US1628706A - Lion-el mffidebick ba bhes - Google Patents

Description

11,628 706 May 1927' 1.. F. BARNES TRAFFI C S IGNAL Filed June 1926 Patented May 17, 1927.-

uNITEn :VISTATES. PATENT OFFICE".

iczaree LIONEL IFRETJERIGK BARNEQ, OF :W'INDEiUR, CANADA.

TRAFFIC SIGNAL.

Application filed June 21, 1926. Serial No. 117,567.

.My invention relates to improvements in traffic signals, and the object of the inventionis to devise a traiiic signal which may beautoniatically, operated at predetermined intervals to simultaneously set the signal arms and signal lights corresponding to eachsignal to direct the traiiic at a street intersection, and it consists essentially of the arrangement and construction of parts as hereinafter more particularly explained.

Fig. 1 is a View partially inelevation and partially in section of my device.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the central portion of my device. I

Fig. 3 is asectional view on line Figure 1. i

Fig. is a sectional enlarged detail of a portion. of my operating mechanism.

In the drawing likecharacters of refer ence indicatecorresponding parts in each figure. I v I l indicates adomed casing formed integral with the'circular base2 secured byany suitable means to the substructure located at the street intersection and provided with a door for accessito the mechanism contained within the casing 1. The casing 1 is provided centrally with a tubular upwardly extending neck 3 forming with the tube at which is secured to the neck as indicated a vertical standard carrying at its upperend a cylindrical housing 5, the housing 5 being provided at its upper-end witha cover 6 secured thereto having central orifice 7 provided with an annular flange? coacting with the cover 7 carried by the shaft 12 to make the orifice 7 waterproof.

The lower end of the housing 5 is pro vided with an orifice 8 in vertical alignment with the orifice '4' and around which extends an annular flange 8* securedto the upper The housing 5 is provided in its periphery with four orifices each designated bythe numeral 9 in each of which is located a lens 10 provided with a hood1O the lenses 10 being arranged preferably ninety degrees apart so as to be directed; in a direction parallel with the two streets formingthe intersection.

ll a spider which is secured within the casing 1 inyproximity to the upper end thereof and provided centrally with a verticalbearing 11 having a central orifice 11. in which is preferably secured a bushing sleeve 12*. 12 is a vertically movable shaft which is preferably tubular, the lower end of the shaft being provided with a cylindrical enlargement 13 which may be either formed integral with the shaft 12 or suit ably connected thereto and from which extends a downwardly directed red like extension 14 which may also be formed int-egral. with the part 13 or suitably connected thereto.

15 is. the operatingmotor electric or mechanical of my device provided witha motor shaft 15 provided with a Worm 15. 16 is a worm gearmounted upon a shaft 17 nounted insuitable bearings (not shown) which-- may be formed in the casing 1 or in any other suitable way. 18 is acam provided witha cam finger 19 which when the cam 18 is revolved in the direction of arrow, see Figure '1, by the motor 15 travels beneath the part 11 so that the finger 19 engages therewith and forces parts 14, 13 and 12 upward. I

21, 22, 23 and 24 are four arms arranged ninety degrees apart and from which depend indicating flanges 25 on which the direction indication is inscribed, such as Go or Stop. 28 is a central head secured to the upper end of the shaft 12 and provided with an annular flange 27 to which that is to say, witl i alternately vertically set portions 29 and interconnecting inclined l portions 29. 30 is a screw pin secured in an oriiice 31 formed in the bearing 11 and extending through an orifice 32'for1ned in the bushing sleeve 12".

The inner end of the screw pin 30 extends into the annular groove 29 and in a position shown at the apex of one of the zigzag portions formed by the grooved parts 29 and 29. The inner end of the screw pin 30 is preferably provided with an anti friction roller 33 which travels within the groove 29.

