US3778764A - Accident warning and traffic guide system - Google Patents

Accident warning and traffic guide system Download PDF

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Publication number
US3778764A
US3778764A US00201857A US3778764DA US3778764A US 3778764 A US3778764 A US 3778764A US 00201857 A US00201857 A US 00201857A US 3778764D A US3778764D A US 3778764DA US 3778764 A US3778764 A US 3778764A
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warning
traffic
accident
conductor
guide system
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US00201857A
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English (en)
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L Kamb
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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G08—SIGNALLING
    • G08G—TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS
    • G08G1/00—Traffic control systems for road vehicles
    • G08G1/09—Arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions

Definitions

  • Patent 1 1111 3,778,764
  • the present invention relates to improvements in an accident warning and traffic guide system installed along an edge of a road, and is particularly useful on express highways to guide car traffic during a fog and/or to warn motorists of accidents.
  • the above and other objects are accomplished in accordance with the invention with a system along an edge of a road extending in a road section in a direction contrary to the direction of traffic.
  • the system comprises a plurality of guide posts spaced along the edge of the road in this section, a warning light on each guide post, and a current supply circuit connecting a source of current to each warning light.
  • a warning switch is mounted on each guide post, and a cutout or safety fuse is arranged in the supply circuit for each warning light. The fuse is mechanically protected, for instance in a secured box.
  • FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of a warning and traffic guide system according to this invention
  • FIG. 2 some details in a circuit diagram of a system working with direct current
  • FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram similar to that of FIG. 2 but using alternating current.
  • FIG. 1 shows a 220 V source of current to which is connected a current supply circuit comprising a main conductor 17 which is connected to a first conductor 16 by means of transformers 15 to reduce the voltage in conductor 16 to 42 V.
  • a second conductor 5 runs parallel to the first conductor along the edge of the road section for which the system is designed.
  • guide posts are spaced along the road edge, for instance about 50 meters apart.
  • Each guide post carries a warning light 2 and a fog lamp 3 with a reflector. It will be useful for each warning light to have an antiglare screen.
  • the transformers may be spaced apart about 500 to 1,000 meters, and they may be designed to transform a high voltage of 220 or 380 Volts to 42 Volts in the current supply conductor 16 which feeds current to the warning lights on the guide posts.
  • Each guide post carries a warning switch 4 which is connected in parallel to the low-voltage conductor 16.
  • One pole of each switch 4 is connected to conductor 16 and its other pole is connected to second conductor 5 to which the warning lights 2 are connected and from which they receive current as the switches are closed in a direction contrary to the direction of traffic.
  • Successive warning lights 2 and fog lamps 3 are connected in parallel along the road section protected by the system, the fog lamps receiving current from a supply circuit 23 and the warning switches 4 being connected to an accident report line 10 strung along the road.
  • the accident report line 10 is connected to an accident report station 28 which is activated to report an accident when a respective switch 4 is closed.
  • the fog lamps may be operated from switching station 26 which is connected to supply circuit 23 and which may be actuated by a photoelectric switch 24. If desired, the accident report station and the switching station may be located at a police station. Thus, the closing of a switch 4 will indicate to the police where the accident occurred and the police will also be able to control the fog lamps, if desired.
  • FIGS. 2 and 3 The various parts of the system are shown in more detail in FIGS. 2 and 3, FIG. 2 working with direct current while the installation of FIG. 3 operates with alternating current.
  • the high voltage in conductor 17 of FIG. 2 is transformed to a low voltage in conductor 16 by transformer 15 and a direct current switching means interconnecting the two conductors so that a low-voltage direct current is supplied to warning lights 2, the current supply to the warning lights being switched or off by the warning switches 4 which are connected between the current supply circuit and the warning lights.
  • a fixed pole or contact of each warning switch 4 is connected with conductor 5 and a switching contact of switching relay 21 is connected between the switch 4 and the associated warning light 2.
  • the coil of the switching relay is connected in parallel with the warning light, and the relays are also mounted on the guide posts.
  • the warning lights 2 are rotatably mounted spot lights, and drive motor M is connected in parallel with an associated spot light to rotate the same.
  • Anti-glare'screens 27 protect the motorist frorn glare.
  • the fog lamps 3 each have reflectors and are also mounted on guide posts 1.
  • Diodes 6 are mounted in the low-current conductor 5 in the conductor sections between adjacent connections to the switches 4 to pass the current to the respective switches and warning lights in a direction contrary to the direction of the traffic.
  • Branching off the connection of the switches 4 to conductor 5 is another line which carries report diode 8 and a current limiting resistance 9 leading to report line 10.
  • a relay 20 is mounted in the connection between switching station 26 and the fog lamps 3 to enable the lamps to be switched on and off.
  • the warning and traffic guide system remain operative even if any of the guide posts are damaged or otherwise inoperative. This is accomplished by mounting safety or cutout fuses 19 in all conductors leading from the distributing box 18, which is positioned at a distance from the edge of the road.
