US2254676A - Traffic signal - Google Patents

Description

P 2, 1941- w. H. EBERT 25254376 TRAFFIC S I GNAL Filed Aug. 2, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 2, 1941. w H, EBERT 2,254,676

TRAFFIC S IGNAL Filed Aug. 2, 195'? 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 W. H. EBERT TRAFFIC SIGNAL Sept. 2, 1941.

Filed Aug. 2, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Sept. 2, 1941 UNITED srss FiQE This invention relates to an improved tramc signal adapted for disposition at roadway intersections or other suitable places for controlling the movement of trafiic.

One object of the invention is to provide a traffic signal embodying means for indicating, on the faces of the lenses employed, the passage of a predetermined amount of time before the change of lights in the signal so that persons waiting at the intersection may be advised of the proper time within which to cross and the possibility of their being caught in the middleof the intersection at the change of the lights, with possible resultant serious injury by moving traffic, eliminated.

Another object of the invention is to provide a traflic signal wherein means are employed for clearly indicating street numbers, names or the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will be employed in conjunction with a control box having means therein for supplying current uniformly to a driving motor in the signal and to the lights, and, at predetermined intervals, to magnetic clutches employed, whereby rotative movement wil be communicated through the clutches to the indicating means on the faces of the lenses, and the lenses illuminated at the same time so that the condition of the intersection may be readily made known to a motorist or pedestrian approaching from any direction.

A further object of the invention is generally to improve devices of this character.

Other and incidental objects of the invention, not mentioned hereinabove, will become apparent as the description of the invention proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings forming a par-t of the application:

Figure 1 is a plan View of my improved signal. Figure 2 is a vertical sectional View of the signal.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional View on the line 33 of Figure 2, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view showing the electrical circuit employed.

Figure 5 is a side elevation showing a modified form of the invention.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals of reference designate like parts throughout the various views, the numeral I indicates generally the casing of my improved signal. The casing is substantially rectangular in shape and is provided with side walls, 2, 3, 4 and 5. The casing is formed preferably of heavy gauge sheet metal and is provided with a removable top or cover 6 and a bottom wall 1. The top or cover 6 is provided medially thereof, at its upper side, with a supporting lug 8 adapted to receive, through an aperture therein, a supporting cable 9 for permitting mounting of the device at the center of an intersection thereabove or in any other suitable position.

The casing I is provided medially of its height with a partition [0 which divides the casing into upper and lower compartments and [2. Pairs of oppositely disposed lenses [3 and I4 are carried in the side Walls 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the casing in the upper and lower compartments, one of' said pair of lenses being red in color and the other of the pair of lenses being green. It should be understood that each of the side walls will be provided with one red and one green lens disposed in vertical alinement, in accordance with conventional practice. The lenses are carried by frames l5 which are mounted infront of suitable openings in the walls of the casing and these frames are formed with overhanging flanges l6. Visors I! are connected with the frames l5 and serve to direct light beams emitted from the lamps l8 in the casing in one generaldirection. The lamps l8 are, in the upper compartment, four in number and are removable mounted in sockets H] which are secured to the under surface of the top 6. Preferably four lamps l8a, of similar construction, are carried in the lower compartment on a bracket l9a which is of substantially cross shape and is mounted on the bottom wall 1 within the casing. One of the lamps l8 and I80. is disposed behind each of the lenses of the pairs of lenses l3 and I4 so that when said lamps are illuminated in a manner to be described hereinafter, a strong beam of light will be passed through the lenses. v

