US2370939A

US2370939A - Sound-emitting device

Info

Publication number: US2370939A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lawrence J Cooney
Original assignee: KEYSTONE SIGNALPHONE Co; NEWMAN AB; WALTER M NEWMAN
Current assignee: A B NEWMAN; KEYSTONE SIGNALPHONE Co; NEWMAN AB; WALTER M NEWMAN
Priority date: 1942-08-19
Filing date: 1942-08-19
Publication date: 1945-03-06
Anticipated expiration: 1962-03-06

Description

Patented Mar. 6, 1945 (UNITED;

STATES PATENT SOUND-EMITTING nnvrca 7 Lawrence J. Cooney, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor, by

* 'o FI-cs? f mesne assignments, to Keystone Signalphone Company, a copartnership composed of Bertha L. Newman, Walter M. Newman, Marian L. Newman, Harvey Morton Aronson, Mildred N. Aronson, and Robert S. Aronson. all of Pittsburgh, Pa., andA. B. Newman, Chicago, Ill.

Application ugust 19, 1942, Serial No. 455,305

. 8 Claims. 101. 116-142) Various types of sound-emitting devices operated by fluid pressure havebeen known heretofore, including that shown in the aforementioned patent, but experience with various types of such devices has revealedcertain objections thereto.

It is the object of the presentinvention to imto and operates at high efficiency so as to produce sound of great intensity with the expenditure of but little energy.

In a preferred embodiment, the invention comprises an annular chamber open at one end, with a cover for holding a diaphragm over the open I; end, the cover having a venttherein, an inlet to the chamber for fluid under pressure, and a flaring bell extending forwardly from the chamber and serving as an outlet for the sound produced. The details of construction and further novel features and advantages ofv the invention will be pointed out in the course of the following complete description and explanation which refer to the accompanying drawing illustrating the preferred embodiment. In the drawing- Figure 1 is a rear elevation of the device with the cover removed; v

Figure 2 is an elevation of the cover;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the plane of line Ill- 111 of Figu'reZ showingthe cover in place on the body of the device;

Figure 3A shows a portion of Figure 3 to enlarged scale; and I Figure 4 is a transverse section along the plane of line IVIV of Figure 3.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, the device comprisesa substantially cylindrical body In including radially spaced, substantially cylindrical outer and inner walls II and I2. The body is open at one end. A connecting wall 13 extends between the walls H and 12 at the other end. The walls ll, l2 and I3 thus form an annular chamber l4 open at one end. A flaring bell l5 extends from the closed end of the body l0 and has aminimum diameter at least as great as that of the inner wall 12. The bell flares to a maximum diameter at its outer end about twice the axial length thereof, measured from wall l3. The structure thus far described may also-be conceivedof as rmmprisingthe flaring'bell 15, the small end [2 of which is substantially cylindrical and has a-substantially cylindrical outerwall ll spaced radially therefrom and. joined thereto by the connecting wall 13. I

The outer wall II has an enlarged portion l threaded interiorlyto receivea cover H adapted to be screwed into theopen end of the body. interiorly of the enlarged portion 16, the outer wall I l is provided with a seat l8. The free end of the inner wall l2, i. e., the end remote from the wall l3, projects slightly beyond the seat l8 and lies in a plane parallel to that defined by the seat.

The cover I! has a peripheral shoulder I9 having a step 20 on the outer edge thereof. A vibratile diaphragm 2| is disposed in thestep 20.; When the cover I! is screwed home, the shoulder l9 clamps the edge of the diaphragm 2| against the seat I8. Portions of the diaphragm spaced inwardlyfrom the edge bear on the end of thewall l2. The diaphragm is thereby dished slightly by reason of thefact that the wall l2 projects slightly beyond the seat I8. For convenience in applying'and removing the cover ll, it is provided with a boss 22 of hexagon or other noncircular shape adapted to be engaged by a wrench or other, suitable tool.

The cover I! is provided with a vent 23 in the.

form of a pinhole or capillary passage which may conveniently be drilled centrally through the cover I and boss 22. .The vent is normally closed by a displaceable closure in the form of a flexible piece oithin metal 24 which I term a reed,"se cured to the boss 22 by a screw 25. f T i A boss 26 is formed on the body I!) and is drilled radially and tapped to receive a set screw 21. A fiber plug 28 disposed in the screw hole ahead of the screw is adapted to be forced thereby against the threaded periphery of the cover I! to secure it against unscrewing as the result of the vibration of the diaphragm 2 l.

A fluid inlet 29 is formed on the body [.0 "and extends laterally therefrom. As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the inlet wall at one side is substantially tangential to the outer wall I I of the body 10. At the other side, the inlet wall is substantially normal to the outer wall II. By this construction, fluid delivered into the inlet is caused to circle around the annular chamber 14 in a clock-wise direction as indicated by the arrows in Figure 4.v

The outer end of the inlet 29 is enlarged and of hexagon or other suitable shape for the application of a wrench and is tapped to receive a pipe connection 30 from a suitable source of fluid A control valve 3| of'any suitshown in Figure 3.

