US3114143A - Traffic directing flashlight - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 10, 1963 TRAFFic DIRECTING FLASHLIGHT Filed Feb. 21, 1962 Harry. A. Robinson' 4 INVENTOR.

H. A. RoBlNsoN 3,114,143

United States Patent 3,114,143 TRAFFIC DHREC'HNG FLASHLIGHT Harry A. Robinson, Elkhart, Ind., assigner to Robbie, Inc., Elkhart, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Filed Feb. 21, 1962, Ser. No. 174,826 2 Claims. (Ci. 340-321) This invention relates to a signalling-type flashlight which is expressly constructed and suitably adapted for -use by a policeman when directing vehicular and pedestrian trallic at intersections or wherever else it may be needed.

It is customary practice, speaking generally, to employ a flashlight as an aid in directing and controlling afterdark rush hour traffic. Ordinarily, an elongate transparent red-capor similar tip is attached to the illuminable end of the ilashlight barrel or handle. Now, while drivers at close range are usually able to clearly observe and interpret the given signal, drivers at a distance or the oncoming driver can be and usually is confused, rather than aided, by the uncertain arm-Waving practices of a policeman when he is standing or facing in the wrong direction. Then, too, a single red signal is hardly a solution to the overall problem. Accordingly, it is an object in the instant matter to provide and offer for use a more reliable and easy-to-use ilashlight and novel signalling means combined therewith.

One feature of the instant presentation involves the use of means having paired diametrically opposite red and green or stop and go illu-minable windows which may be reliably handled and positioned in such a manner that the traic director has at his disposal positive ways and means of giving intended signals with the result that drivers and pedestrians alike are then able to see and read the signals which are being flashed to and fr0 as is customarily the case.

Further, the invention is unique in that two reflectors, one at each end of the attached housing, are cooperatively employed for better focusing of light rays on or against the four properly paired stop-go windows. And, despite these interdependent features the signalling attachment is simple, practical, feasible and economical and may be effectively handled.

Then, too, the handling portion of the flashlight barrel is provided with a feeler rib or equivalent means which can be relied upon to orient the distinguishable stop-go facilities, whereby to enable the user to handle the device with precision and certainty.

FIGURE 1 is a View in side elevation of the trailic directing flashlight constructed in accordance with the present invention and showing how it is positioned to show the green go signal;

FIGURE 2 is a view at right angles also in side elevation `and which shows the stop signal in use;

FIGURE 3 is a view on a larger scale and fragmentarily shown with parts in section and elevation and which illustrate the details of construction with particularity; and

FIGURE 4 is a cross-section on the section line 44 of FIGURE 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

The flashlight is denoted as a unit by the numeral 6 and the signalling head or attachment is denoted as an entity by the numeral 8. The ashlight 6 is of a conventional type and comprises an elongated cylindrical barrel or casing 10 providing a handle. A suitably mounted and operating switch is designated at 12 and diametrically opposite the switch the aforementioned feeler means for orienting purposes is denoted at 14. While this means Imay be of some construction other than that shown it has been found that a lengthwise outstanding rib formed integrally with the barrel will sullice for the purposes needed. The bell-mouth end of the llashlight casing or barrel is denoted at 16 and it termi- 3,114,143 Patented Dec. 10, 1963 nates in the usual externally screw-threaded neck 18. One of the dry cell batteries is shown at 20; the bulb at 22 and the customary flanged conical reector is denoted at 24.

The signaling head or attachment 8y is characterized by an elongated rectangular box-like structure which embodies an elongate openwork frame which is constructed lto provide the paired illuminab-le panels or windows.

The attaching means at the rearward or inner end comprises an internally screw-threaded collar 26 which is screwed on the neck 18 as illustrated in FIG. 3. A suitably mounted clear glass lens 28 is provided at this end and covers the reflector 24. This lens may be held in place in any suitable manner and may, if desired, con stitute a part of the attachment S. The outer or forward end is dat as at 30 and is provided with an axial hole or opening 32 which in practice emits a beam or light. Fitted into this end portion of the frame is a truncated conical rearwardly facing rellector 34 which may be referred to as an auxiliary reflector,v the same being in line with the main rellector 214. The truncated end 36 is in line with the opening 32. This reflector is carried by an encompassing rectangular insert 38 which is frictionally or otherwise held in the confined position illustrated. There are four rectangular transparent glass or equivalent panels, two of which are colored red and two colored green. These panels are arranged within the confines of the framework and the opposed parallel green panels are denoted at 4d and obviously serve to provide the illuminable go signal. It should be noted that the inner marginal edge portions 42 (see FIG. l) of the rim or frame which borders the green panel in each instance has its end portions (forward and rearward) provided with cooperating V- shaped components 44 and 46 which are aligned and together define an indicating arrow. The framed side having the green panels therein are referred to as windows. Likewise the alternatively usable side having the red panels therein are refererd to as windows. Each red panel is denoted by the numeral 48` and it will be noted that the marginal frame bordering the same as at Sli is rectangular. Therefore in side elevation the delineations of the green windows and red windows is differentiated to assist in readily distinguishing one from the other. Then, too, and this is important, it will be noted that outstanding spaced parallel longitudinally extending flanges 52 are provided Ifor coaction with and overhang the red windows these flanges constituting shields and isolating the green from the red or vice versa. The attachment 8 is referred to not only as an elongated signaling head with selectively usable red and green windows but is also aptly described as a housing.

