US1113673A - Signaling device. - Google Patents

Description

D. G. MoLEAN.

SIGNALING DEVICE. APPLICATION mum mud, 1912.

1 l 1 3,673. Patented Oct. 13,1914

2 EHEETSSHEET 1.

D. G. MOLEAN.

SIGNALING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2, 1912.

1,1 1 3,673. Patented Oct.13,1914

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WZYnesses. jnyenlzar'.

' E mi) 74 EM UNITED s A s PATENT OFFICE.

DONALD G. MOLEAN, F BosToN, :MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR To THE RANDALL- FAICHNEY COMPANY, or BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS,"A eoRPoRATIoN on MASSA- CHUSETTS.

SIGNALING fDEVICE Specification of Letters Patent. Pat t t, 13 1914 n i iicatioii'fiiea'iin 2, 1912. Serial mama. I

. of which the following-visa specification,

reference being had therein to the accom; panying drawings. 1 z; ,This invention relates to signaling-devices and more particularly to thatjclass of signaling devices which are sounded by;the exhaust gas from an engine. a i

The object of the invention is to provide means ,by which the signaling device ,may be rendered operative from'a distant point Withoutiimpeding. the-free usei for other purposes of thehands or feet of the operator. H In accordance with this object one feature of the invention contemplates the provision of electrical connections betweenthe device and the point ofoperation thereof, which connections preferably comprise a push button near the operator and a motor having its movable member connected with the movable part of the device which is operated to cause the exhaust gas to sound an alarm.

Another feature of the invention comprises means in a signaling device of the character described for automatically re ducing the current supplied to the motor after the moving part of the device has been thrown into operative position.

In the best form at present known to the inventor, the motor consists of a solenoid mobile; F ig. 2 is a detail view .of the solenoidwhich provides the motive power to render the vsignal operative; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the center of the solenoid, and Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of the-electrical connections.

\ The signaling device may comprise, any of; the well; known horns ;;which are operated by the engine exhaust, such, for instance, 'as, ,-that -.shownin the drawings, where a hornel is attached to an? exhaust pipel 2 ;leading; ,-'from a muffler 3- into which the ,engine i discharges the burned gas through a; pipe .4.;;-,-In the type of .horn shown, agate 5 is normally held open by a springfi which allows the Ugas to escape from the exhaustto the, atmosphere Without soundingthe born, but- ;when :the gate is closed, the exhaust gas is deflected toward a lip. 7 which causes ,an audible alarm to sound. As at present constructed, this horn is thrown into operation by a cord connecting the gate 5 with a lever near the'seat which is operated by the drivers hand or foot. This is objectionable as it interferes with his operation of the various treadles or the steering wheel and parts carried thereon, as the case may be.

In the present invention the gate 5 is connected by a cord 8 with a rod 9 secured to the armature 10 of a solenoid 11. A spring 13 may be inserted between the ends of the cord-t0 allow the gate 5 to yield to prevent the exhaust when too violent sounding a harsh 0r shrill note. The solenoid is inclosed in a casing 12 (Fig. 3) which may be secured beneath the body of the car in any convenient position, as is shown in Fig. 1 and one end of the casing is closed by a head 14 to which is secured a fixed core 15 and the other end is closed by a head 16 through which the rod 9 passes. Some form of stuffing box is desirable to preventdust and water from entering the casing around the rod 9 and it has been found most expedient to employ the construction shown in Fig. 3 which avoids all excessive fric tion on the rod. A cover 17 of flexible material, such as leather, is secured at its periphery, to the head 16 by a ring 30, the

ed with a spring-switch 21 and with a second.

