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US Pat. 2455497
OSCILLATING WARNING LIGHT FOR VEHICLES
by Jeremiah D. KennellyFiled: Nov. 2, 1945; Serial No. 626,358
Patented: Dec. 7, 1948
Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view.
Figure 2 is a sectional view with the section being taken at line 2-2.
Figure 3 is a detail sectional view taken at line 3-3 of Figure 1.
The motor 38 drives through reduction gears 40 the drive shaft
41. The arm 42, which is fixed on shaft 41, makes a wide
arcuate stroke around shaft 41. This movement swings the connecting bar or
rod 43 laterally through relatively long movements. This in turn causes the
extension 36 of pendulum arm 30 to be swung laterally,, which causes
the suspended light 49 to be given a long arcuate swing from one side to the
other.
At the same time, the connecting means between the pendulum arm 30 and
the integral arm 27 of frame 17 oscillates the frame 17 and the
light 26 from side to side as the pendulum swings. The Oscillation of the light
26 being in a direction opposite to the swing of the lower light 49.
As the lower light 49 swings to the right, the upper light 26
oscillates to the left, and vice versa. The two lights 26 and 49, however,
are focused together when the pendulum arm rotates substantially in a vertical position.
Both of the lights can be colored red or their rays can be caused to pass through a lens 11 which may be colored red. The two lights may be colored differently, if desired, and their rays may pass through a plain or transparent plate 11.
Through the use of a pendulum arm, the operation is given a rhythmic or even stroke
and the two lights operate in a timed relation. A minimum of burden or load is on the
motor and the warning operations can be carried on for extensive intervals without the
consumption of much current.
The size of the lighting unit is relatively small but the wide sweep of the pendulum
arm around the upper light gives the signaling or warning effect of a much larger
structure and attention is attracted to it from considerable distances.
The transversely-rotating upper light 26 which blends with the pendulum
light 49 when the arm 30 is in the vertical position and moves in
opposite directions at other instances, forms a sharply-contrasting beam which
accentuates and calls attention to the swinging pendulum light 49.
The upper light 26 and it's reflector 25 may be swung to a tilted
position vertically by moving the adjustment bolt 21 rearward in slot 22,
as shown in Figure 1. It is advantagious to throw illumination at higher angles,
particularly when the light is used on locomotives. The consruction permits the reflector
25 and its associated parts to be tilted upwardly while supported for rotation
on the balls 19 and 20.
