US2820955A - Traffic signal controllers - Google Patents

Description

c. E. BEACH 2,820,955

TRAFFIC SIGNAL CONTROLLERS Jam. 21, 195

Filed Feb. 9. 1953 8 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

Filed Feb. .9, 1953 G. E. BEACH TRAFFIC SIGNAL CONTROLLERS 8. Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Jan. 21, 1958 Filed Feb. 9, 1953 c. E. BEACH TRAFFIC SIGNAL CONTROLLERS- 3 Sheet-Sheet 3 I N VEN TOR.

Jan. 21, 1958 c. E. BEACH ,9% TRAFFIC SIGNAL CONTROLLERS Filed Feb. 9, 1953 8 Sheets-Sheec 4 223/ MAIN CROSS Cuwlwzm' 243 STREET IN VEN TOR.

STREET cuppa/r Su PLY Jan. 21, 1958 c. E. BEACH 2,820,955

TRAFFIC SIGNAL GONTROLLERS Filed Feb. 9, 1953 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 76 D/smn/r JouecE or 0445 V Y CUREENT fiuPPLV INVENTOR.

Jan. 21, 1958 c. E. BEACH ,8

TRAFFIC SIGNAL CbNTROLLERS Filed Feb. 9, 1953 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 CURRENT SUPPLY Sscorvmm CONTROLLER Scwac: OF

SYMCHRONIZING lmpuLszs I59- 269 229' G. i5 INVENTOR.

C E 1 J 535%? N, 223

Jan. 21, 1958 c. E. BEACH TRAFFIC SIGNAL CONTROLLERS Filed Feb. 9, 1953 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 EaDm FZmwEDU Jan. 21, 1958 a E. BEACH ,9 5

TRAFFIC SIGNAL CONTROLLERS Filed Feb. 9, 1953 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 FIG. 16

IN V EN TOR.

United States Patent- G 2,820,955 TRAFFIC SIGNAL CONTROLLERS Clarence E. Beach, Binghamton, N. Y. Application February 9, 1953, Serial No. 335,965 5 Claims. (Cl. 340-35) This invention relates to trafiic signal controllers; and, more particularly, to structural features which facilitate revisions of operating characteristics of such controllers whereby to conform with diverse operating conditions which are encountered in regulation of highway traffic.

Prior tratfic signal controllers have embodied provisions for revising the over-all cycle time, as by change of gearing ratios or by altering the speed of an operating motor.

However, practical service conditions present circumstances which emphasize the desirability of provisions for temporarily or intermittently expeditiously effecting revisions of over-all cycle timing.

Use of facilities such as are available in prior controllers for accomplishing such changes in over-all cycle timing has required more or less special skill and training, so that it has been found essential to restrict the use of such facilities to persons such as city electricians and superintendents of signaling systems, and their assistants; while not permitting such changes to be attempted by other persons, such, for example, as trafiic-police ofi'icers.

Furthermore, mere change of over-all cycle timing does not adequately provide for conditioning of traffic signal controllers to best govern trafiic movements under many circumstances.

When conditions such as just referred to are encountered in the use of controllers now available, there are frequent attempts to meet the situation by suspending use of the controller during so-called rush hours, and in other instances, a compromise is made by use of controller settings which cause needless extended delays under ordinary circumstances while failing to adequately provide for emergency conditions.

To mention but one instance in which much more than such revision of over-all timing is needed, reference is made to situations in which trafiic from a cross street enters an arterial or other main highway, and a large parking lot for factory employees discharges on that cross street.

Because of these circumstances, a Go signal of say twenty seconds for the cross street is fully adequate throughout all portions of the day except when a large number of the factory employees leave at or about the same time; as at the end of a working shift.

During such occasions, it is highly desirable that the time allotted for vehicles to move out of the cross street should be greatly increased, while there should be little if any change in the time allotted for trafiic movements on the artery. Furthermore, if locality signal procedure includes use of what might be termed a clearing signal aspect (for example, an amber light added to each preceding green light), the durations of such clearing signals should not be increased when the cross street Go signal duration is lengthened.

It is evident that, in such cases, if no change is made other than to increase the over-all cycle time, the duration of each of the other component aspects will be correspondingly lengthened. Thus, again for example, if the cross street Go time is trebled (i. e., lengthened from twenty seconds to sixty seconds) upon occasions when a large number of employees are driving from the parking space, should this be accomplished by merely trebling the over-all cycle time, that is, without revising the relative timing of the other component cycle aspects, the duration of any clearing signals would be corresponding trebled, and the time allotted for arterial movement (i. e., other than that originating in the side street) would be correspondingly trebled. Such changes in the permissive arterial Go and in the semi-permissive clearing signals would serve to more than nullify any ultimate advantage which might otherwise be obtained through lengthening of the cross street Go duration.

It is, therefore, an important object of this invention to provide facilities for simply and expeditiously altering the time-duration of any one permissive signal aspect without thereby revising the duration of any other permissive aspect; such alteration to be inclusive of any needed change in the timing of the over-all cycle. For example, for lengthening or shortening the Go signal for a cross street without effecting the duration of the Go signal for a main street, or vice versa.

It is a further important object to provide facilities for effecting any needed alterations of any one signal aspect, inclusive of needed resultant revision of the over-all cycle time, by one very simple and quickly accomplished movement of a single part.

Some prior art trafiic signal controllers have embodied provisions for revising relationships of the durations of two or more permissive signal aspects without effecting the over-all cycle time. Thus if, say, there had been a setting for an over-all cycle time of sixty seconds, of which the artery Go aspect occupied forty seconds and the cross street Go aspects occupied the remaining twenty seconds, readjustment could be efiected to provide a difierent relationship between such signal aspects; as, for example, causing each aspect to occupy one-half of the over-all cycle time. 7

In the use of prior controllers, revision of the over-all cycle time (as by change of ratios of gearing or by altering the speed of an operating motor) has had no efiect upon the relationships between the proportions of the overall cycle time which are occupied by the individual aspects.

Because of this, it has heretofore been impracticable to quickly recondition such controllers (l) for the purpose of effecting revision of the duration of a certain one or more Go aspects without efiecting durations of other such Go aspects; and, (2) at the same time, to establish an overall cycle time which is the sum of the desired durations of the various aspects.

Such impracticability has resulted from the necessity of first making mathematical calculations and thereafter making complicated adjustments whereby to express the results of such calculations.

In order to at least partially overcome the difficulties just described, groups of two or more controller mechanisms are being utilized, together with facilities for rendering such controller mechanisms alternatively efiective.

It is obvious that even such alternatively utilized controller mechanisms can, at best, only meet circumstances which have been fully anticipated; hence, whenever circumstances develop for which there should be a controller setting more or less widely differing from that provided in either or any of such pre-set controllers, there have been no facilities for quickly and conveniently effecting such changes. Furthermore, it is obvious that multiplication of controller mechanisms and provision of facilities for rendering them alternatively effective serves to greatly Patented Jan. 21, 1958 increase the cost and complication of controller installatlons.

In an increasingly large proportion of the traffic signal controllers heretofore used, the means for changing individual aspect duration ratios have involved repositionings of keys or clips in slots provided in disks or drums. For reasons already pointed out in greater detail, suitable revisions of relative positionings of such keys has required mathematical calculations and possession 'of both an extent of special skill and of a familiarity with the involved mechanical problems, unlikely to be possessed by traific officers or persons other than those specially trained therefor.

It is, therefore, an important object of this invention to provide, in a traffic-signal controller, facilities whereby any traffic ofiicer, or other authorized person, may very readily and quickly alter time-duration of any signal aspect or phase, without need either for mathematical calculations or for exercise of special skill, and without need for understanding of mechanism details or of electrical circuit characteristics.

.It is a corresponding object, to provide, in such controllers, facilities for altering time-duration of any Go signal aspect or phase without thereby changing the duration of any other Go aspect or phase. I

It is a further important object to provide for the acoomplishment of such changes without occasion for exercise of special skill or training; such, for example, as is involved in use of mechanism for revising gearing ratios, or changes in settings of keys in a timing disk or barrel.

It is a still further obiect to provide a trafiic signal controller having structural characteristics such as will render it capable of adaptation for use under any one or another of a wide variety of operating conditions, merely by alteration of electrical relationships between current paths, some of which may extend outside of the controller.

There are occasions when it is desirable to suspend cyclic operation of a signal controller, as, for example, for establishing manual push button control,for association with vehicle-actuated contactors or with pedestrian push buttons, for substitution of flasher action, or for complete suspension of cyclic signaling (as during the late night hours). At the termination of any such suspension, it is desirable that the very first ensuing aspect will be presented fora time substantially'the same as if'tha't aspect had occurred in the course of ordinary operation.

It is therefore a still further object'to'so co-relate the I aforesaid structural characteristics that suspension of cyclic operation maybe accomplished by'rnere abnormal conditioning of a current path; and such that, subsequent restoration of normal conditioning of this current path will immediately cause resumption of cyclic operation at a stage thereof, such that the duration of the'very first ensuing aspect will be that for which the controller had been set.

In the use of prior 'trafiic signal controllers which have been rendered subject to synchronizing -impulses-(as from a master controller) there-have been occurrences which have caused such controllers to become 'extensively out-ofstep with the synchronizing have, at times resulted in a long continued suspension of operation of the controller, upon the occasion of its being restored to intended synchronized operation.

