Portable traffic signal
First Claim
1. A portable traffic signal comprising:
- a base for mounting on a bed of a supporting vehicle,an articulated frame pivotally attached to the base and capable of extending and contracting, andtraffic signaling means supported by the frame such that when the frame is extended, the signaling means is elevated and horizontally displaced from the base, and when the frame is fully contracted, the signaling means is lowered and positioned above the base,wherein the articulated frame comprises an articulated parallelogram having sides defined by a first, a second, a third and a fourth structural member, and an articulated quadrangle being other than a parallelogram having adjacent sides defined by the first and second structural members, and a third side defined by a fifth structural member, the first and fifth structural members having ends pivotally attached to the base,the quadrangle having a fourth side being defined by a line extending between the points of attachment to the base of the first and fifth structural members.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A portable traffic signal has a base for mounting on the bed of a transporting vehicle, an articulated frame pivotally attached to the base and capable of extending and contracting and a traffic signal light supported by the frame such that when the frame is extended the signal light is elevated and horizontally displaced from the transporting vehicle. When the frame is fully contracted, the signal light and the frame are compactly fitted onto the base. The frame comprises structural members connected by hinge assemblies in the form of two adjacent parallelograms and two adjacent quadrangles, the quadrangles being other than parallelograms such that when the frame is fully contracted the structural members are in substantial horizontal alignment above the bed.
27 Citations
12 Claims
-
1. A portable traffic signal comprising:
-
a base for mounting on a bed of a supporting vehicle, an articulated frame pivotally attached to the base and capable of extending and contracting, and traffic signaling means supported by the frame such that when the frame is extended, the signaling means is elevated and horizontally displaced from the base, and when the frame is fully contracted, the signaling means is lowered and positioned above the base, wherein the articulated frame comprises an articulated parallelogram having sides defined by a first, a second, a third and a fourth structural member, and an articulated quadrangle being other than a parallelogram having adjacent sides defined by the first and second structural members, and a third side defined by a fifth structural member, the first and fifth structural members having ends pivotally attached to the base, the quadrangle having a fourth side being defined by a line extending between the points of attachment to the base of the first and fifth structural members. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
-
-
6. A portable traffic signal comprising:
-
a base for mounting on the bed of a supporting vehicle, first and second articulated frames pivotally attached to the base and capable of extending and contracting, first traffic signaling means supported by the first articulated frame such that when the frame is extended, the first signaling means is elevated and horizontally displaced from the base and when the frame is fully contracted, the first signaling means is lowered and positioned above the base, and second traffic signaling means supported by the second articulated frame such that when the frame is extended, the second signaling means is elevated and horizontally displaced from the base, and when the frame is fully contracted, the second signaling means is lowered and positioned above the base, wherein each articulated frame comprises an articulated parallelogram having sides defined by a first, a second, a third and a fourth structural member, and an articulated quadrangle being other than a parallelogram having adjacent sides defined by the first and second structural members, and a third side defined by a fifth structural member, the first and fifth structural members having ends pivotally attached to the base, said quadrangle having a fourth side being defined by a line extending between the points of attachment to the base of the first and fifth structural members. - View Dependent Claims (7)
-
-
8. A portable traffic signal as in 6 wherein the first and second articulated frames are independently extended or contracted.
-
9. A portable traffic signal comprising:
-
a traffic light, a base, first means pivotally joined to said base and rotatable from a substantially horizontal position toward a substantially upright position, a parallelogram linkage including a portion of said first means spaced along said first means from said base, a support means parallel to said first means for supporting said traffic light, and parallel side members respectively pivotally connected to said first and support means for completing said parallelogram linkage, and an inextensible second means pivotally joined to said base and pivotally connected to a said side member of said parallelogram linkage for constraining said parallelogram linkage to raise said traffic light vertically and move it horizontally with respect to said base as said first means rotates toward an upright position while said support means rotates with said first means for changing the orientation of said traffic light from a substantially horizontal attitude to a substantially vertical attitude. - View Dependent Claims (10)
-
-
11. A portable traffic signal comprising:
-
a traffic light, a base, and an articulated frame comprising a first, a second, a third, a fourth and a fifth structural member and a first, a second, a third, a fourth, a fifth, a sixth and a seventh pivot, wherein the first pivot joins the proximal end of the first member to the base, the second pivot joins a non-terminal point on the first member to a non-terminal point on the second member, the third pivot joins the distal end of the first member to the proximal end of the third member, the fourth pivot joins the proximal end of the second member to the distal end of the fifth member, the fifth pivot joins the proximal end of the fifth member to the base, the sixth pivot joins the proximal end of the fourth member to the distal end of the second member, the seventh pivot joins the distal end of the fourth member to the distal end of the third member, and wherein the traffic light is mounted on the fourth member. - View Dependent Claims (12)
-
Specification