US2787236A - Gloves for directing traffic - Google Patents

Description

April 1957 E. E. WELCH GLOVES FOR DIRECTING TRAFFIC Filed Nov. 21, 1955 INVENTOR fflWARD E. WELCH I His Agent United States Patent GLOVES FOR DIRECTING TRAFFIC Edward E. Welch, East Otis, Mass.

Application November 21, 1955, Serial No. 548,009

2 Claims. (Cl. 116-35) My invention relates to improvements in gloves and the like that make them particularly well adapted for directing traffic.

The accompanying single figure illustrates the preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the directing of traffic personally by an ofiicer, in the absence of, or in contravention of, traflic lights, reliance is generally placed on manual signals given by the ofiicer and sometimes additionally on a whistle. The whistle calls attention to a change in orders, and some times the new orders can be guessed, but not with complete certainty; and therefore, although the line of trafiic that has been moving may be assumed as being ordered to halt, other traflic should not start until signalled to do so by the officer, so that manual signals constitute the principal reliance of the ofiicer and of the motorist. But not infrequently such signals are misunderstood. In heavy traffic and poor light, the strenuous gesticulations of an oflicer trying to expedite the movement of the traffic in several different directions are sometimes misconstrued by the tired or impatient motorist, and an occasional accident and more numerous near accidents result. As a tratfic oflicer myself, I have had personal experience of both situations and have been aware also of other oflicers having had similar experiences.

An object of my invention is therefore to provide means whereby manual signals given by an officer may be recognized by the motorists more easily and clearly than here tofore, and traflic may be moved more expeditiously and safely and with less strain on the motorist and the officer.

A principle of my invention is based on the observation that, although trafl'ic officers differ from each other in certain elements of their signals, they agree on certain others, and a solution of the problem may be based on the latter. The palm of the hand held against a line of traflic indubitably means halt, while the come on gesture invariably exposes the back of the hand to the motorists. Thus we have two basic signals that are instinctive to give and instinctive to understand: the palm of the hand for stop, and the back of the hand with appropriate gesture, to move.

Now, in the rush and strain of heavy traffic, and especially in poor light, some mental effort and concentrated attention are necessary to observe quickly and with certainty, at a distance, whether it is the palm or the back of the hand of the gesticulating officer that is turned to him. According to this invention, this problem is solved by providing for the traffic oflicer a pair of gloves, each one of which is red on its palm side and green on its back side. With these worn by the ofiicer, he can continue to signalize his orders in the instinctive manner, and the motorists who are to stop will see a red signal from the palm of the otfi-cers glove turned to them, and those who are being motioned to come on will see a green signal from the back of the otficers glove turned to them. The need for strenuous gesticulation by the officer is thereby eliminated, saving his strength and disposition, and the necessity for concentrated attention and keen discrimination on the part of the motorist is also reduced, enabling him to obey the intended orders in a relaxed and nonargumentative mood. Thus the movement of trafiic is expedited, with the hazards of misunderstood or unclear signals greatly reduced.

Referring to the accompanying single figure, it will be seen that 1 is a glove of the conventional gauntlet type, but the wrist portion may be long or short as desired. The palm side 2 of the glove will be seen as shaded to indicate red color, and its back side 3 as green color.

While five fingers are shown separate from each other, any number of them may be joined together as in a mitten or muff.

In order to assure of clarity and maximum visibility, especially at night time and poor light, I prefer to make up the glove with its palm piece of a fabric dyed in a highly reflecting red dye, such as a fluorescent red dye, and the back piece of a fabric dyed in a highly reflecting green dye. Such materials are available in the market, some of them under the name of Flecton. However, this invention is not restricted to a trademarked article.

The glove may also be imparted the desired colorings by externally lining it appropriately, or spraying it with the desired colorings or equivalent process.

It will be seen that my invention enables a single device to perform more than one function, inasmuch as the gloves so made provide weather protection to the hands of the officer, and make him dignified in accordance to the etiquette for an officer to be in gloves, in addition to the traffic signalling service described above.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A glove for use by traflic oflicers in. directing trafiic including a palm portion and a back portion, said palm and back portions normally being directed toward traffic to signal Stop and Go, respectively, substantially the entire visible surface area of said palm portion being made of a material impregnated with a highly reflective red dye material, and substantially the entire visible surface area of said back portion being made of a material impregnated with a highly reflective green dye material.

2. A glove for use by traffic oflicers in directing traffic including a palm portion and a back portion, each of said portions including finger elements, said palm and back portions normally being directed toward traflic to signal Stop" and Go, respectively, substantially the entire visible surface area of said palm portion including the finger elements thereof being made of a material impregnated with a highly reflective red dye material, and substantially the entire visible surface area of said back portion including the finger elements thereof being made of a material impregnated with a highly reflective green dye material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,244,065 Miller Oct. 23, 1917 1,630,730 Daugherty May 31, 1927 2,092,574 Eddy Sept. 7, 1937 2,581,549 McGlough Ian. 8, 1952

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