US1152643A - Signaling-horn. - Google Patents

Description

A A. KENT.

SIGNALING HORN.

APPLICATION mgn MAR. 5. 1913.

-: mg I Patented Sept. 7, 1915. v

2 SHEETS-SHEET la WITNESSES t m ATTORNEY an'rnun. n'rwn'rnn xnN'r, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SIGNALING-HOBN.

Speciflcation of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

Application filed March 5, 1918. Serial No. 752,111.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR ATWATER KENT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Philadelphia, in

the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain -new-- and useful Improvements in Signaling- Horns, of which the following is a full,

clear, and complete disclosure.

My invention relates to signaling horns, such as are commonly used on automobiles, and motor boats and for similar purposes, and more particularly to those. horns in which a diaphragm is vibrated either by an electro-magnet or electro-vibrator, or by mechanical mechanism as by a ratchet or similar device actuated by a small electric motor.

My invention relates to structural features of such a horn and to the relation, disposition, and assembling of the parts.

Among the objects of my invention are to provide a simple relatively inexpensive device; to hold or secure the diaphragm so as to secure a loud distinctive tone; to dispense with a large number of parts; to securely hold the diaphragm in position and to produce a horn which will produce a loud penetrating sound, of distinctive quality.

Other objects of my invention will appear in the specification and claims below.

Referring now to the drawings, forming a part of this specification and which the same parts are referred to by the same reference characters throughout the various views; Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view of my improved horn; Fig. 2 is an end view of the casing in which the operating mechanism is adapted to be inclosed and mounted; Figs. 3 to 8, inclusive, are longitudinal sectional views of a portion of the flange of the casing, diaphragm and easing showing different modifications of the way in which the diaphragm may be secured to the said flange and held in position by the cap upon which the horn proper is mounted; Fig. 9 is an enlarged view of a portion of Fig. 1, showing the smaller flange for supporting the diaphragm; and Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic view on an exaggerated scale illustrating how the diaphragm vibrates.

v The preferred construction is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in which a cylindrical casing 1 is provided at one end with an outwardly flaring portion 2 terminating at the end in an annular flange 3 having a cylindrical periphery 4 anda flat front face 5 arranged in a plane normal to the axis of the said flange which flat face forms the seat of the diaphragm 6. The said casing is provided with-a web. 7 adjacent the flaring portion 2 of the casing, said web being preferably cast integral with the casing 1 and forming a support for the electro-magnets 8, within the casing. The interior of the casing is preferably provided with a lug 9 upon which is supported a resilient arm 10 carrying an armature 11- of the vibrator for producing vibrations of the diaphragm. A second lug 12, also within the casing and preferably arranged opposite the lug 9, serves to support the contact arm 13 which terminates in the contact point 14:, the arm 13 being insulated from said lug by a suitable insulating material 15. The resilient arm 10 is also provided with a contact point 16, and the said arm 10 is grounded to the casing 1.

One terminal 17 of the coils 8 is electrically connected to a binding post 18, insulated by the sleeve of insulating material 19 from the casing 1 and the other terminal 20 of the coil 8 is electrically connected to the contact arm 13. A second binding post 21 electrically connected to the casing '1 is also provided. On the back of the casing 1 a cup-shaped closure 22 may be secured in any approved manner.

The armature 11 is preferably heavy so that in vibrating under the influence of the magnetism of thecoils 8, it strikes a heavy blow on an anvil rod 23 arranged with one end in the path of movement of the armature 11 and with its outer end threaded into a bushing 24 riveted or otherwise rigidly secured to the centerof the diaphragm 6. The bushing 24 is preferably a split or expanding bushing to snugly press against the threaded portion of the anvil rod 23, and to hold it in suchzposition as to which it may be adjusted by a screw driver placed in the slot 25 in the outer and forward end thereof. Asplainly shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the web 7 is provided with an opening 26 through which the rod 23 freely extends.

The diaphragm 6 is preferably a circular 4 and of a diameter substantially equal to that of a circle located midway between theinner and outer edges of the flat face or seat 5, so

- only, situated substantially midway of the portion of the diaphragm which rests upon the said seat 5. The cap 27 preferably swells outwardly and forwardly inside of the rib 28 to allow a sufiicient space 29 to permit the diaphragm to vibrate and is provided centrally with an opening 30. The edges of the cap around the opening 30 are preferably bent outwardly, and a horn or projector 31 secured thereto by pressing said edges up and around the inner edges of the horn as shown in Fig. 1, and also in Fig. 9.

