US3210728A - Traffic instructional means for incorporation in and use with electric traffic signal lights - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 5, 1965 F. A. DAVIS ETAL TRAFFIC INSTRUCTIONAL MEANS FOR INCORPORATION IN AND USE WITH ELECTRIC TRAFFIC SIGNAL LIGHTS Filed May 22, 1963 TIA/776' 4/667 7/415 50X 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS Oct. 5, 1965 F. A. DAVIS ETAL 3,210,728

TRAFFIC INSTRUCTIONAL MEANS FOR INCORPORATION IN AND USE WITH ELECTRIC TRAFFIC SIGNAL LIGHTS Filed May 22, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 6, l 71/ M J? 1/ 1 7 7/ ,4;

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United States Patent TRAFFIC INSTRUCTIONAL MEANS FOR IN- CORPORATION IN AND USE WITH ELEC- TRIC TRAFFIC SIGNAL LIGHTS Frank A. Davis, Box 115, Flat Rock, Ind., and Herold H. Losche, 541 Euclid Ave., Greenwood, Ind. Filed May 22, 1963, Ser. No. 282,302 12 Claims. (Cl. 340107) This invention relates to electric traffic signal lights and more particularly to means for providing trafiic instruction on the lenses of the stop, go, and caution lights of the normal electric traffic signal lights used at street or road intersections in addition to the color directions of the signal.

The commonly used and ordinarily recognized electric trafiic signal lights, known throughout the nation, direct motorists by color code when to stop, go, and use caution or prepare to stop. Sidewalks and curbs are often strewn with additional traffic instructions on signs to notify motorists-and pedestriansof speed limits, school zones, right turns at certain times, etc. It is also recognized that conditions may be quite different for different hours of the day and traffic engineers would like to change the traffic pattern, including speed, to meet these changing conditions for better or safer flow of trafiic. These changing conditions are only prepared for, if at all, by curb or sidewalk signs which are also oftentimes obscured by heavy trafiic or by other obstructions which cause motorists to miss seeing the signs. Also, the curb or sidewalk signs of instructions to the motorists set up hazardous conditions for that reason that the motorists need most of their attention on moving tratfic and pedestrians rather than to be distracted in an eye-search for the instructional signs.

The present invention was conceived to remove many of the disadvantages of the many instructional signs for the motorists by placing these instructions in the trafiic light itself where the motorists must look for stop, go, and caution color directions. For the purpose of clarity herein trafiic directions will be referred to as those provided by the color coded traflic signal of stop, g0, and caution" while all other tratfic information will be referred to as instructions. This invention further contemplates the changes in instructions for dilferent times of day. For example, the speed limit for city traffic is usually fixed and well publicized so that curb and sidewalk signs should be unnecessary, but in certain areas, where traflic is exceptionally heavy or there is a school, it may be desirable to slow down the motoring traffic. Such traflic instructions could be, by this invention, given by the green or go signal at the trafiic intersection. The same timing mechanism that times the trafiic signal could be used, or readily adapted, to superimpose the additional trafiic instructions on the face of the green or go signal, such as mph, an arrow instructing all trafiic to go right, etc. In this invention means are shown and described to acutate a flag, panel, or curtain over the face of the traffic signal light, preferably the green or go signal light, although the yellow caution or red stop lights could be used where appropriate, with written instructions thereon. These instructions may be in symbol form, such as arrows showing the direction that traffic must take, speed limits abbreviated, or

school notice with a speed limit. The flag, panel, or curtain is actuated by an electric motor, such as a solenoid or rotary motor, in circuit with the timing mechanism of the traffic signal. The timing mechanisms are usually synchronous clock motors which drive the electric switches of the trafiic signal. Electric switches could be readily added to cause the motor actuator of the flag, panel, or curtain to be superimposed over the preferred light of the trafiic signal light at predetermined hours. This puts all the important trafiic information before the motorist who, needless to say, must watch the traflic signal for proper openation of his vehicle. It is therefore a general object of this invention to provide the presently used and operated electric traffic signals with traffic instructional flags, panels, or curtains operative in conjunction with the timing mechanism of the electric traific signal, to additionally instruct motorists as to a trafiic regulation along with the red stop, yellow caution, or green go color directions of the signal.

