US426103A - William r - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

W. R. BOU'IS.

INDICATOR.

Patented Apr. 22, 1890.

% Ill/VE/VTOI? BY ii/'6' I ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM R. BOUIS, OF \VASIIINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

INDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 426,103, dated April 22, 1890.

Application filed December 21, 1889. Serial No. 334,513. (No model.)

To all w/tom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVILLIAM R. BOUIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vaslr ington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Indicators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has reference to an indicating device or bulletin-board for the purpose of denoting the presence or absence of persons or things, but more particularly the former.

The object of my invention is to provide more simple means which can be more easily operated, constructed, and kept in order than those hitherto in use.

With these ends in view my invention consists in the peculiar features and combinations of parts more fully described hereinafter, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents. a front view of my complete invention, and Fig. 2 an end view showing the hinged stop swung open.

The board A, which is by preference made of tin, is provided with a series of horizontal ways B, in which are loosely placed cards or flat strips G, bearing the names of the persons occupying the premises, as when the device is used for a boarding-house or like purpose.

In Fig. 2 it will be seen that the horizontal ways B are formed by means of strips of tin D, having their edges bent over to form guides E, which hold the cards in place and allow them to be slid back and forth, for the purpose which will presently appear.

Vertical stops F and H are placed upon opposite edges of the board and across the ends of the ways B, to close them and to limit the right and left movement of the cards. The right-hand stop is made movable to open and close the ways by beingprovided with hinges I, which. permit it to swing open, so that the cards can be slid out of the ways when re moval becomes necessary.

A pair of vertical strips or covers G G are placed over the ways B, and are located a sufficient distance from the edge of the board to permit the notices In and Out to be printed and seen upon that portion of the cards lying between the covers and stops F and H.

In endeavoring to remove the cards C the knobs K would come in contact with the righthand cover G, and in order to prevent this the cover is hinged at the top by the hinge \V, which permits it to be lifted up clear of the ways, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, and it is held in closed position by the catch Y at the bottom.

The hinged stop is fastened in closed position, as in Fig. 1, by means of the hook J.

The cards 0 are in the present instance provided with the notices In and Out, which are printed or otherwise made upon their opposite ends, so that one or the other will be visible when the card is shifted to the right or left by means of buttons K.

The figures 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 may be made upon the vertical covers to denote the number of the room occupied by the party whose name is opposite. In the present instance figure 1 shows that V. R. Bouis occupies room No. 1 and is out.

In operating my invent-ion the board is first hung upon the wall of a house, hotel, or other place where it is to be used, and when one of the occupants of the house goes out he takes hold of the knob or button 7c and shifts the card to the right. This action throws the ends of the card against the hinged stop H and brings the word In beneath the cover G, while at the same time the word Out appears upon the right, thus indicating that the occupant named upon the card is out. \Vhen the occupant returns, this, operation is reversed, and the word Out is hidden, while the word In is made visible.

It is evident that many slight changes which might suggest themselves to a skilled mechanic could. be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention; therefore I do not limit myself to the exact construction herein shown; but,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an indicating device, a series of horizontal ways, in combination with strips or cards provided with notices and located within said ways, and vertical covers located over the cards and in such juxtaposition to the notices upon the cards as to alternately expose one and hide the other, in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

2. In an indicating device, the combination, with a suitable board, of a series of horizontal Ways containing movable cards bearing notices, stops for limiting the backward and forward movement of the cards, and a covering located over the cards and adapted to hide one of said notices when the latter is shifted to the right or'left, in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

3. In an indicating device, a board pro- W'ILLIAM R. BOUIS.

Witnesses:

R. G. DU BoIs, F. P. DAVIS.

Images