US1183648A - Direction-indicator. - Google Patents

Description

F. E. IUSTUS. DIRECTION INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 9,}915- 1,1 83,648. Patented May16,1916.

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IDIREGTIONJNDIGAT OR.

messes.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. if, 1916..

Application filed December 9,1915 Serial No. 65,898.

operated direction indicator, in the nature of an arm pivotally mounted in a casing and. operated by an electro-magnetically controlled lever whereby to be moved into positions for indicating the directions in which the vehicle to which the device is applied, is aboutto move.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved ,device of the class described which will be extremely simple, durable, elilcient in operation, and inexpensive to manufacture. v

With these and other objects in view which will become apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides inflthe construction, combination, and arrange- 'inentof parts hereinafter more fully de scribed and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several figures, of which- Figure 1 represents a. view in front elevation of a direction indicator constructed ac. cording to my invention. Fig. 2 represents an enlarged. elevational view thereof with the front plate of the device removed. Fig. 3 represents a view in section taken vertically and transversely on the plane indicated by the line .33 of Fig. 2.

The invention provides generally a on sing on whose front plate a pointer is pivotally mounted, said pointer being controlled by a lever carrying a pin which extends through a slot in the front plate and engages in a slot in the pointer, said lever being mounted between electro-magnets controlled by circuits including switches mounted on the steering wheel of the Ina-1 chine or at some other convenient point.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, 5, indicates a casing generally,

. fornis the top, bottom and side walls of the housing within which the indicator Is mounted, said casing being provided witi an inwardly extending flange 6 at itsfon ward edge. The floor or back the housing constitutes a plate 7 having a plurality of outturned ears 8 riveted or otherwise secured to the casing 5, said. plate 7 being set within the rear portion thereof in the man ner indicated in Fig. 3.- Toward the forward. portion of the housing, is arranged a partition 9 having a forwardly extending marginal flange 1O fitting within casing 5 and at its forward edge being arranged adjacent the flange 6;. Between the front edge of flange 10 and the rear face of flange 6 is arranged atransparentpane 11." This pane is arranged in spaced relation with the partition 9. A; pair of spacer plates 12 are arranged adjacent the lateral edges of the plate 7, being secured thereto, and against these plates the partition 9 rests, being secured thereto in any suitable manner. bracket 13 of suitable design may be secured to the lower portion of the casing 5,

1 to serve as means whereby the housing may be suitably connected on the rear wall of the body of the automobile or other machine with which the device is to be used, or in some other desirable place. I

A pointer let is pivoted at its lower end upon a pin 15'oarried by plate 9 near the .lower portion of the latter, said pointer being provided adjacent its pivotal point with a longitudinally extending slot 16 through which a stem or projection 17 carried at the lower end of an oscillatory lever 18 extends. The stem 17 also extends through a curved slot 19 provided in platewhich .23 secured to plate 22, wherebv the lever 18 will be normally retained in vertical po-. sition.

The lever 18 is controlled by two sets of electromagnets 24 mounted upon theplate and at the sides of the lever, and which dlverge toward the lower portion of the casing. One end of the winding of each magnet is grounded on the plate 22 as at 25, and the other end is connected with a binding post 26. From each post 26 exsends a wire 27 and 28 respectively, to switches 29 and 30 respectively, these switches being connected by a wire 31 with one pole of a battery 32, and at the opposite pole of the battery a wire 33 connects with the binding post 34 carried on the plate 22.

When the switches are open the magnets are not energized, and the lever remains through the tension of springs 21 in a Vertical position, thus retaining the pointer 14: in vertical position. If however the vehicle is to make a turn, say, to the right, the switch 30 will be closed, thus closing a circuit through the wire 31, switch 30, wire 28, binding post 26, to the right hand magnet, and back through the plate 22 and wire 1 33 to the-battery, thus energizing the mag; net and drawing the lever 18' against the tension of springs 21 toward the right. This will cause the shifting of the pointer 14: to the right hand side as indicated in Fig. 1, whereby to indicate to the drivers of following vehicles that a turn to the right is to be made. hen the switch 30 is opened, the magnet will become de-magnetized and the lever 18 will again resume its normal position, thus moving the pointer back to the vertical. When the switch 29 is closed a similar action takes place with respect to the left hand magnet and the pointer is drawn toward the left until the switch is re-opened.

Mounted upon the upper portion of plate 7 is a socket 36 within which alight 37 is arranged. 'Any suitable arrangement whereby the light may become illuminated at will or when desired may be employed. The light 37 extends through an-opening 38 pro-, vided in the partition 9 to be arranged with-. in the chamber formed between the partition 9 and the pane 11, whereby to properly illuminate the pointer 14. y

Although I have described the preferred embodiment of my invention, I may desire to make such changes in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts thereof, as do not depart from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I'claim:

1. A device ofithe class described com-J- prising an open ended casing having an inwardly extending flange at its forward end,

casing and provided with ears adapted to be connected to the casing for holding the plate in position, a partition arranged within the casing in advance of the plate, spacer plates arranged between said plate and partition for maintaining the latter in position, said partition being provided with a forwardly extending .marginal flange, a transparent pane arranged between said marginal flange and the inwardly extending plate within the casing, a lever pivotally connected with said base plate and depending therefrom, said lever having an outwardly bent portion extending through the slot in the pointer and through an arcuate slotprovidedin'the partition, a pair of leaf springs connected with the lever, pins against which the ends of the springs bear whereby to retain the lever normally in vertical position, electro-magnets arranged upon the said base plate on each side of the lever, said magnets diverging from each other downwardly, and means whereby either of the magnets may be energized at will for attracting the lever.

2. A device of the class described including a casing, a" rear plate, a partition, and a transparent .plate arranged within the casing in spaced relation to each. other, a pointer pivotally connected uponthe partition beneath the transparent plate, alever pivoted within the casing beneath the partition, and being provided with an outwardly extending portion projecting through a slot in the partition and into a slot provided longitudinally of the pointer, spring means carried by the lever for maintaining the latter normally in vertical position, an electro-magn'et arranged on each side'of the lever, and means whereby either of the electro-magnets may be energized at will fordrawing thelever in one direction or another whereby to shift said pointer into direction indicating positions.

3. A device of the class described includ-- ing acasing, a pointer pivotally mounted thereon, a lever arranged within the casing and provided with a- 'portlon extending through a slot in the pointer, spring means for normally maintaining the lever in vertical position whereby to maintain the pointer in neutral position, and electrically operated means for shifting the lever in one direction or another at will whereby to move the pointer into dlrection indicating posi tions.

4. A direction ndicator including a casing shifting the lever in one direction or an.- other at will, whereby to shirtv the pomter into direction indicating positions.

Witnesses:

E..BARRATT, E. T. EDWARDS.

FRED E. JUSTUS.

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