Mounted in the frame l5 forwardly of the lenses l3 and it are clear glass lenses 20 which are limited against outward movement'by the flanges l6 and against inward movement by spacing rings 2! which are disposed between said colored lenses and said clear glass lenses. The rings 2|, of course, effectually space the lenses l3 and I4 and the lenses 2!) from each other and define sub-compartments 22. In order to retain thelenses in place in the frames IS in both the upper and lower compartments. I provide brackets 23 which are diametrically vertically disposed in the casing and are mounted 1 on-the inner surfaces of the Walls 2, 3, 4 and 5 adjacent the openings through which the lenses are passed prior to mounting in the frames l5. Clamping rings 24 are disposed between the inner surfaces of the colored lenses of the pairs of lenses l3 and I4 and said brackets 23, and these clamping rings are engaged by the brackets 23 for permitting effectual clamping of the lenses in position. The brackets 23 include bearing sleeves 24 which are adapted to journal the opposite corresponding outer end portions of shafts 25 which extend through the lenses l3 and I4, as well as through the clear glass lenses 20, and are provided with knobs 28 at their outer end portions exteriorly of the sub-compartments 22. The shafts 25 are provided with indicating hands 21 which are disposed within the sub-compartments 22 and are adapted to rotate over the colored glass lenses l3 and !4. The shafts 25 are provided at their corresponding inner end portions with beveled gears 28. Preferably four of the shafts are provided in each compartment and they are, as best seen in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings, disposed each at right angles to the other and each of said shafts has one of the beveled gears 28 secured to its inner end for engagement with a beveled gear 29 which is carried by a driving sleeve 33 having an open upper end provided with a key 'slot 3|. Axmagnetic shoe 32 is provided and has a stem 33 and a key 34 which is engageable in the key slot 3|. I have shown the beveled gear 29 disposed in the lower compartment, but; as' will be seen in Figure 2, a like arrangement of the parts 29, 30, 3|, 32, 33 and 34 is carried in the upper compartment. Springs 35 surround. the driving sleeves and are adapted for retracting the magnetic shoes 32 and preventing disengagement of the stems 33 from the sleeves 30. It will be seen that rotation of the shoes 32 will transmit rotative movement to the beveled gears 29 so that each of the gears 28 will be rotated and the indicating hands 21 rotated within the sub-compartments 22. In order to retain the beveled gears 28 in proper operative relation with the beveled gears 29, I provide bearing brackets 36 which are substantially cross shape and are formed with bearings 31 journaling the shafts 25 adjacent the beveled gears 23. One of the bearing brackets 36 is carried in each of the compartments and will journal the ends of the four shafts carried in each compartment.

Mounted on the partition III is a motor 38 which is provided with a reduction gear 39. A drive shaft 40 is carried by the reduction gear and is provided with magnetic clutch members 4| and 42. The magnetic clutch member 4! is disposed in the compartment H while the member 42 is located in the compartment l2, and both of said clutch members are disposed in close spaced relation to the shoes 32 in each of the compartments. A transformer 43 and a magnetic rectifier 44 are carried on the partition 10 and are adapted to supply electric current to the magnetic clutch members 4! and42, which clutch members are formed with a preferably laminated core of soft iron. It will be understood that when the motor is operating for rotating the magnetic clutch members and current is passed from the transformer and rectifier to the clutch members through suitable collector brushes, or in any other desired manner, theclutch members will be energized for attracting the shoes 32 thereto and thus transmitting rotative movement to the sleeves 36 and the beveled gears 29 so that rotative movement will be transmitted to the indicating hands 21. The indicating hands will be caused to rotate within the subcompartments for indicating the passage of a predetermined amount of time. A fixed indicating hand 45 is secured within each of the subcompartments 22, on the shafts 25, and is adapted to act as a guide so that it may be made known when the indicating hands 21 have made a complete revolution. The speed of rotation of the shafts 25 will, of course, depend upon the speed of the reduction gear 39 and the ratio between the beveled gears 29 and 28. The motor is adapted to rotate at all times at a uniform speed so that possible variations in speed caused by sudden stopping and starting of the motor will not affect the rotation of the movable indicating hands 21. The fixed indicating hand is provided with an adjusting nut 45a for permitting setting thereof.

In the lower end portion of the lower compartment l2 and located in the walls 2, 3, 4 and 5 thereof, are openings 46 which are adapted to carry magnifying lenses 4'! therein. The magnifying lenses are held in place by means of frames 48 having overhanging flanges 45 thereon which are adapted to firmly clamp the lenses 4'! in position in the openings 46. Screws 50 are passed through the frames 43 for effectually securing the frames in place on the walls of the casing. The lenses 4'! are adapted to be disposed in front of suitable indicia of translucent formation so that light from the bulbs [8a may pass through the indicia and through the magnifying lenses for permitting ready reading of the indicia by persons at the intersection. The indicia will, of course, preferably represent street names or numbers.

