US1768034A - Signaling device for motor vehicles - Google Patents

Description

June 24, 1930.

J. DEBLiEUX SIGNALING DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 22, 1929 ATTORN EY WITNESS June 24, 1930.

J. 'DEBLIEUX SIGNALING DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 22, 1929 INVENT OR (John ,Delb Zzeux,

ATTORNEY Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED a STATES JOHN DEBLIEUX, OF OPELOUSAS, LOUISIANA SIGNALING. DEVICE'FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Application-filed November 22, 1929,- Serial No. 409;145, and in Canada January 24,1930.

Thisinvention; relates to signaling, devices to beused on motor vehicles to indicate to the driversof other vehicles,.the intended stopping,v slowing-cor the intended direction of turning, of the vehicle equipped'with the'device; and is more'particularly concerned with adevice of this character'inanually controlled by the vehicle operator-and constructed and functioning-to simulate the arm signals now m practically standardized and in use in the majority of States.

These practically standardized arm signals provide for the: extension of the arm outwardly'from' the side of. the vehicle with the 5 fore-arm. bent upwardly at: the: elbow for right turns; with the arm extended horizontally for: left turns; and with the'arm bent downwardly from the'horizontal for slowing or stopping. l I

The present inventionprovidesanarm type signal having a fore-arm (and hand.) section mounted: for' swinging movement relatively to; an upper arm section and for swinging movement. with said upper arm section,and

y manually operable means for controlling the I movement of: these sections. Since the signaling. arm sections simulate the human arm, they will be described in termsthereof asthe mechanical. equivalents of the humanarm structure.

r The inventionconsists inthe constructions, arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed and will bemore clearly apparent from the following detailed specification which is to be read in conjunctionwiththeaccompanyihg'drawings v formingpart thereof. andii'llustrating a preferable'embodiment of the invention.

In these drawings: Figure I is a fragmentary perspective View of a' motor vehicle showing my signaling device applied thereto. Figure 2'. is a View inrsideelevation of the v device, the. signaling arm being drawninto Its casing and the vehicle cowl being shown in section. r

Figure3 is a transverse'verticalsect-ion on w an enlarged'scale through arm and casing.

Figure 4 is a similar sectional view but with the upper and fore-arm sections swung outwardly from the casing to the signaling position shown in Figure Y Figure 5 is a transverse vertical section through the-casing and signal. arm; of Figure 3, taken on line 5-5 of Figure '3.

Figure 6 is a transverse horizontal section through the pivot of the fore-arm section taken online 66 of Figure 3.

-1 and shown indott'ed lines.

The device, of the present invention is attached to the side of the vehicle body adjacent and forwardlyof thejoperator or. driver and provides a signal arm conforming to the elements of the human arm and posi- 7 tioned correspondingly in giving traffic signals so that in the following description and claims, the elements of the signal arm are described'in corresponding terms as the me-' chanical equivalents of the human arm struc- 30 ture. Thedeviceis carried in an elongated relatively narrow box-like casing 1 havingjan I open outer side and whichis secured as shown in Figure 1 by means-of brackets 2,.or equivs5:

alent attaching means to the frame post 3 of the wind shield, or to the corresponding part. of the vehicle body; with its open side outermost. Thiecasing 1 may be of any suitable: material andis designed'to house'the signal arm in its inoperative or non-signaling position.

This signal arm comprises an upper arm section 4 and a fore-arm section 5 which may have it outer end formed to simulate the human hand as indicated at 6 in Figure 1. The

upper arm of a flat tubular body of metal or other suitable substance, open at'its opposite ends, and pivotally mounted at what may be termed its shoulder end, or that point conforming to the shoulder joint of the human arm, on

a rock shaft 7 traversing the casing 1 adjacent itslower outer edge. A sleeve 8 spanning the interior'of the tubular arm section 5 and rigid therewith receives rock shaft'7 and is suitably fixed thereto as, for example,

thereoncertain operating means hereinafter described. This shaft therefore constitutes the shoulder joint or pivot of the signaling arm.

At its other and outer end, the upper arm section 4 has its vertical side faces formed on the curve of a circle and between said curved ends is cut away to an extent approximating a semi-circle to receive the lower or elbo end of the fore-arm section 5.

