Who invented soundproofing

No more itching and stretching. The polycylindrical diffuser which doubles as a bass trap our " Double Duty Diffuser " is an off-the-shelf item made to match the panels.

No more getting three friends to hold the plywood while the bend is locked in place. Neoprene replaces tires, No more crinkled lead foil. And, for its 20th anniversary, traditional acoustical foam is now available in new colors of burgundy and hunter green. As our company enters the next decade see I didn't use the "M" word , looking good and being easy will extend to new products: The patented Art binary array diffusor is available ready to install in 7 different woods and a variety of painted finishes.

A stackable, nesting version of the " Cutting Wedge" acoustical foam allows increased absorption at any time by add-on rather than replacement. The author's personal favorite, a field tunable corner bass trap patent applied for , is expected in the spring.

Acoustics First Corporation. Richmond, Virginia USA. Tel FAX In , he joined his wife Becky and former banker, Steve, to launch Acoustics First. Resources » Articles » Acoustics Then and Now. Acoustics Then and Now. It traces growth in awareness of acoustics from our first showing anechoic wedge foam at AES New York in through the following two decades. Sound waves are better able to enter its open cell structure than a closed cell. Inside the material, the waves set the polymer strands vibrating, heating them up.

This heat then radiates away see diagram. By contrast, the poor acoustics in offices, sports venues and bars usually results from sound waves reflecting off hard materials such as glass, concrete or metal. Even foams with a closed cell structure reflect a fair bit of sound. This corresponds closely to the frequencies of human speech and to the frequencies our hearing is most sensitive to.

The applications are many. The Solomon R. The material is easy to retrofit. The material is also light, easily moulded and highly flame and heat resistant. As a result, it is also widely used in the transport sector where resistance to engine heat is important. Car designers use it to absorb engine sounds and transmission noise. And BASF researchers hope to make the material even better. Their current challenge is to make it not just flame-retardant but non-flammable.

Use of the present invention in the roof insures the roof is leak-proof. In one specific application, the present invention sound insulating barrier eliminates any screening room size limitations relating to positioning and placement of steel columns. In particular, the present invention sound insulating barrier can be a stand-alone wall, so there is no need for attachment to permanent support columns that rise up to the roof.

Indeed, the present invention sound insulating barrier is optionally not part of the building structure, so the barriers may be moved or added at any time without major remodeling costs. The present invention insulating barrier easily adapts to an array of exterior finishes. A building's exterior finish is no longer limited to traditional masonry block. For example, the present invention sound insulating barrier can be finished in brick, stone, stucco, or even wood siding.

The present invention has superior sound insulating characteristics. The present invention further has a fire rating of three hours. These ratings are for a bare wall. The superior acoustical performance of the present invention means that it is well suited for digital sound environments such as in a screening room, a multi-theater complex, a recording or rehearsal studio, and the like.

In these places, the present invention totally eliminates sound transmission between adjacent rooms. The present invention in an alternative embodiment can be applied to a pre-existing wall, concrete partition, or any similar flat surface.

For example, the present invention can be used on a sound wall adjacent a freeway for reduction of traffic noise in a congested neighborhood. To achieve the foregoing objects, the present invention relates to a sound insulating barrier comprising of a first layer of a sound attenuation batt, a first inner wall separated from the sound attenuation batt first layer by a spacer to form a first space therebetween.

A second inner wall is separated from the first inner wall by a spacer to form a central space therebetween. A second layer of the sound attenuation batt is separated by a spacer from the second inner wall to form a second space therebetween so that at least one of the first space, second space and central space includes a dense sound attenuation batt. In a preferred embodiment, the dense sound attenuation batt comprises a basalt insulation or mineral wool.

In a preferred embodiment, the sound attenuation batt includes wood wool. The present invention is therefore easily adapted to a variety of applications including building construction, freeway noise reduction, multi-theater sound control, restaurant noise suppression, and the like. The basalt insulation simplifies construction, is light-weight, and is also highly flame retardant. The present invention can be used as a veneer to cover a pre-existing flat structure such as a sound wall adjacent a freeway.

In such an alternative embodiment, the present invention sound insulating barrier comprises a layer of a sound attenuation batt, an inner wall separated from the sound attenuation batt layer by a first spacer to from a first space therebetween, a second spacer separating the inner wall from the flat structure to which the sound insulating barrier is attached to form a second space therebetween, and basalt insulation that is disposed in at least one of the first space or the second space.

The objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to one skilled in the art from reading the following detailed description in which:. The following specification describes a sound insulating barrier. In the description, specific materials and configurations are set forth in order to provide a more complete understanding of the present invention. But it is understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention can be practiced without those specific details.

In some instances, well-known elements are not described precisely so as not to obscure the invention. The present invention is directed to a sound insulating barrier comprising a first layer of a sound attenuation batt, a first inner wall separated from the first layer by a spacer to form a first space therebetween, a second inner wall separated from the first inner wall by a spacer to form a central space therebetween, a second layer of the sound attenuation batt, separated by a spacer from the second inner wall to form a second space therebetween, wherein at least one of the first space, second space, and central space includes a dense sound attenuation batt.

In the preferred embodiment, the dense sound attenuation batt is comprised of basalt insulation which can be a mineral wool. Furthermore, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the sound attenuation batt is comprised of a wood wool. Preferably, the first and the second inner walls are made of sheet rock such as that found in a dry wall used in home construction. In the present invention sound insulating barrier 10, the layered construction basically comprises a basalt insulation or dense sound attenuation batt, and a sound absorption material, which are the major components.

The first layer of the sound insulating barrier 10 is a layer of wood wool 12 which acts as a sound absorption layer. The wood wool 12 is typically made from a fibrous plank material such as wood chips or fibers that are sprayed with calcium chloride and mixed with cement powder and pressed into sheets or batting.

The first layer of wood wool 12 absorbs and breaks up a sound wave over its preferably two-inch thickness. The next layer is preferably an inch and one-half thickness of dense basalt insulation material This material is denser than fiberglass insulation and is therefore generally described as dense.

Preferably, this basalt insulation material is a mineral wool that is non-combustible because it is made from a crystalline rock of volcanic origin. This layer further diminishes any sound waves passing through the layer of wood wool Any weakened sound wave which penetrates the basalt insulation layer 14 must next pass through a layer of sheet rock The sheet rock 16 is basically made from a dry wall mud with an acrylic bonding agent so that the joints between the panels of drywall are sealed to minimize sound transmission.

If any sound wave passes through the sheet rock 16, the present invention includes an additional inner layer of basalt insulation The present invention sound insulation barrier in a preferred embodiment has a symmetrical construction so that the layers on opposite sides of the central basalt insulation layer 18 are identical.