These and other objects, advantages, features, and usesof this invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art as the detailed description proceeds when considered along with the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 illustrates a common electric traflic signal with an instructional flag or panel superimposed over the lens of the green or go signal;

FIGURE 2 illustrates a side view of the FIGURE 1 view, or 90 degrees of the FIGURE 1 view, to show the external solenoid operators;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged view of the flagor panel and operator of FIGURES 1 and 2 with the trafiic signal housing shown broken away;

FIGURE 4 illustrates an enlarged view of a flag or panel having a traffic instruction thereon;

FIGURE 5 illustrates a means for operating three different flags or panels at different hours by rotary electric motors;

FIGURE 6 illustrates the use of paired internal flags or panels motorized by a rotary electric motor;

FIGURES 7 and 8 illustrate different types of paired flags or panels and different trafiic instructions for internal use in the traffic light housings as shown in FIG- URE 6;

FIGURES 9 and 10 illustrate a modification of hinged flags or panels that could be used internally of a trafiic signal housing and the motive means therefor;

FIGURE 11 shows a face view of the hinged flag or panel used in FIGURES 9 and 10; and

FIGURES l2 and 13 illustrate a further modification of a curtain type flag or panel, FIGURE 12 showing the flag or panel in operative display position while FIG- URE 13 shows the flag or panel in the inoperative or non-display position.

Referring more particularly to FIGURES 1, 2, and 3, there is shown in FIGURE 1 one face view of an electric trafiic signal having four faces for a cross street intersection. The trafiic signal 20 is supported by a steel post 21, shown broken away for illustrative purposes, although some are suspended by cables or other means in actual practice. The signal has the usual three vertical lights, the upper of which is with a red lens 22 for stop signalling, a middle yellow caution lens 23 for caution signalling, and a lower green lens 24 for go signalling.

On the lower green lens 24 is a flag or panel 25 of opaque or slightly transparent material, such as plastic or metal, with a transparent or cut-out portion of straight up and right arrows 26. FIGURE 2 shows a view of FIGURE 1 turned degrees. FIGURE 3 illustrates an enlarged sectional view of the traflic signal of FIGURES l and 2 more clearly showing the flag or panel 25 and the instructional traffic symbol 26 thereon. The flag or panel 25 is hinged at the top 27 with shaft ends being journaled in bearing caps 28. The shaft hinge connected to the flag or panel 25 extends through the left bearing cap 28 to which end is fastened a lever arm 29. This lever arm is linked by 36 to the plunger of a solenoid 31, the solenoid coil 32 being fastened in any suitable manner to the frame of the traffic signal. The solenoid coil has leads 33 that may be connected to the traflic signal timing mechanism to actuate the flag or panel down over the green lens 24 at designated times of the day. The solenoid is of the type having a spring 34 therein to bias the plunger 31 outwardly in the unenergized condition to raise the flag or panel 25, as shown in FIGURE 2, or it may be of the locking type which will remain in either of its two positions. The particular traffic instruction shown, when the solenoid 32 is energized and the flag 25 is down, is that traffic may only go straight through or to the right. With the flag 25 up it functions as a hood over the green lens. It may be presumed that traffic may normally flow left, right, and straight through with the flag 25 up. It may be readily understood that the timing mechanism could be set to change the traffic pattern two, three, or more times during the day to suit conditions.

FIGURE 4 shows a flag or panel only, which may be used in the FIGURES l, 2, or 3 examples, to change the speed limit during certain times of the day, for example, from a 40 mph. speed limit to a 30 mph. speed limit as shown in the figure. FIGURE shows still another flag or panel trafiic instructional sign, that of a curve, which indicates that traflic may only go to the right at a Y intersection during the hours that the flag is covering the green lens of the traflic signal. FIGURE 5 also illustrates that as many as three flags or panels, giving three different instructions, at different times of the day, may be used. The flag or panel 25 is shown in the effective display position, while the flags or panels 25a and 25b are shown in the ineffective or non-display positions. Further, FIGURE 5 shows the flags actuatable by rotary electric motors 40 with Worm gears 41 in engagement with pinion gears on the flag or panel shafts. Each motor 40 will be wired to the timing mechanism of the traflic signal for sequential operation at different times of the day as necessity requires.

