Just A Car Guy: Be it known that I, George E. Boyden, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Vehicle Signaling Systems! (so begins a strange patent from a chauffeur in Manhattan for a record player that helps a driver navigate)

Tuesday, October 23, 2018

Be it known that I, George E. Boyden, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Vehicle Signaling Systems! (so begins a strange patent from a chauffeur in Manhattan for a record player that helps a driver navigate)

My invention relates to signaling apparatus for vehicles, and its object is to provide means for announcing to the driver of an automobile the directions for following a predetermined route at a rate proportionate to the speed, using a phonograph provided with a record of the directions relating to a predetermined route to be followed by said vehicle

(George Boyden patented a new way to navigate: Install a phonograph in your car to play audio recordings through a megaphone in front of the steering column. “The talking machine at the proper times will announce the directions whereby the driver will be enabled to follow a predetermined route.” How does it know where you are? The phonograph is connected to the car’s wheels and will engage only when you’ve traveled certain predetermined distances.)

An illustrative embodiment of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an automobile provided with my improved apparatus.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of my improvement with the casing removed.
Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section taken on the line 3-3-of Fig. .2.
Fig. 4 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the phonograph control apparatus, the section being taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2.
Fig. 5 is a plan view of my improvement with the casing in position, certain parts being broken away to show the lock for securing the casing to its base.
Fig. 6 is a section taken on the irregular line 6-6 of Fig. 5, certain parts being shown in elevation and certain other parts being omitted for the sake of clearness; on the line 77 of Fig. 5.
Fig. 7 is a transverse section taken.
Fig. 8 is a transi more fully disclosing my invention, 20 represents an automobile having my signaling apparatus 21 secured there to in the position v in which I prefer to place it, namely, on the dash-board in proximity to the steering post 23, so that the megaphone 22 will be directly in front of the driver, although it will be understood of course that both the signaling apparatus and its megaphone may be located in any other suitable position, for example, being placed beside instead of in front of the driver.

https://patents.google.com/patent/US1168053A/en

Keep in mind, this was the highest tech at the time, and might have appealed to some people who didn't want to try and figure out AAA's Blue Book road instructions that were the same information, which the driver had to correlate by keeping an eye on the odometer if he had one, and the directions.