US1031993A - Signaling mechanism. - Google Patents

Description

35 1 wherein'- Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a! oLaUn H. FOSTER, oroLEvnLAND, oHI'o.-

SIGNALING MECHANISM.'

To all t may concern Be it known that I, -CLAUD H. l `osTER,

a. citizen of the- United States, residing at .Cleveland,.in the county of Cuyahoga andV State of Ohio, have invented a certain new. .fand useful Improvement in Signaling Mech- Qanisms, ofv which the following is a full,"

' "'clear; and exact description, reference being vhad to the accompanying drawi gs.

This invention relates to wind instrumeiits, and more particularly to instruments which may be employed.v with vehicles, suchas automobiles, and operated by thepressure lof a fluid, as the exhaust of the engines of such vehicles, to sound an alarm.

' The objects of thepresent invention'are to providey anfinstrument'of this kind coniprising a plurality of. indi\'idua'l sounding or signaling members, each being provided v'with an independent valve for supplying and cutting od the ow`of pressure fluid thereto; also to provide an instrument of this kind with1 convenient and efficient means for operating such valves; also to rovide an Iinstrument of this kind with eiicien't means whereby themembers may beoperated individually and whereby diiferent ygroups ofsaid members may be selected and simultaneously operated toproduce signalsy -or musical chords.

W ith the above objects in view, the invention may be further ilened as consisting of the combinations ofjelements embodied in the claims hereto' annexed and illustrated in the' drawings forming a part hereof,

portion of an automobile having my invention applied thereto;y Fig. 2 isa detail in vperspective'of 'the key board and operating means for sounding various groups of horns;

ig.- 3 isa transverse sectional view of the key board shown' in Fig. 2; and Figs. 4 and 5 5 are details of one of the" valves which control 'the yflow lof pressure. fluid to the signal-- ing members.

In the embodiment of my invention' shown herein, there are employedy as signaling 'members a plurality of horns of the type known to the trade as Gabriel horns,-

that'is to'saygliorns which' are adapted to' give a musical'sound and to hold their pitch irresp'ective'o'f. wide variations inthefpresvsure (utilis fluid by 'which' they may bev operated. To each of these lhorns i'sconfnected a branch'pipeorconnection leadingl s'pciaeation of Leners Patent. Application led November 3, 1909', Serial ivo.

rat-eared Juiye, i912. 525,992.

from a common manifold or header, and

each branch pipe or connection is provided f with a valve having ay wire or other suitable flexible connection extending therefrom to a key board which is located alongsideof ythe seat of the operator.

' In the drawings,llrepresents, more or lessy conventionally, the body of an automobile, 2 the fro'nt fender and V3 the seat thereof.v

4 denotes a pipe projecting throughI the gine lexhaust 4a. This pipe andthe engine exhaust. pipe will beprovided with a cutout valve, preferably such as shown in my Patentv#913,632, issued February-23, 1909, the stem of said valvebeing shown at 4b and 4 communicates with theheader 5, which is provided with a `plurality of branch cona horn 7. Any suitable Inumber of horns may be connected to this'header. Six such horns .are shown in the drawing, but groups Comprising various numbers of horns may 'be employed, for instance, 'four, or ten. The

header and horns are shown as located above the fender 2, but the position in which the horns will be placed may be varied to suit the convenience lof the operator and the par"- ticular construction of the automobile with cated stopshoulders 8 and, preferably cast therewith. `10 denotes a valve stem which extends through -lthe branch connection 6, having its lower end journaled in a projection 11l from such. branch. This stem is' provided withV a slot for the reception of a disk 12, the disk being secured in1 place by means of a lsuitable number of screws 13.

At its upperlend lthe'stem is provided with' an operating disk 14, said disk having a series of apertures 15 adjacent to the periphery thereof, for the reception of a screw or pin' 16. 17 denotes a stopprojecting from the upper. endof the valve st em beneath the disk 14 and'adapted to engage the .side of lthe vehicle and connected to the env 'its casing at 4C. The outer end of the: pipe .nections 6,each connected to the inlet end of stop shoulders 8 and 9. 18y denotes a screw connecting the disk -to thestop 17 and thus to thevalve stem and also 'serving as a,

means for `connecting a spiral spring 19 to thevalve stem and as a means for adjustably connecting the valve tothe key-board. One

end of the spring is connected to the lower end ofthe scre'vv 18 and its opposite' end'to the stop shoulder 9. The parts are-'so arranged that, when' the stop 17 is in engage- 'ment with the shoulder 9, the valve disk 12 extends across theI bore of the branch con nection 6, closing thesame. 'When the valve stem is rotated, the valve is opened until the the angle type and comprise each a pair of stop 17 engages the shoulder 8, inwhich position the valvefdisk will-,be turnedone-v quarter of a revolution and the fluid. can freely vthrough the branch A connection 6. As many brafnch connections and valves of the ytype described will be er'nployt-idI as there are horns 7.

. j In convenient position t'o be operated by singularly-disposed arms 24 and .25, one of said arms being provided with a key v26 adapted lt`o"belcngaged by a finger of the operator andthe other arm being connected,y `bymeans of a wire or other flexible connection 27 with the screw- 1G von the correspending valve-operating disk 1-4.

28 'denotes across bar extending across the frame and adapted to limit the movement of the key levers.

IVith the cons-truction'thus far described, the operator will be enabled to play one or y more of the horns at willtoproduce a signal or a chord, or, if desirable,vto play a musical selection.

