US2152051A - Animated signaling device - Google Patents

Description

March 28,1939. D. HEWITT ANIMATED SIGNftLING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed May 27, 1935 JWVEA/TOR.

ATTORNEY March 28, 1939, D. HEWITT I ANIMATED SIGNALING DEVICE Filed May 27, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 an??? ATTORA H.

l llll lv Patented Mar. 28, 1939 UNETE STATES PATENT QFFECE 5 Claims.

This invention relates to signaling devices of the type commonly known as wig-wag signals for railroad and highway crossings, and it has particular reference to a. signal which is especially adapted to be used along highways and thoroughfares where trafiic abounds and its principal object resides in the provision of an attractive arrangement capable of being positioned in advance of danger points to signal the operators of motor vehicles and other trafiic, and inform them of approaching danger, such as curves, or turns in the road, railroads, and the like, and which is capable of continued operation over; a long period of time without attendance.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a signaling device into which is embodied a combination of elements capable of producing an animated signal without the use of electrical energy, or other power producing medium, and which is capable of operation in any kind of weather and at any point in which it is desired that it be positioned to afford the maximum results.

Still another object of the invention is manifest in the provision of a wig-wag signal operated by weights, or the like, which when properly arranged, will produce sufficient energy or power to cause the apparatus to function at all hours and with a minimum amount of attention.

' Broadly, the invention seeks to comprehend the provision of a device of the character described which can be caused to operate day and night over a long period of time without attention, yet enabling persons driving along a highway or a thoroughfare to determine in advance certain obstructions in the road, or other presumably dangerous places, enabling them to be prepared in advance.

While the foregoing objects are paramount, other and lesser objects will become manifest as the description proceeds, taken in connection with the appended drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention 7 situated at the side of a highway, showing a type of housing in which the device may be mounted, and illustrating, in dotted lines, the movement of the pendulum and disk.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the gear arrangement and the escapement mechanism, the housing being removed, and illustrates the starter arrangement.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the gear train and escapement mechanism and also shows the weight assembly.

Figure 4 is an enlarged view of the escapement mechanism and illustrates the uppermost end of the pendulum, the starting mechanism and the novel switch arrangement for actuating the starting mechanism.

Figure 5 is a further detailed View of the switch for the starter mechanism, illustrating a ball and a race in which the same travels.

Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the starting motor, showing the gear arrangement for the starter mechanism.

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view of the front of the starting mechanism, illustrating the gear arrangement therefor.

Figure 8 is an enlarged view of the arcuate member in which the brush operates, illustrating the head of the starter arm in the normal position and showing, in dotted lines, its position when actuating the pendulum.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary portion of the brush arrangement which assists in actuating the motor illustrated in Figure 6, showing the contact plate for the brush in cross section, and

Figure 1'?) is an illustration of the wiring circuit for the starting mechanism.

The device herein described, as has been stated, is capable of actuation by a weight and is so constructed as to afford a mechanism whereby the operation of the animated signal can be accomplished at practically no expense and with a minimum amount of attention due to its simplicity and the serviceability of its various parts.

It is required only to wind the weight, which is attached to a cable, upon a drum and after starting the pendulum the device will operate until some force deters the pendulum and stops the same and since the device is provided with a starting apparatus the pendulum, which carries the animated signal, will not remain motionless except for a few seconds at a time.

Accordingly, therefore, the invention is primarily composed of a frame I in which is mounted a vertical arrangement of gears, which are mounted on shafts whose ends are provided with bearings mounted within a sub-frame 2, as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

The arrangement of gears is comprised of several large gears 3, 3 and 3a which are adapted to mesh with somewhat smaller gears i, 4' and 4a, some of the latter being mounted upon the shafts 5, 5 arranged within the sub-frame 2, alongside of some of the gears 3, 3 and 3a, as illustrated more particularly in Figure 3. Thus, an arrangement of gears is provided, wherein a difierentiation of ratio is afforded to step up or increase the speed of the small gears at the end of the chain. It is pointed out that, while the gear arrangement as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 is shown to be in vertical alinement, the desired result can be accomplished by arranging the train of gears horizontally. Obviously, also, any desired number of gears can be mounted in the train to regulate the speed of the same.

Referring especially to Figure 3, attention is directed to a shaft 6 which extends from the rear of the frame I through the sub-frame 2 and upon which is mounted a drum 1 which is capable of carrying a cable 8, the latter being wound thereupon by means of a crank (not shown) which can be applied to the square end a of the shaft 6. A weight 9 is secured to one end of the cable 8. A clutch ill is provided to permit the free winding of the cable 8 upon the drum without reversing the gear train to which it is oper'atively attached.

The large gear 3 is mounted upon the shaft 6 and is adapted to mesh with a gear 4 immediately beneath the latter and which is mounted upon the shaft 5, which also accommodates the large gear 3, which is made rigid with the shaft 5 and is capable of rotation with the gear 4, just mentioned. The gear 3' just described, meshes with another small gear 4 mounted upon a second short shaft 5 and upon which shaft a large gear 3a is also mounted to rotate therewith and which in turn meshes with the lowermost gear 4a, rigidly mounted upon a shaft II which extends through the sub-frame 2 and upon whose outer end is mounted an escapement wheel II, which is more clearly illustrated in Figure 2.

