US2279029A - Hand signal - Google Patents

Description

April 7, 1942.

HAND S IGNAL Filed Oct. 25, .1940

. WILEY H. WILLIAMS Zmventor (Ittorneg w. M. WILLIAMS 2,279,029

Patented Apr. 7, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAND SIGNAL Wiley M. Williams, Spokane, Wash.

Application October 25, 1940, Serial No. 362,711

3 Claims.

My present invention relates to automotive hand signals of the type and character that will aid, especially at night-time, in indicating to a passing motorist a change of position that is to be made with respect to the roadway or lane, a left-hand or a right-hand turn or a stop.

For many years the practice has been followed to indicate by hand a move to be made by the operator of a car. Especially at night-time this is not a good system, though possibly the best available at the present time.

I propose in the present instance to aid the arm or hand signal by supplying a car operator with a device having reflecting surfaces both front and rear to more clearly indicate to other drivers or pedestrians that a move is to be made. This device is primarily to be worn on the hand during the operation of the car.

A principal object of the invention is to supply a hand signalling device which may be worn by a car operator or driver without disturbing or interfering with the ordinary use of the hand for manipulating the car.

Another object is to provide devices to be worn upon the hand which will have intensified reflecting surfaces readily discernible which will materially assist in determining a given move by a preceding driver or one approaching.

A still further object of the invention resides in providing a flexible set of reflecting pads, adjustable to all drivers, which will be serviceable in use and which may quickly and easily be removed from the hand when no longer required.

This and other objects will be explained and illustrated in the drawing herewith in which Figure 1 is a perspective view'of the device of my invention,

Figure 2 is a view taken to show the position of adjustment to the left hand of a car operator showing the hand in dotted lines to indicate the preferred adjusted position, and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view of the underside of the reflector pad used upon the back of the hand and showing a loop for engaging on one of the fingers to keep it in proper position.

In the drawing wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same, the numeral Ill indicates as a whole a lightreflecting pad comprising generally a flexible body of elliptical shape, and having a metallic surface coating consisting of an outwardly disposed flexible light-reflecting surface ll, combined with said flexible body and properly bound around the edges as with the binding l2 to insure a useable and wearable part or portion of my signal.

In cooperation with the flexible pad I0 is a second and also flexible pad I3 preferably circular in form and having the characteristics of the first pad being made of suitable flexible material having light-reflecting surfaces as explained above and a suitable binding. To the binding edges of the pads l0 and I3, or in any other suitable manner, I have secured elastic strips l4. These strips may also be made adjustable through the utilization of fittings as l5|6 which make possible a close adjustment to the hand of wearers, especially in extremes between a large mans size hand and that of a woman driver. a

On the forward end of the pad I0 I form a finger loop I! which aids in securing the pad ill in the proper position for signalling.

In use the hand signal of my invention is applied over the hand as illustrated in Figure 2. The elongated or elliptical shaped pad I0 is mounted on the back of the hand, the second finger is slipped through the loop l5 and the circular pad I3 is adjusted substantially over the wrist as indicated in the drawing. If there is any slackness in the elliptical supporting strips between the two pads, adjustment may be made by using the slide elements I 5-4 6 to effect a proper support of the signal upon the hand.

Thereafter the signal may be removed and replaced as often as necessary, otherwise it is carried in some convenient pocket of the wearer, or

about the car as may be desired. Being entirely flexible both in respect to the backing of the pad and of the reflecting surfaces thereon, the device will withstand wear and continued use over a considerable period of time.

With the various metallic finishes available, it is entirely practical to make the flexible pad base of leather, leatherette, flexible paper, or other similar material, and to apply directly thereto some form of metallic coating to secure the proper reflecting surface. This finished surface is intended to be so formed by crimping or crenelating as to provide a crinkled surface having facets so that light reflection can be seen from any angles. Otherwise the backing and the surface material may take any roughened form that will best reflect.

The metallic surface is covered with Cellophane or other transparent surface to protect the metallic surface from scratching or oxidization that would lessen its distance.

power to be readily seen at a When used the hand signal follows the hand in its indicated direction of movement of thecar. Drivers coming .up from the rear will be more positively advised of a turn or other change of position of the car in advance when this signal isused. Carsinfrontwillseethesmallerdisc in time to be safely under control under signal conditions. It is thus powble under unusually dangerous conditions, such as on dark and rainy nights, or when a signal operator is wearing dark clothing, to have an illuminated signal that will follow the movement of the signal hand to indicate a desired change of position on a highway,

-or at other places where signalling is necessary. Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A hand signal comprising a flexible elliptical padandacimularflexlblepadsafipadshaving colored reflecting surfaces on their outer faces, and being connected to each other along their outer edges by elastic straps, the ellipticalpad ,having an elastic loop formed on the under sid and near one end of said pad.

2. A hand signal comprising a plurality of flexible pads having reflective surfaces, said pads being adapted to be disposed on various portions of the human hand including elastic straps connecting the pads serially so that when the signal is on the hand it encircles the widest part thereof, and a loop on oneot said pads engageable by one or more 01 the digits of said hand but not including the thumb.

3. A hand signal to be worn without impairment of the gripping action of such a member

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