US1979922A - Automatic road signal - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 6, 1934. Y H. c. WILLIAMS AUTOMATIC ROAD SIGNAL Original Filed Oct. 15, 1950 \.3nventor Patented Nov. 6, 1934 UNITED STATES PATE OFFICE Application October 15, 1930, Serial No. 488,922 Renewed April 9, 1934 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to signaling apparatus and has special reference to a signal to be placed at road intersections such as where a side road crossesv a main highway, railways, and the like.

One of the primary objects of the invention resides in providing such a device which may be operated automatically by a vehicle traveling on a side road toward a main highway, but which will not be aiected by a vehicle when traveling on the side road in a direction away from the main highway.

Another object of the-invention consists in providing such a device which is durable and reliable in operation and yet which is of such simple construction as to be inexpensive in manufacture.

Other'objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accomlpanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the complete apparatus installed at a'crossroad.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 2--2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional View through one of the damping or retarding cylinders.

Referring to the drawing in greater detail, the numeral 1 indicates a main highway and the numeral 2 a side road entering the main highway, at the intersection ci which is mounted a signal post 3 on which is suspended signals 4 and 5. The signal 4 may be of the conventional type of visual electric signal provided with red, green, or yellow lights, while the signal 5 is an audible alarm, preferably an electric gong. Also, if desired, an electric horn 6 may be employed. It will be understood, of course, that any one or all of these various types of signal devices may be employed as found desirable.

The signaling devices are operated from batteries 7 in an electric circuit 8. Also in this circuit is a control switch 9. This switch is operated by means of an arm 10 preferably of channel iron and extending entirely across the roadway. This arm is pivoted to a second channel iron 11 as indicated by the numeral 11 and is normally held in its raised position by a dashpot or retarding device l2.

The dashpot is shown in detail in Fig. 3 and comprises a cylinder in which is mounted a piston which is normally held at the upper end of the cylinder by means of a coil spring 13. This piston comprises a perforated metal disc 14, a flexible perforated leather disc 15 mounted thereon, and ka. rigid but loosely mounted imperforate metal disc 16 disposed thereabove. The perforat-v ed discs 14 and 15 are of a diameter equal to that of the cylinder 12, while the disc 16 is of slightly less diameter than the cylinder. These three disc-like elements which form the piston `are mounted on the lower end of a piston rod 17 which is in turn pivoted to thecross arm 10 as indicated by the numeral 18.

The cylinder 12 has a pipe connection 19 at its upper end which extends downwardly and re-enters the lower end of the cylinder, as indicated by the numeral 20. Intermediate the ends 19 and 20 of this pipe is an adjustable valve 21 by means of which the rate of passage of the fluid through the pipe 19--20 may be readily adjusted. Any desiredfiuid may be placed within the cylinder 12 and will, through the action of the piston just described and the valve 2l, retard the return of the arm l0 to its elevated position.

The descent of the arm 10 by reason of the pressure of the wheels of a vehicle passing along the roadway 2 is permitted by reason of the apertures in the discs 14 and 15, and the loose mounting of the disc 16, which permit a practically free flow of the fluid past the piston. The upward stroke of the arm 10, however, is retarded by reason of the fact that the disc 16 will close 01T the apertures in the discs 14 and 15 and thus cause the fluid in the upper end of the cylinder to pass outwardly through pipe 19, valve 21, and pipe 20, to the lower end of the cylinder. The time required for the ilow of fluid from the top to the bottom of the cylinder may, of course, be regulated by adjustment of the valve 21, thereby definitely determining the period during which the switch 9 will be closed by reason of the depressed position of the arm 10.

With the apparatus as thus far described, it will be obvious that the signals 4, 5 or 6 would be operatedeach time a vehicle passed over the arm 10 regardless of whether the vehicle was traveling toward the main highway l or away from the main highway. In order to permit an operation of the signaling apparatus only when a vehicle is traveling toward the intersection of the main highway, I have provided a controlling mechanism for the arm 10 which comprises a second arm 30 of channel iron pivoted at 31 toa channel iron 32. 'Ihese members are substantially identical with the members 10 and 11 heretofore referred to, and are arranged in parallel relation therewith, preferably at a distance greater than the length of a vehicle, from the members 10 and 11, and, of course, are placed at that side of the members 10 and 11 remote from the main highway 1.

