US1509160A - Signaling device - Google Patents

Description

same 23; 1924*.

A. L. MAHONY ET AL 5 IGNALING DEVICE Filed Aug. 15

1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 1924. v ma ma A. L. MAHONY ET AL Sept. 23

S IGNALING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 15, 1923 yam,

Sept 23, mm. wwww A. L. MAHONY ET AL SIGNALING DEVI CE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 15, 1923 ALOYSIUS L. MAHONY, or BOSTON, AND PETER .1. mn'srnon, or MEDFO'RJ),

' MASSACHUSETTS.

Patented ept. 23, 1924.

SIGNALING DEVICE.

Application filed August 15, 1923. Serial No. 657,496.

To all whom it may concern. Figure 12 is a view partly in section and Be it known that we, ALoYs1Us MA- partly in elevation, showing a modification. HONY and PETER J. LINSTROM, citizens of The same reference characters indicate the United States, residing at Boston and the same parts in all of the figures.- Medford, in the counties of Sufiolk and 12 represents a casing adapted to contain Middlesex, respectively, and State of Masan electric lamp 13, and fixed to a tubular sachusetts, have invented new and useful shaft 14, adapted to receive the socket of Improvements in Signaling Devices, of the lamp, as shown by Figure 1. The Gaswhich the following is a specification. mg is elongated in a direction substantially This invention relates chiefly to signalat rlght angles with the axis of the shaft, ing devices for motor vehicles, adapted to and has an enlarged end which may be notify street traflic of an intended turn to PPOVlded h 1611s and reduced; right or left, as well as of a continuation pr ferably pointed, opposite end, the form of a forward movement, without turning, of the casing being such that it constitutes 15 One object of the invention is to proa pointer. The opposite sides of the easvide a signaling device which may be suc- 111g have preferably triangular openings 16, cessfully used in an elevated and conspicadapted to transmit light from the lamp. uous position on the body of a closed motor The shaft 14 is journaled 1n bearings 17 car, and hi her than the roof, so that the and 18, formed in the top and bottom of actlng portlon of the device may be seen .a PlSton Chamber 19. Said chamber is from the front, rear, and both sides of the Substantially semiclroular, as shown by vehicle. F igure 9, and is provided in this instance Another object is to provide practical, Wl h means whereby it may be attached durable, and relatively inexpensive 'means to he upper portion of the closed body 20 for operating an elevated signal ona motor of a m or C r, the hack of the chamber car, from a point in convenient r ach of being preferably flat and provided with ears the driver. 1, 21, attachable as by screws 22 to a vertical Other objects will hereinafter ap ear. side portion of the body. The arrange Of the accompanying drawings orming ment is such that when the piston chamber a part of this specification,-- is in the predetermined position on the Figure 1 shows partly in section and body 20, the axis of theshaft 14 is substanpartly in elevation, the portion of a signaltially vertical,. and the axis of the lamp ing device embodying the invention, which casing substantially horizontal. The loca- 1 includes the direction-indicator and its tion of thepiston chamber shown by Figure support. v

Figure 2 shows partly in section and vice which includes the controlling -va Ve- Figures 3* and 4 are top plan views of the portion shown by Flgure 1.

5 is such' that the lamp casing is close to and higher than the front end of the body, and is at one corner of the latter, so that the casing may be clearly seen from the front, the rear, and both sides of the vehicle.

The lamp casing shaft 14 is provided within the chamber 19 with a wing piston Figure 5 is a perspective view, showing 23, movable,'by fluid pressure in the chama portion of a motor car having a signaling her, to either of the ositions indicated by device embodying the invention, the air full and dotted lines in Figure 9, the shaft conduits and the vaccum conduit hereinand the lamp casing being moved by the res 10 and 11 are perspective-views,

piston to corresponding positions, as indicated by full and dotted lines by Figures "end facing forward. When the piston is in the right'hand dotted line position, the lamp c'asmg is positioned as shown by full lines-by Figure 4:, its major axis extending crosswise of the body and the casing pointmember 25, fixed as by screws 26, to a holder 27, attached to the dash; and a movable member 28, adapted to turn on the fixed member, and maintained in close sliding contact therewith, by a spring 29, supported by a stem 30, which is fixed to the movable member and extends through a central orifice 31, in the fixed member, the spring bearing on a fixed abutment 32, and on a nut 33, carried by the stem, as shown by Figure 2.