FIGURES 6, 7, and 8 illustrate another modification of the flag or panel traflic instruction which may be used, preferably inside the traflrc signal housing. In this modification, the flag or panel is in two pieces and operated as two oppositely hinged paired doors 45, 45 and 46, 46. When the paired flags or panels are operated to be in alignment in the beam of the green lens of the traffic signal, their adjacent edges touch or lap to provide the traffic instruction, as shown in FIGURES 7 and 8. In this modification, one electric rotary motor 47 is used to operate the paired panels or flags 45 and 46 on opposite faces of the green lens through shafts 48 and worm gears 49 cooperating with small pinion gears on the flag or panel shaft hinges, as well understood by those skilled in the art. The signal lights and reflectors 50 can readily be positioned to allow clearance for the paired flags or panels 45 and 46.

FIGURES 9, 10, and 11 illustrate another modification of the invention, still carrying out the fundamental concept of providing traffic instruction to the motorists, or others involved, in addition to the stop, go, and caution directions in color. In this modification, the flag or panel is separated into two hinged half-sections 55-56 and 5758 to decrease the operating space from the space required by the earlier modifications. The four sections of flags or panels, 5558, are pivoted at their outer top corners 59, 60, 61, and 62, the pivots 59 and 62 being to bearing supports 63 and 64, respectively, for a screw threaded actuator shaft 65. The pivots 6t and 61 are pivoted, respectively, to two travelling blocks 66 and 67 which are threadedly journaled on the shaft 65. The threaded shaft 65 is oppositely threaded over each half section so that rotation in one rotative direction causes the blocks 66 and 67 to travel away from each other, and when the shaft 65 is rotated in the other rotative direction, the blocks 66 and 67 will travel toward each other. Limit switches 68 and 69 break the motor circuit for each rotative direction as the panels or flags reach the fully open non-display or fully closed display positions. As illustrated in FIGURE 9, a reversible rotary electric motor 7 0 drives a pinion 71 on the threaded shaft 65 by a worm gear on the motor shaft, shown and described for the other figures. FIGURE 9 also shows the reflector 72 and light bulb 73 in position. FIGURE 11 shows a face view with the sectioned flags or panels in closed display position over the green lens of the traflic signal with the traffic symbol instruction thereon indicating that only straight through traflic or left turn traflic may proceed when the green light is illuminated. It is also to be understood that the motor 70 is circuited through the limit switches to the timing mechanism of the traffic signal as disclosed for the preceding figures.

FIGURES 12 and 13 illustrate a still further modification of a curtain type of flag or panel to be pulled over the face, or back side, of the green lens of the traflic light. The curtain 84) may be of a slightly transparent or opaque material with a transparent or cut-out portion 81 of figures or letters giving traflic instructions. The curtain 80 is rollable upon a window-blind type roller 82 that is normally spring biased to roll the curtain 80 thereon, and without any catches as found in window-blinds. The curtain 80 has a cord or other suitable means 83 looped from each outer corner, the mid portion being fastened in any suitable manner to the mid-point of a second roller 85 journaled in bearings 86. The roller 82 is likewise journaled in bearings 87, the bearings 86 and 87 being supported on the housing of the traffic signal (not shown) as by bolts or in any other suitable manner. The roller 85 has a shaft extension thereon with a small pinion gear that is in mesh with the worm gear 88 of an electric rotary motor 89. The motor 89 is energizable through the timing mechanism of the traflic signal in the same manner as described for the prior figures. Limit switches could be positioned in any suitable manner to limit curtain travel in each direction, as well understood by those skilled in the art. FIGURE 12 shows the curtain 80 unrolled to expose or display the traffic instruction from the green lens 90, while FIGURE 13 shows the curtain 80 rolled up to expose the whole green lens 90' and non-display of the traffic instruction. The cord 83 in the rolling and unrolling operation, by virtue of its central attachment to the roller 85, will not cross cords to foul the operation.

