US2135851A - Traffic signal - Google Patents

Description

M. SIEVEKING Nov. 8, 1938.

TRAFFIC SIGNAL Filed Aug. 16, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l N wk MAR T/NUS 5/5 VEK/NG INVENTOR A TTORNEY NOV. 8, 1938. M, slEVEKNG 2,135,851

TRAFFIC SIGNAL Filed Aug. 16, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 45% I k \v' MAR 7'//VU5 SIEVEK/NG INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 8, 1938 UNITED STATES TRAFFIC SIGNAL Martinus Sicveking, New York, N. Y.

Application August 16,

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a trafiic signal for directing traiiic at street intersections. This application is a continuation in part of my application Serial No. 126,767, filed February 20, 1937.

An object of this invention is to provide a traflic signal especially designed for separately directing vehicular and pedestrian traflic, by directing the vehicular traflic to stop while the pedestrian traiiic is moving and vice versa, the change in signals being gradual and progressively visible. The pedestrian traflic hasan exclusive period for crossing while all vehicular trailic stops from all directions. The vehicular traflic has an exclusive period for crossing while all pedestrian trafiic stops from all directions.

Another object of this invention is to provide a traflic signal comprising three variously colored signals designating instructions to traffic, one of the signals, colored orange being exclusively used by the pedestrian traffic and is visible while the usual red and green signals for vehicle trafiic are hidden.

Another object of this invention is to provide a traffic signal for directing traflic at street intersections comprising three variously colored, slowly rotating signalling fields successively and intermittently brought to view.

Another object of this invention is to provide a trafiic signal device for directing traffic at street intersections comprising a rotatably mounted transparent cylindrical dial provided around its entire circumference with successive transparent fields of three variously colored signals designating instructions to trafiic and having a fixed cylindrical outer shell with opening means in alinement with the respective fields of said rotatable dial, the said signal device also having a fixed electric bulb centrally mounted in said cylindrical dial member and having means for successively and intermittently actuating the said cylindrical dial by remote control.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention will be hereinafter more particularly described in connection with the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims which form part of this specification.

Reference will now be had to the drawings, wherein like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the I trafiic signal showing signal openings.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken as on line 2--2 in Figure 1. v

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view of signal fields 1937, Serial N0. 159,416

used at a street intersection for directing trafiic from four sides.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary exterior view of the traflic signal, the windows not being shown.

Figure 5 is a plan view of a timing device for intermittently operating the traflic signal motor by remote control.

Figure 6 shows a wiring diagram of the trafflc signal.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the numeral l0 indicates a trafflc signal comprising an outer shell ll having a removable cover l2 at its upper end and a flange l3 at its lower end. The shell I i may be suitably mounted on a pedestal l4 having a platform IS. The shell II has four openings I6 diametrically positioned at its upper elevation. The openings iii are defined by four solid wall sections of substantially the same circumferential extent as the openings.

concentrically mounted inside the shell H are a plurality of legs I! fastened at their lower ends to the platform l5 and providing between them ample space for the entrance of the hands of an attendant. A stationary dished member l8 having an annular rim I9 is fastened to the legs and has a ball race 20 and a plurality of balls 2| forming an antifriction thrust bearing. Another dished member l8 of the same dimensions as the member I 8 and having an annular rim l9 and a ball race 20 has been mounted on the balls 2|. A hollow cylindrical transparent dial member 22 preferably made of glass has been mounted inside the annular rim l 9' of the dished member l8 and may be secured thereto as by screws 23. The upper end of the transparent member 22 is ,open.

In order to gradually and intermittently rotate the transparent member 22 I have secured a tube or hollow shaft 31 having a threaded upper surface 24 to the central portion of the dished member l8 by means of upper and lower threaded nuts 25 and 26. The tube 31 is in axial alinement with the axis of the transparent dial member 22 and extends downwardly through and has its lower end rotatably mounted in a guide member 55. The tube 31 and the dial 22 are integral. On the tube 3'! I have mounted a gear 21. The gear 21 is secured to the tube 31 by a collar 28 and a screw 29.

I have mounted two cam disks 35 and 36 in superposed relation and preferably made of plastic insulation material. The disks 35 and 36 are secured to a bushing 38 forming an upper extension of the gear 21. The disks 35 and 36 are thus integrally secured to the gear 21 and are jointly secured to the rotary tube 31 by the screw 29 in the collar 28. The disks 3! and 35 are spaced apart by a washer 35.

