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US 4,543,905 AGranted
Portable traffic signalling apparatus and methods therefor
AssigneeLear Siegler, Inc.
InventorJohn D. McKenney
Life of this patent
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AssigneeLear Siegler, Inc.
InventorJohn D. McKenney
Estimating the term…
A portable traffic signalling apparatus of the wheeled trailer type for temporary signalling at a traffic location for controlling the flow of traffic thereat. The apparatus includes a telescoping mast and a telescoping boom carried by the trailer for positioning at the traffic location. The telescoping action is performed without any large bending loads to permit the extended boom carrying a traffic signal to be moved over a traffic lane under traffic conditions after the traffic apparatus is erected alongside of the traffic location. The extended mast may also carry a traffic signal to be viewed by motorists along with the boom suspended traffic signal. The mast and boom can be telescopically collapsed to assume a storage position on the wheeled trailer after the need for traffic control has been eliminated to allow the trailer to be hauled to another location.
A portable traffic signal comprising a supporting structure of the wheeled trailer type, telescopic mast means having a plurality of telescopic sections slidable inside another section to be controllably moved between telescopically extended positions and telescopically collapsed positions, one end of the telescopic mast means being secured to said supporting structure to permit the remaining sections to be extendable and collapsible relative to said supporting structure, means for releasably securing the telescopic sections in either the extended or collapsed positions, telescopic boom means having a plurality of telescopic sections slidable inside another section to be controllably moved between extended positions and collapsed positions, one end of the telescopic boom means being pivotally secured adjacent to the free end of said mast means to permit the telescopic boom sections to be extendable and collapsible in unison with the movements of the telescopic sections for said mast means, the free end of the boom means being adapted to mount a traffic signal thereon, means on said supporting structure for releasably securing the free end of said boom means, and control means coupled to said mast means and said boom means to selectively move said plurality of telescopic sections between extended and collapsed positions in unison when said boom means is secured to said boom securing means.
In a portable traffic signal having a supporting structure, telescopic mast means carried by the supporting structure and adapted to be controlled between telescopically extended and collapsed positions, telescopic boom means pivotally secured to said mast means and adapted to be controlled between telescopically extended and collapsed positions, means carried by the supporting structure for releasably securing the free end of the boom means, and control means coupled to said mast means and said boom means to selectively telescopically extend and collapse said mast means and said boom means in unison when the boom means is secured to said boom securing means.
A method of providing a temporary traffic signal including the steps of providing a movable traffic signal supporting structure, mounting a telescoping mast to said signal supporting structure, arranging the telescoping mast in a telescopically collapsed position, pivotally securing a telescoping boom adjacent the free end of said mast, the boom being adapted to mount a traffic signal thereon when in a telescopically extended position, arranging the telescoping boom in a telescopically collapsed position adjacent the collapsed mast with the free end of the boom secured to the supporting structure, transporting the movable supporting structure to a traffic area requiring traffic control after the mast and boom have been arranged as defined hereinabove, telescopically extending the mast and boom in unison while the boom has its free end secured to the supporting structure, releasing the secured boom after the mast and boom have been telescopically extended, mounting traffic signalling means on the released boom to be carried thereby, and positioning the boom in an extended position relative to the mast for displaying the traffic signalling means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.