SignalTraffic Forums

by **TacomaJoe** on Tue Nov 03, 2009 12:23 am

It occurred to me that there aren't many pressure pads around so I snapped a picture of one.

http://s852.photobucket.com/albums/ab82 ... ure%20pad/

This one was in service until 1982 when we cut a loop in. There are none in service anymore but they are still there because they are cast into the concrete and would be a pain to remove. Some have had the rubber pad removed and the void filled with concrete or asphalt.

by **made in china** on Tue Nov 03, 2009 1:25 am

that is so cool. I found something similar in Ballard, but older I believe. It said something like "G-E Treadle Type Vehicle Detector". It was cast into the concrete, but was more slender. I should take a pic of it next time I am out there. I believe it was Market St and 20th or 24th ave, on the side street heading north bound (south side of Market at the stop bar).

by **vaughnsimon** on Tue Nov 03, 2009 7:54 am

Like Tacoma, we used to fill the empty frames with asphalt, but that did not prevent them from eventually breaking up and needing to be removed. We probably got rid of the last one in W. Palm Beach over 25 years ago. Unlike Joe, I never thought to take a picture.

They were ballbusters! The frames would crack under the repeated stress of traffic and start breaking up with sharp parts sticking up in the road. When that happened, we would have to get out there with jackhammers to break up enough of the concrete foundation to get the metal frame out of the street. Then we would call the Streets folks to make an asphalt repair. Then it was time to saw a new loop is the pad was not already out of service.

When we had the the pads in service, it was always during the rainy season then they went bad. We all hated changing them. The problems were 50-50 the pad itself or the splice, which lived in an sometimes-undrained access hole at one end of the frame. We had no way of making a splice that would survive forever under water. In short, loops were no fun, but pads were worse.

Vaughn

.

by **3liteguy** on Tue Nov 03, 2009 8:09 am

Good idea to snap a couple of pix Joe. As kid I remember these as they slowly faded from use. Those plates that remained were a paving nightmare that consumed many innocent tires

by **RunsWithCrouse-Hinds** on Tue Nov 03, 2009 8:48 am

I have one of those Electro-Matic end plates! Jay actually has a pile of them at his shop, we couldn't figure out what they were from. He has two kinds, one with a slightly different text layout than the other. I also would have sworn that I've seen these things before, guess I'll have to keep a lookout now...

-Dan

by **TacomaJoe** on Tue Nov 03, 2009 8:54 am

We are hoping that streets will forget that they are ours and won't charge us for the removal/repair. Along with the rain here, freezing was another problem.

by **jjakucyk** on Tue Nov 03, 2009 3:31 pm

Hmm, we still have one of those not far from my place. It's been long out of service, but it's still in place as far as I can tell. I should go snap a pic or two of it.

by **RunsWithCrouse-Hinds** on Tue Nov 03, 2009 5:50 pm

Could someone explain how these worked? Was it pneumatic or something else? Also if someone has the detector used for these or even some paperwork I'd love to see it! :drool:

-Dan

by **2070** on Tue Nov 03, 2009 5:56 pm

RunsWithCrouse-Hinds wrote:Could someone explain how these worked? Was it pneumatic or something else? Also if someone has the detector used for these or even some paperwork I'd love to see it!

-Dan

It is a PUSH BUTTON for cars!!! :crazy:

by **vaughnsimon** on Tue Nov 03, 2009 6:22 pm

It is a PUSH BUTTON for cars!!!

Phil has it exactly right! They just connected straight to the vehicle call terminals. As for how they worked...They were sealed up and don't remember ever taking a pad apart,but I ASSume that they were just two conductors held apart by the springiness of the rubber. A car was heavy enough to force the conductors together. A firm footstep was enough to trigger them. (Yes, kids liked to stomp on them at isolated intersections to make the light change)

Vaughn

SignalTraffic Forums

Pressure pad detection

Pressure pad detection

Re: Pressure pad detection

Re: Pressure pad detection

Re: Pressure pad detection

Re: Pressure pad detection

Re: Pressure pad detection

Re: Pressure pad detection

Re: Pressure pad detection

Re: Pressure pad detection

Re: Pressure pad detection

Who is online