For example, in the use of prior forms of traffic signal controllers, circumstances may develop during resynchronizing action such that the controller will continue "a signal aspect for almost the entire fover-all cycle time. Such an occurrence seriously disturbs the orderly flow of vehicular traffic.

It is therefore another object controllers having the foregoing to provide facilities, in characteristics, for Zaccomplishing synchronization i'n a'ver'y simple manner, whereby a controllerequipped with synchronizing facilitieswill not be caused tozextensivelyalter the duration of any signal aspect, even should the source of synchronizing impulses. Such -occurrences impulses fail .to operate :as intended, or should there be disablement of the conductors which should bring synchronizing impulses from their source.

It is still a further object to provide, in such controllers, facilities which may be readily adapted for accomplishing revisions of aspect durations either alternatively as to one or the other of certain Go aspects, or accomplished in like or in diverse proportions to each of two or more of such aspects. 7

It is another object .to provide in a signal controller, facilities for effecting revisions of over-all cycle and of various individual aspect durations .without exposing to weather conditions any portions of the controller the operability of which is likely to be impaired through such exposures.

It is a further object to provide in a signal controller embodying all or certain desired ones of the foregoing characteristics, provisionfor accomplishing so-called local manualqcontrol, the characteristics of which 360D- troller will be such that the various signal aspectslmay be rendered effective, as by use of a push button; and whereby, upon reconditioning the controller for the cyclic actionfor which it is set, its action will be resumed as if the commencement of the signal'aspect which was being displayed when manual control was relinquished had resulted :from cyclic action. In other words, full timing will be given to such phase or aspect, and there will be no opportunity for confusion such as occurs in the use of prior controllers when an officer restores them to cyclic action ata stage such that the duration of the first dis- 7 played aspect will be so short as to cause confusion of drivers of vehicles.

Where the term switching ,mechanism or means is used hereinafter it desiguatesfacilities (such, for example, as a rotatable drum) for governing electric circuits for severally causing indiv'dual displays of a plurality of signals or signal aspects, in a predetermined sequence.

Where the term timing mechanism is used hereinafter it designates a mechanism comprising a group of units severally serving in association with and for causing timely actuations of a switching mechanism or means such as referred .to above, there being at least one of the several such units for individual association with a respective one of the signal displays governed by the switching mechanism.

In constructing this invention, switching means is provided for governing current paths to the various signal lamps, which mechanism is subject to step-by-step actuation for causing sequential display of diverse signal aspects in a predetermined order. 7

For effecting timely 'step-bystep actuations of "such switching means, controlling units are associated therewith, one controlling unit for 'each permissive or semipermissive "trafiic movement, and each-of these units is independently presettable for establishing the time during which a signaling aspect represented thereby will be displayed.

'Thus, for a given trafiic "channel, a. controlling unit is provided for governing the durationof a Go aspect (usually green) which is --fully"-permissive "for movement of trafiic in that channel.

If semi-permissive or an-impending-change warning aspect is provided (sometimes called a Caution aspect, and usually green-amber, although some times redamber') most service conditions will be bestserved by providing another'presettable controlling unit for governing the duration of such aspect. 7

When operating conditions are such as :torrender .it desirable that there shall be maximum and minimum limitsfor the duration of any'signal :aspect,;separate--pr,e-

settable controlling units are provided for governing such maximum and minimum aspect durations. k

'Inasmuch as display of so-called 'Stop aspects (almost universally red) is presented for agiventraffic channel throughout absence of eitherrpermiss'ive or semipermissivesignal aspects for that channel, there is no occasion-to provide controlling mechanism which is presettable to represent Stop signals. In other words, the occasion for occurrence and the duration of the Stop signal aspect for any traffic path should be co-extensive with the portion of the complete operating cycle during which neither a Go nor a Caution aspect is displayed for such channel.

Such controlling units are so associated that the entire time duration of the operative cycle is, at all times, the sum of the durations of the Go and Caution aspects for the various trafiic paths.

For the purpose of enabling this invention to be more readily understood, certain embodiments thereof are shown in the annexed drawings and hereinafter described in greater detail. Such embodiments have been selected as illustrative of the invention; although by no means exhaustive of the scope of this invention in its applications for meeting the many diverse highway trafiic conditions.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a portion of the inner door or panel of a traffic signal controller constructed in accordance with this invention and having parts of presettable members of two controlling units projecting therethrough;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing five presettable members, thus providing for green-amber aspects and being suited for use in trafiic responsive service in which there is provision for time extension;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing four presettable members which are located entirely behind the panel and are settable by manual push buttons;

Fig. 4 is a more or less schematic side elevational View of significant parts of a preferred form of a presettable unit suitable for use in controllers such as contemplated by Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary View of the interacting portions of the presettable and the timing disks of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a front clevational view of a pair of controlling units comprising parts shown by Fig. 4 associated as contemplated by Fig. 1, but with front panel removed;

Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of circuit connections between parts of controllers such as shown by Figs. 1, 4 and 6;

Fig. 8 schematically and diagrammatically shows parts and circuit connections of a controller embodying features supplemental to what is shown in Fig. 7, for governing green-amber signal aspects in addition to green and red aspects which are provided for by controllers such as contemplated by Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 correspondingly shows a controller suited for suspended cycle traffic actuation;

Fig. 10 similarly shows a controller embodying a time extension feature;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a preferred form of presettable units similar to those shown by Figs. 4, 6 and 7, with supplemental and revised parts and circuit connections suited for causing display of an added signal aspect responsive to distant calls;

Fig. 12 schematically and diagrammatically shows a preferred form of a controller including prescttable facilities such as shown by Fig. 11, and providing facilities for adding a signal aspect to a usual operative cycle responsive to impulses from a distant source;

Fig. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the one of the controlling units of Fig. 12 which governs the green-amber call aspect;

Fig. 14 shows a detail to be referred to;

Fig. 15 schematically shows significant portions of a secondary controller having a supplemental controlling unit which is presettable for limiting extent of extension of the operating cycle resultant from absence of timely synchronizing impulses;

Fig. 16 is a schematic side elevational view of stepping mechanism for presetting of controlling unit disks; and

Fig. 17 is a fragmentary front elevational View of certain parts of Fig. 16.

The accompanying drawings show, and the ensuing specification will make reference to switching means involving a controlling drum and actuating means therefor constructed along the lines of corresponding parts more fully shown and described in various prior patents; such, for example, as Patent No. 2,236,299, dated March 25, 1941, to R. A. Reid; to which patent reference is had.

However, it should be understood that any one of a comparatively large number of other types of switching means could be advantageously utilized in embodiments of this invention; that shown and to be presently more fully referred to, having been selected as a matter of convenience and because, being particularly well known to persons skilled in this art, it is believed to be unnecessary to now provide extended description thereof. The various parts of the switching means shown in the accompanying drawings will therefore be herein given brief identification.

Referring particularly to Fig. 6, the shaft 21 is journaled in the frame plates 23, 24, and mechanism is provided for imparting stepping actuations to said shaft.

Various forms of such stepping mechanism structure may be utilized in controllers constructed in accordance with this invention. In Fig. 4, a type of such structure is illustratively shown, the general character and manner of operation of which type is well understood by persons skilled in this art; detailed description of such structure herein therefore deemed unnecessary.

Briefly stated, the structure shown includes a ratchet wheel 25, fixed on the shaft 21, a crank 35 journaled on said shaft and carrying a pin 37 upon which the pawl 27 is pivoted, a spring 39 urging said pawl toward said ratchet wheel, a stroke limiting spring 45 in the path of the shoulder 41 formed near the end of the pawl 27, a flexible arm 47 for stabilizing wheel 25, and electromagnet structure including a stepping coil 29 and a member 31 for movement upwardly responsive to energizations of said coil and urged downwardly by gravitation which may be supplemented by the spring 33; said member 31 being functionally connected to the crank 35.

Inasmuch as various well-known forms of electromagnet structures may be utilized for effecting actuation of said ratchet, it should be understood that the representations of said coil and member are mere schematic indications of such structure.

The number of notches provided in ratchets such as wheel 25 should preferably be the same as the number of permissive signaling aspects to be displayed (as hereinafter more fully explained), or some multiple of that number.

For control of the various signal lamps, a suitable number of insulating disks, such as 51, are mounted upon and rotate with the shaft 21; there being one such disk for each signal aspect.

Associated in responsive relationship with respective ones of said insulating disks, contact strips such as 53 are each functionally associated with a pair of stationary contacts such as 57 and 59 (best shown in Fig. 4) so that, when the free end of any strip is displaced by its associated insulating disk 51, the connection between such strip and its associated stationary contacts will be interrupted, and so'that when a cut-away portion in the associated disk 51 is presented to the free end of any contact strip, its associated spring 61 will move the strip to establish a connection between its associated contacts 57 and 59.

The cross-section of the shaft 21 and the shape of the openings therefor in the disks 51 should be such as will assure positive driving of the disks responsive to the rotation of this shaft; but the openings through said disks should be of size such that, during assembly, they may slide freely lengthwise of the shaft.

assess;

Spacing sleeves such as 63 are provided on the shaft 21 for retaining the insulating disks 51 in their intended posi ions. a

A gear 7.11s fixed on the shaft 21 and engages a gear 73 which is fixed on the shaft 75. Preferably the gears.

