US2138648A

US2138648A - Rotary speed alarm

Info

Publication number: US2138648A
Application number: US165049A
Authority: US
Inventors: Stankey Oscar
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1937-09-22
Filing date: 1937-09-22
Publication date: 1938-11-29
Anticipated expiration: 1955-11-29

Description

Nov. 29, 1938, o. STANKEY ROTARY S FEED ALARM Filed Sept. 22, 1937 3 1 m 12 I 1 13 .5 7 l 6 H7511 6'1I I I I r a 1/? Very for v QscAez STANKIZY Patented Nov. 29, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFlCE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to alarms, and more particularly to speed alarms for rotating parts of mechanisms, such as motor vehicles and the like, and has among its objects the production of such a device that will be neat and simple in construction, easy to install, have a minimum number of parts, movable or otherwise, be longlasting, economical, and be otherwise efiicient and satisfactory for use wherever deemed applicable.

One of the principal objects of my invention is to produce an alarm that may be attached to a motor vehicle of any construction, and set to give an audible alarm when the speed of the vehicle has reached a predetermined critical amount, the alarm continuing to sound during a predetermined speed range, say from between forty to forty-five miles per hour, and will cease to sound as soon as the speed of the vehicle has passed in excess of said critical range.

Another object of my invention is to produce a speed alarm of the kind described, which will automatically cut into operation as soon as the critical speed has been attained, and which will cut out of operation automatically as soon as said speed has been exceeded beyond a slight amount.

A further object of my invention is to so construct a speed alarm of the kind described, that it may be adjusted to compensate for various sizes of wheels, and which may be changed to operate at speed other than that originally set.

Many other objects and advantages of the construction herein shown and described will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains, as will be apparent from the disclosures herein given.

To this end, my invention consists in the novel arrangement, construction and combination of parts herein shown and described, and the uses mentioned, as will be more clearly pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawing, wherein like reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the views,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device, with the cover plate removed; and

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the device as mounted on the wheel hub.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, wherein I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, A indicates any rotary driven part of a mechanism, as for example the hub of one of the wheels of a motor vehicle of any size, shape and construction.

To said wheel I mount the speed alarm, so constructed that it will sound the alarm at a predetermined vehicle speed, say at forty miles per hour, and will continue to sound the alarm through a short speed range, say up to forty-five miles per hour, after which speed the alarm will not sound, the cutting in and out of the speed alarm being entirely automatic and controlled entirely by the moving vehicle itself.

The alarm may consist of a disk or plate element I, that is preferably of a size to permit of being mounted on the hub cap 2 that is usually detachably mounted on the wheel A, so as not to interfere with the usual accessibility to the hub bolts for holding the wheel on the axle.

Any desired fastening, such as the bolt 3, may be used for mounting the alarm on the hub cap, and one or more spacers or washers [3 maybe interposed between the plate and the hub cap so that the full sounding effect or resonance of the plate will not be interfered with.

A pair of sounding elements, l-5, are mounted in circumferentially spaced relation adjacent the outer periphery of the plate, these being of any desired shape and construction, and preferably having a full metal-to-metal contact to the plate so as to enhance the sounding effect. In the form shown these sounding elements are merely short posts, although as will be hereinafter seen, they may be in the form of cups or bells if louder or different tonal qualities are desired.

A clapper bar or striker bar 6 is arranged substantially transversely across the face of the plate or disk, one end of the same being adjustably but firmly secured to a post I secured to the face of the plate, somewhat as shown.

At the outer or free end of the bar there is a striker or clapper 8 so located as to be intermediate the pair of elements 45 and to strike either or both of them as the bar is vibrated.

An adjusting or control member operable to control the speed range through which the alarm is active, is arranged intermediate the ends of said bar, preferably closely to the secured end of the latter, this member being either unitary with the post 'I or separately mounted on the plate as at 9, where it is shown as being in the form of a U-shaped element. A pair of set screws l0-ll may be adjustably mounted in the arms of the U-shaped element, so that either screw may be adjusted to engage the portion of the bar 6.

It will be noted that the bar is preferably fiattened toward the secured end, to enable the same to better perform its vibratory movement, its thinnest edge being substantially set opposed to the face of the plate or disk.

To set the alarm to cut in at any predetermined speed, one of the set screws, say the screw ill is loosened or backed away from the bar, and the other screw H is moved against the 7 bar so as to yieldably force it toward the other screw l0 and the clapper or striker engages against one of the sounding elements 4. The more that the screw H is' pressing against the bar the more the clapper bears against the element 4, and the more speed will be necessary to overcome this-pressure and permit the vibration of the clapper and bar. The second screw H3 is simply to hold the bar in its adjusted position.

The alarm is mounted so as to rotate in the clockwise direction, and as soon as the predetermined speed,'or critical speed, of vehicle operation is attained, the clapper will vibrate, striking the elements l--5 alternately and bringing to the attention of the operator of the vehicle that the set speed has been attained, this alarm sounding for a slight excess of speed, say over a five mile increased range, but when the speed continues in excess beyond this range, the centrifugal force a of the rotating parts is suficient to hold the clapper bar and clapper against the normally disengaged post 5, and thus automatically cuts out? the alarm until the speed is again reduced to r the critical range.

Thus, although a speed alarm is mounted on the vehicle, it will operate in normal or city drivingand warn of maximum or other predetermined speed, but when travelling on country roads and: with faster driving, there will be nornecessity of nor annoyance with the alarm sound."

In order to make the device neat and relatively inconspicuous, if so desired, a cover plate 12 may enclose the disk and its associated parts, said plate I2 being spaced far enough from the disk,

so as not to interfere with its sounding efiect. The cover 92 may be mounted on the bolt 3 extending through the same, and disk and secured to the hub cap, and one or more washers M may 'space the cover plate 52 from the disk, somewhat as shown.

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that various immaterial modifications may be made in the same without departing from the spirit of my invention; hence I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, arrangement, construction and combination of parts herein shown and described, nor the uses mentioned, except as limited by the state of the art to which this invention appertains, and the claims hereunto appended.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A motor vehicle speed signal, comprising a plate for mounting on the vehicle hub cap, a striker bar having a striker at its free end and fixed to said plate at its other end and being substantially fiat toward said fixed end, and con-' trol means adjacent the fixed end of said bar and adjustably pressing the latter in one direction of rotation of the plate, and a pair of sounding elements spaced apart on said plate on either side or" said free end of said striker bar and adapted to be operably engaged by the latter at a predetermined speed range of the vehicle to permit vibration of the bar against said sounding elemerits and'to be inoperative at speeds above and below said range. a 7

2. In a motor vehicle speed signal, a plate adapted to be mounted on a hub cap a striker b-ar extending transverselyacross said plate and having a striker at its free end and fixed at its other end to said plate, a pair of sounding elements spaced apart on the plate on either side of said striking free end of the striker, and means for yieldably pressing said bar intermediate its ends to make said striker bear against one of said sounding elements, and whereby said striker will intermittently and alternately strike said sounding elements only through apredetermined speed 7 range below the maximum speed of said vehicle. 3. In a speed signal, a plate adapted to be mounted on a rotationally driven member to rotate in unison therewith, a striker bar extend-f ing transversely across said plate and fixed at one end thereto and having its other end free, a pair of sounding elements spaced apart on said plate to either side of said free end of the bar and alternately engageable by the latter to soundv said signal, and means for pressing said bar inter-' mediate its ends to make said striker barfree end bear against one of said sounding elements, whereby said bar will intermittently and alternately strike said sounding elements only through a predetermined speed range below the maximum speed of said driven member.

OSCAR, STANKEY.