US2503574A - Combined pedestrian traffic signal and advertising device - Google Patents

Description

. J. S. A COMBINED PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC SIGNAL AND ADVERTISING DEVICE Filed May 6, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

./'a///\/ a ALZE/V 2- Sheets Sheet 2 .1. s. ALLEN ADVERTISING DEVICE COMBII QED PEDESTRIAN. TRAFFIC SIGNAL A ril 11, 1950 Filed May 6, 1947- Patented Apr. 11, .1950

EDWINED TEDESTRIAN' TRAFFIC SIGNAL AN D ADVERTISING .DEVICE J ohnsS. Allen,.-Montgomery,:Ala.,gassignor tOZThB' Walkolite' Company, :gomery, Ala a corporationof Alabama Application May-c, 1947,"Seria'l No."74"6,252

55 .Gla-ims. 1

This-invention relates to traffic control systems,

and relates more particularly to improvedfm'eansfor controlling pedestrian traflio and forecoordihating such trafiic with vehicular .trafiic.

An important object-oi ithe'present vinventionu's to provide a novel pedestrian traffic control unit which is mounted in flush relation within .the sidewalk curbs at street intersections, and "which is provided with Stop and 'Go' illuminated signs which are coordinated with the conven tiona'l automobile trafiic lights and preferably are connected in the same circut as the latter.

The signal device of the present invention is a self-contained structure comprising an outer" housing open on one Sula-preferably atwthertop, to receive an inner housingcontainingthe'illumi nated signs and other operative parts :including. the usual transformer for the neon tubes. The

inner housing is a sealed unit which is locked:

within the housing by 'novel means, Lth'e upper wall of such inner housing preferably :being formed of transparent plastic material through,

which the signs .are visible, 2. substantiallys'fmilar wall and signs being provided :on. th'e iront of such inner housing. Thus,.=a:pedestrian/standing on'the curb has two visible signs .tmguidehim, one of which is horizontally .d sposed'whichihe' sees by looking downwardly, andlthexotherpvertically disposed and located directlyzacross :the street whichhe is about to travel:over.

The device of" the present invention also lends itself to a particularly novel advertising arrange.- ment.

Another object of "the"presentiinventioniiis 'to provide mproved pedestrian trafilc control means which will greatly reduce the accident toll at street intersections since'the elements .of chance and confusion are definitely eliminated. Vehicular trafiic lights must of necessity be placed in a position most suitable to the motorist, and-in most instances this position is. most' unsuited::to the needs of the person on foot. The structure of the present invention will provide every inducement to keep the person on. the sidewalk until the light changes, will impress the pedestr'an with his part in traflic safety, and is a definite aid to near-sighted orcolor-blindpedestrians. Moreover, it will speedup car trafiic'and reduce the need for the policing of intersections.

By mounting the complete unit inrecessedrelation w thin the curb there is no obstruction to normal pedestriantravel. Also, it illuminates the :curb at night and hence reduces pedestrian 'in uries.

In the drawings:

front vertical wall L5.

mon "to "both tubes;

Incorporated, Mont- I.:Eig.: Lil's-a 'perspective viewroflaistreet" lntersec= tion showingtwo 30f. the:signaling deviceslinstalled in recessed relation iwithinitheicurbing'. 1

Fig.2 :isa bottom: plan :view .of a locking plate for securing the inner housing within thesouter housing.

Fig.3 is a perspective'viewznf theiinner-Ihousing. .Fig. 4 is :azperspective View ofcth'e' outer'thousin'g' and Lthe locking plate shownin'Fig. 2.'

Fig. 5 .isa .frontielev'ation o'fithe :opaque plate containing translucent letters ifor. advertising purposes.

. Fig. .& 6i iszia ltopcplanrview thereof'.

Fig. is a broken:sect-ion'itaken ion-line. T l- 1- 0f'Fig. l1.

Fig. 8 "is a top'rplanfview or :the-complete= unit with the upper wall and the locking. plate removed.

