US1994426A - Warning signal - Google Patents

Description

March 12, 1935. W, g 1,994,426

WARNING S IGNAL Filed May 18, 1933 Patented Mar. 12, 1 935 i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WARNING SIGNAL Fred wminm Blllig, Jackson, Mich assignor to The Sparks-Withington Company, Jackson, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application May 18, 1933, Serial No. 671,671 (Claims. (Cl. 116-137) This invention relates to improvements in the diaphragm 1 and rigidly secured in any suit- Weming signals and pertains more particularly able manner to that portion of the diaphragm to that class of signals used on power-driven adjacent said opening. vehicles such as automobiles, motorboats or the A sleeve 11 provided with an externally threadlike. 1} ed portion is screw-threaded in the collar 10 so 5 The main object of this invention is the proas to constitute a rigid portion of the diaphragm. duction of a warning signal having improved One end of the sleeve 11 projects forwardly from tone characteristics preferably resulting in a the diap m a d is flattened 1111011 diametricalpleasing harmonious tone highly effective in at- 1y pp sit sid r th r pti n f a dis or 10 tracting the attention of one to be warned. p e 12 which s nell-eileuler Opening p 10 A further and important object resides in the ed to fit over the end of the sleeve 11, said disk product on of -a comparatively simple construcbeing of suflicient diameter to extend across the tion consisting of few parts, but constituting adjacent face of the collar 10, and is adapted to rigid assembly and which can be economically be used to rotate the sleeve 11. The other end manufactured. of the sleeve 11 extends inwardly some distance 15 Another object of the invention is to produce from the diaphragm through the Central p a signal of the above-mentioned class, which may ing in the magnet 5 into engagement with the be readily altered so as to produce tones of higher armature or lower pitch so that the i al may b used The inner end of the sleeve 11 is spherically in pairs, with the signals of each pair having shaped so as to seat tightly in a substantially 20 tones of different pitch and which arein con- Similarly spherically p d recess in the i cord with each other. cent side of the armature 9. The armature 9 has Other objects and advantages pertainin t a central hole '13 extending therethrough in the details of the structure will appear 1 t alignment with the interior of the sleeve 11 and following description, taken in connection with i provided n e inner fa h e f wi h a 25 the accompanying drawing in which:-- recess in alignment with the hole 13 and which Figure 1 is a, perspective vi of a signal device receives a spacing collar 14 which has the inner embodying the various features oi this invention. face thereof in engagement w a washer 15 Figure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional interposed between the p in 11 4 and a so view taken substantially in the plane of the line leaf spring 16 which is supported at one end by 2-2, Figure 1. a pedestal 17 secured to or made integral with The warning signal, as illustrat d in th draw. the inner face of the case 2 at one side of the ing, is of the magnetically operated vibrating magnet Openingdiaphragm type d comprises m;- In order that the spacing collar 14 and the 85 phragm 1 secured at its edge between a case 2 Washer 15 may v an adjustable firm Contact and th front covering or housing g bolts or with each other, the inner end of the collar 14 screws 4. Thecase 2 has its central porti is preferably of convex form, while the adjacent dished and or substantially cylindrical cup-shape, face of the washer 15 is concaved to conform to with the center of said cup-shaped portion prothe curvature of the 001131 vided with an opening for the reception of a The p n Wa h r pa in l r 14, o magnet or magnetic field 5, The magnet. 5 may armature 9 and sleeve 11 are rigidly secured tobe secured to the case 2 in any suitable manner gether in fixed relation with each other and with not herein necessary to illustrate or describe. the phragm 1 by means of head d bolt 19 The magnet 5 is provided with a central pasand a nut 20, said bolt being extended upwardly sage 6 therethrough and a pair of transversely through the sleeve l1,armature 9, collar 14,wash- 45 disposed slots or grooves 7 formed in the rear er 15 and p in ,16. whi th n 0 is s r wface thereof. These slots '1 are arranged one at threaded on the inner end portion of the bolt 19 either side of the passage 6 and supportably rein contact with'the spring 16. I preferably proceive therein a field coil 8. This field coil lies vide a washer as 21 upon the bolt 19 between the wholly forward of the rear surface of the maghead of the bolt and the disk 12 for engaging 50 net 5. said disk as the disk is clamped between the head The diaphragm 1 is provided with a central of the bolt and the outer end of the collar 10 so opening in alignment with the opening 6 in the that when the sleeve 11 and the associated parts magnet 5. An internally threaded reinforcing are secured together by the bolt 19 and nut 20, collar or ring 10 is positioned'in the opening in said disk 12 and the sleeve 11 will be locked in the adjusted position and thereby maintain the armature 9 and the diaphragm 1 in fixed predetermined spaced relation for maintaining the armature 9 in slightly spaced relation with the inner face of the magnet 5, as illustrated in Figure 2, when the diaphragm l is in the normal at-rest position.