71 and 73 should be of like diameter, so that rotation of the shaft 21 will cause like rotation of the shaft 75, for a purpose which will be presently explained in greater detail.

Presettable controlling units ,As already mentioned, presettable controlling units are associated with the switching means just described, for effecting :timely step-,by-step actuation thereof.

It should be understood that various forms of such contro'llingunits may be utilized in accordance with the more general aspects of this invention.

.In order thatmanufacture may most economically be effected,git is desirable that parts utilized in units which accomplish certain minimum results for the more simple service conditions, shall be of such form that they will also be suited for use in differing relationshps and/or withsupplemental parts, for accomplishing differing and more complex results.

Controlling units which merely provide for accomplishing a group .of minimum results, such as just referred to, will at times be hereinafter designated as foundational or as basic units.

In constructing controllers in accordance with more detailed features of this invention, each controlling .unit has a part which, at times, will be hereinafter referred to as'a presettab'lemember or :as a presettable disk; and another part which will be referred to as a timing member? or as a timing ratchet or -a"ratchet wheel. In the interests of convenience and brevity of expression, such terms may be hereinafter more or less interchange. ably employed.

Referring .now more particularly to Fig. 1,. it should benoted that a front panel such as 1, may be suitably attached to or form apart of a casing for a traffic signal controller; only a part of such panel being here'shown.

Openings 3 and ,3 are provided in the panel 1, and portions of presettable,uaernbers15 and 5 project through these openings to facilitate manual setting of these members.

Numerals such as 7,, 7 are inscribed on the peripheries of the members 5 ,and 5 for indicating the number of seconds of signal aspect display represented by positionings of these members, and blocks 9, 9 situated at respective sidesofrsaid member-s5 and 5 are marked with arrows for facilitating reading of settings expressed by such numerals.

As best shown in Figs. 4 and 6, the disks 5 are journaled on the shaft 101. This shaft is supported by the frame (plates .23 and 24, and is held against rotation, as by'the pins 103, 103.

In association with each disk 5 there is a timing member 107.; :the timing members associated with the disks 5 and being designated in Fig, 16by the reference characters 107 and ;;107 .respect ive1y.

Each-timing member 107 is independently journaled upon the shaft 101. The disks 5 and members 107 are grouped between the fixed end- collars 109, 109 and various intervening sleeves,-,such as the sleeves 111 and 113.

For reasons which will be hereinafter more fully ex plained, it is desirable that locating means shall be associatedwith-each disk 5, such, .for'example, that shown in Fig. .4, in which ,the vlatch121, has ,a tooth 12.3for1engaging the walls of one or another of notches 125 which are formed in-the periphery of the disk 5.

;Eac h Ilatch 121 is loosely journaled' on the shaft 127, and has a spring ,129urging it to carry its tooth 123 toward the disk 5.

Stopmeans :is provided for preventing an objectionable maximum extent of rotation of the disk .5. As here shown, this stop means consists of bars such as'131 car-' rie by resp c ive disks and abutmen s .135 and 1 .5 Projecting from h fron p nel .1 into the paths of said bars. The abutment 133 is shown as positioned for preventing counter-clockwise rotation of said diSk 5 beyond a position representative of two seconds, and the abutment 135 for preventing clockwise rotation beyond a position rep resentative of sixty seconds.

A spring 141 has an end 143 thereof attached to the shaft 101 and the other end connected to the pin 145, which pin is fixed in the timing ratchet 107. Said spring urges clockwise rotation of the timing ratchet 1&7.

As best shown in Fig. 5, the disk 5 carries a lug 151 which extends in the path of a corresponding lug 153 carried by the timing ratchet 107.

It will be seen that the extent of clockwise rotation which can be imparted to the timing ratche,t.-107 by the spring 141 is at all times determined by the positioning of said lug 151 resultant from the setting of its disk 5..

The stepping mechanism for the shaft 21, herein'before referred to, involves means responsive to the timing disks for effecting energizations of the coil which governs actuation of the drum shaft ratchet wheel. Such means will be at times hereinafter referred to as stcppingrcontact mechanism. As shown in Fig. 4, such means'cornprises a bell crank lever having the arms 155 and 157, and which is pivoted at 159. Said arm 155 projects between the disk 5 and the ratchet 107 in the path of the lug 153, so that said bell crank arm 157 will act through the insulating block 161 to move the contact 163 into engagement with the contact 165 when the counterclockwise thrust of the lug 153 is applied against the arm 155.

For certain operating conditions which are of no greater complexity than may be accomplished by basic units, b ut one set of contacts such as 163, 165 need be provided, and a series of arms 155 may be associated with a single arm 157, so that when the lug 153 of any controlling unit moves its associated arm 155, the contact 163 will be moved against the contact 165. However, under certain operating conditions, which will be hereinafter more fully described, separate arms 155, 157 and contacts 163 and 165 should be associated with respective timing ratchets 107.

In any event, conductors should be provided for associating contacts 163, 165 with the solenoid coil 29. In the interest of clearness, such conductors are not shown in Figs. 4 and 6, but an arrangement is diagrammatically shown in Fig. 7 which is suitable for use in connection with a pair of foundational or basic units such as cont e m,

plated by Fig. 1.

For convenience, contacts for governing the current path to the solenoid coil29 will be hereinafter some times referred to as drum-stepping contacts.

In association with each timing ratchet 107 there is an actuating pawl 171 and a retaining pawl 173..

Each of said actuating pawls is carried by an eccentric 175 which is mounted upon and rotates with the shaft 177,.

Springs 179 urge respective actuating pawls to swing toward their associated ratchet wheels.

The shaft 177 is driven by a motor, which motor to gether with suitable gearing is mounted in the casing'181.

The operating means for the actuating pawls 171 (comprising the eccentrics 175 and the motor and gearing in the casing 181) is so arranged and proportioned as to effect a suitable speed of rotation for the timing ratchet 107, as will be hereinafter more fully explained. 7

Each actuating pawl 171 has a tooth 183 for engaging teeth of the associated timing ratchet 107 and a hook 185 for at times engaging a hook 187 associated with the holding pawl 173, for a purpose which will Presently be explained in greater detail.

The holding pawls 17.3 are independently 'journa'led on the shaft 195, and springs 197 are applied -for .urg-

ing. these pawls toward engaging relationship with their respective timing ratchets.

Each holding pawl 173 carries, near its free end, a bar 189. The upper ends of these bars carry the hooks 187.

The bars 189 have slots 190 formed lengthwise thereof for receiving pins 190 carried by the associated pawl 173. The length of each slot 190 is such as will permit its bar 189 to freely move upwardly, during engagement of the hooks 185 and 187, for the entire stroke of the actuating pawl 171.

The springs 191 urge downward movement of their associated bars 189.

Associated with each holding pawl 173, there is a disk 201 which is fixed upon the shaft 75. Each of these disks 201 has one or more notches 203 formed therein.

In association with each disk 201 is an arm 205 which has a projection 207 for riding upon the periphery of its associated disk 201 and for entering notches such as 203 therein.

Each arm 205 carries a lug 209 which projects past the edge of its associated holding pawl 173.

The proportioning of these parts is such that, when the projection 207 is supported by the periphery of its disk 201, it will act through its lug 209 to cause the associated pawl 173 to be swung clear of the teeth of its timing ratchet 107; and such that, when the projection 207 has entered the notch 203 in its associated disk 201, the associated holding awl 173 will be permitted to assume a position in which its free end will be disposed in the path of the teeth of its ratchet 107 for holding same against clockwise rotation.

It will be noted that the ratchet wheel 25 shown in Fig. 7 has 16 teeth, that the associated disk 201 has 8 notches 203, and that each of the insulating disks 51 has 8 teeth and 8 notches. As a result of this proportioning, the strip 53 will interconnect its contacts 57 and 59 during every-other step of the rotation of the wheel 25, and will open the circuit for the main street green signal durin the alternative positionings of the ratchet wheel 25; and the projection 207 will be received in one of the notches 203 whenever said strip 53 interconnects the contacts 57 and 59 for effecting the lighting of the green lamps for the main street.

It will also be noted in Fig. 7, that the notched disks are designated by the reference characters 201 and 201* to indicate that they are respectively associated with setting members and 5 Correspondingly, the reference characters associated with the contact strips 53 and with their insulating disks 51 have sufiixes indicating the one of the presettable members 5 and the signal lamp color with which they are associated; thus, the left-hand one of these strips is designated as 53 indicating that it is associated with presettable member 5 and hence with the green lamp for the main street.

The current supply conductors 221, 223 are connected with the motor which is contained in the casing 181.

The conductor 227 connects the conductor 221 with the contact 163, the conductor 229 connects the contact 165 with the switch contact 253, the conducor 229 connects the switch arm 251 with the upper end of the winding of the coil 29, and the conductor 231 connects the 'lower end of said coil with the supply conductor 223. The conductor 233 connects the supply terminal 221 with each of the stationary contacts 57; the conductor 235 connects the contact 59 associated with the contact strip 53 with the green signal lamps for the main street; the conductor 237 connects the contact 59 associated with the strip 53 with the red lamps for the main street; the conductor 239 connects the contact 59 associated with the strip 53 with the green lamps for the cross street, and the conductor 241 connects the contact 59 associated with the strip 53 with the red lamps for the cross street, while the conductor 243 connects all of the other terminals of said lamps to the current supply conductor 223.

