US1290728A - Signal. - Google Patents

Description

F. E. FANGER.

SIGNAL.

APPLl CATlON FILED NOV. 14. NH].

Patented Jan. 7, 1919.

1,290, 2 H E HELII INVENTOR Hedi. finger A TTORNE Y8 F. E. FANGER.

SIGNAL.

, APPLICATION FILED NOV. I4. 19H. N 1 290,728. Patented Jan. I, 1919.

2 SHEETS- SHEET 2.

I i I INVENTOR fi J; 5124f. fZn er 14 ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES FRED EDWARD FANGER, or MEXICO, Mexico.

SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 7, 1919.

Application filed November 14, 1917. Serial No. 201,971.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED EDWARD FANGER, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Mexico, D. F., Republic of Mexico, have invented a new and Improved Signal. of which the following is a full, clear, and

exact description.

My invention relates to a signal for use on automobiles and other vehicles, and more particularly it relates to a signal in whlch resilient clappers or tongues are flexed by a rotor and by their re-action against co-acting elements, produce a clacking nolse.

An object of the invention is to prov de an audible signal as characterized hav ng effective sound-producing attributes and improved in various particulars having regard for convenience and facility in produc ng, assembling and installing the parts.

An important object also is to provide a signal of a construction to coordinate the sound-producing elements with a v1sual signal.

More specifically the invention has for an object to provide a coordinated electrically driven audible and visual signal with an electrically illuminated horn without complicating the construction.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification in whlch similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views, it being understood that the drawmgs are merely illustrative of particular examples of the invention. I

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertlcal section of an automobile horn equipped with my invention, the section being taken on the line '1-1, Fig. 3;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation with a part broken away;

Fi 3 is a transverse vertical section on the llne 3--3, Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a perspectlve view of a sound box employed with series of clappers;

Fig. 5 is a view similar Fig. 1, but lllustrating a construction omlttlng1 the reflector, the section being taken on t e line 5-5, Fi 6' Fig 6 is a transverse vertical section on the line 6-6, Fig. 5.

Referrin more particularly to the construction il ustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, the horn is in the form of a casing 10, the forward end of which flares to constitute a resonator and the rear end 11 of which constitutes a housing for the motor 12 which usually will be an electric motor, the numeral 13 indicating conductor wires leading to the motor and to electric lamps hereinafter referred to.

Extending longitudinally in the casing 10 is a shaft 15 driven by anysuitable drive connection from the motor 12, there bein indicated a gear train 14. On the shaft 15 between the housing 11 and the flaring front end, there is keyed or otherwise secured to the shaft a rotor 16 which advantageously is triangular or approximately so in cross section, and is formed in each face thereof adjacent to the angles with longitudinal grooves 17 thereby producing at each angle a longitudinal rib or elongated tooth 18. Within the casing 10 I arrange about the rotor 16 a series of clappers. 19 presenting free ends lying in the path of rotation of the ribs 18, the clappers being preferably of wood and having a resiliency to be flexed by the successive ribs 18. With the triangular rotor I am enabled to advantageously employ four series of clappers 19, there being a plurality of clappers, three or more preferably in each series. The clappers in each series may be varied as to dimensions or mass to vary their sound-producing properties.

Each clapper is secured adjacent to one end as by screws 21 to sound boxes 20, the sound boxes having a solid portion 22 formed with screw holes 23 for the purpose mentioned. The wall of each sound box adjacent to the rotor 16 presents an edge portion contacting with the adjacent clapper 19 against which said clapper is adapted to contact a short distance from the end of the clapper, the arrangement being such that the projecting ends of the clappers beyond the sound box will be engaged by the teeth 18 for flexing the clappers and permitting the clappers to have perfect clearance after their actuating teeth have passed for re-acting against the edge of the wall of the sound -box, thereby producing a clack by each clapper striking its sound box with each engagement of a tooth 18. The sound box 20 contributes materially to the production of the sound due to the re-action of the clappers thereagainst, and said box is formed with openings therein establishing communication between. the interior of the sound box and the horn, there being indicated holes 24 (Fig. 4) in the face of the box and holes 25 in a side thereof, it being understood that the holes will be properly located and in suitable number.

