US3343778A - Emergency warning reflectors - Google Patents

Description

p 1967 A. LEVlNE 3,343,778

EMERGENCY WARNING REFLECTORS Filed 00%. 1, 1965 mun/70R y IRVING A. LEV/NE ATTORNEY- United States Patent 3,343,778 EMERGENCY WARNING REFLECTORS Irving A. Levine, 37 W. 12th St., New York, N.Y. 10011 Filed Oct. 1, 1963, Ser. No. 313,013 1 Claim. (Cl. 248-472) This invention relates to emergency warning reflectors and more specifically to such reflectors of the collapsible type.

It is an object of this invention to provide a sturdy emergency warning reflector of the collapsible type which is simple and in expensive to construct and which folds to a small volume so that it, or several of them, may be conveniently carried, for example, in the glove compartment of an automobile.

When automobiles are disabled at night and are parked by the side of the road, it is desirable to give some warning to approaching vehicles. Highway warning flares and emergency warning reflectors have been designed for the purpose but all of them sufler from one or more of the following disadvantages: (1) they are not readily collapsible, (2) they are carried in boxes which take up space, (3) they are complicated in design and are thus fairly expensive to construct.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an emergency warning reflector which has none of these disadvantages.

The above and related objects are attained in accordance with the invention by providing, in an exemplary embodiment thereof, an emergency warning reflector which comprises a reflector body of suitable glass or plastic, a wire or rod supporting framework embedded therein, and a pair of U-shaped legs of wire or rod material supported from the framework. These legs are arranged so that they can be folded, respectively, on opposite sides of the reflector to protect it when it is in the collapsed position and can be opened to provide support for the reflector when it is placed in an upright position on the road, This wire or rod construction results in an inexpensive, readily collapsible device and it needs no box or container for protective purposes.

The invention will be more readily understood by referring to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the collapsible emergency warning reflector, in accordance with the invention, in its open position;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the reflector of FIG. 1 in its closed position; and

FIG. 3 is a side view of the reflector of FIG. 1 in its closed position.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show an emergency warning reflector in accord- 3,343,778 Patented Sept. 26, 1967 ance with the invention. The reflector 10, by way of ex-- ample for purposes of illustration, comprises a reflector body 11 of any well-known type and of any suitable material such as glass or transparent plastic, a supporting wire or rod framework 12, a pair of wire or rod legs 13 and 14, and a pair of spacers 15 and 16.

The reflector body 11, which because of the nature of its use is made red in color, is preferably formed of two moulded or pressed halves 17 and 18 held together by rivets, bolts or screws 19 through the flat rim of the body 11, or by any other suitable means, after the supporting wire framework '12 has been place in position therein.

The framework 12 terminates in oppositely extending ends which support the spacers 15 and 16 of wood, plastic or any other suitable material. The inner ends of the spacers fit snugly against right angle bends 20 in the framework 12 and the outer ends of the spacers provide supports for hooks 21 and 22, respectively, of the U-shaped legs 13 and 14. The hooks are tightened suificiently so that pressure is required to move the legs from one position to another. In FIG. 1 the legs are shown in the position they will assume when the reflector 10 is in working position on the road while FIGS. 2 and 3 show them in carrying position. In this latter position the legs are placed on opposite sides of the reflector body 11 in contact with the center rim holding the rivets 19. This makes a very compact device, one which can be stowed away readily in a small space. The legs keep the reflector body from bending or warping and provide protection to it from neighboring objects which might chip or cut it.

Various changes can be made in the embodiment described above without departing from the spirit of the invention, as indicated in the claim. In the claim, the term wire is intended to embrace rod construction as well.

What is claimed is:

An emergency warning reflector of the collapsible type comprising a reflector body formed of two halves joined together at a central rim, a wire support member held between said two halves and emerging as two parallel wires which are bent at right angles to form two oppositely extending portions terminating in ends, a pair of U-shaped wire legs terminating in hooks which grip said ends, and a pair of spacers each positioned between one hook of each of the legs and the right angle bend in one of said parallel wires.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,447,378 8/1948 Wadsworth 248472 2,548,722 4/1951 Haigh 248--472 2,755,373 7/1956 Berry 248168 X 3,066,577 12/ 1962 Gunderson 248 X CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Primary Examiner. I. F. FOSS, Assistant Examiner.

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