US3259101A - Signalling device - Google Patents

Description

July 5, 1966 w. oLEvsKY SIGNALLING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed May 13. 1964 INVENToR. WAL T512 0L El/SKY United States Patent Office 3,259,101 Patented July 5, 1966 3,259,101 SIGNALLING DEVICE Walter Olevsky, 288 Paterson Plank Road, East Rutherford, NJ. Filed May 13, 1964, Ser. No. 367,147 4 Claims. (Cl. 116-114) This invention relates to signalling devices. More particularly, it relates to a hand signalling device which may be advantageously utilized by railroad employees such as those employed in railroad yards as brakemen, switchmen and the like.

In the ordinary course of the performance of their duties, railroad employees such as brakemen and switchmen in railroad yards have to utilize hand signalling to direct engineering personnel on moving trains. Generally, to enable greater ease in the observing of the signals, the signalling employees during daylight hours utilize a makeshift such as a folded newspaper, a White rag or the like to emphasize their various signals. These makeshifts are generally unsatisfactory since they are not good light reflectors, especially on days of poor visibility, i.e., overcast, foggy, rainy, etc. Also, quite evidently they are not durable and they present the nuisance that they frequently have to be replaced and are of substantially little use when precipation is occurring.

When hand signalling in railroad yards is required during times of ou-tdoo-r darkness, generally the signalling employee has had to use a lighted lantern to render his hand signals visible. It is readily appreciated that a lantern is a relatively cumbersome, heavy and expensive 'device and tends to impede the freedom of hand movements of the signaller. Of course, during dark periods, makeshifts such as newspapers, white rags and the like are practically useless for enhancing the visibility of hand signals.

It is, accordingly, an important object of this invention to provide an improved hand signalling device which is effective over appreciable distances in all conditions of daylight and which is durable and readily portable.

It is a further object to provide a hand signalling device in accordance with the preceding object which is readily adaptable for use at night and other periods of darkness.

It is another object to provide a hand signalling device in accordance with the preceding object which is facilely manipulable for hand signalling and which is`comparatively inexpensive to produce.

Generally speaking and in accordance with the invention, there is provided a member comprising a light reflective material which is contractible to a minimum volume and which is expandable to present a maximum light reflecting surface and means associated with the member for confining the member to the aforesaid minimum volume and for permitting i-t to be expanded to p-resent its maximum light reflecting surface.

Although such novel features believed to be characteristic of the invention are pointed ou-t in the claims, the invention and the manner in which it may be carried out may be further understood by reference to the following descrip-tion and the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of an illustrative embodiment of the invention adaptable for daylight signalling with the light reflecting member expanded to its maximum reflecting surface;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 with the light reflecting member contracted to' its minimum volume and contained in its minimum volumt confining means;

FIG. 3 is the same side elevation of FIG. 1 partly cut away, which also shows the -light reflecting member contracted to its minimum volume and contained in its confining means;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of another illustrative embodiment of the invention similar to that shown in FIGS. 1 3 and adapted for use at night and other periods of darkness;

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of still another illustrative embodiment of the invention showing the light reflecting member in the confined position;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to that of FIG. 5 but showing the light reflecting member expanded to its maximum light reflecting surface; and

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the embodiment of FIGS. 5 and 6 withy the light reflecting member expanded to its maximum light reflecting surface.

` Referring now to FIGS. l-3, the embodiment of the invention shown therein comprises a housing 10 substantially of a parallelepiped configuration. Housing 10 of course, may be a right circular or elliptical cylinder, the* only requirement for its contour being that it can readily receive therein the contracted light reflecting member. Housing 10 may suitably comprise a rigid material such as metal, plastic or the like. On side 11 of housing 10, a clip 15 may suitably be provided to enable the device to be hung on nails to be attached, etc.

Sides 12 and 14 of housing 10 suitably have longitudinally slotted apertures 16 therethrough. A pin 17 which may be a hollow grommet extends across the width of sides 11 and 13 of housing 10 and terminates in flared grommets 18 and 19, the combination of grommets 18 and 19 and pin 17 being adapted to be vertically slid up and down along apertures 16. The light reflecting member 20 is suitably affixed at one end to pin 17 by means (not shown) such as rivets, studs and the like.

Light reflecting member 20 suitably comprises a relatively strong sheet of a light reflecting material such as lucite or polyethylene and may be of any color. Member 20 is constructed so as to be alternately oppositely `segmentally folded, similar to a fan, and when released from housing 10 may be opened, i.e., expanded to its maximum light reflecting surface as shown in FIG. 1. Such release, within the construction of the device of FIGS. 1-3, occurs when the pin and grommets combination are in the uppermost points of grooves 16. It is seen that with the pin and grommets combination in this uppermost position and the unfolding of light reflecting member 20, member 20 is prevented from falling back into housing 10.

In the operation of the device of FIGS. 1-3, when it is being used, member 20 can be contracted, i.e., folded to its minimum volume and permitted to slip into housing 10. To insure its confinement during its idle periods, side 9 of housing 10 may have a slotted aperture therethrough which snugly accommodates the cross-sectional contour of member 20 when it is in its folded state whereby there is no tendency for it to fall out of housing 10.

