US2454162A

US2454162A - Traffic or display sign

Info

Publication number: US2454162A
Application number: US661550A
Authority: US
Inventors: John J Hammer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1946-04-12
Filing date: 1946-04-12
Publication date: 1948-11-16
Anticipated expiration: 1965-11-16

Description

Nov. 16, 1948. 1 J. J. H-AMMER 2,454,162

TRAFFIC OR DISPLAY SIGN Filed April 12, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY Nov. 16, 1948. J. J. HAMMER TRAFFIC on DISPLAY SIGN 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 12, 1946 Patented Nov. 16, 1948 UNITED PATENT OFFICE TRAFFIC R DISPLAY SIGN John J .lHammer, Detroit, Mich.

Application April 12, 1946, Serial No. 661,550

'TClaims. 1

This invention "relates to signs particularly adapted for traiiic or'advertising purposes.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a sign which is visible onlywhen and as desired or required which may be employed as a trafiic'control unit for'suc'h purposes as toshow No Turn or 20 MPH or the" like during rush trafiic hours, also asa general purpose signfto sh'ow'intermittently advertising or direction indicating indicia.

' Other objects of theinvention will become apparent by reference to the following detailed description'taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

(Fig. 1.is an elevation view of a sign embodying the invention'with the sign panels thereof .in theirvisible position and with portions thereof broken away to illustrate the construction and mechanism employed.

Fig. a bottomelevational'view with portions broken away to illustrate the construction more clearly. I

Fig. 3 isa view part in elevation and part in sectionsimilar to Fig. 1 except thesignfpanels are shown in their retracted position.

Fig, 4 is a fragmentary View in perspective with the sign turned upside down showing sign panel controlmechanism preferably employed.

Fig. 5 isan enlarged elevational view of the double solenoid sign panel moving mechanism 0 preferably employed.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional View taken on the line 6-45 of Fig; 5.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like numeralsrefer to like and corresponding parts throughout the several views, the illustrativeembodiment of the invention shown in the drawings comprises a housing ill, light channels H formed round the periphery of the said'housing' Ill, lighting means it disposed in said light channels, a plurality of signpanels Ithinged independing relationship from said housing [0 visible from the sides thereof, meansl l constantly urging. the said panels into their depending visiblelposition, means '96 for-retracting saidlsign panels i3 tea substantially horizontal obscure position Ml 3i! and for releasing. said sign panels i3 fromssaidr hori zontal obscure position l-3llto their visible. position, and timing means l-Fi forcausingsaid sign panels to beretracted to and released from their obscure position :at desired intervals.

The said housing viii shown square in the drawings may be square, rectangular, triangular or trapezoidal inshap e. Light channels ll. prefer ably arcuateninoshapey: are uformedearound the periphery of the sign in such a manner as to refiectlight onto depending sign panels l3 from electric lights or other suitable lighting means I2 preferably connected to a source of electric current s through the timing means I6 by a pair-of suitable leads ll. In the particular embodiment of the invention shown, the sig panels [3 are hinged at l8 on the lower end of hinge brackets 19 depending from the top of the housing In and located at the extreme ends of the said sign pan- 'els I 3. The sign panels l3 are so shaped as to permit them to be retracted from a substantially vertical depending visible position indicated inthe drawings by the numeral l3 to a substantially horizontal retracted obscure position indicated by thenumeral I30. Spring means such as the leaf springs 14 secured to the housing I!) constantly urge the sign panels Is to their dependingvis-lble position and are sufficiently resilient to permit the said sign panels it to be pivoted to theirretracted obscure position 130.

The top of the sign housing [0 is preferably paneled upwardly in the central portion thereof as indicated by the numeral I00 to accommodate means l5 for retracting the said sign panels to their horizontal obscure position I30 and for re leasing the said sign panels for pivoting bythe leaf spring [4 to their depending visible position I3. This sign operating mechanism comprises a pair of spaced solenoidsZU and 2| having a common preferably square armature'22 therein which reciprocates from one solenoid tothe other responsive to alternate energization thereof. The said solenoids "20 and 2| are secured tothe panel I00 of the housing I0 by suitable straps; 33 and are prevented from moving outwardly by means of stops 34 welded to the said panel IUOof the housing In. A cable arm 23 is telescoped transversely through the armature 22- and is fixed therein by means of the stud 24. This cable arm 23 is provided with a plurality of bores '25 int0 which sign

panel operating cables

26, 21, 28 and 29 are fixed. The said cable arm 23 acts as a stop to limit the extent of reciprocation of the armature 22 when the said cable arm 23 is moved by the armature 22 against the bumpers 200 and2'lll of the solenoids '20 and '2! respectively. A spring detent 30 cooperating with notches 3| formed in the armature 22. As best indicated in Figs. 2 and 4, the sign panel operating cableszfi, 21, 28 and 29 are each connected through suitable pulleys 32 to sign panels l3 and are of such length asto-permit the sign panels I3to be moved by the leaf spring to a substantially vertical depending relationship with respect to the sign body [0. When the solenoid armatures 22 and cable arm 23 are in the position indicated by the numeral 22 in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, the said sign panels l3 are released to their visible depending position and are maintained in such position by the leaf springs M, the

operating cables

26, 21, 28 and 29 and the spring detent 30. When the armature 22 is in the position indicated by the numeral 220 in Figs. 2 and 3, the sign panels 13 are retracted to their obscured horizontal position and are maintained in such position by the

operating cables

26, 21, 28 and 29 and the spring detent 30. Obviously means other than or in addition to the

operating cables

26, 21, 28 and 29 may be employed to limit the extent of pivotal movement of the sign panels l3 by the leaf springs M.

