US3066641A

US3066641A - Fluid powered horn assembly

Info

Publication number: US3066641A
Application number: US149630A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jr Roy D Buell; Ben B Peterson
Original assignee: Buell Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: Buell Manufacturing Co
Priority date: 1961-11-02
Filing date: 1961-11-02
Publication date: 1962-12-04
Anticipated expiration: 1979-12-04

Description

Dec;z 4 F962" R` 1:.` BUELL, JR., ETAL 3;@65264'15 FLUID POWERED HORN ASSEMBEY" Y Filed NOW. 2"., 1961 United States Patent liiice 3,50%,641 Patented Dec. 4, 1962 3,066,641 FLUID POWERED HGRN ASSEMBLY Roy D. Buell, Jr., Hinsdale, and Ben B. Peterson, Worth, Ill., assignors to Buell Manufacturing Company, Lyons, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Nov. 2, 1961, Ser. No. 149,630

2 Claims. (Cl. 116-112) This invention relates to a siren horn and to a method of operating the same. More particularly, theinvention relates to the use of a plurality of gases of substantially different density for actuating the horn and the introduction of such gases in quick succession for controlling the pitch of the sound emitted by the horn.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a horn assembly including at least two separate pressurized sources of gases of substantially dilerent density, whereby the pitch of the sound emitted from the horn can be varied merely by introducing the pressurized gases intermittently and in. sequence into the horn to actuate the same.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a simplilied horn assembly that is self-sufficient and the pitch of which can be varied at will by the mere manipulation of a valve. Y

Other and'further advantages, features and objects of the present invention will become apparent by reference .to the`followingdsciptiori Aand the appended sheet of drawings, in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown by way'of illustrative example.

On the drawing:

FIGURE l is an elevational view, partly diagrammatic, of a horn assembly embodying the principles of my invention;

`FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary enlarged longitudinal vertical sectional vieW of the horn assembly of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view, partly in section of a modification of the device shown in FIGURE 1, illustrating a double-acting valve arrangement for actuation of the horn; and

FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a two-way valve for use in place of the two valves V and the T-connection of FIGURE 1 in the actuation of the horn of that gure.

As shown on the drawing:

In FIGURE l, the reference numeral indicates generally a gas-powered horn. The horn may be of any suitable type, but the horn here illustrated, as more particularly shown in FIGURE 2, is of the construction shown and described in the Buell Patent No. 2,918,895. The horn 10 includes a diaphragm housing 11, carried from a supporting surface S, and a flared horn body 12 secured at one end in said housing 11 and extending therefrom. Sources of gases under pressure for actuation of the horn 10 are indicated by reference numerals 13 and 14. These comprise, respectively, a source of Freon under pressure, and usually in a liquefied condition, and a supply of air under pressure. The pressurized gas sources 13 and 14 are connected, respectively, by valved tubes 15 and 16 through a T-connection 17 and tubing 18 to the interior of the housing 11.

As best shown in FIGURE 2, the housing 11 is a twopart structure comprising a base portion 19 and a cover portion 20 secured together by means of bolts 21, or the like, with diaphragm 22 peripherally clamped between the parts of said housing. The diaphragm 22 may suitvides an annular chamber 25 about the sleeve 23 on one side of the diaphragm 22, while the cover 20 is formed with la shallow cylindrical recess 26 on the other side of said diaphragm.

A rigid, shallow cup 27 is adjustably mounted within said recess 26 by means of a self-tapping screw 28, which not only supports the cup 27 but also permits the selection of the amount of force by which the cup 27 acts against the diaphragm 22. The screw 28 may thus be used in the tuning of the horn. A vent 29 is provided in the cup 27 and vents 30 and 31 are provided in the cover 2), thereby venting the side of the diaphragm opposite that which engages the annular seat 24. Venting of one side of the diaphragm improves the ability of the diaphragm to vibrate against the seat 24.

The base portion 19 is provided at its lower end 32 with an internally threaded bore 33 for receiving the threaded end 34 of the tubing 18. A restricted passage 35 leads from the upper end of the threaded bore 33 through a ne passage 36 to the annular chamber 25.

