US2038699A - Pedestrian's signal - Google Patents

Description

AP A28, 1936. A. M. wooD 4 PEDESTRIAN'S SIGNAL Filed Apr`i1'19, 1934 Lan# TOENEYS Patented Apr. 2s, 1936 l y 2,038,699

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PEDESTRIANS SIGNAL Arthur M. Wood, Cazenovia., N. Y.

i Application April 19, 1934, Serial No. 721,321

2 Claims. (Cl. 88-80) This invention relates to a pedestrians tramo Figure 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional signal adapted to be carried in the hand of the view, partly broken away, of a modied construcpedestrian in such manner that it may receive tion of signal in which the frame is composed and reflect rays of light from the headlights of of opposite half sections hinged to each other and 5 motor vehicles moving in opposite directions to each adapted to receive and support one of the warn the drivers of approaching vehicles of Vthe glass plates and its associated reilector and color presence of lthe pedestrian in the path of moveplates. ment of the vehicle, and thereby to reduce the As illustrated in Figures l and 2, the signal -liability of accidents/to the pedestrian and driver comprises a frame I adapted to receive and suplO of the vehicle. Y port a pair of transparent glass plates 2, a pair 10 The main object is to provide a light, compact of translucent color plates or sheets 3 and a pair and easily portable device of this character with of opaque reflector plates or sheets 4, said plates opposed light-reiiecting units facing in opposite 2, 3 and 4 being mounted upon and within the directions and capable of being conveniently carmarginal edges of the frame I to form a pair of red in the hand of the pedestrian and manipuopposed light reflecting and light refracting units 15 lated in such manner than when crossing or travin which the plates 2 of both units are outermost eling along a highway the light rays from the and face in oppsite directions while the plates 3 lamps of vehicles vapproaching the pedestrian and 4 of both units are interposed between the from either direction will be reflected back to the plates 2 in a manner hereinafter described.

driver of such vehicles and thereby to warn such The frame I may be of any suitable size, form 20 driver of the presence of the pedestrian in the or material but is preferably rectangular and path of movement of the vehicle in' time to avoid composed of opposite parallel side bars 5 and opaccident. posite parallel end bars 6, said barsV being pref- One of the'specic objects is to make the reerably made of thinsheet aluminum or equivailectors of glass or equivalent material and to prro-l lent non-corrosive material and are rmly united 25 vide them with a multiplicity of relatively small at the corners to form a rigid structure having light reecting prisms arranged to diffuse the openings I through which the major portions of reflected and refracted rays of light over a comthe outer faces of the plates 2 are exposed. paratively large eld area so that the pedestrian These bars 5 and 6 are preferably channeled and driver may be .duly warned of the dangerous along their inner sides to form opposite relatively 30 proximity of one to the other and thereby to furnarrow marginal flanges 8 aroundA the openings ther reduce the liability of accident. 'l for receiving and retaining the marginal edges Another object is to provide simple and come of the plates 2, 3 and 4 which t more or less paratively inexpensive means for changing the closely within the channels of said bars.

color of the reflected or refracted lightwithout One of the end bars 6 is provided with pivotal 35 in any way altering the reflecting or refracting bearings 9 arranged in laterally spaced relation mediums. nearthe side bars 5 and in which the opposite A further object is to provide the device with ends of a handle or bail I0 are pivoted to permit a pivoted handle or bail by which it may be conthe frame I with the plates 2, 3 and '4 therein to be 40 veniently carried and swung to different angles oscillated relatively to the handle if desired. 40 to further attract the attention of the drivers of The plates 2, 3 and 4 are preferably assembled approaching vehicles. in proper relation within the frame before all Other objects and uses relatingto speciiic parts of the corners thereof are united or while the and uses of the device will be brought out in the bars of the frame are opened at onev or nrore following description. corners sufliciently to allow said plates to be 45 In the drawingtplaced in operative position therein after which y Figure 1 is a perspective View of a preferred the open corners may be soldered or otherwise form of my invention ready for use. secured together to hold the plates against ac'-,

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view, partly cidental displacement therefrom. broken away, taken Online 2 2, Figure 1. The plates 2 are rectangular in form `to cor- 50 Figure 3 is a perspective view of one of the respond to the interior form and area of the transparent glass plates and. its associated reframe I but of greater area than that of the flective and color producing sheets detached one openings 1 so that when assembled in the frame from the other but showing the order in which the major portions thereof will extend across and they are arranged. will be exposed through the adjacent openings 1. 55

CAD

while the marginal edges thereof will be seated in the channels of the bars 5 and 8, as shown more clearlyvin Figure 2.

