US3045208A - Rotatable stop light - Google Patents

Description

July 17, 1962 M. Q. TIBERIO 3,045,208

ROTATABLE STOP LIGHT Filed April 5, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Mario 0. fiber/'0 INVENTOR.

BY QMM Wavy FM July 17, 1962 M. Q. TIBERIO ROTATABLE STOP LIGHT 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 5, 1961 Mario 0. fiber/'0 INVENTOR. waoifih. WW EMA M Q. TIBERIO ROTATABLE STOP LIGHT 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig. 8

Maria 0. Tiber/a INVENTOR. 40%. W

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BY and July 17, 1962 Filed April 5, 1961 l 27 9 nfllv ia A M m 8 United States Patent ,Oflice 3,045,208 Patented July 17, 1

3,045,208 ROTATABLE STOP LIGHT Mario Q. Tiber-lo, 722 Chambers Ave., Jeannette, Pa., assignor of one-half to Amalia Tiberio, Jeannette, Pa. Filed Apr. 5, 1961, Ser. No. 100,944 3 Claims. (Cl. 340-107) This invention relates to signal devices, and more particularly to a stop light for controlling traflic by means of changing colors.

It is another object of my invention to provide a traffic signal controlled by a rotatable disk having a plurality of colored lenses therein which is rotated by an intermittent positive drive mechanism, thereby eliminating the complicated control mechanism used in conventional stop lights.

It is another object of my invention to provide an intermittent drive for a rotatable disc-type stop light wherein the disc is positively maintained in one set positionwhen not being driven.

It is still another object of my invention to provide a mechanically driven stop light mechanism for changing colors on a stop light which is so constructed that the stop light may be stopped on a preselected color and the light therefor caused to blink for as long as desired.

It is still yet another object of my invention to provide a traflic signal driven by mechanical means which will operate to produce conventional signals, that is, a green signal for a predetermined length of time, then a brief yellow signal, and then a red signal for a predetermined length of time, after which the cycle reverses itself and then a blinking yellow signal is produced after which a green signal is given for a predetermined length of time.

It is yet another object of my invention to provide a traflic signal which is relatively simple in design, and therefore economical to manufacture, reliable in use, and requires a minimum of maintenance.

- These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to theaccornpanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGUREJ is a perspective view of a completed traffic signal employing by invention;

FIGURE 2'is an enlarged cross sectional vertical view of the upper portion of the tratfic signal shown in FIG- URE l and taken substantially on the plane of line 22 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the device shown in FIGURE 2, with parts thereof shown in section;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the holding wheel shown in FIGURES 2 and 3;

FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic view of a Wiring diagram that may be employed by my invention;

FIGURE 6 is an elevational view partially in cross section similar to FIGURE 2 but showing amodification;

FIGURE 7 is a side elevational view of FIGURE 6 partially in cross section; and

FIGURE 8 is a vertical cross sectional view taken substantially on the plane of line 8-8 in FIGURE 7.

Referring to FIGURES 1 to 4, inclusive, it can be seen that my stop light is mounted in a cylindrical housing 10 fixed to the upper end of a vertically extending post 12. The front of the housing 10 is closed by a circular integral disc 14 having a circular hole 16 at its upper central portion. The back of the housing 10 in a circular opening 18 formed by the inner edge of an inwardly extending annular flange 20. The flange and opening are covered by circular plate 22.,which is removably secured to the flange 20 by means of screws .24 threaded into apertures in the flange.

drives a central motor drive shaft 30 having a worm gear 7 32 formed on its outer end.

