US1690971A - Traffic signal - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 6, 192a. 1,690,971

- J. B. FREIDAH TRAFFIC SIGNAL Filed Oct. 24, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WXTNESSES w' w BY Nov. 6, 1928. 1,690,971

J. B. FREIDAH TRAFFI C S I GNAL Filed Oct. 24, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES MfWW.

INVENTQR Judsonfil reidalu ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 6, 1928.

ITED wwn eon-is; vrivaling-E, or nnw' YORK, Y.

V oFHciE.

Iii-Arno sI'einiL.

time fi1ed' ctober24, 125. "swarm, 64,683.

'This invention relates to accessories for motor vehicles designedlas a means iforsignal ing to approaching or following traflic that a the, present applicationthe device includes a combination ofielectrically and mechanically operated means for visualizing "the signa i One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a traffic signaling device for'motor vehicles, which is comparatively simple in its constructiona'nd mode of operation, inexpensive to smanufact'ure and install, highly eflicient,.and thoroughlyrelh able and positive in its action.

Withthe above recited and other-objectsin view, reference is had to the following specification and accompanying drawings in which there .is exhibited oneexample or embodiment of the invention ,which "is in no Way in,- tended as a limitation upon the scope of the appended claim asit is to be clearly under- 7 stood that variations and modifications which properly fall within thesco'pe'of said claim maybe resorted to when found expedient. I

In the drawings 1 Figure '1 is apers ective view illustrating the signal inits app ied' position one motor vehicle ,Fig. 2 is an enlarged rear View thereof; 1

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the. same; f p r Fig. 4 is a sectional View takenfapproXfi-j mately on the line 4-4 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 5 is a sectional viewtaken approximately on the line 5+5 of'Fig. ,4;

6 is a sectional view through thermanipulating knob and the manual lamp controlling switch; I i

Fig. 7 is a face view of'the frohtsignaling member-or plate 7 I Fig. '8 is a diagrammatic View of the electric switch. 1

Referring to the drawings'by characters of reference, 10 designates a casing preferably ofcircular form having a front section 11 constituting the body, of the casing and thebody is pro vided with a laterally and inwardly projecting tubular arm 13 which is suitably supdevice '14: from the ported by a clamping windshield W- of an open car or in other suitable manner from the body of a closed car. 'The rearw-all 15 of the casing 1O and the-front 'wall of the cover or front'section 11, are provided with alined window open ings 1'8 the'lower portionof therear wall' 14 has mounted thereon a rear View mirror 21 whereby the device-serves both as'asignaling deviceand a, means for observing following traffic. g

A hearing strap22 has itsm'aj or portion a-r. ranged horizontally one extremity 23 bent upwardlyatanangle, the opposite'te'rminalsof strap being secured to the annular wall of the casingbody. The medial portion of the strap is formed W'ithabearin'g24 in which a shaft-'25 is journale'd, the saidfshaftbeing disposed axially of thecasing. The bearing strap 22 and bean ing 24 'are vertically slotted centrally to ac-. coininodate' a pinionf26keyed to the shaft 25; At its frontandreanends the shaft 25 has secured thereto for turning movement therewith, front and rear disks of opaque material. The disk27 is provided with circu'm ferentiallyspacedi cutout portions ,29 and 30 of'a" configuration 1 to represent hands pointing opposite directions, while the rear disk 28is1 provided with circumferen tially spaced cutout o portions 81,32 and 3'3, the cutout portion 31" being of a configuration s'imulatingan upraised hand, and the latter cutout portions 32 and 33 -represent-- ing hands pointing respectively in opposite directions, which latter cutout portions 32 and 33 are'disposed in alinement with "the cutout portions 29 and 30. j

The inner end of thetubul'ar arm "in addition to carrying the clamping' means '14,

' supports and communicates with a housing '34 whichlis disposed within the'confines of the upper part of the vehicle and within conven- V ient reach of the operator.

p p Extending through therear wan of the housing 34, is a within the "casing with aRcover which is hinged at 12 to I and 19 eachcover'ed by a transparent panel 20. Preferably th'e'iouter surface of I to the shaft registry conductor 53 leading hands, thereby tubular shaft 35, which has attached to the portion arranged within the housing, a pin- 7 ion 36, the teeth of which mesh with the teeth 7 of a rack bar 37 which extends through the tubular arm 13 and into the casing 10. The outer end of the rack bar 37 has telescopically associated therewith a rack bar 38, which is secured to the rack bar 37 by a retaining screw 39. The teeth of the rack bar 38 mesh with the teeth of the pinion 26 so that turning movement imparted to the tubularsha'ft' 35 will impart a similar turning movement for turning the disks 27 and 28 in order to selectively dispose the alined cutout portions 29 and 32 or 30 and 33 in registry with the window openings 18 and 19 of the casing, or the cutout portion 31 in therewith. V

The cutout portions 29, 30, 31, 32 and 33 are filled with a translucent material which is of a color or shade not readily distinguishable from the coloror shade of the disk when an external light is cast thereon but which uponthe castingof light reflections therethrough-renders said filled cutout portions clearly distinguishable from the disks to display the same.

