US2616388A - Traffic signal - Google Patents

Description

1952 H. B. MUELLER 2,616,388

TRAFFIC SIGNAL Filed April 2, 194a 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR o HERERTB.MUELLER v OWL H. B. MUELLER Nov. 4, 1952 TRAFFIC SIGNAL '4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 2, 1946 Nov. 4, 1952 H. a. MUELLER 2,616,338

TRAFFIC SIGNAL Filed April 2, 1946 4 SheetsSheet 5 INVENTOR HERBE'RTB. MUELLER- Nov. 4, 1952 Filed April 2, 1946 1-1. B. MUELLER 2,616,388

TRAFFIC SIGNAL 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 1 [[1 1111 1512 x ife 45a 4 #5 11 & W5):

\ as A54,

INVENTOR HERBERTB.MUELLER Patented Nov. 4, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TRAFFIC SIGNAL Herbert B. Mueller, Los Angeles, Calif,

Application April 2, 1946, Serial No. 658,893

.20 Claims. 1

My invention relates to .a traffic signal and has for its principal object to provide a signal designed to be placed at the intersection of S r ts d h ghways to provide a warning to pedestrians as well as to drivers of vehicles when they may cross the intersection in safety.

The principal object of my invention is to provide means in a traflic control signal, that will make it possible for the pedestrian and motorist to use his or her God given judgment as to when he or she may cross an intersection in safety.

Another object of my invention is to change the mental attitude of the pedestrian and motor.- ist from uncertainty, danger and confusion to certainty, safety and serenity, by displaying both Red and Green light in one panel at the same time and the use of an indicator constantly moving across one color and into the opposing color to indicate an impending change Of the signal,

Anotherobjectof my invention is to maintain a steady flow of traffic at an intersection by the use of .only one signal, with one light source and aconstantly moving indicator clearly visible in four directions day or night and thereby give positive warning to all persons at one and the same time, of an approaching change.

A feature of my invention is, to Provide a wider portion of each end of the -Red or Stop light panel with the opposing color of green, and the Green" or Ciro light panel with the opposing color of red, preceded by a color of caution if desired. In this way, the pedestrian or driver of a vehicle, after having noted the indicator moving on a panel of red or green toward the opposing color of green or red will have impressed on his mindthe exact time of the on coming change; and as a result, his mind and eyes will be free to concentrate on the unknown acts of other motoristsor pedestrians, instead of the usual unknown time of change in a conventional traffic signal.

Another feature of my invention is the moving time indicator or control member which may be a circular lighted or unligh-ted dark hand or preferable :an arrangement of reflectors using the light "from the panel over which it travels and reflecting it to two sides and forward, the reflectors causing a dark area :in front of the light panel and light on either side consisting of its own background.

Another feature of my invention is in the regularly spaced lateral extensions in the light panels which are useful to the pedestrian or motorist as a gauge or scale so he can tell instantly, after having noted the direction of the moving indicator, the elapsed -jtime andthe time left :before a change in each cycle, and he will then be able to use his own judgement whether to cross or not to cross an intersectio The accompanying drawings illustrate the in- Vention,

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic elevational view partly in'section of the invention,

F g,- 2 is a fragmental detail showing how the illumination control member or gauge is fixed to the cables.

Fig. 3 is a plan view partly in horizontal section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1 showin "the location of the locking dogs and spring mechanism for operating the light control cylinder with parts broken away to show interior construction.

Fig- 4 is a fragmental detail view Showing how the roller releases one of the dogs.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmental exaggerated perspective detail view that shows the spring mechanism and also shows the engagement of the ends of the springs with the tension producing pins,

Fig. 6 is a sectionalview analogous to Fig. 3 on the line ,6--6 of Fig, 1, showing the top driving drum and how the pulley cables are fixed thereto and also shows location of the shields and light tubes or bulbs.

Fig. 7 is a small diagrammatic plan view of the moving illumination control member or gauge.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of Fig. '7.

Fig. .9 is a side elevation showing the light control cylinder and showing the red color.

Fig. 10 is a view analogous to Fig. 9 showing the arrangement of the red and greencolors.

Fig. 11 is a plan view on a small scale ,of the oppositely arranged spiral springs which function to impart intermittent reverse rotary motion to the light control cylinder.

It is understood that the trafiic signal may be made in different shapes and sizes and various parts of the invention may be constructed without departing from the spirit of the invention; but the form shown is at present deemed most desirable for easy and cheap construction and ready interchange of parts.

The invention comprises a housing It! having a top H, and bottom 12 and is provided with upright members l3 and outwardly extending fins or shields l4,

Enclosed in the housing H) are the oscillating light control cylinder 15 that is rotatably mounted ,on a shaft [8 and an upper driving drum [6 and lower driving drum all that a e mounted on the vertical shaft 1 8 that is mounted inthe hearing I 9 at the bottom 12 of the housing and extends upwardly through-the top bearing to a conventional reduction gearing and reversing gear 21 that is operated by a motor 2-2 as show-nin Fig. 1 of the drawings.

