Railway switches and signals – Grade-crossing track protection
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-03
2002-03-19
Morano, S. Joseph (Department: 3617)
Railway switches and signals
Grade-crossing track protection
Reexamination Certificate
active
06357701
ABSTRACT:
CROSS REFERENCES TO CO-PENDING APPLICATIONS
None.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is for a warning light, and more particularly, pertains to a warning light having a switching system whose electrical configuration can be easily and readily changed to alter the behavior pattern of one or more warning lights between steady or flashing illumination or other illumination patterns or schemes without laborious configuration modifications, as desired.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Railroad crossing lights on a crossing gate or other supports are provided to exhibit either flashing or steady illumination or combinations of flashing or steady warning lights depending upon use requirements. Once the configuration of warning lights was decided upon, each of the warning lights was hardwired at a position internal to the warning light base or at a plug assembly to generate the desired illumination of each warning light where the illumination was of a steady or flashing nature as desired. Later and subsequent reconfiguration of the warning lights to reflect an altered illumination pattern required reconfiguration of the hardwired wiring system whether internal to the base or whether in the plug assembly. Such reconfiguration required one or more operations such as, but not limited to, desoldering and resoldering and taping of wires, removal and replacement of wire connectors and switching and reconnecting of wires, stripping of wires, reconnection and swapping of wires in pins at plug terminals, and the like. Such operations and reconfigurations require a lengthy reconfiguration time and generally require the use of qualified personnel, such as a licensed electrician or technician. Clearly, what is needed is a warning light having a switching system which is quickly and readily reconfigured in the field by personnel where technical knowledge is not required to execute a change in the behavior of a warning light system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The general purpose of the present invention is a warning light having a switching system. Opposing lenses, a lens frame and a light socket and bulb pivotally attach to a configured housing which serves as a mount for the warning light. Opposed connector plug receptor ports having male connection pins extend in an outward direction from opposite ends of the configured housing to accommodate connector plugs having female connection pins. One such set of male connection pins at one end of the configured housing is fixed in position to simply accommodate the female connection pins of one connector plug, as known in the art. However, the opposing male connection pins, also known as rotating pins, are located in and extend through a rotary pin base which is co-located in a connector plug receptor port cavity to align with and to contact stationary switch pins in a stationary pin base. The female pins of a connector plug are brought into intimate contact with the male rotating pins to establish electrical connection and also to provide a means to cause rotation of the rotary pin base and co-located rotating pins. Such a rotary movement about the axis of the rotary pin base is caused by manual rotation of the connector plug thereby causing the rotating pins to reposition in rotational fashion to contact successive stationary switch pins located in the stationary pin base. A spring and a ball located in the housing contacts detent grooves in the rotary pin base to index, reference, register and fix the rotating pins in the rotary pin base in alignment with the stationary switch pins in the stationary pin base. Subsequent to rotational switching, the cap of the connector plug is tightened against threads on the connector plug receptor port to fix and ensure desired alignment of the rotary pin base and the rotating pins, as desired.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a warning light with a switching system including a molded configured housing, a lens frame with opposing lenses and a light socket and bulb pivotally attached to the configured housing, opposing connector plug receptor ports extending from the configured housing, fixed male connection pins extending from one side of the configured housing within a connector plug receptor port, rotating pins extending from an opposing side of the configured housing within another connector plug receptor port, a rotary pin base through which the rotating pins fully extend and which is aligned within a connector plug receptor port cavity, stationary switch pins secured in a stationary pin base which align to the rotating pins in the rotary pin, base, a connector plug which is securable to the fixed male connection pins and a connector plug which is securable with respect to the rotating pins and which is incorporated to rotatingly actuate the rotating pins for contacting the stationary switch pins located in the stationary pin base.
One significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a warning light having a switching system.
Another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a switching system which can deliver electrical current of different attributes to alter the behavior of a warning light.
Another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a warning light having a switching system which can be reconfigured by a person not having specialized mechanical or electrical skills.
Another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a switching system for a warning light which eliminates the requirement for manual rewiring of wire configurations to change the attributes of a warning light.
Still another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a rotary pin base having co-located male rotating pins the entire assembly of which is rotated along and about its axis to interface with and to intimately contact stationary switch pins in a stationary pin base.
Yet another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is the use of a connector plug having female pins to intimately engage the male rotating pins of a rotary pin base whereby the connector plug is rotated to cause rotation of the male rotating pins of the rotary pin base resulting in switching of the male rotating pins with the stationary switch pins in a stationary pin base.
Having thus described an embodiment of the present invention, it is the principal object of the present invention to provide a warning light having a switching system.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4666108 (1987-05-01), Fox
patent: 4784356 (1988-11-01), Fox
patent: 4895325 (1990-01-01), LeVoir
patent: B14784356 (1995-01-01), Fox
Luetzow Edwin J.
Luetzow Richard L.
Jaeger Hugh D.
McCarry, Jr. Robert J.
Morano S. Joseph
MTR, Inc.
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