US1417251A - Direction indicator - Google Patents

Description

J. E. KELSEY.

DIRECTION INDICATOR. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 10,-1922.

Patented May 23, 1922.

JESSE E. KELSEY, OF THERESA, NEW YORK.

DIRECTION INDICATGR.

tamtam.

Application filed. February 10, 1922.

To all 107mm t may concern.'

lile it known that I. Jnssn E. linLsnY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Theresa, in the county of Jefferson and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Direction Indicators,`of which the following is a speciiioation.

This invention relates to automobile sig nals, and has for its object to provide a novel, simple and ornamental device, which may be operatively attached to the outside of either a closed or open automobile, and which is operable by the driver thereof, for indicatingto traflic ofcers, pedestrians and other vehicles, that he intends to turn, slowdown or make a stop. A further object is to provide a neat, compact and ornamental device of the class, which may be easily applied, and whose operation is reduced to the simplest terms. And a further object is to provide a direction and stop indicator, wherein the operating mechanism is all concealed andprotected from the weather, and which may be made and installed at a small cost.

I attain these objects by the means set forth in the detailed description which follows and as illustrated by the accompanying drawing in which- Figure l is an outer face view of the complete device. Fig. 2 is a vertical sec-v tion taken substantially on line 2k2 of Fig. 3; showing the target in the extended position for signalling. And Fig. 3 is a central horizontal section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. l; showing the target in the closed position. l In the drawing, 2 represents the side wall of an automobile body, and 2-2a are similar sheet metal plates disposed at the opposite sides of the body.

My improvement consists of the following parts: 3 represents an elongated base, which is mounted on the plate 2 and held in place by screws 3. a3b represent similar spaced lugs or standards, which extend horizontally from the base, and may be integral parts thereof, as shown. These lugs are correspondingly perforated to receive a vertical shaft 4t, which supports and operates a target 5, by which the signals are given. The target 5 is preferably made of sheet-metal substantially Z-shaped, as best seen in Fig. 3, the long horizontal arm 5 of the Z comprising the target proper, while Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented itlay 23, i922.

Serial No. 535,525.

the short horizontal arm 5a is made fast to the shaft 4, by rivets l. The rocking of the shaft et, swings the target through an arc of substantially 900, as shown by the full and dotted lines in Fig. 3. rlhe shaft 4 rotated in the direction for extending the target 5 at right angles to the body`2, as shawn. by full lines in Fig. 2 and by dotted lines in Fig. 3, by means of bevellgears lli" and 6 (shown conventionally in Figs. 2 and 3), which are respectively mounted on the shaft Ll, and a shaft 6', the latter shaft extending horizontally through the base 3. the body 2. and the plates 2-2a, shown in Figs. 2 and l.. The shaft 6 is manually operable for moving the target into the nalling position, by means of a crank-like handle 6, which is preferably disposed in. side the car, within easy reach of the driver. The target 5 is returned to the idle position substantially parallel to the outer face of the body 2, as shown by the full lines in Figs. l and 3 at the end of the signalling period by means of a coil-spring 7, which is mounted on shaft 4, one end of the spring being made fast to said shaft, while the other end is held by the lug 3C carried by the standard 3b. The gears 4ta- 6 and shaft 4, as well as the spring 7, are all enclosed by a sheet metal housing S, which is preferably detachably secured to the base 3 by screws 8. One side of the housing 8 is cut away to provide an opening 8, through which the target proper 5 extends, and this opening permits the said target to be operated, from the idle to the signalling position (as best seen in Fig. 3). Since the signalling periods are of short duration, and recur more or less infrequently, the gears and other parts disposed within the lhousing 8, are liable to become impaired by rain` snow and dust, which may enter througl. the normally open side 8a. In order to protect the said parts during the intervals in which the target is idle (see Figs. l and 3), I provide a novel and effective shield or guard 9, which is permanently mounted on the target 3, as best seen in Fig. 3. The shield 9 extends substantially at right angles to the general plane of the target 5', and its free end 9', which is curved, is preferably in frictional contact with the outer wall Sb of the housing, so that when the target 5 is rotated a quarter turn, for giving the signal, the free end 9 moves in a path that is concentric to the axis of the llO shaft l. The shield 9 not only protects the gears and other parts within the housing from dust, zc., but .it braces and steadies the target while it is being moved back and forth. l represents a rubber bumper which is carried by the target, and acts as a cushion when the blade is moved to the closed position, by the tension of the spring 7.

ln practice, the housing 8 and the target 5 are usually painted or otherwise finished like the body of the automobile, and when properly constructed and installed, the indicator presents an ornamental appearance.

My direction indicator is extremely sini-- ple in construction and operation. By the provision of the spring 7, the driver of the automobile simply' manipulates the `handle (3, in the direction for swinging the target arm 5 outwardly against the tension of the said spring, at right angles to the body 2, as shown by the full lines in Fig. 2 and by the dotted lines in Fig. 3, and holds it for a 'l'ew seconds, and then lets go the handle. The spring then recoils and swings the target 5 in the opposite direc tion, to the position shown by the full linesl in Fig. 3, and holds the target in the latter position until the next signal operation.

Having thus described my invention what l claim, is

l. In a direction indicator, a shaft, a target secured to said shaft, the attached end of said target having a right angular bend for disposing the free end portion of the target in a plane parallel to the attached end portion, a shaft disposed at right angles to the first shaft, bevel gears operatively connecting said shafts, a handle for operating said shafts, a housing enclosing the shafts, the gears, and the angular p0rtion of said target, one side of said housing ieing normally opened, and a curved guard carried by the angular portion of the target and movable Within the housing for preventing dust and dirt from reaching the gears.

2. ln a direction indicator, a pair of shafts, bevel gears operatively connecting said shafts, an operating handle carried by one of said shafts, a swingable target having an angular-shapedend which is secured to the driven shaft, a housing for said gears and portions of said shafts and for the angular-shaped portion of said target, one end of said housing being normally open, a shield carried by 'the angular shaped portion of said target and movable entirely within the housing for normally closing the open end of the housing while the target is in the idle position, and a spring carried by the driven shaft for returning the target to the idle position following each operation thereol by the handle. l

ln testimony whereof l allix my signature.

`.nisse E. iinLsnY.

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