US1336609A - Signal device for motor-vehicles - Google Patents

Description

R. B. BENJAMIN.

SIGNAL DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 10, 1914. RENEWED OCT. 13. 1919.

1,336,609, Patented Apr 13, 1920.

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Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

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SIGNAL DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 10, 1914. RENEWED OCT. 13, 1919.

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R. B. BENJAMIN. SIGNAL DEVICE FOR MOTOR VTHICLES. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 10, 1914. RENEWED ocr. 13, 1919.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

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REUBEN B. BENJ'AIMIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNCR TO BENJAMIN ELEGTRIQ MANUFACTURING JUMP/ANY, SF CHICAGO, ILLINQIS. A COBPORATIGN OF ILLE- SIGNAL DEVICE FER MOTCR-VEHIGLESE Application filed September 10, 1914, Serial No. 361,915.

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Be it known that l, REUBEN B. BENJA- MIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Signal Devices for Motor- Vehicles, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to signal devices for motor vehicles.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an improved device whereby the driver or occupant of the vehicle may cause to be displayed at the rear of the vehicle a signal which will indicate the intention of the driver to turn to the right or left or to stop.

A further object or my invention is to provide an improved device whereby the application of the brake to stop or retard the vehicle will cause an appropriate signal to be made.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved device whereby when the signal has been moved to a position in which it is displayed it will be automatically held in this position for an appreciable length of time and then returned.

Uther objects will appear from the detailed description to follow.

In the drawings; in which I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention;

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation on the line 11 of Fig. 2, showing the lamp bulb, the rotatable globe inclosing the bulb, and the apertured housing for the globe;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the signal device showing the relative position of the lamp, number plate and stop signal, and showing also the delayed return mechanism for the right and left signal device;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the signal device, parts being broken away to show details of a dash pot mechanism constituting part. of the delayed return mechanism;

Fig. at is a diagrammatic view showing the relation of the signal device and its operating means to a motor vehicle;

Fig. 5 is a development of the rotatable globe; and r Fig. 6 is an enlar ed sectional detail of the dash pot mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, reference char- Specification of Letters Patent.

Renewed October 13, 1919. Serial No. 330,530.

actor 10 indicates a base adapted to be secured to the rear lamp post of an automobile by means of clamps 11. A bracket 12 having a substantially circular head and flange 1 1 is attached to the base 10 by means of cap screv-Js 153. ii cylindrical casing 16 oi sheet metal having an upper opening 17 to permit the illumination oi the stop signal, a lower openi g 18 to permit illumination of the number plate, hnd a rear opening 19 through which the right and left signal. devices are displayed. is secured to the head 13 against the flange ll by means of screws 20. The head 13 within the casing 16 has a reduced bearing portion 21, as shown in Fig. 1, on which is rotatably secured by of a flanged bushing 21" a supporting ring 22 having a threaded portion 23. A. globe 24; is carried by the ring 22 being secured thereto by means of a shell 25 having flange portion 26 engaging a flange 27 on the globe and having a threaded portion 28 engaging the threaded portion 28 of the ring. Suitably disposed n the globe 2dare a pair of arrows 29 and 30, one of which, when the sig vice is in position on the vehicle, points to the right, and the other to the 1 shown in Fig. These arrows are pre ably formed of translucent red material. either by coating part of the surface of the globe 2d with such mater'al or by making part of the glob-e of coloed material.

The narrow strip of the globe between a translucent red coating or rmed translucent red material. The remaining portions of the globe are transparent t permit the illumination of the number plate and stop signal.

In the drawing l have shown each arrow, and also the narrow strip therebetween, as extending over substantially 50 cit the surface of the globe, the center lines of the two arrows thus being 120 apart. ll ithin the globe is lamp bulb 31 carried by a tubular support 82 secured to the head 18 by means of a clamping ring 83 and screws 341. Conducting wires 35 lead from the lamp through the support 32 and through an opening 36 in the head 13 to any suitably located source of current. The end of the casing 16 opposite the head 13 is flosed by means of a plate 37 of shes metal held in place within the bead 38 by a spring ring 39.

This end of the casing 16 is secured to the base 10 by means of a band 40 of sheet metal surrounding the casing and secured to a lug 41 extending from the base 10 by means of screws 42.

