US2003022A - Beacon - Google Patents

Description

May 28, 1935.

H. H. THOMPSON I 2,003,022

Filed Nov. 23, 1928 INVENTOR Henry/i Thompson.

- A'TTORNEY Patented May 28, 1935 nnaoon a d v 11. Thompson, Wfl kinsburg, 2a., assigncr to Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, a corporation of lfennsyl'vania 4 ationNovember 23,1928, Serial ss an My invention relates:tolightinpdevices and has particular relationto a beacon suitable for use in connection with air navigation..': I An object of my inventionis toprovide a de- 5 ,vice which shall indicate the presence of a landing field,,an airway, an obstacle orthe like,'or which maybe utilized as-"an advertising device. 1. Another'object of my inventionyis .to provide a device of the above mentioned-character having means for identifying'aparticular beacon.

Another object of my. invention is to provide a beacon which shall indicate the direction of an airway or of any desirecLpoint of, the compass." A still further objectofmy invention is to provide a device of, the above mentionedcharacter which shall be strong, dependable, simple and relatively inexpensive. r

Referring to the drawing, in which. like figures indicate like parts; 3 Figure 1 is a front view, partially in section and partially in elevation, of a device'constructed according to. my invention;

. .Fig. 2 is a side view, insection, taken .along theline 11-11 of Fi 1,

is provided with additional geared "driving means.

for osclllating the projector about its horizontal axis during the period inflwhich the projector is not being rotated. I a i The devicecomprises a hollowbasel upon which a frame 2 is so mounted thatzit-may be jector 3 is mounted on the'frame 2, by. means of a yoke 4. Ashaft ,5, ,engagingone side of the projector, is rotatably mountedin the yoke 45 4 and has a pinion 6 on its outer end. The other provide a conduit for the conductors'l which furnish power to the lighting'unit therein (not shown). J r m V The wires 8- extend through the tube to the stationary brushes II which make electrical contact with suitable slip rings [2 whlchareih'tum,

electrically connected to the lighting unit, The

55 projector, thereforeismounted formovement Fig; 3 is a'view, in perspective, of an idler gear rotatively movedabout a vertical axis. A prosupport 1 for the projector isstationary with reference to the yoke and is tubular inorderto mam-3e): x

of rotation about a horizontal axis provided by shaft S-andthe tube xThe device'fisoperated by'a motor l 3 which drives a vertical shaft It by means of wormfli and worm wheel It; The; lower end of the shaft 5 I4 is provided with a gear wheel I1 which meshes with an idler gear wheel 1I8.- The idler ,gear wheel 18 vis provided was cani s'urface H, the

purpose of which will be later explained;

a The upper end oi'the shaft I4 is provided H a bevel gear wheel H to mesh-withabevell'gear 1 wheel 23 with which a horizontal shaft" is provided. The outer end-of-the horizontalshaft 22 is provided with a crank arm 24 which actuates a link'25 andgear rack 26 which, in engages the pinion 6 of the projectorshaft 5. I Ajacent to the bevelgear 23 is a disc 23 a recess 21in its periphery (Fig.1) Theshaft 22 may be prevented from rotatingbyI means of a stop piece 28 which is mounted on a push rod 30. The lowere'nd of the pushrod 30-is'pro-J vided ,with'a roller'3vl. Another push rod 32 projects into 'the'base 'l and is'provided with a roller 33 to engagethe cam surface IQ of gear wheel l3. The upper endof the lower. push rod 32 is provided with a cam 35 having a cam sur face'fl'of'invert'ed vform; A projection" on the bottom of the frame 21s adapted to'strike the cam 35 when the cam is raised;

- In operation, when the motor 13 isenergized, the shaft I4 is rotated slowlyQusually at the'rate of about six revolutions perminu'te'. .If the stop piece 28 is in engagement with recess 21 in the disc 23, the frame and the'projector. will be rotatively moved by'the actioniof the gear wheel '35 2| upon the stationary gear wheel23.j When the idler gear 18 has been rotated to a point where. the push rod'32 is raised,'the cam surface will be struck-by the projection 31 and the frame A will thus be stopped. At thesame time, the push 40 rod 30 is raised and the lug 28 disengaged from the-recess 21." Inthisposition, the frame is pre--;