. 10 y Local push button control The switching means of controllers which embody this invention may be subjected to manual stepping actuation for effecting alterations of displays of signal aspects; as by use of the push button 265 of Fig. 7, which is connected through conductors 225, 225, between supply conductor 221 and the contact 255, associated with switch arm 251.

If no provision is made for using such a push button, the switches 251, 253, 255 may be omitted. In such an event, the conductors 229 and 229 may be joined, to provide one continuous connection between the contactand the upper terminal of the coil 29.

Where traffic conditions are such that it is desirable to display a so-called green-amber aspect after each green aspect, this may be accomplished as schematically shown in Fig. 8, by use of insulating disks 51 51 with appropriate associated contact strips and connections, supplementing the disks Sl 51 shown in Fig. 7; besides providing suitable associated notched disks 201 201 with supplemental ratchet wheels 107 107 together with members S 5Inga which are pre-: settable for establishing durations of such green-amber aspects. There are 4 notches in each of the disks 201, and the insulating disks 51 and 51 have double length cut-away portions 355' so that the current paths for the green lamps Will be closed throughout both the green and the green-amber aspects.

Operation, Figs. 1, 4 and 6 As already indicated, the durations of the green aspects of the signals of a main street and of a cross street may be established by manual settings of the disks 5- and 5 shown in Fig. 1. Assuming that these presettable disks have been respectively preset for 30 seconds and 20 seconds as shown, the operation of the controlling units of which these presettable disks form part will be as follows:

Such presetting of the disk 5 for 30 seconds will have placed its lug 151 so as to permit its timing member 107 to rotate clockwise, responsive to its spring 141, to the extent of 15 of its teeth, away from positioning where its lug 153 would act through the arms 155 and 157 to move the contact 163 against the contact 165.

correspondingly, such presetting of the disk 5 for 20 seconds will have placed the lug 151 so as to permit its timing disk 107 to rotate a distance represented by 10 of its teeth away from its contact actuating position.

Assuming that a source of current has been connected to the supply conductors 221 and 223 (see Fig. 7), and that the motor in the casing 181 is operating to cause a revolution of the shaft 177 and of the eccentrics every 2 seconds, and that the actuating pawl 171 is at or near the extreme upper end of a stroke thereof, and that (for a reason which will be presently explained in greater detail) there has been resultant energization of the coil 29 to effect rotation of the shafts 21 and 75, the notch 203 of the associated disk 201 will be brought into the path of the projection 207, thereby to permit its associated holding pawl 173 to be moved by its spring 197 toward the teeth of its timing member 107.

Rotation of the shaft 177 will thereafter move the actuating pawl 171 to its lowest position (the hooks and 187 associated with the setting member 5 having previously been brought into engagement in a manner which will be hereinafter more fully explained) withdrawal of the hook 187 from the path of the hook 185 will thereupon have occurred, and the free end of the associated pawl 173 and the tooth 183 carried by the pawl 171 will be brought into the path of the teeth of their associated timing disk 107*.

Incidentally, it should be observed that the hooks 185 and 187 may be so formed that, when the holding pawl 173 is permitted to move toward its disk 107 as just described, the hook 187 will immediately be withdrawn from the hook 185, instead of these books remaining in engagement until their pawl 171 approaches or reaches the lower end of its stroke. The operative result will not be significantly altered by change of the time of occurrence of the disengagement of the hook 187 from the hook 185, so long as such disengagement surely occurs when the pawl 171 is at or near the lower end of its stroke.

From the foregoing it will be evident that each revolution of the shaft 177 now ensuing will cause the eccentric 175 to act through the pawl 171 to advance; the timing ratchet 1137 associated with the disk one tooth or step toward theposition in which the lug 153 carried by this ratchet will act through the arms 155 and 157 to effect closure of the. contacts 163, 165 when this ratchet wheel has been advanced steps.

At the expiration of 30 seconds from the time when the free. end of the contact strip 53 moved into a notch in the disk 51 to cause the main street green lamps to be lighted (and hence when the notch 203 was presented to the projection 207) the lug 153 will act through the arms 155 and 157 to move the contact 163 against'the contact 165 at a time when the actuating pawl 171 is approaching the upper end of its stroke.

Such closure of the contacts 163, 165 will result in energization of the coil 29; whereupon the pawl 27 will be moved upwardly. Thereafter, said contacts will separate when the ratchet W7 is permitted to rotate clockwise after the actuating pawl 171 (Fig. 4) has started its downward stroke, and resultant deenergization of the coil 29 will permit the pawl 27 to move downwardly, to thereby cause one step of rotation to be imparted to the shafts 21 and 75.

Such step of rotation of the shafts 21 and 75 will cause the disk 201 to act through the arm 205 and its lug 209 to cause the holding pawl 173 to be swung out of the path of the teeth of the ratchet 167 and this will occur when the actuating pawl 171 is at or near its highest position.

During ensuing rotation of the eccentric 175, as the actuating pawl 171 nears the lower end of its stroke, its hook 185 will ride over the associated hook 187, and thereby carry its tooth 183 out of the path of the teeth of the ratchet 107.

Thereafter, so long as the holding pawl 173 is held out of the path of the teeth of its ratchet 107, as just described, the hook 185 will remain in engagement with the hook 187, thereby causing the bar 159 to move lengthwise of the pawl 173 as the pawl 171 is moved up and down during rotation of the eccentric 175; the

bar 189 being moved downwardly by the spring 191.

When, as just described, the actuating pawl 171 carries its tooth 183 out of the path of the teeth of the ratchet 107 its spring 141 will rotate said ratchet clockwise untilits lug 153 strikes the lug 151 which is carried by the disk 5 The aforesaid rotation of the shaft 21, in addition to causing the holding pawl 173 to be swung out of the path of the teeth of the ratchet 107*, also caused the disk 201 to present its notch 203 to the projection 207 of the arm 205 thereby to permit the holding pawl 173 and the actuating pawl 171' to move into functional relationship with the ratchet disk 197 for causing counter-clockwise rotation of said disk for measuring the time during which the green signal aspect will be presented for the cross street.

The step of rotation of the shaft 21 which caused disengagement of the pawls 171 and 173; and which per.- mitted engagement of the pawls 1'71 and 173' also rotated the insulating disks 51 51*, 51 and 51 so as to cause extinguishment of the main street green lamps and the cross street red lamps, as well as lighting of the ma n street red lamps an th cro s s r ctgreen mp After the elapse of another seconds. the coil 29 will b again znrg ,z =.c a and he e ad n ed as other step; with resultant disengagement of the pawls 171 and 1173 and reengagement of the pawls 171 and 173 and extinguishment of the cross street green lights and the main street red lights, and relighting the main street green lights and cross street red lights.

Thereafter, there will be repetitions of the cycle of operation just described.

It will be noted from the foregoing that, with the setting of the members 5 as shown, the Go signal for the main street and Stop signal for the cross street will be presented for 30 seconds, and the opposite signals for 20 seconds making a total over-all cycle of 50 seconds. If either of the presettable members 5 5 are moved from the settings shown, the green signals represented by such members will be correspondingly altered. Thus, if the member 5 should be reset for 20 seconds, and the setting of the member 5' is not altered, the over-all cycle duration will be 40 seconds instead of 50 seconds: At times when it is desired to use the local push button 265, the switch arm 251 should be moved from the contact 253 to the contact 255. Thereafter, the operation of the controller will be along lines such as the following: Assuming that the switch arm 251 is moved to its contact 255 while the timing member 107 is being moved, by its actuating pawl, toward the position where its lug 153 efiects closure of the contacts 163, 165, if the push button 265 is immediately operated to first ClOSe and then interrupt the current path therethrough, re sultant energization and deenergization of the coil 29 will cause the shafts 21 and to be rotated one step.

-Such rotation of the shaft 75, acting through the disk 201 will effect disengagement of the holding pawl 173 and immediately or shortly thereafter, the actuating'pawl 171 will be withdrawn to thereby permit the timing memher 107 to be rotated clockwise by its spring 141 until its lug 153 encounters the lug 151 of the presettable member 5 Such rotation of the shaft 75 will also rotate the disk Z01" so as to bring one of its notches 203 into the path of the projection 207 of its associated arm 205 thereby to permit the associated holding pawl 173 and actuating pawl 171 to move into engagement with the teeth of the timing ratchet 107 Such rotation of the shaft 21 will also cause the insulating disks Sl and 51 to move their strips 53 and 53*" away from their contacts 57, and thereby ex tinguish the green lamps for the main street and the red lamps for the cross street, and the disks 51 and 51'" will no longer support their contact strips 53.. These strip will therefore move to p siti ni gs which will cau e light ng of the red lamps for he m in tree an the green lamps for the cross street.

From the foregoing it should be noted that any unter-clockwise rot tion whi h ha een imparted. to the rat he Wheel .107 previous to the operation of the pu h b tto 2. 5, will be immedi ly cancelled, nd counter-clockwise accumulative movement of the ratchet wheel 197 will concurren ly commence- So long as the switch arm .251 connects wi h the contact 255, signal aspects will be changed only after the push button 265 has been pressed and released.