The upper disk 35 has on its outer peripheral surface eight sloping indentations 44 while the lower disk has only four sloping indentations 48. The indentations 44 and 48 form cam teeth.

A supporting rod 33 has been suitably fixed in an upright position to the base [I and has a bushing 50 adiustably mounted thereon by a screw 5|. Secured to the bushing to in a horizontal position is a long flexible blade 52 and a short rigid blade 82 which are normally spaced apart from each other. The blade 52 presses lightly against the cam teeth. The blades 52 and 62 are insulated from each other.

When the disk 35 rotates, the cam teeth 44 successively force the blade 52 into contact with the blade 62 thereby closing the electric circuit and energizing the trafllc signal motor 30. The electric motor 30 has been mounted on the platform It and has a built-in reduction gear 3| and a shaft 32 extending vertically. At the upper end of the shaft 32 I have mounted a gear 34 in mesh with gear 21. v

This invention provides an additional signal to the usual red and green signals. The additional signal is preferably colored orange and placed between the green and red signals, the said orange signal being exclusively for use by pedestrian traffic.

As shown in Figure 3, the circumference of the dial 22 is divided into eight equal divisions or signal fields 40. These divisions are indicated by three different transparent colors placed in succession and in contiguous relation on the transparent dial as follows in numerical relation:

orange 4|; red 42; orange 4i; green 43; orange 4|; red 42; orange 4|; green 43.

The traffic signal ill is to be used at a street intersection and must separately signal vehicle and pedestrian traflic coming from four directions.

Figure 4 shows a signal field which is to be colored orange. There are four orange signal fields diametrically'opposed and indicating simultaneously from four directions through the four openings IS in the shell ll. These orange signals indicate that the pedestrian trafllc has the right of way exclusively from four directions, and during that period all vehicular traffic is automatically stopped, because the green and red signal fields are not visible, being hidden by the four solid walls defining the openings I6.

It is to be noted that the change from one signal to another is gradual and the signal is progressively visible while changing as contrasted with the usual trafiic signal wherein the changes take place suddenly and without giving the pedestrian an exclusive period for crossing at intersections.

During the rotation of the colored dial sections, all the approaching pedestrian and vehicle trafllc mustcome to a stop. It is only when the rotation comes to a standstill that the trafllc can be resumed.

It is obvious that the reduction gear 3| may be varied so as to regulate the periods of movement and stoppage of trafiic. This traffic signal avoids the danger of the pedestrian being injured by vehicular traffic.

I have provided a variable timing gear 45 for electrically operating my traflic signal ill by remote control. The timing gear serves to cause intermittent rotation of the dial member 22 in the traffic signal. The timing gear 45 preferably comprises a base 48 on which has been mounted an electric motor 41 preferably like the motor 33 shown in the trafiic signal It. A two-blade timing contact member 33 has been secured to the upright shaft 49 of the motor and is preferably made of insulating material. The contact blades 53 and 54 may be positioned in diametrically opposed relation as shown in full lines in Figure 5. The electric motor 41 operates continuously and causes the variable timing gear 45 to rotate continuously.

A wiping contact member 50 has been mounted to contact with the timing contact member 63. The contact member 58 has one fixed blade I! and one long and flexible blade 58 which are intermittently wiped by the rotary contact blades 53 and 54 and are moved radially twice for each revolution of the rotary blades. The two blades of the contact member 53 have been electrically connected by suitable wiring 55 with the traillc signal motor 30.

The two blades 51 and 53 are normally spaced apart from each other at their free ends. While the timing contact member 80 rotates, the blades 53 and 54'successively come into forcible contact with the blade 58 and press it against the blade 51, thereby closing the electric circuit and energizing the traific signal motor 33 for a few seconds for every contact.

As shown in the wiring diagram in Figure 6. the control circuit includes main feed wires 35 connected to the timing gear motor 41. The motor 41 rotates at constant slow speed and causes rotation of the timing contact member 60 mounted on a reduction gear 51. When the timing contact member 55 comes into sliding contact with the blade 55, the blades 51 and 53 come into contact and close the circuit a and energize and cause rotation of the traffic signal motor 30. The duration of contact of the said blades and the closing of the circuit a lasts only a few seconds. When the motor 3! begins to rotate, the superposed cam disks 35 and 30 mounted on the rotary tube 31 begin to rotate. One of the cam disks, in alinement with the long blade 52, causes the blades 52 and 32 to contact and closes the circuit b leading to the motor 30 and causing the trafllc light dial 22 to rotate. The dial 22 continues to rotate until the blade 52 falls into the next cam tooth 44 causing the circuit b to open and stopping the traffic signal motor 30.

