US1806276A - Direction indicator - Google Patents

Description

May 19, 1931. A. B. BAILEY DIRECTION INDICATOR Filed Feb. 25, 1929 w 4 5.4 a fwwa :n 5 5 //I a 5 7 5 a 6 5 a 5 F164 so gym VENTOQ. "132? ATTO NEY Patented May 19, 1931 PATENT OFFICE ALFRED BENJAMIN BAILEY, OF VERDUN, QUEBEC, CANADA mancrron INDICATOR Application filed February 25, 1929. Serial No. 342,552.

The invention relates to a direction inclicator, as described in the present specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings that form part of the same.

The invention consists essentially of the novel features of construction pointed out in the claim for novelty following a description containing an explanation in detail of an acceptable form of the invention.

The objects of the invention are to eliminate the dangers incident to the distraction and often the displacement of the driver from his proper position in motor cars, through the inconvenient means employed almost universally at the present time of extending the arm from the shoulder to indicate to traffic officers and others the direction the vehicle is about to take at an intersection; to insure good visibility of the sign for right or left directions or straight ahead, so that the officer on duty may at a glance know the direction any vehicle will take at the crossing without waiting for his attention to be attracted by the frantic endeavours of the motorist; to simplify the mecha nism in such devices, thereby reducing the liability to misdirections, that is to say, to avoid as far as possible automatic mechanism operated by the steering wheel or other movements connected with the propulsion or guidance of the vehicle; to cause no drain whatsoever on the electric storage battery of the vehicle for operating the direction device other than the minute lights, which will be required at night time, thus saving the battery, which is usually taxed to its utmost by the lighting and other contrivances connected with motor cars; to endeavour to establish a standard direction indicator, well within the reach of every motorist and one that can readily be indorsed by authorities; and generally to provide a simple, durable and efficient direction indicator.

111 the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the casing showing the stencilled front and direction signs.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken in front of the reflecting plates.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional View on the line 3+3 in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view on the line 4 -4 in Figure 1, showing a reflecting plate down.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the various figures.

Referring to the drawings, the casing 15 preferably of rectangular shape, is formed with a hinged back 16, a slotted top 17, the bottom 18, through which the lights 39, 40 and 41 are inserted, the end walls 19 and the inset opaque front 20 having the stencilled opening 21 cut in the shape of an arrow head indicating aright hand direction, a stencilled opening 22 in the shape of an arrow indicating a left hand direction and a stencilled opening 23 of circular shape indicating a mid-direction.

The edges of the top, bottom and end walls beyond the front 20 extend over the rubber gasket 24 and are securely attached thereto and this rubber gasket in turn is cemented to the windshield 25. This is only one means of attachment as it must be understood there may be other devices for fastening the casing to the windshield such as spring clips or rivets or any suitable kind of fasteners.

The partitions 26 and 27 divide the easing into the indicator chambers 28, 29 and 30, the inner wall surfaces of these chambers being preferably painted green, to avoid the display of the indicator under normal conditions.

In order to visualize a direction sign it is necessary to reflect the light entering the stencilled opening into a particular chamber, and this is done by means of one or other of the reflecting plates 31, 31, 32 and 33, each plate having a stem 34 extending through the slotted top 17 in the slots 35, said stems being offset at 36 to bring the plate closely to the top wall inner surface in its non-operating position, the said stems extending rearwardly and each having the two lateral projections 55 and 56 which rest on the top wall of the casing and serve as stops. The knobs 37 engage the ends of the stems behind the spring clips 54 which hold all the stems until the chosen one is released.

The plates 81, 32 and 33 are preferably of White enamel or they may be of highly polished plate, anything that Will reflect the green Walls of the chambers and display a '5: green arrow or circle, or an arrow, or circle of some other color. is

These stems"; are preferably released by a hand from the spring clips and the plates drop down against the stops 55 and 56 and '10 if desirable against a very small-flat spring It will thus be seen that in theoperationof this invention, as the driver approaches an intersection he drops the; selected refiector of the indicating sign, say it is to the right, -then'= the plate 31' is dropped which releases the stemfrom engagement withits clip and allows the plate to fall-into place behind the 'stenci'll'ed opening, and this dis- 20 plays" the arrow hea'd' in green, Which-Will notifyfthe traflic oflic'er' of a right turn, but ifjitis the mid-direction or 'straightahead then the=plate 82 is .=relea'sed anddisplays the green circle on b'ull' for the middle course; W

What-I claim r Ina direction'=indicator,a casing having asl'otted top wall'and an opaque front containing 'st'encilled op'enings in the shape of arrow headsindicatingfright ha-nd andl'left hand directions separated by a steneilledopening, indicating a mid-direction, part'i tions sepa-rating the casing into compartme'ntsa reflecting platein each'cempart inent having an ofi'set stem extending through a slot in the top {Wall of the casing and-Iextendingrearwardl y therefrom and having 'a: pairof lateral-projections resting on the top {Wall of the casing and forming 40 tops; and spring clips secured to; the casing top and rel'easabl-y holding said stems in position. v I

Signed' at Montreal, Canada-,- this5th day of Febr ar -1929i1 ALFRED BENJAMIN. BAILEY.

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