Portable temporary emergency distress signal

Claim 1

A portable, temporary, emergency, distress signal capable of being carried in the dash compartment of an automobile but removable therefrom and expandable for attachment to the top or side of the automobile when stranded, said distress signal comprising: a flag staff formed of an upper rod telescopable within a lower rod, said upper rod having an upper portion and said lower rod having a lower portion; a rectangular distress flag, of limp material, having four side edges, each side edge having a hollow seam, each of said hollow seams terminates in an opening, one of said seams encircling the upper portion of said upper rod; a three section, jointed frame rod, insertable in said openings of said seams to maintain said limp flag in unfurled condition when in use; a base having a lower portion formed by a permanent magnet and an upper portion threadedly attached to the lower portion of said lower rod, said upper portion of said base having external threads therearound; a pivot joint in the lower portion of said lower rod, proximate the upper portion of said base; a cylindrical lock sleeve around said lower portion of said lower rod and adapted to slide over said pivot joint to make said joint inoperative, said lock having a lower portion with internal threads engageable with the external threads on the upper portion of said base to maintain said pivot joint in inoperative position; a lock stop affixed to said lower rod, at a spaced distance above said pivot joint, said lock stop having internal threads; and said cylindrical lock having an upper portion with external threads engageable with the internal threads of said lock stop to maintain said lock in inoperative position thereby enabling said pivot joint to pivot and said distress signal to be attached to the side of a vehicle.