Train-handling indicator

Claim 2

A vehicle location indicator comprising an elongated flexible position-indicating tape, spaced tape-receiving spools, a tape display area between said spools, means for advancing said tape across the display area at a predetermined rate, means for presenting a representation of a vehicle on said tape as it is advanced, and means for varying the length of the vehicle representation to correspond, at the scale of the tape, to the length of a vehicle to which the indicator is to be operatively attached.

Claim 3

The indicator of claim 1 wherein said means for advancing the tape across the display area includes means providing electrical impulses in response to travel of an associated vehicle and means receiving said impulses and translating said impulses into mechanical movement to rotate one of said spools and advance the tape in synchronization with the travel of the vehicle.

Claim 4

The indicator of claim 2 wherein said means for providing the electrical impulses comprises a microswitch, cam means for periodically activating said switch, and means for adjusting the rate of movement of the cam means.

Claim 5

The indicator of claim 3 wherein the means receiving said impulses comprise a solenoid with a reciprocating armature, pawl means on said armature, gear means on said tape spools, an endless chain trained about said gear means, and means for selectively engaging said pawl means with said chain for selective movement of the chain and hence the gear means in opposed directions.

Claim 6

The indicator of claim 4 including clutch means between each tape spool and the associated gear means for selectively engaging each gear means with the corresponding spool, and means for effecting a clutched engagement between a first gear means and the associated first spool simultaneously with a declutching of the second gear means with the second spool and with the engagement of the pawl means in a manner so as to rotate the first spool for the winding of the tape thereon, and vice versa.

Claim 7

The indicator of claim 5 wherein said cam means is mounted on a rotating shaft, said means for adjusting the speed of movement of the cam means comprising a variable diameter cone on said cam means shaft and friction wheel means adjustably mounted for engagement with different portions of said cone, said friction wheel means constituting drive means for the cam means shaft and being driven in response to movement of the vehicle.

Claim 8

The indicator of claim 6 wherein the means for presenting a representation of a vehicle on said tape comprises opposed borders defining an area of contrasting color therebetween visible on said tape within the display area, said area of contrasting coLor constituting the vehicle representation, said means for varying the length of the vehicle representation comprising means for selectively varying the position of one of the borders relative to the other to change the length of the area therebetween.

Claim 9

The indicator of claim 1 wherein the means for presenting a representation of a vehicle on said tape comprises opposed borders defining an area of contrasting color therebetween visible on said tape within the display area, said area of contrasting color constituting the vehicle representation, said means for varying the length of the vehicle representation comprising means for selectively varying the position of one of the borders relative to the other to change the length of the are therebetween.

Claim 10

The indicator of claim 1 including a translucent panel spanning said display area behind said tape, illuminating means behind said translucent panel, a distinctive border across one end of said panel visible through said tape overlying the panel, a ribbon positioned between the tape and the panel, a distinctively colored portion on said ribbon of generally equal height with the border and visible through the tape, and means for varying the position of the colored portion relative to the border to correspond the space therebetween to the length of a particular vehicle at the scale of the tape.

Claim 11

The indicator of claim 9 including a second distinctively colored border across the second end of said panel visible through the overlying tape within the display area, and a second colored portion on said ribbon variably positionable relative to the second border for the provision of a vehicle representation adjacent the second end of the display area as an alternative to a representation at the first end of the display area.

Claim 12

A vehicle location indicator comprising an elongated flexible route information providing tape, a pair of tape spools having the tape wound thereon, a display area positioned for passage of the tape thereover upon movement from one spool to the other, means for advancing the tape across the display area at a predetermined rate, said means for advancing the tape comprising mechanical means periodically activated in response to electrical impulses the frequency of which corresponds to the speed of the involved vehicle, said mechanical means including a gear associated with each spool, clutch means associated with each spool and gear for a selective engagement and disengagement of each gear to its spool for a driving thereof, and an endless chain drivingly engaged with each gear, a power unit, chain-grasping means on said power unit selectively engageable with opposed portions of said chain for a selective movement of said chain in opposed directions, and means synchronizing the engagement and disengagement of the two clutch means with the selective engagement of the chain-grasping means with the opposed portions of the chain, said power unit activating the chain-grasping means for effecting a movement of the chain in either of two directions depending upon the portion of the chain engaged by the chain-grasping means, the movement of the chain, in each instance, being such so as to wind the tape on the spool having the associated gear clutch-engaged therewith.

Claim 13

A vehicle location indicator comprising an elongated flexible route information providing tape, a pair of tape spools having the tape wound thereon, a display area positioned for passage of the tape thereover upon movement from one spool to the other, means for advancing the tape across the display area at a predetermined rate, said means for advancing the tape comprising mechanical means periodically activated in response to electrical impulses the frequency of which corresponds to the speed of the involved vehicle, said mechanical means including a gear associated with each spool, clutch means associated with each spool and gear for a selective engagement and disengagement of each gear to its spool for a driving thereof, and an endless chain drivingly engaged with each gear, a power unit, chain-grasping means on said power unit selectively engageable with opposed portions of said chain for a selective movement of said chain in opposed directions, and means synchronizing the engagement and disengagement of the two clutch means with the selective engagement of the chain-grasping means with the opposed portions of the chain, said power unit activating the chain-grasping means for effecting a movement of the chain in either of two directions depending upon the portion of the chain engaged by the chain-grasping means, the movement of the chain, in each instance, being such so as to wind the tape on the spool having the associated gear clutch-engaged therewith.

