US1374450A - Direction-signaling device - Google Patents

Description

Patented Apr. 12,1921,

E. H.- HEBERN.

DIRECTIONv SIGNALING DEVFCE. A PxLlcATxoN FILED sf-:PT.26,1 916.

NORRISFEIERS. INCA. LITND.. WSHINGON. D. C4

UNITED STATES EDWARD H. HEBERN, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

DIRECTION-SIGNALING DEVICE.

i T0 all w hom t 'may 'concern Be it known that I, EDWARD II. Hannan,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the vcounty of Alameda and 1 State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Direction-Signaling Devices, of which the vfollowing is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in devices for preindicating the fact that a driver of a vvehicle is about to turn the same, and the directionV in which he is going to turn.

One object of the invention'y is to provide a device ofthis character, which can be operated voluntarily from the ysteering wheel of a motor caras well as automatically by the movement of the steering post, and which will be automatically returned to normal position by the turning of. the steering post to normalposition. u n

A further object is to provide a device with which it will notV be necessary for the driver of the motor car to devote his attention tothe signaling device after once starting the same toward the proper indicating 'position untilit has been movedto .said position.

A further object yist() provide an improved means for substituting the signaling device for a radiator cap.

. A further object. is to provide animproved radiator cap.. n.

A further object is to provideimproved mechanism for exhibiting atthe Sametime alamp, a number plate and a preindicating signal, both of which latter` are illuminated by the former. p

Further advantages of my invention will appear kfrom the description thereof and will y be particularly 1pointed out inthe claims. p, i v

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 isa verticalgtransverse section of .my improved preindicator looking` from the rear; Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section thereof; Fig. 3 is a section onthe line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. Aiis alhorizontalmsection on the line 4--4 of Fig. 3; Fig.` 5 is a broken side view, i partly in section, showing a modication of thefmeans for securing the preindicator in place; Fig. 6. is-a side view, showing thepreindicator applied to the rear of a car.u

Referrin to` the drawing, 1 indicatesy a radiator tu e, extending upwardly through y Specification ofwLetters Patent.

Patented Apr. 12, 1921.

Applicationlled September 26, 1916. y Serial yNo. 122,208.

a hole in a radiator casing 2, and adapted to be yclosed by the usual cap, not here shown. @n the top of saidtube 1 is screwed a collar 3 having an outwardly extending f iange 1- resting upon theV inwardly extending flange 6 of a ring 7 which flange and ring rest upon a tube 8 surroundingan upwardly extending cylindrical portion 9 of` the radiatorcasing and resting upon the radiator. By screwing said collar 3 upon `said tube l, the tube 8 canrbe fitted tight upon the radiator casing.

Resting upon the ring 7 is a plate 11, which is held down to extensions 12 of said ring by ybolts 13, 14, the bolt 13 being tubular and passing through a hole in one extension 12 o f the ring and in the plate and forming a pivot for said plate, and the other bolt ltpassmgthrough a hole in the other extension 12 ofthering and through an openended recess 16 in the plate in one edge of the extension thereof, said bolts having respectively heads 17 and 18 resting upon the plate, andbeing pressed down by springs 19 coiled around the `bolts and compressed between the under side of the plate and collars 21 secured on said bolts. The head 18 has secured therein depending pins 22,y

holdl the plate in properposition upon the ring. But if the bolt lllland the head 18 be raised, so that said pins 22 are disengaged from `the sockets 23, then the plate can be swung about the other bolt 13 as its center. For this purpose theplate is provided lwitha handle or extensions L24- extending radially from the other bolt 13.y To raise the bolt 14 so as to disengagethe pins 22 from. the sockets `23, there is provided a lever 25 extendingy laterally in the recess 16 from a point underneath` the bolt head 18 over the edge of the adjacent extension of the ring 7, and having a hole through which extends a pin k26 depending from the head 18 of the bolt 141, said pin after extending through the hole inthe lever, also extending into a hole 27 in the extension of the ring 7. `By depressing the outer end of said lever, the inner end is raised, the hole having rounded or enlarged ends to permit of rotary movement relative to the pin 26, and the head of the bolt is raised suiiiciently to raise the pins 22 out of the holes 23 and allow the plate to swing about the other bolt 13 as a center.l

To the plate is secured, by screws 28, a

casting 29 forming the base of the casing 31 of my improved preindicator.

In some cars, as, for instance, in Ford cars, the filling tube is attached directly'to the radiator casing, or is integral therewith and has an internal thread in which is screwed the cap. In this case, as shown in Fig. 5, a tube 32 having external threads is screwed into the internal threads of the filling tube.

