US3287549A

US3287549A - Warning light assembly

Info

Publication number: US3287549A
Application number: US331754A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harry E Lantery
Original assignee: IMAGINEERS Inc
Current assignee: IMAGINEERS Inc
Priority date: 1963-12-19
Filing date: 1963-12-19
Publication date: 1966-11-22
Anticipated expiration: 1983-11-22

Description

Nov. 22, 1966 H. E. LANTERY 3,237,549

WARNING LIGHT ASSEMBLY Filed Dec. 19, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A M A Aw 4% i 2 2 r i mnmmwwwwwfimv E A 4 2 NOV. 22, 1966 E LANTERY WARNING LIGHT ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 19, 1963 FIG. 5

FIG. 3

United States Patent 3,287,549 WARNING LIGHT ASSEMBLY Harry E.- Lantery, Wollaston, Mass., assignor to Imagineers, Inc., Wollaston, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Dec. 19, 1963, Ser. No. 331,754 2 Claims. (Cl. 2408.1)

This invention comprises a new and improved warn- I ing or indicating light constructed and arranged to be the slowing down or stopping of cars immediately ahead. 7

Such advancewarning gives the following drivers an important advantage in time for reaction. In practice the indicator light,..being mounted somewhat above the roof-line of the cars will be visible for many car lengths back. Such equipment will make for safer driving on highways and particularly the high speed express highways which are becoming more and more dangerous for tourists and nonprofessional drivers.

My invention is characterized by the sturdy and inexpensive construction of its elements. The base is sufficiently adjustable to accommodate the contoured exterior of the vehicle upon which it is to be installed. The post for the mast includes a spring section which contributes to the flexibility of the base unit when the mast is extended upwardly. The base has within it a flexible sleeve liner which is securely held in position with respect to the lower part of the base but slidably fitted into the upper part thereof.

The mast carries at its upper end a lamp bulb and this is enclosed in a housing of attractive appearance. The housing not only protects the bulb but provides a mounting for a transparent or a translucent colored panel through which the warning light is directed toward the rear of the vehicle. The housing is also constructed and arranged to insure ventilation of the bulb by providing a novel arrangement of air vents or ducts for the passage of cooling air currents.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a broken view in elevation with certain parts shown in longitudinal section,

FIGS. 2 and 2A are sectional views on the line 2-2 and 2A2A of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a top view of the lamp bulb housing,

FIG. 4 is a view in longitudinal section of the bulb and its housing,

FIG. 5 is a view in longitudinal section of a post member of modified construction, and

FIGS. 6 and 7 are sectional views on the lines 6-6 and 77 of FIG. 5, and on an enlarged scale.

In FIG. 1 is shown a portion 10 of the sheet metal vehicle body upon which the post of the device is erected. A circular hole is first cut in the body and to its circumference are secured an inner ring 11 and an outer ring 12. These are separated by a gasket 13 and secured together by bolts and shaped to form the spherical socket of a ball and socket connection. The outer ring 12 may Patented Nov. 22, 1966 conveniently serve as a drill jig in installing the device. The ball member 14 forms the end of the lower post section 15. The connection is such that the post may be held upright against displacement with any desired degree of friction.

The post comprises a lower section 15, an intermediate spring section 16 and upper section 17. The lower section 15 has an inner wall which is hexagonal in cross section as indicated in FIG. 2 while the intermediate section 16 comprises a close wound spring threaded upon the adjacent ends of the upper and lower post sections. This gives flexibility to the post as a whole.

A hollow liner 18 of flexible plastic material extends continuously from the ball member 14 to the top of the upper post section 17. The lower portion of this liner is of hexagonal cross section so that it is held securely against rotary movement in the post section 15. A shallow boss 19 on the liner fits a depression in the post section 15. The liner has a shoulder 21 near its upper end and this is spaced longitudinally from an opposed annular shoulder 21 in the top section 17 of the post so that clearance is provided for slight longitudinal movement of the liner when the top post section is deflected as permitted by the spring section 16. The liner 1-8 is shown as flanged at its lower end and. secured by screws to the bottom of the ball member 14.

The lower mast section 20 which is also of hexagonal cross section is telescopically received within the liner 18 in the upper section of the post. This mast section is arranged to slide frictionally in the liner and is maintained in its protruded position by friction. It is formed of metal and serves as a portion of an antenna for radio communication.

The plastic liner 18 is longitudinally grooved to receive a metal strip 18' which serves as a conducting member for the antenna. The mast section 20 is connected to this strip by spring clips 23 which maintain a yielding contact with the strip that is not interrupted by flexing of the post in its spring section 16. In its extended position the mast section 20 lies wholly above the spring section 16 of the post while when it is depressed it masks the flexibility of the post. Detents are provided in the liner 18 for determining the extended position of the section 20.

