US1918327A - Traffic signal - Google Patents

Description

July i8, 19333. D. H. 'DYER in AL I 1,918,327

TRAFFIC S IGNAL Filed Nov. 14, 1931 2 Sheets-She 1 July 18, 1933. DYER Er AL 1,918,327

TRAFFIC SIGNAL Filed Nov. 14, 1931 2 heets-Sheet 2 IW g 1/ 1 11/111 27 INVENTGES.

ATTORNE'X Patented July 18, 1933 I fl p-ms n'mmw x j m' ii m mcsmibr sw nwm m bw.

.-.DQFIG'LAS; s;- n EerA mNQR TQWIPIEIWMJDFFER 1: PAUL M iI QM oils-ranges forth,"fre ference; ibeing h'adi' tox the acc om -i,

device, a i 120 a street intersection and oneoi' our devices silshead type though-applicable a. :corner 'signalmounted on posts; the: preferred use of our devicebeing overheadxand centrally over a the middle of an intersection at a height of approximately '15 feetI-toQZO'feet or more over the road surface andxtherefore clearly visible to motorists The; inventionqincludes 7a, numberyof :new and novel; features as 1 herelnafter fully "set panying drawings; in whioh; Fig; 1-isafsid elevation of'the signal Fig. 21st dia rammati 5ml mi-ef a.

pended in the iniddleofthe'intersectionqu:{a

- Fig: 3 is an 5 enlarged sectional view on a horizontal planefiof approximately one half adapted for use Where street approaches s to interseqtmns are angular instead of z at angles.

1 "Fig. 4 is a-sectional viewcornesponding to" 401 -Fi'g..7 is a-ldetail' seoltionaivietal than? VReifringm h drawin s; byreferencer Fig." 5-;is an approximately::eentralicross sectional viewof the signal deviceu n: en larged-sca1e5 as1on 1ine-6 v6 iniFigffire-y vealing the train of; gears and co-acting dl'SQ intermittent rotation of .the

:Fig. 6 is' a hor zontal plan View means causing signal-cylinden one of the gears numera1s,,in :Fig. 1 2210. des gnates: a... street intersection 1 Where a north, and: south street X ION intersects an east and west street 1 0E."

"Hare diagonal wires or cables suitablyeona I v 9 directed drive haft QAQeXt'ending lbelowxflo'on A neoted at the o'en'ter of the intersection' to I the stationary cover orzf'hood Inember 51 2} {of our device and extending atsuitable-sheight;

to'posts 13 or buildings 14, asythe ease may,

imam; siqii j 1 f Apinieatimi iij fea mr er; "14; 93

1 6.. for; ageablel 17; guided and extended Ito and pedestrians atyari-f' ofthesigxial Tchamber, as onrghne in 1 Fig. =1-and showing certain auxiliary vanes I I the-stationary hoodsl iand 'i ts disc; aslon lin el 7ji7,

be, the vrespectiye oo'rners'g' '15 ar insu-la, tors 52in said leables': in-J necessary f-positions". One licornerpost; 13A, maybe provided wi'th aifsuitable f wiridlass device having a s. crankbleoii being let-dolwnrfrO l i s normalgsignalql ngposition', directly' under isaid= hood';toi- Wardethe street,";by nieans=.of said windla'ss;

ande 'cable,'isaid{ aising and lowering. means ;j being wellfkno wn for arerlight'ingj devices. "1" i a 18 is-alflexible electric c'ondni tfofag length such as .to condiict electrioeurrent; to a pair v ofstationarycontact-socketsgltii inithe head ;12H of the hoorl 12'. -Said1 'hood* coinprises other thanzits head 12H adown ward ly fla'red preferably lciroiilar',shield: and theflsoekets Q. a l9 thereofi are openadownwardly to sli-d'abljy;

means as cable A; to.theijsinotoryand. illuninablefsignalmeans-of; our; signal head; the latteriprejsently 1 to; be? f-ully described. It

raising andzaloiwering .Ineans 01 our ignal! head maytlbe?emp1oyed,itfbeingQ jfiii'therfIf f .understood"that; thedoweringpflthe signal i:

device. is'gpreferred to be limited. southativits 8 0' lowerednposi'tion:isaboiitlthreelor fo f t above1thestreet=1eVe1 and obviously th ndi j 1', repairs'lzoriadjust;

Our preferably "an l1prightfcylinidrical niember sign igchamberdesignated B; h'Thef forme" .I eh'ainher has -1a floor 22 oni which mounted air eleetri'c sinotor 23 ,With gear" re di1ction housing223H having: af downwardly a 15- b will be iieadily -iinderstood that any asuitable' I III25.