Fig. 1 9. is azitransversetisectionitaken ronline i9- -9 oflFigul.

An embodiment (of the invention includes an inner housing I 0 and ran outerhousing H The inner housing is formed with-a lower wall 12, end walls t3 and 14,:front an'd'rear sidewalls l 5 and LliB, respectively, and an upper wall "20 of slightly larger dimensions than the lower wall; thus providing afflange I 9 extendingaround'such upperwall. walls-'lii and 20=are desirably'formed from clear,"itransparent orwtranslucent plastic material; anditheremaining walls may' be: opaque and ibeforme'd-tof. metal, plastic, or other suitable material. A'suitable electrical plugLZl mounted inx'en'd wall l.5, and the-inner'ih'ousing mayotherwise beatsealed unit.

Within the housing are one or more transformers 22 and a plurality 'ofsuperimposed neon tubes spelling "out the words 'of warning, etc. In the arrangement :-shown,t-there vis tuloe-dn for the word Go.-and tube 2'4.--for"the Word' Stop?, both. horizontally disposed and visible when lighted, .as indicated in. Figs. .1. and through .There is. further tube 2.5. for the. word Walk andlt'ube r2t for the word "Wait. The letters 'W .and A may becomwhen lightedythroug'h upper'hori'zontal wall12'0. A suitable circuit (not shown) is arranged to alternatelylight the Go and Walk tubesand' theStop' and Wait tubes. As'was'earlier pointed out, this systemmay b'e'operated by the same timing mechanism as is 'employedfontlre stop and Go-automobile traffic lights.

For the purpose of separating the front vertical ':tubes' 23 and 24 from the upper hcrizontal tuhesazt sand 226,:antang1i1arbaifie platecIElg'.

These tubes are visible,

is employed, such plate having a base portion 30, horizontal portions 3| and 32, and vertical portions 33 and 34. Such bafile plate effectively shields the tubes in one area from those in the second area. In addition to the foregoing tubes, there are horizontal tubes 35 which are arranged to be continuously illuminated when the device is in operation for illuminating the advertising signs.

The outer housing comprises a lower wall 39, an end wall 40, a front wall 4| having openings 42 and 43 therein, a rear wall 44 and an opposite end wall 45. There is further provided an extension 46 associated with end wall 45. The outer housing is arranged to be permanently mounted within an opening 50 within the curb I. A recess 62 extends around the three sides of the opening adjacent the upper surface 63 of the curb. The

front wall 4| of the outer housing is substantially flush with the vertical'wall 5| of the curb and recess 52 is of such size as to receive upper transparent or translucent wall 20 of the inner housing, the flanges l9 extending around three sides of such upper wall being disposed withi'n'such recesses.

For the purpose of locking the inner housing within the outer housing, end wall H! of the former is provided with a key 56 which is received within an opening 51 in end wall 40 of the outer housing. After the inner housing is mounted in place within the outer housing it is locked at its opposite end by means of locking plate 60 shown in detail in Fig.2. This locking plate is provided on its lower surface with a circular operating disc 6| which is arranged to be rotated by means of a screw 62 extending to the upper surface of such plate.

Locking bolts 64 are pivotally secured at, their inner ends, as shown at 65, around the periphery of disc 6|. slide, confine movement of the outer terminals of these bolts to substantially straight-line reciprocating movement. End wall l3 of the inner housing is provided with an opening for one of such bolts, and there are further provided similar openings 12 in the extension 46 of the outer housing. Thus, after the inner housing is in place within the outer housing with key 56 inserted within opening 51, locking plate 60 is inserted in place and the bolts 64 are actuated to move outwardly into their respective openings. End wall 46 of the extension of the outer housing is provided with an opening 13 through which the electrical cable (not shown) may pass to plug 2|.

