US1494663A - Traffic signal - Google Patents

Description

May v v h W. M. BUCHER ET AL TRAFFIC SIGNAL Filed Jan. 18. 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Mmrom V'flavher Freda/ k fi ,6

. 1,494,663 w. M. BUCHER ET AL A TRAFFIC SIGNAL May -20, 1924.

Filed Jan. 18. 1921' 5 Sheets-Shet 2 lmzons M/fer/f Baa/76f Freda/7a? 14/ Burk.

May 20, 19240 1,494,663 w. M. BUCHER ET AL TRAFFIC SIGNAL 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 18. 1921 Patented May 20, 1924.

NHTED STATES WALTER M. BUCHER, OF LOS ANGELES, AND FREDERICK W. BURK, OF ALHAMBRA, CALIFORNIA.

TRAFFIC SIGNAL.

Application filed January 18, 1921. Serial No. 438,242.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WAUI'ER M. BUGHER and FREDERICK W. BURK, citizens of the United States, residing at Los Angeles and a Alhambra, respectively, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Trafiic Signals, of which the following is a specification.

It is the object of this invention to provide an automatically controlled signaling device particularly adapted to be employed as a trafiic signal. The device is so arranged as to first signal for movement of tralfic in one of cross directions, while signaling for a stop of trafiic in the otherdirection, and then to automatically swing so as to signal for movement and stopping of trafiic in the opposite directions.

The invention consists essentially of a rotatably mounted signaling member having traflic movement and traific stopping signaling means circumferentially spaced with relation to one another, and an actuating arm adapted to swing the signaling member hack and forth. This actuating arm operates in conjunction with circumferentially spaced electro-magnets arranged to be autoi'mitically alternately energized so as to 00- 59 narrate with said arm for oscillating the same.

An illuminating means is employed in connection with the si nal, which is so arranged as to cause blinking thereof when the signaling device swings from one position to the other, and an audible signal is preferabl also employed for giving a warning as t e signaling member changes its position.

The invention contemplates the provision of an extremely simplified and compact structure, which may be readily mounted at a point of traflic intersection, and which will be ositive and efficient in its action.

he invention will be readily understood from the following description of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a device constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fi 3 is a side elevation of the device partly broken away and with the outer casing removed.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line 4-4. of Fig. 3.

-Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the signaling members.

Fig. 6 is a transverse section on the line 66 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a wiring diagram of the apparatus- The device may be mounted at a point of traffic intersection in anyv suitable manner, and in the present embodiment of the invention, I have shown it mounted upon a base 1, provided with a nipple 2, whereby it may be supported upon a suitable standard 3positioned at a point of traffic intersection, such as the center of a street crossing.

The structure includes uprights 4 projecting from base 1, and preferably four in number equi-distantly circumferentially spaced. The uprights may be mounted upon the base by means of nuts 5, and a plate 6 preferably of brass, is mounted upon the uprights in spaced relation above base 1, by means of nuts 7.

Electro-magnets 8 extend upwardly from plate 6 and are arranged in pairs A and B at right angles to one another. One pair of magnets are connected at their bases by a. plate 9 mounted upon plate 6* by means of the nuts 10, and the other pair of magnets are supported upon brass washers 11 received upon plate 6, and are connected by a plate 9 extending across the underside of plate 6 with the parts held in position by means of nut-s10.

A plate 13 is fixed upon the upper ends of uprights 4 as by means of nuts 14, and a shaft 15 extends axially through the structure with themagnets 8 positioned around the same, and said shaft isjournaled at its upper end in plate 13 as shown at 16, and is journaled at its lower end in the plate 9 as shown at 16". A cross arm 17 is fixed upon shaft 15 above the magnets 8, and the ends of this cross arm are rovided with arcuate members 18 exten ing in opposite directions from the cross arm, and so positioned that when the ends of the crossarm are positioned at the side of the centers of one pair of magnets, shown as magnets B in Fig. 6, one o the ends of 17 are at each arcuate member 18 will each be adja; cent the centers of one of the magnets A, while the opposite ends of the arcuate members will be spaced from the centers of the other-magnets A.

A radially extending arm 20 is fixed upon shaft 15 above cross arm 17, and supports an annulus'21 spaced beyond uprights 4.

The swinging of shaft 15 is thus limited by the circumferential distance between adjacent uprights 4, since arm 20 extends through the space between said uprights, and means are preferably provided for accurately adjusting the swing of the shaft including stop members arranged upon uprights 4, and adapted to engage the re spective ends of arm 20.

These stop members arranged upon circumferentially adjacent uprights 4 are shown as bearings 22 fixed to the uprights by means of set screws 23, and having radially extending lugs 24 through which are threaded stop bolts 25 adjusted by means of nuts 26.

