLOYD BARNES,
Chartered Patent Agents, 34, Castle Street, Liverpool.