US1654943A - Direction signal for vehicles - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 3, 1928.

H. W. NOTT DIRECTION SIGNAL FOR VEHICLES Filed June 29. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l gwuantoz Jan. 3; 1928. 1,654,943

v H. W. NOTT I nmnc'rron SIGNAL FOR VEHICLES Filed June 29, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented .Jan. 3, 1928.

UNITED STATES I 1,654,943 PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY W. NOTT; OF WHABTON, TEXAS.

DIRECTION SIGNAL FOR VEHICLES.

Application filed June 29,

' fusion or mistake.

Another object is to provide a construction of this character in which an arrowlike member is mounted for rotation over .a circular casing and which is rotatable to its various indicating positions by means of a motor, the construction being such that when the controlling switch on the steering wheel is turned to the proper position, the indicating arrow-like member will be rotated to this position bymeans of the motor and switch.

Still another object is to provide a construction of this character wherein in case of carelessness in the adjustment of the switch, the arrow-like member will move to its go ahead or forward indicating position.

Another object is to provide an electric motor for driving the indicating member and provide electrically actuated means whereby the arrow-like member may be released from its normal position and a stop may be projected into the path of movement of the indicating member and the motor actuated by the one operation of the switch.

A further object is to provide means whereby the motor may be automatically stopped when the indicating member is in its normal or go ahead position and another object in this connection is to so connect the indicating member to the motor that the indicating member will be stopped at a proper indication though the motor may continue to operate.

Other objects have to do with the details of construction and arrangement of parts to appear more fully hereinafter.

My-invention is illustrated in the accom panying drawings wherein Figure 1 is an elevation of a signal constructed in accordance with my invention, the wiring thereof being diagrammatically shown.

Fig. 2. is a transverse section through the slgnal;

likelihood of con- 192a. Serial No. 119,433.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the switch;

' Fig. 4 is Figure 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section through a section on the line 1-4 of the switch, showing the switch arm in an intermediateposition between two contacts. Referring to these drawings 10 designates the casing which is illustrated as circular and which may be formed of any suitable material and which preferably supports the oppositely disposed panes 11 of any suitable material. This casing has a eripheral wall'1 2 and preferably a hooded lamp 13 of any suitable. character is disposed above the casing with the hoods so arranged as to throw the light down upon the opposite faces of the casing: The twofaces of the signal will be similar and the signals will be similar and the signal should be placed somewhere on a car where it can be seen both from the front and from the rear.

Disposed within'the casing is a motor 14 shown as an electric motor though I do not wish to be limited to this, "and operatively geared with this motor to be driven thereby is a gear wheel 15 which in turn is mounted loosely upon a shaft 16. Keyed upon the shaft 16 is a disk 17 which is held to the gear wheel 15 by light spring friction so that this disk 17 may be held from movement but the motor may continue to operate while the current remains on.

Carried by the shaft 16 are two arrows or other indicating members 18. Each is shown as being formed with an arrowshaped head but it will be understood that the head might have the form of a hand instead of that of an arrow. The disk 17 carries a stop 20 in the form of a projecting lug and it will be obvious that when the motor is energized, the indicators 18, and

the shaft 16 willbe carried around with the gear wheel 15 until these indicating members are. stopped from further movement.

For the purpose of locking the disk 17 in any one of its several positions and thus locking the indicators, I provide a series of magnets, designated 21, 22, 23 and 24. Associated with the magnet 24 is an armature 25 which is disposed outward of the magnet so that when the magnet is energized, this armature 25 is drawn inward against the force of a spring 26. This armature is hinged at one end to the frame 'of the magnet and when it is drawn illustrated as four in number and of the stop and the same is true of the magnet 23. The magnet. 21, however, is a releasing magnet to release the indicator from its normal or go ahead position and the armature 27 for the magnet 21 is disposed inward of this magnet, this armature being hinged at 28 and being drawn away from the magnet by means of a spring 29. When this armature 27 is released from its engagement with the magnet, the spring 29 will draw it into the path of movement of the stop and thus it will be seen that the armature 27 works reversely to the armatures of the magnets 22, 23 and 24. Mounted upon the inner face of disk 17 is a triangular or wedge-like lug 30 whose purpose will be later stated.

Operating in conjunction with the indicator which has just been described is a switch, the details of which will be later stated but this switch embodies an arm 31 which is pivoted at 32 and which is con nected at its.{pivotal'end by a conductor 33 to a battery'3'4 or other source of current.