This fore-arm section 5 is, as shown, in the form of a'fiat tubular member of a thickness to fit between the sides of the casing 1 and of less thickness than the upper arm section 4 to fit in the cut out open end thereof. Its lower end has its vertical side faces curved on the contour of a circle corresponding to that of the upper arm section, the metal or other material spanning the ends of these vertical side faces being cut out to provide clearance for certain spring connections later described, a portion of this connecting surface indicated at 9 in Figure 4 being inset from and concentric with the curved end of c the upper arm. section 4 to extend within its curvature as a shield preventing the entrance of rain, etc. therein. 'A-second rock shaft 10 'traverses-the-lower end of the fore-arm section 5'axiallyof its'semi-circularly contoured endand of that of the upper arm section 4 and is journaled in the'sides of said upper arm section. Thus thefore-arm section is.

pivotally mounted upon the upper arm section at that point corresponding to the elbow joint of the human arm. In the alined positions of the fore-arm and upper armsections, a shoulder 11 formed at the junction of the inset shield portion 9 of the fore-arm with the side and shown in Figure 4, abuts the edge 12 of one of the connecting sides of the upper arm section. The end of the opposite connecting side is out-turned as at 13, Figure section 4, as shown, is in the form naling position as later described, and as,

shown in the drawings in Figures 1 and 4. Internally of the hollow fore-arm section 5 a sleeve 14 is mounted on the second rock shaft 10 and is pinned thereto, this sleeve carrying two oppositely disposed arms 15 and 16 which extend in the horizontal in the vertical non-signaling position of the arm sections shown in Figure 3. To the end of the inner arm 16 (in the position shown in Fig is anchored one end of a tensioned coil spring 17 whose opposite end is anchored to a bracket plate 18 suitably secured to the base of the casing 1 adjacent its inner end.

Intermediate of the first rock shaft 7 and the bracket 18 a third rock shaft 10 traverses the casing 1 adjacent its base and is journaled therein, one end of this rock shaft extending outwardly from the face of thevcasing in the direction of the vehicle operator and mounting an abutment crank arm 20 thereon which in the verticallyalined non-signaling position of the arm sections extends slightly inclined outwardly from the vertical as shown in Figures 6, 7' and 8. The edges of the sides of the upper arm section at the inner end of said section 'arenotchedas shown at 21 in'Figure 4 to clear therock shaft 19.

This rock shaft within the casing 1 is provided with a sleeve-22 clamped thereon and havingan arm 23 extending outwardly therefrom and substantially alining with the abutment crank arm on the extended outer endof the rock shaft. The arm 23 is provided with.

244425, in the vertically alined position of the 7 arm sections, shown in Fig. 3, is slack and not 7 under tension and is overcome by the tension of the coil springs 17 anchoring the opposite 1 arm 16 to the casing. Therefore, when the first rock shaft 7 is actuated to swing its attached upper arm section 5 outwardly from the casing 1, the tensioned coil spring 17 will act to turnthecrock shaft 10 and swing-the fore-arm section upwardly toward the verti cal until the connecting side of the fore-arm section engages and is stopped by the abutment 13 with the fore-arm extended upwardly in the familiar right turn signaling position of the human hand. hen this point has been reached, the slack in the spring-link connect-ion 2425 will be taken up and the latter connection will be substantially taut. Certaln actuating means for the rock shaft 7 will be provided with position-indicating means sot-hat the movement of the arms may be stopped at this position which will constitute the first signaling position of the arm when out-swung fromthe casing 1. Further movement of the rock shaft 7 and-its attached upper armsection 4 outwardly'in-the same direction is arrangedtocause'pull through the springdinlr connection 24s-25 to overcome the-tension of! thes-pri'ng 1-7 and reversely to swing the fore-arm section into engagement withthe-upper arm'section, bringing the stops 11 and 12" into engagement as the upper arm sectionswings downwardly from its position inclined upwardly from the horizontal of Figs; 1 and 4 to the horizontalrepresenting a second signalingposition designating a left turn. When'this point has been reached, the

, fore-arm and upper arm sections '5 and-41' will be-in aliner'nent and extend in the horizontal, in-whichposition they are maintained by the tension applied through the spring-link connection-25 and rock shaft 19. This tension is secured asfollows:

It will be seen from Figs. 6 and 8 of the drawings that the extended end of the first rock shaft 7 has clamped orotherwisefixedly secured tlieretean' arm 26 which in the verticaPnon-signalingposition of the alined arm sections, extendsvertically downward (Fig. 8-) and has its lower endofiset and formedas acam- 27' lying in the plane of the abutment crank arm 20 of the third shaft 19. Movement' of the-rock' shaft 7 in a counter-clockwise'direction as viewed in Figure 8"to swing the'arin' sections outwardly from the casing to the first signaling position shownin Fig. 4 will Bring the cam 27' into abutting relation k to the" abut-mentcrank arm-2O as indicated in dotted'lines, Fig; 8: Further movement of the 'rock'shaft inthe same direction or'from the position .shownin Figs; 1 and 4 tea second from its position inclined upwardlyto the horizontal shown in Figures land 4- outward'ly and downwardly into alinement' with the upper arm' section 4 until the abutments 1'11and12 (Figure 4') engage; The cam at this point will remain in engagement with the" crank arm, maintainingthe; arm sections in alinement while they are extended in; the

