US1773718A - Traffic register - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 26, 1930. F. A. BARNEY I TRAFFIC REGISTER Filed Nov. 12, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Fm 11/? 4 Barney ATTORNEY Aug. 26, 1930. F. A. BARNEY 1,773,713

TRAFFIC REGISTER Filed Nov. 12, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 35 v INNENTOR Han/f ,4 Barney Patented Aug. 26, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRANK A. BARNEY, OF CROWN POINT, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FRED L. PORTER, OF CROWN POINT, NEW YORK TRAFFIC REGISTER Application filed November 12, 1927. Serial No. 232,782.

thrust upon the officials of our State and municipal governments. In so far as I have been able to determine, the only way that the amount of vehicular traffic flowlng over any particular highway or street for a given period could heretofore be properly determined,

has beento station one or more men at the point in question and have them count the vehicles that passed. Obviously this is expensive, especially where it is desired to have a record of the traffic flow for an extended pe rio-d. I

Thus where officials desire to know whether any particular street is overburdened or underladen with traffic, for the purpose of rerouting that traffic, or where they desire to know whether a highway is standing up under the traffic contemplated, it is merely necessary to install my traffic register to determine this question. My invention is also useful where it is desired to know the number of vehicles attending any public gathering such as fairs and races and finds a useful purpose at filling stations and the like for determining total patronage over any given period.

My invention includes a pressure bar which, when properly installed in a highway, may be actuated by the passage of a vehicle thereover. The depression ofthis pressure bar operates mechanism, preferably shaft and lever i mechanism, communicating each actuation to a register or counting device causing each depression to be registered. The entire mechanism is of course suitably housed.

From the description and drawings, forming a part hereof, the nature and objects of the invention will be more thoroughly understood. In the drawings, in which like reference characters refer to like parts,

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of my invention,

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof with the left hand pressure bar removed and the base of the traffic tower in section,

Figs. 3, 4 and are sectional views of the pressure bar and housing assembly taken on the lines 33, 4-4 and 5-5 respectively of Fig. 2, each showing the parts cut by the section but none behind,

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the register mechanism, the registerwalls beingshown in section,

Fig. 7 is a front elevation thereof,

Fig. 8 is a plan view thereof, and

Fig. 9 is a developeddiagrammatic plan view of the register gearing.

I Altho I shall describe my invention as comprising a traffic tower together with both right and left hand pressm bars and accompanying assembly, it should be quite obvious that I do not intend to be limited to this complete embodiment of my invention as it may be expedient under certain circumstances to install only one pressure bar of a length substantially equal to the width of the highway with the register at the side of the roadrather than in the approximate center thereof.

In the drawings, reference character 1 designates,'generally, a traffic tower having a hollow base 2 of concrete or other suitable material and a register housing 3 which may be of wood or metal. The traffic tower 1 normally is placed in the center of'the highway in connection with which my invention is installed, the base 2 being setinto the road bed a suitable distance, if desired, as shown in Fig. 1. Extending to the right and left from the base 2 are right and left hand pressure bar assemblies each of which may comprise housing members i and 5 having upper flanges 6 and 7. The housing members 4 and 5 are coupled together by U-shaped spans or couples 8, 9 and 10 as well as by cross bars 11 and 12 which, incidentally serve another purpose to be hereinafter related. The housing members 4 and 5 are so disposed that the inner faces thereof are vertical and parallel and the upper faces of the flanges 6 and 7 are parallel and in the same plane.

Midway between the ends of the couples 8, and 10 on the upper side thereof are circular bosses l-l. centered upon which are like com pression springs 15 for supporting the right and lefthand pressure bars 16 which are each U-shaped in cross section and inverted.

