Patent ID: 7310047
Filing Date: 2007-12-18
Classification: G01P,G08B

Abstract:
1. A personnel signaling and warning apparatus for identifying hazardous gases and indicating wind direction, comprising: a sensor housing; at least one gas sensor coupled to the sensor housing for detecting one or more hazardous gases, and adapted to transmit an output alarm signal associated with the detection of a hazardous gas at a distinctive predetermined frequency when a detected gas exceeds a predetermined threshold; a rotatable shaft, positioned along a central longitudinal axis through the housing, and adapted for receiving a vertical mast having a means for indicating wind direction; at least one light source disposed within said sensor housing; a plurality of photocells each of which is positioned proximate the at least one light source, each photocell representing a topographical direction and adapted to provide an output signal associated with a particular wind direction at a predetermined frequency; and a rotatable disk coupled to the shaft and positioned between the at least one light source and plurality of photocells, the rotatable disk having a slot sized to allow light to pass from the at least one light source to a particular photocell, wherein the slot is aligned between the at least one light source and the particular photocell based on wind direction, and the slot permits communication of an output signal associated with wind direction from said particular photocell at its predetermined frequency.