It will thus be seen that 1161111160213 finger v19 from thereunderthe shaft 12drops by gravityso that an inclined portion 29 of the groove 29 engages the pin 30 thereby .actuating the shaft so that it turns a quarter turn as the pin 30 passes to the p0 s tion shown in Flgure 4: from the lower end position of the lenses 1.0 and the indicating.

flanges 25. 36 is a standard arm mounted at itsl'ower end upon the spider 11 and extendin upwardly in an inclined direction to a position at one side of the shaft 12 as indicated at 36 37 is a curved plate pivotally mounted at its upper end at 38 upon the endof 36 so as to depend therefrom in such a position that one of the rollers 34 located beneath the same engages with the convexed face of the plate which is resiliently held from movement away from such roller by means of the tension spring 39 secured at one end to the plate 37 and at the opposite end to an ad'usting screw 40 extending through the stan ard 36. By the adjusting screw 40 the tension on the spring 39 may be varied.

It will thus be seen that when the shaft '12 is moved vertically so that the pin 30' travels from the upper end of the grooved portion 29 to the lower end and during such travel the corresponding roller 34 engages the convexed face of the plate 37 so that as the shaft 12 travels upward a slight pressure is exerted by the spring 39 upon the roller so that when the pin 30 reaches the lower end of the grooved portion 29 the shaft 12 is moved over a slight distance by such pressure so that the in 30 definitely passes from the grooved portion 29 into the grooved portion 29.

41 is a spider secured in the housing 5 in proximity to its lower end and provided with a central vertical bearing 42 through which the shaft 12 freely extends. 43 are indicating lights arranged opposite each lens 10 as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 3. 44 is a screen support carrying four screens 45,

.46, 47 and 48 of transparent material and alternately coloured green and red, such screens when in the normal position being interposed between lights 43 and lenses 10. The screen support 44 is secured to the shaft 12 as indicated at 49 so that when the shaft 12 is moved vertically as hereinbefore described thescreens 45, 46, 4'7 and 48 move therewith.

50 is a spring which freely encircles the shaft 12 and may be securd at its upper end to the screen support 44. 5']. are opaque portions which are interposed between each. screen 45, 46, 47 and 48.

It will thus be seen that when the shaft 12 is alternately raised and lowered by the cam finger 19 that the arms 21, 22, 23 and 24 and the screens 45, 46, 47 and 48 are Slmultaneously moved in unison one quarter turn so that the indication Go and the green screen are carried to the corresponding position to indicate the resumption of traific through the corresponding crossed street and simultaneously indicating Stop and a redv light at the street extending transversely of the aforesaid street.

The lights 43 may be controlled by a suitable switch 52 located in the casing 1.

lVhen the sha'ft12 is released so that the mechanism drops back to its lower position the spring 50 carried at the screen siip ort 44 engages withthespider 41 and thereby cushions the fall so as to prevent any jar to the mechanism and at the same time render the device noiseless.

From this description it will be seen tha I have devised a very simple device where y traffic may be automatically controlled to stop or go at a street intersection, which will be positive in action, noiseless and not liable to get out of order.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A trailic signal comprising'a standard adapted to be located at a'streetintersection, a stationary housing secured to' the upper end of the standard, lenses arranged in the wall of the"housing opposite each street outlet from the intersection, arms radiating from the housing and'carrying alternately Go and Stop indications, a light source within the housing for illuminating the lenses, and means for simultane ously carrying theindicating arms circumferentially by' an intermittent quarter turn movement and changing the colourof' the rays passing from the light source through the lenses of the stationary housing to correspond to the aforesaid imam indication carried by the arms.

A trailic signal comprising a casing located at the street intersection and having a central opening in the top thereof, a tubular standard extending upward from around such opening, a stationary housing carried by the upper end of the standard, a plurality of lenses peripherally arranged around the housing wall opposite each street outlet from the intersection, a light source within the housing opposite each. lens, a vertical shaft mounted in vertical bearings and extendin upward from the aforesaid casing througdi the tubular standard and housing, traffic indicating arms carried by the upper end of the shaft and carrying alternately Go and Stop means within the casing for automatically turning the shaft by a step by step movement to carry the arms alternately into alignment with the streets forming the intersection extending at an angle one to the other, and means for simultaneously changing the colour of the light passing through the lenses of the stationary housing to correspond with the trafiicindication of the arms.