In Figure 4 of the drawings, I have shown diagrammatically, a wiring diagram of my improved traffic signal and it will be seen that a conductor 5| connects one terminal of the m0tor 3fl with a common ground terminal while a conductor 52 connects the other terminal of the motor With a suitable current source, indicated at 53. It will be seen that, as stated, the motor will be caused to rotate as long as the current is flowing through the conductors 5| and 52. The numerals 54, 55, 56 and 51 indicate collector brushes of a control box which is adapted to supply current intermittently to the traffic signal so that when current is passing through the brush 54 it will be led through a conductor 55a to one terminal of the lamps I 8 which may be designated as those behind the green lenses, and thence through a conductor 56a to one terminal of a pair of the lamps IBa which will be designated as those behind the red lenses in the lower compartment, and thence back to the ground. From the transformer 43, conductors 59 are led to the rectier 44 and thence to the collector brushes 56 and 51 which are adapted to transfer the current to the magnetic clutch members 4| and 42. The current is led from said magnetic clutch members to the ground through the partition ll) which is, of course, grounded to the casing. If desired, the conductor 62 may be utilized for grounding the magnetic clutch members. The lamps l8 disposed behind the red lenses and the lamps I8a disposed behind the green lenses are connected to the brush 55 by means of a conductor 63 and are subsequently connected to the ground by means of a conductor 64.,

As shown fragmentarily at 66 in Figure 1, suitable partitions may be employed for defining a separate compartment for each of the lamps.

It is believed that the operation of my improved traflic signal will be understood from the foregoing. However, it may be stated that the control box or source of current supply 53, may be of any desired construction as it does not form a part of my invention. The control box is, however, adapted to supply an intermittent flow of current for any predetermined length of time to the brushes 3, 55, Stand 57', so that the lamps l8 and I8a, disposed behind'the red'an'd green lenses in the upper and lower compartments, will be illuminated forindicating alternate red and green signals at the intersection. The drum of the control box is shown at 53a and said drum is provided with collector rings 531).

As will be observed, the arrangement of electrical wiring employed permits the operation of the movable indicating hands simultaneously with the energization of the lamps l8 and 48a in such a manner that when red beams are projected to face opposite sides of an intersection and green beams are projected to face the other opposite sides of the intersection at right angles to said first mentioned sides, the indicating hands will begin to move about the faces of the lenses and will continue to move until the predetermined period of time for the lights to remain on, for permitting trafiic to travel in a given direction, is up. During the short period in which the lights are changing, the indicating hands will hesitate and, after the lights have changed, said indicating hands will continue to rotate for the next predetermined period of time. A pedestrianor motorist will thus be able not only to ascertain the condition of the intersection, by the use of my device, but will also be able to learn the amount of time during which the signal will remain in either the red or green signaling position.

Referring now to the modification of the invention, as shown in Figure 5 of the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates in general a casing which is of the same general construction as that shown in the preferred form of the invention. The casing is, of course, rectangular in shape and is provided with lens openings on all sides at the top and bottom of the casing. The openings are indicated at H and are adapted to have colored lenses mounted therein. Secured to the margins of the openings are visors 12 which are of similar construction to the visors ll. Intermediate the casing and between the openings H at the top of the casing and those at the bottom thereof are located rectangular openings M which extend throughout the major portion of the width of the sides of the casing and are adapted to be closed by lenses 15 which are held in position by means of visor frames 16 having integral visors l7 thereon. The lenses 15 are adapted to permit the diffusion of light from the caution signal bulb-s 18 which are shown in dotted lines in Figure 5 and are adapted to be illuminated during the caution period.

Mounted in the casing are shafts l9, shown in dotted lines and which are adapted to be supported by means of a circular supporting bracket 80 also shown in dotted lines. The construction is similar to that shown at 36 and 31 in Figure 2 of the drawings. Indicating hands 8| and 82 are carried on the shafts 19 in a construction identical with that shown in the preferred form. Brackets 83 and 84 are carried at both the upper and lower sections of the casing and are adapted to support driving shafts 85 which carry driving gears 86 thereon. It will be understood that, as in the preferred form, duplicate structures are carried in both the upper and lower sections of the casing. A common driving shaft 81 is, how ever, employed. This driving shaft is supported by the brackets 84 and extends throughout substantially the entire central portion of the casing. The driving shaft is provided, at its upper end, with a pinion 88 which meshes with the uppermost gear 86 and, near its lower end, the driving shaft 8'! is provided with a drive pinion 89. At its lower end the driving shaft 8'! carries a clutch member 90 which is keyed against rotation on the shaft by a key 9! and is permitted longitudinal downward movement by means of a slot 92. A spring 93 normally retains the clutch member 90 in upward position. As shown at 94, a magnet headis employed. This magnet head. or element is connected to a motor 95 located in the bottom of the casing. The operation of the motor and clutch member is identical with that of the preferred form. At 96 are shown lenses which are intended to be of the clear glass variety and have mounted 'therebehind, as shown in dotted lines, display lamps 91. The lenses 536 and the lampsfi! may be purely for the purpose of illumination. On'the other hand, if. desired, a stenciled plate having street indications out thereout may be placed behind the lenses so that the lamps will clearly'show to the passerby the names or numbers of the streets .whose crossing defines the intersection. The operation'of the modified form of the invention takes place in an identical manner with that'of the preferred form .withthe exception that but one common shaft, the shaft 87, and one clutch arrangement is needed, it bee ing understood that the indicating mechanism will operate on both the upper and lower sections of the casing at identical speeds irrespectiveof the warning to be given. Greater simplicity in this form of the invention is believed to have been achieved. Further description is not thought to be necessary.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. In a traffic signal, a casing, an indicating hand carried by the casing, a shaft carried by the casing for mounting the indicating hand, continuously rotatable means in the casing, and means energizable for intermittently connecting the shaft and indicating hand with said continuously rotatable means whereby said continuously rotatable means will transmit rotative movement for a predetermined period of time to the indicating hand for indicating the passage of the predetermined period of time.