horizontal and duringa further. downward movement'of the arm sectionsconjoint-ly to a plane; b'elow the horizontal representing a third signaling position or the slowing or s'topping"signali at which point the cam 27 willstill' engage the crankarm 20- and resist 1 reverse movement thereof through the ten;- sioned spring 17.; On reverse "movement of the rock. shaftj7,',t he cam will continue to 'maint'ainthe'arm sections in alinement as the arm is swung from its lowermost signaling position back to the horizontal. As the arm sections are nowfurther swung upwardly from the horizontal to the initial signaling position inclinedupwardly from the horizontal, the ca1n27'will begin to release thecrank arm 20-and permit the tensioned coil spring 17 to swing thesleeve 14 and the fore-arm section relatively to the upper arm section and-to the upwardly'inclined positions shown in Figs. 1 and 4. On movement of the arm sections from this first signaling position to lie withinthe casing 1 in inoperative-signal ing position, the forearm-section will be returned-to'the verticah the hand 6 thereof en gaging theback of the casing land causing the fore-arm section to swing" to thevertical position shown in Fig. 3, as the upper arm section 1' entering the casing now straightens out intovertical position.

Various operating connections for the rock I shaft 7 may be utilized. As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 8, the outer endof' a transversely'extend'ing link 28 is afixed to the extended end of the rock shaft 7. I To its inner end is pivotally attached and from it depends a vertically extending link 29 which as shown is guided through a vertical bore 30 in'the cowl of the motor vehicle illustrated and is pivotally attached at its lower end tothe outer arm 31 of a bellcrank lever pivoted on a horizontal stud 32 aiiixed to the dash.

From the end of the opposite arm 33 of" the bell crank lever a link 34 depends to pivot ally connect to the lower end of an operating hand lever 35 which may be pivoted intermediate' its-ends at 36 to a bracket plate 37 clamped to the steering column, for example and having an arcuate upper edge 38 provided with-a series of spaced'position denoting notches 39 as suggested in Fig. 1. The

upper end of the lever 85 extends above'the arcuate edge 36 and may be provided with a lateral ofiset 10 providing an operating handle and with a suitable spring pressed looking dog ll which may, for example have its upperend laterally offset to underlie the handle offset 40 and provide aconvenient meansfbr releasing the dogfrom'a position denoting notch39 when the handle end 40 is grasped to operate the connections to the rock shaft 'Z for'signaling. The notches 39 may have associated therewith certain'legends-denoting the slowingor stopping signal position, the left turn position, the right turn position, and the off position. The described connections arenierely suggestive of one manner in which the rock shaft 7 may be actuatedand this showing together'with the i specific'strnctural' details of the signal device per se are intended asillustrative rather than restrictive of the invention whose structure is'subject tomodification and'adaptation' to su-i't different conditions of manufacture and use in consonance with the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim, therefore, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A signaling device for vehicles com-V prising a fixed support, arock shaft mount-- ed thereon, a signal arm carried by said rock shaft comprising an upper arm section carried by and moving with said rock shaft and a fore-arm section pivotally mounted on one end of said upper arm section and normally ex-tendedoutwardly therefrom in alinement therewith, vehicle driver operable connections to said rock shaft for effecting determinate movements of said shaft and its alined arms from an inactive to successive section toward a successive signaling posi tion for coincidently moving said fore-arm section into alinement therewith.

2. A signaling device for vehicles comprising a fixed support, a sectional signal arm pivotally mounted thereon at its lower endjfor swinging movement outwardly from a substantially vertical section-alined nonsignaling position, said signal arm comprising an upper arm section pivoted at its shoulder end on said support and a forearm section pivoted at its elbow end to the elbow end of the upper arm section and normally extended outwardly therefrom in alinement therewith in vertical non-signaling po sition, vehicle driver operable means for determinately sw1ng1ng sa1d fore-arm section with said upper arm section outwardly on its pivot to successive signaling positions, means operative by initial outswinging movement of the upper arm section to coincidently swing said fore-arm section on its pivotfrom a normally extended and alined position relatively to the upper arm section to a determinate signaling, position at an angle thereto, and means operative by further outswinging movementof said upper arm section to a succeeding signaling position for coincidently moving and maintaining said fore-arm section into alinement therewith.

