US1216370A

US1216370A - Telltale and switch for rear signal-lights for automobiles.

Info

Publication number: US1216370A
Application number: US6857315A
Authority: US
Inventors: Wendelin P Seng
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1915-12-24
Filing date: 1915-12-24
Publication date: 1917-02-20
Anticipated expiration: 1934-02-20

Description

w. r. SENG.

TELLTALE AND SWITCH FOR REAR SIGNAL LIGHTS FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED nc.24, l9|5- 1.216,370. Patented Feb 20,1917.

8MB 8/ 1 INVENTOR.

WE NDELIN P. 'SENG, OF CHICAGO ILLINOIS.

TELLTALE AND SWI'ICH FOR BEAR SIGNAL-LIGHTS FOB AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 20, 191

Application filed December 24, 1915. Serial No. 88,573.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. lVnNnEL m P. qENG, a eitizen of the United States. residing at Chieago, in the eonnty of (00k and State of I linois. have invented a new and useful" 'lelltale and Switch for Bear Signal-Lights for Autonmbiles, of which the following is a spet ification.

' 1y inventi m relates to a new and improved switch for the operation of the rear signal. lights of automobiles wherel'iy the driver may indieateto the drivers ,of those automobiles fl olltrwimg his intention to either stop or turn at a crossing.

lleretofore, in the use of sueh rear, signals. the driver or operator oi the automobile employing the same could never be positive. when he operated the si; nal switeh. that the signed-light was :u-tually lighted. and in some instances sueh has been found to he the ease, by reason of burned out lamps, interfei rnee with the eireuit'. &(t.

lly my invention. however. I obviate this disadvantage and danger. by arranging a tell-tale lamp or light within the view of the drivelwol'un'atmx so that he (ran. by a glam-e and without leaving: his seat. immistakahly see when he throws the switch, whether the signaldamp is lighted.

lVith sueh general objects in view. the in vention consists in arranging the signallamp switch in a convenient manner and preferably immediately under the steeringwheel and in clear view of the driver and in eonneeting the same with a tell-tale lamp arranged in eireuitrwith the signal'lamps and therefore designed to indicate when the same are not lighted.

elevation; and.

Fig. 3 a detail in elevation of the switeh, parts shown .in section. and illustrating the same eminerted up with the usual signal lights and operating battery.

Similar nun'ierals of retort-nee indicate similar parts in all thefigures of the drawing.

1n carrying out my invention, I preferably employ a tubular housing 1. and mount 'the same on the steering-post '2, immediately below the steering-win el 3, of an automobile. whereby not only the hereinafter-desci-il'ied switch within easy reach of the hand of the driver 'vhile operating the wheel, but the housing itself is in full view of the driver's eye. Bayonet-slots 4 (see dotted lines Fig. 2). way be formed in the.

end of the housing. and the latter closed by a cap or eover 5. from WlllGl'l short studs 6 may project into said slots, whereby the cover is readily removable.

lunm-diatel y in rear of the cover the front end of the tubular housing is occupied by' an insulating disk or plug 7. from which may radiate sllortssturls 8. removably engaging l):l \'()ll( t'$l()tS 9. whereby said plug and the parts carried thereby may be readily removed;

l pon the rear fare f the insulating disk or plug: T. is pivotally mounted-by a screw 10. at one'side of the 'enter of the disk or plug. asegzim-ntally sh iped switch-platen, adapted to oseillate to either side of its pivot. This switrhdute is provided with an operatinndiandle 12. which extends radially and through a slot 13 in the housing and (-ap to a point imn ediately adjacent the steering-wlu-el It is also provided at opposite sides of its pivot '10 with the radial rontaet shoulders 14 ard 15. I

- .\t opposite sides of the center of the insulatine' disk or pl ug :re located stationary eontarts'1fi-and 1T. inning their inner ends bent at an angle to firm narrow contactflanges 16 and 17, respectively, which flanges are in annulai alinement with the shoulders H and 15. 1esliectively. That is to say, by 1novin; the switch in one direction. in this instance. to the left. the contactshonlder 'l-l thereof \"ill Contact with the eontarrt flange 16 and y moving the switch to the right. theeontart-shoulder 15 thereof will contact with tlu rontart flange 17. The switrh may be hel l' in its neutral or in operative position by m'eansof a small spriiur-rn'essetl detent 1S. engaging with a vol-responding! eouuter: ink 11) formed in the inner side of the switch.

20 designates'a smal electric lamp, which 1 term the tell-tale. 't is mounted in any mmvenient manner. on: preferably as herein shown. on the insulating." disk or plug 7. and imnualiately in line with a small orifice or sight-op ning :21. formed in the upper side of the tubular housing in direct line with the vision of the driver or at any other convenient point.

In the present instance, the lamp is removably mounted in a tubular socket 22, having a'bayonet-slot 23, for engaging a pin 24 projecting from the side of the lamp,.the socket itself beii'lgg, suppofited on the rear face of the insulating dis]! or plug by means of a leg 25, secured in position by means of a screw 26, passed ,through the inner flanged end of the leg and into said disk or plug.

'27 and 28 indicate two contactarms, preferably fomnedofspring material. The arm 27, leads from the switch-plate, being electrically secured to the same by means of the screw 10, while the arm 28 leads from and is held in position, preferably under the inner bent end of' the leg 25, by means of the screw 26. The outer ends of these arms, it

will be understood, are laterally bent and extend into thepaths of the electric-terminals of the lamp, and therefore lie within the socket 23.