2. In a traffic signal, a casing having a partition defining compartments and having a pair of spaced lenses carried by the frames, indicating hands carried between the lenses, shafts carried by the casing and projecting through the lenses for mounting said indicating hands, beveled gears carried by the shafts at their corresponding inner ends, bearing brackets supporting the inner ends of said shafts, a driving sleeve associated with the shafts and having a beveled gear meshing with the beveled gears of said shafts, a magnetic shoe associated with the driving sleeve and having a stem provided with a key, said key slidably connecting the stem with said driving sleeve, a spring carried by the driving sleeve and preventing displacement of the magnetic shoe, a motor mounted in the easing and adapted for continuous rotation, a reduction gear carried by the motor, a magnetic clutch member carried by the reduction gear, and means for energizing the clutch member for 4- attracting the magnetic shoe whereby rotative movement will be imparted to the driving sleeve, the shafts and the indicating hands during a predetermined period of time of rotation of said motor whereby the passage of said predetermined period of time will be indicated exteriorly of the casing.

3. In a trafiic signal, a casing, a partition separating the easing into upper and lower compartments, lenses carried by the casing in said upper and lower compartments, indicating hands mounted to rotate over the faces of said lenses, shafts carried in the upper and lower compartments and mounting said indicating hands, a motor mounted on the partition and having a reduction gear and a shaft projecting into said upper and lower compartments, said motor being continuously rotatable, magnetic clutch members mounted on the opposite ends of the shafts within said upper and lower compartments and being selectively energizable, driving sleeves, means rotatably connecting said driving sleeves with said shafts in said upper and lower compartments, and magnetic shoes movably carried by the driving sleeves and shiftable by selective energization of said magnetic clutch members into engagement with said clutch members whereby rotative movement of the motor through said reduction gear will be imparted to the indicating hands for indicating the passage of a predetermined period of time.

4. In a traffic signal, a casing having a partition dividing said easing into upper and lower compartments, lenses carried by the casing, shafts carried by the casing in each of the compartments, said shafts being adapted to project through the lenses, movable indicating hands secured to the shafts and adapted to rotate over the faces of certain of the lenses, a motor carried in the casing and mounted on the partition and being adapted for continuous rotation, said motor having a reduction gear provided with a shaft extending into said upper and lower compartments, magnetic clutch members carried by said shaft, magnetic responsive means carried in the compartments and rotatably connected with the shafts for cooperating with the magnetic clutch members for imparting rotative movement to the shafts and said movable indicating hands, lamps carried in the compartments and adapted to project signal beams through the lenses, and means for supplying electric current intermittently and selectively to the lamps in the compartments and to the magnetic clutch members whereby selective rotative movement of the movable indicating hands and illumination of the lamps will take place, said movable indicating hands serving to indicate the passage on the faces of the lenses of a predetermined period of time during which the lamps remain illuminated. 5. In a trafiic signal, a casing having side walls, a bottom wall and a cover, means carried by the cover for permitting suspension of the casing, a partition dividing the casing into upper and lower compartments, lenses carried by the side walls, lamps behind the lenses for projecting signal beams therethrough, shafts extending through the lenses, movable indicating hands carried by the shafts and adapted to swing over the faces of the lenses, brackets journaling the shafts at their forward ends and serving to retain the lenses in place, and means for rotating the hands.

WILLIAM H. EBERT.

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