Headcode blinds

[ted307]

Manual headcode blinds and 3 or 4 track bus blinds had one winding handle and a selector handle. Can anyone give a detailed explanation on how this works ?
There is one question re this on the rail forum from 2013, but not very detailed answers. Thanks.

 

[Mike99]

Back in the day driving Leyland Nationals for Stagecoach I think you moved the selector to the corresponding point for each blind then turned the handle for the blind until the correct number, or letter, was reached, repeat if necessary and bobs your uncle, job done.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Back in the day driving Leyland Nationals for Stagecoach I think you moved the selector to the corresponding point for each blind then turned the handle for the blind until the correct number, or letter, was reached, repeat if necessary and bobs your uncle, job done.

Same for locos and units. If you didn’t get the selector right you’d turn two blinds at once.

 

[Belperpete]

There are photos of such a mechanism on this ebay listing:
Bus Destination Roll Bristol Names With Winding Case Mechanical Changeable Names

Looking at the last two photos of the back, or driver's side of the blind, you will see that the destination blind has just a handle that you use to turn the blind. The three number blinds have a single handle with a selector lever that you use to select which of the three blinds you will turn when you wind the handle. This saves having three separate winding handles, which would be difficult to fit in. You would turn the selector lever to select the first blind, turn the handle and it would turn the first blind, then you would select the second blind and turning the handle would turn the second blind, and so on.

The selector handle seems to operate a rod. How that physically selects the relevant blind isn't obvious from the photos. Perhaps if you have a spare £300 to spare you could buy it and find out......

 

[pokemonsuper9]

If you didn’t get the selector right you’d turn two blinds at once.

Sounds like a way to change the blinds more efficiently

 

[Deafdoggie]

The selector handle seems to operate a rod. How that physically selects the relevant blind isn't obvious from the photos.

In over simplified teems, the selector pushes a cog up to engage with a cog on the relevant number blind. It's a simple mechanism and it rarely failed.

 

[jumble]

In over simplified teems, the selector pushes a cog up to engage with a cog on the relevant number blind. It's a simple mechanism and it rarely failed.

So simple that the A60 and A62 Met trains used it for 50 years
Lever on left switches between 4 0 7
Lever on right winds the blind




== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 3 Jul 2024 ==

There are photos of such a mechanism on this ebay listing:
Bus Destination Roll Bristol Names With Winding Case Mechanical Changeable Names

Looking at the last two photos of the back, or driver's side of the blind, you will see that the destination blind has just a handle that you use to turn the blind. The three number blinds have a single handle with a selector lever that you use to select which of the three blinds you will turn when you wind the handle. This saves having three separate winding handles, which would be difficult to fit in. You would turn the selector lever to select the first blind, turn the handle and it would turn the first blind, then you would select the second blind and turning the handle would turn the second blind, and so on.

The selector handle seems to operate a rod. How that physically selects the relevant blind isn't obvious from the photos. Perhaps if you have a spare £300 to spare you could buy it and find out......

If anyone was seriously interested I could post some photos of the internal mechanism

 

[Bevan Price]

In over simplified teems, the selector pushes a cog up to engage with a cog on the relevant number blind. It's a simple mechanism and it rarely failed.

A similar mechanism was used on spme buses to change the route number blinds.

 

[Belperpete]

So simple that the A60 and A62 Met trains used it for 50 years
Lever on left switches between 4 0 7
Lever on right winds the blind

If anyone was seriously interested I could post some photos of the internal mechanism

With the bus one in the eBay listing, the selector handle is integral to the winder, with a mechanical linkage to transfer the selector movement to the other side. Having a separate selector handle on the other side to start with seems a much simpler arrangement.

However, what I don't understand is that in the photos on that eBay listing, the winder seems to be mechanically connected to rotate the axles that pass through both top and bottom drums of all three number blinds. How do two of the three drums remain stationary if their axles are rotating? I would be interested in some photos of the innards if you could. Unfortunately I have drawn a blank getting an explanation out of Google.

 

[Whistler40145]

Presumably, different mechanisms on Splitbox 37s and 40s to the Centre Headcode locos

 

[The exile]

Presumably, different mechanisms on Splitbox 37s and 40s to the Centre Headcode locos

If you’ve only got two blinds it’s presumably usually easier just to have a winder each.

 

[ted307]

With the bus one in the eBay listing, the selector handle is integral to the winder, with a mechanical linkage to transfer the selector movement to the other side. Having a separate selector handle on the other side to start with seems a much simpler arrangement.

However, what I don't understand is that in the photos on that eBay listing, the winder seems to be mechanically connected to rotate the axles that pass through both top and bottom drums of all three number blinds. How do two of the three drums remain stationary if their axles are rotating? I would be interested in some photos of the innards if you could. Unfortunately I have drawn a blank getting an explanation out of Google.

Your second paragraph sums up my frustrations. Lots of pics of blind boxes but no explanation about how one drum works while the other 2 or 3 remain stationary. Fleetwood Transport Sunday on 21 July. I might find the owner of an elderly bus who can give me the answer.