  • the distributing box serves as a housing for the various electrical elements indicated as being mounted within the broken lines, and the box is protected against damage by mounting it a few yards away from the road, preferably in a cement socket.
  • FIG. 2 The installation of FIG. 2 operates as follows:
  • the voltage is transmitted from the fixed contact of switch 4 in the left guide post to conductor 5, where it is unidirectionally transmitted by diode 6 to the warning light 2 in the adjacent guide post down the road in a direction contrary to the direction of traffic.
  • the diode 6 causes a voltage drop in the transmission line so that the next warning light will blink at a lower frequency and glow with reduced brilliance. This is repeated down the road from guide post to guide post, causing a steadily decreasing blinking frequency and brilliance of the succeeding warning lights until no further light will be activated because the voltage will be too small to operate the relay 21 which may be adjusted to a predetermined voltage value.
  • An electronic switching relay 11 receives the current from line to operate a report lamp l2 and an acoustical signal 13, a manually operable switch 14 being provided to disconnect the signal 13, when desired. If desired, a report lamp is associated with each guide post 1 so that the accident report station 28 immediately indicates the location of the accident, i.e., where the switch 4 was operated.
  • the road section along which the system is installed may have any desired length and depends on the dimensioning of unidirectional diodes 6 and the corresponding adjustment of the switching relays 21 determining the spatial extent of the current transmission from guide post to guide post. It has been found most practical to install systems having a length up to about a mile, the system being actuatable to its full length in a direction contrary to the direction of traffic from any guide post within the system.
  • the warning lights may carry anti-glare screens in the direction of the counter-traffic.
  • the screens do not cover the top of the warning lights so that rescue helicopters may see the blinking lights.
  • the fog lamps may be activated from a switching station 26 in case of fog or smog along the road so that the system works to guide the traffic in the fog.
  • the fog lamps 3 are supplied by conductor 23 via relays 20, photoelectric control stations 24 being preferably arranged along the road and being connected by control line 25 to the switching station to switch the fog lamps on and off automatically.
  • the alternating current installation of FIG. 3 is similar to, and operates in the same manner as, that of FIG. 2, like reference numerals indicating like parts functioning in a like manner, except that an alternating lowvoltage current is supplied to conductor 56.
  • Unidirectional switching relays 7 are connected in the transmission line 5 between successive warning lights and, when a warning switch 4 is closed, current is supplied to the associated switching relay 7 to close a switch in line 5 and thus to transmit current to the next adjacent warning light in a direction contrary to the direction of traffic.
  • a successive voltage drop is obtained from light to light by mounting resistances in each section of line 5 between the lights or by suitably dimensioning the line.
  • the operative length of the system again depends on the operating voltage to which the relays 7 are adjusted.
  • the relay 7 is shown simultaneously to actuate the switching contact for connecting the respective guide post whose warning switch has been operated to the accident report station 28. No unidirectional diodes are needed in transmission line 5.
  • warning switches connected in parallel to warning switches 4 on guide posts or the like of the median divider so that the system may be operated at both sides of the highway.
  • the warning system of this invention has the consid erable advantage that it warns oncoming motorists of an accident well in advance but in a graduated fashion so that they may drive accordingly. It is also possible to operate the system by remote control from a police station, for example, in case of fog, icy road conditions, etc.
  • An accident warning and traffic guide system along an edge of a road extending in a road section in a direction contrary to the direction of traffic comprising 1. a plurality of guide posts spaced along the edge of the road in said road section,
  • the current source is a low-voltage source comprising a first conductor and a second conductor of opposite polarity, each of the warning lights being connected to the first conductor of the lowvoltage current source in parallel
  • the current supply circuit includes a third conductor, with the switches having one pole connected to the second conductor of the low-voltage current source and the other pole connected to the third conductor, and further comprising means arranged in the third conductor between the switch connections for producing a voltage drop, and a switching relay for each of the warning lights, each relay having a coil connected in parallel to the first and third conductors.
  • the accident warning and traffic guide system of claim 2 wherein the low-voltage current source is a source of direct current, and further comprising diodes in the third conductor for passing the current in adirection contrary to the direction of traffic, the switching relays being mounted in the respective guide posts.
  • warning lights are rotatably mounted spot lights, and further comprising drive motors for rotating the warning lights.
  • the accident warning and traffic guide system of claim 1 further comprising a fog lamp with a reflector mounted on each of the guide posts for guiding the traffic in fog, and a switching station connected to said fog lamps for switching on the fog lamps.
  • each box is positioned at a distance from the edge of the road.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Road Signs Or Road Markings (AREA)
  • Audible And Visible Signals (AREA)
US00201857A 1970-12-04 1971-11-24 Accident warning and traffic guide system Expired - Lifetime US3778764A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE19702059804 DE2059804B2 (de) 1970-12-04 1970-12-04 Unfallwarnanlage fuer strassen, insbesondere autobahnen

Publications (1)

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US3778764A true US3778764A (en) 1973-12-11