It is to be understood that the traflic instructions shown on the various figures are for example only herein and that any designation, symbol, figure or figures, letter or letters, and words may be used on the variously used flags, panels, or curtains as deemed appropriate or necessary in carrying out the inventive concept. By these means traffic instructions, in addition to the stop, go, and caution color directions, can be communicated to the drivers of vehicles and pedestrians alike which will eliminate the necessity of looking two or more places for traflic regulations in the area.

While many modifications and changes may be made in the constructional details and features of this invention, as illustrated in the preferred embodiments herein, in the actual practice of the inventive concept herein, it is to be understood that We desire to be limited only in the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A traflic instructional means for an electric traffic light signal in addition to stop, go, and caution traflic light directions, comprising:

traflic instructional unit means having a substantially light impervious portion around a traffic instruction and of at least as great an area as the trafiic light beam and transparent portions constituting the traffic instruction therein, said traflic instructional unit means being attached to said electric trafiic light signal for interposition in the light beam of selected lights of said electric traffic light signal for display of the traffic instructions therein along with said traflic directions and for retraction of said trafi'ic instructional unit means from display within said light beam of the selected lights of said traffic light signal to allow display of said trafiic directions alone;

motive means mechanically coupled to said traffic instructional unit means for driving said trafiic instructional unit means into display and non-display position; and

means electrically coupling said motive means to a timing means to time the effective display time that said trafiic instructional unit means is interposed in the traffic light beam and non-display time that said traffic instructional unit means is out of the traffic light beam whereby trafiic instructions, in addition to said traflic directions, are effective when said traffic instructional means are in display position.

2. A timed traflic instructional means for an electric traffic light signal in addition to the stop, go, and caution traffic light directions, comprising:

rigid panels each having a substantially light impervious portion and transparent portions designating traffic instructions thereon, each of said rigid panels being hingedly attached to said electric traflic light signal and actuatable into and out of the path of the trafiic direction lights for display and non-display positions, respectively, of said traffic instructions;

electric motive means for actuating said panels to said display and non-display that said traffic instructional means is interposed in the traffic light beam position that said trailic instructional means is out of the traffic light beam; and

electric timing means coupled to said electric motive means to time the effective periods of display and non-display of said trafiic instructions whereby traftic instructions are displayed when said panels are actuated to the display position in addition to said traflic directions by the traffic lights in whose beams said traflic instructions are interposed.

3. A timed trafiic instructional means as set forth in claim 2 wherein said electric timing means are incorporated in the timing mechanism of said electric traffic light signal.

4. A timed trafiic instructional means as set forth in claim 3 wherein said panels are in plurality for each light beam of a single trafiic direction light and actuatable into display position in sequence whereby traffic instructions for different sequential periods are effective.

5. A timed traffic instructional means set forth in claim 4- wherein said hinged attachments of said panels to said electric trafiic light signal are each a shaft fixed to a panel and journaled on said electric traflic light signal housing with a gear on said shaft; and

said electric motive means are electric rotary motors,

each having a gear on its shaft in mesh with one each of said gears on said shafts fixed to a panel, whereby each motor is operative to actuate its associated panel and said motors are operative to be energized in a predetermined sequence.

6. A timed tralfic instructional means as set forth in claim 2 wherein said electric timing means is incorporated in the timing mechanism of said electric traflic light signal;

said hinged attachments of said panels to said electric t r 6 t t and journaled on said electric traffic light signal housing with a lever aflixed on each shaft; and

said electric motive means are solenoids having the plunger thereof pivotally coupled to each shaft lever fixedto a panel, whereby each solenoid is operative to actuate each associated panel and said solenoids are operative to be energized in sequence.

