US1378320A - Street-traffic signal - Google Patents

Description

' E. BUCHANAN. SIREN TRAFFIC SIGNAL. APPLICATION FILED O CT. 7, 1920.

- Patented May 11.7, E921..

f nl x movement ofvehicles.

fuNlTED, STATES PATENT oFFIcE.

EDGAR BUCHANAN, 'oF sA.INA, KANSAS.

STREET-Tammo SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.` Patented May 17, 192.1. A

vApplication filled October 7, 1920. Serial No. 415,236..

To all whom t may concern r Be it known that :[,EDGAR B UoiirnNAN, a citizen of the'United States, residm at Salina; in the county of Saline andl tate of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Street-Traffic Signals; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will -enable others skilled 1n the art to which it appertains to-make and user the same.- l

rlhis invention relates to an lmproved street trafc signal `of the typel which -1s adapted to be embedded in a road-bed at the point of intersection of streets tod1rect the The principal object of the inventionl is to provide asignal of theabove mentioned type which. embodies an illuminating device which directs rays of light to the exterior of the device,"thereby permitting the/latter to` u effectively serve at night.

Another'and very important object of my invention is to provide a signal device of the night.

abovementioned class which is constructed from substantially indestructible material, and yet is of such construction that provldes a very effective means for directing traffic at A further object of the invention is to removablcv transparent lmember, and thus providing a-handhole,' which enables the electric globe to be readily replacedv in case f A still further object of theinvention is to provide a signal device of the above mentioned 'character embodying passages through which the rays of light pass, there being lenses disposed in these passages .and these lenses being positioned inwardly of the exterior surface ofthe device so .that they cannotpossibly .becomel damaged or broken.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the *course` of the following description. Y

. In-fthe vvaccompanying drawing forming a part-"fo'f-this specification and in whichV like numerals are employed to designate llke partsth-roughout the same :V

coming injured and broken.

relatively larger lens or glass 10 is'employed, this .lens being removably arranged within f a cup-like member 11y which is 'seated in the' Figure 1 is a side elevation of a traffic signal constructed in accordance with my invention.

F 2 is a top plan view thereof. VFig 3 is a central vertical sectional view taken n the plane of the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Referring to the drawing, wherein the preferred embodiment of' my invention is clearly illustrated, it will be seen that the numeral l' designates a vsubstantially dome-- llke reinforced concrete lbody which is provided in its underface-with a recess constitutin-g a chamber which is adapted to contain suitable illuminating means to behereinafter described.- Communicating witl this tending radially from the center of the body are a plurality of bores 3, and positioned centrally of thel body and also communicating with the chamber is a vertical tapered bore 4 which is provided at its outer Aend chamber and disposed horizontally and ex- A with a counter-bore,5. This body is adapted,l as is obvious, tol be embedded in a roadbed at the point of intersection of two` streets, and it is to be so embedded that theA horizontal bores 3 are above the'surface of the street.4 Embedded in the'body is a metal structure including a central frusto-conical .I

A-portion 6 which extendsinto thetapered bore @and a plurality of tubular arms 7 which extend radially from the part 6 into the radial bores 3, terminating adjacent the outer ends of these bores and being provided' at` these ends with beads 8. In practical use, the inner surfacesof the parts 6 and 7 will. be highly polished' so that they will assist greatly in reecting the rays of 'light -out through the bores 4 and 5 tothe exterlor.

Then they may be'readilyand easily seen by approaching'drivers. Atlthis point, I wish to vstate that Ithe outer'ends of the radial bores beyond the-beads 8are"directed upwardly to, throw the| rays oflightin this direction. Secured inthe beads l8 are colored lenses 9 which are diagonally inclined with respect to the surface of the`roaf1bed and are arranged inward of the exterior surface of the body to prevent them frombeaforesaid counterebore and is-centrally 'apertured and soldered or otherwise securedto vthe upper end of,the 'ntruncatedcone 6.

Another and 1ool Putty 12 or other easily removable material will be employed to retain the lens 10 in position and to permit it to be removed when ever necessary or desired. This tapered bore which the lens 10 covers, permits the rays of light to pass upwardly through it and serves as a hand-hole lby means of which the illuminating device may be repaired or removed. F or the purpose of permitting heat and gas to escape from the chamber 2, the body is provided with a plurality of vents 13.