The device may be operated from any convenient source of fluid under pressure and emits sound of great intensity, viz.,- 109- decibels;-when her It. It is also effective, of course, to vibrate. the diaphragm 2|, thereby intermittently providing a slight clearance between it and the .free end... of the wall I2. When the fluid is first admitted, to the chamber M, the reed -2t is displaced by the 1 pressure of the fluid, thereby .providingfan open vent and insuring substantially immediate tart ing of the vibration of the diaphrag'mi lAssoon I as the diaphragm starts vibrating which,espretermined by said shoulder, a diaphragm having its edge in engagement. withsaid shoulder and 593s?) having portions spaced inwardly of the edge in engagement with the free end of said inner wall, and a cover removably disposed in and over- "lying the open end of the body and serving to clamp the edge of the diaphragm against said seat, said outer wall having a fluid inlet formed thereon and extending laterally thereof, one side of said'in'let being tangential to the outer wall of .the body, and said cover having a vent passage therethrough.

viously indicated, is substantially ,immediately onzi the admission of fluid under pressure, the pressure of the fluid in the vent 23 decreases and the reed 24 returns to the illustratedposition, thereby preventing a continuous loss of air through the vent which would lower the efficiency of the device.

The invention is characterized by numerous advantages over devices'of the same general type such as have been known heretofore. In the first place, the vent in the cover causes the device to operate positively and to-start immediately, whenever fluid under the necessary pressure is supplied "to the chamber l4. This makes the device suitable for giving code signals including blasts 'of 'difierent lengths. The device is substantially non-directional, furthermore, despite the provisionof 'the bell IS. The tangential disposition of the "inlet whereby fluid entering the chamber 14 receives a circumferential velocity component "is a further aid to immediate starting of vibration ofthe diaphragm and also improvesthe efficiency from the standpoint of the intensity of sound emitted and the volume of fluid consumed.

The fact that the minimum diameter of the bell 1-5 is "at least "as great as that of "the 'wall 12 provides an unbroken outlet for vibrations and gives a better tone to the sound emitted than a contracted outlet such as that shown in Patent 870,074. The radial arrangement of the set screw 2"! and the provision of the .fiber'block 2.8

permits the screw-on cover I! ,to be securely "locked against loosening under the vibrations of the diaphragm without impartingyany initial distortion or local deformation to the diaphragm.

When operating, the device emits a penetrating sound which is audible over great distances, thereby rendering the device particularly useful .asa warning signal for general application. "The .device issimpleiin construction and relatively inexpensive to manufacture and since there is only one .moving part, i. e., the diaphragm, there is practically no maintenance involved.

Although I have illustrated and described a I 2. A sound-emitting device adapted to be operated .by fluid pressure comprising an annular chamber including spaced, coaxial, substantially cylindrical walls open at one end, a connecting wall closing the space between the walls at the other end, a cover removably secured to the open "end-of the body, a diaphragm seatediin the' body at said open end and secured in place by said cover, the inner wall terminating :at such :a :point adjacent :the open end of the body as to engage the diaphragm when secured in place by said cover, a fluid inlet formed 'on the 'outer wallof said body, one side of said inlet being tangential to-said outer wall thereof, anda vent passage in said cover. v

.3. The apparatus deflned hy claim -2 charac terized by a flaring bell extending outwardly from said connecting wall, the minimum diameter of saidbell being at least as great as the diameter of said :inner cylindrical wall, said bell flaring at'its end to a diameter about twice the axial length thereof measured from said connect-. ingwall.

4. The apparatus defined by claim '2 ucharam terized by a flaring bell extending outwardly from said-connecting wall, theminimum diameter of said bell being'the same as the diameter of said inner cylindricalwall. 5. The apparatus defined by'cl-aim2'characterized by'a closure for said vent-adapted tobedispreferred embodiment of the invention, it ,will be recognized that changes in the construction and .arrangementdisclosed may bemade without departing vfrom the spirit of the invention or the scope of-thaappended claims. .Lclaim: 1. A soundemitting device adapted to be operated byfluid under pressure, comprising a cylindrical body including radially spaced .inner and outer substantially cylindrical walls, a connecting wall between the inner and outer walls at one .end

.a seating shoulder extending around the inside .of the openend of the :outer wall, said inner wall terminatingin :a .iree send adjacent the plane de placed temporarily on the admission of fluid to said'body.

6. 'The apparatus defined -by claim 2 characterized by a flexible reed secured to the exterior of said cover, overlying said *vent, and adapted to be displaced temporaTily-omthe admission of fluid to said'body. '7. A sound-emitting device adapted to beeperated by fluid pressure comprising a flaring bell the small end of which issubstantially-cylindrical, a substantially cylindrical 'outer wall spaced radially from said end, a connecting wallbetween the bell and outerwa'll defining therewith an'annular chamber open at one *end, 'a-cover removably disposed in the open 'end of outer walLa-diaphragm held in the end of the outer wall by-sa'id cover and bearing on said small end oithe bell, a fluid inlet formed on said outer wall, one side of" said inlet being tangential to'said'outer'wall a vent passagein said covenandayieldalble closure for said passage.

8. A'sound-emitting device comprising coaxial inner and outer cylindrical walls, 'a connecting wall therebetween at one end, a diaphragm overlying the .end of the inner wall opposite that'at which the connecting .wa'll iisrlo'cated, s. cover clamping the edge of the diaphragm against-the end of the outer wall, 'and alfluid nlet merging into the space'between saidinner and outer walls, said inlet being tangent to the .outer'wall on one side and substantially .normal to the outer wall on the other- I'JOONEY."