The numeral 26 includes electric lamp bulbs, the sockets 27 of which are secured toreflector 27 and the inner surface of the horn.

I provide a visual signal 32 secured to the shaft 15 to turn therewith, said signal be ing disposed in front of the glass or lens 28.

The form of the revolving signal 32 may vary inpractice, the illustrated form representing a section of a disk secured at its center to the shaft 15 to present revolving arms at the opposite sides of the shaft. The said arms extend adjacent to the periphery of the horn and on the latter at the front edge is formed an annular flange 33 directed radially inward or approximately so, the flange serving to act as a guard or shield for the ends of the revolving signal arms. In the flange 33 an annular series of openings 34 is formed in register or approximately so with the openings 31 for the free escape of the sound.

In the form shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the reflector is not employed, the parts being otherwise the same or substantially the same as in the first described construction. The horn 10 constitutes a housing for the audible and visual signal elements and their drive means as well as for lamps 26. The rotor 16 is the same but the shape of the horn is somewhat changed, the housing 11 at the rear for the motor 12 and gearing 14 being of a form to adapt the horn for mounting at the rear of a vehicle, the first described construction being for the front. The clappers 19* are somewhat longer and the sound boxes 20 proportionately larger. It will be seen that the frame 29 with the spokes 30 and openings 31 correspond with the first described construction as well as the visual signal 32and the flange 33 with the openings 34.

In the first described construction on the front horn a revoluble signal element 32 may be red as indicated or other color to contrast with the glass or other transpicuous front 28 and with the reflector, while on the back of the vehicle the signal may be white to show clearly by daylight against the red glass of the 'rear light and against the red light by night. The rear lamp in practice will have a side opening to throw the light on the number plate or the like, there being indicated an opening 35 having a lens36. By the described construction the rotor 16 will be turned with the shaft 15 to cause the teeth 18 in quick succession to engage the successive series of clappers 19, each series of clappers re-acting against the'adjacent sound box. The sound produced passes forwardly about the'edge of the glass through the openings 31, 34. The construction, it will be seen, coordinates the visual and audible signals in a simple construction and specifically the correlation between the clappers 19 and the sound box 20 serves to produce effective signal sounds.

I wish to state in conclusion that although the illustrated examples constitute practical embodiments of my invention, I do not limit myself strictly to the mechanical details herein illustrated, since manifestly the same can be considerably varied without departure from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A signal of the class described including a horn having sound-producing means therein, light-producing means in the horn, a front of transpicuous material in said horn, a revoluble signal disposed in front of the said transpicuous material, drive means for said signal, and an inwardly directed annular flange on the horn in front of the said signal and outer edge of the latter to constitute a guard for the same, there being' openings for the forward escape of the sound outside the edge of the transpicuous material and through the said flange.

2. A signal of the class described including a horn, a shaft in the horn, a rotor on said shaft, fixed elements disposed about the interior of the horn, a series of resilient clappers, means securing the clappers at one end to said fixed elements, said clappers presenting free edge portions engagcable by the rotor for flexing the clappers and being adapted to react against said elements after flexure by the rotor.

3. A signal of the class described including a horn, a driven shaft approximately central in the horn, a rotor on said shaft presenting longitudinal ribs, series of clappers disposed about the rotor andpresenting free ends lying in the path of rotation of the ribs of the rotor, and a sound box for each series of clappers, the sound boxes presenting members against which the clappers are adapted to re-act after engagement by a tooth of the latter.

4. In a signal of the class described, a horn, a driven shaft therein, a rotor turn- 5 ing with said shaft, a sound box having openings establishing communication between the interior of the sound box and the horn, and a clapper secured to the said sound box and projecting beyond the same into the path of movement of the rotor to be engaged 10 and flexed by the latter, the said sound box having a wall adjacent to the rotor and pre senting an edge portion against which the clapper re-acts after flexure by the rotor.

FRED EDWARD FANGER.

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