Fromthe battery 34 or other source, leads,

a conductor 35 which is connected to the binding screw 36 on the motor 14 and is thus connected to one of the leads of the motor. There are four contacts disposed in quartering relation to each other with which the switch arm 31 is adapted to engage. The contact37 is the one with which the switch arm engages normally or, in other words, which indicates the forward movement of the machine. This contact 37 is connected by a Wire 38 or other conductor to a binding post 39, which binding post carries a spring contact 40 converging to Ward a second coacting spring contact 41 connected to the binding post 42 and from this binding post 42 extends a wire or other conductor 43 which leads tomagnet 21 and,

of course, connects to the coil of this magnet. From=theelectromagnet 21 leads the conductor 44,'which in turn leads to the binding post 45 on the motor. Thus the current passing through the wire 44 leads through the windings of the motor and then by way of wire 35 to the battery 34.

From a contact 46' with which the switch arm contacts when the indicator is to be shifted to a right hand turn position, extends a wire 47 which leads to and through I the magnet 24 and from the magnet 24 leads a conductor 48 which has electrical connect1on with, the windings of the magnet 21. The current passing through the wire 48 of the stop 20 but it course, stops the motor and the indicator is wire 51 traverses the windings of magnet l 21 and then returns-via the wire 44.

In order to shift the signal to its left turn position I provide on the switch a contact 52 with which the switch arm is adapted to engage and from which leads a wire 53 which is electrically engaged with the magnet 22. From the magnet 22 leads a conductor 54 which connects with the magnet 21 so that current traversing the coil of maget 22 will also traverse the coil of magnet 21 and then return via wire 44 to the battery.

The operation of this mechanism is as follows -In its normal position and with the switch 31 disposed in electrical engagement with contact 37 the arrow or indicator 18 will point upward and will be held in this tutes a latch. Thus, while the machine is moving ahead the indicator will be directed upward. When it is desired to make a right turn, for instance, the switch arm is shifted to contact 46. As soon as the switch arm has reached contact 46 but not before, a circuit will be established through magnet 24 and also through magnet 21 and the motor will be energized. The energizing of magnet 21 will cause the lifting of thearmature 27 which will thus release the disk 17. The disk 17 will rotate in a clockwise direction until the lug 20 on disk 17 engages against the end of the armature 25 which has been brought into the path of movement of the lug; When this occurs, the indicator 18 and the disk 17 are stopped from further ment with each other. Thus, the motor continues to operate and carries the indicator in.

a clockwise direction around until the wedge 30 interposes between the contacts 40 and 41,

thus breaking the circuit throughthe magnet which releases the armature 27, causing it to shift under the action of-spring 29 to its latching position, preventing further movement of the indicator. This action, of

. the magnet 22. The motor continues to op- 3 erate but the indicator stops.

The same operation is performed when the switch arm is shifted to contact 49 which will cause the indicator to shift to a position where it is pointed downward.

In order to keep the circuit through magnet 21 closed except when the switch arm isimmediately in contact with contacts 46, 49 and 52, I provide a conducting strip 56 which is concentric to the pivotal center 32 of the switch arm 31. This conducting strip at points adjacent the contacts 46, 49 and 52 is depressed as at 57 but between these points 57 this conducting strip is electrically engaged with the switch arm and thus as soon as the switch arm has moved from one of these contacts 46, 49 or 52, the switch arm will be in electrical engagement with the contact 37. This causes the indicator to turn to its forward indicating position at all times unless the switch arm is put deliberately on some one of the switch points or contacts '46, 49 or 52. When the switch lever is left carelessly between the points the mechanism will always be actuated so as to cause the indicator to shift to its normal or forwardly pointing position.

While I have illustrated coil springs acting upon the armatures of the several magnets, I do not wish to be limited to this exact construction. It will also be understood that the indicators are to be duplicated on opposite faces of the signal so as to show both from the front and from the rear.

It will be seen that this indicator is positive in action and that it does not depend on the use of colored lights. It is plain to be seen even from a distance and its motion will attract the attention of drivers. This signal will tend to prevent accidents much better than a colored light signal because one person out of every fifteen is color-blind, at least as to some colors.

The signal will be particularly useful when cars are approaching each other at corners. The switch lever 31 may be extended as at 58 and provided with a metallic conducting -pin 59 which, when the switch lever is pressed downward at the contact points, will close an electrical circuit between the 'terminals of wires 60 and 61. These wires may be led through the signal horn H of the vehicle and thus when the end of the switch lever is pressed against the terminals of the wires 60 and .61, it will automatically cause the sounding of the signal horn, thus indicating audibly that the vehicle is about to change its course or stop.