Claim 14

A variable speed drive control unit for an electrically actuated vehicle position indicating unit, said control unit comprising a power takeoff coupling, an elongated drive shaft, gear means drivingly engaging said coupling with said drive shaft for driving of said drive shaft, a speed varying cone rotatably mounted generally parallel and in slightly spaced relation to said drive shaft, a friction wheel slidably mounted on said drive shaft and drivingly engaged with said cone, means for varying the longitudinal position of said wheel along said drive shaft for varying the point of engagement with said cone and thereby varying the rate of rotation of said cone, an enlarged camming wheel mounted on said cone for rotation thereby, said caMming wheel including a plurality of camming portions provided at spaced points peripherally thereabout, and switch means engaged with said camming wheel for periodic activation by the camming portions upon a rotation of said camming wheel and means for transmitting electrical impulses originating with said switch means.

Claim 15

A variable speed drive control unit for an electrically actuated vehicle position indicating unit, said control unit comprising a power takeoff coupling, an elongated drive shaft, gear means drivingly engaging said coupling with said drive shaft for driving of said drive shaft, a speed varying cone rotatably mounted generally parallel and in slightly spaced relation to said drive shaft, a friction wheel slidably mounted on said drive shaft and drivingly engaged with said cone, means for varying the longitudinal position of said wheel along said drive shaft for varying the point of engagement with said cone and thereby varying the rate of rotation of said cone, an enlarged camming wheel mounted on said cone for rotation thereby, said caMming wheel including a plurality of camming portions provided at spaced points peripherally thereabout, and switch means engaged with said camming wheel for periodic activation by the camming portions upon a rotation of said camming wheel and means for transmitting electrical impulses originating with said switch means.

Claim 16

A vehicle location indicator comprising an elongated position indicating tape, a tape display area, means for advancing said tape across the display area at a predetermined rate, means for presenting a representation of a vehicle on said tape as it is advanced, and means for varying the length of the vehicle representation to correspond, at the scale of the tape, to the length of a vehicle to which the indicator is to be operatively attached.

Claim 17

A vehicle location indicator comprising an elongated position indicating tape, a tape display area, means for advancing said tape across the display area at a predetermined rate, means for presenting a representation of a vehicle on said tape as it is advanced, and means for varying the length of the vehicle representation to correspond, at the scale of the tape, to the length of a vehicle to which the indicator is to be operatively attached.

Claim 18

The indicator of claim 13 wherein the means for presenting a representation of a vehicle on said tape comprises opposed borders defining a vehicle area within the display area, said vehicle area constituting the vehicle representation, said means for varying the length of the vehicle representation comprising means for selectively varying the position of one of the borders relative to the other border to change the length of the area therebetween.

Claim 19

A vehicle location indicator comprising an elongated flexible route information providing tape, a pair of tape spools having the tape wound thereon, a display area positioned for passage of the tape thereover upon movement from one spool to the other, means for advancing the tape across the display area at a predetermined rate, said means for advancing the tape comprising mechanical means periodically activated in response to electrical impulses the frequency of which corresponds to the speed of the involved vehicle, said mechanical means including clutch means associated with each spool for a selective engagement and disengagement of each spool for a driving thereof, and an endless drive member drivingly engaged with each spool through the associated clutch means, a power unit, drive members engaging means on said power unit selectively engageable with opposed portions of said drive member for a selective movement of said drive member in opposed directions, and means synchronizing the engagement and disengagement of the two clutch means with the selective engagement of the drive member engaging means with the opposed portions of the drive member, said power unit activating the drive member engaging means for effecting a movement of the drive member in either of two directions depending upon the portion of the drive member engaged by the drive member engaging means, the movement of the drive member, in each instance, being such so as to wind the tape on the spool having the associated clutch means engaged therewith.

Claim 20

A vehicle location indicator comprising an elongated flexible route information providing tape, a pair of tape spools having the tape wound thereon, a display area positioned for passage of the tape thereover upon movement from one spool to the other, means for advancing the tape across the display area at a predetermined rate, said means for advancing the tape comprising mechanical means periodically activated in response to electrical impulses the frequency of which corresponds to the speed of the involved vehicle, said mechanical means including clutch means associated with each spool for a selective engagement and disengagement of each spool for a driving thereof, and an endless drive member drivingly engaged with each spool through the associated clutch means, a power unit, drive members engaging means on said power unit selectively engageable with opposed portions of said drive member for a selective movement of said drive member in opposed directions, and means synchronizing the engagement and disengagement of the two clutch means with the selective engagement of the drive member engaging means with the opposed portions of the drive member, said power unit activating the drive member engaging means for effecting a movement of the drive member in either of two directions depending upon the portion of the drive member engaged by the drive member engaging means, the movement of the drive member, in each instance, being such so as to wind the tape on the spool having the associated clutch means engaged therewith.