It is often desirable to mechanically op-l erate a plurality of horns in unison,. to produce a chord or a signal composed of a pluralityof individual notes. To enable the,

operator to secure this result,'.I provide a shaft 29 having a plurality v.of projectionsthereon and adapted to engage the lever arms 25 and operate different combinations pf said lever arms and of the horns, according be rotated. In' the drawing I'have shown theishaltt 29 as provided with three sets of projections, each set being in a` common plane extending radially from the shaft center. One such set of projectionsis shownat 30,

show-n herein, each set comprises three projections, but it will be understood that the number of projections constituting a set and he' number of such sets may -be varied, ac-

- `cording to the .number of horns or signaling devicesemployed. .One end of the shaft 29 projects through y a time, 'or in groups or to the position to which the shaft mayv another set at 3'1, and a third sety at 32. In the exemplitication of my invention as asleeve 33 having therein a plurality of notches'. andv the other yand projects through the/opposite end of the frame and is provided at its'oute'rmost portion with a. disk 34' forming a bearing for ope endof a spiral spring4 3 5 the other end o vyhich bears againstthe sideV member of' the. frame 21 and tends to'forcetha 'shait through such end'of the'fralne. The end of. the 4shaft opposite the disk 34. is providedv v with 4an arm 36 projecting 'at right' angles therefrom vand with an' operating handle 37 Thel arm 36 is adapted to engage a plurality sleeve 38. In the position shown vin Fig.2,' the arm 86 is in a notch corresponding to of notches inthe outer end 'of'l the the dead or .neutral condition ofgthe f' horns. lVhen moved into the notch 3 8, the

projections 30 are brought into engagement with the corresponding arms 25, Vas shown inFigB, 'and a suitable' group'of horns is operated to produce a chord or a'signal. lZhen moved into the notches 39 and 40, the projections 31 and 32, respectively, will be brought into engagement with appropriatelever arms 25. The arm 36 will be re tained in the notches by the act-ion of the 'spring 5. To facilitate the passage of the arm 36 over the project-ions 41 between `the notches,' the opposite sides of each projection are beveled, as shown at 42.A

It will be possible` Jfor tliel'op'erator .to soundv thehorns or signaling devices one at combinations, by means of the keys 26.` however, to4 give a signal from' a plurality' of ,horns or signaling devicessounding in unison, he can do so' by operating the handle 37. By rotating the shaft 29, a plural# ityot such combined signals or chords may be given in succession.l On' releasing the kevs'26 or the arms 25,y the springs 19 v vJI close the valves 12 and return the keylever to thefposition shown in Fig. 2.-

' -It will be understood that, in operation, the cut-out valve will be rst'operated, as -by the lever 43 to cut out the exhaust'from the pipez=4a` and divert it into the pipe 4. kNo sound will be produced, however, unless one or more ofthe valves the branch conf nections 6 are opened. l The Vpin or screw aperture. In order to secure a proper lead of thewire from a disk to its key, the disk may be 1adjusted by merely removing the screw 18 and insertingfit through an apertureI in the disk which will secure the proper lead from pin-16` to the key.A

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

.1. In mechanism ofl the character set forth, the combination of a plurality of uidpressure operated members, a rotary Should he desire,-

16 isl'spiderea into its valve for controlling the supply of pressure duid to each of said members, stops arranged to limitthe movement of each of said valves, a spring tending to hold each of said valves in closed position, a plurality of keys, a flexible device extending b etvveen each of said Vkeys and a vval-ve, and means whereby each device nected to its valve to yvarythe lead of said .device -from the valve.

of the character set v .flow of pressure fluid to said member, said valve comprising a stem. having' a disk thereon, said disk being provided With a plurality of apertures, a pin adapted Ato be inserted into any of said apertures, and an operating device connected to said'pin.l

Ll. In mechanism of the character set forth, the combination, with a fluid pressure operated member, of a connection for sup; plying pressure lluid thereto, a rotary valve 1n said'connection, said valve having a stem' extending through the casing of the connection, a pair of stop shoulders carried by said connection,a stop carried by the stem, and aspring surrounding said stem and having one end secured to one of the shoulders of the connection and the other endsecured to the stop carried by the valve stem.

5; In. mechanism of the character set forth, the combination of a fluid pressure may be adjustably conl supply pipe, a plurality Iof branches connected therewith, a rotary valve mounted in each branch, a keyboard comprising a plurality of keys, a flexible device extending between each key and a valve, and means ivhercb)i the point of connection between `ach of said flexible devices and its valve may be adjusted.

G. In amechanism ofv the character set forth, the combination of a plurality. of fluid pressure operated members, valves.

each rotatable about an ax1s'an'd each adapted to control the supply of pressure fluid` to one of said members, means normally closing each of said valves, a k yboard comprisinga plurality of keys, a .ilexible device extending between each key and a valve,A and means whereby the point of connection between each of said flexible devices and its valvev maybe angularly Vadjusted. Y .7. In a mechanism of thecharacter set forth, the combination of a plurality of iluid'pressure operated members, a valve for controlling the supply of pressure fluid t0- each of said members, means tendineto hold each of saidvalves in closed posit; 1, a keyboard comprising a plurality of keys, a flexible device 'connected to each of said keys, and an arigularly adjustable device connected to each valve and to one of said' -tiexible devices. i

In testimony whereof, I hereunto altixmy signature in the presence of two w1t' nesses,

CLAUD FOSTER.- lVitnesses J. B. HULL, BRENNAN 1,3. WEST.

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