US1462266A - Traffic regulator - Google Patents

Description

July 17, 1923. 5 1,462,266

G.C.DEGNER TRAFFI C REGULATOR Filed Nov. 3, 1920 INVENTOR.

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Patented July 17, 19231 PATENT oFFicEL GEORGE C. DEGNER, 0F LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA.

TRAFFIC REGULATOR.

Application med November 3, 1920. Serial No. 421,538.

To all whom t may concer/n,

Be it known that I, GEORGE C. pacman, a citizen of the United States, residing at lLon Beach, county of Los Angeles, State ofalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Traffic B egulator, of which the following'is a specification.

My invention relates to traffic signals for regulatingv traffic, and has for its object to provide automatic means for timing, indicating and directing the direction of traffic onstreets for the purpose -of avoiding collisions and accidents, a particular Vpurpose being to promote safety at street corners and intersections.

A particular object of my invention is to provide a traffic regulating signal embodying intermittently operated signal elements combined with a means for designating an interval of time preceding the operation of a signal element the moment at which the signal element is to be operated, so that the traffic may be informed as to the length of time that will lapse before a change in the signal takes place.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

In the ordinary ltraffic regulating signals, such as are employed at street intersections, a signal usually consisting of a semaphore arm or light is operated to direct traffic to stop on one street and to proceed on the other; the signals being held for an interval of time during which traffic is to stop at the intersection on one street -and to move across the intersection on the street, and after the lapse of time the signals are changed to direct the traffic moving toward the intersection to stop and to indicate to previously stopped traffic to go ahead. It frequently occurs that the driver of a vehicle reaches the street intersection about the moment the signal changes and either proceeds just as the signal changes directing him to stop, or he comes to a full stop immediately before the signal changes to direct him to proceed resulting in confusion and loss of time. By the use of my invention the driver of a vehicle may be informed in advance 'ust when the signal is to change, so that if e is stopped he may make'ready to proceed the instant he is directed to do so and if he is underway and approaching the street intersection he can determine whether to continue moving or to slow down or to stop according to the given signal and to the length of time that will lapse before the signal changes, thus'avoiding unnecessary stopping and consequent delays.- f c In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates my invention.

- `Figure 1 is a perspective view of the. ndicator complete as it appears in operaion.

Figure 2 is a central vertical section of the top. portion, containing the timing and indicating apparatus.

. Figure 3 is a side view of the cam cylinder ,which operates and controls the indicator arms. o Y

Figure 4 is an inverted plan view of the cam cylinder; and,

Figure 5 is a fragmental sectional view of the base casing.

More specifically, 1 designates a base, 2 a casing mounted on the base having a side opening closed by a door 3, luindicates a tubular post extending upwardly from the casing, and 5 denotes a housing carried by the post preferably quadrangular in form and having in each of its four faces a transparent dial 6. The base, casing, and post are here shown as a support for the housing, but any other suitable supporting means may be employed.

A vertical shaft 7 extends through the post and seats in a bearing 8 in the bottom of casing 2 and projects at its upper end through a bearing post 9 into the housing 5. The shaft 7 is designed to be rota-ted in a suitable manner; the mechanism for this purpose being here shown as comprising a worm gear 10 fixed on the shaft 7 in the casing 2 and meshing with a worm 11 connected with an electric motor 12 located in the casing V2, which motor constitutes a source of power.

Mounted on the shaft 7 in the housing 5 is a bevel gear 13 which meshes with and drives bevel pinions 14 fixed on short shafts 15 mounted in the bearing post 9. The outer ends of the shafts extend through the dials 6 and have indicating hands 16 adapted to traverse the dials, referably clockwise, on rotation of the sha t 15. 'Suitable fixed indicia are provided on the dials or adjacent thereto with which the hands have relative movement.

' In the housing 5 are pivoted four indicating or directing lever arms 18, one on each side, which are adapted to swing to horizon tal position by gravity, as in Figures 1 and 2. or to be swung into upright position within the housing through slots 19 therein, as in Figure l. by action of the cam cylinder 1T fixedlv mounted on the shaft 7; The cam cylinder.embodies a pair of complementary cam tracks 1T each comprising a portion a concentric with the shaft, an inclined portion I) connecting with the portion a and leading inwardly toward the shaft, and a horizontal portion c formed on the underside of a horizontal plate (Z and formed in continuation of the upper part of the inclined portion I). The undersides of the portions c and b, and the outer vertical face of the portion a constitute the working surfaces of the cam tracks; the underside of portion b being formed in continuation of the outer face of portion a and of the under face of portion c. The arms 1S are arranged 'in pairs. the two members of each pair opposite each other. and bearing corresponding indicia. such as Stopf or (iro. and theI cam tracks 1T on the cylinder 17 are so arlanged that when one pair of arms is down in horizontalv position. the inner ends of the arms will extend beneath the horizontal portions o of the cam tracks .17 as shown in full lilies in Figure 2. the-other pair of arms will be raised andl stand in verticai position with their inner ends abutting against the vertical faces of the portions (L of the cam tracks. as indicated in dotted lilies in Figure Q. The edge of the plate d is formed with a pair of projections e adapted on rota-tion of the cam cylinder to strike the inner edge of the outer portions of the upwardly extending signal arms so as to rock the latter forwardly and insure their gravitating to their normal horizontal positions. lVithin the housing 5, back of the transparent dials are electric lamps 20, one .for each dial, which, in thenight time, are thrown into circuit and illumine the dials so that the hands 16 may be clearly seen.

On the top of the housing 5, is mounted a transparent globe 21, having within it an electric` lamp (not shown) to light it in the night time. and radiating from. the globe are four arms .22 which point towardsv the sides of the housing and carry respectively the letters E. lV. N. S. which, taken in connection with the. indications on the outstanding arms 18 serve to indicate the direction in which traflic may. or may not, move.