The means for controlling the movement of the rotatable globe 24 will now be described.

The rotatable ring 22 which carries the globe has extending therefrom and formed integral therewith an arm 43 connected by means of a link 44, bell crank lever 45, link 46, lever 47 and line 48, with an arm 49 secured to a shaft 50 rotatably mounted in bearings 51 on the steering post 52 of an automobile and having secured thereto an operating lever 53, as shown in Fig. 4. moving the lever 53 to the right or left the arm 43 is moved up or down and one or the other of the arrows 29 or is displayed through the opening 19 in the casing 16, the arrangement preferably being such that when the lever 53 is moved to the right the arrow pointing to the right will be displayed.

In order that it may not be necessary for the driver to hold the lever 53 in the position to which it has been moved until the turn indicated has been made, means are provided whereby after the globe 24 has been rotated to a position in which one of the arrows is displayed it will be automatically held in this position for an appreciable length of time sufiicient to allow the turn indicated to be made andwill then be released and turned to a position in which neither of the arrows is displayed. This means will now be described.

An arm 54 having a hub portion 54, an off-set portion 55, a lug 56 and an arcuate boss 57, is pivotally mounted on a pin 58 on the head 13 and is connected with the lever 43 to move therewith by means of a screw 59. The arm 54, and with it the arm 43 and globe 24, are normally held in their middle position in which the arms 43 and 54 are horizontal and neither arrow is displayed, by means of a spring 60 comprising a coiled portion 61 surrounding the hub 54 and a pair of arms 62 normally engaging opposlte sides of the off-set portion 55 of the arm 54 and also normally engaging opposite sides of a lug 63 projecting from the head 13, the tension of the spring being such that the arms 62 tend to move toward each other. Latch members 64 pivotally mounted on the head 13 and having hook portions 65 for engagement with the lug 56, carry pins 66 which work in slots 67 in the links 68. Springs 69 tend to hold the pins 66 at the inner ends of the slots. The links 68 are both connected b a common pivot pin 70 to a plunger 71 working in an opening 72 in a boss 73 on the head 13, the boss being recessed at 74 to expose the plunger to permit the connection of the links 68 therewith.

One end 75 of the plunger extends outward from the opening 72 and has a rounded portion 76 in a position to be engaged by a pair of cam members 77, pivotally secured to the boss 57 by means of pins 78, said members having arms 79 extending therefrom, the arms having bent over ends 80 to engage the boss 57 to limit the pivotal movement of the cams. i

A spring 81 connects the arms 79 and tends to hold the ends 80 in engagement with the boss 57; the other end of the plunger 71 is provided with a head 82 which engages a spring diaphragm 83 formed of sheet metal. A diaphragm 84 of sheet metal is secured to the diaphragm 83 by having its edges crimped over the edge of the diaphragm 83 to form an air tight connection therewith. The diaphragm 84 is dished slightly so that an air chamber is formed between the two diaphragms. Both diaphragms are held in place in a recess 85 in the bracket 12 by means of a dust-proof cap 86 secured to the bracket 12 by means of screws 87. A tubular member 88 is secured in a central opening 89 in the diaphragm 84, the end 90 of the tubular member being flanged over the edge of the opening to form an air tight connection with the diaphragm. The member 88 has an annular portion 91 forming a valve seat for a ball check valve 92, normally held against the seat by a spring 93 held in place by a pin 94 extending through the tubular member. Extending through the side of the tubular member is a restricted opening 95. A screw 96 having a reduced portion 97 is threaded into an opening 98 in the side of the tubular member opposite the opening 95. The screw 96 may be adjusted in or out to restrict more or less the flow of air through the opening 95.