A moving illumination control indicator or gauge member 23 encircles the light controlcylinder l5 and is raised and lowered through :the annular space between the cylinder rand-side wall of housing I!) by cables 26 over the pulleys 25 operable through the driving drums l5 and I! when the shaft i8 is rotated by the driving mechanism 2! and 22 in timing with the cylinder l5.

The oscillating light control cylinder i5 is so constructed and arranged so as to display red and green colors as shown in Figs. 9 and 10 of the drawings and is composed of one or more parts or pieces of clear or colored transparent material such as glass or sheet plastics and those vertical areas between the colored portions" of the wall of said cylinder may be clear, translucent or opaque.

Cylinder l5 has two windows colored red i511 disposed 180 degrees apart and colored green also two windows I51), 180 degrees apart. At the top and bottom of the red window are short horizontally disposed portions [50 colored green and sumptuary at the top and bottom of windows I51) are short horizontally disposed portions l5d colored red.

Lateral sections I56 of the colors red and green equally spaced as shown in Figs. 9 and 10 of the drawing and the vertical extension i5 of red color cooperate with the'traveling gauge or indicator member 23 to indicate the proximate lapse of time until the signal changes from red to green or vice versa.

Mounted in the light control cylinder are illuminated tubes or bulbs 26 that are arranged in the desired position to provide the required light at all times and are connected to a suitable source of current not shown by conventional wiring and contacts known to the art.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 11, a spring mecha-" nism 2'! is shown that comprises a top spring 28 and lower spring 29 that are operated by the top driving drum Iii 'to oscillate the light control cylinder E5 to the right and left by releasing both locking dogs '38 through the roller 31 releasing one dog and then the other intermittently. i

The light control cylinder is held in position by the stops 32 that contact the dog brackets 33 as shown. 7

As indicated in Fig. 5 a stationary pin 34 being secured to the web 3 2a or arm of a spider located inside the top end of the cylinder I5 and is rotatably mounted on the shaft I8 similar to spider 36 holds the spring ends in position and pin 35 depending from the spider arm 35 that is operated by drum it through spider arm 36 to wind the springs 28 and 29 to the right or left as shown in broken lines as at X and Z, Fig. 3 of the drawing. The springs 28 and 29 are provided at their opposite ends with hooks ends 28a and Zea-that fit into a tubing 34?) that is welded to the hub of the web 35a. The locking dogs 3% are provided with a tension spring 3'1 that tends to hold the dogs in latched position with the latch 33 and are released by the roller 3! striking the projection 39 0f the dogs 38 that are pivoted at so to the dog brackets 33 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4; of the drawings.

The traveling gauge 23 is constructed of an upper ring member ll and lower ring member 42 provided with a plurality of deflectors G3 and reflectors M. interposed between the ring members and so constructed and arranged to receive light from the windows of the cylinder I5 and divergently reflecting rays of light from the windows as shown in broken lines in Fig. 'l of the drawings.

- The spider 35 is fixably mounted to .the shaft- 4 l8 and is an integral part of the driving drum I6, and the reversely displaced springs 28 and 29 that are tensioned by the shaft l8 and drum operating means 2! and 22 on topof-the top plate II to cause the light jcylin'der Ii -to turn with a snap on each change of signal.

It is to be understood that in my improved signal, the driving motor operates continuously, that the cylinder having the colored windows rotates periodically for approximately degrees, first in one direction and then in the other so as to alternately display the red and green (stop and go) signals to traffic on the crossing streets and that the gauge ring or refleeting member that travels vertically uopn said cylinder, moves continuously; first in one direction and then in the reverse direction.

Thus the signal being illuminated and having the continuously moving light ray reflecting ring; naturally attracts the attention of approaching drivers and pedestrians and by noting the direction of travel of the ring and its proximity to the ends of the illuminated cylinder, they will know definitely whether or not they have sufiicient time to safely cross the intersection or that they should await the change of the signal to Go. A vehicle driver or pedestrian approaching a crossing equipped with the sig nal, observes the red or green color, also the position of the indicator and control ring" 23 relative'to the lighted window, and-is thus warned whether or not to proceed or stop.

If the indicator ring is moving upwardly through the lower portion of the window or downwardly through the upper portion of said window, the observer knows he has ample time to proceed, but when the ring reaches and passes the laterally disposed extensions 15c, which are in effect caution or warning signals, the observer is warned that a signal change will shortly take place. Vertical extensions l5fat the ends of the windows 15b in cooperationwithring 23, are efiective in giving further warning as to an impending signal change.

The speed of the motor driven gearing 2 I, the tensioning of the springs 28 and 29 and the travel of ring 23, are regulated and co-related, so that there is a short interval of time, one second more or less, between the relea'se'of the light cylinder [5 holding means and the-starting of ring 23 from the short periods of stop at the ends of its travel.

Thus the animation resulting from the combination of the constantly illuminated Windows and the reflecting ring or gauge constantly traveling across said windows, provides an extremely valuable and advantageous safety factor for the control of traffic and prevention of accidents at intersections.

