US1486517A - Traffic signal for automobiles - Google Patents

Description

March 11 1924, 1,486,511?

- F. M. GRIETEN v TRAFFIC SIGNAL FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Dec. 14. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 11 1924.. 1,486,517

' .F. M. GRIETEN TRAFFIC SIGNAL FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Dec. 14.. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ll, teas.

FREDEEECK Ill. F BALKTII'EQBE, 1

CHARLES T.

w ll

TRAFFIC SIGNAL AUTOMOBILES.

Application filed December 1 1, 1922.

To all whom it may comer-n.

Be it k own that l, FR onmcir M. GramrnN, a citi on of the United tates, residing at Baltimore city, (State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Traffic tlignals for .aiutomobiles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention aims to provide a simple means whereby characteristic signals may be displaved automatically, when a vehicle is standing still, when the vehicle is moving ahead at a constant speed, and when the vehicle slows down, the signals being operated by suitable means connected operatively with the engine of the vehicle. More specifically, the invention aims to provide a means whereby di'lferently colored lights will be displayed at the rear of a vehicle, automatically, for the purpose of keeping vehicle drivers who are in the rear, fully advised as to the intention of the driver of the vehicle whereon the signal mechanism is displayed, relative to the way in which the car is to be operated, a steady red light being displayed when the car is standing still, a green light appearing when the car is moving steadily ahead and a yellow light appearing so long as the car is being slowed down.

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the invention appertains.

/Vith the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that, within the scope of what is claimed, changes in me precise embodiment of the invention shown can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 shows in section, a device constructed in accordance with the invention, parts appearing in elevation; Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure Figure 3 is an elevation showing a portion of the signal arm; Fi 'ure a is a section on the line l l of Figural; Figure 5 is a fragmental elevation disclosing the clutch memhere on the driving and driven shafts; Figure 6 is a section on the line 66 of Figure 1.

In carrying out the invention, there is Serial No. 606,849.

provided a casing or frame 1, adapted to be mounted on the rear end of an automobile and provided in its rear end with an opening 19 bridged by a transparent lens 20 or like closure. socket 21 is mounted in the casing 1 and carries an electric lamp 22, the conductor for which is designated at 23. A reflector 25 is mounted in the casing 1, in front ofthe lamp 22. The casin 1 has an internal arm provided with a V ide 61.

A drive shaft 2 anti-frictionally supported at 3 for rotation in the casing 1, a clutch member l being secured at 5 to the shaft 2 and having an annular flange 6 provided with notches 7 having cam edges 8. ii. bearing 9 is mounted in the casing 1, and therein, the reduced end 10 of a driven shaft ll is received for rotation and for longitudinal movement, the reduced end of the shaft delininga shoulder in the shaft. The shaft 11 is journaled in a hearing 12 supported at 1 1 on the casing 1, the bearing serving also as thrust hearing, as will be explained hereinafter. A washer 16 surrounds the red .ced end 10 of the shaft 11 and abuts the shoulder 15, a washer 1'? being mounted on the end 10 of the shaft 11, in abutment with the rear end of the casi c 1. A compression spring 13 surrounds the end 10 of the shaft 11 and abuts against the. washers 16 and 17, the spring tending to thrust the shatt longitudinally, to the left in Figure 1.

The numeral 20 designates a signal arm, mounted to swing on the driven shaft 11, but. adapted to be coupled thereto, frictionally, by a means which will. be explained hereinafter. The hub of the signal arm 26 is supplied with radial projections 41 and 4-2, which are spaced apart bot-h circumferentially of the hub and longitudinally thereof, as shown in Figure 3. The arm 26 may he provided at one corner with a weight 27. lhe signal arm 26 has openings 28, across which extend screens 29, and 31, held on the arm in any suitable way, as indicated at 32. The screen 29 preterably is red, the screen 30 being green, and the screen 31 being yellow, although any desired combination of colors may be made. The arm 26 is located between the lamp 22 and the lens or bulls-eye 20. A collar 33 is lined to the shaft 11 against rotation with respect to the shaft and against movement longitudinally of the shaft. A collar 34 is splined at 63 to the shaft 11 for rotation with-the shaft, but for a slight longitudinal movement with respect to the shaft, antifriction balls 35 being interposed between the collar 33 and the hub of the signal arm 26, between the hub of the signal arm and the collar 34, and between the collar 3 1 and the thrust bearing 12.

