METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING VEHICLE NOISE

• US 3,856,991 A
• Filed: 05/07/1973
• Issued: 12/24/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kenneth C. Kirkland Jr, Raymon E. Hunt
• Original Assignee: Kenneth C. Kirkland Jr, Raymon E. Hunt
• Inventors: Kirkland, Kenneth C. Jr., Hunt, Raymon E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cooper, William C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Olms, Douglas W.
• Application Number:
  US05/357,858
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: 179/1P,1VE 181/.5VM,.5AP 340/34,52R
• US Class Current: 73/646
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 3/12 by electric means G01H3/14 takes precedence

Abstract

Vehicle noise, particularly truck noise, is controlled by providing noise measuring equipment on the truck itself to measure the amount of noise the truck is making. A transducer is placed on the truck, preferably outside of the cab and adjacent to the major noise source of the truck, and a noisometer is mounted on the dashboard. The noisometer is calibrated to read the amount of noise the truck is making at a predetermined distance from the truck. The driver can, by referring to the noisometer, operate the truck in such a manner as to maintain the noise it makes within the legal range.

Claims

1. Apparatus for use in controlling the amount of noise made by a truck so that the truck can be operated in such a manner as to maintain the noise it makes within the legal range, comprising:

a. a transducer adapted to be mounted on a truck for sensing the amount of noise made by a truck, and b. a noisometer connected to said transducer and adapted to be mounted on a truck, and said noisometer being calibrated to indicate the level of noise made by a truck on which said transducer is mounted and existing at a predetermined distance away from said transducer, said indicated level thus being less than the actual level of noise existing at said transducer.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said noisometer is calibrated to read the amount of noise made a predetermined distance away from said transducer.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said noisometer is calibrated to indicate the level of noise made fifty feet away from said transducer.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said noisometer includes a scale and an indicator, and wherein said scale includes only two zones, one indicating a legal amount of noise and the other indicating an illegal amount of noise.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 including a truck, and wherein said transducer and noisometer are mounted on said truck.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said transducer is located on said vehicle in a position where the relationship between the noise level produced at said location and at said predetermined distance from said truck is appRoximately linear.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said noisometer is located in the cab and is viewable by the driver.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said transducer is located on said vehicle in a position where the relationship between the noise level produced at said location and at said predetermined distance from said truck, is approximately linear.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said noisometer is calibrated to read the amount of noise made a predetermined distance away from said transducer.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said noisometer includes means for indicating the level of noise made at more than one predetermined distance from said truck.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said noisometer includes means for indicating the level of noise made at more than one predetermined distance from said transducer.

12. A method for controlling a level of noise made by a vehicle comprising:

a. sensing, on the vehicle, the level of noise being made by the vehicle; and

b. providing an indication to the driver of the vehicle of the level of noise being made by the vehicle at a predetermined distance from the vehicle, the indicated level of noise being less lhan the actual level of noise that exists at the vehicle.

13. The method according to claim 12 including controlling the level of noise the truck is making to keep it below a predetermined indicated level.

14. The method according to claim 13 wherein said vehicle is a truck and said providing step comprises positioning a noisometer on said truck in a position viewable by a driver.

15. The method according to claim 12 wherein said sensing step comprises providing a transducer on said truck and wherein said indication providing step comprises connecting said transducer to a noisometer mounted on a dashboard of said truck.

16. The method according to claim 15 including positioning said transducer outside of a cab of said truck.

17. The method according to claim 16 wherein said truck is a diesel engine powered truck and said positioning step comprises positioning said transducer adjacent a rear wall of said cab.

18. The method according to claim 16 wherein said truck is a gasoline engine powered truck and said positioning step comprises positioning said transducer adjacent the top of the right front fender of said cab.

19. The method according to claim 15 including calibrating said noisometer to indicate the level of noise the truck makes at a predetermined distance from the truck.

20. The method according to claim 19 including locating said transducer at a position on said truck that provides approximately linear relationship between the level of noise being made by said truck at that position and the level of noise being made by said truck at said predetermined distance from the truck.

21. The method according to claim 12 wherein said measuring comprises positioning a transducer on said vehicle in a location that provides an approximately linear relationship between the level of noise being made by said vehicle at that position and the level of noise being made by said vehicle at a predetermined distance from said vehicle.

22. The method according to claim 12 wherein said predetermined distance is 50 feet.

23. The new use of truck noise measuring equipment including a transducer and a noise indicator comprising:

a. locating the transducer on a truck;

b. positioning the noise indicator on the dashboard of said truck; and

c. calibrating said noise indicator to read the level of noise said truck makes at a predetermined distance from the truck.

24. The new use according to claim 23 including locating said transducer outside of the truck cab and adjacent a major noise source of said truck.

25. The new use according to claim 23 including locating said transducer at a location where the relationship between the noise level produced at said location and at a predetermined disTance from said truck is approximately linear.

26. The new use according to claim 23 including operating said truck to maintain the level of noise it produces below a predetermined indicated value on said noise indicator.