The escapement mechanism, which consists of the wheel I I and an escapement arm I2, is arranged in such a manner as to render the same capable of operating a pendulum [3 which is swung upon a bearing l4 and which is connected for operation to the escapement arm 12 through a rod l5, whose uppermost end is secured at b to the escapement arm l2, and having its lowermost end arranged through a slot IS in the pendulum l3. As the escapement arm I2 operates in the rocking motion on its pivot bearing H, the pendulum i3 is oscillated from side to side, as illustrated in Figure 1.

It is to be understood that any number of the gears 3 and 4 herein above described can be utilized in the operation of the invention, and it is not intended to limit the same to any number of gears in the train, nor is it intended to illustrate and describe an operative mechanism which is capable of being modified to the extent of increasing or decreasing the number of gears and their diameters.

The pendulum l3, as previously stated, is pivoted upon its bearing 14, which is also mounted within the frame 2, as shown in Figure 3. The uppermost end of the pendulum I3 is rigidly attached to a stub shaft [8 which is rotatably disposed within the bearing I4 and which latter is supported by a cross member IS in the frame I, as shown in Figure 2.

The pendulum I3 is provided with a starter assembly 2B which is comprised of a motor 2| hav ing a shaft 22 extending therethrough, upon whose operative end is mounted a small gear 23 which is meshed with a gear 24, whose stub shaft 25 is rotatably disposed withinthe recess 26 in a bearing block 21, as shown in Figure 6. Rigidly attached to the shaft 25, and adjacent to the gear 24, a pinion 26 is provided which is adapted to mesh with a larger gear-29, whose stub shaft 30 is rotatably disposed within a recess 31 in the bearing block 2?, the latter being secured to one end of the motor 2!, as illustrated in Figure 6.

Eccentrically pivoted to the gear 29 at 32 is a pitman arm 33 whose operative face is provided with a series of teeth 34 defining, in substance, a rack c which meshes with a pinion 35 mounted upon a stub shaft 36, as shown in Figure 7. The pitman arm 33 is supported by a guide roller 31 to retain the same against the small gear 35 and the action which results from the operation of this arrangement will be to oscillate the gear 35 by reason of the eccentrically pivoted pitman arm 33 to oscillate a starter arm 38 which is rigidly secured to the shaft 36 upon which the gear 35 is mounted by means of a bearing 39. The starter arm 38 is secured to the bearing 39 by means of a rivet, or the like, at d. The gear arrangement just described, including the pitman arm 33, is enclosed in a casing 40, as shown in Figure 6.

The starting assembly 2|] is mounted upon the cross member IQ of the frame I in the manner shown in Figure 4. The arm 38 on its bearing 39 extends downwardly at an angle of approximately degrees away from the pendulum 13, while the latter is in operation, and its function will be presently described.

A ball race 4! is situated near the top of the pendulum I3, as illustrated particularly in Figures 4 and 5, and is provided with an arcuately curved groove 42 to accommodate a metal ball 43 which is capable of traveling from one end thereof to the other and back again as the pendulum l2 oscillates, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 5.

It will be noted that the member 4| may be constructed in two parts, as illustrated in Figure 5, and insulated from the pendulum arm l3, so as to afford an electrical contact 44 on each side thereof which can be closed when the ball 43 comes to rest intermediate the ends of the groove 42 when its sides will effect a conduction across the contacts 44 and energize a circuit, illustrated in Figure 10, which will operate the motor 2| to actuate the arm 38 to urge the same against a bar 45 attached to the pendulum i3, and thus start, the latter oscillating, as illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 4. When the pendulum I3 is again set in motion, the ball 43 will resume its movement in the groove 42 as previously described, and so long as the ball 43 is caused tomove in the groove 42, no closing of the circuit across the contact 44 will result.

The arm 38 is capable of only a limited movement in either direction and is provided with a brush 46 which is adapted to operate within the arcuate member 41 which is provided with a contact plate e of a predetermined length. The arcuate member 41 upon which the brush operates is longer than the contact plate 2 and is turned slightly downwardly at its free end 48 where the brush 46 passes off of the contact plate 6, thereby breaking the circuit and causing the arm 38 to assume its normal position.

The arcuate member 47 and its contact plate e, as well as the brush 4B, are illustrated in Figures 8 and 9. The brush 48 is attached to an arm 49 which is rigidly secured to the shaft 36 immediately behind the bearing member 39 which carries the arm 38, as illustrated in Figure 9, and operates in the same manner as the arm 39, as shown in Figure 8. The brush 46 is normally held against the surface of the contact plate e by means of a spring 1'' as shown in Figure 9.

Figure 10 is an illustration of a wiring circuit which is adapted to be utilized in operating the starting mechanism 20. to one of the contacts 44 and extends to the source 5|. Another line 52 is arranged from the source through the starting mechanism 20 and to the other contact 44, as illustrated in Figures 4, 5 and 10. A connection is also provided between the source 5| and the contact plate 2 which is engaged by the brush 45. Thus, when the ball 43 is caused to close the gap between the contacts 44, as shown in Figure 4, the starting mechanism will function as previously de- A line 55 is connected scribed. The contacts 44 and the lines 50 and 52 are shown in detail in Figure 5.