There is also provided a make and break mechanism for the circuit of the field coil 8 and which consists of a pair of electrodes or contact members 23 and 24. One of the electrodes as 23 consists of a screw adjustably mounted in one end of a yoke 25 which has the other end secured to the pedestal 1'7 in insulated spaced relation thereto, while the other electrode is a stud secured to the free end portion of a fiat spring member 26 which is secured to the pedestal 17 in insulated spaced relation to the pedestal and also to the yoke 25.

The spring member or contact arm 26 extends inwardly from the contact member 24 to within a short distance .of the upper end of the screw 19 in the path of movement of a nut or actuating member 27 which is screw-threaded on the upper end of the screw 19 and is locked to the screw in predetermined relation with the inner end of the member 26 by, means of a lock nut 28 so that when the armature 9 is drawn towards the magnet 5, the electrodes 23 and 24 will be separated. The upper face of the contact arm 26 is preferably provided with an insulating material for maintaining the screw 19 and contact member 24 in insulated spaced relation during the engagement of the actuating member 27 with the contact arm 26.

A cover 29 is also provided for enclosing the magnet 5, the case 2 and the parts associated therewith, said cover being secured in position by means of a U-shaped bracket 30 which extends diametrically across the case 2, with the ends thereof secured to said case by the bolts 4 or other suitable means and a screw 31 which secures the cover 29 to the bracket 30.

The cover 29 may be provided with a suitable aperture as 29' through which electrical conductors not shown may pass to the interior of the case and be secured to suitable terminals, one of which is illustrated at 60, Figure 2, secured to the case 2.

A fixed condenser 34 is secured to one side of the magnet by a spring clip 35, said condenser being electrically connected with the coil 8 and. contacts 24 and 25 in any well-known manner not herein necessary to further illustrate or describe.

It will now be observed that the mechanism thus far described constitutes a conventionally constructed motor of the magnetic type adapted to produce vibratory movement of the diaphragm 1 when electric energy of proper potential is supplied to the coil 8.

The main features of this invention reside in the. form and construction of the front covering or housing 3 and an air conduit as 3'? associated with the housing. It will be observed by referring to Figure 2 that the central portion of the diaphragm 1 is of serpentine formation in cross-section and that the inner face of the housing 3 is also formed serpentine in cross-section to conform to the contour of the adjacent portion of the diaphragm 1.

The outer edge of the diaphragm 1 is preferably spaced from the housing 3 by a ring or washer 38 so as to provide an air chamber 39 between the housing 3 and the diaphragm 1. The central portion of the diaphragm, in this instance, is spaced a greater distance from the adjacent portion of the housing 3 than the outer edge thereof so as to permit the free vibratory movement of the diaphragm as the armature 9 moves to and from the inner face of the magnet 5.

The housing 3 is also provided with a centrally located hollow boss 40 which is adapted to receive the outer end of the screw 19 and collar therein. The boss 40 is internally threaded for receiving one end of an externally threaded bracket 41 which may be secured to the housing 3 by a lock nut 42. The bracket 41 is provided with an air passage 43 which extends from the inner end of the bracket outwardly and terminates at the side of the bracket intermediate the ends thereof.