Itively, and the T-fitting 17 and tubing 18 into the annular chamber 25 to actuate the horn through vibration of the diaphragm 22. Due to the substantial difference in density between any of the Freons and air, there will be a change in pitch of the sound emitted by the horn 1t) when a change is made from one gas to the other by selective operation of the valved connections 15 and 16. In general, the higher the density of the gas used to actuate the diaphragm 22, the lower will be the pitch, and vice-versa. Thus, by introducing first one gas and then the other, in sequence, or in quick succession, the pitch of the horn will be changed to give a siren-like eect.

If air is used as one of the gases for actuating the horn, any other gas of substantially higher density may be used in conjunction with the air. Freon is a proprietary name for various chloro-fluoro methanes. Some of these are included in the following table, in which gases of substantially higher density than air are listed and their densities, as compared with air, are set forth:

Any of these denser gases, whether from a liquefied source or a source of gas under pressure, may be used in combination with air under pressure for the actuation of the siren horn to give the change in pitch that is characteristic of a siren. In general, where two gases are used for actuating the horn, there should be a substantial difference in density or specific gravity, under the conditions obtaining in the horn, such that if air is one of the gases, the other gas should have a density of about 1.5, or higher, as compared with air at a density of l.

In the modilication shown in FIGURE 3, the construction of the horn 10 can be as already described, but the valve connection to the horn from a source of air, indicated at 14, and a source of Freon, indicated at 13, is such that rapid manual control is facilitated. To this end, a double-acting valve assembly, indicated generally by the reference number 40, is provided. Said valve assembly 40 includes a pair of opposed plunger-type valves 41 and 42 in the air and Freon lines, respectively, elbow connections 43 and 44 from the discharge sides of the valves 41 and 42, and a T-connection 45 to the horn itself. A

lever 46, pivoted to the T-connection 45, as at 47, extends between the opposed valves 41 and 42 and in the plane of plungers 48 and 49 operating said valves. Thus, by manipulation of the lever 46, rst one of the plungers and then the other may be moved to operate rst one and then the other of the valves 41 and 42. In this way, it is possible to change from air to Freon as rapidly as desired and to hold either air or -Freon as the actuating gas for any desired length of time. When the lever 46 is in the normal, midway position between the opposed valves 41 and 42, as shown in FIGURE 3, no gas, of course, is being `admitted to the Ahorn.

FlGURE 4 illustrates a modied form of valve, indicated generally by the reference numeral 50. The valve 5d is of the rotary, two-way type and comprises a rotary plug 51 mounted within the generally cylindrical valve casing 52 and provided withports or passages 53 and 54 at right angles to each other extending transversely to the plug 51. Sources of air and Freon are connected by tubes 55 and 56 to the valve 50 through one side of the casing 52, while a tubing 57 leads from the other side of the casing 52 from an enlarged portion 58 of the bore of said casing. A handle 59 serves to operate the valve plug 51 through a stem 60 passing through a packing gland 61.

As is obvious in the operation of this two-Way type of valve, the valve 50 can be manipulated by means of a handle 59 to establish communication through the port 54 between the Freon line 56 and the discharge line 57, as shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 4, or the plug may be rotated to establish communication through the port 53 between the air line 55 and the discharge line 57.

We have thus provided a horn assembly that includes two separate sources of pressurized gases for introduction sequentially into a gas-powdered horn to vary the pitch ofthe horn to a degree commensurate :with the difference in density, or specific gravity, between the gases used. It will be understood, of course, that other forms of gas-powered horns may be used and other specific forms of valved connections to the horn, without departing from the principles of our invention.

We claim as our invention:

l. A horn assembly comprising:

(a) a gas operated horn,

b) a source of air under pressure,

(c) a source under pressure of a liquefied gas, which in gaseous state has a density substantially greater than air, and

(d) a multi-passaged valve assembly connected to said respective sources and to said horn and selectively operable `to admit air and .gasseparately and in immediate sequence to one another into said horn.

2. A horn assembly comprising:

(a) a gas operated horn,

(b) a source of air under pressure,

(c) a source under pressure of a gas having a density substantially greater than air, and

(d) a multi-passage valve assembly connected to said respective sources and to .said horn and selectively operable to admit air and gas separately and in immediate sequence to one another into-said horn.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES lPATENTS 956,860 Lawler May 3, 1910 2,793,651 Gomez May 28, 1957 2,840,032 Reeves June '24, 1958 2,918,895 'Buell L Dec. 29, 1959