In assembling the cap, diaphragm and casing, the diaphragm may be seated on the flat face 5 or placed inside the cap against the rib 28, and then the cylindrical flange 32 of the cap is slipped or forced over the cy lindrical periphery 4 of the flange 3. The partsassembled in this manner are placed in a press and a high pressure is applied to that portion 33 of the cap 27' outside of the rib, thus pressing the rib very firmly against the front face of the diaphragm 6. This pressure is suflicient to slightly flex toward the diaphragm that portion 33 of the cap outside of the rib 28, and while the parts are so held in said press the outer end 34; of the cylindrical flange 32 of the cap 27 is pressed by a suitable die inwardly over and around the rear edge 35 of the flange 4. After this has been done the pressure is removed and the resiliency of the portion 33 of the stiff cap acts to very tightly clamp and hold the diaphragm between the rib 28 and the face or seat 5 of the flange 3. That portion ofthe cap including the rib 28, the portion 33, the cylindrical flange 32, and inturned end 34 acts as an annular stifl' resilient clamp' to rigidly hold the diaphragm in position. 7 I

In Figs. 3 and 4 is shown a modified structure in which a ring or annulus 28 of stiff resilient metal, arc'shaped in cross-section and with the convex face resting against the front face of the diaphragm may be used. In this construction the outer portion 33' of the cap 27' may be plain, the said ring or annulus 28', taking the place and performing the same functions as the rib 28 of the cap 27.

In Fig. 3 the parts are shown as assembled prior to the application of pressure thereto, and in Fig. 4 the pressure has been applied, tending to straighten out the curvature of the ring 28' and to bend the edge 34 of the flange 32 over the rear edge 35 of the flange 3.

Figs. 5 and 6 show a construction similar construction it is preferred, however, to'

make the radial width of the annulus 36 substantially one-half the width of the seat 5 for the diaphragm and the largest diameter of the annulus substantially equal to the Y diameter of the diaphragm in order that the diaphragm may be clamped along a line substantially midway between"theinner and outer edges of the seat or face 5.

In Figs. 7 and 8 the outer margin 37 of the diaphragm 6' is shown as being struck up and slightly bent out of the plane of the main body portion of the diaphragm. The width of this marginal portion 37 measured radially of the diaphragm is preferably onehalf of the width of the face 5 of the flange 3 of the casing.

In Fig. 7 the parts are assembled ready to be pressed together in final form. In Fig. 8 is shown the relation of the parts after pressure has been applied and the parts have been finally secured together. The pressure may be so great as to substantially straighten the marginal portion 37 into the plane of the main or body portion of the diaphragm 6. a p

In Fig. 10 is illustrated the manner in which the diaphragm mounted in any of the ways above indicated may vibrate. It will be seen that a greater portion of the diaphragm is free to vibrate outwardly or away from the seat than is free to vibrate inwardly. This manner of mounting diaphragm appears to affect both the volume and quality of the sound produced, for a very loud far-carrying sound is produced when the above construction is embodied in the horn, and the quality of the tone is slightly different and distinctive from that produced in other horns, constructed similar in other respects.

The edge of said opening 30 of the cap 27 is provided with a short outwardly extending flange 39, as is clearly shown in Fig. 9.

The outer diameter of this flange 39 is substantially the same as the inner diameter of the opening in the smaller end of the horn or projector 31, and the said horn is secured to said cap by fitting the opening in the end of the horn over and around the said flange and then subjecting the parts so assembled to a suitable press or die whereby the said flange 39 is bent radially outwardly and then toward the face of the said cap 27. The parts are sounited under a relatively high pressure so that when this operation is completed the edge of the material forming the inner end of the horn is securely clamped and held between the face of the cap 27 and the expanded and flattened end of the flange 39. For this purpose the horn is prefershown in Fig. 1; that is to say, the material 41 forming the smaller end of the horn is rounded or bent outwardly to lie in a plane substantially normal to thelongitudinal axis of the horn.

It will be seen that the signaling horn, having the parts arranged in the manner above described, is compartiyely simple in construction and the parts can be readily assembled and secured together in a substantial manner at a comparatively small expense. The diaphragm is'securely held to the seat by the resilient clamping portion of the cap and the cap forms a support for the amplifier. The casing may be made of.

a single casting within which substantially all the operative parts are readily housed.

