GB415893A - Improvements in and relating to traffic control systems - Google Patents

Abstract

415,893. Road signals for controlling traffic. OPEL, F. VON, 33, Bismarckstrasse, Charlottenburg, Berlin. Sept. 16, 1933, Nos. 25696 and 25697. Convention dates, Sept. 17, 1932 and Oct. 1, 1932. [Class 118 (ii).] Quantities of solid, liquid or gaseous material are measured off in accordance with the traffic passing along a free and a blocked road, the two quantities being compared and the result used to determine the rhythm of actuation of traffic control signals. As shown in Fig. 1, each vehicle passing over road pad À25 operates an electromagnetically operated gate 17 to allow a steel ball to pass from a hopper 13 into a cup 12. A similar pad in a crossing road controls gate 16 to allow balls to fall into cup 11. The beam 10 is thus swung about its pivot and raises or lowers the resistance 5 in the mercury bath 4. The resistance 5 is in the circuit of the motor 2 so that the speed of motor 2, which controls the traffic signals, is controlled in accordance with the traffic. The cups 11, 12 are emptied whenever an amber period is in progress, valves 20, 21 being then closed so that passing vehicles have no effect on the amber timing, but affect the succeeding time period. The balls are returned to hopper 13 by any method such as the carrier illustrated. In order that vehicles may not affect the system after they have passed the crossing, the cups may be shaped as shown in Fig. 2. The balls fall onto the shoot 40 and gradually descend and finally drop out at 28, the time taken being equal to the normal time taken by a vehicle to travel from the road pad to the crossing. The shoot shown is spiral, but various other arrangements can be employed. Systems in which, instead of steel balls, liquid and gas are employed to meter the traffic are described in the Specification. Specification 415,852 is referred to.