Whenever the switch arm 251 is moved from its contact 255 .to its contact 253, the regular cycle of controller operation will be resumed.

Upon such resumption, continuation of the signal aspect which was displayed at the time when the switch arm 251 was so moved will depend upon the time that such aspect had been displayed prior to the restoration 1 said swit h a m- Fqregramplc, Should the switch thus be restored at a time when the main street green aspect had already been eifective long enough for the timing member 107 to be moved to a position such that closure of its con? tacts 163, would be effected incident to each repeti- 13 tion of the final step of the actuation of said timing member, the coil 29 would be energized incident to the next ensuing closure of said contacts; or, if it so happened that the switch was so moved during closure of these contacts, said coil 29 would be immediately energized, with resultant termination of the green aspect for the main street, and, thereafter, procedure with the operative cycle in accordance with the settings of the members 5.

Had such member 107 been moved counter-clockwise but a few teeth, at the time when the switch arm 251 was restored to its contact 253, the contact 163 would not be moved into engagement with its contact 165 until the lug 153 of said member 107 actuates the lever 155; hence the main street green aspect would be continued for the remainder of the time for which the member had been set. At the expiration of such time, the operatlon of the controller would proceed as if the switch arm 251 had not been displaced from its contact 253.

Response to impulses from distant source Trafiic controllers having basic or foundational types of controlling units such as hereinbefore described may advantageously be equipped with special conductor arrangements and/ or supplemental mechanism, whereby to render such controllers responsive to electrical impulses from distant sources. Such sources may consist of contacts of pads responsive to vehicle movements in a cross street, push buttons or switches manually operable when it is desired to permit pedestrians to cross a street or to permit fire or police department vehicles to drive out of quarters or at times of dismissals of schools or evacuations of other places of public assembly, or contacts for efiecting synchronization of one or more local controllers with a master controller.

Suspended cycle trafi'ic actz4ation.At intersections where trafiic movements from a cross street are likely to be infrequent, in many instances it is desirable to permit vehicles on a main street to continue moving until there is a call resultant from the approach of a vehicle in the cross street.

Controllers having basic or foundational types of controlling units constructed in accordance with this invention may readily be conditioned for meeting needs such as just outlined by arranging conductors and providing mechanism within the controller for acting responsive to a call from a distant source, whereby to promptly efiect termination of main street green and cross street red aspects, and for establishment of cross street green and main street red aspects for the time expressed by the setting of a member such as 5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 9 shows such a conductor arrangement and utilization of a relay responsive to impulses from a distant source supplementing what is shown in Fig. 7; use being assumed of switching means and basic or foundational units such as shown by Fig. 4.

As here shown, separate sets of contacts 163, 165 are provided for one and the other of presettable members respectively representative of green signal aspects for main and cross streets; such, for example as 5 and 5 of Fig. 1. V p

A supplemental disk 51 rotates with the shaft 21, and governs the positioning of a supplemental contact strip 53 The usual contacts 57 and 59 are associated with the contact strip 53 The contour of the disk 51 and its association with the other disks 51 is such that said strip 53 can interconnect its said contacts only when the pcsitionings of the other disks are such as occur during presentation of -a green signal aspect for the main street; hence, if a distant call arrangement similar to that shown by Fig. 9 is applied to a trafiic controller having setting disks for the timing of green-amber aspects, the contour of the disk of such controller corresponding to disk 51 of Fig.

9 should be such that the strip 53 will be permitted to interconnect its contacts when the positionings of the other disks are such as occur during presentation of green-amber signal aspects for either main or cross streets, as well as during presentation of the red aspect for said cross street.

The conductor 229 connects the contact with the upper terminal of the stepping coil 29. The contacts 57 and 59 which are associated with the strip 53 are respectively connected through the conductors 273, 275 with the contact 165 and with the upper end of the stepping coil 29.

A switch comprising the contact 267 and an arm 269 is ordinarily open, but may be closed, to provide a by-pass around the contacts 57 and 59 which are associated with the strip 53 in the event of non-use of the distant source of calls; as on account of disability or otherwise.

A magnet 281 is provided for response to calls from such a distant source, and the armature lever 283, which is pivoted at 285 is associated for response to said magnet.

Near the free end of the lever 283, there is a lug 237 which acts in cooperation with the strap 289; which strap is attached to the contact strip 53 The cooperation between the lug 237 and the strap 289 is such that, when the lever 283 is in retracted position, the lug 287 will be disposed in the path of the free end of the strap 289, to thereby prevent positioning of the contact strip 53 for interconnecting its contacts 57 and 59.

Engagement of the contact strip 53 by the periphery of the disk 51 causes the strap 289 to be held out of the path of the lug 287. Even when the cut-away portion of said disk has been brought into the path of the free end of the strip 53 the lug 287 will prevent movement of the strap 289 such as would result in closure of an interconnection through strip 53 between its contacts 57, 59 until the lever 283 has moved to attracted position, whereupon said strip will move to closed circuit positioning, and thereby carry the strap 289 beneath the lug 287.

From the foregoing it will be evident that, so long as the lever 283 is in retracted position, the coil 29 will not be energized responsive to closures of the contacts 163, 165 However, energization of the magnet 281, as from an impulse formulated by trafiic actuated contacts, a pedestrian push button, or a switch at a school house (or other place of public assembly) will cause the lug 287 to permit the strap 289 to move to the position in which the strip 53 will interconnect its contacts 57, 59. Thereupon, the next ensuing separation of the contacts 163 165 will result in deenergization of the stepping coil 29.

In this connection it should be noted that when any timing ratchet wheel 107 is moved to a position in which its associated lug 153 acts through the associated levers 155, 157 to eifect closure between its contacts 163, 165 (see Fig. 4), the long notch 108 will be presented in the path of the free end of the associated holding pawl 173, so that said ratchet wheel will be permitted to rotate clockwise, responsive to its spring 141, incident to each downward stroke of its actuating pawl 171. Hence, each revolution of the eccentric will cause the associated actuating pawl 171 to rotate the ratchet wheel 107 counter-clockwise to a position effecting closure of the associated contacts 163, 165; and downward movement of said actuating pawl incident to further rotation of the eccentric 175 will permit the ratchet wheel 107 to rotate clockwise until the ratchet tooth 108' encounters the end of the associated holding pawl. Because of this action, the associated contacts 163, 165 will be closed, during each revolution of the eccentric 175, while the pawls 171 and 173 are in engageable relationship with the teeth of said wheel, and while the long notch 108 is presented to the free end of the holding pawl 173.

Should energization of the magnet 28} occur; at a time when the ratchet wheel 107 is not positioned for closing the contacts 163 165 but nevertheless at a time when the support of the disk 51 is withdrawn from the strip 53 said strip will nevertheless move to circuit closing position so that whenever, thereafter, the contacts 163 165*- are closed, the stepping coil 2? will be energized.

Such stepping coil energization will result in rotation of the shaft 21, thereby to effect withdrawal of the notch 2G3 of the disk 291 (associated with timing ratchet 107 from its projection 267, and thereby cause its arm 205 to efiect disengagement of the holding pawl 173 and the actuating pawl 171 from said ratchet wheel. vwhereupon, said ratchet wheel will be rotated clockwise responsive to its spring 141 until its lug 153 reaches the lug 151 carried by the disk 5 Such rotation imparted to the shaft 21 will also cause termination of the main street green and cross street red aspects, and establishment of the cross street green and the main street red aspects. established will be continued for the time represented by the setting of the disk 5 Inasmuch as the functional relationship established between the lever 283, its lug 2 87 and the strap 289, together with the strip 53 its associated contacts 57, 59 and the insulating disk 51 assure response to calls re.- ceived while the ratchet wheel 107 is being advanced incident to the measurement of the duration of and prior to the completion of the minimum main street Go aspect, it is evident that these parts provide what may be-termed a memory feature.

If such a memory feature is not desired, parts such as those just enumerated may be omitted. In such an event,

the conductors 273, 275 may be associated with a distant source of impulses, either directly or through suitable relay.

Incidentally, it should be noted that a controller hav ing parts and conductor arrangement such as just described will ignore calls received during any part of the Go aspect for the cross street; and that the controller will not shorten the main street green aspect below the time expressed by setting of the member 5 representative thereof.

If desired, a socalled memory feature may be added to the equipment shown in Fig. 9, whereby a call occurring during the very last portion of the Go aspect for the cross street will have result such as that which occurs in response to calls received during the Stop aspect for the cross street.

It should be further understood that if an arrangement similar to that shown by Fig. 9 is applied to a traffic controller having setting disks for the timing of green-amber aspects, in addition to the green aspects contemplated by controllers such as shown by 'Figs. 1, 4 and 6, all of the contacts 165 which are responsive to controlling units other than that representative of the main street green, should be directly connected, as through conductor 229, with the upper terminal of the stepping coil 29.