[fixedto: their under sides andtherefore in '.;tinu ous motion to certain gear means just I I I I I stated preferably anuprlght, cylindrlcal del below floor 22 and just over the upper part of'signalhousing- Said gear means and means in housing B Willno be described. The drive-pinion 25 meshes with one ofL like gears 26,'26A,'.26B.1and 26C-mo1inted to rotate'on stub shafts 27 fixed inv plate'22,v

with a central fgea'r'28 likewis'erotatable on a stub shaft 27A and thesaid gear 28 being of same size as the 4 gears. Thus allffthe l circularly arranged gears arefrotatedsimultaneously and in same direction of rotation, gear. 26 being the primary .drivengear' and imparting said rotary motion through the center. 28 gear to the.gears 26A, ;B and C.v wT-o eachofithei l. gears is fixed concentriu cally a circular plate or disc 2'9;' projecting radially outward-and each provi'ded nearits outer rim with a-circular row/ ot "apertures 30; :The'figears' 26, 26A,. 26*Bland-26G are, I I I II I 1 Within said bars 41 is. retainedconcentrlc;of cylinder C and exteriorly. of the latter. an:-

ofvariousnwidth or tooth-face preferably all flush at their tops. and thel -plates 29' are I 7 different planes. vEach plater29. is 'provided I with -a" contact pin. 31 adapted'to'be re 'movably-fixedsm any one of itsapertures.

I pins :contact consecutively with. and move I a radial. arm 32A-offthe verticah-rfcentral shaft '32- oi a 'si-gnalcylinder: chamber B, thus imparting regulated. and-H intermittent movement of said signal cylinder-ll Said arm 32A- is in=the path of movement of all of I thedi'sc pinsi3l and'conta cted with by only one .at a.time. For.eXample,. inFi-g;:6, pin

31. of -p'late 29.011. gear 26A is just; contacting with arm 3 2A' whil'ethe 'latteris movingin direction-indicated by arrow -33. The said I pin will'ofizcourse rock the arm towar'd=.:the

right and continued movement of the-pin lrea I leases'it'from contactjwith'theiarm,the'lat-.

I ter'stopping atpoint 34 where it"is :subsequently' engaged by. pinv 3 1 of plate v:29. of

gear '26B, moving indirection of arrowv 35;-

movement' toward gear 260.. .Thusyshaft 32 is rotatedii-intermittentiy by 'the successive degrees of a circle-. ea'ch movement "but "the' tIf DlIDgLOf such movements is ofcourse vari-= able according'iato the positions :of. pins 31 on the respective plates '29. 5 This adjustabi'lity of timi-ng'is of courseimportant where traf i 654. he conditions vary' atstreet ii1tersecti0nsi their' operative relation to certain signal of shaft 82 (see Fig. 5). I I 90 degrees apart *011 a circle concentric of I spiderfixed on upper part of shaft 232, as at the housing and all-[said 4' gears meshing The l-owerj two' of the plates have theirl 2 pins projecting .upwardly while the upper plateshavetheir pins 81 rejecting down WVhen-a'change of signal -from.: .go' a. I fstop: is to" take .place-,;'* the signalcylinder receives a quarter" turn as. to" the right in;

. thereby givi ng;arm "32A another arcuatei 555 vice integral of chamber A and below it, be ing shown as slightly-smaller in diameter than chamber A. Said ',chamber,,B,- has a fixed base-.36 with a central bearing 368,130

suitablyand r'otatably support-thelower end 37 is a horiz o ntal 38, saidspider circular exteriorly :andfadapt frictionreducing means at 39. f This cylin The 'cha'mbenB; has four exterior ,opem ings separatedv by tlpli'ghh bars 41 -90 .de-

. electric bulbs .40 ."(preferably 4 in. number): vreceiving. current from any. electric source, I

grees; apart, and connecting thegbase rig- I idlywith: the.- l'owerpartr.ofachamber A.',-I

other cylinder .42 of transparent material, this" latter cylinder being stationary;

The signal "cylinder is preferably, made C2 in Figs; 1 and .and. atright "angles red color and designated C3,said red -panels illuminated of course to simultaneously in- 'dicate stop to traflic while the green panels indicateifgowor trai'hc'fiowL.

diametrically opposite an'd inter OsedTbetween adjacent parts of red and green panels," The saidismaller fpanelst-are of any suitable color preferably orange or yellows upper part of: Fig a panel 1G4 follows panel C2 across theopening;-I(indicated as thechamberB, flashing the yellow signal across the ;opening until,the following i I red panfe'l C3 is; expo'sed..fu-:lly in said 'opena ing, the entire cylinderkcominguto alstop I when the "red panel is exposed at'Nwvhere previously-the green-panel hadbeen exe I 'posed, the yellow panel stopping simultane -i 'ou'slyqbehind one? of the bars 4ilf candisfun seen"- until the following traflic change is. to;

I I I take place The signal'cylinder remains stae contacts of pinsBLiand certain illuminated signal'lmeans are exposed consecutively to- Y I the traflic lanes." The arm 32A is moved '90- pin .3l'15of 1- the succeedingly; acting rotary.

cylinder arm 82A. 1 .1

, T In Eig: 4J-oneof the bar'sAl.

plate 29 contacts with. andmoves', the-signal.--:

