Improvements in or relating to Station and Direction-indicators for Railways and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 29th July, 1899-Accepted, 28th July, 1900
Improvements in or relating to Station and Direction-indicators for
Railways and the like.
A communication from ANISSIM LEDOWSKY, Mechanical Engineer, of Moscow,
Russia.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111, Hatton Garden, in the County of London,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
-
This invention relates to an apparatus having for its object to indicate the
direction of the trains and the names of the stations which are to be passed,
said apparatus to be fitted in railway cars, to enable a passenger, on entering or in
the compartment, to see at a glance whether he is in the right train or not,
and indicating at each stoppage the names of the intermediate stations as well
as that of the terminal station.
Referring to the accompanying drawings:-
Figure 1 is a plan view of the apparatus.
Figure 2 shows a dial for recording the stations to be passed in a defined
journey, as for instance from Brussels to Antwerp and vice versa.
Figure 3 is a view of the interior of the device, showing the parts of the
mechanism.
Figure 4 is a side view of the stopping cam.
Figure 5 is a constructive form of the device.
Figure 6 shows a working detail of said device.
Figure 7 shows the arrangement of the rollers carrying the endless band.
Figure 8 shows a reducing valve for regulating exactly the pressure of the air
to be admitted to each device.
Figures 9 and 10 show a three-way valve for regulating the admission of the
air to the device and the escape of same after working.
Figures 11 11b show a diagrammatic elevation of the working mechanism fitted
within a van and the connection with the Westinghouse reservoir.
The apparatus consists of a dial A illustrated in Figure 2, and in dotted lines
in Figure 3, on which are printed the names of the stations to and through
which the train travels. The dial is fitted within a frame B provided with
sectional openings C, Figure 1, for showing the names or words indicating the
direction or destination of the train before starting and successively the next
stopping stations. The dial A is carried on a plate 1) by means of four pins a
Figures 2 and 3).
The dial may be made either of strong sheet paper, or pasteboard, metal or the
like with printed, enamelled or painted letters. It is easy to understand that
this system allows the dial of a certain journey to be replaced instantly by one
for another journey, when the coach or train changes its direction of travel.
By diminishing the sectional openings C and the dimensions of the letters, the
dial can contain a great number of indications or names.

page_text: A ratchet wheel q is keyed upon the axis of each operating roller N N and
is actuated by means of a lever r carrying a pawl r which is operated by the
piston rods of the cylinder L (or L¹), thereby, by its reciprocating motion turn-
ing the ratchet wheel and with it the roller N (or N¹) to the extent of one tooth
for each stroke.
The lever r, and with it the pawl r, is reciprocated by the piston rod s.
When
it is moved forwards its upper end becomes engaged in a notch in a spring t
whereby it is held until the pawl is drawn out of engagement with the ratchet
wheel on the back stroke of the piston, to enable the piston of the other cylinder L
to wind up a section of the band, as required.
Figure 7 shows a convenient arrangement of rollers and gear wheels for carry-
ing and moving the endless band. The band passes over the rollers P, Q, S, T,
U, N', N, V, W and X, which are geared together in pairs by suitably arranged
intermediate gear wheels, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 as shown, and mounted in the upper
wall of the frame.
Advertisements, notices and other indications may be arranged within another
frame placed over the first one. The motion is then imparted to the band upon
which they are placed by extending the shafts of the rollers N and N¹.
The number of such indications may be equal to that of the stations.
The circular apparatus of Figure 3 can be treated in a similar manner by
extending one or both ends of the worm spindle F in order to operate the inter-
mittent rotatory arts of one or two dials carrying the advertisements etc.
Figure 8 shows a reducing valve suitable for use in connection with the
cylinders of the apparatus. The air is admitted from the supply reservoir through
the tube passing through the regulating valve or cock 22 and main cock v to
the indicator cylinders.
In Figure 10 the cock is shown in its open position and in Figure 9 in its
closed position.
it
A bye-pass tube is branched off from the tube u above the cock v and com-
municates with a cylinder provided with a piston y the rod of which is guided
and has articulated to it levers z' and b b. The lever z¹ is connected to the
plug of the regulating device while the lever bb is pivotted to the framing at
its outer end and has attached to it near its middle a spring a¹ a¹ the other end
of which is attached to the casing.
Consequently when the cock is turned from left to right, i.e. opened, the
compressed air enters the pipe and acts below the piston y raising the rod z
thereby moving the lever and so tending to close the valve 22.
The piston has however to overcome the resistance of the spring a¹ a¹, the
spring of which is of such strength or so arranged that when the pressure has
attained say two atmospheres within the working passages of the apparatus, the
cock will be closed, through the action of the air upon the piston y having
overcome the resistance of the spring a¹ al. It will be evident that this device
secures a constant regular and well defined pressure within the passages.
After the apparatus has finished work, the cock is turned by hand into the
requisite position shown in Figure 9 and the air escapes through the port c c.
Figures 11 11b which together show one apparatus in diagrammatic elevation,
illustrate the whole operating mechanism of the device and of the indicating
table 0, of the driver, and another operating device, allowing the driver or other
person to operate the apparatus without leaving the compartment, and having
his hands free for his ordinary work.
A rod or rods connects the compressed air valve and a similar valve 1 on the
air supply chamber *.
By working a treadle or lever d d on said rod, the cock is turned in the
desired direction to admit compressed air to the indicating apparatus and regula-
tor in the manner already explained, said lever actuating simultaneously a similar
cock, on the auxiliary compressed air reservoir, which cock is normally
closed by means of a spring f for a counterpoise, when the foot lever is released.