A tube 44 having the ends thereof return bent to form an-air column coil, is removably secured at one end to the bracket. 41 by a nut 45 in communication with the air passage 43, while the other end of the tube 44 is removably secured by a nut 46 to the outer end of the bracket 41 in communication with a transversely disposed passage 47 provided in theouter end of the bracket.

1 also provide a projector tube 49 which consists of a conical body portion 50 which has the smaller end thereof secured to the outer end of the bracket 41 in communication with the passage 4'7 and a bell portion 51 which may be secured to the other or larger end of the tube 50 in any suitable manner as by forming a bead 52 on the outer end of the portion 50 and an annular groove 53 in the bell portion 50 adapted to receive the bead 52 therein.

I also provide the projector 49 with a baflle screen 54 which consistsof wire mesh concavoconvex in cross-section, with the edge thereof removably mounted in an annular recess formed at the interior of the body portion 50 adjacent the bead 52.

It will now be observed that inasmuch as the loudness or intensity of sound is proportionate to the force of the shock which the air receives, the density of the medium through which the air waves pass and the obstruction in the path of said air waves and that as pitch is coordinate with force, timbre and duration, the tone of the signaling device may be readily changed by altering the thickness of the diaphragm 1, the air gap between the armature 9 and magnet 5 and the length of the air column tube 44. In other words, by constructing the instrument as illustrated in the drawing, a low pitch tone is obtained, and when a high pitch tone is desired, it is only necessary to substitute for the diaphragm shown, one of a different thickness, to alter the air gap between the armature 9 and the magnet 5 by manipulating the sleeve 11 relative to the diaphragm 1 and collar 10 and by providing an air column tube 44 of less length than the one illustrated in the drawing, and although I have shown and particularly described thepreferred embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction shown, as various changes both. in the form and relation of the parts thereof, may readily be made without departing from the spirit of this invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a warning signal, a case, a diaphragm, a housing means securing the diaphragm and housing to the case to form an air chamber adjacent one side of the diaphragm, a motor mounted on the case and operatively associated with the diaphragm for producing a vibratory movement of said diaphragm, and an air conduit for amplifying the sound waves produced by the diaphragm comprising a bracket secured to the housing and having an air passage therein in communication with the chamber, a projector tube secured to the bracket and an air column tube removably secured to the bracket with one end in communication with the interior of the projector tube and the other end in communication with th passage in the bracket.

2. In a warning signal, a diaphragm, a housing,

air passage spaced from the first-mentioned. air; passage, an air column tube secured to the bracket with each end thereof in communication with a respective air passage, a projector tube secured at one end to the bracket with the interior thereof in communication with said transversely disposed" air passage, and means for providing a vibratory movement of said diaphragm.

3. A warning signal comprising in combination,

a diaphragm, a housing secured at one side of, the diaphragm to form an air chamber therebetween, said housing being provided with an opening leading outwardly from the air chamber, a bracket secured to the housing at said opening, said bracket being provided with an air passage therein in communication with said opening, and a second air passage spaced from the first mentioned air passage, an air column tube secured to the bracket and operatively connecting said passages with each other, a projector tube se-. cured at one end to the bracket with the interior thereof in communication with said secondmentioned air passage and means for producing a vibratory movement of said diaphragm.

4. A warning signal comprising in combination a diaphragm, a housing means secured at one side of the diaphragm to form an air chamber therebetween, said housing means being provided with as air passage leading outwardly from the air chamber and a second air passage spaced from the first mentioned air passage, an air column tube secured to the housing means and operatively connecting said air passages with each other, a projector tube secured at one end to the housing means with the interior thereof in communication with said second mentioned air passage, and means for producing a vibratory movement of aid diaphragm.

FRED fl BILLIG.

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