23 and shaft 22'are caused to rotate.

vented from rotating, and the bevel gears 2i. and a The rotation 'of.the.shaft22 will give an oscil-I 5 engagesthe recess 21 .of discv 29, thus causing the journalled in the base and frame coincident with the vertical axis of rotation of the frame,

' means for driving the main shaft, means including an auxiliary shaft joumalled in the frame for oscillating the projector about its horizontal axis, means interposed between the main shaft and the projector whereby the auxiliary shaft is oscillated about its horizontal axis when the frame is prevented from rotating and the frame is rotated when the auxiliary shaft is locked against rotation, releasable means carried by the rotatable frame for locking the auxiliary shaft against rotation, means carried by the base operable to lock the frame against rotation and disposed when operated to release the locking means for the auxiliary shaft when the frame is in a predetermined position, and means driven from the main shaft for actuating the locking means for the frame to provide for alternately rotating and oscillating the projector.

'7. In a beacon comprising a projector, rotatably mounted supporting means for the projector, means for mounting the projector on the supporting means for movement about a horizontal axis, a main drive shaft mounted on the axis of rotation of the supporting means, driving means for the main shaft, an auxiliary shaft journalled on the supporting means, means actuated by the auxiliary shaft for oscillating the projector about its horizontal axis, power transmitting means, connecting said shafts whereby the supporting means is rotated by the main shaft when the auxiliary shaft is locked against rotation and the projector oscillated when the supporting means is locked against rotation, locking means carried by the supporting means normally disposed to lock the auxiliary shaft and operable to release said shaft, additional locking means mounted stationary with respect to the supporting means operable to lock said means against rotation and to release the looking means on the auxiliary shaft, and cam means operated by the driving means for actuating the stationarily mounted locking means to effect alternate rotation and oscillation of the projector in accordance with a predetermined cycle of operation.

8. A beacon comprising in combination, a base, a supporting frame, means for mounting the frame on the base for rotation about a vertical axis, a projector, means for mounting the projector on the frame for movement about a horizontal axis, av motor, means including a shaft rotatably mounted in the frame and having driving connection with the motor for effecting a predetermined movement of the projector about its horizontal axis when the said frame is locked against rotation, said means being disposed to effect rotation of the frame and projector about the vertical axis when the shaft in the frame is locked against rotation and the frame released, and means actuated by the motor disposed to alternately lock and unlock the shaft and simultaneously alternately unlock and lock the frame.

9. A beacon comprising in combination, a base,

disposed to effect the rotation of the frame and projector about the vertical axis when the said element is locked against rotation, means normally disposed in one position to lock the element of the gear train against rotation and to release the frame, and operable to another position to release said element and lock the frame, and cam means actuated by the motor for alternately operating the locking means to its two positions in a predetermined manner.

10. In combination, a projector, means for mounting the projector for rotation about a vertical axis andfor movement about a horizontal axis, means operable to rotate and oscillate the projector comprising a main drive shaft mounted coincident with the vertical axis, an auxiliary shaft supported by the projector mounting means and geared to the'main shaft and to the projector the relative positions of the said shafts being such that the projector is oscillated when the mount ing means is locked against rotation, and the mounting means and projector are rotated when the auxiliary shaft is locked against rotation, a motor for driving the main shaft, and means actuated by themotor for alternately locking and releasing the auxiliary shaft and projector mounting means, in accordance with a predetermined cycle to effect alternate rotation and oscillation of the projector over predetermined periOds of time during the cycle.

11. A beacon comprising a base, a supporting frame mounted on the base for rotation about a vertical axis, aprojector supported by the supporting frame for movement about a horizontal axis, driving means mounted in the base, power transmitting means interposed between the projector and the driving means having one element thereof mounted on the supporting frame and adapted to effect a predetermined movement of the projector about its horizontal axis of support when the supporting frame is held stationary and to rotate the supporting frame when said element is held stationary,locking means disposed relative to the supporting frame and the said element operative to alternately lock said frame and said element against rotation, and r means. actuated by the driving means-disposed to operate the locking means in a predetermined manner to effect the alternate rotation of the

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