US1664148A - Direction indicator for motor cars and other vehicles - Google Patents

Description

March 27, 1928. r 1,664,148

' J. w. WOOD DIRECTION INDICATOR FOR MOTOR CARS AND OTHER VEHICLES Filed Oct. 11, 1926 7 INVI'NT 01-1 00 5 Q1 9 JOHN MLLIAM Wnon ATTORIVE YS Patented Mar. 27, 1928.

j PATENT omce oIiNwILLIAM woon, OF CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND.

DIRECTION INDICATOR FOR,MOTOR CARS AND OTHER VEHICLES.

Application filed October 11, 1926, Serial No. 140,921, and in New Zealand July so, 1926.

This invention .relates to a direction inclicator for motor-cars, that is to say an appliance for use by the driver in signalling his intention to turn the vehicle and refers to that type of appliance wherein a direction-pointing device, such for instance as a -,1.epresentation ofahuman hand, is mounted upon aivertical axis to be turnableby the driver; tocause such direction-pointing deviceto project either forwardly orlateral- .lyaccording to the directionit is the inten- ..tion of the driveri to proceed A 1 It is the. object of the present invention to provide an. appliance o f-this type of novel .andspecial construct-ion whereby the said turning; of the direction-pointing device may .be conveniently.performed by the driver from his position within'the vehicle insuch a manner as toperrnit of such direction- ,pointingdevice being turned through an. an-

gle of180 thereby enabling an intention to turn to either right or leftto be correctly indicated, While a further object is to providea construction wherein the said turning of the device from its forward to its lateral positions in either direction Will automatically give an audible signal, asby momen- 11s a drum lformed with a. pair of periphtarily sounding an electric horn, while a still further object of the inv'enionis to provide a construction 'of'this nature wherein the turning of the direction-pointing deviceinto its lateral positions to right or left will an tomaticallyr complete-an electric circuit by means of which the said device is illuini nated.-

Thus, by one movement of the controlling ,device,' the desired direction is indicated, the horn'sounded, and the direction-pointing de vice illuminated. v ,WVith these and other objects in view. tln invention consists of the novel construction and arrangement hereinafter described.

1 In order that the natureof the invention and its construction may be clearly understood it will now be fully described and ex plained With reference to the-accompanying drawings, in which I Fig. 1isaperspective view showing the indicator installed upon a motor-car,

Fig. 2is a side elevation of the indicator, i p 9' Fig. 3is a plan-view of the same. in which a portion of the reflector and a portion of one of the wire-receiving lugs. are

'laterally from shown broken away toreveal the internal arrangements, r Fig; 41s a perspective view; of the drum by means of which the turning of the direc tron-pointing devlce is attained,

Fig. 5show s in perspective the said drum and its mounting, illustrating the construction employed in automatically giving the audible signal and i i-controlling the illumination of the direction-pointing device, Flg. 6is a long tudinal sect on through ithe arm carrying the direction-pointing device and illustrating a special construction ployed, also for indicating w an intention to stop the vehicle, and, Fig. 7.is aplan viewof the construction shown in Fig. 6. v a 7 f.

QThe construction comprises a cylindrical casing 1 disposed with it saxis vertical and adapted fonattachinent to the exterior of thecar at an appropriatepoint, as for instance by means of a bracket 2 extending one side of the wind-shield 3 of'the can Rotatably mounted within the said casing eral grooves 5 an d 6 in which are received a pair ofv Wires ortenslonal connections 7 I and 8 (Fig. 14) wound around the said drum in employed in cases where it, is desired that vsuch d1rect1on-po1nting device shall beem- (Fig. 1) secured to a'suitable fixed position within the car, such for instance asthe dashboard 10. Within the said stationary mounting will be contained a rotatable drum towhichthe endsof the said connections are attached such drum being formed with a pair of peripheral grooves in which thesaid connections are wound in opposite directions in precisely; the same manner as that of the drum 4 already described. 1 r I I The rotatable mounting of'the said drum convenience in assembling 4 within the cylinder 1 is preferably accom- In construction the said cylindrical casing.

1 is preferably divided along a circumferential line at a point corresponding with the portion of the drum 4 between the two wirereceiving grooves 5 and 6 of the latter for the parts and placing the said wires 7 and 8 in position.

