US3091215A - Traffic flag - Google Patents

Description

May 28, 1953 J. M. KENMORE 3,091,215

TRAFFIC FLAG Filed Aug. 28, 1961 INVENTOR. Jack M. Kenmore 3,091,215 TRAFFIC FLAG Jack M. Kenmore, Coraopoiis, Pa., assigner to Safety Aids Company, Coraopoiis, Pa., a partnership Filed Aug. 28, 1961, Ser. No. 134,193 1 Claim. (Cl. 116-173) This application relates to a traiic flag and, more particularly, to the type used as a warning flag to warn of dangerous conditions in streets and highways and to be used by hand as a signal in connection with vehicle traic control.

Such iiags have been and are lmade of heavy gauge plastic material which is water repellent, smooth surfaced, and suiciently tough to resist wear. These ags also have a narrow elongated pocket extending along a diagonal of one side of the flag into which an elongated, llat reinforcing stay is inserted, so that when the iiag is mounted on a staff, the body of the flag will be extended and thereby provide maximum visibility.

Such diagonally extending stays have not been altogether satisfactory. If the stays are permanently secured in the pocket, then it is difficult to roll up the ilag for storage. If the stays can be removed from the pockets so that the flags can be furled by winding the body of the flag around the stalf, the stays are readily lost.

I have invented a traffic flag which has a diagonally extending pocket into which a stay can be inserted when the ilag is unfurled and a second pocket into which the stay can be placed when the `flag is furled. This `second pocket extends parallel to and is close to the portion of the staff to which the flag is secured. The iiag can then be easily wound around the staff when the flag is being stored.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated a present preferred embodiment of my invention, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of a iiag;

FIGURE 2 is an isometric view of a reinforcing slat which is used with ythe flag;

FIGURE 3 is a section along the lines III-III of FIGURE 1 but on an enlarged scale; and

FIGURE 4 is a cross section of the flag when furled.

Referring to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, a traic ilag made in accordance with my invention consists in a body portion 5- of flexible, heavy gauge plastic sheet material, the body being rectangular and in the color and shape of a traffic flag. Preferably, the body portion is made of nylon cloth having on both sides a vinyl fluorescent coating.

One marginal portion 6 is lapped back over the body portion and attached to the body by a row of stitching 7 to form a tunnel S dimensioned to receive one end of a staff 9. The stai has a close t within the tunnel so that it is frictionally held within the tunnel, but the body of the flag can be further secured to the staff by staples 10.

It will be seen from FIGURE l that the stitching 7 extends along a line parallel to the edge of the flag and is spaced inwardly therefrom. The lapped marginal portion is also attached to the body 5 by a second row of 6 stitching 11 which extends in a line parallel to the edge but spaced away from the line of stitching 7 in the direction of the center of the body. The body and the lapped marginal portion form a second pocket 12 between the two lines of stitching intowhich a ilat elongated reinforcing stay 13, `such as that shown in FIGURE 2, may be inserted. This stay is also made of plastic material but it has suflicient thickness that it is relatively rigid as compared with the body portion of the flag.

A. narrow elongated strip 14 of the same type of material as the body portion is arranged flatwise across one diagonal of the body portion 5 and is attached to the body portion by stitching 15 along its side edges. The body S and the elongated strip 14 fonm between the two rows of stitching 15 a pocket I6 into which a reinforcing stay 13 can be inserted.

Along the sides. of both of the pockets and adjacent the `ends of the pockets, the attaching `stitching is secured by bar ltacling 17 which prevents the stitching along the balance of the pockets from unraveling. There is also bar tacking 18 across one end of each of the pockets so as to close those ends.

Referring to FIGURE l, it will be appreciated that, when a stay 13 is inserted in the pocket 16 which extends across a diagonal of the body S'of the ilag, the body is extended to provide maximum visibility for the flag. When the flag is to be furled, the stay 13` is removed from the pocket 16 and placed in the pocket where it will lie parallel to and spaced only a short distance from the staff 9. The flag can then readily be furled by winding the body 5 of the liag around the staff 9%, as shown in FIGURE 4.

I thus solve in a simple manner the problem of furling a traiiic ilag having a diagonally extending reinforcing stay and have reduced the likelihood of the stay being lost when it is removed from its diagonal position to furl the ag.

While I have described a presently preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that it may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

A traiic ag comprising a ilat flexible sheet of heavy gauge plastic sheet material having a rectangular body in the color and shape of a traic ag, a stati-receiving tunnel extending along one edge of said body, a first elongated narrow pocket extending parallel to and adjacent said tunnel and having at least one open end, a second elongated narrow pocket extending across one of the diagonals of said body and having at least one open end, 'and an elongated ilat reinforcing stay dimensioned to tit selectively in said pockets whereby, when the stay is in `said second pocket, said body is extended for maximum visibility when the flag is unfurled and whereby, when Kthe stay is in said first pocket, the ag can be furled by winding said body around a staff in the staff-receiving tunnel.

References Cited in the lle of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,443,049 everson Ian. 23, 1923 1,467,680 Oda Sept. 11, 1923 2,732,823 Hanson Ian. 31, 1956

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