When the pendulum stops or hangs in a vertical position the ball 43 rolls to the center, closing the gap 44 and causes the shaft 36, to which the arm 38 and the brush 46 are attached, to oscillate toward the pendulum, thereby bringing the brush 46 into contact with the end 48 of the arcuate member 41 and this contact is retained until the arm 38 oscillates toward the pendulum and back again to position, as shown in Figure 8, when the contact is broken by the brush 46 going beyond the end 48 of the member 41.

The contact, therefore, remains broken until the pendulum again stops and assumes a vertical position whereupon the ball 43 is caused to come to rest in its position upon the contacts 44 to reenergize the circuit and start the motor 2!. When the motor 2| is again set in motion, by reason of the closing of the circuit by the ball 43, the brush 46 is brought into contact with the plate e and such contact is maintained, as previously stated, until the arm 38 makes a complete oscillation toward the pendulum l3 and back again to its normal position. Thus it will be seen that when the circuit is closed by reason of the ball 43 coming to rest upon the contacts 44 and energizing the motor 21, the circuit is maintained through the contact between the brush 46 and the plate e of the arcuate member 4'? until the arm 38 is brought back to its normal position and is broken only when the brush 46 is caused to pass over the end 48 of the member 41 in the manner previously described.

It is pointed out that the energization of the circuit through the motor 2| is begun through the contact made by the ball 43 across the contacts 44 but when the arm 38 has moved toward the pendulum 13 a sufiicient distance to bring the brush 46 into contact with the plate e the circuit is maintained through these elements since the ball 43, by this time, has been dislodged by the movement of the pendulum 3. The function of the ball 43 and the contacts 44 is only that of temporarily energizing the circuit to bring the brush 46 into contact with the plate 2 which actuates the motor 2| to complete the oscillation of the arm 38.

The contacts 44 can be constructed in the form of posts to which the wires 50 and 52 are attached to a point where the ball 43 will energize the two lines 50 and 52 which extend respectively to the source and from the source through the starting mechanism 20 when the circuit, shown in Figure 10, is closed.

Referring to Figure 3, the pendulum I3 is shown to be constructed in such a manner as to be provided with a lateral projection 55 at its lowermost end, upon the outer end of which a disk 56 is fixed, as shown in Figure 1. The disk 56 may be provided with certain indicia or information concerning danger points which will enable motorists, or other persons operating vehicles to determine the same. The entire assembly is mounted within a suitable housing 51 which is provided in its front portion with an arcuate slot 58 through which the projection 55 upon which the disk 56 is fixed may operate, as illustrated in Figure 1.

Obviously, certain information or indicia can be placed upon the housing 51 if it is desired.

It is intended that the invention be situated, as stated, in close proximity to roadsides where it can be easily discerned day or night and it is obvious that refractory elements or the like can be placed on the disk 56 to reflect the lights of motor vehicles at night to draw attention thereto.

Manifestly, the invention is capable of considerable changes and modifications from time to time by those skilled in the art and such changes and modifications as may be considered within the spirit and intent of the invention may also be considered as falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a weight actuated motor operating a pendulum for a wig-wag signal, an electrical circuit operating an electric motor and means impelled by'the said electric motor to impart to the said pendulum an initial swing and means carried by the said pendulumfor maintain ing an open circuit while the said pendulum is in motion, and means cooperating with the said electric motor for maintaining a closed circuit for completing the movement of the impelling means.

2. In combination with a weight driven motor operating a pendulum providing a wig-wag trafiic signal, starting means for the said pendulum comprising an electric motor driving an oscillating arm to impart an initial swing to the said pendulum, an electrical circuit energizing the said electric motor, means carried by the said pendulum closing the said circuit when the said pendulum is vertically suspended and means carried by the said starting means to maintain the energization of the said circuit for a predetermined duration of time. v

3. A wig-wag signal operated by a weight driven motor comprising, in combination, a pendulum oscillated by the said motor and an electric motor operating a starting arm for imparting an initial swing to the said pendulum, an electric circuit operating the said electric motor, means carried by the said pendulum to temporarily energize the said circuit and means cooperating with the said electric motor to maintain the energization of the said circuit until the said starting arm has resumed its original position.

4. In combination with an oscillating pendulum for trafiic signals operated by a weight driven motor, a starting means for the said pendulum comprising an electric motor operating a starting arm, an electrical circuit operating the said electric motor, means on the said pendulum to temporarily energize the said circuit and means associated with the said starting arm to maintain the energization of the said circuit to complete the operation of the said arm.

5. In combination, a weight driven motor operating a pendulum for a wig-wag signal, an electrical circuit, a motor operated by the said circuit, means impelled by the said motor imparting an initial swing to the said pendulum, means associated with the said pendulum and controlled thereby temporarily energizing the said circuit and means associated with the said first named means maintaining the energization of the said circuit for a predetermined duration of time.

DANIEL HEWITT.

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