To make use of the device of FIGS. 1-3, it is merely necessary for member 20 to be released from its confinement in housing 10 by moving grommets 18 and 19 and pin 17 to the uppermost position in grooves 16 and unfolding member 20. In this situation, member 20 now presents its maximum light reflecting surface and is efiicacious for hand signalling. Since member 20 is chosen to comprise a good light reflecting material, it is very advantageously used in railroad yard hand signalling in all kinds of light conditions and at appreciable distances greatly in excess of those possible with makeshift signalling devices such as a folded newspaper, a rag and the like. In addition, it is a durable device and can be used in all kinds of weather and in the presence of precipitation. The device of FIGS. 1-3 is inexpensive to manufacture and simple in operation.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 4 is essentially similar to that of FIGS. 1-3 and functions in substantially the same manner. In addition, however, the device of FIG. 4 includes lighting means which enables its use as a signalling device at night and during other periods of darkness. The lighting means suitably comprises a dry cell battery 22 electrically connected to light bulb means 24 through suitable switching means 26. Battery 22 may suitably be included in a separate pocket 23 in housing and switching means 26 and light bulb means 24 are readily included in housing 10 by means well known in the art. Accordingly, no further description thereof is deemed necessary. The inclusion of battery 22, light bulb means 24 and switching means 26 enables the selective use of the device of FIG. 4, both as an advantageous daylight and dark, hand signalling device.

.In FIGS. 5-7, wherein there is depicted another embodiment of a signalling device constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention, the light reiiecting member 25 is of cylindrical configuration and segmentally alternately folded. Tightly girding approximately the lower third or so of member 25 are substantially equispaced rings, generally designated by the numeral 36, such tight girding effectively providing a club-like portion for handling the device. A portion 27 may be covered with a housing material 28 such as cloth or a rigid material such as plastic, metal and the like to reinforce the end of the club. A rivet or grommet 29 may be provided through housing 28 and portion 27 to enable a carrying handle to be inserted therethrough if it is so desired.

At the upper end of member 25, there is suitably provided a band 30 having a snap end 31 aiiixed to member 25 and having a female snap 32 on its free end which can be mated with snap 31 to enable member 25 to be contracted at its upper end and held in place by band 30.

It is seen that in operation, light reiiecting member 25 flares out to the configuration of a truncated cone as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 and thus greatly enhances the natural daylight by reflection when it is used as a hand signalling device.

The terms and expressions which are employed hereinabove are used as terms of description. It is recognized, however, that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A signalling device adapted for hand use comprising `a Segmentally alternately folded sheet of a light reflective material, said member being capable of being compressed along said folds to a minimum volume and of being expanded to maximum light reliecting surface, a housing having a closed bottom portion and a pair of slotted registered apertures in respective opposite sides thereof, a member adapted to be moved along said slotted apertures, one end of said sheet being aixed in its compressed state to said member, the movement of said member downward along said apertures causing the retraction of said sheet in its compressed minimum volume state into said housing and the movement of said member in the opposite direction causing said sheet to be projected out of said housing to permit it to be expanded to its maximum light reflecting surface.

2. A signalling device as defined in claim 1 wherein said apertures have registered opposite termini in said respective opposite sides.

3. A signalling device as defined in claim 2 `and further including an incandescent light source juxtaposed with said member in its projected position and means for providing electrical energy to said source.

4. A signalling device adapted for hand use comprising a cylindrical alternately segmentally folded sheet of light reliective material, said sheet being capable of being compressed along said folds to a minimum volume and of being expanded to a maximum light-reflecting surface, means for steadily maintaining an end portion of said sheet compressed to its minimum volume, said maintaining' means comprising spaced rings intimately girding said end portion, and snap band means attached to the other end of said sheet adapted to selectively maintain said other end of said sheet in its compressed position, the removal of said last named means permitting all but said end portion to expand to its maximum lightreiiecting surface.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,283,262 10/1918 Moore 116*4l 1,324,434 12/1919 Richard 116-41 1,445,407 2/1923 Nelson et a1. e 116-41 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,134 of 1909 Great Britain.

LOUIS I. CAPOZI, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A SIGNALLING DEVICE ADAPTED FOR HAND USE COMPRISING A SEGMENTALLY ALTERNATELY FOLDED SHEET OF A LIGHT REFLECTIVE MATERIAL, SAID MEMBER BEING CAPABLE OF BEING COMPRESSED ALONG SAID FOLDS TO A MINIMUM VOLUME AND OF BEING EXPANDED TO MAXIMUM LIGHT REFLECTING SURFACE, A HOUSING HAVING A CLOSED BOTTOM PORTION AND A PAIR OF SLOTTED REGISTERED APERTURES IN RESPECTIVE OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF, A MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE MOVED ALONG SAID SLOTTED APERTURES, ONE END OF SAID SHEET BEING AFFIXED IN ITS COMPRESSED STATE TO SAID MEMBER, THE MOVEMENT OF SAID MEMBER

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