US1450636A - Traffic signal - Google Patents

Description

Apr. 3, 1923. 1,450,636

A.' LATSHAW TRAFFIC SIGNAL Filed Dec. 9, 1920 2 sheets-sheet 1 .La ir/uzw. 73

Apr. 3, 1923.

A. LATSHAW TRAFFIC SIGNAL 9, 1920 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Dec I i I a I 'faaquama I a! v A. Lacs-2 m Patented Apr. 3, 1923. I v

UNITED STATES ADAM rA'rsHAW; or DUBOIS, PENNs LvAnIA.

/ TRAFFIC SIGNAL.

Application filed December 9, 1920. SeriaLNo. 429,380.

To alliwhom-it may concern Be it known that I, ADAM LATSHAW, citizen of the United States, residing'at Dubois, in the county of Clearfield andState of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Traffic Signals, of which the following is a specification.

. This invention relates to an improved traffic signal particularly designed foruse upon motor vehicles although the device may, as shall presently appear, besemployed upon street cars, railway trains, or at street crossings, and has as one of its principal objects to provide a device wherein the driver of a vehicle may readily indicate an intention to turn either to the right orleft, to continue straightahead, or to stop.

The invention has as a further object to providea device wherein the signaling members employed will be manually operable and where in said members may, without inconvenience to the driver, be selectively actlliated from the drivers seat of the vehic e.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a signal wherein the signaling vmembers employed may,at night, be illuminated so that said members will be readily visible.

And the invention has as a still further object to provide a signal which may be readily mounted upon and used in connection with substantially any conventional design of motor vehicle.

Figure 2 is a fra mentary side elevation showing the supporting post for the control levers employed,

Figure3 is a fragmentary front elevation of the device, showing the signaling memhers in normal posltion,

Figure t IS a perspective viewof the supportingpost, the parts being disassembled,

bearing plate of the post,

' hers,

Figure 5 isLa detail perspective ofthe top I igure 6is averticalfsectional view taken medially throu h one o the signaling mem- Figure v 7 7 of Figurefi, lookingin-the direction of the arrows,

7 is a transverse section on the line Figure 8 is a transverse section on the line 8-8 of Figure 6, looking in thedirection of the arrows, and Y Figure ,9 is a showing the manner in which the signaling members are limited in their downward swinging movement.

Although, as previously indicated, the signal of the present invention may be employed upon stree cars, railroad-trains, at

street crossings, or in any other situation where a signal of the present character would be applicable, the device is, nevertheless, particularly intended for use uponmotor vehicles. I have, in the drawings, accordingly shown the invention in connection with a motor vehlcle. of convent1onal design. and

The steering shall so describe the device. column of the vehicle is indicated at 10 and the side posts of the vehicle wind shield at 11. In carrying the invention into effect, I employ a supportingpost 12 which is mounted upon the steering post of the vehicle and is formed of mating members detachably secured together at their lower ends and provided with companion oppositely bowed portions 13 surrounding the steering'post. At their upper ends, the mating members of the post 12 are provided with oppositely directed lugs 17 and mounted upon said lugs are mating upper and lower bearing plates 18 and 19 respectively, bolts 20 being engaged through the end portions of the plates and through the lugs 17 for securing the plates together as well as also connecting said plates with thelugs. Thus, as willbe seen, the mating members of the post will be firmly connected at their upper endsso that the bowed portions 13 of the post will tightly clamp the steering post. The plates 18 and 19 are formed withmating groovesor chanfragmentary sectional view nels and ournaled between the plateswithin said channels are control levers 21 provided at their forward ends with depending arms 22. Upstanding from the plate18 is a quadrant 23 which" may be integral withthe late and formed on said quadrant to coact with the levers are, as particularly shown in Figure 5, oppositely presented seriesoflugs 24:; As will be observed, therearethree lugs in eachseriesand the lugs are wedge shaped or beveled at their outer side edges so that the levers may ride upwardly over the lugs toward vertical position, the upstanding portions of the levers being flexed by the lugs, but upon being brought to position in advance of the lugs will be engaged thereby selectively and thus held in adjusted position.

