US1757206A - Crossing signal - Google Patents

Description

y 1930. J. A. MORRISON I 1,757,206

CROSSING 'SIGNAL Filed Dec. 20, 1927 Patented May 6 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN A. MOR'RISON, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR TO SAFETY SIGNAIi PAN Y, A. CORPORATION OF WASHINGTON COM- CROSSING SIGNAL Original application filed December 4, 1926, Serial No. 152,622. Divided and this application illed December 20, 1927.

This invention relates to railroad crossing signals, and more particularly to lightning flash signals. The present application is a division of my co-pending application, Serial No. 152,622, filed December 4th, 1926. In

crossings. With the rapid increase in automobile trafiic, the toll of human lifetaken at grade crossings has heavily increased in the past few years. I am well aware of. the fact that warning signals, both audible and visible, at railroad crossings, are not new. However, there are so many warning lights displayed upon the highways, and so many attention attracting lights displayed for advertising purposes along the highways, such as at inns, refreshment stands, and the like, that the ordinary visual signal has largely lost its value, as far as indicating the existence of a railroad crossing is concerned.

Therefore, one of the principal objects in view, both in my parent application, aforesaid, and in this divisional application, is to provide a railroad crossingsignal which will e so distinctive in a pearance that there will be no danger of its being confused with any other visual signal. This 'is accomplished by providing 'a visual signal which will repeatedly flash in imitation of a streak of light-- ning. Consequently, it will be seen that not only is the signal one which is not likely to be confused with any other signal, but it simulates something that the human mind has associated with danger, throughout the ages.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is an elevation of a signal, constructed in accordance with'the invention,

Figure 2 is a view, partly in side elevation, and partly in vertical sectionthrough the signal casing,

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view ofone form ofwiring which may Serial No. 241,279.

ble signal 6. This signal 6 may be a bell,

a whistle, or the siren of my parent application, above referred to. The visual signal comprises a casing 7, having opposite side walls 8 and 9. These walls are opaque, except for sight openings 10. These sight openings are 0 zig zag formation to simulate the conventional representation of a streak of lightning. Electric lamps, which may be disposed at any desirable point within the casing 7, are indicated at 11, 12, 13 and 14, though the number of these lamps may be varied as conditions require. These lamps are arranged in parallel in an electric circuit 15, and are controlled by a rotative flasher 16, of conventional formation comprising a plurality of arcuate segments 16, 16", 16, 16 Segment 16 is slightly longer than segment 16, and 16 is slightly longer than 16*, and so on, so that the lamps will be successively energized. Since these lamps are disposed at s aced positions longitudinally of the casing%, it follows that the illumination visible through the sight opening will appear to be A the circuit 15 as including a source of E. M. F.

18, audible signal 6, and a section of railroad track 19, it being understood that the presenceof a train jn that particular section of track, which may be insulated at 20 from adjacent sections of track, will result in completing the circuit, sounding the audible signal 6, and flashing the lights 11 to 14, in

succession. a y

The claims in my co-pendmg apphcation,

aforesaid, include the audible signal, and

the ni h m th reof, more or le s roadly. I

The present application is intended to cover the hghtning ash signal per se, irrespective of whether it is employed with anaudible signal or not, and irrespective of the nature of the audible signal employed therewith.

It is apparent that many ways of arranging the lamps and partitions will readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in the '--which the lights are energized.

The sight openings of casing 8 may be covered by glass in a manner common in illuminated signals and it is clear that saidglass may be of any desired color, red for instance, to produce the appearance of a red streak of lightning, if desired.

It is to be understood that the term successively in the appended claims is to be construed broadly. Also-it is to be understood that the term lightning flash is to be broadly construed; The lightning flash effeet is primarily produced by the creation, across'the railroad crossing, of a materially elongated streak of light, i. e., a streak of light that is materially longer than it is wide, and this effect is enhancedby the jerky illumination of this elongated streak. I wish it to be understood that the invention includes any way of producing, across a railroad crossing, the general effect of a lightning flash. urther, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited'to the precise construction set forth, but that it includes within its purview whatever changes fairly come within either the terms or'the spirit of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

L A distinctive signal for railroad crossings, comprlsing a casing having ,side walls, the major portions of which are opaque, and slfllt openings therein extending diagonally 0 said side walls, said sight openings being of zig zagformation in simulation of a lightn-lng flash, a plurality of partitions in said casing dividing the same into a pluralityof compartments longitudinally thereof, electric lamps in said compartments, and means for energizing said lamps successively, the said lightning flash simulation constituting the only illumination in conjunction with said signal.

