Operational signal system and signal light arrangement

• US 20100283598A1
• Filed: 05/08/2009
• Published: 11/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hal's Construction, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hal's Construction, Inc.
• Inventors: King, Loren J., Hickman, Philip M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,077,023 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/472
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2657 mounted on a shaft, e.g. telescopic
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/547 for issuing requests to other traffic participants; for confirming to other traffic participants they can proceed, e.g. they can overtake
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/00 Machines, tools or auxiliary devices for preparing or distributing paving materials, for working the placed materials, or for forming, consolidating, or finishing the paving surface stabilisation E01C21/00; apparatus specially adapted for reconditioning or repairing paving E01C23/00
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/48 for laying-down the materials and consolidating them, or finishing the surface , e.g. slip forms therefor, forming kerbs or gutters in a continuous operation in situ E01C19/002, E01C23/065 take precedence; devices for guiding or controlling the machines along a predetermined path E01C19/004

Abstract

A visual signal system including a signal display carried prominently on a paving machine, where it can be seen clearly by an operator of a dump truck or shuttle vehicle delivering paving material to the paving machine, as well as by other nearby personnel. Control circuits provide that a paving machine operator may separately control the display of certain signals, while other signals are automatically presented on the signal display in response to operation of paving machine functional controls.

Claims

1. A signal system for use in directing a supply vehicle delivering material to a self-propelled machine requiring such material, the signal system comprising:

(a) a “

stop”

signal light;

(b) a “

proceed”

signal light; and

(c) a hoist control signal light set, including;

(i) a “

raise”

signal light; and

(ii) a “

lower”

signal light, the signal lights all being mounted on a primary display unit.

2. The signal system of claim 1 wherein the hoist control signal light set includes a “

hold”

signal light.

3. The signal system of claim 1 further including a “

back-up”

signal light.

4. The signal system of claim 3 further including a “

task completed”

signal light.

5. The signal system of claim 4 including an electrical control circuit arranged to provide power selectively to illuminate either said “

back-up”

signal light or said “

task completed”

signal light and to prevent both from being illuminated simultaneously.

6. The signal system of claim 1 including an electrical control circuit arranged to illuminate said “

proceed”

signal light in response to operation of a propulsion control of said machine so as to place said machine into forward motion.

7. The signal system of claim 1 wherein said “

stop,”

“

proceed,” and

hoist control signal lights are all included in a display panel mounted at a side of said machine, in view of an operator of said supply vehicle while delivering said material into a receptacle included in said machine.

8. The signal system of claim 1 including a primary signal display wherein said “

stop”

signal light and “

proceed”

signal light and hoist control signal light set are displayed facing in a first direction with respect to said machine, toward an operator of a supply vehicle being operated in cooperation with said machine.

9. The signal system of claim 8 including a secondary signal display corresponding to said primary signal display and including a secondary “

stop”

signal light, a secondary “

proceed”

signal light, and a secondary hoist control signal light set in a position visible to an operator of said machine.

10. The signal system of claim 8 including a secondary display of signal lights corresponding to said “

stop,” and

“

proceed,”

signal lights and hoist control signal light set, located in view of personnel located near said machine but in locations where said display panel may not be visible.

11. The signal system of claim 1 wherein said “

raise”

signal light and “

lower”

signal light are controlled by a self-canceling momentary switch.

12. The signal system of claim 1 including a “

back-up”

signal light and wherein said “

stop”

signal light and said “

back-up”

signal light are connected electrically to extinguish said “

stop”

signal light when said “

back-up”

signal light is illuminated, and including a switch biased to illuminate said “

stop”

signal light unless said “

back-up”

signal light is illuminated or said machine is placed into forward motion.

13. The signal system of claim 1 including a signal display including said “

stop,”

“

proceed,” and

hoist control signal lights, said signal system including a control panel located at a machine operator station remote from said signal display.

14. The signal system of claim 1 wherein said “

stop”

signal light and said “

proceed”

signal light are controlled by a signal control circuit responsive to a machine propulsion control device in such a way that when said machine propulsion control device is in a neutral position said “

stop”

signal light is illuminated and when said machine propulsion control device is in a “

forward”

position said “

proceed”

signal light is illuminated and said “

stop”

signal light is extinguished.

15. The signal system of claim 1 including a display panel wherein said “

stop”

signal light includes a plurality of separate elongate elements displayed prominently and arranged so as to outline a polygon.

16. In combination with a self-propelled paving machine, signal display apparatus comprising:

(a) a primary signal display mounted on said paving machine and including a “

stop”

signal, a “

proceed”

signal, and a “

material off-load”

signal set;

(b) a signal controller located at an operator station of the paving machine so as to be within reach of an operator of the paving machine and, said signal controller including a plurality of switches connected electrically to cause the display panel to show a selected one of said “

stop,”

“

proceed,” and

“

material off-load”

signals.

17. The combination of claim 16 wherein said primary signal display apparatus includes a first signal control circuit responsive to a propulsion control device of said paving machine so as to cause said display to activate said “

proceed”

signal in response to placement of said paving machine propulsion control device into a “

forward”

position.

18. The combination of claim 16 including a second signal control circuit interconnected with said signal controller and operative selectively to cause said primary signal display to display a signal from said “

material off-load”

signal set, and wherein said material off-load signal set indicates that a mechanism on a supply vehicle should be operated to begin or stop discharging material from said supply vehicle.

19. The combination of claim 16 wherein said signal controller includes a third control circuit arranged to cause the primary signal display selectively to display a “

task completed”

signal.

20. The combination of claim 19 wherein said third control circuit is connected so as to prevent said primary signal display from activating said “

stop”

signal during display of said “

task completed”

signal.

21. The combination of claim 16 wherein said “

stop”

signal includes a combination of lights arranged to be significantly more prominent than any other signal light in said primary signal display.

22. The combination of claim 21 wherein said “

stop”

signal includes a plurality of lights arrayed to define a polygon resembling an outline of a highway “

stop”

sign.

23. The combination of claim 19 wherein said “

task completed”

signal includes a plurality of distinctive lights.

24. The combination of claim 23 including a flasher connected to said lights of “

task completed”

signal to cause different ones of said plurality of lights to flash alternatingly.

25. The combination of claim 16 including a fourth control circuit connected electrically with said signal controller so as to selectively activate a “

back-up”

signal and to deactivate the “

stop”

signal.

26. The combination of claim 25 wherein said “

back-up”

signal includes a white light.

27. The combination of claim 25 wherein said fourth control circuit includes a switch connected electrically so as to prevent simultaneous display of both said “

back-up”

signal and said “

proceed”

signal.

28. The combination of claim 16 including a secondary signal display carried on said paving machine and directed toward said operator station so as to be in view of an operator of said paving machine, said secondary signal display being arranged to display a signal corresponding with each signal that is displayed by said primary signal display.