A clutch member 36 is secured at 39 to the shaft 11 and extends within the flange 6 of the clutch member 4 on the shaft 2, the clutch member 38 having projections or rollers 37, received in the notches 7 of the clutch member 1, as shown in Figure 5, and adapted to cooperate with the cam edges 8 of the notches. A fly wheel 38 is anti-frictionally supported tor rotation on the shaft 11, as shown at 40, and carries an internal ratchet 413. A disk 44 is secured to the shaft 11 and has cam edges 15 defining shoulders 46. A disk 47 is rotatable on the shaft 11 and is provided with an arcuate slot 1-8 receiving a pin or projection 49 on the disk lt. The disk 4:7 is supplied with extensions 50 whereon pawls 51 are pivotally mounted, intermediate their ends, as shown at 52. At its outer end, each pawl 51 is adapted to coact with the internal ratchet 43 on the fly wheel 38, each pawl being adapted, at its inner end, to coact with the cam edge 15 on the disk 1 1, and with the shoulder 4-5.

The disle41-7 has a rearwardly extended lug 53 provided with a projection or roller 54. operating in an inclined slot- 55 fashioned in a collar 56 which is splined at 57 to the shaft 11 for rotation therewith and for movement on the shaft,longitudinally thereof. The collar 56 is provided with a circumferential groove receiving a roller or like projection 59 on a detent 60, in the form of a slide. mounted for right line re ciprocation in the guide 61 which is carried by the-arm 24 of the casing 1. At its rear end, the slide or detent has a finger 62, cooperating with the projections 11 and 41-2 on the hub of the signal arm 26.

Assuming that the shafts 2 and 11 are at rest, and that the vehicle is standing still, the spring 18 moves the shaft 11 to the left in Figure 1, and the hub of the signal arm 26 is not gripped between the collar on the one hand, and the collar 34: and the thrust bearing 12 on the other hand. Responding to the weight 2'7, and due to the shape of the signal arm 26, the arm swings on the shaft 11 to the depending position of FigureQ. whereupon. the red screen 29 on the arm is interposed between the lamp 22 and the lens 20, thus admonishing those at the rear of the vehicle that the vehicle is standing still.

When rotation is imparted to the shaft 2, from the engine of the vehicle, rotation is imparted to the'shaft 11 by the clutch mem hers 4-36, the shaft 11 receiving a slight longitudinal movement, owing to the cooperation between the projections 37 on the clutch member 36 of the shaft 11 and the cam edges 8 in the clutch member 4: of the shaft 2. lVhen the shaft 11 is moved endwise, as aforesaid, the hub of the signal arm 26 is bound between the fixed collar on the one hand, and the collar 34c and the thrust bearing 12 on the other hand. The signal arm 26 now is coupled frictionally with the shaft 11, to swing when the shaft is rotated, and the arm swings until the projection 42 on the arm engages the linger 62 on the detent or slide 60. The arm 26 then swings no longer. responsive to the movement of the shaft 11. but remains fixed, the green screen 30 being interposed between the lamp 2?. and the lens 20, to advise those at the rear of the vehicle that the vehicle is moving ahead at a fixed or increasing speed. The pawls 51 are engaged at their inner ends with the shoulders 16 on the disk 4-4 which is fixed to the shaft 11, and at their outer ends, the pawls are engaged with the internal ratchet 18 of the fly wheel 38, the wheel rotating with the shaft 11.