Fig. 6 shows the means of support at the rear of the car. In this case a casting 33 forms a base for the preindicator and has a central depending lug 34, which is pivoted, as shown at 36, to a standard 37 on a plate 38 secured by bolts 39 to the mud guard 41 at the rear of the car, preferably on the left-hand side. A pin 35 is driven through a hole in the standard and through any one of a circular series of holes 40 (shown in dotted lines) in the lug, to hold the casting in place. On a rearward extension 42 from said casting 33 is secured a strip 43 carrying a lamp 44 and casting 46 to which is removably attached a number plate 47. The number plate is not mounted centrally of said strip, but in such a manner that its outer end does not project beyond -the fender, and is nearer to the strip than the inner end. Y

The means for supporting the .signaling device on the rear end of the car is of such construction as to fit almost anycar.

The device which takes the place of the ordinary radiator cap is so constructed as to be adaptable for any style of radiator, the only pieces that have to be vvaried being the brass ring 3, which may be made larger or smaller in diameter to fit different sizes of tubes 1, and the tube 8 which may be longer or shorter as needed. Fora' Ford car the thread is formed on the outside of the collar. In fact this device when used simply as a radiator cap, without carrying the signaling system, is much superior `to the ordinary radiator cap, which often becomes loose and rattles and is liable to be lost,whereas the present device is always held down tightly by spring pressure to close the filling tube.

Upon the base plate are secured thin plates 48 of fiber of greater length than width, and upon 4them are laid thicker blocks 49 of fiber of the same shape as the plates except that they have therein holes to receive inner brass tubes 51 surrounding cores 52 of solenoids 53. The fiber plates 48 and blocks 49 are held down to the base plateV by screws 54. Wit-hin the brass tubes at the bottom short cylinders 56 of soft steel are secured to the brass tubes 51 and fiberv blocks 49 by transverse pins 57. Surrounding the brass tube at the top in order to keep the solenoid wires 58 in place are collars 59 of fiber secured to the tubes by pins 61 which penetrate the sides of the tubes, but

do not pass into the interior thereof. In said tubes 51 can reciprocate cores 52, the

upper ends of which are attached to the ends of a leather or other flexible band 63, secured by a screw 64 to a disk 66 on a shaft 67 having its bearingin a post 68 formed integral with the base. y

On said shaft 67 is a hub 69 which extends through the casing 31 and to which is se? cured an arm 71 in the form of an arrow. In the periphery of said disk 66 are formed one central notch 72 and two terminal notches 73, in any one of which can be v received a vlatch lever 74 pivoted, as shown at 76, on an extension 77of said post 68, said arm beingy also connected by a pin and slot connection 78`to ythe upper end of a fiber block 79, in iwhich is secured by a cross pin 80, the upper end of a brass rod `81, slidable vertically in a soft steel cylinder 82, and connected to afsoft steelcore 83,

been pressed, thenby a wire 96 to said pushv button and by wires 97 and 98 to the other pole ofthe battery. Thereby the horn is sounded and the solenoid 86 and said solenoid 53 are energized, causing 'the corriesponding cores to be attracted, theV latch lever 74 to be released and the core 52 to be moved into contact with the cylinder 56, by the magnetic attraction of which it is firmly held. The flexible band connected to the core becomes loose on the side connected with the core which .has been attracted, and the opposite core still moves upwardly by its own momentum, so that the arrow has a vibratory movement which is Vof great advantage in attracting the attention of persons'in front of, or behind, the vehicle. Y

In order to prevent the core from moving too far upward out of the solenoid there is provided ayoke 101 attached by a screw 102 to the top of the post, and having arms 103 having bumpers 104 which are interposed in the path of the cores and arrest their upward movement. The Varrow will, after a period of vibration, come to rest with a recess 73 slightly past the latch 74, and the arrow is directed in the position shown by the dotted lines pointing in the lower direction. l Upon removing the finger fromthe push button, the horn will immediately ceasesounding and the butt end-of the arrow being'heavier thanv the pointed end, the arrow will swing backward toward its normal position, but it will immediately be arrested, after it has traveled through a very small arc, by the latchentering the recess 7 3 immediately adjacent thereto. The arrow will thenbe directed in the position shown by the `dotted* lines pointing in the up er direction.

t isV of importance that this signaling device should be made automatically as well as voluntarily,so that the signal will always be shown'when necessary, even though the driver through lack of care should forget to do so. `With this end in view there is attached to the steering post 106 a plate 107 having fingers 108 which are on opposite sides of a switch 109, pivoted at 111, and having a rearward extension 112, controlled by Ia spring 113 tending to bring it always back to a central position. :Said switch is 'connected by a wire 99 with the wire 98, and on opposite sides of said switch are contacts 114, connected by wires 116 with the wires 96. It will be seen that as soon as the steering post is turned tofturn the machine, one or the other of the fingers 108 engages the switch 109 so as to move it toward one or the other of the contacts 114 and close the circuit through onev or the other of the solenoids.