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US00201857A Expired - Lifetime US3778764A (en) 1970-12-04 1971-11-24 Accident warning and traffic guide system

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US (1) US3778764A (de)
AT (1) AT317730B (de)
DE (1) DE2059804B2 (de)
FR (1) FR2116399B1 (de)
GB (1) GB1311398A (de)
IT (1) IT941930B (de)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5652705A (en) * 1995-09-25 1997-07-29 Spiess; Newton E. Highway traffic accident avoidance system
US20110121993A1 (en) * 2009-11-24 2011-05-26 International Business Machines Corporation Optimizing traffic speeds to minimize traffic pulses in an intelligent traffic system
ES2378103A1 (es) * 2010-09-10 2012-04-09 Fundación Para El Progreso Del Soft Computing Sistema de balizas luminosas para la gestión del tráfico en el caso de reducción del número de carriles.

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3941887A1 (de) * 1989-12-19 1991-06-20 Gronholz Claus Kraftfahrzeugverkehrswarn- und leitsystem
CN111028526A (zh) * 2019-12-24 2020-04-17 湖南交科智能科技有限公司 一种行车安全诱导系统及其防追尾运行方法
CN112523119B (zh) * 2020-11-30 2022-02-25 重庆交通大学 一种山区高速公路团雾段声光警示装置

Citations (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1558905A (en) * 1920-12-17 1925-10-27 Milliken Foster Street signal lamp
US1824572A (en) * 1929-03-30 1931-09-22 Rca Corp Illuminating system for regulating traffic
US1960786A (en) * 1923-08-16 1934-05-29 Associated Electric Lab Inc Signaling system
US2504582A (en) * 1947-09-09 1950-04-18 Darrell I Pugin Speed indicating device
US2578239A (en) * 1948-09-02 1951-12-11 Fed Entpr Inc Enclosed rotating signal light
US2902669A (en) * 1956-12-11 1959-09-01 Frank J Lucarelli Highway guard
US2922981A (en) * 1956-11-15 1960-01-26 John W Anderson Automatic variable speed-limit sign
US2942249A (en) * 1956-04-02 1960-06-21 Paull Melvin Signal system
US3266014A (en) * 1964-01-21 1966-08-09 Mallory & Co Inc P R Rotating beacon lantern
US3283297A (en) * 1963-11-08 1966-11-01 Victor A Pfennighausen Vehicle highway weather warning system
CH442083A (de) * 1966-03-25 1967-08-15 Diethelm Hermann Blinklichtanlage an Fussgängerstreifen
US3599201A (en) * 1968-04-23 1971-08-10 Leon L Clardy Selectively controlled alarm

Patent Citations (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1558905A (en) * 1920-12-17 1925-10-27 Milliken Foster Street signal lamp
US1960786A (en) * 1923-08-16 1934-05-29 Associated Electric Lab Inc Signaling system
US1824572A (en) * 1929-03-30 1931-09-22 Rca Corp Illuminating system for regulating traffic
US2504582A (en) * 1947-09-09 1950-04-18 Darrell I Pugin Speed indicating device
US2578239A (en) * 1948-09-02 1951-12-11 Fed Entpr Inc Enclosed rotating signal light
US2942249A (en) * 1956-04-02 1960-06-21 Paull Melvin Signal system
US2922981A (en) * 1956-11-15 1960-01-26 John W Anderson Automatic variable speed-limit sign
US2902669A (en) * 1956-12-11 1959-09-01 Frank J Lucarelli Highway guard
US3283297A (en) * 1963-11-08 1966-11-01 Victor A Pfennighausen Vehicle highway weather warning system
US3266014A (en) * 1964-01-21 1966-08-09 Mallory & Co Inc P R Rotating beacon lantern
CH442083A (de) * 1966-03-25 1967-08-15 Diethelm Hermann Blinklichtanlage an Fussgängerstreifen
US3599201A (en) * 1968-04-23 1971-08-10 Leon L Clardy Selectively controlled alarm

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5652705A (en) * 1995-09-25 1997-07-29 Spiess; Newton E. Highway traffic accident avoidance system
US20110121993A1 (en) * 2009-11-24 2011-05-26 International Business Machines Corporation Optimizing traffic speeds to minimize traffic pulses in an intelligent traffic system
US8730059B2 (en) * 2009-11-24 2014-05-20 International Business Machines Corporation Optimizing traffic speeds to minimize traffic pulses in an intelligent traffic system
ES2378103A1 (es) * 2010-09-10 2012-04-09 Fundación Para El Progreso Del Soft Computing Sistema de balizas luminosas para la gestión del tráfico en el caso de reducción del número de carriles.

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE2059804B2 (de) 1976-10-07
FR2116399A1 (de) 1972-07-13
AT317730B (de) 1974-09-10
GB1311398A (en) 1973-03-28
FR2116399B1 (de) 1977-06-17
DE2059804A1 (de) 1972-06-15
IT941930B (it) 1973-03-10

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