The lower mast section 20 receives telescopically an upper mast section 22 also of metal and hexagonal in cross section and carrying to its lower end one or more spring contact clips 23'. Both mast sections are hollow and contain electric wiring 24 which is led into the bottom of the post section 15 and extends continuously to the lamp which is carried by the top of the section 22. They of themselves constitute antenna elements.

The inner surface of the post section 17 is cylindrical as shown in FIG. 2A as is also the outer surface of the liner 18 in that portion of its length above the spring section 16. The liner is held positively against rotation by its lower hexagon-a1 portion that fits within the lower post section 15, but the upper section 17 is permitted to twist with respect to the upper portion of the liner that may be caused by expansion or contraction of the spring of section 16. This construction insures that the light carried at the top of the mast section shall always be directed in a fixed rearward direction regardless of possible twisting of the upper post section.

Upon the top of the section 22 of the mast is located a lamp socket 26 and this is mounted through the medium of a sleeve 27 carrying an apertured base plate 28 at its upper end. The socket 26 and the lamp bulb carried thereby are enclosed in a housing which includes a reentrant sleeve 29 fitted upon the upper mast section 22 below the sleeve 27 and a conical housing or escutcheon which has a ring of air apertures 31 in its lower portion.

The upper portion 32 of the housing has threaded or snap connection with the lower portion 30 and is provided in its rear side with a colored glass translucent panel 33 which is directed rearwardly as assembled upon the vehicle. Above the panel is formed an air outlet passage 34 and this cooperates with the apertures of the base plate 28 and the apertures 31 of the lower housing in maintaining a cooling draft of air about the lamp bulb. The outlet passage 34 is inclined downwardly and outwardly for protection in wet weather. The lower housing 30 is also provided with a rearwardly extending flange 35 which serves to cut off rays directed downwardly from the lamp.

A modified construction of the post member is shown in FIGS. 7. It comprises a lower section 40 secured to the vehicle body by an internal ring 41 and bolts. An upper section is flexibly secured to the lower section. It comprises a spring strip 42 secured to the front side of the post 40 and a rear spring member 44 connected to the rear side of the post 40 by pins 45. The two

spring members

42 and 44 carry to their upper end plugs 46 and 46' having a guide for a circular mast section 47.

The upper mast section 47 is pivotally connected to the post 40 through the medium of a pair of spring pressed balls 43 having sockets in the upper end of the post 40. The mast sections are slidable in the post and carry electric connections to the lamp which is carried by the upper mast section 47 in the same manner as the lamp is shown in FIG. 4.

The insulating sleeve 18 in the post sections and 17 is provided with internal rings or shoulders 180 which hold the mast in elevated position but are sufficiently resilient to permit the mast to be forcibly depressed.

Having thus disclosed my invention and described an illustrative embodiment thereof, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A warning light device for vehicles, comprising a mast arranged to be mounted in upright non-rotative position on a vehicle and carrying at its upper end an apertured supporting plate, a lamp bulb mounted on the plate, an upper housing surrounding the bulb, having a colored glass panel in its rear side and a ventilating passage above said panel, and a lower housing below said supporting plate surrounding the top of the mast and having ventilating apertures cooperating with those of the upper housing for circulating a cooling draft about the lamp bulb, the lower housing being provided with an outstanding flange located in position to cut olf downwardly directedrays from the enclosed light bulb.

2. A warning light for vehicles as described in claim 1 further characterized in that the supporting plate and the lower housing member have oppositely directed sleeves for telescopic connection with the top of the mast.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,775,586 9/1930 Becker 240822 2,166,394 7/1939 Crossley 24052 2,174,067 9/1939 Bahr 2408.1 2,252,395 8/1941 Cohen 2408.l X 2,520,861 8/ 1950 Stone 287-86 2,636,109 4/1953 Cone 24081 2,636,976 4/1953 Eckert 24047 X 2,641,687 6/1953 Akely 24025 2,851,587 9/1958 Stockman 24052 2,980,457 4/1961 Page 287-436 3,094,286 6/1963 Harling 24047 X 3,156,418 11/1964 Jablonski et al 24025 X NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. A WARNING LIGHT DEVICE FOR VEHICLES, COMPRISING A MAST ARRANGED TO BE MOUNTED IN UPRIGHT NON-ROTATIVE POSITION ON A VEHICLE AND CARRYING AT ITS UPPER END AN APERTURED SUPPORTING PLATE, A LAMP BULB MOUNTED ON THE PLATE, AN UPPER HOUSING SURROUNDING THE BULB, HAVING A COLORED GLASS PANEL IN ITS REAR SIDE AND A VENTILATING PASSAGE ABOVE SAID PANEL, AND A LOWER HOUSING BELOW SAID SUPPORTING PLATE SURROUNDING THE TOP OF THE MAST AND HAVING VENTI-