3. A traflic sigial comprising a casing 10- eated at the street intersection and having a central openingin the'top thereof, a tubu lar standard extending upward from around such opening, a vertical bearing located cen trally in the casing, a vertical shaft mount-- ed in the vertical bearing and extending up ward from the aforesaid casing through the tubular standard, traffic indicating arms carried by the upper end of the shaft and carrying alternately Go and Stop signs, an annular cam-way formed in the shaft and comprising alternate vertical and inclined interconnecting portions, means for automatically raising the shaft vertically at predetern'iined intervals, and a pin extending through the aforesaid vertical bearing into the vertical portion of the said cam-way as the shaft is raised, and means for engaging the pin with. the inclined portion of the camway as the shaft is released.

t. A traffic signal comprising a casing located at the street intersection and having a central opening in the top thereof, a tubular standard extending upward from around such opening, a vertical. shaft mounted in vertical bearings and extending upward from the aforesaid casing through the tubular standard, traffic indicating arms carried by the upper end of the shaft and carrying alternately Go and Stop signs, an annular cam-way formed in the shaft and comprising alternate vertical and inclined interconnecting portions, a pin extending through one of the aforesaid vertical bearings into said cam-way, means adapted to alternately raise the shaft when the pin extends into the vertical portion of the camway, and to release the shaft and means for carrying the pin when the shaft is released into engagement with the inclined portion of the camway and means for insuring the passage of the pin from each vertical grooved portion into the next adjacent inclined portion of the cam-way.

5. A traffic signal comprising a casing located at the street intersection and havin a central opening in the top thereof, a tuaular standard extending upward from around such openin a vertical shaft mounted in vertical bearings and extending upward from the aforesaid casing through the tubular standard, t'aiiic indicating arms carried.

by the upper end of the shaft and carrying alternately Go and Stop signs, means for alternately raising and releasing the shaft; an annular cam-way formed in the shaft and comprising alternate vertical and inclined interconnecting portions, a pin extending through one of the aforesaid vertical bearings into said cam-way to alternately enter the vertical and inclined portions of the oamway, a standard arm carried in a stationary position and extending adjacent to the vertical shaft, a plate pivotally mounted to depend from the upper end of the standard arm and having a convexed face, rollers journalled upon pins extending radially from the shaft normally located on a plane beneath the aforesaid plate, and spring means for resiliently holding the plate against one of the aforesaid rollers as the shaft is moved vertically to carry the vertical portion of the cam-Way upward.

6. A traffic signal comprising .a casing located at the street intersection and having a central opening in the top thereof, a. tubular standard extending upward from around such opening, a. vertical shaft mounted in vertical bearings and extending upward from the aforesaid casing through the tubular standard, traflic indicating arms carried by the upper end ofthe shaft and carrying alternating G0 and Stop signs, means for imparting a vertical upward movement to the shaft adapted to release the shaft at the end of its upward movement to drop by gravity, means for cushioning the fall of the shaft, and means for imparting a step by step circumferential movement to the arms carried by the shaft by each up and lar neck formed in the top thereof, a tubular standard extending upward from said neck, astationary housing carried by the upper end of the standard, lenses arranged around the housing at a suitable angular distance apart, a light source within the housing opposite each lens, a vertically movable shaft extending upward from the casing through the tubular standard and housing, traffic indicating arms carried by the upper end of the shaft, means for imparting a step by step rotary movement to the shaft and the arms carried thereby alternately coloured screens carried by the shaft and interposed between each light source and its corresponding lens and adapted to be carried. with the shaft by its step by step movement so as to pass in unison with the trafiic indicating arms from one indicating position to another and from one lens to the next to in dicate the correspondingly coloured light.

LIONEL FREDERICK BARNES.

Images