Suppose, however, that the vehicle slows down, the speed of rotation of the shafts 2 and 11 decreasing. Then the fly wheel 38 rotates for a time faster than the shaft 11. hen the fly wheel 38 starts to rotate independently of the shaft 11, the ratchet 13 and the pawl 51 cause the disk 47 to rotate on the shaft 11., and when the disk is rotated, the projection 54: on the lug 53 of the disk, cooperating with the inclined slot 55 in the collar 56, moves the collar LO the right in vliigure 1, the slide or detent 60 moving to the right, since the roller or projection 59 on the slide is engaged with the circun'iferential groove 58 of the collar. The finger 62 on the slide 60 is moved out of the path of the projection 42 on the hub of the signal arm 26, and into the pathof-the projection -11 on the hub of the arm. the arm swinging with the shaft 11 until the projection 11 engages the finger 62. whereupon the yellow screen 31 is disposed between the lamp 22 and the lens 20, persons at the rear of the vehicle thus being notified that the vehicle is slowing down. The inner end of each pawl 51 rides oif the cam edge 15 of the disk 14-, and the outer ends of the pawls are. disengaged from the internal ratchet 4:3 of the fly wheel 38. The shaft 11 now rotates independently of the fly wheel 38, so long as the-shaft is operated at a decreasing speed. When, however, the speed of rotation of the shaft 2 and of the shaft 11 is increased, due to the engine drive, relative rotation between the member 4A and the member 4:7 is brought about. The inner ends of the pawls 51 cooperate with the inclined edges 45 of the disk 44 and engage with the shoulders 16 of ill) the said disk, the outer ends of the pawls moving into engagement with the internal ratchet 43 of the fly wheel 38, and the disk 47 being coupled by the pawls 51 and the disk 44 to the shaft 11, to rotate therewith. When the disk 47 is rotated, the projection 54 and the inclined slot 55 coact to move the collar 56 to the left in Figure 1, the slide or detent 60 being moved to the left and the finger 62 on the slide being moved out of contact with the projection 41 on the hub of the signal arm, and into the path of the projection 42 on the signal arm. The signal arm 26, being coupled frictionally to the shaft 11, makes a partial rotation with the shaft until the projection 42 engages with the finger 62 of the detent 60, whereupon the green signal 30 again appears in alinement with the lamp 22 and the lens 20, to show that the vehicle no longer is slowing down, but is working ahead at a fixed or increasing speed. When the shaft 11 ceases to rotate, the parts are restored to the position of Figures 1 and 2, the red screen 29 again appearing, to show that the vehicle has been stopped.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a device of the class described, a shaft supported for rotation and for longitudinal movement; means for rotating the shaft and for imparting longitudinal movement thereto; a signal mounted for swinging movement; means for coupling the signal to the shaft frictionally, when longitudinal movement is imparted to the shaft; a movable detent coacting with the signal to hold the signal in adjusted positions; a fly wheel journaled on the shaft; a member rotatable on the shaft; means for connecting said member operatively with the detent; and mechanism for connecting the fly wheel to the shaft and to the rotatable member, said mechanism being automatically releasable from the shaft and the fly wheel when the speed of rotation of the fly wheel exceeds that of the shaft.

2. In a device of the class. described, a shaft supported for rotation and for longitudinal movement; means for rotating the shaft and for imparting longitudinal move ment thereto; a signal mounted to swing on the shaft; a movably mounted detent, the detent and the signal having interengaging elements which coact to hold the si al in different positions; means operated by the longitudinal movement of the shaft for coupling the signal frictionally to the shaft; :1 fly wheel ournal d on the shaft; a member rotatable on the shaft; mechanism for coupling the rotatable member to the fly wheel, the shaft being provided with means for engaging said mechanism to impart rotation to the fly wheel from the shaft, and being provided with means for releasing said mechanism from the fly wheel when the speed of rotation of the fly wheel exceeds that of the shaft; and movable means on the shaft for operating the detent to shift the interengaging elements of the detent and the signal with respect to each other, said movable means and the rotatable member being provided with parts which coact to operate said movable means when the rotatable member turns with the fly wheel.

3. In a device of the class described, a driven shaft supported for rotation and for longitudinal movement; a drive shaft supported for rotation; clutch members on the shafts, the clutch members coacting to impart rotation from the drive shaft to the driven shaft, and to impart longitudinal movement to the driven shaft; a signal mounted to swing on the driven shaft; a movably mounted detent, the detent and the signal having interengaging elements which coact to hold the signal in different positions; means operated by the longitudinal movement of the driven shaft for coupling the signal frictionally to the driven shaft; a fly wheel journaled on the driven shaft and provided with a ratchet; a mem-' ber rotatable on the shaft; a pawl pivoted to said member and engaged with the ratchet. the driven shaft having a shoulder wherei with the pawl engages to impart rotation to the fly wheel, the driven shaft having an inclined portion which operates to disengage the pawl from the ratchet when the speed of rotation of the fly wheel exceeds that of the driven shaft; a collar splined to the driven shaft to rotate therewith and to slide therealong, the collar and the rotatable member having parts which coact to impart longitudinal movement to the collar; and means for connecting the collar operatively with the detent to shift the interengaging element of the detent and the signal with respect to each other.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

FREDERICK M. GRIETEN,

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