Improvements in Automatically Signalling the Names of Railway Stations in Railway Carriages.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Jan., 1889
Complete Specification Left. 26th Sept., 1889-Accepted, 9th Nov., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatically Signalling the Names of Railway
Stations in Railway Carriages.
NETTERVILLE BRIGGS 113, Darenth Road, Stamford Hill, London, Middlesex,
Photographer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
A short distance from each Station and in the direction in which the train is
travelling, a horizontal iron or other metal bar is fixed to a post or wall, somewhat
above the level of the roofs of the carriages. On the roof of each compartment of a
carriage, are fixed two iron or other metal supports (one on each side of the roof).
Two iron, or other metal rods, pass across the roof of the carriage and through the
above named supports, in which they revolve. One of these rods has a small cogged
wheel fixed to it over the roof of the carriage, and at both ends, it has an iron or other
metal cross fixed, the bars of the cross being at right angles to each other. The
other rod has affixed to it, a large cogged wheel (in which the small wheel on the other
rod works) and a drum, having the names of the Stations through which the train
passes inscribed on it. This drum may be either circular, or have as many faces or
sides to it as there are Stations on the line. On leaving a Station, one of the arms of
the cross at the end of the rod before mentioned, is caught by the fixed horizontal
bar attached to the post or wall, which causes the smaller cogged wheel to revolve,
exactly one fourth of its circumference, and at the same time, brings up the next arm.
of the cross to a perpendicular position, ready to be caught by the fixed bar after
leaving the next Station. The smaller wheel having revolved one fourth of its
circumference, moves the larger wheel only a small portion of its circumference,
carrying with it the drum before mentioned. This drum dips slightly through the
roof of the carriage, and at the starting of the train, the name of the station at which
the train is standing is shown on the drum. On leaving the Station, the perpendicular
arm of the cross is caught by the horizontal bar fixed outside the Station, and
causes the drum partially to revolve, and bring the name of the next Station into
view, and so on at each station. On the return journey, the drum revolves in the
opposite direction, and therefore, so long as the carriage runs only through the
Stations inscribed on the drum, it will register accurately in whichever direction
the train may be travelling. Should the carriage be required on another line, it will
only be necessary to replace the drum by another, having the names of the Stations
on it through which the carriage is about to travel. On long lines it may be better,
instead of the drum, to have an endless chain, to which the names of the Stations are
attached, or an endless arrangement of jointed laths, similar to the wooden blind
shutters to shop fronts. In some forms of carriage, it would be preferable to have
a disk (carrying the names of the Stations) passing through the roof and showing
the names against the side of the carriages. The names in any arrangement
would show through glass, and all necessary parts would be protected from the
weather. A single stroke bell acted upon by the drum as it revolves, may be used
to call the attention of passengers, to the alteration of name on the drum.
Dated this 31st day of January 1889.
NETTERVILLE BRIGGS.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatically Signalling the Names of Railway
Stations in Railway Carriages,
I, NETTERVILLE BRIGGS, 113 Darenth Road Stamford Hill, N. 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 apparatus which, on a railway train leaving a station
shall automatically indicate to passengers the name of the next station.

page_text: For this purpose I mount on the roof of a carriage a star wheel or boss with three,
four or more projecting arms, and I provide near each station a stationary bar
projecting in such a position that as the carriage passes it, the star wheel is turned
one division round. The star wheel is connected by suitable gearing to an indicator
in the carriage, or in each compartment of the carriage, visible to the passengers.
The indicator may be a dial with the successive stations marked on it, each pointed to
successively by an index moved step by step by the star wheel, or it may be a disc,
drum or travelling web made to present the name of each station in succession at an
opening in the compartment. As the train leaves a station, the star wheels on the
carriages encounter the fixed bar and thus the indicators are moved so as to shew
the name of the next station. When the train moves in the opposite direction,
the indicators are also moved in the opposite direction giving the names of the stations
in reverse order.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings is a side view partly in section, Fig. 2 is an
end view and Fig. 3 is a part plan of a railway carriage provided with apparatus
according to my invention for indicating the station towards which the train is
proceeding. On a transverse shaft mounted on the top of the carriage I fix a star
wheel or cross A with several arms, and I connect this shaft by bevil gear B with a
longitudinal shaft which by suitable gear works several drums C. Each of these
drums has marked on its periphery the names of the successive stations, and presents
the name of one of them through an opening in the ceiling of the compartment over
which it is mounted.
By the side of the line, at the end of the platform, or just beyond it, I fix a bar D
in such a position as to meet the arms of the crosses A as the train passes the bar at
moderate speed. The crosses are thus turned partly round and they move the
drums (partly round so as to make them present the naine of the next station, which
can be seen by the passengers in the several compartments.
Obviously, the gearing which connects the cross A with the drums C may be
varied to suit various forms and arrangements of carriages. Also, instead of
employing drums C, dials with indices may be used or travelling webs with the
names of the stations marked thereon, and bells may be connected to them which
are caused to sound when a movement is made, so as to call attention to the change
of name prosented.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is ==
1. The herein described method of automatically signalling the names of railway
stations by presenting visibly in a compartment an indicator consisting of a drum
or its equivalent having the names of the successive stations marked thereon, this
indicator being moved by a star wheel or its equivalent acted on by a fixed bar
as the train passes it.
2. In combination with a bar fixed by the side of a railway a star wheel or its
equivalent in such a position on a carriage as to be moved partly round by the bar
as it passes, and drums or their equivalents marked with the names of successive
stations connected to the star wheel by suitable gearing, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
Dated this 26th day of Santamber 1884.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.