Extending substantially radially downwardlyfromthe inner periphery of the housing 10 is a pair of support arms 34 spaced axially flrom one another, and substantially parallel. Rotatable within two axially aligned bores in the lower ends of the arms 34 is a gear shaft 36 Secured to the gear shaft 36 between the arms 34'and adjacent opposite ends of the shaft 36 are a toothed gear 38 meshing with the worm gear 32 and a holding wheel 40 having an axially extending trip pin 42 fixed to the side surface of an outwardly extending projection 44. The holding wheel 40 comprises a circular plate 46 which is bulged outwardly 'surface of the housing 10 at its back edge and extends directly upwardly therefrom and has a bore 54 in its upper end. The front wall 14 of the housing also has a bore 56 therein of the same size as the bore 54 and axially aligned therewith. A shaft 58 is journaled in the bores 54 and 56 for rotation and has a trip wheel fixed thereto by means of its flange62. I

As shown in FIGURE 3, the trip wheel 60 is in radial alignment with the gap 50 in flange 48 and is axially spaced slightly from the plate 46. p

The body of the trip wheel 60 comprises four lugs 64 spaced 90 from one another and connected by .four a'rcuate portions 66. Each of the radially extending lugs 64 has a radial slot 68 formed in its center. As'shown in FIGURE 2, the uppermost vertically extending slot 68 is located and designed to receive the pin 42 of the holding wheel.

Also secured to the forward end of the shaft 5-8 by means of a flange 70 and setscrew 72 is 'a circularsignal wheel 74 having "a plurality of annular flanges 76 ro,

jecting rearwardly from its rear surface and enclosing a plurality of bores 78 extending through the signal wheel.

As illustrated-in FIGURE 2, there are eight a nun flanges 76 surrounding eight bores 78 in the periphery of the signal wheel 74. Mounted in each flange 76 by means of conventional snap rings, not shown, is a semi-transparent colored lens. As shown in FIGURE 2, two of the lenses are red as indicated by-R spaced 180 aparfl two are green as indicated by G also spacedl80 apartjand on r i v a diametrical line which is perpendicular to the diametrical line between the lenses R, and there are four yellow lenses apart and indicated bythe letterY. .As shown in FIGURE 2,'one of the lenses Y is directlybehind the gear 38 and therefore is not shown;

Mounted in the upper portionof the housing 10 andin axial alignment with the hole 16 is a conventional electric .light bulb 80 which is connected to'a source of electricity .by means of a conductor 82.

of an a a 28 to the insulated wires 82 and 84 which are connected to a conventional 60-cycle source of electricity.

The switch elements 88 and 90 are connected to the terminals of the motor 28 by means of the conductors 92 and 94. When the switch elements 88 and 90 are closed, the light 80 is also energized by means of conductors 96, 82, and conductor 82. When it is desired to operate the signal as a blinker or caution light only, the aperture 16 is aligned with the appropriate colored disk, such as yellow or red and the switch elements 88 and 90 are opened after which the switch element 98 is closed. This cuts oif the motor 28 but maintains a current through the bulb 80 by means of conductor 84, switch element 98, conductor 100, blinker switch 102, conductor 82', bulb 80, and conductor 82.

The blinker switch 102 is conventional, and opens and closes automatically at rapid intervals so as to cause the bulb 80 to give a blinking light.

In operation, the three-way switch 86 is normally operated so as to close the contacts 88 and 90 for energizing the motor 28 and the bulb 80 for continuous operation. The holding wheel 40 and its trip pin 42 are rotated at a predetermined constant speed by means of the shaft 36, gear 38, worm gear 32, shaft 30 and motor 28. As shown in FIGURE 2, the holding wheel 40 and gear 38 are rotating in a counterclockwise direction. The signal wheel 74 has its upper lens R aligned with the hole 16 so as to give a red or stop signal. The trip pin 42 is also rotating in a counterclockwise direction about the shaft 36, and as shown is just beginning to enter the upper vertically extending slots 68. The mating of the pin 42 and upper slot 68 causes the trip wheel 60 to rotate in a clockwise direction as the pin 42 moves downwardly into the slot. As the trip wheel 60 begins to rotate clockwise, the lug 64 containing the pin gradually begins to project into the gap 50 through the circular wall or flange 48. Further movement of the pin 42 and the lugs receiving the pin causes the lug to withdraw from the gap 50 until the pin is moved 90 from its position shown in FIGURE 2 whereupon it leaves the slot after having rotated the trip wheel 60, 90 in a clockwise position. As the wheel 60 was rotating through its 90 angle, the upper left yellow lens Y was moved between the bulb 80 and hole 16 so as to give a flashing yellow signal and after the 90 movement was completed the left green disc G is stopped between the bulb and the hole. After the 90 movement is completed, the arcuate flange 48 moves into the arcuate recess 66 thereby preventing trip wheel 60 from rotating or moving until the holding wheel 40 has moved an additional 270 so as to return the position illustrated in FIGURE 2. During this 270 movement of the holding wheel, the trip wheel 60 maintains the green lens G in alignment with the opening 60 for maintaining a go signal. After this 270 movement is completed, the trip pin 42 enters thenext adjacent slot 68 thereby rotating the signal wheel 74 through a 90 angle so as to flash the lower left yellow lens Y and stop and maintain the lower red lens R in alignment between the bulb 80 and the hole 16 so as to give a red or stop signal for a predetermined time. The cycle is then repeated using the lenses on the right side of the signal wheel 72 and then the entire process is repeated over and over again until the motor 28 is cut off by switch 86.