In the operation of the invention, the shaft? is rotated thereby effecting rotation of the hands 16 over the dials` preferably with a continuous uniform motion by action of the gears 13 and 14. On rotation of the cam cylinder 17 by the shaft 7 the arms 18 will be acted on by the cam tracks 17 and caused to swing vertically into an upwardly extending position with an intermittent movement in the following manner; the horizontally extending arms having their inner ends projecting beneath the horizonal portions c of the cam tracks will be engaged by the inclined portions b which as the cam revolves will act to depress the inner ends of the arms until the outer portions of the arms assume a substantially vertical position in which position the arms will be maintained stationary `by the cam portions a during the time the latter are engaged with the arms. When the cam portions a pass from engagement with the arms, the projections e act to tilt the arms outwardly whereupon they swing to their normal horizontal positions, in which positions they remain for an interval of time until reengaged by the inclined portions of the cam tracks. The signal arms are designed to be operated in such relation to the movement of the hands that when the latter assume a predetermined position on the dial, such as when pointing upwardly, one pair of arms will drop and the other pair will rise; the pairs of arms thus a1- ternately operating at the termination of a rotation of the hands and the arms remaining in their dropped or signaling position during the major part of the time during which the hands complete a revolution. By this arrangement the moving hands will indicate the length of time that will pass between the changes of position of the signaling arms and will denote the moment at which the signaling arms are to operate, for example, assuming the movement of the hands to be timed to make a complete revolution in one minute, an observer could then determine b v the position of the hand on the dial approximately the length of time that would lapse before the signal arms would change position, as for instance should the hands be approaching close to the upwardly extending position the driver of a vehicle or other observer would know that but a few seconds would lapse until the signal would change and could act accordingly. and should the driver of a vehicle observe that the hands had just passed the vertical position he would know that the signai had been operated but a short time before and that there would be a considerable lapse of time before it would change again and could govern his vehicle. accordingly.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided an effective meansl for indicating in advance the moment at which an intermittently operated signal will be actuated, and while I have shown and described a specific mechanism for effecting this result it is obvious that any suitable apparatus may he used to accomplish the same purpose, so l therefore do not limit myself to the exactdetails and construction shown, but' may employ such changes in construction and equivalents of parts as may come within the scope of the appended claims; the essential feature of the signal residing in an intermittently operable signal element and a co-operatin timed element having movement or in icating movement relative to a fixed point to designate the moment at which the intermittent signal is to operate.

Having now `described my invention, I claim:

l. In a traffic regulating device, a pivoted indicating arm, a continuously rotatable shaft, means on said shaft for actuating said arm intermittently, a dial, a hand pivotally arranged to traverse said dial, means for rotating said hand from said shaft, and indicia on said di'al for indicating in conjunction with said hand premonitory movement of said arm.

2. A traic regulator comprising a supporting base, a vertical tubular post rising therefrom, a rectangular casing mounted on said post and having in each side thereof a transparent dial, a pivoted `indicating arm in each side of the casing normally standing in .horizontal position,4 extending outwardly, a continuously rotatable shaft extending through said post into the casing, a cam cylinder on said shaft coacting with said arms to intermittently turn them into vertical position, a gear wheel on the shaft, short horizontal shafts mounted in the casing geared with said gear wheel and extending out through said dials and carrying hands on their outer ends to indicate on said dials the movements and positions of the cams of said cam cylinder.

3. In a traiiic regulator a rectangular casing having in each side a transparent dial and a vertical slot above each dial, indicator arms pivotally mounted within the casing opposite the respective slots and adapted to move therethrough into, and from, horizontal or vertical positions; short horizontal shafts mounted within the casing and extending outward through said. diails and carrying hands on their outer ends, a vertical rotatable-shaft extending into said casing through the'bottom thereof, a cam cylinder on said shaft coacting with said indicator arms to intermittently raise them from horizontal to vertical position, a gear connection between said vertical and horizontal.

shafts to rotate the latter from the former,

and means for rotating said vertical shaft.

4. In an automatic traiic regulating signal, the combination of an intermittently operable signal for signaling traic, and a visible signal adapted to indicate in advance at all times between operations of the intermittent signal the moment at which the intermittent signal is to be operated.

5. In a traic regulating signal, the combination of an intermittent signal element for signaling traiic, and a timed movable signai element for designating in advance at all times between operations of the intermittent signal element the moment at which the intermittent signal element is to be operated.

6. In a traiic regulating-signal, the combination of an'intermittent signal element for signaling traflic, and a timed movable indicator having movement relative to a fixed point for designating at all times between operations of the intermittent signal element to an observer the moment when the signal element will operate.

7. In a -traiiic regulating signal, a trafc signal ele-ment, means for operating said signal 'element at predetermined intervals alternately into signaling and non-signaling condition, and an indicator for indicating at all times in advance when the signal element 'is to change from its signaling or non-signalin@ conditions.

8. In a traiiic regulatin signal, an alternating traiiic signal for esignating either stop or go at predetermined intervals and a second signal co-operating with said first named signal to indicate at all times in advance the time at which the latter is to change.

9.v In a traflic regulating signal, a movable hand mounted to traverse a path relative to a fixed point, an intermittent traffic signal, and means whereby said intermittent signal, will operate at the time the hand reaches the fixed point said hand acting to inform an observer the moment at which the signal is to operate.

10. In a traiic regulating signal, a dial, a rhand mounted to traverse said dial, means for turning said hand, a traffic signal, and means for operating said signal when the hand reaches a predetermined point on said dial, said hand acting to inform an observer the moment when the signal is to operate.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature hereto.

GEORGE C. DEGNER.

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