The constantly rotating timing contact member 50 makes and breaks the circuit a. The closing of the circuit a lasts only a few seconds. It will thus be seen that circuit a is closed first and circuit b is closed a few seconds later. When circuit 12 closes, the circuit a is automatically cut out therefore the motors 30 and 41 rotate and act independently and even if the motors 30 and 41 are placed at a great distance apart and there is a loss or fluctuation of the current, it cannot influence the motor 30 because said motor will always rotate until the blade 52 slides into the next cam tooth 44. p

Therefore, it will be seen that the current of the main feed line 66 actuating the motor 41 after circuit a is cut out 'is transferred automatishown. In this position. the stoppage periods of only four periodic movements of the traffic signal dial for one rotation of the dial 22, the orange signal not having any stoppage period. The time of exposure of each signal can be regulated with absolutely accurate timing.

It is to be understood that the motors 30 and 41 are preferably of the same capacity and that the motor 41 rotates at constant speed while the motor 30 rotates intermittently. Due to the comparatively slow motion of the rotary signal fields, it is possible to very accurately control the intermittent starting and stopping of the trafiic signal motor 30 and to accurately stop the said respective trafiic signal fields in absolute juxtaposition with relation to the windows IS in the trafllc signal casing II.

It is to be understood that while my traflic signal l provides an exclusive period for the pedestrian by the orange colored signals ll, that the invention may be practised with the usual red and green signals, the pedestrian crossing on the green signals only, as with existing traffic lights. The orange colored signals serve as a caution between the red and green signals and vice versa, therefore the driver of a vehicle has to stop when the orange comes into view. The drivers or vehicles must not start until the orange signal has entirely disappeared and green comes to a standstill which will take approximately ten seconds.

A constantly lighted electric bulb 63 has been fastened at the upper end of the fixed inner tube 64 and has electric wiring 65 running downwardly therethrcugh from said bulb to any suitable switch (not shown). The tube 64 is fastened at its lower end to the platform IS. The light is seen from four sides.

It is to be noted that the dial 22 comes to a stop at each change of color and that the blades 53 and 54 may be adjusted sothat the dial will remain stationary for about one minute for green or red and about twenty seconds for the orange color. The contrasting adioining bands of light serve an uninterrupted warning, for example,

when green begins to disappear, orange becomes slowly visible, the two signal lights being visible simultaneously in decreasing and increasing extent while the dial is in motion. The pedestrian thus knows at a glance when it is safe to start to cross.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a very simplified trafllc signal having only two members in motion.

I claim:

In an electric motor driven trafiic signal comprising a casing having four open windows, a transparent dial of circular cross-section rotatably mounted in said casing and comprising eight contiguous transparent signal fields, a

dished member having a downwardly extending hollow shaft secured thereto, said dial being secured in said dished member, a supporting base having a central aperture for downward passage therethrough and free rotation of said hollow shaft, a ball bearing supported by said base and supporting said dished member and said dial, a gear secured to the upper end of said hollow shaft, a stationary tube passing vertically through said hollow shaft, an electric light mounted centrally of said dial and being supported on said stationary tube, driving means in said casing having a reduction gear carrying a vertically rotatable shaft, said shaft having a gear mounted thereon, said driving means gear being engageably mounted with said hollow shaft gear, and means to operate said driving means intermittently.

2. In an electric motor driven trafi'lc signal comprisinga casing having four open windows, a transparent dial of circular cross-section rotatably mounted in said casing and comprising eight contiguous transparent signal fields, a dished member having a downwardly extending hollow shaft secured thereto, said dial being secured in said dished member, a supporting base having a central aperture for downward passage therethrough and free rotation of said hollow shaft, a ball bearing supported by said base and supporting said dished member and said dial, a gear secured to said hollow shaft,'a stationary tube passing vertically through said hollow shaft, an electric light mounted centrally of said dial and being supported on said stationary tube, driving means in said casing having a vertically rotatable shaft and a gear mounted thereon, said driving means gear being engageably mounted with said hollow shaft gear, and means to operate said driving means intermittently.

MARTINUS SIEVEKING.

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