However, as explained above, the switch 86 may be operated so as to cut-off the motor 28 and to energize the bulb 80 by means of the blinker switch 102. This causes the bulb 80 to give a blinking signal since it is constantly cutting on and off. The color of the signal seen through the opening 16 due to the blinking of the bulb may be determined by stopping the appropriate or selected colored lens of the signal wheel in alignment with the opening 16.

The housing 10 has a hollow arcuate bulge 106 for accommodating the holding wheel 40. i

In the modification shown in FIGURES 6 through 8, parts identical to the modification shown in FIGURES 1 through 4 are given identical numbers while slightly modified parts are given identical numbers with a prime added thereto.

In the modification, the housing 10' is box-like and rectangular in cross section and has a removable lid 108 which may be secured in place by screws, not shown. The motor 28 is secured to the floor 116 by conventional means such as screws, not shown, and has a drive shaft 30 with worm gear 32 on its outer end. A vertical support arm 110 extends upwardly from the central portion of the floor 116 and has an aperture in its upper end which rotatably supports the shaft 36' which in turn has its rear end journalled in an aperture in the back wall 114 of the housing 10'. A gear 38 is fixed to the central portion of the shaft 36' by means of a hub 39' which may have a setscrew, not shown, extending therethrough and engaging the shaft. The forward end of the shaft 36' has a drive wheel 112 fixed thereto. The trip wheel 60' has a plurality of lugs 64' which has radially extending slots 68' extending inwardly from their outer edges.- The drive wheel 112 has a trip pin 42' fixed thereto adjacent an outer edge thereof.

A shaft 58 is rotatably supported in the forward and rear walls of the housing =10 and has fixed thereto at its central portion a trip wheel 60' by means of the trip wheel arm 62'. A signal wheel 74' is fixed to the forward end of the shaft 58' and has a plurality of lenses arranged therein in the same manner as illustrated in FIGURE 2 for the first described form.

A ratchet mechanism 118 is fixed to the forward wall of the housing 10' and the shaft 58. The ratchet or detent mechanism 118 comprises an annular hub 120 secured by a spline 122 to the shaft 38' and a plunger 124 retained on the front of the housing 10' for vertical up and down movement. The plunger 124 has an integral radially extending annular flange 128 at its mid-portion engaged by the lower end of a compression coil spring 130. The plunger 124 is guided for reciprocal up and down movement in a housing 132 whose upper end also acts as an abutment for the coil spring The coil spring 130 urges the lower rounded end 134 of the plunger into engagement with one of the recesses 126 on the outer periphery of the hub 120 for holding the hub and signal Wheel in a position whereby one of the lenses in the signal wheel is retained in alignment with the hole 16.

