I looked thru your album Chris, all 460 pages,,, and only saw two pictures that showed
part of the turn switch. It looked like a Signal-Stat unit, have you replaced it with a Guide
6004??? Looks like you really put the 50, wonton to work. Cool T coupe, is that yours?
Lonnie, thanks a bunch for finding that for me. No, I didn't find it on my own, as I said I
just get so dang frustrated when ever I try to find patents. Seems like they always lead me
down the wrong path. I downloaded & printed out those patents to my Directional Signal
folder for future reference. Yes it is strange that there aren't any newer patents on the unit.
The Guide 6004 really doesn't look much like the patent drawings. I would have thought
that they'd have re-applied after making any changes but I don‘t think they ever owned the
patent rights. I suppose the shape isn't what the patent was applied for. The mechanics of
the device. are what they are really concerned about. Signal-Stat and Guide probably paid
royalties to Bell and Bruderick during the run of those models. Be interesting to see what
patents were on the built-in units from ‘54 up. I’ll bet GM’s engineers came up with their
own patented designs once they got past the bolt on devices.
Since we’re on the subject, I ran across some interesting stuff about Guide.
The History of the Guide Lamp division of General Motors:
http://charlesbullock.net/Guide/Index.html Here is a Apr. 20, 1954 Guide product catalog:
http://charlesbullock.net/Guide/GuideCatalog04201954.pdf Wish I could find some earlier catalogs.
Oh those little details.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL