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Upon the underside of the pressure bars 16 are circular 17 for tit ing into the upper ends of the springs 15 The couples 9 and 10, and the bosses l? are a ll similarly and equally spaced. The right :11 d left hand pressure bars 2 liore, rest upon their respective sets of i' 15, the bosses l7 and ll fitting in 1 l and lower ends, respectively, o The pressure ha s loose] into their respective housings so as to allow for roller bearings and so that they can move freely in a 'ertica plane. The upper face of each pres sure hi is oulged or convex shaped and the springs 1: are of such a length that the bulged :o portion of the pressure bar for its entire length extends above the upper faces of the flanges G and T.

is shr wn more pa 'ticularly in Fig. 4:, roller bearings 18 are provided in each of the 111 housing members i and 5 so that the pressure bars 16 will tit slidahly but fairly snugly therein and have free movement in a Vertical plane, but without undue side play. Un the inside and outside ends of the hous memhers l and tlQ secured plates 19 111m 20, re-

i operate as end thrust menihers for the p re bars 16 and serve to respectively, whic inforce the housing ineinhersel and 5. The plates 19 are slotted tcr receiving shaft.

The couples 8 and 10 near the ends of the housing members l and 5 are wise enough to receive. in addition to the springs the hearing lilo in which ire mounted the shafts A l 1 I 1 '23. these shafts being tlicientlv longer than 40 the )ltL-ESUYG liars ill; to extend into the base 2 of the trallic tower 1. In order for the shatts 23 not to injertere with the springs they are located, by means of their respective hearings, to one side of the centrally lo- ;1' cated spri s 15 and p" lel to and upon opposite sides of the center line of the respeclett hand pressure har assemriveright an A 1 I the shafts preferalely inst inn s 42 are fixedly secured arms ward the center line o their rederneii'h o rally ahcye tne center ie of their *Qlllbl. and a :vin

each ot uh! I end portion of its respective ari Upon Fri? each of the shafts 23 i- I v e secured hne or more helical torsion 7 "for the pur- )SG of causir. the end or ions of the arms r to contin contact with tneir respeo ire thrus i llpoii the inner ends oi the right and left From the description which follows, it will he oljr erved that this same independeiure of action continues in connection with. the regi:t ering ot' the depressions of the pre sure hars hut that at the same time the rilepressions of both said hars may and in the preferred en'ihodiment are. regisl by the housing 2. Sur: lows (37 are. of course. located in said tower so that the register or t iudices thereof can re oliservcd. Fluid ltt 2-32 may heany one of a nuniher of ditle types but in the lerred enilxodime iploycd lu' me comlive lines 33, 34-, 3G and 537 of index 1 ne ge ring F' I ot the index cylin (him from right to le it to ohta in a count thereon in multiples of ter is well lrnown to those elr'l ed in the art and need not be here descrihed. The lines 33. 34; and 35 are read troin the front of the traaic tower while lines tlti and 537 are r em the haclt. The right hand index cylinder of each line (detcrinhr ing rFght 'rrom the position of reading) is .t'fiicdly secured to its respective cjLLiidc-r shatt. The remaining cyl nders upon each sh'i'l" mon in such registers. Any of the lines of i I he rotated liarto zero will for the prrnose cl ohperiodical count thereon as will he v h nutter deem-died. Upon the ends (it the cynuder shatts 33'. and 3? adiacuil; the right hand cyl nder are fixedly secured spur gears 33. a l and 12. respectively. These g ars the same diameter and ljOO llfQQ hut such dian'ieter and the linder shafts e id Mi nd -L.Al L;A m re i 1 right l a a so spaced that the gears do not mesh. Tip: .1 310 right hand eiids of ti e cylinder sha s il -l and 3'? adiac. thereof uxedly ,clllQtl ratchet gear."v each in the same vertical gears 4-3 and ll respectivel ratchet gears 4:3 and r ainely; downwardlv o of whereas the teeth o? ram 4-6 incl ne opposi ely: near. l4 incline downward y or. the l {shore of gear 4-6 incl ne upwardly on acl';

nde thereof. Fixedly secured up n the lll) shaft 35" in line with gears 38, 39, and 40 is a similar spur gear 47.

Since a'normal index cylinder has ten indices located thereon equidistant apart and since each pressure bar 16 Will be actuated or depressed twice by each vehicle which passes thereover, i. e. once by the front wheels and once bythe back wheels of said vehicle, I have provided each of the ratchet gears 43, 44, 45 and 46 with twenty teeth so that a new indice will be brought into sight upon the right hand cylinder every time a vehicle passes over the pressure bar operatively connected to that particular ratchet gear.

Shafts 48 are slidably mounted in the register housing 3 and have handles 49 upon the right hand ends thereof adapted to contact with the wall of the register housing. There are three of these shafts all parallel to the cylinder shafts, one between shafts 33 and 34, another between shafts 35 and 35" and a third between shafts 36 and 37'. Upon each of these shafts 48 is fixedly secured a small spur gear at suchedistance from the right .w hand end of each shaft that when its handle 49 contacts with the side of the register housing 3 the gear 50 upon that shaft will mesh with its respective pair of gears 38 and39, 46 and 47, or 41 and 42. Thus ,any motion given to the ratchet gears 43, 44, 45 or 46 will be transmitted'to the cylinder lines 34 and 33, 35, or 36 and 37 respectively. If a shaft 48 is pulled to the right no motion will of course be transmitted through the gear 50 upon that shaft. By this arrangement, cylinder lines 33, 35 or 36 may be made inactive. F urthermore, by disengagingany gear 50 from any larger spur gear with which it is associated the cylinder line with which that larger spur gear is associated, may be turned back to zero reading by the use of a key upon the squared right hand end of that cylinder line shaft. The cyl nder line may be made active again by pushing the handle 49 back into contact with the register housing remeshing the gear 50.

To the standard 31 are fixedly secured right and left hand stub shafts 53 and 54 upon which are pivotally mounted evener bars 55 and 56, respectively, having slots therein for adjustment purposes. Connecting one end of the bars 55 and 56 and the free ends of arms 28 and 29, respectively, are rods 57 and 58/ To the opposite end of the bar 55 are pivotally secured the push pawls 59 and 60 and to the opposite end of bar 56 are pivotally secured hook pawl 61 and push pawl 62. These pawls 59, 60, 61 and 62 engage the teeth of ratchet gears 43, 45, 46 and 44, respectively, for the purpose of rotatingsaid ratchet gears by the depression of their respective pressure bars. Springs 63 are provided for causing the normal engagement of the pawls with their respectiveratchet gears and cams 64 areproyided for selectively throwing out of engagement any particular pawl. By means of shafts extending thru the register walls and to which these cams are secured they may be controlled. All of these movable parts are, of course, made suitably adjustable so as to provide for the proper placing and action thereof. Lag dogs 65 for the ratchet gears and operated by stub shafts to which they are secured may also be provided as shown. If it is desired to turn back to zero reading, any cylinder line having a ratchet gear, the pawlscontacting' therewith must of course be lifted before this can be done.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 the base of the traffic tower 1 is, together with the pressure bar assemblies set into the roadway so that the flanges 6 and 7 of the pressure bar housings come flush with the surface of the roadway and, as must follow, so that the bulged portion of the pressure bars extend above the roadway for their entire length as shown more particularly in Fig. 3. Gutters 66 may be provided underneath the pressure bar assemblies, for drainage purposes.

As will be observed from Fig. 6 the front and back walls of the register housing 3 are dished to bring the portion of these walls adjacent the cylinder lines in close'proximity thereto. These walls are slotted as shown so that the indices upon the cylinders may be read. In the sidewalls of the tower 1 opposite the right hand ends of the cylinder shafts are doors which permit access to the cylinder and cam shafts.

The operation of my invention is as follows: As a vehicletravels along the roadway it must pass over one or the otherof the pressure bars 16 and must therefore depress said pressure bar twice as it passes thereover, once by the front wheels and once by the rear wheels. Assuming it'is the right hand pressure bar 16 that is depressed, the thrust rolls 26 push the free ends of arms 24 downward,

33, 34 and 35 of the register registerthe pass sage of one vehicle. When the left hand pres sure bar 16 is depressed, such actuation is similarly communicated to the pawls 61. and 62which move upward, the pawl 62 rotating its ratchet gear on the upward motion and the pawl 61 rotating its ratchet gear when returning to normal position; Thus for each double actuation of the left hand pressure bar 16 the lines 36, 37 and 35 of the register will register the passage of one vehicle. The springs 27 on shafts 23 cause the levers and pawls to' return to their normal position; Instead of torsional springs on theshafts 23, tension springsmay be. hooked. to the free ends of arms 28 and 29, for instance, to accomplish the same purpose.

Thus tl e lines and 3-1- re ister the tratlic upon the right hand side of the road way in one direction, the lines and traffic on the left hand side of the r the other direction and the line 35 re; the total tra'tlic in both directions. By means of the cams (ll. any 0 the pawls may l v tively disengaged so that the registe totaltraiiic or either one way trafllc may be selectively dispensed with if desired at any time. In this connection itnna be stated that a simple single register for registering only total traffic may be employed or that separate s mple single reg., may be provided for each one way traffic.

As pointed out early in this description, I have described my invention in its preferred Y embodiment as adapted to register two way traffic. It would of course be a more economical installation to have only one pressure bar the entire width of the roadway and to have the registering mechanism at the side of the road. Such is more desirable for a narrow roadway and also would be the only embodiment that would logically be employed where there is one-way traffic only. It is intended that the claims hereto appended shall cover both or either embodiments as appropria Obviously various slight modifications to certain features or elements of my invention will occur to those skilled in the art. For instance, the shafts 23 may not be located directly under the pressure bar but could be positioned to either side thereof; the pressure bar may operate the shaft 23 thru a link and lever assembly or thru gears instead of the thrust rolls and arms shown; the shaft 23 or even the pressure bar, may operate the register thru suitable gearing and different types of registers may be such as that type operated by a lever arm instead of a ratchet gear. It is. therefore, intended that the claims appended hereto shall include such modifications or equivalents as said claims may reasonably be construed to in clude.

The pressure bars 16 are not of great width as the housing members i and 5 should not be spaced so far apart that a vehicle wheel will strike the edge of the forward housing element with any great force but will, so to speak, skim over or span the space between its normal position. Obviously, the pressure point desired and that it will accomplish a i great saving, not only in the mere recording of traffic, but in determining what highways or streets have the most or least traffic thereover so that a certain amount thereof may be rerouted and also so that it will be known whether that highway or street is standing up under traliic as it should and was intended and by that improve future roads accordingly.

I claim:

1. In a register actuating mechanism, in combination, a housing comprising spaced longitudinal members having vertically disposed walls. a depressible pressure bar disposed in said housing except for a bulged portion thereof which in normal position of said bar extends without the said housing, a rotatable shaft disposed in said housing and substantially parallel to said bar, means operatively connecting said bar and shaft for efl ecting the partial rotation of said shaft when the bar is depressed, and means operatively connecting said shaft and a register for registering the depressions of said bar.

2. In a register actuating mechanism. in combination, a housing comprising spaced longitudinal members having vertically disposed walls, an inverted U-shaped depressible pressure bar disposed in said housing except for a bulged portion thereof which in normal position of said bar extends without the said housing, a rotatable shaft disposed in said housing and substantially parallel with said bar, arms on said shaft having their free ends operatively connected with said bar and means operatively connecting said shaft and a register for registering the depressions of said bar.

3. In a register actuating mechanism, in combination, a housing conuprising spaced longitudinal members having vertically disposed walls. an inverted U-shapcd depressible pressure bar supported by a plurality of springs having their resistance force distributed throughout the length of said bar, said bar being disposed in said housing except for the bulged portion thereof which in its normal position extends without the aid housing, a rotatable shaft disposed in said housing and substantially parallel with said bar, arms upon said shaft having their free ends operativcly connected with said bar, another arm upon said shaftnear one end thereof, and means operatively connecting the free end of the last named arm with a register for registering the depressions of said bar.

i. In a register actuating mechanism, in combination, a housing adapted to be positioned across a highway and comprising sub-

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