US818870A - Signal. - Google Patents

Description

" la. Changeaba- EXHCW M v 'l' x Interchangeable Platesgw A PATENTED APR. 24, 1906. M. D. CAMPBELL.

SIGNAL. APPLICATION FILED APR. 13, 1905.

for removal.

NITED STATES PATENT opinaron SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 24, 1906.

Application iled April 13. 1905. Serial No. 255,296.

To a/ZZ whom t may concern.:

Be it known that I, MATTHEW D. CAMP- BELL, a citizen of the United States, and a` resident of Charlestown, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and Improved Signal, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to signals, and more particularly to those adapted for domestic use for conveying information to tradesmen delivering goods.

It consists in the various features and combinations hereinafter described and more particularly claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of one embodiment of my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section therethrough on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a rea:` elevation; and Fig. 4 is a detail in front elevation, showing another arrangement of information-cards.

I have here illustrated a support A, which may be composed of heavy cards 10 and 11, attached to one another in any suitable manner. In the support near its upper portion is an opening in which is secured a mirror 11, the reflecting-face of which is visible through the opening in the card 11, the mirror being held against displacement in this direction by an overhan ging shoulder 12 of the rear card. Attached to the card 10 and surrounding the opening is a frame 13, open at its top and f urnishing a hold cr to receive information-cards 14, which are preferably of such width that when two of them are placed side by side in the holder they will meet at the center. Cooperating with the adjacent upper corners of the information cards is a securing device, conveniently in the forni of a button 15, which may be rotatable about a pin 16, projecting from the support-card just above the frame. This button is eccentrically mounted, so that when turned downwardly it will overlap both cards to retain them in place, but when moved in the opposite direction through half a rotation it will leave them free Each of the information-cards bea-rs a character a., preferably furnished by perforating tlic'material, these characters being here shown as numerals. Through these perforated characters is visible either the silvered back of the mirror or some intcrx :mi

sheet, and to render the characters conspicuous the cards are of a strongly-contrasting color. Situated upon the card 10 just below the center of the frame is a spring holder or clip 17, adapted to grasp information-cards 18, which have upon them characters l).

. Attached to the card 11 below the mirror 1s a book 19, serving to receive a record of the information conveyed by the cards within the holders. The blank space upon the opposite side of the support below the frame may be ornamented or relieved by a picture or design 20.

From the top of the support, it conveniently passing through openings 20a therein, is a cord or flexible hanging member 21 for mountin the signal in the desired position. This cor may also pass through openings 22 in a reminder sli or card 23, which is so situated that it will e conspicuous to the person handling the signal and which may or may not bear an inscription to designate an act to be performed.

My improved signal is especially convenient foruse in conveying information to persons delivering ice. It has been customary to simply attract the attention of such individuals by the placing upon the house a card indicating that ice is desired. This either necessitates a preliminary call to ascertain the amount desired or else the bringing of a tentative piece, which may be too large or too small. In the former case it must be divided and a portion returned to the cart, and in the latter another trip to the cart must be made and a second block added to the chest. In either case the delivery-man is inconvenienced, and with the supply of a plurality of pieces the user suffers from the greater waste resulting from small blocks. With my invention the cards 14 are inserted in the frame to indicate any less number of pounds than one hundred and the support hung where the numerals may be seen from the street, the handling the reminder-card in hanging the support bringing to the mind of the user, for example, that water is to be put out for the purpose of Washing the ice. If the amount of ice to be purchased is one hundred pounds or more, one of the cards 18, bearin the letter l-I, as indicated in Fig. 4 of t e drawings, is placed in the clip 17 and a card 14 bearing units or fractions inserted in the frame to indicate the number of hundreds and portions thereof. When thus setting the z signal, the amount called for is entered in the www! IOO

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book 19, serving as a check upon the tradesman. If the purchase is t be made in units of value rather than weight, it may be indicated by placing one of the cards 18 having 5 upon it the letter C in the clip, the numerals within the frame at Such time showing the amount desired. When the signal is not in active use, it may be hung in the house .with the card 1 1 outward, the mirror then be- 1o ing both useful and ornamental.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- MATTHEW D. CAMPBELL.

Witnesses:

IDA F. FEYHL, SARAH J. CHAPMAN.

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