It will be evident that the added or auxiliary rellector 34 in line with the main rellector 24 provides an elfective concentration of light within the contines of the housing with the result that the four windows are simultaneously and effectively tlooded with light rays.

Inasmuch as these co-called traic directing batons are well known and in extensive use the manner in which the present invention is employed is thought to be selfevident. However and by using the feeler rib 14 as a guide and coordinating its function with the selectively usable stop-go windows it will be evident that while the mode of use of the invention is evident, the improved attainable results will not be fully appreciated until the device is actually being used by a traffic director.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination, a flashlight embodying a hollow barrel constituting a handle adapted to contain batteries Y ward end `thereof separably connected to said neck and comprising: an elongated illuminable hollow housing which when in use is adapted to be axially 'aligned with said forward end and handle, said housing having red and -green stop and go light-emitting signaling Windows paired in opposed parallel relationship, each window embodying a marginally framed transparent panel, the orward end of said housing being provided with an axial lightdirecting opening, a rearwardly focused truncated conical reflector facing the first-named reilector and aligned therewith in a manner to uniformly and eiectively distribute the reflected light rays within the contines of said housing, the truncated end of said truncated reflector being proximal to and registering with said axial light directing opening, a manually operable off and on switch mounted for operation on an exterior of one side of said barrel, lfeeler means iXed on the exterior of the other side of said barrel, said feeler means comprising a lengthwise finger contacting rib and said switch and riby being diametrically opposite each other and conjointly functioning to enable the user to constantly hold the handling 1,634,014 Brafman June 28, 1927 2,070,472 Criswell Feb. 9, 1937 Y 2,119,486 Muldoon May 31, 1938 2,420,307 Fristoe May 13, 1947 2,434,741 Hefner et al J an. 20, 1948 20 2,514,432

portion of the barrel in an intended signalling position and to facilitate the step of bodily rotating the barrel.

2. 'Ihe structure according to claim 1 and wherein the two frames which marginally border said red windows are each provided with a pair of outwardly projecting ilanges, said paired ilanges being disposed in spaced-apart parallelism and serving as stoplight isolating shields and functioning to clearly `and signiicantly diierentiate the red windows from the green Windows thereby facilitating the step of spotting and unquestionably reading the stop-go intentions of the trailc director handling the ashlight.

References Cited in the ileA of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Whifford July 11, i950

Claims (1)

1. IN COMBINATION, A FLASHLIGHT EMBODYING A HOLLOW BARREL CONSTITUTING A HANDLE ADAPTED TO CONTAIN BATTERIES AND HAVING A FORWARDLY FACING REFLECTOR AND COOPERABLE LIGHT BULB AT ITS FORWARD END, SAID FORWARD END TERMINATING IN A NECK, AND A SIGNALLING ATTACHMENT FOR SAID FORWARD END, SAID ATTACHMENT HAVING MEANS AT THE REARWARD END THEREOF SEPARABLY CONNECTED TO SAID NECK AND COMPRISING: AN ELONGATED ILLUMINABLE HOLLOW HOUSING WHICH WHEN IN USE IS ADAPTED TO BE AXIALLY ALIGNED WITH SAID FORWARD END AND HANDLE, SAID HOUSING HAVING RED AND GREEN STOP AND GO LIGHT-EMITTING SIGNALING WINDOWS PAIRED IN OPPOSED PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP, EACH WINDOW EMBODYING A MARGINALLY FRAMED TRANSPARENT PANEL, THE FORWARD END OF SAID HOUSING BEING PROVIDED WITH AN AXIAL LIGHT DIRECTING OPENING, A REARWARDLY FOCUSED TRUNCATED CONICAL REFLECTOR FACING THE FIRST-NAMED REFLECTOR AND ALIGNED THEREWITH IN A MANNER TO UNIFORMLY AND EFFECTIVELY DISTRIBUTE THE REFLECTED LIGHT RAYS WITHIN THE CONFINES OF SAID HOUSING, THE TRUNCATED END OF SAID TRUNCATED REFLECTOR BEING PROXIMAL TO AND REGISTERING WITH SAID AXIAL LIGHT DIRECTING OPENING, A MANUALLY OPERABLE OFF AND ON SWITCH MOUNTED FOR OPERATION ON AN EXTERIOR OF ONE SIDE OF SAID BARREL, FEELER MEANS FIXED ON THE EXTERIOR OF THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID BARREL, SAID FEELER MEANS COMPRISING A LENGTHWISE FINGER CONTACTING RIB AND SAID SWITCH AND RIB BEING DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE EACH OTHER AND CONJOINTLY FUNCTIONING TO ENABLE THE USER TO CONSTANTLY HOLD THE HANDLING PORTION OF THE BARREL IN AN INTENDED SIGNALLING POSITION AND TO FACILITATE THE STEP OF BODILY ROTATING THE BARREL.

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