A suction conduit 34'extends from the intake manifold 35 of the engine to and through the fixed valve member 25. suction conduit is in constant open connection with the valve and with the manifold,

so that suction is constantly exerted in all parts of the conduit. Air conduits 36, 37 and 38 passing through the fixed valve member, extend therefrom through the wall and to the cavityof the piston chamber 19.

The exposed portions of the several conduits are preferably lengths of copper or brass tubing, the end portions being holes formed in the valve and piston casings. The movable valve member 28 has a channel adapted to selectively connect the air conduits 36, 37 and 38 with the suction conduit 34, and is provided with air ports 30 and 40, which selectively open difl'erent air conduits to the atmosphere, all as hereinafter explained.

The said channel is preferably formed as shown by Figure 11, and-includessegmental portions 41 and 42, an annular portion 43,

and portions 44 connecting the segmental portions with the annular portion.

The movable valve member 28 is provided with a handle 45, having a spring-pressed detent 46, adapted to engage either of a series of indentations 47 in the holder27, and retain the handle and the movable member in different positions.

The operation is illustrated by Figures 6, 7, 8 and 9.

' When the handle 45 is moved to the position shown by Figure 6, the movable valve member 28 connects the'air conduit 37 with the suction conduit 34, through the described channel portions, the conduits 36 and .38 being closed. Air is .now simultaneously drawn from the piston chamber at one side Said tion conduit 34, the conduit 36 being closed and the conduit 37 opened to the atmosphere through the air port 40. Air is now simultaneously drawn from the piston chamber ,at one side of the piston through the exhaust conduit and into the chamber at the opposite side of the piston through the air conduit 38, until the piston reaches the right hand dotted line position (Figure 9), the lamp casing being now in the full line position (Figure 4) When the handle is moved to the right as shown by Figure 8, the movable member connects the air conduit 36 with the suction conduit 34, the conduit 38 being closedand the conduit 37 opened to the atmosphere through the air port 39." -Air is now simultaneously drawn from the piston chamber at one side of the piston through the exhaust conduit, and into the chamber at the opposite side of the piston through the air conduit 36, until the piston reaches the left hand dotted line position (Figure 9), the lamp casing being now in the dotted line position (Figure 4). 7

By pneumatically operating a directionindicating lamp casing,- the complication and liability to derangement of means including flexible cables heretofore employed for a similarpurpose are avoided, and the lamp casing is located in a position which is lfiigher and more conspicuous than heretoore.

Figure 12 shows a modified form of means for turning the lamp casing in which the tubular shaft 12 of the lamp casing is journaled in bearings 17 and 18 in a piston chamber formed as a cylinder 50,. A piston 51 is adapted to reciprocate in the cylinder and has a rack 52 meshing with a gear 53 on the shaft. Air conduits 36 and 38 corresponding to the conduits 36 and 38, enter opposite ends of the piston. An air conduit 37 corresponding to the conduit 37 has branches 37 b entering the cylinder between the ends thereof, and arranged to be closed by the' pistonwhen the lamp casing reaches a neutral position. The general operation" is as already described.

The lighting circuit which includes the lamp 13, and is shown diagrammatically by Figure 8, includes a switch, operated automatically to-extinguish the lamp when the casing is in its neutral or longitudinal position, the lamp being lighted only when the casing points crosswise. The switch as shown by dotted lines in Figures 6, 7 and 8, includes afixed member 54 having two spaced apart contacts 55 and a movable member 56 having a single contact 57, and

engaged with the-movable valve member.

lamp' casing may be moved to, and left in the different positions described, themotor furnishing the motive power, so that the muscular force of the, operator is exerted only to move the movable valve member.

Although the motor here shown is pneumatic, the invention is not necessarily limited to a motor of this type as implied in certain of the following claims.

