US2046321A - Safety zone device - Google Patents

Description

July 7, 1936. FLJ. BURKHARDT 2,046,321

SAFETY ZONE DEVICE Filed Jan 29, 1952 j y c l willing.

A TTORNEYS Patented July 7, 1936 SAFETY ,ZONE DEVICE l Frederick J- Burkhardt, San Erancisomalif-asf y .Sisnerte Gemte Reflecting:;Sisna1;Q0..Ltd

San Francisco,l Calif., a. corporation of:- Cali.-V

, forma.

Application january 29, maaseriariNo; 539,712

Y s, claims. (criss- 19) i My invention relates to improvements in safety zone devices', and it consists of the com` binations, constructions and arrangements hereinafter described and claimed.

'An object of my invention is to provide a safety zone device which takes the place of a number of buttons and is designed to extend entirely across an end of a safety zone. The device makes' use of a number of removable glass panels that are disposed in a single plane and are designed to reflect the light from the headlights of approaching vehicles. The mirrored glasses may be colored in any desired manner forfurther attracting attention,Vv and the. end glass may be disposed at an angle of forty-five degrees if desired so as to reect light at right angles.v The glasses are pro-'- tected against accidental breakage.Y

The device extends across one end of the safety.v zone for vtwo purposes,v .the first is tol prevent. vehicles moving onto the zone, andthe second is to provide an illuminated line coeX- tensive with the line of the end zone. The device is preferably made-.of aluminum so as to be light in weight and is cast in a single piece. The device is simple in construction and is constructed so as to withstand heavy Weights.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features of the device will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of the device;

Figure 2 is a top plan View;

Figure 3 is an enlarged horizontal section through a portion of the device;

Figure 4 is a transverse section enlarged; and

Figure 5 is a horizontal section through a modified form of the device.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a casting indicated generally at I, which is long enough to extend across the Width of a safety zone and thus do away with the necessity of providing a plurality of buttons. The casting is preferably made of aluminum so as to be light in weight and has a base portion 2, (see Figure 4), with an upwardly-extending wall 3. An overhanging portion 4 is integral With the wall 3 and cooperates with a projecting foot portion 5 for providing an elongated recess 6 for receiving removable reflectors hereinafter described. The ends of the casting I are'provided with protecting vslallswl that' pre1-.j

ject in iront of the wall 3. I y

-A curved wall '8 extends'fromthe overhanging portionr 4- to the rear of the base 2f, and this c-urvedwall is supported at intervals by vertically-extending,"'integral webs' Si.V The base 2 has an opening I0 thereinz and thek Opening denes an inwardly-fextending flangeA Il.

'A'number o freflectors fareY placed in the recessgl and are secured'to thewall 3 by brackprisesfa flat glass lcolored in anyY suitable place. lf'fdesired,'the back'surface of the glass I3 may be silvered soA as to provide a reflectingA surface. The wallv 3 hasfa vertically-extending groove I5 therein ,forjreceiving the bracketv I2, and the bracket'is heloljfinV place .DY/.means ofy a screw' H),l or' other suitable fastening means. Thev bracket has laterally-projectingl portions I8', for" reflectorsrare held in place;

I have shown five reflectors in Figures 1 and 2, although this number may be Varied Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. In case one of the reflectors becomes accidentally broken, the pieces of glassV are held in place by means of the frame I4. A new reector can be substituted for the broken one by merely removing the bracket I2.

The wall portion 5 has a centrally-disposed lug I9, (see Figures 2 and 4) and this lug removably receives a fastening bolt 2!) that is used for securing the device to the pavement. The lug I9 has a portion projecting below the base 2, as `shown in Figure 4, and this portion is received in a recess in the pavement. The ends of the casting I are held in place by fastening members, such as bolts 2|. The elongated reflector is designed to show as an illuminated line when reflecting light rays from the headlights of an approaching automobile, and this line is coextensive with the line defining an end of the safety zone. Also the device prevents a vehicle from driving through the safety zone.

In Figure 5, I show a slightly-modified form of the device. This form is identical vto that described, except that a reflector 22 is disposed at a forty-live degree angle to the reflectors I3. This causes light rays striking the reflector 22 to be projected at an angle of ninety degrees. This type of reflector can be used for Warning pedestrians on the sidewalk as they are about engag ng-with the frames'l-Iland in this-way, 'the to make their VWay to the Asafety zone. j An approaching vehicle will illuminate the reflector 22, and the pedestrian will be warned in this Y Y n e struction across the entire'end of the safety manner. l Y Y VWhileY I'have shown only the preferred forms of myinvention, it should be understood that various changes or modifications maybe made 'Y ing an elongated` frame extendingracro'ss the Y Y' within the Vscope of the'appended claimsjwithendof'asafetyarea and includinga sustaining out departing from the I claim:

l. A Vsafety zone indicating Vdevice compris- 'ing an elongated'frame extending acrossl ,the

entire end of a safety area, the frame' being supported directly by the'streetYand-beingiof a Y y 'f for holding Ythe reflecting members to the sustaining-walk t' height to permitfvehicle wheels to'pass-thereover, a reecting :member-1V extendingthroughout the length of the frame and providing an illuminatedrline coextensivek with, the vend of the safety area when the member isV illuminated by the lightsfrom an automobile, said frame having arfiatrtop soas to provide a con- Y tinuous obstruction across the entireV endof theV Y safety area, while-presenting a nat surface' to Y a`whee1 passing thereover accidentallygV j 2. -A safetyfzone'indicatingfdevice comprising an elongated frame extending 'acrosswthe entire wall, the Vframe being supported 4directly'by the street and having a height suiiicient to permit; a

vehicle wheelto pass thereovena reecting member extendingV throughout thelength'of the frame and being disposed immediately adjacent to the sustainingwall so Vas to be protectedY thereby from vibrations caused by a'vehicle Wheel passing -over the device. Y Y 3. A safety zone indicatingdevice comprising an elongated frame extending across the entire.V

jend'of a safety area andrineluding a sustaining wall, the frameV beingv supported directly by the street and 'having' a, height sufficient to permitV a vehicle wheel to pass thereover, a reflecting member extending throughout the length of the frame and being disposed immediately adjacent to the sustaining wall so as to be protected spirit o1' the invention'.v

arat ltop so as to providev a continuous obareawhile presenting a at surface toafwheel passing thereover accidentally. Y

4. AY safety' zone indicating device compris- ,entire endV of a `safety area and including a Y sustaining Wall having spacedl vertical grooves*V '-therein; a plurality of reflecting members dis# posed adjacent the sustaining wall between VVthe grooves and moldings bearing onthe edges .of

the reflecting members and entering the grooves 5. A safety zoneY indicatingfdevice compi-isf ing an elongated casing of a low height and j6. VA Vsafety zone indicating device Vcompris-V .e

ing an 'elongated casing of a low height and designed AtoL be directlyV supported by the street,

Y a sustainingV frontnwali forming a partiof' the easing;andhaving its front'face entirely sur-V ,rou'nded by Aprotecting flanges, said Lcasing having a top extending in ajgradualarc from the top protecting ange togthe rear edge of the casing, 'and removable reflectors being secured to the front face of the `wall and providing a con- Y Q tinuous reecting surface Vcoextensive with the length of the wall, each reflector being mounted 40 in a frame,` and means forremovably securing the frames to. thel wall.

' FREDERICK J. BURK'HARDT.-Y

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