US1343761A - Direction-indicator eor vehicles - Google Patents

Description

F. F. BRENDLE.

DIRECTION INDICATOR FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 26, 1919.

,7 Patented June 15,1920.

K fiW/M 19/ 6/7076 awuewtoz UNITED srArss PATENT OFFICE.

FRANKF. BRENDLE, 0F SALINA, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-THIRD TO ROY C. GARRUTI-IEBS AND ONE-THIRD '50 MYRTLE OARRUTl-IERS, BOTH 0F SALINA, KANSAS.

DIRECTION-INDICATOR FUR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 15, 1920.

App1ication filed November 26, 1919. Serial No. 340,951.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK F. BRENDLE, a citizen of the United States, residing Saline, in the county of Saline and State of Kansas, have invented certain new 7 and use ful Improvements in Direction-indicators for Vehicles, of which the following 15 a specification.

This invention relates to direction indlcators for vehicles and it is the dominant object of the invention to provide a pneumatically operated signal capable of being attached to and operated from the drivers seat of a vehicle, whereby change in direction of the course of the vehicle may be clearly signaled to other vehicles and pedestrians thereby allowing. ample time to avoid the vehicle displaying the signal and preventing collisions, accidents.

or the choking of traffic.

Another and equally important object of the invention is to provide means for automatically returning the signal means to inoperative position subsequent to a signaling operation, thereby rendering the same ready for further use.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an audible signal operable upon movement of the main or visual signal means to its inoperative position.

ther independent objects are to provide features of construction of portions of the device which tend toward the attainment of the above aims irrespective of the relation in which they are used.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown one of various possible embodiments'of my invention.

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the improved signal; and

Fig. 2 is a transverse section therethrough.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings and in connection with which like reference characters will designate corresponding parts in the several views, 1 represents the tubular cylinder of the device,

the remaining extension is engaged with ascrew threaded nipple 5, the said nipple in turn, being connected to a hose or other form of conduit 6, the said conduit having engagement with a multi-way valve 7. It is of course to be understood, that the conduit 8 extending from the multi-Way valve is in connnunication with a suitable source of air supply arranged at a point convenient upon the vehicle and capable of being replenished from time to time.

Slidably arranged within the tubuar cylinder 1 is a piston 9 provided with a suitable rod having a screw threaded intermediate portion 10 while portions thereof are squared as at 11 and rounded as at 12, the rounded extremity of the rod being provided with a longitudinally extending way 13, the said way opening onto the squared extremity 11 and onto the outer extremity of the rounded portion 12. In this connection, it is to be noted that a whistle 14 is arranged on the outer end of the rounded extremity 12 and communicates with the said way 13 whereby it may be operated at times. Mounted in the cylinder 1 and having bearing upon the stuffing gland 4: and the adjacent side of the piston 9 is a contractile coiled spring 15, which spring, obviously, serves. as means for normally maintaining the said piston 9 in a position adjacent the rear end of the cylinder -1, thus maintaining the signaling means, hereinafter more fully described, in inoper ative position.

Curved spring arms 16 are secured to portions of the rounded extremity of the piston red as at 17 and have the free ends thereof extending to points in proximity of the outer end of the said rounded ex tremity. A signal cloth 18 is secured to the oppositely disposed spring arms 16 and to the rounded extremity 12 of the piston rod as at 19. Upon the cloth 18, matter indicating the movements or the directions in which a vehicle is to travel may be arranged, such as for instance words Stop Right or Left.

A circular piece 20 is carried upon the end of the rounded extremity 12 of the piston rod and is adapted to be engaged over the open outer end of the tubular cylinder 1 when the piston assumes a position adj acent the rear end of the said cylinder, thus eliectively closing the same.

lVhen employing my improved pneumatic operated signal, a plurality of the same are used, having different words arranged upon the respective signal cloths thereof, it of course being understood, that conduits 6 are extended into engagement with each of the tubular cylinders of the various signals and that these conduits in turn are connected to the ports of the multi-way valve 7 whereby the same may be selectively operated.

In operation, air is admitted to the tubular cylinder 1 by way of the multi-way valve 7 and the conduit 6 thereby forcing the piston 9 forwardly and allowing the spring arms 16 to be expanded, thus permitting the displaying of the signal cloth 18 in an ef icient manner. Rotation of the piston rod and hence, the signal cloth is avoided d Lie to the squared extremity 11 of the piston rod, which, as will be noted, passes through the stuiling gland l arranged upon the rear end of the cylinder 1. Due to the fact that the way 13 extending longitudinally of the rounded extremity 12 of the pis ton rod is of less size than the bore of the cylinder 1, air will be slowly exhausted therethrough and as a consequence, will operate the whistle let carried thereby; attracting attention to the signal and allowing ample time for following vehicles and pedestrians to avoid the vehicle displaying the signal. To return the signal cloth of the indicator to its inoperative or non-signaling position, the, multiway valve 7 is closed whereupon the contractile spring 15 moving the piston rod inwardly and collapsing the signal cloth 18, causes gradual discharge of the air in the cylinderthrough the port of the whistle 14. When the signal has been fully retracted, the end'piece20 carried upon the end of the rounded portion 12 will be engaged over the open end of the cylinder 1 thus eiiectively closing the same.

Manifestly, the construction shown is capable of considerable modification and such modification as is within the scope of my claims, I consider within the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A vehicle signal, including a cylinder having an inlet port, a piston working in said cylinder, a rod extending from the piston having a way formed therein and comnninicating with the cylinder, a whistle arranged in said way, and a collapsible signal carried on said rod.

52. XL vehicle signal, including a cylinder having an inlet port, a piston working in said cylinder carrying a rod, said rod having a way extending therethrongh and coinmunicating with the cylinder, a whistle arranged in said way, curved spring arms secured to the rod, a flexible signal cngagral with said spring arms and said. rod, an end piece carried by the rod engageable over the end oi. said cylinder upon retraction el' the piston therein, and spring means in the cylinder for normally maintaining said piston in retracted position.

A. vehicle signal incllnling a cylinder having an inlet port, a piston rcciprocably mounted in said cylinder, a rod carried by the piston provided with a longitudinal passage to permit gradual discharge oi" air from the interior of the cylinder, spring means normally tending to withdraw the piston and rod, and a. flexible signal carried by the terminal of the rod adapted to be withdrawn and concealed within the cylinder during retraction of the piston by the spring means.

vehicle signal including a cylinder having an inlet port, a piston reciprocably mounted in said cylinder, :1. rod carried by the piston having a longitudinal passage communicating with and adapted to permit discharge of the air from the interior of the cylinder, spring means normally tending to withdraw the piston, a signal carried by the terminal of the rod adapted to be withdrawn into the terminal oi the cylinder, and an audible signal operable by the air discharged through said passage.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature hereto.

FRANK F. BR ENDLE.

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