2. A- distinctive signal for railroad cross 1 ings, comprising a casing having side walls,-

a sight opening of zig zag formation formed in one 0 said side walls simulating the conventional representation of a lightning flash, and extending diagonally of said casing substantially from end to end thereof, electric ma or portions of which are opaque, and a sight opening therein extending diagonally -of said side walls, said sight opening being of zigzag formation in simulation of a lightning flash, a plurality of partitions in said casing, which extend obliquely across said casing, at an angle oppositetothat ofthesight opening, and dividing the same into a plurality of compartments longitudinally thereof, said sight opening being common to all of said compartments, an electric lamp in each of said compartments, and means for energizing said lamp successively, the said lightning flash simulation constituting the only illumination in conjunction with said signal.

4. A distinctive signal for railroad crossings, comprising a casing of elongated rectangular formation having side walls, the major portions of-which are opaque, and a sight opening therein extending diagonally of said side walls, said sight opening being of zigzag formation in simulation of a lightning flash, a plurality of partitions in said casing which extend obliquely across said casing at an angle opposite to that of the sight opening and dividing the same into a plurality of compartments longitudinally thereof, said sight opening being common to all of said compartments, an electric lamp in each of said compartments, said lamps being supported from the top of the casing at that end thereof where the sight opening lies nearestthe to of the casing, and being disposed upon the ottom of the casing at that end of the casing where the sight opening lies nearest the bottom of the casing, and means for energizing said lamps successively, the said lightning flash simulation constituting the only illumination in conjunction with said signal.

5. A distinctive signal for railroad crossings, comprising a casing of elongated rectangular formation having side walls, the major portions of which are opaque, and

a sight opening in each of the side walls of said casing of zig zag formation in simulation of'a lightning flash, said sight openings extending diagonally with respect to the side walls of the casing, the sight opening at one side of the casing extending from the upper outer corner of the casing to the lower inner corner thereof, and the sight opening at the other side of the casing extending from the I lower outer corner to the upper inner corner,

a plurality of electric lights spaced longitudinally along the interior of said casing, and means for successively energizing the said lights. 6. A distinctive signal for railroad crossings, comprising a casing of elongated rectangular formation, having side walls, the ma or portions of which are opaque, and a sight opening in each of the side walls of said casing of zig zag formation in simulation of a lightning flash, said sight openings extending diagonally with respect to the side walls of the casing, the sight opening at one side of the casing extending from the upper outer corner of the casin to the lower inner corner thereof, and the sight opening at the '15. A railroad crossing warning signal nature.

JOHN A. MORRISON.

other side of the casing extending from the lower outer corner to the upper inner corner, a plurality of partitions dividing the interior of the casing into a plurality of independent compartments, individual electric lights for the several compartments, and means for successively energizing said lights. 7. A railroad crossing warning signal havmg a portion constructed in simulation of a hghtning flash, and means for illuminating said portion. 8. A railroad crossing warning signal, havmg a portion constructed in simulation of a lightning flash, and means for illuminating saidportion in a jerky manner. I

9. A railroad crossing warning signal, having a portion constructed in simulation of a lightning flash, and means for illuminating said portion in a series of steps.

10. railroad crossing warning signal, comprising a casing having a sight opening made in simulation of a lightning flash, and means for interiorly illuminating said casing.

11. railroad crossing warning signal, compr sing a casing having a sight opening made in simulation of a lightning flash, and

'means for interiorly illuminating said casmg in a step-by-step manner.

12. In association with a railroad crossing, a warning signal having a portion constructed in simulation of a lightning flash and disposed substantially transversely across the approach to said crossing, and means for illuminating said portion. v

13. The combination, in association with a raiload crossing, of a warnin signal ha'vmg a portion constructed in simulation of an elongated lightning flash disposed with A its length across the approach to said 0 ossmg, and an interior illgminating means or said signal, comprising a plurality of elements disposed along the length of said portion, which are energized successively.

14. The herein described method of warnmg persons about to cross a railroad track of the approach of a train, which comprises flashing across the approach to the track,

an illuminated signal of such a nature as tosimulate an elongated lightning fiash

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