.3. A signaling device for vehicles comprising a fixed support, a rock shaft journaledthereon, an arm signal carried by and swinging with said rock shaft outwardly from a non-signaling substantially vertical position to successive signaling positions, said arm signal com rising an upper section mounted atits s oulder end on said rock shaft for movement therewith and a fore-arm section pivoted at its elbow end to the elbow end of the upper arm section and normally alined therewith in vertical non-signaling position, vehicle driver operable connections to said rock shaft for efiecting determinate movement thereof to swing its attached arm section to selectively predetermined signaling positions, means connecting the fore-arm section and said support operative upon initial swinging movement of the upper arm section from vertical non-signaling position to coincidently swing said fore-arm section on its elbow pivot relatively to, and out of alinement with the upper arm section to a determinate signaling position, and mean operative to reversely swing and maintai. said fore-arm section in alinement with said upper arm section upon further movement of said section in the same direction toward a succeeding signaling position. v

4. A signalingdevice for vehicles comprising a fixed vertically extending casing having an open outer side, a sectional signal arm mounted and housed therewith in substantially vertical non-signaling position, said signal arm comprising an upper arm section pivoted at its shoulder end to said casing,

and a fore-arm section pivoted at its elbow end tothe elbow end of the upper arm section and normally extended outwardly therefrom in alinement therewith in vertical non-signaling position within said casing, vehicle driver operable connectionsto said pivoted upper arm'section for effecting determinate swinging movement thereof to selectively predetermined positions, outwardly of the casing, means connecting the fore-arm section and said casing conditioned by initial outswinging movement of said upper armsection to a first signaling position to swing the fore-arm section upwardly toward the vertical and relatively to the upper arm section to a determinate signaling position at an angle thereto, and means operated by further swinging movement of the upper arm section in the same direction toward asecondsignaling position effective reversely and coin- ,cidently to swing said fore-arm section to aline with the upper arm section and to assume therewith another signaling position.

5. A signaling device for vehicles comprising a fixed vertically extending casing having an open outer side, a sectional signal arm mounted and housed therein in substantially vertical non-signaling position, said signal arm comprising an upper arm section pivoted at its shoulder end to said casing, and a forearm section pivoted at its elbow end to the elbow end of the upper arm section and normally extended outwardly therefrom in alinement therewith in vertical non-signal ing position within said casing, vehicle driver operable connections to said pivoted upper arm section for effecting determinate swing} ing movement of said arm sections to selectively predetermined signaling positions outwardly of the casing, means connecting the fore-arm section and said casing tensioned by outswinging movement of said upper arm to a signaling position inclined upwardly from the horizontal and effective to swing the fore-arm section upwardly toward the vertical and at an angle relatively to the upper arm section to assume therewith an initial determinate signaling position, and means operated by further swinging movement of said upper arm section in the same direction to successive signaling positions at and below the horizontal respectively, effective reversely to swing and maintain said fore-arm section against said tension to aline and maintain it in alinement with the upper arm section in said successive signaling positions at and below the horizontal.

6. A signaling device for vehicles comprising a fixed vertically extending casing having an open outer side, a rock shaft journaled in and traversing said casing and having an end extended outwardly therefrom, a sectional signal arm mounted on said rock shaft and housed within said casing in substantially vertical non-signaling position, said signal arm comprising an upper arm section fixedly mounted at its shoulder end on said rock shaft, and a fore-arm section pivotally mounted at its elbow end on a second rock shaft journaled in the elbow end of said upper arm section, oppositely disposed arms on said second rock shaft, a tensioned coiled spring anchored to one of said arms and to said casing and normally efiective to maintain said upper and fore-arm sections in alinement in the vertical non-signaling position thereof within said casing, a third rock shaft journaled in said casing adjacent to the first rock shaft having an arm thereon internally of the casing and having one end extended outwardly from the casing and provided with an abutment crank arm thereon, a normally untensioned connection between the other of said oppositely disposed arms on the second rock shaft, and the internal arm of the third rock shaft, vehicle driver operable connections to said first rock shaft for effecting determinate rotatory movement of said shaft and swinging movement of the signal arm outwardly and inwardly of the casing, a cam carried by the extended end of said first rock shaft in alinement with and normally spaced from the abutment crank arm of the third rock shaft and positioned to engage said abutment crank arm, at the end of out-swinging movement of the first rock shaft and upper arm section to a first signaling position with said arm section inclined upwardly from the horizontal and effective upon subsequent movement of said rock shaft and arm toward the horizontal to turn said third rock shaft and through its connection to the second rock shaft to turn said second rock shaft and fore-arm section against the tension of said spring to aline and hold the fore-arm and upper arm sections for conjoint signaling position in the horizontal, said tensioned spring functioning, upon initial out-swinging movement of the signal arm to its first signaling position, to swing the fore-arm section upwardly toward the Vertical to a determinate first signaling position in conjunction with the out-swung upper arm section.

JOHN DEBLIEUX.

Images