The employmentiof a motor operated by force other than the muscular force of a driver, is believed to be new in a signaling device of the type described, and enables the lamp casing tobe located and successfully operated in aposition elevated above the roof of a closed vehicle body. The intake manifold is selected as the most convenient form of air-exhausting means. It is obvious, however, that other means may be employed for exhausting air through the suction conduit.

We claim: r

1. A signaling device comprising a dirigible direction-indicating lamp casing, a shaft supporting the same and arrang substantially at right angles with the major,

axis of the lamp casing, a pneumatic motor including a piston chamber provided with bearings for said shaft and with means for attachment to a vehicle body, in position to maintain said shaft substantially. vertical, a

manually operable controlling. valve, a plu-.

rality of an conduits connecting different ort1ons of the fpiston chamber with diferent portions 0 the controlling valve, airexhausting means carried by the vehicle, and a suction conduit connecting said valve with said air-exhausting means and in constant open communication with the valve and with the air-exhausting means, said valve being provided with means for selectively connecting either of the air conduits with the suction conduit and with the atmosphere.

2. A signaling device comprising a dirigi- V ble direction-indicating lamp casing, a shaft supporting the same and arranged substantially at right angles with the major axis of the lamp casing, a pneumatic motor including a piston chamber provided with bearings for said shaft and with means for attachment to a vehicle body, in position to maintain said shaft substantially vertical, a manually operable controlling valve, a plurality of air conduits connecting diflere'nt portions of the piston chamber with different portions of the controlling valve, airexhausting means carried by the vehicle, and a suction conduit connecting said valve with said air-exhausting means, and in constant open communication with the valve and with the air-exhausting means, said valve being provided with means for selectively connecting either of the air conduits with the suction conduit and with the atmos here, and

with means adapted for selective y opening diflerent air conduits to the atmosphere.

3. A signaling device comprising a diri gible direction-indicating lamp casing, a shaft supporting the same, and arranged substantially at right angles with the major axis of the lamp casing, a motor including a wing piston on said shaft, a substantially semicircular piston chamber provided with bearings for said shaft, formed internally to cooperate with said piston, and provided with means for attachment to a vehicle body in position to maintain the shaft substantially vertical, a manually operable controlling valve, a plurality of air conduits connecting different portions of the piston chamber with difierent portions of the controlling valve, air-exhausting' means carried by the vehicle, and a suction conduit connecting said valve with said air-exhausted with the suction conduit.

4. A signaling device comprising a dll'lglble direction-indicating lamp casing, a shaft supporting the same and arranged substantially at right angles with the major arms of the lamp casing, a pneumatic motor including a piston chamber provided with bearings for said shaft and with means for attachment to a vehicle body, inposition to maintain said shaft substantially vertical, a manually operable controlling valve, a plurality of air conduits connecting different portions of the piston chamberwith difierent portions of the controlling valve, air-exhausting means carried by the vehicle, and a suction conduit connecting said valve with said air-exhausting means and in constant open communication with the valve and with the air-exhausting means, said controlling valve comprisi a fixed member with which said aircondu1ts and suction conduit are engaged, a movable member and spring means maintaining the movable member in sliding contact with the fixed member, said movable member being provided with an operating handle, whereby it may be turned and with connected channel portions adapte to selectively connect either of the air conduits with the suction conduit. 5. A signaling device comprising a dirigible direction-indicating lamp casing, a shaft supporting, the same, and arranged substantially at right angles with the major .,axis of the lamp casing, a motor including a wing piston on said shaft, a substantially semicircular piston chamber provided with bearings for said shaft, formed internally to cooperate with said piston, and provided with means for attachment to a vehicle body iILPOSltiOn to maintain the shaft substantially vertical, a manually operable controlling valve, a plurality of air conduits con necting different portions of the piston chamber with different portions of the controlling valve, air-exhausting means car'- ried by the vehicle, and a suction conduit adapted to selectively. open different air conduits to the atmosphere.

In testimony whereof we have aflixed our signatures.

ALOYSIUS L. MAHONY. PETER J. (LINSTROM.

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