US1625973A - Circuit closer - Google Patents

Description

- w. BANIKA cmcum cwsna April 26 1927.

Filed Sept. 18, 1925 Patented Apr. 26, 1927.

-UNITED STATEfi WILLIAM :BAN'IKA, OF STAMFQBI), ONTARIQ, CANADA.

CIRCUIT GLOSER.

Application filed September 18, 1925.

This invention relates to circuit closers for indicators it"or indicating the intended changes of direction of a vehicle, especially on automobile, and my object is to provide a device of this character which may be cheaply inainiitacturcd, yet durable and cilicient and which may be readily connected with the steering apparatus of an automobile.

I attain my object by means of the con-- structions hereinafter described and illus trated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of part of the frame and steering; mechanism of an auto moliileshowing my device in position thereon; r

Fig. 2 a front elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 a. wiring diagram of my indicator;

Fig. t a cross section 01": my switch box;

Fig. 5 a section on the line 55 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 6 a section on the line 6-6 of Fig. at.

In the driiiwing's like numerals or reference 3 indicate correspondingparts in the ditli'erent figures.

1 is the casing of a switch box in which a spindle 2 is jonrnalled. On the spindle is secured a U shaped arm 3 having its legs 3 30 provided with connectors at suitably insulated from the arm and being in the -form of rollers rotatable on the legs 3. These connectors are adapted to form an electrical connection between one of the two contacts as G and a third contact 7 which is common to the first two contacts.

Referring to Figs. l, 5 and 6, it will be noted that all the contacts are arcuate in shape and the contacts 5 and G are located at opposite sides of the switch box and are connected with the terminals 5 and 6 respectively. The contact 7 is connected to the terminal 7* and extends round the switch beside the other contacts but is insulated in 4:- any suitable manner from them. This is preferably accomplished by providing a block 8 of insulating material having arcu ate slots 9 therein adaptedto receive the connectors l. The walls of the slots are 5 grooved out to receive the arcuate contacts which are of substantially the same radius so that by revolving the spindle 2, and thus the arm 3, in either directon, a connector 4 will be engaged with one of the contacts 5 or G and the contact 7. A spring 10 connected with the spindle 2 and the casing 1 Serial No. 57,182.

tends to normally maintain the connectors 4t out of engagement with all the contacts.

On the outer end of the spindle is secured a lever 11 which is connected with a suitable part of the steeringmechanism of an automobile. lreterably the opposite ends of the lever are connected by means of the flexible connections 12 with the steering post 13. The switch box is removably ear-- ried on a bracket secured to thelrame member M adjacent the steering mechanism. The bottom 15 of the switch box is secured to the bracket and has its ends bent over and inwardly directed to form a socket adapted to slidabiy receive the laterally directed ends 1 formed on the sides of the container 1. r

The indicating device 16 which is partitioned off to form three compartments in which the electric bulbs 5, l7 and 6 are suitably carried. The easinn is provided with glazed rear and front sides and the portions of each glass behind and in front of the ditlerent compartments will be marked to indicate Lott, Straight aheac and Right. This may be done by coloring these portions to contrast with the portions in front and behind the adjacent eompartn'ient. The bulbs 5" and 6 are c0nnected by wires 5 and 6 with the terminals 5 and 6 respectively and the terminal 7* is connected by a wire 7 with a battery 18. All the bulbs and the battery are grounded on the frame of the vehicle and the wire 7 has a. manually operated switch 7 connected internn-zdiate its ends so that the bulbs may be cut out when desired.

The driver may indicateto a traffic ofiicer, whether he desires to turn to the right or left or go straight ahead, by means of manually operated switches 6 5 and 17" suitably connected to the battery and to the bulbs 6, 5 and 1: The manually operated switches are carried on the steering wheel, the switch It being connected, by wire 17, to bulb 1'4. The switches 5 and 6 are connected by wires 5 and 6 with wires 5 and 6.

The mode of operation, assuming the driver has turned the steering wheel to make a right hand turn and the switch 7 is closedisas follows: The steeringpostisparincludes a casing tially rotated to rock the lever 11 and thus the spindle 2 and arm 3 which moves the connector 4.- adjacent the contact 6 into engagement therewith and also with the contact 7. The current then flows from the battery to the bulb 6* and when the steering wheel is turned to normal position again after the corner is turned, the bulb is cut out. If it is necessary to stop the vehicle for any length of time with the front wheels turned, the switch 6 or 5 is opened to cut out its bulb which otherwise would remain lit and thus run down the battery. By operating any one of the switches 53, 6 or 1'? the driver will give an indication which way he desires to go before the wheels have been turned.

hat I claim is:

1. A switch including a casing having a block of insulation therein; a rotatably mounted spindle, the insulation being slotted concentric with the spindle; three arcuate contacts mounted in the insulation adjacent the slotted portion, two of the contacts lee-- ing positioned at opposite sides of the slotted portion and the third contact being common to the other two; a U-shaped arm carried by the spindle; and-rotatable connectors carried by the legs of said arms and adapted to be received in the slotted portion, each of the connectors being adapted to engage the said third contact and one oi the other two contacts; and a spring connected with the spindle and the casing to normally hold the connectors out of engagement with all the contacts.

2. The combination with a vehicle provided with steering mechanism, of a switch mounted on a stationary part of the vehicle and including three arcuate contacts ol' substantially the same radius and insulated from one another, two of the contacts being positioned at opposite sides of the switch and the third contact being common to the other two; a spindle journalled concentric with the contacts: a U-shaped arm carried by the spindle adapted to engage the said third contact and either one of the other two contacts; and a lever secured to the spindle;

and flexible connections connected with opposite ends of the lever and with a movable part of the steering mechanism.

bigned at Toronto, this 1st day of Sept, 1925.

WILLIAM BANIKA.

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