In operation, each cycle will proceed as in the absence of a traflic call attachment untilthe contacts 163*, 165 are closed incident to counter-clockwise rotation of the ratchet 1 97 Thereafter, initiation of another cycle of operation will be dependent upon positioning of the lever 283. Thus, whenever the ratchet wheel 107 (which represents the main street green aspect) is in position to effect closures or" its contacts 163 165 incident to ensuing rotations of the eccentric 175, occurrence of an interconnection between the conductors 273, 275, as aforesaid, will cause action which will result in supplementing the main street green aspect with the main street greenarnber aspect responsive to the next closure and break between .the contacts 163 155 Then, after the elapse of the time expressed by the The aspect display thus 16 setting of the disk 5 representative thereof, the main street greenamber aspect will be changed to'red, and the cross street red will be changed to green.

Such. cross street green aspect will then he presented for the time expressed by the setting of the disk 5 and, thereafter, the cross street-amber aspect will he presented for the time expressed by the setting of the member 5 which is representative thereof.

Following this, the main street green andthe cross street red aspects will be presented for not less than the time expressed by the setting of the member 5*; follow ing which, the controller will again be conditioned for response to an interconnection between conductors 273,

275; such as results from energization of the magnet 281.

It will be noted that the ratchet wheel 25 is shown in Fig. 7 as having 16 teeth. This number is a multiple of the number of permissive aspects presented during an op.- erative cycle of the controller here shown. As but two such permissive aspects are there provided for, 8 operative cycles will occur during each revolution of the shafts 21 and 75. V a

If there were 4 permissive aspects per operative cycle (as in the case of a controller shown in Fig. 8), there would be but 4 operative cycles per revolutionof these shafts.

If there were 8 permissive aspects per cycle, there would be but 2 cycles per revolution; and if there were 16 permissive aspects per cycle, there would be but one cycle per revolution of these shafts.

The number of teeth in the ratchet wheel 25 may be varied, so as to provide for a different number of'permissive aspects per cycle; or provision can be made whereby, upon suitable occasions, there will be one more step of actuation of the ratchet wheel 25 than the number of permissive aspects presented during an operative cycle. Thus, in a controller having 5 permissive aspects per operative cycle, and a 16 tooth ratchet wheel 25, during one of the operative cycles, such ratchet wheel would be stepped twice, at the termination of one of the permissive aspects. 7 V c For example, in the use of a wheel 25 having 16 teeth, if there were 5 permissive aspects per operative cycle, during 2 or the operative cycles the wheel 25 would be actuated once for each permissive aspect in that cycle; but, during a third operative cycle, the notch 203 in the disk 201, say for the main street green aspect, would be of double width, and notches in the various disks 51 which are presented to their contacts 53 concurrently with the disk notch 203 associated with the main street green aspect, would also be double width. As a result ofthis, when the lug 153 first engaged and then withdrew from the arm 1 55, the contacts 163, 165 would be closed and then opened with resultant one step advancement of the shafts 21 and 75. However, such step of rotation would not cause any change in relationship of actuating and holding pawls nor of lamp governing contacts. Instead, the shafts 21 and would rotate an extra step in every third operative cycle at the conclusion of the selected aspect.

It will be evident that, in all cases, insulating disks such as 51, should have one tooth for each of the operative cycles to be accomplished during one revolution of the shaft 21. There are 8 such teeth 353 shown in each of the disks 51 of Fig. 7, Withintervening cut-away portions 355. i

As was the case in the instances of controllers hereinbefore described, the teeth and spaces of each disk in a given controller are placed relatively to those of others so that red aspects will be presented in eachtra-fiic channel at all times other than when a green (or a green- 7 amber) aspect is provided for that channel and, further, so that a red aspect will be provided for each channel hrpl ghout all times when there is a green or agreeaamber aspect provided for an opposing orintersecting channel. Y Time extension.1t is well understood by those skilled in this art that there are situations in which it is desirable to provide for extensions of durations of permissive signaling aspects, upon occasions when numerous vehicles are emerging from a given channel, although minimizing such durations upon occasions when there are few if any such vehicles.

Traffic controllers having switching means and basic or foundational types of controlling units, such as hereinbefore described, may be conditioned for providing such time extension by inclusion or supplemental mechanism associated with the controHing unit which represents the signaling aspect which should be subject to time extension, whereby the actuating and holding pawls of such unit may be withdrawn from the path of the teeth of their associated timing ratchet responsive to impulses from a distant source, such as, from traffic actuated contacts operable by movements of vehicles in a channel for which time extension should be provided.

When time extension is thus provided, it would be objectionable, in most instances, if the time extension should continue indefinitely, either so long as a series of impulses continued from such traflic actuated contacts, or in the event of a long continued closure such as might occur if a vehicle was parked where it would maintain such a closure. It is therefore desirable, in many instances, to provide means for establishing a maximum duration for such a permissive signal aspect.

In utilizing some of the more detailed features of this invention for providing aforesaid time extension and establishing maximum durations therefor, two controlling units should be associated with such permissive signal aspect; the presettable member of one of which units to be utilized for establishing what will be hereinafter at times referred to as a minimum and the other unit for a maximum aspect duration. Such units should be associated with the other controller parts in a manner such that, during conditioning for display of the Go aspect which should be subject to time extension, actuating and holding pawls for both the maximum and minimum units will be permitted to assume operative relationship with their respective timing ratchets; and mechanism should be provided for response to impulses, such as from vehicle governed contacts in the associated channel, for displacing the holding and actuating pawls associated with the minimum unit, while not disturbing the corresponding pawls of the maximum unit.

A preferred form of such time extension and minimummaximum control equ'pmeut is shown in Fig. 10, in which the presettable disk 5 the timing disk 107 the retaining pawl 173 and the actuating pawl 171", form parts of the minimum-time controlling unit; and corresponding parts indicated by reference characters having the suflix ma form part of the maximum-time controlling unit.

It will be noted that the notches 203 in the disks 201 201 are so positioned that they will be concurrently effective.

In association with the holding pawl 173 there is a lever 301, journaled on the shaft 195, and carrying a projection 303 which is disposed in the path of the lug 305 forming part of the retaining pawl 173 The magnet 307 is associated with the lever 301 so that its energization will cause the projection 303 to act through the lug 305 to swing the retaining pawl 173 out of the path of the teeth of the timing ratchet 107 A latch 311, journaled at 313, cooperates with a pin 315 carried by the bar 189; and the spring 317 urges the latch 311 to swing its free end toward the stop 321, which stop is provided for a purpose which will be hereinafter more fully explained.

The latch 311 has a. surface 319 formed near the free endthereof. The various parts are so formed and related, that when the retaining pawl 173 has been swung away from the ratchet wheel 107 responsive to energization of the magnet 307, said latch will be moved by its spring to carry said surface 319 into the path of the pin 315, for preventing immediate movement of the retaining pawl 173 into the path of the teeth of the ratchet wheel 107 at the termination of the energization of the magnet 307.

Furthermore, the aforesaid forms and relationships should be such that when the pawl 173 is swung by the disk 201 away from its timing ratchet 107 the pin 315 will not be moved far enough to permit the surface 319 to be carried into its path. However, as already stated, energizations of the magnet 307 will swing the holding pawl 173 far enough to permit the surface 319 to move into the path of the pin 315. This arrangement is desirable in order to render it unnecessary for commencement of actuation of ratchet wheel 107 to await an ensuing up-stroke of the actuating pawl 171 following presentation of the notch 203 to the projection207 In use, the presettable disk El should be positioned to represent the minimum time for which it is desired that a permissive aspect shall be presented, and the disk 5 should be set for the desired maximum duration of any such aspect.

In operation, when the insulating disk 51 which governs the Go signal for the traflic channel for which time extension is to be provided (say, the disk 51 of Fig. 7), permits contact strip 53 to move to closed circuit positioning, notches 203 203 will be positioned for receiving projections 207 207 associated with both the holding pawls 173 and 173'. Hence, the ratchet wheels 107 107 will thereafter be progressively moved toward positionings in which their associated lugs 153 will act upon their switch controlling arms 155.

In the absence of energizations of the magnet 307, the ratchet wheel 107 will close its contacts 163 165 at the expiration of the time represented by the setting of the member 5 Such contact closure will result in rotation of the shaft 75, to thereby effect withdrawal of the notches 203 203 from the paths of their projections 207 207 associated with holding pawls 173 173 If, however, the magnet 307 is energized during any such advancement of the timing ratchet 107 the retaining pawl 173 will be moved away from its associated timing ratchet 107 and the latch 311 will carry its surface 319 into the path of the pin 315, and thereby temporarily retain said pawl in disengaged positioning.

If, at the time of such disengaging movement of the pawl 173 the actuating pawl 171 is at or near its lower position, said pawl 171 will also be then withdrawn from the path of the teeth of the timing ratchet 107 If, however, the actuating pawl 171 is not at or near its lowest position when the retaining pawl 173 is so swung outwardly, when said pawl 171 next approaches the lower end of its stroke, the hook will thereafter ride over the end of the hook 187, and thus cause disengagement of its tooth 183 from the teeth of the ratchet wheel 107". In either event, the ratchet wheel 107 will be permitted to rotate clockwise until its lug 153 encounters the lug 151 carried by the presettable disk 5 After the hook 185 has passed below the hook 187, as just described, during the next upward stroke of the actuating pawl 171"", its hook 185 will maintain engagement with the hook 187, thus causing the bar 189 to move upwardly, thereby to withdraw the pin 315 from engagement with the surface 319 and so to permit the retaining pawl 173 to be swung toward its ratchet disk 107 by its spring 197".