The operation of the form shown in FIGURES 6 through 8 is substantially the same as the operation of the form shown in FIGURES 2 through 4. In both forms shown in the drawings, the drive wheel 112 and holding wheel 40 may rotate the trip wheels in either direction, that is assuming that the motor 28 may drive them in either direction. When the drive wheel 112 rotates through a full revolution, its trip pin 42' is engaged within one of the slots 68 of the trip wheel 60 during onequarter of the revolution so as to rotate the trip wheel one-quarter turn or 90 after which the trip pin 42' leaves the slot 68 and the detent plunger 124 engages the appropriate recess 126 for holding the trip wheel 60' and the signal wheel 74, in a stationary position after they have been rotated for a quarter of a turn. The ratchet or detent mechanism 118 in etfect functions as an intermittent overload release brake since it brakes the shaft 58', trip wheel 60, and signal wheel 74 only when the rounded end 134 of the plunger 124 is engaged in one of the rececesses 126. However, when the trip pin 42' initially engages one of the slots 68', the torque produced by the motor 28 in rotating the hub 120 causes the rounded end 134 of the plunger to be cammed radially outwardly of the recess and to ride on the circular periphery of the hub until the hub has been rotated substantially 90 whereupon it is braked again. In FIGURE 8, four additional or excess recesses 126 have been shown for locking the signal wheel 74 in position where one of the yellow lenses Y is aligned with the hole 16, however, these four additional recesses may be omitted if desired.

The duration of an operating cycle for the stop light F, W a.

may be varied by changing the gear ratio of the gears for driving the signal wheel, or else a non-synchronous speed controlled motor may be substituted for the synchronous motor 28.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A traffic signal device comprising an enclosed housing having face, back and side portions, a signal wheel rotatably secured juxtaposed the inner surface of the face portion about a horizontal axis secured to the face portion and adjacent the back portion of the housing, a plurality of equal size colored translucent signal members spaced about the periphery of the wheel, a single aperture in the face portion of the housing of equal size with a single signal member and positioned for selectively exposing one of said signal members at a time upon rotation of the signal wheel, an artificial light source secured to the housing and located directly behind the signal wheel in alignment with the aperture in the face portion, the translucent signal members comprising two red members, two green members and four yellow members, each red member being spaced 180 apart, each green member spaced 180 apart on a line perpendicular to the red signal members, and each yellow member located directly between a red member and a green member, motor means mounted in the housing, a drive shaft on said motor means, a worm gear at its outer end meshing with a gear mounted on an axis parallel to the signal wheel axis and secured to the housing, a holding wheel mounted on the gear axis in driving contact with a trip wheel mounted on the signal wheel axis, thereby forming a Geneva mechanism for automatic intermittent movement of the signal wheel, a three-way switch means connecting the artificial light source and motor means to a source of electricity, and a blinker switch connected to the three-way switch means whereby said three-way switch means can alternatively be operated to provide a steady 'light source and rotating signal wheel or a blinking light source and a stationary signal wheel. a

2. A device as defined in claim 1 including an intermittent overload release brake mechanism comprising a detent mechanism secured to the signal wheel axis and a plunger mounted on the housing and forced into contact with the detent mechanism by operation of a compression spring. 7

3. A traffic signal device comprising an enclosed housing having face, back and side portions, a signal wheel rotatably secured juxtaposed the inner surface of the face portion about a horizontal axis secured to the face portion and adjacent the back portion of the housing, a plurality of equal size colored translucent signal members spaced about the periphery of the wheel, a single aperture in the face portion of the housing of equal size with a single signal member and positioned for selectively exposing one of said signal members at a time upon rotation of i the signal wheel, an artificial light source secured to the housing and located directly behind the signal wheel in alignment with the aperture in the face portion, the translucent signal members comprising two red members, two green members and four yellow members, each red member being spaced apart, each green member spaced 180 apart on a line perpendicular to the red signal members, and each yellow member located directly between a red member and a green member, motor means mounted in the housing and drivingly connected to the signal wheel for automatic intermittent movement thereof, a three-way switch means connecting the artificial light source and motor means to a source of electricity, a blinker switch connected to the three-way switch means whereby said three way switch means can alternatively be operated to provide a steady light source and rotating signal wheel or a blinking light source and a stationary signal wheel, an intermittent overload release brake mechanism comprising a detent mechanism secured to the signal wheel axis and a plunger mounted on the housing and forced into contact with the detent mechanism by operation of a compression spring.

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 479,400 Canada Dee. 11, 1951

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