: It was earlier pointed out that the inner housing is provided with horizontal tubes 35 for illuminating the advertising signs. These signs are shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and may comprise a plate of opaque plastic material having formed therein letters 16 of translucent or somewhat transparent plastic material. Thus, the neon tubes behind such plate illuminate the trans, lucent letters. Plate 15 may be mounted within opening 43by means of angle brackets 71 secured, as by means of pin 18, to such plate. These angle brackets have rearward extensions which are disposed behind side wall 4|. The traffic control device of the present invention lends itself to novel advertising arrangements in that the words Stop and Go may be followed by the word For which in turn is followed by some well known trade-mark. Thus, in the arrangement shown in the drawing the letters 16 on plate 15 Guides 61, within which the bolts 4' spell out the words "For Clix," which is offered by way of illustration only.

While one form or embodiment of the invention has been shown and described herein for illustrative purposes, and the construction and arrangement incidental to a specific application thereof have been disclosed and discussed in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is limited neither to the mere details or relative arrangement of parts, nor to its specific embodiment shown herein, but that extensive deviations from the illustrated form or embodiment of the invention may be made without departing from the principles thereof.

What I claim is:

1. A pedestrian traffic control device comprising an inner and an outer housing, the latter arranged to be received in recessed, substantially flush relation within a sidewalk curb, the

inner housing being provided with translucent top and front walls, a changeable sign disposed adjacent such top wall and such front wall and arranged to be visible to a pedestrian standing adjacent one of said walls, a partition disposed between the top wall sign and the front wall sign, and means for interlocking the housings.

2. A pedestrian trafllc control device comprising an inner and an outer housing, the latter arranged to be received in recessed, substantially flush relation within a sidewalk curb, the inner housing being provided with translucent top and front walls, changeable signs disposed adjacent such walls and arranged to be visible to a pedestrian standing adjacent one of said walls, a partition disposed between the top wall signs and the front wall signs, and means for locking the inner housing within the outer housin comprising a locking plate provided with a plurality of locking bolts, the housings having recesses for receiving such locking bolts when in extended position.

3. A pedestrian traffic control device comprising an inner housing and an outer housing which is open at the top, such outer housing being arranged to be received in recessed, substantially flush relation within a sidewalk curb, the inner housing being a sealed unit which is provided with translucent front and top walls, the latter being substantially flush with the sidewalk level of the curb, changeable signs disposed adjacent such top and front walls and arranged to be visible to a pedestrian standing adjacent one of said walls, means for shielding the top wall sign from the front wall sign, and means for locking the inner housing within the outer housing.

4. A pedestrian trafiic control device comprising an inner and an outer housing, the latter being open at its top and arranged to be received and secrred with'n a recess in a sidewalk curb or the like, the front wall being substantially flush with the vertical wall of such curb, SlCh outer housing being provided with an extension at one end thereof which is formed with an opening for an electrical connect'on, the inner housing being provid d with translucent front and top walls,

for receiving such locking bolts when the latter are in locked position.

5. A combined pedestrian traflic control and advertising sign arranged to be received in substantially flush relation within a recess in a sidewalk curb, and comprising inner and outer housings, the former being provided with translucent front and top walls, such latter wall being substantially flush with the sidewalk level, changeable illuminated trafilc signs disposed adjacent said front wall and said top wall in one section of the inner housing and a partition disposed between such signs, an advertising sign in another section of said housing, means for illuminating such sign, means for securing the outer housing within said curb recess, and locking means for securing the inner housing within the outer housing.

6. A combined pedestrian traffic control and advertising sign arranged to be received in substantially flush relation within a recess in a side walk curb, and comprising inner and outer housings, the former being provided with translucent front and top walls and forming .a sealed unit which is impervious to moisture, such latter wall being substantially flush with said sidewalk,

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 682,117 Sayre Sept. 3, 1901 1,051,354 Strachan Jan. 21, 1913 r 1,963,293 Collins June 19, 1934 1,965,874 Appold July 10, 1934 2,280,010 Smith Apr. 14, 1942- FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 11,906 Great Britain May 14, 1914

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