The said wires the Bowden-cable type, as here shown and consisting of a flexible wire extending through a housing the two ends of the latter being fixedone tothe cylinder 1 and the other to the stationary mounting 9 of the aforementioned control. For this purpose the two parts of the cylinder are formed with'a pair of outwardly projecting lugs 15 and 16, one upon each part, and which lugs are adapted to fit together face-to-face when such parts are assembled, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. In corresponding partsof the contacting faces of the lugs 15 and 16 are formed grooves 17 adapted when such parts are assembled to constituteentrancepassages for the wires to the interior of the cylinder and to receive and clamp the ends of the said housings of such wires, suitable means such as a screw 18 being employed to secure the lugs 15 and 16 firmly together.-

In the case of the stationary mounting 9 ofv the control also asimilar pair of grooved lugs will preferably be provided to clamp the other or opposite ends of the housings and to provide the required entrance passages for the wires to the interior. 1

At its upper end the drum 4 is formed or provided with a suitable cover 19 to enclose the upper end of the cylinder 1, such cover being preferably formed with a downturned flange 20 to surround the wall. of the cylinder 1 at its upper portion.

The direction-pointing device 21, consisting preferably of a representation of a human hand as here shown, is carried upon the outer end of a horizontal arm 22, the other or inner end of which is connected with the drum 4 so as to turn therewith.

In the preferred form of the construction, as here shown the said inner end of the arm 22 is arranged to overlie the cover 19, which cover turns as one piece with the drum 4 and is preferably provided at its upper side with a boss 23 of square or other formation to be non-rotatably received in a correspondingly shaped hole formed through the arm 22 near its said inner end. For the purpose of clamping the arm firmly in place upon the cover a screw-threaded stud 24, which conveniently consists of the upper end, of the 7 and 8 are preferably of drum-spindle 12, is arranged to project upwardly from the said boss to receive a clamping-nut 25 adapted to bear upon the upper side of the said a'iin.

Means are provided forilluminating the direction-pointing device in order to render the same clearly visible at night. The said illuminating means consists of a reflector 26 encircling the arm 22 and arranged to face outward towards the said direction-pointing device 21 and within which reflector are mounted a pair of electric lamps as 27 arranged one to either side of the arm In construction the said reflector 26 may conveniently be formed integral with the portion of the arm- 22 extending inward thereform to its said point of connection with the drum, while the remaining or outer portion of such arm and the directionpointing device 21 may be made separate and detachably connected to such inner portion. This is preferably accomplished by forming horizontally through the centre ofthe reflecv tor a suitable slot into which the end of the Outer portion of the arm is adapted to be slipped and secured therein by suitable means such for instance as a pin 27 passing transversely through the said slot and through the contained portion of the arm.

According to the present invention also the'lower end of the drum 4 and the adjacent inner face of the lower end of the cylindrical casing 1 are provided with electrical contacts designed to' control an electric circuit containing a horn or other audible signalling device in such'a manner that the said circuit will thereby be closed when the drum is in process of turning to carry its directionpointing device from one indicating position to another, such circuit beingopehed by the contacts when the drum arrives at any of its said indicating positions.

In the preferred form of the construction as here shown (Fig. this is accomplished by providing a brush or spring-plunger 28 mounted in the lower end of the cylinder and insulated therefrom, such brush being adapted to bear against the lower end of the drum 4 and thereby complete the circuit. The said lower end of the drum 4 is provided also, at those points at which the said brush or plunger 28 is adapted to bear when the direction-pointingdevice occupies any of its direction-indicating positions,'with.insulating surfaces consisting conveniently of pieces of electrically insulatingmaterial 29 inlaid in its surface in order that the said circuit may be broken when the device is in any of its said indicating positions. If desired however the said arrangement may be reversed by mounting the brush or plunger 28 in the lower end of the drum and the insulating inlay 29 in the lower end of the cylinder.

According to the present invention'also "the said lower end ofthe drumand casing will be provided with further electrical con- "tacts'controlling the supply of'current to the aforementioned lamps 27, such contacts bevertically disposed cheeks 39 between which the direction-pointing device 21'is received ing so arranged to complete the circuit and so cause the lamps to light when the d1rect1onpomt1ng device occupies either of its lateral indicating positions;

In the preferred-form of the construction as here shown the'said contacts consist of a brush or spr ng-p lunger 30 mounted in thesaid lower end ofthe drum 4 and a pair of contact surfaces 31 and 32 mounted in the lowerend of the cylinc er and each positioned-at one of those points at which the brush 30 is adapted-to bearwhen the direction-pointing-device'occupics its lateral positionsso as to indicate turning to left or right, the arrangement being such that the -=said circuit will be completed only-when the brush 30is in contact-withthe surface 31 -or the surface-32.

1 Eachzofthe said contact'su-rfaces 31and 32 will bearrang'edto-l e 'flu'sh witlrthe inner surface oftheilower endofthe cylinder and insulated therefrom. In cases where it; is desired to cause thefllamps'to light when the direction-pointing device :o ccupies its forward position, a third contact surface similar in allirespects will be 'provided'at the point in the lower end'ofvthe cylinder at which the brush 3O bears when the direc tion-pointing 'device occupies its said forward'position. Y i

the audible signalling circuit already explained the positions of the saidiighting circuit contacts may if desiredbercversed byarrangmg the plunger-30min the lower end of the cylinder and the contact-surfaces 31 and 32 in the lower end cf the drum.

