US2199756A - Automobile stop signal - Google Patents

Description

M y 1940; E. E. RlcARp 2,199,756

AUTOMOBILE STOP SIGNAL Filed Aug; 11, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor Attorneys y 1940- E. E. RICARD 2.1 9.756

AUTOMOBILE STOP SIGNAL Filed Aug. 11, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor pflummm.

I Aiiorneys May 7, 1940.

E. E. RICARD 2,199,756

AUTOMOBILE STOP SIGNAL Filed Aug. 11, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Inventor ZZTIEzZurd By E g; 5%;

A ifornys Patented May 7, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMOBILE STOP SIGNAL Eugene E. Ricard, Ponchatoula, La.

Application August 11, 1936, Serial No. 95,470

2 Claims. (o1. 1'z7-32"1) My invention relates generally to automobile stop signals, and particularly to a stop signal of this character embodying a human figure one of-the arms of which is arranged to wave upon operation of the signal to give an animated stop sign. or signal to vehicles approaching from the rear, andan important-object of my invention is to provide an electro-mechanical arrangement of this character which is exceptional in attention attracting and arresting qualities and in operating efficiency.

Other important objects of my invention will be apparent from a reading of the following description taken in connection with the drawings,

1 wherein for purposes of illustration I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention.

In the drawings- Figure l'is a general front elevational View of an embodiment of the invention partly cut away to disclose the electro-mechanical operating mechanism.

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken through Figure 1 approximately on the line 2-2 and looking toward the right in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken through Figure 1 approximately on the line 3-3 and looking downwardly in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the signaling arm and immediately connected mechanism.

"Figure 5 is a perspective view of an operating link;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the operating link connecting rod.

Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating the electrical connections.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numera1 5 generally designates a simulation of a police trafiic oflicer which is formed of suitable metal and has suitable means for mounting the same on the left rear fender or other suitable place on the automobile and facing rearwardly, so that '45 in action the signal of the present invention gives the same effect as a human traflic officer when in operation. The body of the form 5 is hollow and at the right shoulder thereof is an opening 6 through which works the movable arm 50 which is generally designated 1 and whichis mounted by means of an axle 8 journalled in front and rear portions of the shoulder of the body.

The arm I as particularly clearly shown in Fig- 55 ure 4 is curved in form and has at its lower end the hand 9 which has mounted thereon the single contact bulb IE of an appropriate color, preferably red. The upper end of the arm l above the axle 8 has on the front side thereof a rotatably mounted roller ll upon the upper side of which 5 bears the outer end of the operating link l2, and the pin l3 which mounts the roller H extends on the opposite side of the arm and forms a pivotal connection for the solenoid core It which depends therefrom and Works in the bore of the 10 solenoid I5 which is mounted by means of a suitable bracket l fi'on the right hand side of the body and on the interior thereof as clearly shown in Figure 1, and insuch a position that upon energization of the solenoid I5 the core M will be 15 pulled downwardly from the position in which it is shown in full lines in Figures 1 and 4 to the depressed dotted line position shown in Figure 1 whereby the arm 1 is'swung to the elevated dotted line position'illustrated in Figure 1. 20 Upon deenergization'of the solenoid l5 gravity returns the arm 1 to the depressed full line position shown in Figure 1.

The operating link l2 has slightly inwardly from center the pivotal connection I] to the 25 bracket l8 which depends from the neck portion of the interior of the body, and the inward end of this operating link l2, Fig. 5, has a hole 19 therein through which is placed the eye 20 on v the upper end of the connecting rod 2|, Fig. 6, 30 whereby a pivotal connection is made between the upper end of the connecting rod and the inner end of the operating link l2 as illustrated in Figures 1 and 3; The lower end of the connecting rod 2| has a journal 22 thereon which is rotatably '35.

mounted on an eccentric crank pin 23 on the large gear wheel 24 which is mounted on the shaft 25 which is supported by the bearing bracket 26 depending from the left shoulder of the body and the bearing 21 which is formed 40 on the inner side of the hollow left arm of the body as illustrated in Figure 1.

