US1687164A

US1687164A - Automobile direction signal

Info

Publication number: US1687164A
Application number: US190206A
Authority: US
Inventors: Carl O Larson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1927-05-10
Filing date: 1927-05-10
Publication date: 1928-10-09
Anticipated expiration: 1945-10-09

Description

Oct. 9, 1928.

c. '0. LARSON AUTOMOBILE DIRECTION SIGNAL Filed May lO, 1927 Patented Oct. 9, 1928.

- UNirsosmrss cani. o. mason, or SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

AUTOMOBILE DIRECTION SIGNAL.

Application vfiled-llllay` 10,

This invention relates to vehicle directionl and stop signals of the semaphore type,and more especially to improvement to the signal device which was shown and described in patent application, Serial No. 68,558, filed by me November 12, 1925. Y

The object of my improvements is the perfecting of the semaphore operating mechanism and the provision of a singleactuating lever which will render the operation of the signal more elllcient, simple andv convenient to employ without liability of error.

More specic ob`ects and advantages orn the l invention will appear in the following description. f

The invention consists inthe novel construction adaptation and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing,-

Figure 1 is a View partly `in elevation and partly in ver ical transverse section of devices embodying the inventionshown applied; Fig.y 2 is a front elevational view oi the semaphore controlling mechanisms showing the manner of mounting and arranging thesame, the movable parts beingv represented as ochr cupying the positions --which they assume when the semaphores are in the positions in which they are represented in Fig. 1; and Figs. 3 and 4 are detail sectional vviews on lines 3-3` and 4-4 of Fig.`1.

In carrying out the present invention there is provided a casing 5 which is secured, as by means of bolts or screws 6, to the side wall 7 of an automobile body structure. Said casing is arranged to project at right angles, or nearn ly so, with respect to the car body, and is open at its outer side as indicated by the numeral 8 in F ig. 1. In the upper portion of the casing is provided a pivot 9 upon which are mounted to be swung outwardly from the casing three semaphores, or signs, 10, 101, and 102, which bear, respectively, the legends Right, Stop and Left. Normally said signs are in substantially vertical positions within the casing as represented by the sign 10 in Fig. 1. The signs are adapted to be selectively swung outwardly with respect to the casing by means of the following described controlling and actuating devices.

To which end, at one sideof the pivot 9, each of the signs is connected by means of a pin 11 with an end of a link 12 whose other end is connected by a pin 13 with an arm. of a bell-crank lever 14. These levers, one for 1927. serial No. 190,206. n

each ot' t-he signs, are fulcrumed to a pivot 15 extending through plates, as 16, which serve to keep the. signsv apart. Y v

The otherarmsot the respective-bell-crank levers are connected by means of attachments, such' as 17, with ends of

wires

18, 19, and 20 passing' through guiding tubes `181, 191-and 231, which extend through a pipe 2 1, to a box I The box 22 is rigidly secured, as by means oi" screws 23 F2, ltothe body structure of the car or, as shown in Fig. 1, to a bracket piece 24 which is rigid with such structure. The box.22 is located interiorly Vof the car body and in convenient reach'of the driver. lVithin said box, the wire is secured to a slider 25 which is .movable in a Lhorizontal guide-way 26 provided in theback wall 30 or'. the box. Theother wires 18 and '19, as shown in F ig. 2, are connected to arms 27 and 28 of bell-crank levers `rwhich are respectively fulcrumed to pivots 29 located above and below theguideway 26. 7 The complementary arms 27l and 281y of the respective levers extend across a vertical guideway 31 provided in said wall and areeach providedin its free end with a' slot 32. z

Movable vertically in thelguideway 31 is a i block 33 having near each-of its ends studs 212 and 282, respectively, which are engageable in the slots 32 of therespective bellcrank levers for lthe purpose of transmitting sign-operating movements to theflatter.

The block 33 is also provided centrally of its length with two spaced apart lug elements 34 tov accommodate therebetween a block shift ing finger 35 which constitutes an arm of an actuating lever which extends thiifoug'h the front wall 3620i: the box. Saidactuating lever is fulcruined by means of a. universal-joint connection comprising aglobular element 352 of the lever seating in a 'corresponding cavity 38 providedin said front wall 36. The outside arm 351constitutes the handle element of the actuating lever. The slider 25 is provided with two spaced apart protuberances 39 and 40, the latter beinghollow to accommodate a ball 41 and a spring-411. (Fig. 3) which is engageable in Aspaced apart recesses 42 and .421

of the' box wall 30 .for releasably holding the slider at either end of its travel.-`

, Spring pressed balls,."similar to-that described above with respect to the slider, are advantageously provided in hollow protuberances 40l provided upon the bellscrank lever arms 27 and 28, the respective balls being adapted to take in recesses as 43 and 44 for releasably retaining the ball-cranks in their operating and idle positions. Stops, as 45, are provided for limiting the throw of the levers 27-271 and 28-281 when in- 'Huenced by the force of gravity acting to restore the associated signs into their sheathed positions within the casing 5. 46 represents a bumper provided in the casing to overcome the momentum of the signs as they return into their sheathed positions within the casing.

