Tideland Signal Corporation

Marion L Recane

David C Tigwell

Dan G Luce

William V Burns

Charles E McMillen

A method and apparatus for causing a plurality of navigational lanterns, each equipped with an independent light sensing device and connected to a common synchronizing terminal, to actuate simultaneously at dusk, and deactuate simultaneously at dawn. The light sensing device senses the three levels of day, twilight and night. When a sensing device senses day, the connected lantern is disabled from flashing and is disabled from sending a synchronizing signal to other lanterns to flash. When a sensing device senses twilight, the connected lantern is enabled to receive the synchronizing signal, but is disabled from sending a synchronizing signal. When the sensing device senses night, the connecting lantern is enabled and a synchronizing signal to flash is sent to all of the lanterns.

Method and apparatus for simultaneously actuating navigational lanterns

A lampchanger preferably for use in a railroad signal lantern having a focusing lens which includes a horizontally rotatable turret adapted to support a plurality of lamps for indexing one of the lamps to the focal point of the lens. The turret includes a plurality of bayonet sockets for holding a lamp in which the sockets have resilient sides which taper inwardly away from the turret body for accurately securing the lamp in position. The turret includes a contact insulator having a radially extending slot adjacent each of the sockets with a power contact positioned in each of the slots. Each power contact includes a circular ridge for engaging the bottom of a lamp positioned in a socket for cleaning and making a good contact with the lamp. A power brush engages the rotatable turret and is positioned to engage the power contact and engages the slot of the insulator positioned in lamp operating position for mechanically holding the turret in position. A light detector is directed at the lamp in position in the focal point for detecting whether the lamp is lighted. And motor means is connected to the turret for rotating the turret when the light detector detects a burned out lamp. The control circuit includes means for preventing rotation of the turret in the event of failure of the light detector and includes a binary counter for actuating the motor with a gated oscillator clocking the counter and a capacitor large enough to charge the circuit in the hold state if power is lost.

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

Marion L Recane