The teeth of the large gear wheel 24 are meshed with the teeth of a pinion 28 which is mounted on the shaft of an electric motor 29 which is mounted by means of brackets 30 and 3| to the interior of the left arm of the body below the bearing 21 as clearly shown in Figure 1. By means of this arrangement the operation of the motor 29 will rotate the gear wheel 24 so as to cause the operating link or walking beam to work up and down and by reason of its operating connection with the roller II on the upper end of the arm I, will cause the said arm to wave up and down in a traflic arresting gesture. Since the outer end or the operating link or beam I2 is not secured to the roller l I, the solenoid core l4 may operate the arm independently of the operating link l2.

For conditioning operation of the device of the invention I utilize the brake pedal operated switch mechanism 35 shown in Figure '7 which comprises longitudinally spaced pairs of contacts 43, 44 and 45, 46, respectively. A switch plunger rod 50 is operated by the brake pedal 58 through the agency of thepivotal connection 56 with a rod section which is in turn connected to the spring 5'! which is connected to the rod 50, the rod 58 being disposed between the pairs of contacts and having the short contact drum 54 and the long contact drum 55, which are normally disengaged from the pairs of contacts,

while the brake pedal is in an unoperated position. In this position of the parts the lantern I is unilluminated and the signal arm .1 is in its pendant unoperated position shown in Figure '7.

Referring to Figure 7 of the drawings it will appear that the switch mechanism 35 is mounted in a convenient position behind the brake pedal 58 of the automobile. The switch contact 43 is connected by the wire 59, which runs through one leg of the body 5, to one end of the winding of the solenoid l and the remaining end of the winding of the solenoid is connected to a wire 60 which runs to one side of the bulb I0, with the remainingside of the bulb Iii grounded as indicated by the numeral 5|. The wire 60 runs also to one side of the motor 29 and the remaining side of the motor is connected by the wire 62 which runs through the remaining leg of the body, to the switch contact 44. r

The switch contacts 45 and 46 are both connected to the wire 63 which is connected to one side of the battery 64 whose remaining side is grounded as indicated by the numeral 65. When the brake pedal 58 is partially depressed, as in preliminary braking, the drum 54 is engaged with and between the opposed contacts 43 and 45, thereby bridging them and closing the battery circuit to the solenoid l5 and the lamp I0, which effects movement of the .arm 1 to the horizontal, illuminated stop signalling position shown in dotted lines in Figure l of the drawings. The arm I is held in this position by the solenoid until the solenoid is deenergized by unbridging of the contacts 43 and 45, either by release of the brake pedal or by pushing the brake pedal farther down, as in making a complete or sudden stop, so as to move the longer drum 55 from a neutral position until engagement with the contacts 44 and 46. This bridging of the contacts 44 and 46 puts the battery 64 in circuit with the lamp l 0 and with the motor 29 which then, through its crank and link arrangement already described, waves the illuminated arm I up and down, the resultant combined signals affording a positive, attractive and arresting simulation of a traflic officer waving down traffic.

Although I have shown and described herein a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be definitely understood that I do not desire to limit the application of the invention thereto, and any change or changes may be made in the materials, and in the structure and arrangement of the parts, within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the subjoined claims.-

What is claimed is:

1. An automobile stop signal comprising a hollow human form having a hollow shoulder formed with an opening, a stop-signalling hand and arm pivoted in said one shoulder and extending through said opening and normally gravitationally depressed, an operating lever pivoted intermediate its ends in the interior of said body and having a first end operatively resting upon the inner end of said arm, a rotary electric motor supported in said body and having an eccentric operating connection with the remain: ing end of said operating lever, a vertically reciprocable member supported in said body and operatively connected to the said inner end of the arm, a solenoid for drawing down and hold ing said vertically reciprocable member to hold said arm in raised position, a source of electrical energy connected to said rotary electric motor and to said solenoid, and switch'means interposed between said rotary electric motor and said solenoid and said source of electricalenergy, for selectively operating said rotary electric motor and said solenoid.

2. An automobile stop signal comprising a sup-, port, a normally gravitationally depressed sige naling arm pivoted intermediate its ends on said support, a depending solenoid core pivotally connected to the inner end of said signaling arm, a solenoid electro-magnet on said support receiving said solenoid core, a walking-beam pivoted on said support at one side of said signaling arm and having one end thereof resting freely on the upper side of the inner end of said signaling arm, a connecting rod connected to the opposite end of said walking-beam,.a rotary electric motor operatively connected to said connecting rod whereby said signaling arm may be intermittently raised and permitted to gravitationally fall, and means for selectively operating either the motor or the solenoid.

EUGENE E. 'RICARDH

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