Technical Anybody Ever Seen One Of These Or Have Any Info? Odd Unity Column Mount Turn Signal Switch?

Picked this up at a swap meet couple of weeks ago. I fell in love with it and the price was right. I know people are suckers for the Yankee 960 switches just those little touches. But I this cause it was odd. It's marked plan as day Unity Model 1000 Chicago IL Pat Pend. Best I can tell it's a turn signal switch with a lever on each side to use either hand when signaling. It's got 2 bulb sockets for indicators I assume and appears to have all the necessary wiring except a flasher can. I've searched googled eBay and everything I can't find shit no mention no pics nothing. I even sent an email to Unity last week and not a peep from them. Anyone seen one of these or got any info?

 

Forget getting an answer out of Unity. They only make spot lights now and sold off the rest of the business to God knows who (they wont tell you). I need new lenses for my beacons all they would tell me is the sold the business to a company that makes the new beacons Michigan State Police use. They would not tell me who.


Denny

 

That right there is near a ”Henteeth” Model . I have seen and installed many of the one lever style , never seen any of the style you have . It should be fairly easy to figure out with an OHM meter . But lookin like only the Shadow knows when and where that came from .

 

It's a for-runner of the "paddle shifter". Do a patent search? I am Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

I've seen and installed lots of column directional switches over the last 50 or so years and that's the first time I saw one like that. It should not be very hard to
figure out how it works.

 

Here's how to figure out which wire goes where.... https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/turn-signal-wiring-how-to.869492/

 

Maybe it's the "uni-sex" version!

 

NOOOOOOOO they didn't have such a thing as that back then. Seriously it is the ambidextrous model.

 

That looks like something that would be used on a delivery truck or some other commercial vehicle.

 

Kinda what I thought. As for the wires I can figure that out

 

figure out the wires, then we'll all know what it does.

Are the levers connected together inside, mechanically?

 

Is the right lever for the right light and the left lever for the left light?

Phil

 

That's what I was thinking- if this is an early model (20's-30's), they may have been thinking that way!

 

Here it is with the cover off. The arms are connected to each other pull one down and the other goes up. It's weird. It has a total of 5 wires coming out in the cloth jacket. Hell I only gave $15 for it. So I'm not really out anything if it's useless.

 

Very unique--I like it--would attempt to make it function

 

Here is my thought....Since the levers are connected to be opposite movement I think it meant for a vehicle that could be driven forward and backwards by moving the seat; a right turn would still be pulling the right lever towards you and visa versa..Maybe farm or Industrial vehicle..

 

It would also work the same if you used the right arm to make a left turn, lifting the right arm up for a left turn and pull the right arm down for a right turn. 49 Buick had the turn signal lever on the right side of the column.

 

Holy shit I actually got a response from Unity. It is a turn signal switch. The guy at Unity said it was produced around 1930 only info he has on it is what's contained in the sales brochure I uploaded. Sorry I'm not savy enough to post it like a pic

 

seen one at the Nashville swap meet FEB 3 guessing it was that one

 

That be it

 

Very cool brochure. Your switch listed for $4.25 when new.


Phil

 

Aftermarket turn signal switch from the '20s & '30s, when floor shifts were used. Column shifts made them obsolete as the right hand lever was blocked by the shift lever.

 

If it's only five wires, it's a turn-only switch. The downside is you need separate turn-only bulbs, and should have completely separate turn light assemblies in the rear. I've seen where guys have added an additional lamp into the existing tail/brake light housing, but when the brakes are applied the brake light will wash out the turn and it won't be visible.

 

The brochure in post 15 above that featured this switch also had add-on light for front and rear. Each pair of lights was an additional $4.25.

Phil

 

No need to add more bulbs to use it....You can use a trailer wire converter box mounted in the trunk, to be able to use single dual filament bulb taillights.

 

Never seen that one before, but i like it.

 

I have used that method many times

 

Just found this thread. So here are the photos he couldn't post