The stop 321 will limit the movement of the latch 311,

asses-es 19 in response to its spring 317, so as to facilitate withdrawal' of the" pin 315 from" the path of the surface 319; during upward movement of the bar 189. g

It will be noted that the latch 311 will serve to keep the retaining pawl 173 out of the path of the teeth of the ratchet- 107 throughout such engagement between the hooks 185 and 187, until release. of the ratchet disk 107 has been effected, whereby to provide opportunity for this disk to move clockwise without interference from the retaining pawl 173 or from the actuating tooth 183 of the pawl 171 until such clockwise rotation of said disk'is otherwise arrested.

7 From the foregoing it will be evident that, insofar as the timing ratchet 107' is concerned, the extendable signaling aspect will be continued indefinitely, so long as the holding pawl 173 is withdrawn responsive to energizations'of the magnet 367', thereby to prevent the timing ratchet 107 from being advanced to a position where its lug. 153' can act through its arms 155, 157 to close its contacts 163", 165..

It will be correspondingly evident that, insofar as the timing ratchet 107 is concerned, the extendable signalihg, aspect will continue, following any energization of the magnet 30.7, for the time represented by the setting of the disk 5 It should be further notedthat, although energizations of the magnet 307 cause release of the timing ratchet 107 such en'ergizations do not cause release of the timing ratchet 107*. Hence, from the commencement of the extendable aspect, the timing ratchet 107" will be progressively moved toward positioning at which it will effect closure of its contacts 163,. 165;. so that, at the expiration of the time for which the member 5 has been set, the contacts 163, I65 responsive to the timingratchet 107 will be closed, with resultant rotation of the shafts 21 and 75; thereby to cause. both termination of the extendable signaling aspect and initiation of the ensuing aspect, as well as displacement of the pawls 173 173 171m and. 171 and consequently permit the timing ratchets I07 and 107 to be rotated clockwise to their starting positions by their springs 141..

An arrangement. of presettable disks in association with afront plate is shown in Fig. 2, in which the disk S is representative of the duration of the main street green aspect, the disk S is representative of the green-amber aspect for the main street, the disk 5 is representative of the minimum duration for the green aspect for the cross street, the disk 5 is representative of the maximum duration for the. green aspect for the cross street, and the disk SbgtL is representative of the duration of the cross street green-amber aspect.

Added aspect.Service conditions are, in some instances, such that it is desirable to provide facilities for adding a signal aspect to a usual operative cycle in response to impulses from distant sources. Examples of such service conditions are found where it is desirable to provide a so-called pedestrian aspect only in response to' a manually operable push button, as well as at intersections where there is a cross street for which permissive aspects should be included in every operative cycle and another cross street for which the usual operative cycle should be supplemented by a permissive aspect only in response to closure of traffic pad contacts in such other cross street;

For convenience, such cross streets will, at times, be hereinafter referred to as major and minor respectively; and, for like reasons, aspects to be. presented only in response to' calls will be referred to as call aspects.

Controllers having switching means and basic or foundational types of controlling units such as shown by Figs. 1, 4, 6 and 7, may readily be conditioned for governing such call aspects.

Such conditioning may be accomplished by providing mechanism suited for acting responsivexto" calls from a 20' distant source and associating that mechanism with. one or more presettable basic controlling units, and providing supplemental switching means whereby to effect presentation of call. responsive permissive signaling aspects which are supplemental tothose signaling aspects which should be presented in the absence of any such calls.

Figs. 11" and 12 show a preferred form of such'supplemental mechanism and of suitable revisions of the switching means, as well as a desirable rearrangement of current paths governed thereby.

A presettable unit is' shown in Fig. 11 for governing the duration of a green call aspect. Reference characters hereinafter used for denoting parts of this unit, and, at times, the unititself, includes the suffix xg.

The unit xg includes aforesaid supplemental mechanism, together with parts which are substantially the same as those shown in the basic controlling, unit of Fig. 4, and hereinbefore more fully described.

Such supplemental call responsive mechanism comprises certain parts which are also shown in Fig. 10 and arm 331 may swing into the path of this pin, the asso-' ciated lug 153 will be situated in close proximityto the arm 155, in order that the; next step of counter-clockwise rotation of said ratchet 107* will cause this lug to effect closure of contacts 163,,

A portion of said arm 331- is disposed inv the. path of the projection 303, so that the fiee end of said arm will be swung out of the path of said pin 333 responsive to energizations of' the magnet 307.

A comparison of the structure shown. by Fig. 10 with that shown by Fig. 11 and thus far described, clearly indicates that the time extension. feature of Fig. 10 may be very readily associated for supplementing the added aspect feature of Figs. 11. and 12. However, if such time extensionfeature is not here utilized, the relative arrangement of the projection 303 and the lug 305 of Fig. 10' should not here be such that energization of the magnet 307 will cause the pawl 173 to be displaced from holding position; and the latch 311 of Fig. 10 should be dispensed with in such a case.

Again referring to Fig. 1.1,, a spring 337 urges. the arm 331 to swing its free end into the path of the pin 333, and a stop 309 limits such movement of the lever 301 away from the magnet 307 as might result from the urge of the spring 337 acting through the lever 301 and the projection 303.

As will be hereinafter more fully explained, should a call merely cause momentary displacement. of the arm 331 from the path of the pin 333,, at a time when the pawls 171', 173 prevent clockwise rotation of the ratchet wheel 107 no. functional response to such a call will occur unlesssaid arm 331 is thereafter retained in displaced position until said pawls have beeen withdrawn from the path of the teeth of. said ratchet. fore important that latching means be provided for accomplishing such retention.

Fig. 1 1 shows a preferred form of such a latching means comprising a lever 341, iournaled on the shaft 343 and having an end 345 thereof disposed in the path of the movement of the pin 333 incident to counterclockwise rotation of the ratchet. wheel 107%. A spring 347 urges said lever to swing said end 345 toward said 343, and its free end 363 extends adjacent a which is carried by the arm 33-1.

It is there- I assume A spring 367 urges said latch to swing its said end 363 toward said pin 365, and a notch 369 is formed in said latch end and is positioned for receiving said pin only when said arm 331 has been swung to predetermined extent out of the path of the pin 333.

A stud 371 is carried by the lever 341 and is positioned adjacent to the latch 361. The relative positionings of the parts just described is such that when clockwise rotation of the ratchet 107 has carried the pin 333 below the end of the arm 331, the spring 347 will act through the lever 341 and the stud 371 to cause the latch 361 to withdraw its notch 369 from the path of said pin 365; thereby to permit the arm 331 to swing, responsive to its spring 337, toward the pin 333.

If, for reasons which will be hereinafter more fully explained, service conditions are such that it is undesirable for the supplemental mechanism to respond to calls occurring during presentation of a green call aspect, intervening mechanism should be provided for suspending the responsiveness of the call responsive mechanism at such times. A preferred form of such intervening mechanism is shown in Figs. 11 and 12, in which the contacts 293 are so associated with the arm 283 that these contacts will be separated when said arm is positioned for permitting the strips 53*, 53 to assume closed circuit positionings. Said contacts 293 are serially included in the energizing current path for the magnet 307; which path extends from conductor 221 through conductors 233 and 501 to one of the contacts of relay R, from the other contact of said relay, through conductor 503 to one terminal of magnet 307, from other terminal of magnet 397 through conductor 595 to upper one of the contacts 293, and from the other one of said contacts 293 through conductor 507 to conductor 223.

If a controlling unit is provided for governing the duration of a green-amber call aspect, selectively acting mechanism should be provided whereby such unit will be rendered functionally active only following presentation of a green call aspect.

A preferred form of such selectively acting mechanism which is shown in Fig. 12 will be most readily understood by reference to the larger scale view of Fig. 13, in which certain of the parts of the controlling unit representative of such a green-amber call aspect are given reference numbers having the sufiix xga. Referring therefore more particularly to Fig. 13, the arm 331' is journaled on the shaft 195; and the free end of this arm is in cooperation with the pin 333 which is carried by the ratchet wheel 107 The upper end of the bar 389 is pivotally connected to the lever 341 at 391, and the lower end of said bar has formed therein a slot 393 lengthwise of which the pin 395 may freely move. The pin 395 is carried by the extension 397 of the arm 331'.

The upper end of the slot 393 is so positioned that the arm 331' will be moved out of the path of the pin 333 incident to movement of the lever 341, responsive to its spring 347, when a clockwise ratational step of the timing ratchet 187 causes the pin 333 to be carried away from the end 345 of said lever 341.

, The length of the slot 393 is such that the pin 395 will not act against the lower end of said slot resultant from movement imparted to the lever 341 by the pin 333 incident to maximum intended counter-clockwise rotation of the timing ratchet 107.

In addition to provision of mechanism such as thus far described which is supplemental to basic controlling units, the switching means and conductors governed thereby should include parts and rearrangements differing from and supplemental to those shown by Figs. 1, 4, 6 and 7, as follows:

As diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 11, the strips 53 and 53 respectively govern current paths for green and amber components of permissive aspects for the minor cross street, and the contact strips 53 and 53 cooperate in controlling the red or Stop aspect for that street.

