Directional warning system

Claim 1

A mobile distant warning system for vehicular traffic comprising a sign having an operative face, means for mounting said s ign upon a vehicle for controlled movement between a first retracted substantially horizontal position and an upright position disposing said operative face for viewing by operators of other vehicles, a plurality of high intensity lamps directed outwardly from the operative face of said sign, said lamps being arranged in a plurality of arrowheads one ahead of the other laterally across the sign face in both directions, power supply me ans for energizing said lamps, and means sequentially lighting lamps of said arrowheads in succession laterally across said sign face in a selected direction for visually directing vehicular traffic to the left or the right of the vehicle mounting the sign.

Claim 5

A method for directing traffic from a distance comprising the steps of arranging a plurality of high-intensity lamps in two interleaved groups with the lamps of each group defining at least three arrowhead configurations with the arrowh eads of each group aligned one behind the other and the arrowheads of separate groups being opposed, sequenti ally energizing the lamps of one selected group having the arrowheads thereof pointing in the direction of desired traffic direction by first energizing the lamps of the rear arrowhead of the group and then successively energizing the lamps of succeeding arrowheads of the group while continuing the energization of lamps until all l amps of a group are energ ized , deenergizing all lamps of the selected group, and repeating the cycle of sequentially energizing and deenergizing the lamps of a selected group of lamps.

Claim 6

A method for directing traffic from a distance comprising the steps of arranging a plurality of high-intensity lamps in two interleaved groups with the lamps of each group defining at least three arrowhead configurations with the arrowh eads of each group aligned one behind the other and the arrowheads of separate groups being opposed, sequenti ally energizing the lamps of one selected group having the arrowheads thereof pointing in the direction of desired traffic direction by first energizing the lamps of the rear arrowhead of the group and then successively energizing the lamps of succeeding arrowheads of the group while continuing the energization of lamps until all l amps of a group are energ ized , deenergizing all lamps of the selected group, and repeating the cycle of sequentially energizing and deenergizing the lamps of a selected group of lamps.