Federal Electric Type 160
| Federal Electric Type 160 | |
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| Company | Federal Electric Company |
|---|---|
| Produced | 1939?-1948? |
| Type | Directional Electromechanical |
| Voltage | *6 V DC
|
The Type 160 is a series of small directional electromechanical vehicular sirens that produced by Federal Electric, likely introduced in 1939. Although they did not survive into the Federal Enterprises era, being discontinued by 1948 and replaced with several newer sirens (mainly the Model O), they were very popular and rebranded by several companies, and today many units can still be found under private ownership.
Design
Type 160-A
The Type 160-A is a vehicular directional electromechanical siren making use of a 6-port rotor and stator, with finger guards on each port to prevent injury from misuse of the siren, as it is small enough to be handheld. A screen is also located around the stator for the same reason, though not all units have this. The siren is driven by a small 6, 12, or 24 V motor located behind the stator and is housed inside a large bullet-shaped enclosure, which rests upon a pedestal with 2 holes located on each side of its oval shaped base, allowing for the siren to be mounted to a flat surface. A bulbous grille with a V-shape cast on to it is bolted to the front of the stator to prevent debris from entering the rotor; a screen is also located behind it. The siren's grille design would also be used on various other later Federal sirens. The Type 160-A measures around 5 ½" tall and 4 ½" wide.
Type 160-C
A lesser-known and less common siren, the Type 160-C was likely introduced sometime near the tail end of the 1940s and seems to have been some sort of testbed for the Model O, though this is unconfirmed. Like its original counterpart, it is a vehicular directional electromechanical siren making use of a 6-port rotor and stator, with finger guards on each port to prevent injury from misuse of the siren, as it is small enough to be handheld. A screen is also located around the stator for the same reason, though not all units have this. The siren is driven by a small 6, 12, or 24 V motor located behind the stator and is housed inside a large bullet-shaped enclosure, which rests upon a pedestal with 2 holes located on each side of its base, allowing for the siren to be mounted to a flat surface. Unlike the Type 160-A, the Type 160-C's mount differs in construction, with the pedestal being larger and the base being teardrop shaped and having 3 holes. A screen with circular openings, as opposed to a grille, is bolted to the front of the stator to prevent debris from entering the rotor; a screen is also located behind it. This was not original to the Type 160-C, however, as several Type 160-A units are known to have the same attachment. The Type 160-C is nearly identical to Model O units which use screens, with the only difference being the name stamped on the tag and slight mount differences. The siren measures around 6" tall and 4 ½" wide.