USRE14186E - loxjis - Google Patents

Description

0. W. COWGILL.

SIGNAL FOR MOTOR VEHICLES. APPLICATION FILED MRY15,.19|6.

Reissud Aug. 29, 1916.

UNITED STATES oar]: w. cowerLL,

OF ST: LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF NINETY ONE-HUNDBEDTHQ TO OTTO F. STIFEL, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

srenar. r03. MOTOR-VEHICLES.

Original at. 1,106,184, dated I To all whom it may concern:

- construction.

Be it known that I, Onrn W. Cowman, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis,- Mis'souri, have invented a certain new and' useful Improvement in Signals for Motor-Vehicles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact 'description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains', to make and use the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in whichi 4 Figurelis a front elevational view of a portion of a motor vehicle, and showing my improved signaling devices attached to,the dash thereo Fig. 2 is a side elvationa-l viewof a. signaling (1 vice of my improved Fig. 3iis a side elevational view partly in section, said view being taken iipproximately on the line 3- 3 of Fig. 2.

1g. 4 is a diagrammatic view 'illustratibg the electrical connections between the signaling devices on the front of a vehicle and the switches, which latter are preferabl y located on the steering wheel of the vehicle.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in electrically operated signaling devices which are combined with the side lights of a motor vehicle,'and which signaling devices are adapted to be used for indicating the direction in which the driver of the vehicle is oing to turn.

The principal o ject of my invention is to provide a signaling device in the form of an electrically operated semaphore which carries an electric lamp, and which latter is normally located in the side light housing usually positioned on the end of the dash of V the vehicle.

M improved signaling device is adapted for 0th (12:. and night use, for the semaphore arm orminlg a part of the signal. is

dilyvisible in ay time as it swings outw' rdly,from the end of the dash of the vehicle, and the electric lamp carried by said semaphone is, of course, visible at night.

A. further object of my invention is to provide a comparatively simple, inexpensive construction 'which can be readily applied to all forms of motor vehicles without changing or modifying the construction thereof, and which device is electrically operated and controlled by means of switches located upon or near the steering wheel of the vehicle.

tween the .core hand'rlthe Specification oi Bcissued Letters Patent. Reigsued 29, 1916 To the above purposes invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings 10 designates the dash of a motor vehicle, andlocated on-the ends there- .of are suitable brackets 11 .which support .the signaling devices. Each signaling device rovided with a v [bracket {.3 which is adapte to be removably comprises a housing 12 applied to thegbracket 11, and arranged in the upper portion ofthis' housing'is anordinary solenq'd comprising "coil 14' and core 15.,.-1- The chamberfor p .iigh the P $19 i its: Presse 'pw vidingfimeans -f rinatiouf-igigiun air ianiii a r a order to cushiomlo ward inovemeht'iof energizcd. There s ss'ujiifent i'clearance bef;.tlie chamber in' the coil p, bove .the core to gradually discharg from said chamber as the core isdrawn upward. 3

Located on top,.j.;of;:-theI housing ilz is the j" ordinary side housing 16 jprovided with the usual glaaedgope'ning 17 vin its front wall; and with an openiiigf18; in its outside Wa I Journaled in the Iowe portion of. the

' housing 12 i'sjarshorg- 'horizontally disposed shaft 19, and fixed thereto is thelower end of a tubular arml20' which performs the function of a semaphore,and carried b the upper end of this arm is an electric am 21. The arm 20 is shapedj., so that when it occupies "aznormal oreupright position the upper portionthereof' and the .lamp' positioned-on its upper-end arelocated w thin the housing 16 so that the mys from the lamp when lighted will passthrough the,

glazed opening 17.-

Fixed to the end of the shaft 19 within the housin '12 is one endof. a short, crank arm 22, an pivotally connected to the opposite end thereof is one end of a short link 23,the opposite end of which is pivotally connected to the lower end of-a solenoid core15.

The electric circuits in which the solenoid coils 14 are located have a common battery 24 suitably located in the vehicle, and said circuits are controlled by means of switches such as push buttons located on the ,right side light 'housing on said vehicle, an elec and left hand points of the steering wheel, trically operated semaphore arm arranged or at points convenient to the hand of the vehicle driver.

for operation aidjacent to said light housing, and a lamp ca Tied by said semaphore arm,

It will be understood that the switch or which lamp normally occupies theside light push button on the right'hand side of the steering wheel controls the solenoid of the signaling device on the right hand end of the dash, and the switch or push button on housing.