It is to be understood that slight changes may be made in the construction of the horn above described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. Thus the casing l or the web 7 to which the magnets are secured may be considered as the base or support upon which is the flange 2, inasmuch as that part of the casing which incloses the mechanism may be omitted in certain types of horns. But, however considered, a flange 2 is provided upon some suitable base operatively connected to some part of the structure.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a signaling born the combination of a casing provided at one end with acylindrical flange substantially the entire front face of which forms a flat annular seat, a diaphragm having the marginal portion of one of its faces lying flat on said seat, annular resilient means engaging the other face of said diaphragm along substantially a circular line only, and fitting over the periphery of said flange and engaging the back of said flange, and means inclosed within said casing to vibrate said diaphragm.

2. In a signaling horn the combination of a casing provided at one end with a cylindrical flange forming a flat annular seat, a diaphragm having the marginal annular portion of its rear face in flat engagement with said seat, annular resilient means engaging the front face of said diaphragm and fitting over the periphery of said flange and bent over the rear edge of said flange, and means within said casing to vibrate saiddia- .phragm.

circular line only, and fitting. over the periphery of said flange and secured to the of a casing providing a flat annular seat,

a diaphragm having the marginal portion of one of its faces in engagement with said seat, resilient clamping means passing over the periphery of said diaphragm and engaging the other face of said diaphragm along a circularline-substantiallyonly, the

diameter of said line being greater than the diameter of the inner circular edge of said seat, said means also engaging the rear side of said flange,aprojector supported by said clamping means, and means within said casing to vibrate said diaphragm.

5. In a signaling horn the combination of a casing provided with an annular projection and having a flat annular seat, 21 diaphragm having the marginal portion of one of its faces in engagement with said seat, and annular resilient clamping means to hold said diaphragm on said seat, said means engaging said annular projection of said casing and the face of said diaphragm opposite said seat, and the rear side of said flange, said means being in engagement with said face of said diaphragm along a circular line substantially only, the diameter of which is greater than the diameter of the inner circular edge of said seat, and means Within said casing to vibrate said diaphragm.

6.. In a signaling horn the combination of a casing having at one end a circular flange the front face of which forms an annular seat, a diaphragm having the annular marginal portion of one of its faces in engagement w1th said seat, a sheet metal cap having an integral circular vrib projecting "toward and engaging the other face of said flange of said seat, the outer edge of said flange of said cap being bent inwardly against the back of said flange of said casing to hold said rib under tension firmly against said diaphragm and said diaphragm on said seat, and means within said casing to vibrate said diaphragm.

7. In a signaling horn the combination of a casing having a flange at one end thereof, a diaphragm, a projector, and a cap to secure said diaphragm to said casing to support said projector, said cap having an annular resilient clamping portion engaging the front facev of said diaphragm along a circular line substantially only, and engagperiphery thereof and over the periphery of said diaphragm and engaging the. other face of said diaphragm along substantially a circular line only,- that portion of said clamping means overhanging said diaphragm and outside of said circular line being out of engagement with said dia phragm, resilient, and under tension tending to hold said diaphragm firmly pressed flat against said seat.

9. In a signaling horn the combination of a casing terminating in a'cylindrical flange at one end providing an annular seat, a diaphragm having the annular marginal portion of said reanface in engagement with said seat, a projector, and a sheet metal annular cap having a rearwardly extending cylindrical flan on its outer edge and a smaller cylindrlcal flange, extending forwardly from its inner edge in the opposite direction, said cap having an integral sharp edged rib engaging the front face of said diaphragm along a'circular line only, the diameter of which is greater than the diameter of the inner edge of said seat, the outer edge of said larger flange of said cap being bent over therear edge of the flange on said casing to hold said rib against said diaphragm, and said smaller cylindrical flange of said cap being bent around and clamping the end ofsaid projector to support said projector on said cap.

10. In a signaling horn, the combination of a casing provided at one'end with a cylindrical flange forming a flat annular seat on the face thereof, a diaphragm having a marginal annular portion on its rear face in flat engagement with said seat, and annular clamping means surrounding the outer cylindrical surface of said flange and ,having inwardly extending portions one of which is resilient, and clamping between them said flange and said diaphragm, said clamping means engaging said diaphragm along substantially a circular line only which is substantially midway of the annular portion of said diaphragm which is in engagement with said seat.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-eighth day of February, 1913. I a

I ARTHUR ATWATER KENT.

Witnesses:

W. W. NnvrUs, E. A. WALTER.

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