General Information

Serial #

51930

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

Ferrous & non-ferrous metal

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

41.5 cm

Width

27.5 cm

Height

17.0 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Motorized Ground Transportation

Category

Automotive parts

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Sparton

Country

United States of America

State/Province

Michigan

City

Jackson

Context

Country

Unknown

State/Province

Unknown

Period

Unknown

Canada

Probably used in Canada by donor’s father.

Function

A device that produces a loud sound to signal an audible warning to other motorists and pedestrians of a car’s presence.

Technical

Type sample of an externally mounted electrical Sparton chime-bugle horn manufactured by Sparks-Withington Co. in Jackson, Michigan. The horn consists of three trumpet shaped horns attached to a battery operated motor (KE – notes). Automobile horns were used to warn motorists and pedestrians of an approaching car or of a car’s presence and to promote public safety while driving (McMurtry: 3, 5). First automobile horns were bulb horns and hand klaxons of various designs, mounted conspicuously. Electric automobile horns replaced manual models c. 1920s. Towards the end of the 1930s automobile horns began to be utilitarian only, and were hidden beneath the hood (KE – notes: 2002.0190.001). In 1900, the Sparton Corporation was founded as the Withington Company in Jackson, Michigan, by Philip and Winthrop Withington. A few years later, William Sparks became the third partner in the business and the company name was changed to the Sparks-Withington Company; they later used the trade name "Sparton," a contraction of the company name and an evocation of the Spartans of Ancient Greece. Sparks-Withington began as a small manufacturer of steel parts for agricultural implements but as the automotive industry grew in the early part of the century, the company added steel automotive parts to their product line. In 1911, engineers at Sparks-Withington developed the company’s first major product innovation, the electric car horn. The Sparton electric horn was later adopted by The Hudson Automobile Company as standard equipment for its automobiles, replacing the optional bulb horns that were widely used during the early era of the automobile (Pederson: 492-495).

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

Mfr's plate: 'SPARTON/ TRADE MARK REG./ CHIME-BUGLE/ NO. 51930 6 VOLTS/ PAT. NOS. 1355284-1519861-1568774-1693894-1678783 MADE IN U.S.A./ OTHER PATENTS PENDING/ THE SPARKS-WITHINGTON CO./ JACKSON, MICHIGAN, USA'

Missing

N/A

Finish

Painted with black gloss enamel/ some parts chromed

Decoration

Decorative mfr's plate on bottom section/ ends of horns curved/ lip on ends