It will be seen from the above description that the signal may be brought' back to normal position either by the driver pressing the other push button and then at once removing his finger, or automatically, by the turning of the steering wheel, back to normal position when ythe switch 109 will be actuated to contact with the other contact contacts 126 secured to the tops of the brassv tubes 5l, which contacts are adapted to contact respectively in the descent of the cores 62 with spring contacts 127 supported on the tops of said cores but insulated therefrom by insulating material 128 and from which lead wires 129 to the wires 121.

It will be seen from this construction that if the switch be closed the proper core will be attracted and the proper lamp 123 will be illumina'ted and indicate the direction in whi-ch the driver is `about to. turn.

The arrow used herein is colored red except in the central portion of the head,

which is colored white, there being left a.

center and followingk thevoutline of the arrow. It is found that an arrow so colored is visible as a signal at agreater distance,

Y either inthe day time orat night, than any red, yet the white portion of the arrow is distinguishable at a greater distance, and its position in reference ,to the automobile indicates the intention of the driver.

In orderbthat the horn may sound, the driver must keep his finger on the push button, but it will be observed that when it is not necessary for this to be done, the arrow `is still pointed in the signaling direction without the4 expenditure of any electricity except that required to turn the signal to the proper position.

For the sake of clearness of illustration, the electrical connections have, for the most part, been shown diagrammatically, but the electric wires leading to the horn, suitably located lamps and battery, and then to the solenoids will be contained in a tube 130 leading from the side of the casing into the hollowpivotal bolt 13, and will pass therefrom tothe pushbuttonsl which are located on thel steering wheel, while the contacts 114 and switch 104 are arranged close to the baseof the steering post.

`My improved mechanism possesses the advantage :that very little electricity is revquired to lbe expended, for, in the first then remains in that position without the r further expenditure of electricity; and, in the second place, the only work necessary to be done by the solenoid is to lift the extra weight ofthe tail of the arrow which is heavier than its head. Also the parts carried by the shaft, namely, the hub and arrow onV one side and the disk on the other are arranged to be equally balanced on both sides of the bearing so that these parts rotate easily in the bearing.

1. In combination with a rotatable signaling device, two electro-magnetic means Jfor respectively rotating said devices in opposite directions, locking means for locking the device when it has been rotated to either signaling position, and unitary means for closing the circuit through any one of said electro-magnetic means to energize the same and for withdrawing said locking means from its normal position, said signaling means when rotated by said electro-magnetic means swinging past the position in which it can be locked by said locking means and being wei hted to return when free from the control o said electro-magnetic means.

2. In combination with a vibratory di- -rection-indic'ating' device, lsolenoids kand cores operatively connected to said indicating device to move the saine, When the cores are attracted, in opposite directions `respectively, said operative connections permitting therefor pivoted to swing in a horizontal plane on one side of the radiator lilling tube,

the device to move independently of said cores. i

' 3. In combination Witha vibratory direction-indicating device, solenoids and cores operatively connected to said indicating device to move the same, when the cores are attracted, in opposite directions respectively,

-said oaerative connections aermittinfy the device to move independently of said cores, and means for locking said'device in its indicating position when the core Vis no longer attracted. Y Y

4L. In combination With a vibratory direction-indicating device, soleiioids and cores `operatively connected tosaid indicating device to move the same, when the cores are attracted, in opposite directions respectively, said operative` connections permitting the device to move independently of said cores, and means controllable both automatically and voluntarily. for energizing either solenoid as desired.. f

5. In combination with a' vibratory direction-indicating device, solenoids and cores operatively connected to said indicating device to move the same, ivhen the coresare attracted, in opposite directions respectively, said operative connections permitting the device to move independently of said cores, and means controllable both automatically neid.

Withdraw said locking device from its locking position.

6. In combinationiivith a Vradiatoita cap said pivot being hollow, vsprings for depressing said cap to close said filling tu-be, electromagneticV signaling devices supported.

by Said cap, and a tube extending from said devices through the pivot of said cap and through which lead theelectric Wires which conduct the currents to said electro-magnetic devices..

pointer mounted .on ay shaft 'to :extend above and beloiv its Vaxis of rotation andso balanced thereon tliatit is normally upright ypassing over thepointer shaft for suspension of the plungers, the plungers being AVmaintained normally in equilibrium, the

plungers and the pointer, each, being balanced ontlie same ,axis of suspension to produce avfcoperating suspension balance between the plungers and pointers, and

means -or directing a current suHicient to overcome the balance through either sole- Y' EDWARD HYHEBERN,

. v f r5.0 `7An automobile signal comprising aV

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