US2460585A

US2460585A - Warning light and searchlight combination

Info

Publication number: US2460585A
Application number: US725689A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jeremiah D Kcnnelly
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1947-01-31
Filing date: 1947-01-31
Publication date: 1949-02-01
Anticipated expiration: 1966-02-01

Description

Feb. 1, 1949; J. D. KENNELLY WARNING LIGHT AND SEARCHLIGHT COMBINATION Filed JanfEl, 1947 Patented Feb. 1, 1 949 WARNING LIGHT AND SEARCHLIGHT COMBINATION Jeremiah D. Kennelly. Oak Park, 111. Application January 31, 1947, Serial No. 725,689

This invention relates to signal apparatus and more particularly to a combined light projectin device selectively capable of illumination and of motor driven light signal projection.

In the operation of police cars, ambulances, and other emergency vehicles, it is important to provide light signal devices while at the same time employing manually effective means for directing the direction of the light, as well as providing means for illumination. 'An object of the present invention is to provide such a mechanism while enabling the control thereof to be eiiected from within the vehicle. Another object is to provide a combination search light and motor driven signal device, combined in such a manner that they may be operated from within the vehicle compartment While enabling the signal portion of the device to be projected in any selected direction and at times employed simultaneously with the illuminating portion of the device. Other specific objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds.

The invention is illustrated in a-single embodiment, by the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. lis a broken side View in elevation of apparatus embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a plan sectional View, the section being taken as indicated at line 2 of Fig. l, and Fig, 3, a wiring diagram showing the interconnection of the elec trical components of my invention.

In the illustration given, it? designates a casing in which is mounted on one side thereof a light equipped reflector I l providing an illuminating or search light. The search light is provided with a lens !2 and an electrical connection l3 furnishes the current for the ulb.

On the opposite side of the casing I is mounted a bulb equipped reflector it. The reflector i l is provided at its front with a ring having pins It mounted within a bearing ll carried by the casing. A lens I8 is mounted in the front part of the casing and in front ofthe reflector. Electric current is furnished to the bulb within the reflector M by the cable IS.

The casing Ill is secured within a base member provided centrally with a vertical recess receiving the hollow shaft 2|. A hollow nut 22 is clamped against. the base member 28 so as to lock the shaft 2! rigidly thereagainst.

Mounted upon the base 20 is a motor 23 which drives through reducing gears 24 a shaft 25. The

shaft 25 is provided with an eccentric arm 26 pivotally connected at its end to the link 21.

5 Claims. (Cl. Iii-327) The link 21 is connected at its outer end by means of pivot pin 28 to an arm 29 fixed to the ring l5.

Fixed to the lower end of base 20 is a hollow horizontal casing 39 which rotatably supports an actuating hollow shaft 3|. The shaft 3| carries at its outer end a bevelled gear 32 which is centrally apertured and which meshes with the bevelled gear 33 carried by shaft 2!. The shaft 2| is provided with a horizontal flange 34 received within a recess in the bottom of base 20. A perforated cylindrical disc 35 is supported just below the flange 34 and is secured to the casing 39 by spot welding or by keys or by any other suitable means. The plate 35 is apertured to receive the lower portion of the shaft 2i.

The casing 38 extends through a wall 36 of the vehicle and into the interior of the vehicle. A flange 31 may be provided for forming a .tight seal with the wall 36 through which the casing 36 extends.

The casing 36, on its inner end, provides a chamber 38 for receiving the manually actuated means. The tube 3!, at its inner end, is provided with bevelled gear 39 and the gear 39 meshes with the hollow bevelled gear 40. The shaft 4|, upon which gear in is mounted, extends downwardly through the casing 39 and is fixed to a hollow rotatable handle 42. Upon rotation of the handle 52, shaft 5! and pinion ll] are caused to rotate. A- switch is mounted within the handle 52 and is actuated by a switch lever 43 extending from the bottom of the handle 52. The lever switch 33 is arranged to control the motor 23.

Mounted within the chamber 38 is a light switch a l controlled by a switch lever 35 which extends through the wall of casing 38. A second light switch 46 is mounted in the lower portion of chamber as and is controlled by the lever 41. Leading from the switches are cables which pass through the hollow pinion 39, tube 3!,

hollow gears

32 and 33, and thence through the shaft 2! into the interior of easing iii. A cable 48 leads through an opening in casing 39 to any source of current outside :the'casing and supplies current to the three switches.

The casin 38 may extend through any suitable wall 35 of the' vehicle. It may extend through the windshield or through the side post supporting the windshield of an automobile, or it may extend through the roof of the automobile or other vehicle. With the light structure to on the outside of the vehicle supported upon casing 33, the operator within the vehicle may set the motor 23 into operation and may rotate the easing H3 in any desired direction, illuminating 3 either of the lights. The search light H may be set into operation by moving the lever ll to closed position. The signal light may be illuminated by closing lever switch 45.

