Federal Signal Model J
| Federal Signal Model J | |
| |
| Company | Federal Electric Company
Federal Sign & Signal |
|---|---|
| Produced | 1922?-1976 |
| Type | Directional Electromechanical |
| Sound output | 103 dB @ 10 ft |
| Horsepower | ⅓ hp |
| Voltage | 120/240 V AC/DC |
| Preceded by | Federal Signal Model A |
| Succeeded by | Federal Signal Model D |
The Model J was a small industrial electric siren that was produced by Federal Electric and later Federal Sign & Signal. Introduced around the 1920s, the Model J was essentially a Model A with a few cosmetic changes and a heavy-duty motor designed for extended continuous use. Like the Model D, the Model J would ultimately be deemed redundant and discontinued.
History and design
The exact date of the introduction of the Model J is unknown, though 1922 would be an educated guess. The Model J is a small electric industrial siren intended for short range use and was popular as an indoor or outdoor short-range siren, able to be mounted on nearly any surface. The siren was intended as a heavy-duty variant of the Model A, operating at 220/240 V AC/DC as standard, compared to the 110/220VAC/DC that the Model A operates at. The Model J would later also include a 120 V model. The siren was designed for heavy use and abuse, with a continuous-duty motor that could handle being used frequently or for extended periods of time that would wear out a Model A.
The Model J shares the same aluminum 6-port rotor and stator with the Model A and is driven by a ⅓ hp AC/DC universal motor at a high speed. Due to the small size of the siren, the stator ports have finger guards to prevent injury. By default, the Model J comes with a metal stand which attaches to the rounded motor cover through two swivel mounts, which allows the siren to be aimed vertically wherever is required. These mounts are secured by nuts to keep them in place. The stand includes holes for mounting on a wall, floor or ceiling. The Model J uses a thin, long cylindrical intake similar to the Model L, and has a large, flared skirt that helps project the sound output to wherever the siren is facing. The siren's tag is placed on the motor cover. By default, the Model J was painted red and black from the factory.
Late into the siren's production run in the 1970s, the Model J was redesigned to use the same horn and flared intake as the Model A, effectively turning the siren into an identical clone of the Model A. Similarly, this was also done to the Model D, which now used the cylindrical Model L intake. Like the Model D, the Model J did not survive into the modern Federal Signal era. By the time the company became the Federal Signal Corporation in 1976, the siren was seen as redundant and was discontinued. The Model A and L outsold it by a significant margin, making the Model J a rarer find than the other models. Few of these sirens are still in service, as the vast majority of surviving sirens are owned by enthusiasts and museums due to their small size and ease of operation.