It will be seen that the indicating arrows 18 are mounted on opposite ends of the shaft 16 and that this shaft is mounted in bearings 62 carried by inner plates 63 which thus act to support the shaft. It will be seen that the arrows turn like the hands of a clock be tween the adjacent panes 11 and the casing plates 63. It will be obvious that while I have illustrated a signaling device having two arrows 18, exposed through opposite faces of the casing, that only one arrow might be used.

\Vhile I have illustrated certain details of construction and arrangement of parts which I have found to be particularly effective in actual practice, I do not wish to be limited thereto as it is obvious that many changes might be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in I the appended claims.

I claim 1. A direction indicator for vehicles comprising a rotatable indicator, a motor therefor, a latch normally holding the indicator in a normal indicating position, stops individually movable into the path of movement of the indicator, and manually controllable means for simultaneously shifting the latch out of its latching position to permit the actuation of the indicator by the motor and shifting a selected stop into the path of movement of the indicator to thereby stop the indicator at any selected indicating position, said means acting to release-.the indicator from any selected indicating position and permitting the return of the indicator to its-initial indicating position.

2. A direction indicator for vehicles comprising a rotatable indicator, an electric motor therefor, a latch normally holding the indicator in a normal position, means deenergizing the motor when the indicator is at this point, stops individually movable into the path of movement of the indicator and disposed at a plurality of indicating positions, means for simultaneously shifting the latch out of its latching engagement and closing a circuit, through the motor, and means for selectively shifting any one of said stops into the path of movement of the indicator to stop the indicator at aselected position, said means when released permit ting the motor to return the indicator to its initial position.

3. An indicator for vehicles comprising arotatable indicator, a motor therefor having frictional operative engagement with the indicator, a latch normally holding the indicator-in a normal position, stops individually movable into the path of movement of the indicator, manually controllable means for simultaneously shifting the latch out of its latching position to permit the actuation of the indicator by the motor and simultaneously shifting a selected stop into position to stop the movement of the indicator at a'selected indicating point, and simultaneously start the motor, said actuated stop when released permitting the motor to return the indicator to its initial position, and means acting to stop the motor when the indicator is returned to its initial position.

at. A direction indicator for vehicles comprising a rotatable indicator, a motor therefor having frictional engagement with the indicator, a latch holding the indicator at a normal indicating position and constituting an armature, an electro-magnet associated with said armature, a plurality of stops disposed around the path of movement of the indicator and constituting armatures, means normally holding said stops out ofthe path of movement of the indicator, an electro-magnet for each stop and when energized causing the movement of the corresponding stop into the path of movement of the indicator, and means for closing the circuit through any one of said last named electro-magnets and through the first named electro-magnet to thereby cause the simultaneous release of the latch and the shifting of a selected stop into the path of movement of the indicator, and means causing the stoppage of the motor when the selected stop has been released and the in dicator has been returned by the motor into its initial position and latched.

5. A direction indicator for vehicles comprising arotatable indicator,.manually controlled means for shifting the indicator from an initial indicating position to any one of a plurality of indicating positions, a controlling member therefor shiftable from an initial position to any one of a plurality of controlling positions, and means for automatically causing the return of the indicator 7 to its initial indicating position as soon as the controlling member has been shifited in either direction from a selected indicating position.

6. A direction indicator for vehicles comprising a rotatable indicator, an electric motor therefor having frictional engagement with the indicator, a latch normally holding the indicator in an initial indicating position, a plurality of stops adapted when actuated to shift into the path of movement of the indicator to thereby stop the indicator at a selected position, manually operable means for releasing said latch and simultaneously shifting a selected stop into the path of movement of the indicator to thereby stop the indicator at a selected point, a motor circuit including contacts resiliently urged toward each other, and a member carried by the indicator and adapted to be intel-posed between said contacts to break the circuit through the motor when the indicator has reached its initial position.

7. In a direction signal for motor vehicles, an indicating member having operative frictional engagement with the motor, whereby to permit the motor to operate and operate the indicator member so 1on as the latter is free to move, and manually controllable means for selectively stopping the indicator from movement at any one of a plurality of indicating positions.

8. In a'direction sign, a motor, an indicating member having operative-frictional engagement with the motor whereby to permil; the motor to operate, and operate the indicating member so long as the latter is- 1 free to move, a plurality of stops disposed.

adjacent the path of movement of the indicator, a latch holding the indicator in a normal position, manually operable means for closmg a circuit through the motor, releasing the indicator latch and projecting a selected stop, said means being operable to retract.

said step to permit the indicator to be car ried by the motor back to its initial'position, and automatically" actuated means breaking the circuit through the motor when the indicatorhas been returned to its indicatingposition.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my LHEML Y-IW; N T

signature.

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