The illuminating device may be of any suitable or desired construction. For the purpose of illustration, I have shown an ordinary electric bulb 14 and a socket carrying and. supporting member 15 provided with binding posts for connection of the necessary electric wires 16. This device is positioned on a block 17 and the latter is arranged on bricks or the like 18. With this arrangement, it will be seen that the bulb will be caused to extend upwardly into the conical part 6 of said metal structure and will be positioned in alinementv with the radial passages of the body to effectively distribute its rays through these passages to the exterior.

With the construction and. arrangement I employ, during rainy weather, water would naturally deposit in the pockets formed at the ends of the radial bores. To prevent such depositing of the water and to permit it to flow onto the pavement or street, I provide drain notches or recesses 19 which communicate with the outer ends of the bores in the manner clearly shown. v

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that I have devised an extremely advantageous and effective traffic 'signaling device which is practically indestructible, because of the fact that it is cast of concrete or other similar material. In case the electric bulb should become broken or burnt out, it can be easily replaced due to the fact that the device includes a hand-holeto permit me to do this very easily and readily. The lenses arranged at'the outer ends of the bores are positioned inward of the exterior surface of the body andconsequently they cannot become very easily broken or damaged. The metal structure which is embedded in the body is extremely advantageous because it provides a very simple and effective means forsupporting the lenses and, in view of the fact that its interior surfaces are highly polished, it serves as a plurality of `reflectors for effectively dis-` tributing the rays of light. In additiomto these features, I have provided novel'means for draining water from the pockets formed at the outer endsof the radial bores anddirect the rays of light upwardlyy at an angle so that they can be readily and easily seen Iat a distance but at the same time will vnot interfere with the drivers vision. These and other advantages and features of my invention have, no doubt, become apparent from the foregoing description.

A careful consideration of the description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, is thought to be sufficient to enable persons skilled in `the art to which this invention relates, to obtain a clear understanding of the same, therefore, a more lengthy description is deemed unnecessary. Since probably the best results may be obtained with the construction and arrangement shown, this construction and arrangement is taken as the preferred embodiment of .my invention. However, I wish it to be understood that various minor changes in the shape, size, \and arrangement of parts may be resorted towithout departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1.'A street signal of the type set forth comprising a practically indestructible body including a chamberfor containing illuminating means, and a plurality of horizontal radiating` bores communicating lwith the chamber and adapted to distributethe rays ing provided in its underface with a recess forming a chamber, and being further provided above said recess with a plurality of relatively long cylindrical horizontalradial bores and a relatively large vertical tapered bore, the latter having a counterbore at its outer end, lenses closing the outer ends of all of said bores, being disposed inward of the exterior surface of the body to prevent them 'from becoming broken by vehicle wheels which accidentally 'pass over the body, and an illuminating device in the aforesaid chamber, being removable through the aforesaid vertical tapered bore.

4l. A street signal comprising a body of substantially indestructible material to be embedded in a roadbed, being provided in its underface with a recess forminga chamber, and being also providedwith a plurality of horizontal radial bores and a vertical taered bore, a reflecting structure arranged 1n the body, including a central conical part fitted into the tapered bore, and a plurality of radial tubular arms extending through the radial bores, lenses connected to said arms and conical part, being arranged inward of the exterior surface of the body,

and an illuminating device in the chamber, chamber and further provided with a verti- -including'abulb extending into the tapered cal tapered bore also communicating With bore and positioned in alinement with the the chamber, an illuminating device 1n said horizontal bores. chamber, separate and independent reflec- 5 5. A street signal comprising a body comtors for each of said bores, and a lens for 15 Lnosed of a substantially indestructible'ma-V closing the outer ends ofeach bore.- terial, said body being provided in its under- In testimony whereof I 4have 'hereunto set face with a recessforminga chamber, and my hand. l p being also provided -with a plurality of hori- Y l0 zontal radial bores communicating with the EDGAR BUCHANAN.

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