US1372967A - Bieectiobt-ilirdicatoe - Google Patents

Description

R. V; LEAF.

DIRECTION INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 9. 1920.

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gar-15 U146 16 ROY V, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

DIRECTION-INDICATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented 113,1. 29, 1921.

Application filed September 9, 1920. Serial No. 409,165.

To all a ham it may concern zen of the United States of America, residing at Louisville, n the county of Jeflerson and State of Kentucky, have invented cer' tain new and useful Improvements in Direction-Indicators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to signals and has special reference to a signal for automobiles arranged to afford visual indication of the direction in which an automobile is about to turn and also to afford indication that suchvehicle is about to stop.

One important object of the invention is i to provide an improved general construction for devices of this character.

A second important object of the invention'is toprovide a simple and improved form of lame support for devices of this character. I

A third important object ofthe invention is to. provide a lamp support'and casing of improved character wherein the lamp sup porting f ame, when surrounded by the casing, will divide the latter into compartments so as to precluoe the light from a particular lamp entering a compartment other tlian'the one whichit is desiredflto illuminate and thus prevent false or misuncerstood signals.

lVith the above and other objects in view, as will be hereinafter apparent, the invention consists in general of certain novel features of construction and arrangements of details hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically claimed. y In the accompanying drawings like charactors of reference indicate like parts in the several views, and V Figure 1 is a perspective view of the complete device. I

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the lamp casing with the rear wall or closure removed.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. at is a perspective view of the lamp supporting frame or bracket removed from the casing.

In the embodiment of the invention here in illustrated it will be seen that the device consists of two distinct but cooperating parts, viz., the lamp casing and its contents and the circuit closer, theformer being lo- Be'it known that I, For V. LEAF, a citi-' cated at the rear of the automobile so that-it may be seen by a following vehicle and the latter being located preferably on the instrument board so that it may be manipulated by the driver of the automobile.

The first part is preferably formed with a casing body 10 having front, top, bottom and end walls but open toward the rear, this rear opening being closed by a cover 11 held on the casing body 10 by screws '12, This casing body is secured to a bracket 13 provided with slots 1 1 so that, by means of ordinary bolts andnuts the casing" may be mounted on the usual license number bracket customarily provided on the rear of automobiles.

The lamp supporting bracket is formed from three strips of sheet metal, each strip eing as' wide as the casing is deep from front to rear. The upper and lower strips are formed alike but reversely positioned. Each of these strips consists of a straight body portion 15 having respective end por-" tions'16 and 17 bent at right angles to the body'portions, these right angular portions are bent upward in the case of the upper strip and downward in the case of the lower strip, being such equal in length to about one third the distance between the top and bottom walls of the casing. Extending parallel to each'body portion from the respective end 16 is a terminal portion 18, this terminal portion with the body portion added thereto being equal in length to the distance between the end walls of the casing. The terminal portions are secured respectively to.

the top and bottom of the casing by bolts 19 and the portions 17 are secured to one end wall by bolts 20. The casing is by this means divided into three compartments, a central compartment in the shape of the letter T with its stem horizontal, and upper and lower rectangular parallelopipedal compartments.

The central compartment is divided into two parts by the third strip or" metal which consists of a central portion 21 and end flanges 22 which are secured by bolts to the body portions 15 oi the other strips.

On the portion 16 of the upper strip, the portion 21 of the middle strip and the por tion 17 of the bottom strip are fixed lamp sockets 24 carrying lamps 25 and on the front wall is secured, in the head of the T- shaped compartment, a socket 26 carrying a lamp 527, a housing 28 closed rearwardly with red glass 29 being provided onthe closure or cover 11 for a permanent rear light. Furthermore the closure is provided opposite the right hand portion or stem of the T-shaped compartment, with stencil like cut out letters 30 forming the word Stop while there is also cut out of the casing, opposite the upper and lower compartments, arrows 31, the upper arrow pointing to the left and the lower to the right as shown.

From the lamp sockets wires 32 lead through a conduit 38 to circuit closer buttons marked respectively L, S and R to indicate left, stop and right, current being supplied to these wires from a connection (not shown) with the electric plant of the automobile. These buttons are preferably mounted on a plate 35 which may be secured to an instrument board by screws 36 as desired.

In operating the device it is merely necessary, whenever the driver is about to turn to either side or stop, to press the appropriate button whereupon one of the compartments of the lamp casing will be illuminated and the light will shine through the .proper opening in the cover, green lights being 'usedfor the arrows and a red light for the stop indication in order to better distinguish the same. v There has thus been provided a. simple and efficient device of the kind described and for the purpose specified.

It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the'form and construction of the invention without departing from the material principles thereof. It is not therefore desired to confine the invention to the exact form herein shown and described, but it is wished to include all such as properly come within the scope claimed. For instance, it will be noted that two lights may be provided ineach compartment to more evenly distribute the lights and also that transparent material, either colored or plain, such as, glass, isinglass, or the like may be used behind the openings.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

1. In a signal device, a lamp supporting frame consisting of'upper, lower and intermediate members formed each from a single strip of sheet metal and all of uniform width throughout, the upper and lower members being alike but invertedly positioned, said 'upper and lower members each consisting of a straight body portion, a portion bent at right angles to the body por tion whereby to form a broad til-shaped structure and a terminal portion bent at right angles to one of the legs of the U and away from the other leg, the legs of the U in the upper member extending upward and in the lower member extending downward, said intermediate ortion being also bent to form a U-shaped structure and having its respective legs secured to the respective body portions of the upper and lower members.

2. In a signal device, a lamp supporting frame consisting of upper, lower and intermediate members formed each from a single strip of sheet metal and all of uniform width throughout, the upper and lower members being alike but invertedly positioned, said upper and lower members each consisting of a straight body portion, a portion bent at right angles to the body por tion whereby to form a broad U -shaped structure and a terminal portion bent at right angles to one of the legs of the U and away from the other leg, the legs of the .3 in the upper inember'extending upward and in the lower member extending downward, said intermediate portion being aiso bent to form a U-shaped structure and having its respective legs secured to the respective body portions of the upper and lower members, a casing surroundingsaid frame and fitting closely to the sides thereof whereby the frame divides the easing into compartments, said casing having one wall provided with apertures affording signal indicia, and lamps each supported on a vertical portion of a respective frame member.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ROY V. LEAF.

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