Pivotally mounted on the end of the channel member 32 is a bell crank lever 33 which has a pin and slot connection with a slidable rod 34 and the free end of the arm 30. This rod extends across the space between the arms 10 and 30, and has its free end slidably mounted in a bearing 35 on the end of the channel member 11. When the parts are in the positions shown in Fig. 1, it will be observed that the rod 35 extends between the free end of arm 10 and the channel member l1, thereby preventing the depression of the arm 10 and consequently preventing the closing of the electric switch 9.

For the purpose of suitably timing the operation of the arm 30 so that the rod 34 will not be returned to its locking position prior to the returning of the arm 10 to its uppermost position, a dashpot or damping device 36 similar in all respects to the dash-pct 12 is connected to the free end of thearm 30. With this construction, it is apparent that if the two arms 30 and l0 are depressed by a vehicle approaching the intersection of the roadways, the return movement of the4 arm 30 which is iirst depressed will be retarded through the medium of the dashpot 36, just as the movement of the arm 10 is retarded by the dashpot 12. Hence the rod 34 will not be projected between the channel members 10 and 11 until such time as the arm 10 is permitted to rise to itsuppermost position `by the expansion of the coil spring i3 and the travel of the iluid through the pipes 19--20 and the fvalve 21.

The operation of the device has been fully described in connection with the description of the various details of construction, but a briei resume of its operation will now be given.

If a vehicle turns from the main highway 1 into the cross road2 its passage over the arm 10 will not aiect the signal in any way whatever, inasmuch as the rod 34 will have its end `disposed beneath the arm 10 and thus prevent the closing of the switch 9. As the vehicle continues onward away from the road 1 and passes over the arm 30 it will depress the latter and withdraw the arm 34 but inasmuch as it has already passed over the arm 10, the signals will not be operated.

When a vehicle is traveling toward the main highway 1, however, it will nrst cause the withdrawal of the rod 34 by reason of depressing the arm 30 and in its continued movement it will depress the arm 10thereby closing the switch and operating the visual signal 4 so as to eliminate the red lights directed up and down the main highway, and of course, changing the lighten the wide road from red to yellow. Also, this movement of the vehicle will sound the alarms 5 and 6 if they are provided in the circuit. The alarms thus set in operation will remain-in operation until a substantial ow of the fluid from the upper end of the cylinder 12 to the lower end thereof has taken place, thereby permitting the rod 17 and arm 10 to rise and open the switch 9, at which time the visual signal will return to its normal condition showing a red light on the side road and the yellow light on the main road, and the audible signals will be silenced.

While the specific construction of dashpot for retarding or damping the oscillations of the members l10 and 30 has been described, it will be obvious that any preferred means for slowing down or retarding the upward movements of these members may be employed.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be apparent that I have devised an exceedingly simple construction of signal for roadway intersections, which is both reliable and durable in operation, and which is so designed as to avoid any possibility ofthe signal being operated except at such time as isy necessary, namely, when a vehicle is traveling onto the main highway.

In accordance with the patent statutes I have described what I now believe to be the preferred form of the invention, but as various minor changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the essence of the invention, it is intended that all such be included within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In an automatic signaling device for roadways, a pair of suitably spaced, vehicle-operated arms mounted across a roadway, springs normally holding said arms in elevated positions, a rod normally disposed beneath one of said arms for locking` it in raised position, means for supporting the rod, means associated with the other arm for moving said rod to release the rst-mentioned arm whereby the rst-mentioned arm may be depressed against the action of said springs, a road device capable of actuation and means operated by depression of ther rst-inentioned arm for actuating said road device.

2. In an automatic signaling device for roadways, a pair of suitably spaced, vehicle-operated arms mounted across a roadway, springs normally` holding said arms in elevated positions, a rod normally disposed beneath one of said arms for locking it in raised position, means for supporting the rod, means associated with the other arm for moving said rod to release the firstmentioned arm whereby the inst-mentioned arm may be depressed against the action of said springs, a road device capable of actuation, means operated by depression of the iirst-mentioned arm for actuating said road device, and retarding devicesior controlling the return movements of said arms.

AHOWARD C. WILLIAMS.

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