US2131629A - Reflector - Google Patents

Description

Patented Sept. 27, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE REFLECTOR poration of Delaware Application January 24, 1936, Serial No. 60,566

2 Claims.

This invention relates to light reilecting means of the autocollimating type in which incident light is reflected back to-Ward its source and the reflecting means appears to be illuminated.

5 It relates more specifically to reflecting means used in various signs such as danger signs, vadvertising signs, etc., that lie adjacent a highway and upon which the rays from the headlights of cars would fall and be reflected back thus causing illumination of the sign or signal and its visibility to the approaching cars. They are widely termed reflex buttons. This construction is somewhat similar to that shown in my copending applications Serial No. 60,564 led January 24, 1936 and Serial No. 60,565 filed January 24, 1936.

An object of my invention is to provide an autocollimating reector of high eiciency which reflects a high percentage of the incident light.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a reilector having a short major axis for space economy.

It is a still further object of my invention to provide a single unitary part capable of reflect- 25 ing the incident rays.

Figs. 1, 2 and 3 show side elevation, front or bottom plan, and perspective views respectively of the member constituting my invention. The reflector constitutes a body member 2 of transparent or translucent material, preferably glass, the front and rear faces of which are both formed by a plurality of cylindrical surfaces 4 and 6 which intersect at right angles to each other to 35 form cross flutes having their major axes parallel with the center lines of the body member, the rear surface being in this instance silver plated as at 8 to assist in reflecting the rays impinging thereon.

The purpose of the forward surface is to converge the rays from some light source and send them to the rear surface where they are reflected back and sent out of the reflector in substantially the direction of their incidence.

This member is adapted to be placed in any 5 desired or suitable supporting means and a plurality of these devices may be so placed in the support as to form any desired conguration so that upon light impinging thereon, the whole sign may be visible to anyone approaching, such, 10 as for example, `an approaching motor car, to give warning of a curve or crossroad.

The particular advantage of myY device is that it is unitary and does not require any other means in combination therewith for reflecting the light 15 or for any other optical use, the only means necessary to complete a sign with my device being any suitable support and the support need not be thick as the device is short.

I claim:

1. A unitary device for reflecting light rays comprising, a block of transparent material having a first face formed by the intersection of two cylinders which cross each other at an angle, the axes of the two cylinders being parallel to the center lines of the block, and a second face opposite the first formed by the intersection of two cylinders which cross each other at an angle, the axes of the cylinders which form the second face being parallel to the axes of the cylinders which form the rst face, the portions of the first face being spaced from corresponding portions of the second face a distance such that light rays parallel to the axis of the device and passing through the surface of the first face are focused on the second face.

2. A device as in claim 1, which includes, a light reflecting substance coating said second face.

JOI-IN L. KOUBEK. 40

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