The operation of this delayed return mech anism is as follows:

Assume that the lever 53 is so actuated that the arm 43 is moved upward to the dot-' ted line position shown in Fig. 2. During the first part of this movement the lower one of the cams 77 will engage the rounded end 76 of the plunger 71 causing it to move inward against the spring pressure of the spring diaphragm 83, the diaphragm 83 being forced inwardly and the air between the diaphragms 83 and 84 being forced out past the spring pressed ball check valve 92. This inward movement of the plunger 71 causes an inward movement of the links 68 and the latches 64, the hooks 65 being moved to a position in which they lie in the path of the lug 56. The upward movement of the arm 43 causes an upward movement of the upper spring arm 68, because of its en-' gagement with the off-set portion 55 of said arm, the lower sprlng arm 62 being, however, held agalnst movement, because of its engagement with the lug 63 on the head 13. As the arm 43 continues its upward movement the cam '77 rides off from the rounded portion 7 6 whereupon the plunger 71 moves slowly upward because of the spring pressure of the diaphragm 83, the movement being retarded because of the difference in pressure between atmospheric air and the air in the chamber between the diaphragms 88 and 8%, due to the restriction of the flow of air through the opening 95 and past the valve 9?, the check valve 92 preventing a return" flow past it. As the arm 43 continues to move the lug 56 engages the upper hook 65 which still lies in its path and forces it outward against the action of the spring 69 until the lug passes the hook when the latter snaps over the lug, due to the action of the spring 69 and holds the arm as in its raised position in which position one of the arrows 29 or 30 will be displayed through the opening 19.

After the hook 65 has engaged over the lug 56 the driver may release the lever 53, but the signal will continue to be displayed until the return movement of the plunger 71 causes the links 68 and latches 6% to move outward to cause the hook 65 to release the lug 56, when the upper spring arm 62, acting on the off-set portion 55 of the arm l3, will turn the latter and also the globe 24; to their normal mid position in which neither arrow on the globe is displayed. On the return movement of the arm as the cam 7'? rides over the rounded end 76 of the plunger without causing an inward movement of the plunger, the spring 81 yielding to permit this operation. A similar operation takes place when the lever 53 is so actuated that the arm as is moved downward. The screw 96 may be so adjusted that the release of the signal device to allow it to return to its mid position will be delayed long enough to allow the turn to be made in the direction indicated before the device is released.

It will be noted that in the normal position of the signal device the narrow strip of the globe between the arrows (which strip and arrows, as previously stated, are preferably red and translucent) will be displayed so that at night a red rear light will be displayed no matter in what position the signal device is placed. A stop signal plate 99 is secured to a shaft 100 rotatably mountd in bearings 101 on the base 10. An arm 102 secured at one end of the shaft 100 is connected by means of a link 103, bell crank lever 104:, and link 105 with an arm 106 secured to a shaft 107 actuated by the brake lever 108 of an automobile, as shown in Fig. 4:, the arrangement being such that the movement of the brake lever to apply the brake to stop or retard the vehicle will cause the signal plate to be raised from the horizontal position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 and in full lines in Fig. i in which it intercepts the light from the opening 17 in the lamp casing to the vertical position shown in full lines in Figs. 1 and 3 and in dotted lines in Fig. 4, in which the stop signal will be displayed and which, at night, will be illuminated from the lamp 31 through the opening 17.

It is obvious that electric or pneumatic actuators controlled by the occupant of the vehicle may be substituted for the mechanical connections for both the stop signal and the right and left signal. It is obvious, also, that means ma be provided whereby the movement of the steering wheel to a predetermined degree in one direction or the other will cause the lever 58 to be actuated and the right or left signal displayed.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Signal means for vehicles comprising a lamp, a casing surrounding said lamp having upper and rear openings therein, a rotat-ably mounted globe within the casing and inclosing the lamp, said globe having two devices thereon indicating right and left respectively movable alternately to a position between the lamp and rear opening, and stop signal plate pivoted adjacent said upper opening and movable from a horizontal position in which it intercepts the light from said upper opening to a ver tical position in which it is illuminated by the light from said opening.

2. A signal device for vehicles comprising a bearing member, a ring rotatably mounted on said bearing member, a lamp-globe detachably secured to said ring, and means for supporting a lamp in said globe.

3. A signal device for vehicles comprising a bearing and supporting member, a ring rotatably mounted on said member, a lampreceptacle supported by said member, and a lamp-globe surrounding said receptacle and detachably secured to said ring member.

4:. A vehicle signal comprising member mounted for movement in a definite path, a movable latch member located in the path of movement of said first member and moved thereby, for engaging and detaining said first member, time-controlled means for actuating said latch to release said member, and power means for returning said first member to normal position.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

- REUBEN B. BENJAMIN. Witnesses llLtAnGARnT THIELEN, ANNE SOLOMON.

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