yTo facilitate the operation of the actuating lever to effect the display of the various signs selectively, index legends as Right, Left7 and Stop as denoted by the

numbers

43, 47 and 46, are provided about the lever upon the box wall 36 as shown in Fig. 1. Normally, all of the

signs

10, 101 and 1Q2 are sheathed within the casing, whereupon the -slider25 occupies the position in which it is shown in Fig. '2,' and the block 33 has been shifted from its Fig. 2 position into its neutral position whereat the block extends across the slider 25 so that the space between the lugs 34 of the block is directly between the lugs V'39 and 40 of the slider. lVit-h the slider and block thus arranged, the linger 35 is held by the said lugs to hold the actuating lever 35-351 perpendicular to the plane of thebox wall 36. To operate the signal device for exhibitingthe Stop7 sign 10, for instance, the operator has simply to press the handle 351 of the actuating lever in a direction toward the index legend Stop (46) on the box, or in a downward direction in the illustrated assembly. When the handle arm 351 Vof the actuating lever is thus thrust downwardly the complementary arm, or finger, 35 is elevated, carrying therewith the block 33; the stud 272 of which, see Fig. 4, engaging the arm 271 of the respective bell-'crank lever to force the same upwardly and thereby cause the associated arm 27 to be swung toward the right hand side into the position in which it is represented in Fig. 2. As this occurs a pull is applied through the wire 18, its bell crank connection 14 and link 12 toeii'ect the elevation of the Stop sign into the signalling position in which it is shown in Fig. 1, and w'hereat it is held by means of the spring pressed ball (provided in the hollow protuberance 401 of lever 27-271) engaging in a recess similar to 44, provided in the box wall for the lever above referred to.

For returning a sign from its signalling nposition into its inoperative position all that is necessary to push the lever handle 351 towards its perpendicular relation with the box which results in moving the exposed sign intoits unexposed position in the casing and the return of the bell-crank lever into its neutral position as regulated by a stop 45 whereat theA same is releasably held by the spring-pressed ball pertaining to the lever 27--271 engaging in the corresponding recesses 43. Such movement of this lever also acts to restore the block 33 into its neutral position. The purpose of the slots 32 in the lever arms 271 and 281, respectively, is to provide bifurcations in such arms whereby the block studs are capable of engagement with the arms 271 or 281 for moving the same at will in either of two directions; and by having, as shown, one of the branches of each arm bifurcation of shorter length than Vthe companion branch, permitting the studs of the block to be withdrawn from ythe slot of either arm at neutral without disturbing the same as may be required for operating the various signs. The left hand turning sign 1()2 is exposed by means similar to those described above with regard to the stop sign. The Jeft7 sign, however, is operated more directly by means of the actuating lever, the swinging of the handle arm of the latter Ytoward the left hand, as indicated by Lef't7 index mark 47 (Fig. 1) causing the slider 25 to be shifted by means of thefinger 35 toward the right hand, whereupon, a pull is applied through the wire 20, which is attached to the slider, to effect the swinging of the desired sign into its display position. ln thus shifting the slider to operate the sign 1 2, the linger 35 acts against vthe slider protuberance 40, and in returning the slider Vto neutral the linger acts against the lug 39.

The invent-ion and the manner of its operation will, it is believed, be understood from the foregoing description.

' What I claim, is,-

1. In an automobile signal, the combina- Cil tion of stop and direction signs arranged to swing about a horizontal axis, controlling means connected with the respective signs, an actuating device, and two members movable in planes at right angles to each other and engageable indirectly by said actuating device whereby said controlling means are rendered operable to effect the swinging of lili either of the signs selectively from its inactive position into its display position.

2. In an automobile signal, the combination of stop and direction signs arranged to swing about a horizontal axis, operating levers connected with the respective signs, controlling levers, flexible connections connecting said controlling levers with said operating levers, anactuating lever, and a member adapted to be carried by said actuating lever into engageable relation with either of the controlling levers whereby the latter may be actuated toeifect the swinging of either of said signs selectively into display position andsiinilarly return the signs into their normal inactive positions.

3. In an automobile signal., the combination of movable stop and direction signs,

means including members arranged for move- Y ments at right angles to each other for oper- CII ating the respective signs, andan actuating lever engageable with said members selectively whereby said signs are adapted to be moved at will from their normal unexposed positions into their display positions.

4. ln an automobile signal, the combination of stop and direction'signals mounted to swing from their normal unexposed positions into display positions, individual operating means provided for the respective signs, a slide included in the operating means for one of said signals, a block adapted for oonneetion with the operating means of another of said signals, and a manually operated device for actuating either of said operating means through the medium of the slide and block respectively effecting the display of a selected f slgnal.

5. In an automobile, the combination With normally concealed movable signs, or operating means for moving individually either of said signs at Will into a display position, the means for operating said signs, said means inclu ding two members arranged for movements in a vertical plane and at right angles with each other for the. respective signs, and a lever engageable With either of said members selectively to eiect movement of the associated signs into their display positions. s

Signed at Seattle, Washington, this 16th day of April 1927.

CARL O. LARSON.