To illustrate the application of the invention, I have shown in connection with Fig. 3, the conventional form of rear signal, the same being designated as 29. This includes the usual transparencies upon one of which, designated as 30, appears an arrow pointing to the left, and above the same, the word, Turn, so that when illuminated by the therein, the driver lIl',

lightingof the lam dicates that he is a out to turn to the left. The com anion transparency, 31, carries the word t top, andwhen illuminated indicates that the driver is about to stop, these signalsbeing used for the benefit of those drivers following, whereby to prevent rear-, I have also illustrated the source of electrical energy-a battery 32. The

end collisions.

lamps of the two

signals

30 and 31, are connected by a=conductor 33, the same being common to both, and leading to one pole of the battery' 32. The remaining conductor 34 leads from the other pole ofthe battery, and is connected to the binding-screw 26. Conductors 3'7 and 38, lead respectively from the binding-

screws

39 and 40, employed ,for securing the contacts 16 and 17, to the insulating disk or plug, and to the signal{ It will be, obvious thatby moving the switch to the.

lamps within the transparencies.

left it will close the circuit through the

conductors

37, 34 and 33, andthus illuminate the signal-lamp. in rear-of the'trans arencj showing the arrow and the word Turn.

Moving the switch to the right, will close the circuit through the conductors 38, 33, and

34, and illuminate the signal-lamp in rear of the transparenc} showing the word Stop.

In either instance, however, there. will-be included in the circuit the tclltalc lamp 20, which will not.light unless the rear signallamps light, and hence, by observing the condition of this tell-talc lamp through the sight-opening 21, the driver will know at a glance, after throwing his switch, whether the signal-lamp thus connected up is doing its duty and the rear signal lashed to those drivers following. If, after throwing the switch, the telltale lamp does not light, it is circuits and contacts, the usual-tail lightmay be-observed, but the invention, is pril marily intended for use in connection with the rear signal-lights, and forthe. purpose of reducing rear-end collisions as are often caused by the stopping or turning of automobiles without adequate warning to those behind.

By mounting the insulating disk or. plug removably in-the housing, all of the parts, including the lamp .20, may be instantly removed, inspected, and repaired if necessary. I do not, however, limit the invention to the details herein shown and described, as I have only shownand described what I consider best for the accomplishment of the purposes in view. a

Having described my invention, what I claim, is:

1. A switch for the signal-lights of automobiles and the like, the same comprising a housing consisting of a. tubular body- .with the.pl1lg and adapte to be in circuit with each of the signal-lights tion between said tell-tale switch.v

and a conneclamp and the 2. A switch for the signal-lights of auto-- mobiles and the like, the same'compri a. tubular housing provided with meafior attaching it to the steering-post of an automobile or other object and with a sightopening, a plug re'movably mounted in the housing, a switch-lever mounted to oscillate upon the plug and having its operating handle projectin through and beyond a. slot formed in t e housing, electrical contacts located on the plug at opposite sides of the switch-lever and in the path thereof and each ada" ted to be incircuit with a.

rear signal-11g t, a tell-tale lamp located on the plug adjacent the sight-opening of the housing and adapted to be in circuit with each of the signal-lights, a connection be and a removable cap or closure for the tubulaihousing.

3. A switch for the signal-lights of auto mobiles and the like, the same comprising a tubular housing having a sight-opening and means for attaching to the steering-post of an automobile or other object, an insulating plug removably mounted within the tubular ousing, means for securing the same temporarily in position therein, a removable .cap

for the end of the housing, means for temporarily locking the same, a signal-light operating switch carried by the plug, and a tell-ta e lamp in circuit with the switch and signal-lights and carried by the plug, whereby the switch and tell-tale lamp may be simultaneously removed with the plug from the housing.

4. A switch for thesignal-lights of automobiles and the like, the same comprising a tubular housing having a sight-opening, a removable cap or cover and means for locking the same in osition on the end of the housing, an insu ating plug removably secured in the housing, an oscillator switch pivoted on the plug ating-handle extending through and beyond a slot formed in the housing, 0 posite electrical contacts-secured to the p ug at opposite sides of and in the path of theswitch and each adapted to be in circuit with a signal-light, an intermediate standard secured to the lug, a socket carried by the standard, a te l-tale lamp within the socket adjacent thesightropening of the housing;

and having its operan electrical cond lctin -arm extending from the pivot of the ;witc and terminating in contact with one of the contacts of the tolltale lamp, and a s Lmilar arm contacting with the rema-inin contact of said lam and connected to the ass of the intermediate standard and adapted to be in'circuit, with each of the signal-lights.

5. A switch for the signaLlights-of automobiles and the like, the-same comprising a housing having: a sight-opening, an insulating plug seated in the housing, an oscillatorv switch-lever pivoted on the slug, 50

and having its (peratinghandle exten ing through and be ond a slot formed in the housing, electrical contacts secured to the plug at opposite sides of and in the path of" the switch-lever, each of said co'ntacts being adapted to be in circuit with a signal-light, an intermediate standard secured to the plug, a socket carried by the standard, a. tell-tale lam cent the sig 134): naming of the housing, an electrical conducting arm extendin the switch to one of the contacts of t e telltale lamp, and a similar arm leadin to the remaining contazt'of the lamp, sai latter arm being mounLed on the plug and adapted to be in circuit with each 0 said signallights.

within the socket and adja-- from In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speiification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WENDELIN P. SENG. Witnesses:

Geo. F. I-Iassnn, F. CJHU a'rrnnnn.