Signalling apparatus and method for car washes and the like

Claim 2

An automatic signalling apparatus for use in conjunction with a vehicular pathway, said apparatus comprising: 1. a pair of elongated electroconductive members along each side of said pathway, 2. a plurality of individual, normally open switches mounted at spaced distances along each said member, each switch having a movable contact independent of adjacent switch contacts and forming with said member, discontinuous switching means therealong, 3. directional signal means mounted above said pathway in a position visible to a driver of a vehicle therein, 4. each said movable contact being so positioned in relation to said pathway and the member with which it is associated, that an errant vehicle progressively and continuously moving along one of said members successively closes and opens an electrical circuit to activate said signal means.

Claim 3

a plurality of individual, normally open switches mounted at spaced distances along each said member, each switch having a movable contact independent of adjacent switch contacts and forming with said member, discontinuous switching means therealong,

Claim 4

a plurality of individual, normally open switches mounted at spaced distances along each said member, each switch having a movable contact independent of adjacent switch contacts and forming with said member, discontinuous switching means therealong,

Claim 5

A signalling apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein each said elongate electroconductive member is a hollow tubular guard rail, and wherein each said movable contact is a resilient switch arm mounted in an insulating bracket in said rail and extending across said rail through an aperture in the wall thereof into said vehicular pathway, said aperture being sized sufficiently to allow trivial movement of said switch arm to take place without such movement causing contact of said switch arm with said electroconductive guard rail.

Claim 6

directional signal means mounted above said pathway in a position visible to a driver of a vehicle therein,

Claim 7

directional signal means mounted above said pathway in a position visible to a driver of a vehicle therein,

Claim 8

A signalling apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein: each said elongate, electroconductive member is formed by at least two electroconductive strips, and each said movable contact is formed by a conductive post projecting from one said strip toward the other and separated therefrom by an insulative ribbed strip.

Claim 9

each said movable contact being so positioned in relation to said pathway and the member with which it is associated, that an errant vehicle progressively and continuously moving along one of said members successively closes and opens an electrical circuit to activate said signal means.

Claim 10

each said movable contact being so positioned in relation to said pathway and the member with which it is associated, that an errant vehicle progressively and continuously moving along one of said members successively closes and opens an electrical circuit to activate said signal means.

Claim 11

In a car wash, or the like, the combination of a pair of elongated, parallel guide rails, of rigid material, mounted at a spaced height above ground level, and at a spaced distance apart, to define a pathway therebetween for the wheels of an automobile, and a pair of electric signal circuit means, each associated with one of said guide rails, each said circuit means including a source of current, electrically actuated signal means for informing the driver of an automobile in which direction to turn the automobile wheels, and a plurality of individual, normally open, switches mounted successively at spaced distances along said side rail, each said switch having a movable switch contact means, independent of the other switches, alongside and projecting into said path from said guide rail, adapted to be engaged by one front wheel or the other of said automobile to close said circuit means to temporarily actuate said signal and then deactuate said signal as said wheel advances therepast or therealong.

Claim 12

In a car wash, or the like, the combination of a pair of elongated, parallel guide rails, of rigid material, mounted at a spaced height above ground level, and at a spaced distance apart, to define a pathway therebetween for the wheels of an automobile, and a pair of electric signal circuit means, each associated with one of said guide rails, each said circuit means including a source of current, electrically actuated signal means for informing the driver of an automobile in which direction to turn the automobile wheels, and a plurality of individual, normally open, switches mounted successively at spaced distances along said side rail, each said switch having a movable switch contact means, independent of the other switches, alongside and projecting into said path from said guide rail, adapted to be engaged by one front wheel or the other of said automobile to close said circuit means to temporarily actuate said signal and then deactuate said signal as said wheel advances therepast or therealong.

Claim 13

A combination as specified in claim 4, wherein each said guide rail is a hollow tube of rigid electrically conductive metal, having oppositely disposed pairs of apertures at spaced distances along the side walls thereof, and each said movable switch contact means is a resilient, flexible, electrically conductive feeler having a base fixed in, and insulated from, one said aperture, thence extending diametrically across the inside of said rail and out of the other said aperture of a pair to terminate in a feeler portion in the path of an errant vehicle.

Claim 14

A combination as specified in claim 4, wherein each said guide rail constitutes a continuous, electrically conductive switch terminal member, and each said movable switch contact means includes a continuous, electrically conductive strip, affixed in parallelism on, but insulated from, said guide rail, and a plurality of flexible resilient feelers of electrically conductive, self-supporting material extending inwardly from said strip into the path of an errant vehicle.

Claim 15

A combination as specified in claim 4, wherein each said swiTch includes at least one continuous, elongated, electrical conductor and a plurality of individual, resilient flexible electrically conductive switch arms located at spaced distances along conductor and adapted to engage the same successively when successively engaged by a wheel of an advancing automobile.