coil 22, which is in effect a continuation of the coil 20 but is preferably made of wire of higheiresistance than that in the first coil. To the end of the solenoid is secured the springs\vitch 21 having its free end normallyin contact with a screw 23 carried by a bracket 31 which is mounted on the'end of the solenoid. The end of the switch 21 projects somewhat beyond the screw 23 so as to *beenga'ged by an insulated -collar'24c which is secured to thearniature 10.- The other pole of the battery 18 is connected'by a wire 25 with a push button 26 and a-wire 27 leads from the push button to the end of the coil 22 and also to the screw-23. The push button may be in any convenient-position for the driver but'is preferably mount ed in the rim of the steering wheel so that he can operate the born without removing his hands from the wheel or his feet from the treadles. The push button and its connections with thehorn may, if desired, be used as an auxiliary to the usual lever control.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 4, it willbe seen that when the button 26 is first pushed to close the circuit, the current, assuming it to flow with the arrow through the wire 19, will then pass through the sole noid to the coil 20 and through the switch 21 and screw 23 to the wire 27 and back to the battery. The current will take this course rather than through the coil as it offers much less resistance. hen the armature has moved a certain distance, which may be adjusted by means of the screw 23, the collar 24 breaks the contact between the switch 21 and the screw 23. The current must then return through the coil 22, but on account of the higher resistance of this coil there will be a very small fiow of current. The strength of the solenoid is proportionate to the ampere turns and it is apparent that a strong pull will be exerted upon the armature 10 when the circuit is first closed and the current is flowing through the coil 20 only. The pull exerted upon the armature will increase as the armature moves into the solenoid until the movement of the switch 21 breaks the circuit. This strong pull will overcome the tension of the spring '6 and through th medium of the cord 8 will close the gate 5 thereby sounding the alarm. When the gate is in a closed position less current is necessary to maintain it in that position than is required for the operation of closing it and therefore the screw 23 should be so adjusted that the circuit through the switch 21 v willbe broken just before the armature reaches the end of its movement and the horn. will continueto .be soundedat a relatively small expense ofcurrent flowing through both "the coils .20 'and 22. Inorder to secure a stronger pull'at the beginning of the inward movement of the armature and therefore a moreeven pull throughout its movement, the end 'o 'f'thecore 15"-is made liketH-Trustum of a cone and the adjacent end of the armature 10 is bored out to a correspondingsha'pa" Tli'is--wi -ll--re'sult in a more positive" action ofethe armature when the circuit -'is closedby "operating the ush button. W 1

Th'is' invention has'be'en deter-imam conn'ection' -"with' a gas'engine and a liornwhielr is rendered goperativeflby the movement of a gate. It will' be apparent to one skii-led in the art to which this invention relate's that the eXhausQir-omengines using-"other motive power than gas mayb mployed and that other forms of horns; inwhic'h' other arts or the horn itselfare moved,"mayabe substt tuted for 'that'sho'vvn and described. Other changes may 'als'o'bejmadein the form, charaote'r, and' relation of the parts without" de partin from the scope of tlie inveritionas defin in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A signaling device 'comprismg-a horn, mounted on the exhaust ipe'of an internal combustion engine, time a movable part to operate it,-- in combination -w'ith a solenoid having a core oonnected 'wit-h the movablepart' of the horn, an -open circuit battery for 'energizing 'the solenoid having two windings of unequal resis'tance,"and a cut-out short circuiting-one of the windings upon the closing of the energizing circuit and operating to throw the winding'sfi'nto series when said core has moved to a certain point, soas to decrease the amount of current passing from the battery automatically.

2. A signalingdevice comprising a horn mounted on the exhaust pipe of an internal combustion engine, a solenoidal operating device for controlling said born, a battery for energizing thesolenoid, a normally open circuit connecting the solenoid and battery, said solenoid having provision for operating on the closing of the circuit to draw a large amount of current supply from the battery and thereafter automatically to increase the resistance so as to reduce the amount of current passing from said battery.

3. A si aling device comprising a horn mounted in the exhaust pipe of an engine, and having a movable part to operate it, in combination with a solenoid of two unequal windings having a core connected with said movable part, a battery for energizing said nesses, this the twenty-eighth day of June, solenoid and a spring situated between said 1912. core and said movable part controlling and equalizing the amount of sound passing DONALD MCLEAN- 5 from said horn. Witnesses:

In testimony whereof, I hereunto set my JOHN F. Bnmy, hand in the presence of two subscribing wit- LEON E. PROG'IOR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

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