7. A traflic instructional means for an electric traffic light signal in addition to the stop, go, and caution traffic light directions, comprising:

pairs of foldable panels, each pair having a substantially light impervious portion and transparent portions therein designating traffic instructions, and each pair being pivotally suspended from the top outer corners thereof to journal blocks, the outermost journal blocks being supported within the housing of the electric traffic light signal above the go light;

a shaft journaled in the two outermost journal blocks, said shaft having a gear wheel centrally thereof and oppositely threaded on opposite half portions, each opposite threaded half portion thereof having the other journal blocks threadedly journaled thereon to cause said other journal blocks to travel toward and away from each other as said shaft: is rotated in either of its two rotative directions thereby folding and unfolding said foldable panels for display and non-display positions, respectively, of said trafiic instructions;

rotary motor means having a gear on the shaft thereof in mesh with the gear wheel of said shaft to rotate said shaft in its two rotative directions; and

circuit timing means coupled to said rotary motor for energization at prescribed timed intervals to drive said foldable panels into said display and non-display positions whereby each go direction of said electric tralfic light signal will also display an additional traffic instruction when said foldable panels are driven to the display position.

8. A timed electric t-r aflic instructional means as set forth in claim 7 wherein said circuit timing means is incorporated in the timing mechanism of said electric traffic signal to time the display and non-display periods of the traflic instructions during the day.

9. A timed electric traflic instructional means as set forth in claim 8 wherein said circuit timing means include limit switches in the circuit thereof actuatable by said traveling blocks to break the circuit to said rotary motor at each limit of travel of the traveling journaled blocks along said threaded shaft.

10. A timed trafiic instructional means for an electric trafiic light signal in addition to the stop, go, and caution traffic light directions, comprising:

a curtain of substantially light impervious material having transparent portions therein designating traflic instructions, said curtain being biased to rolled-up position on a roller supported within the housing of said electric traflic light signal adjacent to path of a traflic light beam;

a second roller driven in reversible rotational directions by an electric motor, said second roller having cord means attached thereto and to said curtain to cause said curtain to be unrolled to a display position and to be allowed to return to said rolled-up non-display position to effect the display of traffic instrgctions and the non-display thereof, respectively; an

timing means circuited to said electric motor to time the display and non-display periods of said traffic instructions whereby traific instructions are displayed during prescribed periods in addition to the trafiic directions of the electric trafiic light signal.

11. A timed trafiic instructional means as set forth in traflic light signal are each a shaft fixed to a panel 7 claim 10 wherein 7 8 said timing means is incorporated in the timing mecha- References Cited by the Examiner nism Of said electric traffic signal.

12. A timed trafiic instructional means as set forth in Claim 11 wherein 1,846,987 2/32 Boor 340-43 said second roller has a gear wheel thereon in mesh 2138545 11/38 Hess 340-583 with a gear on the shaft of said electric motor to 2,127,636 5/39 Shaw 34O 43 X drive said second roller in reversible rotational di- 5728 3/41 Ramspeck 340-43 rections. NEIL C. READ, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A TRAFFIC INSTRUCTIONAL MEANS FOR AN ELECTRIC TRAFFIC LIGHT SIGNAL IN ADDITION TO "STOP," "GO," AND "CAUTION" TRAFFIC LIGHT DIRECTIONS, COMPRISING: TRAFFIC INSTRUCTIONAL UNIT MEANS HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY LIGHT IMPERVIOUS PORTION AROUND A TRAFFIC INSTRUCTION AND OF AT LEAST AS GREAT AN AREA AS THE TRAFFIC LIGHT BEAM AND TRANSPARENT PORTIONS CONSTITUTING THE TRAFFIC INSTRUCTION THEREIN, SAID TRAFFICE INSTRUCTIONAL UNIT MEANS BEING ATTACHED TO SAID ELECTRIC TRAFFIC LIGHT SIGNAL FOR INTERPOSITION IN THE LIGHT BEAM OF SELECTED LIGHTS OF SAID ELECTRIC TRAFFIC LIGHT SIGNAL FOR DISPLAY OF THE TRAFFIC INSTRUCTIONS THEREIN ALONG WITH SAID TRAFFIC DIRECTIONS AND FOR RETRACTION OF SAID TRAFFIC INSTRUCTIONAL UNIT MEANS FROM DISPLAY WITHIN SAID LIGHT BEAM OF THE SELECTED LIGHTS OF SAID TRAFFIC

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