Willis Lamm's
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| History of Traffic Signal Design |
| Imaginations Run Wild! |
| As is the American way, inventors set to work patenting a wide variety of traffic regulating devices ranging from improvements to simple semaphore devices to huge apparatus that covered entire intersections. Most relied on cables and pulleys or underground crank mechanisms so that traffic police could direct traffic more safely from the corners of intersections. A few had automatic capabilities. Here are just a few examples. |
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W. L. Bradley's traffic signalling device provided an umbrella and seat for the traffic policeman along with a gong and rotating sign boards that indicated whether the intersection was "OPEN" or "CLOSED" to traffic.
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R. W. Roderick's design called for a hood to be hung over the intersection with electric illumination at night, a sign board for advertisements, illuminated "OPEN" and "CLOSED" signs as well as an additional "FIRE" sign, and the customary gong.
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W. A. Braden came up with a sort of "all-in-one" device that included rotating illuminated "STOP" and "GO" panels, a gong to indicate signal changes, street signs, a police call box, a fire department telegraph box and even postal letter and parcel boxes.
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Out of hundreds of traffic control ideas, a few were practical and had commercial application. Here are some examples.
Oscar Erdman envisioned controlling whole downtown sections of streets so that traffic could move in large "blocks." Erdman described a master controller in his patent, applied for in 1915.
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Mushroom traffic guides were still part of the debate and T. E. Hayes designed a mushroom that doubled as a traffic signal. The idea was practical, although for traffic approaching an intersection from a distance to determine the indications of Hayes' signal, a conventional overhead or post mounted signal would also be necessary.
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Although he has been incorrectly credited with inventing the modern traffic signal, inventor G. A. Morgan designed a practical, inexpensive and easy to manufacture electrically illuminated semaphore signal that caught the eye of electrical giant General Electric. Morgan's design included the customary gong as well as a visual warning indication as the device changed. The illumination optics were simple yet practical. G. E. bought Morgan's patent for $40,000.00, an astounding amount at that time.
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