Supported from thebearing strap 22 and approximately in alinement with the window openings 18 and 19, is an electric lamp,- 41, mounted in a lamp socket 42 from which a circuit return wire 43 leads 'to. one pole of a battery or other source ofsupply 44. From the opposite pole of the battery or source of supply 44, a circuit wire 45 leads to and is connected with branch feed wires 46 and 47, the former being connected to'one of a pair of spaced contacts 48 of a switch including a bridging element 49, the remaining spacedcontact 48being connected by a circuit wire 50 to a stationary contact 51, which stationary contact 51 isin turn connected by a branch feed'wire 52 to the feed to'the lamp socket. The conductor 53 is connected by a branch circuit wire 54 to a second stationary contact element55. Theicontac-t elements 51 and 55 are spaced from each other and mounted upon a suitable arcuate insulated support 56 within the housing 34. The tubular shaft 35 has secured thereto a radial arm 57, the freeend of which has connected thereto and insulated therefrom, a contactelement 58 connected to the branch circuit wire 47 and movable with the arm 57 when the tubular shaft is turned. The spacing of the contacts 51 and 55 is such that when the the alined cutout portions 29 and 32 and 30 and 33 in registry with the window openings 18 and 19, the movable contact element 58 will respectively engage with the'contacts 55 and 51 so that the lamp 41 will be 'energized and lighted to display through the front and rear window openings 18' and 19, thepointed indicating to following or shaft 35 is rotated to dispose approaching traflic that a turn is contemplated.

However, when the vehicle is traveling in a straight 7 direction, the shaft 35 will be turned to an intermediate position disposing the pointed hands out of registry with the window openings and the contact element 58 consequently out of contact with either of the contact'elements 51 or 55, to tie-energize and extinguish the lamp. In this relation the upraised open hand designated by the cutout-portion 31 will be disposed in alinement with and displayable through the rear window opening 18. In ordertovisualize through the window opening, said cutout'portion 31, the lamp 41 is energized or lighted by bringing the bridging element 49 into bridging relation with the spaced contacts 48. The switch which includes the spaced contact elements 48 and bridging element 49, is enclosed in a hollow knob 60, which is secured to the rearwardly projecting end of the hollow shaft 35 by a set screw 61. The circuitwires 46 and'50 are led through'the tubular shaft 35 and connected to the spaced contact" elements 48 which are supported by an insulated member 62 in which the bridging element 49. is arranged. a 'rearwardly projectingshank 63 extending through the knob and provided with a manipulating head 64 which'upon rearward pulling movement, causes the bridgingelement to bridge the spaced contact elements. The knob is preferably provided with an indicating device 65 which when disposed upwardly indicates the normal neutral posi-' tion of the signal, n

In use and operation, when the driver of the vehicle "contemplates a stop he pulls rearwardly on the-head 64 to bridge the spaced contacts 48 for closing the circuit to energize thelamp 41. This displays to following traffic the upraised open hand for giving an unmistakable stop signal. In event the operator contemplates making a right or a left turn theknob; 60is rotated to the lighter left, as the case may be, in which instances the cutout portions indicat ing a right or aleft pointing hand, are brought into registry with the window'openings 18 and19, while, at the same time, the movable switch element 58 carried by the arm 57, is brought into engagement with-either stationary contact 55 or 51, to automatically close the circuit and light the lamp 41 for unmistakably displaying the same to both approaching and following traffic. I

A signal including a casing having' windows" atopposite sides thereof, a strap supported within the casing with its longitudinal edges equi-distantly spaced from. such sides, signal disks rotatable in the casing upon OPPOSltB sides of the strap, a rotatable toothed The bridging element is carried by element supported by the strap and having its ends fixed t0 the disks, the strap serving to retain the disks in'spaced parallel relation, a channel-shaped member supported from the under face of the strap and extendin longitudinally thereof, a rack bar slida le in the channel-shaped member and engaging the rotatable elementlto rotate'the disks, and a spring interposed between the rack bar and bottom Wall of the channel-shaped member 10 JUDVSON B. FREIDAH.

Images