US1532001A - Traffic signal - Google Patents

Description

March 31. 19551 1 532,00 1 q. TAKAcs TRAFFIC SIGNAL Filed Dec. 18; 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 GIMME, J

Patented Mar. 31, 1925.

JOHN rAKAos, or w en HOMESTEAD, PENNSYLVANIA.

TRAFFIC SIGNAL.

Application filed December 18, 1924.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jorrn Tanne -a citi- Zen otthe United States, residing at West Homestead, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Traflic Signals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in trafiic signals designed for railroad crossings and also adaptable tor street intersections, the signal being operated by a car for giving fstop and go signals.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a traiiic signal that is operated by a car, signal devices being arranged at opposite sides of the car track and being connected in a manner to effect simultaneous operation thereof to signal vehicles approaching the track to cross the same, the signals being operated by an approaching car to display astop.signal and further operated bythe car after passing the crossing or street intersection to give the go signal.

With the above and other objects in view that will appear as the nature oi the inven tion is better understood, the same consists of the novel form, combination and arrange ment of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings and claimed.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts tl'iroughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the traiiic signal constructed in accordance with the present invention, the same being illustrated in its operative position with respect to a street car track,

Figure 2 is. an elevational view, partly in section showing the signal devices atthe side of the car tracks and the connecting means therebetween,

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of: one of the signal operating devices,

Figure L is a horizontal sectional view taken on line IVIV of 3,

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line VV of Fig. 2, and

Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the other signal operating device and illustrat ing by dotted lines, the trip carried by the car for operating the same.

Serial No. 756,698.

Referring-more in detail to the accompanying drawings, and particularly to Fig. 1 there is illustrated a trailic signal especially designed for railroad use in Which the reference numeral 1 designates two car tracks traversing the crossing 52 with a traiiic signal 23 disposed outwardly or" each track and midway the crossing 2 for signalling the approach of a car at the crossing.

Each signal device 3 includes a housing l connected by a tubular member 5 underlying the tracks 1 as shown in Fig. 1. A vertical signal post G is rotatably supported at its lower end in the upper removable-wall oi the housing a, there being substantially a swivel connection between the signal post 6 and the upper wall of the housing r with the upper wall of said housing being dispose" between the collar 7 and the i ustoconical'dislr 8 carried by he post. The upper end of each post carries a signal cross arm 5) carrying a signalword10, mush as stop uponione race thereof as shown in Fig. 2. lfhe connection between the two posts 6 at opposite sides of the traclrs 1 includes a pair of diametrically opposite arms 11 carried by the lower end of the post 6 within the housings 4- with the opposed arms of the two posts connected by cords or cables 19 that extend thru the tubular member 5.

The signal arms 9 are automatically positioned for giving the stop signal when a car approaches the crossing 2, and to accomplish this result a bracket- 13 of the best illustrated in Fig. .6 is set into a ground opening as illustrated, the upper and lower horizontal arms i l of said bracket having a vertical shaft 15 journaled therein and upon which shaft a segment 16-is fixed. The segment 16 carries an outwardly directed horizontal arm 17 that is bent upwardly as at 18to provide a trip to be en gaged by the hinged trip arm 19 carried by the street car 20, as shown in Fig. 6. The connection between the segment 15 and the indicator post includes a cable 21 attached at one end to said segment while the other end of said cable 21 is attached to the outer end of the arm 22 carried by the lower end of the adjacent post 6. llhen the street car approaches the trip 18, the arm 19 carried by the car engagesthe trip and moves the i'ient'ld to"draw upon the cable 21 and arm carried by the directly asso ciated post 6, vhile the cable connections 12 between the two posts effects simultaneous operation thereof for shifting the signal arms 9 to positions transversely of the street crossing 2, the operating cable 21 being protected by passing thru the tube 23.

To restore the signal arms 9 to their inoperative position and to open traffic on the crossing 2, the devices for reversing the operation of the signal arms and accomplishing such results are shown in Figs. 3 and 4 wherein the bracket 2st set into an opening in the ground has a vertical shaft 25 journaled in the upper and lower horizon tal arms 26 thereof. A double segment is fixed to the shaft 25, the section 27 of the double segment having a cable connection 28 with the signal arm 22, the cable 28 passing through the tubular guide 28 while the other section 29 of the double segment is provided with a series of rack teeth 30. A second vertical shaft 31 is jo'urnaled in the upper and lower bracket arms 26 and has a segment 32 fixed thereto that is provided with rack teeth 38 meshing with the rack teeth 30 of the segment section 29. An arm is directed outwardly of the segment 32 at the opposite side of the shaft 31 and has an angle arm fixed to the outer end thereof, the upper end of the angle arm being fixed to the upper end of the shaft 31 as clearly shown in Fig. 3. It will therefore be seen that when the trip arm 19 upon the car 20 engages the angle arm 35, movement of the segment 32 will be communicated to the segment sections 29 and 27 for operating the cable 28 and arm 22 for reversely rotating the signal post 6 to the positions shown in Fig. 2 for opening traflic on the street crossing 2. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the signal posts 6 are surmounted by signal lamps 8, bearing colored plates, such as read and green that are associated with the cross-signal arms 9. The trip devices are arranged at each side of the track and the time of operating the signal arms may be varied by changing the positions of the trip devices relative to the crossing 2. By disposing the trip member 35 in proximity of the crossing, the signal arm 9 may be shifted to an open or Go position without the necessity of stopping cross-tratlic after the train has passed the crossing.

From the above detail description of the device, it is believed that the construction and operation thereof will at once be apparent, and while there is herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is 1. In a traflic signal, a pair of vertical signal posts arranged at opposite sides of car tracks, horizontal signal arms carried by the posts, cable connections between the posts to cause the same to move in unison, and trip devices associated with one of the posts and operated by a car for operating the signal posts.

2. In a trallic signal, a pair of vertical signal posts arranged at opposite sides of car tracks, horizontal signal arms carried by the posts, cable connections between the posts to cause the same to move in unison, trip devices associated with one of the po. s and operated by a car for operating the signal posts, including a pivoted segment, and a cable connection between the segment and one of the signal posts.

3. In a tral'lic signal, a pair of vertical signal posts arranged at opposite sides of car tracks, horizontal signal arms carried by the posts, cable connections between the posts to cause the same to move in unison, trip devices associated with one of the posts and operated by a car for operating the signal posts, including a pivoted segment, a cable connection between the segment and one of the signal posts, a pair of meshing gear segments at the opposite side of said post, a cable connection between one of the segments and the signal post, and a trip carried by the other gear segment.

In a tratlic signal, a pair of vertical signal posts arranged at opposite sides of car tracks, horizontal signal rms carried by the posts, cable connections between the posts to cause the same to move in unison, trip devices associated with one of the posts and operated by a car for operating the signal posts, including a pivoted segment, a cable connection between the segment and one of the signal posts, a vertica shaft carrying the segment, a ground anchored bracket supporting the shaft and an upwardly extending trip arm carried by the segment.

In a traflic signal, a pair of vertical signal posts arranged at opposite sides of car tracks, horizontal signal arms carried by the posts, cable connections between the posts to cause the same to move in unison, trip devices associated with one of the posts and operated by a car for operating the signal posts, including a pivoted segment, a cable connection between the segment and one of the signal posts, a pair of meshing gear segments at the opposite side of said post, a cable connection between one of the segments and the signal post, a trip carried by the other gear segment, a pair of shafts supporting the gear segments, bracket bearings for the shafts, an arm carried by one of the gear segments and an angle trip connected to the arm and adjacent. shaft.

In testimony whereof ll allix my signature.

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