US2045419A

US2045419A - Traffic sign

Info

Publication number: US2045419A
Application number: US25134A
Authority: US
Inventors: Henry J Smith
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1935-06-05
Filing date: 1935-06-05
Publication date: 1936-06-23
Anticipated expiration: 1953-06-23

Description

June 23, 1936.

H. J. SMITH TRAFFIC m Filed June 5, 1935 HenryJ Smiih.

WMc C- Patented June 23, 1936 UNITED STATE My invention relates PATENT or ies.

to improvements in traffic signs and is particularly an improvement on the devices disclosed in my Patent No. 1,907,158 and my pending application filed January 30,

1935, Serial No. 4,146.

The primary object o to provide a traffic sign ed in the surface of a approaching vehicles, s

lo a vehicle running over f the present invention is which is pivotally mountroadway, in the path of o as to be depressible by the direction of movement of the vehicle.

Afurther object of the invention is to provide a traffic sign capable of being depressed by force or pressure applied thereto from either of two l5 directions having common means for returning the sign to its normal position.

Another object of the invention is toprovide a device of the above-mentioned character which is simple and du to manufacture.

rable in construction, re-

liable and efficient in operation, and inexpensive Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate the same,

7 Figure 1 is a top plan view of a traffic sign made in accordance with my Figure 2 is a bottom invention, plan view of the same,

Figure 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 1, and

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, base plate having an the numeral 5 denotes a opening 6 in the center thereof, in which a sign member I is mounted for vertical swinging movement. The sign st p or other suitable legend having in the center thereof a reflecting button It for attracting attention to the sign in the night time. The

lower edge of the flat fa ly connected, as at H, l2, the opposite edge'of ce 8 of the' sign is hingedto the edge of the plate the plate I2 being hinged Y to thebottom of the base plate 5, at a remote distance from the edge of This double hinge support for the sign the opening 6, as at member, permits downward movement of the sign when force or pressure is applied to either of the

faces

8 or 9. Se

cured to the underside of the same, regardless of the face 8, adjacent the hinge H, are a pair 0 spaced ears I4, to which the. arms of the yoke H": are pivotally connected by pins IS. The yoke is formed integral with the upper end of the depending lever ll, having a cross bar 18 connected. to its lower end, to which the lower ends of the coil springs l9 and 29 are attached. The springs are attached to the opposite ends of the cross bar, the spring I9 being connected with the cross bar through the medium of a turnbuckle 10 .2! to permit adjustment of the tension of the spring. The springs extend upwardly from the ends of the cross bar in diverging relation, towards the forward and rear ends of the base plate 5, the upper end of the spring 19 being attached to the base plate by the eye bolt 22 beyond the hinge l3, and the upper end of' the spring 29 is attached to the free end of the depending arcuate plate vZ3, as at 24.

A cushioning device for retarding. the upward r1 movement of the sign member is carried by the underside of the face 9 and consists of a flat bar 25 yieldably connected to the face 9 by bolts 25 attached to the face 9 and extending through openings in the bar, there being springs 21 mounted on the bolts which yieldably hold the bar against the face 9. The bar 25 extends below the lower edge of the face 9 and extending at right angles from the lower end of the bar is a bracket 28 in which is journaled a roller 29 adapted to contact with the arcuate plate 23 when the sign member swings upwardly, after being depressed. A flange 30 depends from the base plate 5 and surrounds the mechanism beneath the plate providing a housing for the same. The top of the base plate 5, forwardly and rearwardly of the opening 6, in which the sign member operates, has raised plates 3| and 32 which facilitate the passing of the vehicle wheel over the sign member.

In use, the sign is mounted in the surface of the roadway with the base plate flush with the surface thereof. The sign member I is normally maintained in a raised position by the tension of springs i9 and 29 which exert an upward force on the lever i1- When in an upward position the sign member projects above the surface of the base plate 5 so that the legend thereon may be seen by the driver of the approaching vehicle. In the event the wheels of the vehicle contact with the face 8 of the sign member, the sign is swung on its hinge H in a downward direction, so as to permit the vehicle to pass thereover without injury to the sign or annoyance to the occupants of the vehicle. Immediately upon passing of the vehicle, the sign member is returned to its normal position by the action of the springs l9 and 20 and is retarded in its upward movement by contact of the roller 29, carried by the yieldable bar 25, with the arcuate plate 23 which cushions the return of the sign member to its normal position. In the event that a vehicle after passing over the sign finds it necessary to back-up or should a vehicle approach the sign in the opposite direction, the wheels of the vehicle upon contact with the face 9 of the sign member will cause the member to swing on both its hinges H and I3, so as to move downwardly out of the path of the wheels without injury to the sign. Thus, it will be seen that I have provided a depressible trafiic sign which is operable by movement of vehicles in either direction along the roadway in which the sign is placed.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that certain changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

.1. A traffic sign comprising a base plate having an opening therein, a sign member normally disposed in said opening in an upright position, a

hinge plate pivotally connected at one end to the lower edge of said sign member and at its opposite end to the bottom of said base plate, and yieldable means normally maintaining said sign member in an erect position.

2. A traffic sign comprising a base plate having an opening therein, a sign member having front and rear inclined faces normally disposed in said opening in an upright position, a hinge plate pivotally connected at one end to the lower edge of one face of said sign member, said hinge plate having its opposite end pivotally connected to the bottom of said base plate at a remote point from the edge of said opening, yieldable means normally maintaining said sign member erect, a cushioning bar yieldably connected to the inner side of the other face of said sign member, a roller at the lower end of said bar, and an arcuate arm depending from said base plate disposed in the path of movement of said roller.

3. A traflic sign comprising a base plate having an opening therein, a sign member having front and rear inclined faces normally disposed in said opening in an upright position and hinged to said base plate, yieldable means normally maintaining said sign member erect, a cushioning bar yieldably connected to the inner side of one face of said sign member, a roller on one end of said bar, and an arcuate arm depending from said base plate and disposed in the path of movement of said roller.

4; A traffic sign comprising a base plate having an opening therein, a sign member normally disposed in said opening in an upright position, a hinge plate pivotally connected at one end to the lower edge of said sign member and at its opposite end to the bottom of said plate, a lever pivoted to and depending from said sign member, and springs connected to the lower end of said lever and to said base plate at opposite sides of said opening.

7 5. A trafiic signal comprising a base plate having an opening therethrough, a sign member hingedly connected to the plate for vertical swinging movement, a lever depending from said sign member, a cross bar attached to the lower end of said lever, and a pair of springs each having one end attached to one end of said cross bar, said springs being inclined upwardly and connected to said base plate at opposite sides of said opening.

6. A traffic sign comprising a base plate having an opening therein, a sign member positioned within said opening and hingedly connected to said plate and adapted to swing downwardly through said opening, a lever pivoted to and depending from said sign member, and springs connected to said lever and to the base plate at opposite sides of the opening for normally maintaining said sign member in a raised position.

HENRY J. SMITH.