In the case of the audible signalling circuitone wire will be connected by means of a terminal 34 with the brush 28 while the necessary return will be provided through the metal of the drum and cylinder which will be carthed to the chassis of a the car.

In the case of the lighti 11g circuit wires 35 from the electric system of the car will be connected by terminals 36 with the contact surfaces 31 and 32, while further wires 37 will connect one terminal of each lamp 27 with a terminal 38 connecting with the brush 30, the earth return through the metal of the device providing the remainder of the circuit.

In cases where it is desired to enable the device to be employed by the driver in indicating his intention to stop the vehicle, the hand, or other direction-pointing device 21 will be arranged to enable it to be turned upon the arm 22 from its normal horizontal position into a vertical position as indicated in dotted'linesFig. 6, to give the desired signal. Y

" I For this purpose the outer: end of the arm (Figs. 6 and 7 will terminate in a pair of and pivoted by means of a pin or the like 40 extending transversely through such cheeks "and the intervening portion of the directionpointing device to allow of the latter being turned upon such pivot in a vertical plane. I

Formed integral with, or rigidly attached to the said portion ofthe direction-pointing device contained between the checks, is a pulley 41 having a peripheral groove in wvhiclr is received a wire 42, preferably of the Bowdc'n-cable type, having-one end ating led from they said pulley preferably through a suitable passage as 43 formed lengthwise through the arm 22 as here shown 1 11 1 i 1' The arrangement is such that the said hand or other direction-pointing device 21 will normally extend horizontallyfin line with the arm 22 for the-purpose of giving the direction indications. When astop' signal istorbe given however the said manipulabledevic'e controllingthe wire 42 will be operated so as to tension such wire and so turn the. direction-pointing device'21 upon its pivot 40 to project upward from the arm as indicated in dotted linesFig. 6, Q

VVhen it is desired to restorethe said direction-pointing device-to its former, or nor- .mal position after the stop signal has been given the said manipulab'leicontrolling,device Willbeturned in theother .or reverse ,directionthereby relaxingthe tension of the wire 42 and so permitting the direction pointing device to return either by gravity or with the assistance of a suitable spring. In order to facilitate the said return movement of the di'rection-pointing device by gravity the said pivot 40 will preferably be arranged slightly upward and inward from the centre of such device, as here shown, in order that such device when in its upward position may have a tendency to turn by gravity into its normal or horizonthe drum 4 will be so placed as to cause the dircction pointing device to extend forwardly as shown in full lines Fig. 1, While an intention to turn to right or left will be indicated by the driver in turning such drum so as to cause the direction-pointing device to project laterally in the desired direction as indicated in dotted lines and during which movement the audible signal will be given by the said contacts while on arrival of the direction-pointing device at its indicating osition the said lamps will be caused to light by the operation of the said second set of contacts thereby illuminating such direction-pointing device.

I claim:

1. A direction indicator for a vehicle comprising a vertically disposed cylindrical cas- 1ng mountable upon the exterior of the vehicle, a drum rotatable within said casing, a cap enclosing the upper end of said casing and fixed to said drum to rotate therewith, a horizontal arm carrying a direction-pointing device fixed upon said cap to turn therewith, and a pair of tensional connections wound in opposite directions in peripheral grooves around said drum and differentially tensionable' by a controlling device operable by the driver for the purpose of turning said drum to cause said direction-pointing device to project forwardly or laterally in either direct-ion.

trance passages for the latter to the interior of the casing.

3. A direction indicator for a vehicle comgaged with said boss, a direction pointing device carried by said arm and cable means passing through'the casing and connected to the drum to provide for rotation of the drum and arm in either direction.

4. A direction indicator comprising i a cylindrical casing having a bottom closure, a

rotatable cap closing the upper end of the casing, a drum mounted in the casing and provided with at spindle having its lower end projecting downwardly through the bottom closure of the casing and its upper end formed to provide a threaded stud projecting upwardly through said cap, a square boss rigid with the cap and receiving the threaded stud therethrough, an arm provided at its inner end with a square opening receiving said boss, a clamping nut carried by the threaded stud and serving toholcl the arm in place, a direction pointing device carried by said arm and cables passing through openings formed in said casing and secured to said drum to provide a means for rotating the drum and arm in the desired direction.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name at the city of Christchurch, in the Dominion of New Zealand the 13th, day of September, 1926.

JOHN WILLIAM WOOD.

Images