2. The combination with a vehicle, of a side light housing, a semaphore arm mounted for operation upon the vehicle adjacent to the left hand side of the wheel controls the said housing, a lamp carried by said semasolenoid on the left hand end of the dash. The electrical connections are clearly illustrated in Fig. L.

The semaphore arms 20 are preferably hollow in order to accommodate electric light housing, of an electrically controlled so wires leading to the lamps 21.

The operation of my improved signaling device is as follows: When the driver of the vehicle desires to turn laterally in either direction the switch or push button on the side corresponding to the direction in which the vehicle is to turn is closed, thereby energizing the corresponding coil 14, which action draws the corresponding core 15 up ward, this movement of said core being cushioned by the air in the upper end of the chamber within the coil. As the core is thus drawn upward the shaft 19 is rocked by reason of the connections 22 and 23, thereby moving the corresponding semaphone arm 20 outward and downward to the position shown. by dotted lines in' Fig. 3, and thus the signal is given that the driver is about toturn the vehicle in the direction indicated by the exposed or dropped semaphore arm. When the switch or push button is released to open the circuit, the weight of the core moving downward to its normal position restores the semaphore arm to its upright normal posi tion with the lamp 21 within the housing 16. A suitable resilient bufi'er, preferably of rubber, 'is located in the bottom of the housing 16 in position to bear against the upper portion of the semaphore 20 when the same returns to its normal upright position, thus overcoming any tendency of said semaphore to vibrate after movement.

A signaling device of my improved constrpfition is comparatively simple, is positive in action, can be readily applied to any ordinary motor vehicle without altering or modifying the structure thereof, is visible both day and night, and the electric lamps carried by the upper ends of the semaphore arms form side lights which mean essential feature to motor vehicles.

Various slight changes and modifications may be made in the general form and parts of my improved device without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope claims.

I claim phore arm, which lamp normally occupies said light housing, and electrically operated means for actuating the semaphore arm.

3. The combination with a vehicle side semaphore arranged for operationadjacent to said housing, and a lamp carried by said semaphore arm, whichlamp is normally positioned in' said housing.

4. The combination with a vehicle lamp housing, of a solenoid adjacent tosaid lamp housing, a semaphore actuated by said solenoid, and a lamp carried by said semaphore, which lamp is normally located in said housmg.

5. Asignaling device-for motor vehicles comprising a lamp housing adapted to be ositioned upon the 'vehicle, a pivotailly mounted semaphore, an electric lamp carried 'thereby, which lamp normally occupies the means including a solenoid for actuating said semaphore.

' lamp housing, and an electrically operated? 6. The combination with a vehicle side light housing, of a housing located below the light housing, a solenoid within the second mentioned housing, a semaphore pivotally mounted on the second mentioned housing and connected to the core of the solenoid, and an electric lamp carried by said semaphore,. which lamp is normally located within the light housing.

7. The combination with a vehicle, of lamp housings .located on opposite sides of said vehicle, a semaphore arm arranged for operation adjacent to each housing, a lamp carried by each semaphore arm, which lamp normally occupies the correspondin housing, and electrically operated means includingswitches for actuating either one of the semaphore-arms. i

8. A signaling device for motor vehicles comprising a side lamp bracket, a semaphore pivotally mounted thereon, an electric lamp carried thereby and arranged to be visible from front to rear, said lamp constituting a side lamp for the vehicle, and an electrically operated means for actuating said semaphore to swing said lamp laterally out from said vehicle.

9. A' signaling device for motor vehicles comprising a bracket located at the side of the vehicle, a semaphore pivotally mounted on said bracket to swing outwardly, said l. The combination with, a. vehicle, of a semaphore standing normally inupright po- 13 0 sition, a lamp carried at the i pper end of said semaphore, means carried by said bracket for oscillating said semaphore and lampaway from said vehicle, and electrical means controlled from the vehicle for actu-' ating said oscillating means.

, 10. The combination with a side lamp bracket for a vehicle, of a solenoid carried thereby, a semaphore pivoted to swing outwardly from said bracket and actuated by said solenoid, and a lamp carried by said semaphore, which lamp is normally located above said bracket to constitute a side lamp for thevehicle.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my 15 signature in the presence of two witnesses, this thirteenth day of May, 1916.

ORPH W. COWGILL. Witnesses: a Y

ANDREW P. Knssnmo,

EDGAR T. FARMER.

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