The insulating disks 51 51 51 and 51, respectively, govern the aforesaid contact strips in a well-known manner. These disks rotate with the shaft 21.

Facilities are provided for rendering either said contact strips 53*, 53 or, alternatively, said contact strip 53 responsive .to cut-away portions of their respectively associated disks, which facilities are governed by positionings of the timing ratchet 107*; to the end that during placements of said ratchet which effect positionings of its pin 333 such that the arm 331 cannot obstruct clockwise rotation of said ratchet, said strips 53 and 53 will be free to move to closed circuit positionings upon presentation thereto of the cut-away portions 355, 355 of their disks 51 51 and the contact 53 will then be retained in open circuit positioning; and so that.

when the positioning of said pin is such that the free end of said arm 331 may obstruct clockwise rotation of said ratchet, the strips 53 53 will be held against movement to closed circuit positionings, and the strip 53 will then be permitted to assume such positioning upon presentation thereto of the cut-away portion 355' of the disk 51*.

Such facilities will be hereinafter at times referred to as alternative contact governing mechanism.

Preferred structure for accomplishing the results just described as shown in Fig. 11 and diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 12, includes the straps 289 and 289, which are respectively associated with the contacts 53 and 53, in a manner corresponding to that of the strap 289 of Fig. 9. These straps cooperate with the lug 287 in a manner corresponding to the cooperation of similar parts shown in Fig. 9. The arm 283 is pivoted at 285 and carries the lug 287 near the free end thereof. Said arm is connected through the link 381 with an end of the lever 341 hereinbef-ore more fully described.

It is important that a yielding element shall be provided whereby the end 345 of said lever may be moved by the pin 333 at times when said arm 283 is not free to respond to such lever movements. For this reason, a slot 383 is formed in the lower end of the link 381, and the pin 385 which is carried by the arm 283 projects through and is freely movable lengthwise of this slot. A spring 387 is applied between said pin 385 and said link 381 in a manner such that counter-clockwise rotation of the timing disk 107 may act through the pin 333, the lever 341, said link 381 and said spring to urge the arm 283 to position its lug 287 in the path of the straps 289 289 and out of the path of the horizontal portion 291 of the strap 289. Because of this relationship, displacements of the lever 341, by :the pin 333 may merely tension the spring 387 when occurring upon occasions when, and/or to extents such that, the straps 289, 289 prevent corresponding displacement of the arm 283.

The length of said slot 383 is such that when counterclockwise rotation of the timing ratchet 107 moves the pin 333 to an intended extent away from the end of the arm 331, the arm 283 need not be correspondingly displaced.

As best shown in Fig. 14, the relationship between the strap 289 and the lug 287 is such that when the arm 283 is in its lower position, the transverse portion 291 of said strap may pass above said lug to permit movement of the strip 53 to closed circuit positioning. Said 1 relationship is further such that when said arm 283 is positioned to permit the straps 289 289 to move to closed circuit positionings of their associated strips 53 53, said lug 287 will obstruct movement of said strap 289- such as would permit the strip 53 to move to closed circuit positioning.

It should be here noted that the lever 341, which is shown in Figs. 11 and 12 in association with the ratchet":

rest ss in. association with the ratchet. 107*. Although this lever is thus twice shown, there actually is but one lever 341 (which lever is. pivoted at 343-), although this lever is shown in front of the ratchet 107 in Figs. 11 and 12 and it is shown behind the ratchet 107 in Figs. 12 and 13. In other words (as best shown in Fig. 14), the lug 287* extends substantially perpendicular to the arm 283 and is so positioned that it may be disposed in the paths. of the straps 289 and 289* or of 289.

The arrangement of other parts here shown is such as" will provide for the presentation of the permissive call aspect immediately following termination of the main street amber aspect. Needful rearrangement of parts such as would provide for presentation of this call asspect in a different portion of an operative cycle will be obvious to persons skilled in this art.

The relayR (Fig. 12) should be responsively associated in a suitable well-known manner with distant contacts, as of trafiic pads in a minor street, or of pedestrian operable push buttons.

The current path provided for energization of the magnet 307, which extends from one to the other of the current supply conductors 221, 223', serially includes the ordinarily open contacts of the relay R, the winding of the magnet 307, and the contacts 293 which are associated with the arm 283 so that said magnet will be energized only when closures of the contacts of said relay R occur while said arm 283* is holding close-d said contacts 293.

Operation, Fig. 12

Operative stage shown-The proportioning and relationships of parts shown in Fig. 12 are such as would be provided for operative cycles each having 6 permissive aspects ('e. 55., main street green, main streen green-amber, minor street green, minor street green-amber, major street green, and major street green-amber); and provision is made for two operative cycles during each revolution of the shafts 21, 75. Hence, the ratchet wheel 25 moves in steps of one-twelfth of a revolution, and each disk 201 is shown as having two diametrically opposite notches such as 203, and each insulating disk 51 as having two sets of diametrically opposite raised portions and notches.

In the interests of simplicity and convenience, the ensuing descriptions will, at times, forego references to provision for two operative cycles for each revolution of the shafts 21', 75 and the resultant duplications of raised and cut-away portions of the disks 51 and 201.

The positionings of the parts here shown is that which they would have attained upon an occasion when there had' been no energization of the magnet 307 during a half revolution of said shafts 21, 75 immediately preceeding a step of such rotation which caused the disk 201 to present its notch 203 to the associated projection 207; such step of rotation having occurred responsive to deenergization of the coil 29.

This deenergization occurred after the timing ratchet 107 was moved by the upstroke of its'actuating pawl 171 to a position efiecting closure of the associated. con.- tacts 163 165'; and, thereafter, when said ratchet has pern'iittett separation of said contacts incident to the ensuing down-stroke of said pawl.

The stepof rotation just described, effected positionings of the insulating disks 51, of the notched disks 201, and of the lugs 151, 153, as show in Fig. 12;:the relay R and the magnet 307 being deenergized, and the contacts 293 closed. Because the relay R remained deenergized throughout the operative cycle which terminated when the parts attained the positionings here shown, the arms 331, .331 have remained in the paths of their pins 333, 333", for reasons hereinbefore more fully explained.

No call cycles.Assuming that no calls were received during a complete operative cycle which started when parts were conditioned as shown in Fig. 12, the arms 331, 331" will have remained in the paths of their asso- 24 r ciated pins 333, 33.3.; thereby having preventedclock-r wise rotation of the ratchet wheels 10.7 and. 1.07 responsive to their springs 141', such as. would have. car riett' their lugs 153. more than a mere clearance from their contact governing arms155.

As operation thereafter proceeds, the. next up-stltokfi.

of the associated actuating pawl 171' will rotate the. tinsingratchet 107 'to a position in which its lug 153 will effect closure of the contacts 163', 165, with resultant energization of the coil' 29. During the ensuingdown stroke of said pawl, said ratchet will be permitted to totate, responsive to its spring 141, to a position such that said lug 153 will permit separation of the contacts 163, 165, with resultant deenergization of the coil 29.

Such energization and deenergization of said. coil 29 will result in-a step of rotation of the shafts 21, 75, with resultant withdrawal of the notch 203 of the disk 201 from the path of its projection 207, thereby to effect?" moving of the associated holding pawl 173 away from the teeth of its timing ratchet 107;

At the conclusion ofnthe aforesaid down-stroke thereof, said actuating pawl will cause its hook 185 to ride over and reengage the hook 187' of the holding pawl 1-73 and, incidentally, will release said timing ratchet fol." clockwise rotation responsive toits spring 1411.

Incident to the step of rotation of the shafts 21, 75 just referred to, the disk 201 will be positioned to present its. notch 233 to its projection 207, thereby to permit its associated holding pawl 173 to move into engage-- ment with the teeth of itstiming ratchet 107 Ensuing. rotation of the eccentric will thereafiter cause said timing ratchet llifi to efiect another closure and opening ofcontacts 163, 165, with resultant energiza-- tion and deenergization of the coil 2?; thereby to effect another step of rotation of the shafts 21, 75, in a man ner and with results. corresponding to those more. fully just described in connection with the timing ratchet107* iz The step of. rotation of the shafts 21, 75 thus effected;

lever 341 to cause the arm 283 to maintain its 1118' 287 in the path of the straps 289 and 289 and out: of the path. of the transverse portion 291 of the strap. 2.89.

Because of the presence of said lug 287 in the path of the straps 289 and 239, the strips 53*- and 533 are prevented from closing the current paths governed. thereby, so that the green and the green-amber call aspects are not presented. However, because of withdrawal of the lug 287* from the path of the transverse portion: 291. of the strap 289 the. contact strip 53 is permitted (by the cut-away portion 355 of the disk 51 to moveto closed circuit position, thereby to provide a current path. for maintaining the red call aspect during that. portion of the revolutionof the shaft 21 when the raised, portion 353 of the disk 51 positions the strip 53 to open the current path therethrough.

Response to calls.ln the use of a controller having parts as shown in Fig. 12, calls are characterized by closures of the contacts of its relay R.

Throughout presentation of a green aspect for the minor or cross street the arm 233 of such a controller not result either in energization of the magnet 307 nor in presentation, upona later occasion, of an additional green call aspect.

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