My improved signals may be installed at intersections along a boulevard or arterial highway: and set for successive operation, so asto progres-* sively function and thereby enable vehicles to be driven at lawful speed on the highway for a considerable distance, without stopping;

Thus it will be seen that Ihave'pro'vide'd" a trafiic signal that is simple in construction positive in operation, inexpensive of manufacture and very effective in performing the functions for which it is intended.

I claim:

1. In a traific signal ahousing having top and bottom plates, hearings on said plates, a vertical shaft journalled in said bearings; an oscillating cylinder and an upper and lower drum' mounted on said shaft; said cylinder having two sets-of differently colored windows; means mounted on top of said top plate of the housing tooperate said shaft and drums; reversely displaced springs for alternately rotating said cylinder in opposite directions, which springs are tensioned by the shaft and drum operating means on topof said top plate; an illumination control gauge that encircles said oscillating cylinder and means operable by said drums to raise and lower said control gauge to regulate the timing of the changes of the differently colored light passing through said windows.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 and the windows of said cylinder having short spaced guide portions extending laterally from their vertical edges, means within said cylinder for illuminating said windows and pairs of inclined reflectors carried by said control gauge for directing light rays radially outward from said gauge.

3. In a traiiic signal, a vertically disposed oscillatory cylinder having two sets of differently colored windows, each including short longitudinally spaced guiding portions extending laterally from both sides, means for illuminating said windows, means for periodically partially rotating said cylinder alternately in opposite directions and a constantly moving gauge member arranged to move at predetermined speed across said windows, first in one direction and then in the other.

4. A traffic signal the combination as set forth in claim 3, with means on said gauge member for receiving and divergently reflecting rays of light from said windows.

5. A traffic signal the combination as set forth in claim 3 and which windows are provided with lateral warning signal extensions at both ends.

6. In a traflic signal an oscillating cylinder mounted to rotate on a vertical axis and having a pair of red windows and a pair of green windows, portions of said windows at the upper and lower ends thereof being distinctively colored, means for imparting periodic oscillatory motion to said cylinder, a gauge ring arranged to travel vertically upon said cylinder, means cooperating with the cylinder oscillating means for moving said ring vertically while thecylinder is at rest and reflectors carried by said ring for divergently reflecting the colored rays of light emanating from said windows and from the distinctively colored end portions thereof.

7. In a traffic signal a revolvably mounted member having pairs of spaced windows graduated lengthwise, one pair of windows being distinctively colored relative to the color of the other pair, with portions of said windows at both ends of one pair colored to correspond with the color of the intermediate portions of the other pair of said windows, an indicator ring mounted to move lengthwise of the windows in said revolvable member, means for imparting intermittent oscillatory motion to said member and means for moving said indicator ring lengthwise of said member and its windows while same is at rest.

8. A traffic signal the combination as set forth in claim 7 and having means within said revolvable member for illuminating same and said indicator ring.

9. In a traffic signal, a light panel graduated lengthwise by lateral extensions, an indicator mounted for constant travel across said light panel so as to successively cover said lateral extensions and means for imparting reciprocatory 6 motion to said indicator lengthwise of said light panel.

10. The traflic signal as set forth in claim 9 with reflectors carried by said indicator for reflecting light rays outwardly and laterally therefrom.

11. In a trafiic signal, a longitudinally graduated light panel having distinctively colored end portions, an indicator mounted to move lengthwise of said panel and to enter said distinctively colored end portions at the ends of its travel, means for imparting reciprocatory movement to said indicator at the ends of its reciprocation movements.

12. A traffic signal the combination as set forth in claim 11 and which indicator is illuminated.

13. A traffic signal the combination as set forth in claim 11, and light ray reflecting means carried by said indicator.

14. In a traffic signal, a housing, mounted for rotation within said housing, driving means for said shaft, a light cylinder rotatably mounted on said shaft, means actuated by said shaft for imparting intermittent oscillatory motion to said cylinder and means for engaging and holding said cylinder against rotation during rotation of said shaft.

15. The trafiic signal as set forth in claim 14, with driving drums mounted on said shaft above and below said light cylinder, a pair of reversely arranged springs associated with said driving drums and means for simultaneously starting right hand tension in one spring and left hand tension in the other spring.

16. In a traflic signal, a shaft, a light cylinder mounted on said shaft, reversely arranged springs between said shaft and light cylinder, one of said springs being under right hand tension, the other spring being under left hand tension and means for alternately increasing the tension of said springs and thereby cause the light cylinder to make a partial movement at the end of each cycle.

17. In a trainc signal, the combination with a housing, of a light cylinder mounted to rotate on a vertical axis within said housing, said cylinder having oppositely disposed transparent differently colored windows, means including a motor and reversely disposed springs for imparting intermittent reverse rotary motion to said cylinder, means for engaging and holding said cylinder while same is at rest, an indicator ring surrounding said cylinder, means for reciprocating said ring lengthwise of said cylinder and its windows and a source of light within said cylinder.

18. The combination as set forth in claim 17 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Olafson Mar. 4, 1930 Number a shaft Y

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