Clamped or otherwise secured to the side posts 11 of the vehicle wind shield are brackets forked at their outer ends and pivoted between the arms of said forks are the sig naling members '26 employed. As particularly shown in Figures 6, 7 and 8 of the drawings, these members are preferably a:- row shaped and taperedin thickness toward their outer ends to the points thereof. As will be noted, each of said members comprises a skeleton shell or casing of sheet metal or other suitable material andjformed in the sidesofthe shell are arrow shaped windows 27 each closed by a pane of glass or other transparent closure. Preferably, the glass of the windows is colored red so that in the daytime, the glass panes will show a red signal arrow at opposite sides of the member. At its inner end portion, the shell is formed with an external shoulder 28 and is further provided at opposite sides thereof with notches 29 and 30 opening through the inner end edge of the shell. Removably fitting over the inner end portion of the casing to abut said shoulder is a closure cap 31 and secured to the body wall of said cap is an inwardly directed lamp bracket 32 upon which ismounted a suitable lamp socket, as conventionally illustrated at 33. Removably engaging in said socket is an electric lamp 34c and, as will now be observed, the curved body wall of the cap will provide a reflector in the rear of the lamp. The bracket 32 is, as shown in Figure '7, received through the notch 29 and leading in through the wall of the cap and through the notch 30 are circuit wires 35 connected to the lamp socket. Current may be supplied from any suitable source upon the vehicle and preferably, an appropriate switch is interposed in the circuit so that at night, the lamps may be energized for illuminating the members. Engaging through the fork arms of the brackets 25, through the upper end portions of the shells of the signaling members and through the caps 31 are pivot pins 36 pivotally connecting the signaling members with the brackets and, as will be noted, the pivot pins will also serve to lock the caps in position. As shown in Figure 3, the signaling memberswill normally hang downwardly from the brackets and project ing from the caps 31 at the inner sides of the members are stops 37 which, as shown in de tail in Figure 9, are adapted to engage beneath the brackets for limiting the members in their downward swinging movement. Formed on the caps at their upper ends are sleeves 38 and engaging at their outer ends in said sleeves are rods 39, the inner ends of which are connected to the arms 22 of the control levers 21. Thus, these levers may be rocked for swinging the signaling members.

As will now be readily understood in view of the preceding description, the signaling members will normally gravitate to vertical position depending from the brackets 25. In this position, said members will indicate that the driver intends to continue straight ahead. Also, the signaling members will be in this position when the vehicle is standing. In the normal position of the signaling members, the upstanding portions of the levers 21 will be engaged with the lowermost of the lugs of the series 24: upon the quadrant 23. By moving the levers upwardly to engage the intermediate lugs of said series, the signaling members will be swung upwardly to intermediate cautionary position. The signaling member at the left of the vehicle when thus moved to cautionary position will indicate an intention of the driver to turn to the left. Similarly, when the signaling member at the right of the vehicle is swung to cautionary position, this member will indicate an intention of the driver to turn to the right. lVhen the levers are moved to engage the uppermost of the lugs of the series 24, the signaling members will then be swung to horizontal position, indicating an intention of the driver to stop. I accordingly provide a device wherein the driver of the vehicle may readily indicate his intended course of action and, as will be perceived, the signaling members may be readily manipulated from the drivers seat of the vehicle.

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

1. A traflic signal including a post, mating bearing plates mounted upon the post, one of said plates being provided with a quadrant, and a control lever journaled between said plates to cooperate with said quadrant and arranged for operative connection with a signaling member whereby the lever may be rocked for swinging the member.

2. A traliic signal including a post comprising mating members, means connecting the lower end portions of the members, mating bearing plates mounted upon the upper end portions of said members, means extending through said plates and through the members securing the plates together as well as to the members whereby to connect the upper end portions of the members, and a control lever journaled between said plates and arranged for operative connection with a signaling member whereby the lever may be rocked for swinging the signaling member.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ADAM LATSHAW. [n s]

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