These plates 2 are preferably made of transparent glass of suitable thickness for strength and durability, each plate having one of its faces,

preferably its inner face, flat and smooth and its outer face provided with a multiplicity of similar relatively small conical bosses or prisms l l for refracting the direct rays of light and also for transmitting the reflected rays of light and thereby causing said rays to .be diffused over a distant eld of relatively large area.

The color plates 3 are preferably made of re1- atively thin sheets of translucent celluloid or equivalent material of about the same rectangular form and area as the plates 2 and are arranged flatwise against or in close proximity to the inner flat faces of their respective transparent plates 2 so as to visually transmit its color through'the transparent plates, said color plates being pre-colored red, green or any other conventional tint commonly used for signaling purposes.

The reilector plates 4 are preferably made of thin sheets of tough paper or any other suitable material of about the same rectangular form and area as the transparent plates 2 and are arranged flatwise in contact with each other and with the inner faces of the adjacent color plates 3, the outer faces of said reflector plates adjacent the color plates being silvered or otherwise coated to cause the rays of light passing through the plates 2 and 3 from an external source, such as the headlights of a motor vehicle, to be reflected to the driver of said vehicle and (or) diffused over a distant field of relatively large area through the medium of the prismatic bosses l I.

This safety signal is adapted to be carried in the hand of the pedestrian by means of the handle I0 when crossing or traveling along a highway and is preferably held in such manner that the outer faces of the plates 2 will face in opposite directions and thereby to cause the rays of light from the lamps of' vehicles travelingin either direction to be reflected and didused over the field of approach of such vehicle or vehicles to signal the driver of the presence of the pedestrian and also to enable the pedestrian to avoid contact with the vehicle, thus providing a simple and comparatively inexpensive means for reducing the liability of trafllc accidents.

The modification shown in Figure li is quite similar to that shown in Figures 1 to 3 inclusive except that the frame as l is divided midway between -its outer faces to form similar but op- 1 posite half sections l 'v having corresponding ends hinged to each other by a pivotal pin l5 to enable the sections to be opened and closed for convenience of removing and replacing the plates 2, 3 and 4, and also to receive identication cards and other matter if desired, the other ends of the sections being provided respectively with a latch I6 and a keeper Il by which the sections maybe locked in their closed positions or opened at will.

One of the advantages of the modified construction shown in Figure l is that the frame sections l' may be opened at will to permit any one or all of the plates 2, 3 and/or 4 to be removed and replaced by similar or different plates having corresponding characteristics as may be desired by the user, this bein'g particularly true of the color plates 3 which may be tinted red, green or any other suitable color best adapted to carry out the objects of the invention.

When either of the devices shown are in use, the rays of light from an external source entering either of the transparent plates 2 and corresponding color plate 3 will impinge againstethe silvered surface of the adjacent opaque reilector plate l and will thereby be reflected back through said plates 3 and 2in the nature of colored rays according to the color of the plate 3 to be diffused over the distant field of approach of a vehicle from either direction and thus signal the driver of such vehicle of the presence of the pedestrian and at the same time enable the pedestrian to avoid contact with the vehicle.

This device is particularly simple, practical and eicient but obviously may be altered as in form and detail construction without departing U from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is: y

1. A pedestrians safety signal comprising a pair of substantially fiat glass plates having prismatic surfaces arranged in opposed relation to face in opposite directions; flat, transparent color plates adjacent the inner faces of the prismatic plates; a flat, opaque reflector plate between the inner faces of the color plates; a marginal channel frame composed of relatively thin material for maintaining the plates in parallel, juxtaposed relation to each other; and handle means hingedly connected with the frame to extend therefrom for movement in substantially parallel relation with the outer faces of the prismatic plates to permit relative swinging movement of the frame with the plates therein.

2. A pedestrians safety signal comprising a pair of glass plates having one surface flat and the other surface prismatic, said glass plates being arranged back to back with their prismatic l ARTJR' M, VTOOD.

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