The electrical connections of the lights, the motor, and the various switches are shown in Fig. 3. It will be understood that the ground symbols shown in Fig. 3 denote connection to the metallic frame of the vehicle, as is customary in electrical wiring in automobiles and other mobile vehicles.

When the vehicle is passing along a straight highway, the signal apparatus is preferably di'-- rected straight ahead so that the motor 23 oscil.-' lates the light equipped reflector l4 laterally across the highway. In this operation, the motor rotates the shaft 25 and the eccentric arm 26 moves the link 27 backwardlyand forwardly, causing the member Hi to pivot upon the pins It. When, however, the highway swings to the right or left, or where an intersection is approached with trams moving from the right or the left, it is desirable to swing casing ii laterally so. that the. oscillating device it sweeps the road to the right or left Well before the. car itself reaches the curve or the'intersection. The operator accomplishes, this by rotating handle 42 and thereby bevelled gears tila-nd 39. This produces a rotation of tube 3i,

gears

32 and 33, and the hollow shaft 2! which isfiXed to the base 26.

Alternatively, whenthe need for a signal light is not present, the operator may completely rotate the casing it so, as to bring the search light ll intoplay upon the road ahead or upon areas to the right or left of. the read. When approaching an intersection, the driver of the emergency Vehicle may prefer to turn the oscillating signal device i i in the direction of the cross-road to the right or the left where most of. the traffic is approaching, while simultaneously bringing the search light to play upon the opposite side of the roadway. Thus, the operator is able to project the. warning light in the necessary direction while providing ample illumination for the side of the road opposite and along which it may be desired to. turn.

For the greater. part of the time, it will be the normal practice to employ only one of the lights at times none of the lights. In the case of an emergency, the oscillating lamp structure It is set into operation and its ambit of sweep controlled while the spotlight may also be utilized under certain circumstances, as already described. Should the light structure-be. mounted upon the roof of a squad car, the search or spotlight ll may be effectively employed while the oscillating lamp i3 is also set into operation to warn the trafiic following against sudden stoppage-or turning of the car.

While in the foregoing specification I have set forth certain details of structure and certain illustrated uses of the invention, it will be understood that the details of such structure may be varied widely by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention, and that the uses to which the apparatus may be put may be for many others than those indicated.

)1 claim:

1. In a manually controlled light structure having an arm extending through the wall of a 4 vehicle, a casing rotatably mounted on said arm, a pair of angularly disposed lights mounted on said casing, said casing having opening for said lights and at least one of said lights being movably mounted; power means for oscillating said movably mounted light, and means associated with the inner end of said arm and with said casing for moving said casing relatively to said 2. In a manually controlled light structure having an arm extending through the wall Of a vehicle and a controlling handle within the vehicle, a casing rotatably mounted on said arm, lights mounted on opposite sides of said casing,

said casing having openings for said lights and r at least one of said lights being movably mounted, power means within said casing for oscillating said light, and means associated with said handlefor rotating said casing and for selectively controlling said lightsand said power means.

3. In a manually controlled light structure having, an arm extending through the wall of avehicle, a. casing rotatably mounted on said arm and open at its ends, a search light mounted in one end of said: casing, a signal light movably mounted. in the other end of said casing, a motor for oscillating said. signal light, and means within said vehicle and associated with said arm for rotating said casing and for selectively controlling each of said lights andsaid motor.

4. In a manually controlled, light structure having, an arm extending through" the wall of a vehicle, an open-ended casing ro tatably mounted on said arm, a. stationary spot-light supported in one endof said casing, a pivotally mountedsignal light supported in. the other end of said casing, a motor mounted insaidcasing foroscillating said signal light, switch means associated with said arm on the interior of said vehicle for controlling said. motor and said signal light, a separate switch for, controlling said. spot-light, and means associated with .the'i'nner endof said arm for rotating said: casing.v

5. A manually controlled light structure having a hollow arm extending through a W211" of a vehicle, a. casing movably mounted on said arm,

pa'irof. lights mounted in said casing, said casing having openings therein aligned with said lights one of said-lights being movably mounted; a motor supported in said casing, means driven by said motor for oscillating said movably mounted light, cables extending'through said arm and intov said casing for connecting said lights and saidmotor with a source of current, and switches controlling said cables and mounted on the inner end of said. hollowarm.

JEREMIAH D. KENNEL-LY.

REFERENCES CITED The following. references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,548,958 Sperry Aug. 11., 1925 1,670,682 Halvors'on et al., .May 22, 19.28 1,772,499 Rumsey Aug. 12', 1930 2,414,807 Gross Jan. 23, 1947