To move the sign panels [3 from their visible depending position l3 to their obscure horizontal position I30,

solenoids

20 and 2| are alternately energized which may be accomplished by any known means such as the timing means l6 through which curent from a source S is alternately provided to

solenoids

20 and 2| through leads 2000 and 2100 and through which current for lighting the electric lighting means I2 is supplied when the sign panels 13 are disposed in their visible depending position. Timing switch means such as the timing means 15 are well known in the time switch art and need not be herein described in detail. The said timing means l6 may be mounted in the sign itself or, if more convenient, it may be incorporated in a separate switch box located remote therefrom.

Although but one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed and described in detail, it is obvious that many changes may be made in the size, shape, arrangement and detail of the various elements of the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A trailic or display sign comprising a housing, a plurality of sign panels disposed in depending visible relationship therefrom, lighting means within said housing adapted to illuminate said sign panels when disposed in their depending visible relationship, spring means constantly urging said sign panels to their depending visible position, and solenoid means for retracting said panels to an obscure position.

2. Atraffic or display sign comprising a housing, a plurality of sign panels disposed in depending visible relationship therefrom, lighting means within said housing adapted to illuminate said sign panels when disposed in their depending visible relationship, spring means constantly urging said sign panels to their depending visible position, and solenoid means operable responsive to timing means for retracting said panels to an obscure position.

3. A traffic or display sign comprising a housing, a plurality of sign panels disposed in depending visible relationship therefrom, lighting means within said housing adapted to illuminate said sign panels when disposed in their depending visible relationship, spring means constantly urging said sign panels to their depending visible relationship, and solenoid means including an armature to which said sign panels are connected for raising said sign panels to an obscure position.

4. A traffic or display sign comprising a housing, a plurality of sign panels disposed in depending visible relationship therefrom, spring means constantly urging said sign panels to their depending visible relationship, a pair of spaced solenoids having their hollow cores disposed in allignment in said housing, a common armature posi tioned within said hollow cores reciprocatingly movable therein responsive to alternate energization of said solenoids, linkage between said armature and said sign panels causing the said sign panels to be raised to their obscure position and released to their visible position responsive to said alternate energization of said solenoids, and means for energizing first one solenoid and then the other.

5. A traflic or display sign comprising a housing, a plurality of sign panels disposed in depending visible relationship therefrom, spring means constantly urging said sign panels to their depending visible relationship, a pair of spaced solenoids having their hollow cores disposed in allignment mounted in said housing, a common armature positioned within said hollow cores reciprocatingly movable therein responsive to alternate energization of said solenoids, linkage between said armature and said sign panels causing said sign panels to be raised to their obscure position and released to their visible position responsive to said alternate energization of said solenoids, means for energizing first one solenoid and then the other, and means for releasably retaining said armature and sign panels linked thereto in the last position to which they are moved by the energization of one or the other of the said solenoids.

6. A traffic or displa sign comprising a housing, a plurality of sign panels disposed in depending visible relationship therefrom, lighting means within said panels adapted to illuminate said sign panels when disposed in their depending visible relationship, spring means constantly urging said sign panels to their depending visible relationship, a pair of spaced solenoids having their hollow cores disposed in allignment mounted in said housing, a common armature positioned with said hollow cores reciprocatingly movable therein responsive to alternate energization of said solenoids, linkage between said armature and said sign panels causing the said sign panels to be raised to their obscure position and released to their visible position responsive to said alternate energization of said solenoids, and means for energizing first one solenoid and then the other.

7. A traflic or display sign comprising a housing, a plurality of sign panels disposed in depending visible relationship therefrom, lighting means within said panels adapted to illuminate said sign panels when disposed in their depending visible relationship, spring means constantly urging said sign panels to their depending visible relationship, a pair of spaced solenoids having their hollow cores disposed in allignment mounted in said housing, a common armature positioned within said hollow cores reciprocatingly movable therein responsive to alternate energization of said solenoids, linkage between said armature and said sign panels causing said sign panels to be raised to their obscure position and released to their visible position responsive to said alternate energization of said solenoids, means for energizing first one solenoid and then the other, and means for releasably retaining said armature and sign panels linked thereto in the last position to which they are moved by the energization of one 01' the other of the said solenoids.

JOHN J. HAMMER.

(References on following page) 5 REFERENCES CITED Number The following references are of record in the file of thls patent: 1,160,913 UNITED STATEQ PATENTS 5 1,308,658 Number Name Date 13765973 640,153 Yaxley et a1 Dec. 26, 1899 6 Name Date Smith Feb. 24, 1903 Simpson Sept 17, 1912 Ledermann Nov. 16, 1915 Carr July 1, 1919 Hester et a1. June 17, 1930