-.C4eare.a pair.ofsmaller-panels: comprlsr ing za part .ofi the. signal'cylindergand are chamber :shown hollowed interiorlyi to provide :a channel for necessary :electric wires43 tothe bulbs 40,-and further channels forithis purpose may beprovided'as at 44 on the under side of base 36 (see Fig.1)

for the wiring to socketsl40S of said bulbs. In Figs. 1' and 3 is shown certain means consisting of sheet metal vanes 45V of V- shape incross section, each vane attachedat itsapex to avertical rod 45 retained. pivotally and exteriorly of a vertical frame bar 41 in upper and lower lugs 46. The ends of said rods have protruding threaded ends for nuts 47, adjustment of which holds the rods 45 and their vanes in any desired position. These vanes, of course, are useful for intersections where streets approach at various angles and shut off visibility of red signal by trafiic approaching angularly, .or"

vice-versa. The angle between the two sides of the vanes must of course be determined according to conditions at the intersection where the signal is installed.

In Figs. 1 and 5,48 are suitable openings in the upper part of the'wall of chamber A providing outlet for air circulated by a small fan 49 rotated by the motor 23. "Thus any excessive heat generated by the motor or the lights within the device is disposed of and eliminating the possibility of frost a forming on the signal means.

" the ring 39 of base 36. 7

A number of modifications of detailspertaining to ease of operation, proportions of gears and other operating details may be embodied withoutdeparting from the scope and spirit of our invention.

An important feature is that the green lights are followed by red (no orange) light, green lights being of such length that red does not come in until the two orange lights are fully exposed; This, it will be noted, gives an advance warning to the flowing trafiic. a

lVe claim: y i

1. In a tra'lfic signal of theclass described comprising an upright cylindrical housing adapted to-be mounted at a traffic intersection; said cylindrical housing embodying an upper mechanism chamber and therebelow a signal chamber, and said signal chamber provided with a plurality of horizontally exposed circularly arranged openings, a stationary outer cylindrical glass closing. said.

mounted inthe upper chamber, means'in said chamber and actuated by said driving means to; cause contact-with said actuator arm at predetermined intervals to rotate the said signal cylinder one-quarterof a circle for each contact of the arm. j

2. The structure specified in claim which said signal cylinder comprises a plurality of arcuate, colored,* panel sections arother' color, asgreen, in the dows,s1multaneously. y it which said signal cylinder-comprises a'plu' openings, aninnertranslucentsignal cylin- 'der, a vertical central shaft rotatable in said signal chamber;1a web memberfixed onisaid y shaft and retaining the signal cylinder in concentric relation thereto, an -actuator arm inf the upper chamber on saidshaft, contin- .uously= operating driving means suitably 1 ranged to be exposed two panels of like color." in opposite windows and two panels of an,- other two wins 1 x V s5 3. The structure specified in claim 1, in

rality of arcuate, colored, panel sections ar-f.

ranged to be exposed two panels of like panels of another color, as g e ,,i the othertwo windows, sim e yf nd two f' color, as red,,in opposite windowsand two narrow translucent p anelsinsaid signal 0 linder of acolor distinctive, from the'co orof the first described panels, said narrow panels'located one adjacent the edge of eachgreen panel, to follow in the pathof move-1. green panel, 'for the. purpose set E ment of its forth.

" 4. Ina trallic signal of the class described, 7

an upright cylindrical housing with an ups; a

per mechanism chamber and a lower signal; g l a chamber with four horizontally exposed windows facingdiametrically oppositely in 165 pairs, an upright rotatable signal cylinderv in the signal housing and comprising a series of arcuate suitably colored sections; con

tinuously operatable drivingmeans for rotating said signal cylinder toexpose'con secutively, distlnctive colored pane s in said windows, said driving means comprlslng a motor with a primary drive pinion meshlng with oneof a train of four circularly] arranged gears, a centralfgear' rotatably. mounted concentrically between said ,four

'gears and meshing with all of them, aMcircular plate fixedconcentric on each'of said four gears, each plate provided with acircular .row of aperturesand a contact pin removably insertible in any of said apertures, a vertical shaft central of the signal cylinder and fixedly connected thereto, an.

actuator arm fixed on said shaft and arranged in the circularpath of movement of all said contact pins, theconta'cting'action of to provide a quarter ofa circular turn of the vertical shaft and the signal cylinder.

.125 each said pin with .the said arm calculated '5. The structure s ecified in 'claim4,

which said signal '0 amber comprises fur-2 the: four upright exterior frame armsarir'anged in quadrangular formation concentric of the cylinder and define the sides of the windcwsthereofj" V V Thestructure" specifiedinclaim 4;, in which. said signal chamber;c01nprisesfurther *founuprightexterior frame bars comprising the sides of the respeetive Windows, and adjustable vane members one =f0r'each said up.- right arm 01* bar, each vane comprlslng an In testimony uptight sheet inetalmember of V-shape in "LL-DOUGLAS nYER. f

;WILLIAM F.'BODENKIROHE1I; I 1

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