The bolts of the respective stop members are arranged to engage the respective ends of arm 20, so as to limit the swing of the rotatable parts of the device. At one limit of the swinging movement, the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 6 with the ends of arm 17 at one side of the centers of magnets B, so that the ends 18 of members 18 are above the centers of magnets A, and the ends 18 of said members are spaced from the centers of magnets A. At its opposite limit of swing, the ends of arm the adjacent side of the centers of magnets A, so that the ends 18 are above the centers of magnets B, while the ends 18 are spaced from said centers. By this arrangement, it will be seen that alternate energization of magnets A and B will cause members 18 to be attracted, so as to swin the same, and the other rotatable parts 0 the device, in opposite directions and through substantially ninety degrees.

Signaling members shown in detail in Fig. 5, are supported by the annulus 21, and are preferably four in number circumferentially spaced substantially ninety de-' grees. Each of these members comprises an elongated rectangular frame 28, preferably transversely curved, so as to fit against annulus 21, and suitably secured thereto as by bolts 29. A translucent plate 30 is mounted in the frame, and one pair of opposite signaling members shown at A, is provided with trafiic movement indicators, while the other pair of opposite signaling members B is provided with trafiic stopping indicators. Thus for example, the pairs of signaling members may be distinctively colored red and green for example, and may have the words Go and Stop painted thereon.

A suitable illuminating means, shown as comprising a usual electric light socket 32, is mounted upon the top plate 13, and a usual incandescent lamp 33 is fixed therein. An audible signaling means is, preferably, also mounted upon top plate 13, and in the present instance is shown as a usual electric bell 34.

The device as thus constructed may be mounted in a suitable outer casing 36 extending upwardly from base plate 1, and received over the mechanismof the device with a suitable top plate 37 received over the top of the structure above the electric light and bell. Openings 38 are provided in the sides of casing 36 at points spaced ninety degrees from one another, so as to expose the signal members carried by annuhis 21, and these openings may be provided with transparent plates 39 held in place by usual clips 40 upon the inside of the casing.

The movement of the rotatable parts of the structure from one position to the other is arranged to make an electrical contact controlling bell 34, and for this purpose a contact 51 is fixed to oneof the members 22, and a spring strip 50 is fixed at one end to a lug 53 supported by means of a set screw 54 upon a next adjacent upright 4. The swinging end of contact strip 50 is provided with a contact 51 adapted to engage contact 51 when the contact strip is moved upwardly from its normal position spaced from contact 51. In order to thus move strip 50, the latter is provided with upwardly bent ends and with a depending central portion, and one end of arm 20 swinging beneath strip 50, is provided with a projection 55, which will engage the depending central portion of the contact strip, so as to move it upwardly, making the contact at the beginning of the swing of the rotatable parts of the device, and then disengaging the contact strip at the end of the swinging movement, so as to permit the strip returning to its normal position, and thereby break the contact.

The wiring for the device will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 7.

A source of electrical energy is shown at 40, and one wire therefrom leads to a suit able two-way switch 41, which is automatically actuated at spaced intervals in any usual manner, so as to make contact wit either brush 42 or 42 As shown, the switch 41 includes a drum rotatable by a motor 41 and having a contact 41 in its periphery which alternately engages the brushes 42 and 42. Brush 42 connects with one of the magnets A, which is in turn connected by its plate 9 with the other magnet A, and the other brush 42 is connected to one of the magnets B, which is similarly connected to the other magnet B. The pairs of magnets A and B are coneases nected to one terminal 43 of the hell 3%, and the other terminal 44 of this bell is connected to the movable contact strip 50. The contact 51 is connected to the second terminal of the source of electrical ener t0, and lamp 33 is arranged in a shunt circuit 54 between the wire leading from ma ets A and B to terminal 43, and the wire cad-v ing from contact 51 to the source oil electrical energy.

It will be noted that when switch 41 makes contact with either of the brushes 4H2, the lamp willhe illuminated and as the switch moves from one position to the other, the lamp will he momentarily extinguished, so as to produce blinking thereof. With the switch ii in one position, magnets A are energized for swinging arm 17 to one of its limits of movement,

so as to display the signal members in one position, and when the switch is moved to its opposite position, the magnets B will he energized, and the magnets A will be dos-energized, so as to swing the rotatable parts of the device to their opposite limit of movement, and thereby display the signal members in the opposite direction of cross trafic. it will be noted that each time that arm 17 is swung, that contact 50 will engage contact 51 for sounding the hell 3%. This circuit'is hron as the rw 17 reaches its limit of swing, so that the audible signal is given as a warning only at the start of the movement of the signaling device from one position to the other.

Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed. What is claimed is:

A: signal comprising a base, uprights sup ported on the base, electromagnetic devices supported on the base between the uprights, a shaft rotatably sustained between the devices, a cross arm secured to the shaft, members carried by the cross arm and disposed in magnetic relation to the pole pieces of said devices, an arm secured to the shaft, an annulus secured to the a, signalin members carried by the annulus, means or energizing the devices to efiez/t rotation of the first mentioned members, and means engageable with the arm for limiting the movement of the annulus.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification wan'rnn M. shorten, rannnarcn w. an,

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