US1949101A - System in illumination and particularly to apparatus therefor - Google Patents

Description

27, 1934- M. H. GREENEWALT ,949,101

SYSTEM IN ILLUMINATION AND PARTICULARLY TO APPARATUS THEREFOR Original Filed April 26, 1924 l/Hg 105 E146 5149 142 E E 104 INVENTOR Patented Feb. 27, 1934 UNITED STATES SYSTEM IN ILLUMINATION AND PARTICU- LARLY T APPARATUS THEREFOR Mary Hallock Greenewalt, Philadelphia, Pa. Original application April 26, 1924, Serial No.

709,283, now Patent No. 1,793,284.

Divided and this application February 3, 1927. Serial No.

3 Claims.

One purpose of my invention relates to system in illumination and particularly to apparatus therefor.

This is a division of my application Serial 5 709,283 filed April 26, 1924 now Patent Number In using light as a universal medium of expression such constant factors must be taken account of as are universal in the process of seeing.

Chief among these is the fact that the least perceptible point and the least perceptible gradation of illumination from the zero of light or absolute of darkness up, is equally visible no matter how small or how large the area in which it is manifested and that the progressive least visible increases in illumination brightness make a light scale which is of fixed form and registers the same to the eye, within the margin of human variation, no matter who the beholder and under similar circumstances where beheld. Space efiaces sound. Light conquers space.

A playing scale for light may be likened to a cone Whose vertex is the first appreciable point 26 as to the spot lit and the light gradation manifest,

its base being x in increase capacity.

In other words the brightness increase of a light scale is progressive in that the first elements of the series are the same, the last flexible as to 30 increase.

The light scale which has been described as of cone-like increase must be provided, in this same character, for every one of the six colors of the spectrum and for the white of the light.

Every gradation in the light scales is of different quantity the ratio of each of the color quantities to the white of the light being known.

The expressive value of a light scale is a matter of the greater or less space featured, or its extension play, as well as its greater and less brightness and darkness values.

One object of my invention is to provide mechanism that can effect such universal application of the logical light scale as is required for making a recordable art of light-color play so that a cue sheet for expression through-light, whether used incidentally in drama or vaudeville, whether in the form of a light score to accompany the emotional content of music or as a homogeneous conception in light play for its own sake, will be playable by anyone anywhere, as a sheet of music isplayable Wherever a violin or piano is found or as a poem is readable wherever printed.

Another object of my invention is to provide mechanism of the same serial character as the serial light quantities of the scale it must control.

Another object of my invention is to provide for covering the complete angles of the field of vision in extending what I have likened to the base of the cone of light till it is capable of reaching the individual at 190 degrees from side to side 120 degrees up and down.

Another object of my invention is to provide instrumental control means for every color of the spectrum of the same serial and cumulative in- 06,; crease as for the white of the light.

Another object of my invention is to provide instrumental means for a system of light-color play so single in its actuation as to be under the control of the individuality of feeling and the taste, choice and will of the operator thereof.

Another object of my invention is to provide an automatic counterpart for any light conception or expression sequence as had been previously dictated by the individuality of feeling and the Iii, taste, choice and will of the conceiver thereof.

In practicing my invention I may provide a light-color instrument claimed in my co-pending application Serial No. 753,911 and the switch mechanisms claimed in my co-pending applicaso; tions Serial Nos. 709,283 and 159,609.

Objects and advantages of my system will appear as the description proceeds.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a modified form of device embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a view, in end elevation thereof.

I have found the current modifying means as shown in Figures 1 and 2 as useful and capable of application in such a system.

In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing I have illustrated a modified form of device embodying my invention, in which I may employ fluid connector tubes although I do not wish my invention as limited thereto, as it is plain the fundamental 06, principle may be variously carried out, of substan-- tially annular form instead of the elongated form hereinbefore described. A base plate 104 has mounted thereon a pair of spaced bearing members 105 and 106 that support a shaft member 107. The shaft member 107 has mounted thereon a plurality of annular tubes 108, 109, and 111 that may have resistance elements associated with them. Each of the tubes 108, 109, and 111 comprises an annulus of a suitable electric-insulating material, such as quartz or glass, that has a plurality of spaced contact terminals 112 extending into the tube through the outer peripheral surface thereof. As all of the terminal members are of the same construction I have designated them by the same number. I have illustrated eight such terminal members spaced substantially equidistantly from each other and extending over slightly more than ninety degrees of the periphery. A quantity 113 of a suitable conducting fluid, such as mercury, is located within the respective annular tubes and is just suflicient to fill substantially one half the interior of the tube.

Each of the annular tubes is clamped between two cooperating plates 114 and 115 that are each of substantially circular shape, and are held together by a plurality of machine screws 116. The respective plates 114 and 115 are provided with a groove in their opposing outer edges that is of such diameter as to receive the annular tube lined with a protecting material and to hold it tightly between the two plates. The annular tubes, together with the supporting plates, are loosely mounted on the shaft 107 and are held in spaced relation by pairs of collars 117 and 118 that are secured on the shaft in any suitable manner. The annular tubes are therefore free to turn on the shaft but are prevented from longitudinal movement relatively thereto.

The annular tube 108 has a gear wheel 119 operatively associated therewith by being suitably secured against the outer surface of the plate 115, while the tube 109 has a gear wheel 121 operatively associated therewith, and the tube 111 has a gear wheel 122 associated therewith. The tubes therefore turn with the respective gear wheels.

A second shaft 123 is supported in a plurality of bearing members 124 and 125 on the base 104 and is alined substantially parallel to the shaft 107. A worm gear wheel 126 is mounted on the shaft 123 adjacent to one end thereof, and is operatively engaged by a worm 127 that may be manually turned on mounted on the outer end of the shaft of a suitable driving motor 128 which is, in turn, mounted on a supporting base 129 located on the base plate 104 in order that it may be located properly relatively to the worm gear wheel 126, Collars 131 are secured to the shaft 123 outside of the bearing members 124 and 125 to prevent any longitudinal movement of the shaft in its bearings. A plurality of pinions 132, 133, and 134 are secured to the shaft 123 and are so located that under the proper conditions of operation they may mesh with the gear wheels 119, 121 and 122 respectively. Each of the hereinbefore described gear wheels is provided with teeth over a portion only of its periphery, for a purpose to be hereinafter described in detail.

The flexible lead wires from the respective contact terminals of the tubes 108, 199, and 111 extend to stationary contact terminals mounted on terminal boards 135, 136, and 137 respectively, the contact terminals mounted thereon being so constructed as to permit of conductors indicated by the numeral 138 to be connected thereto.

A limit switch 139 is provided in such location as to be operated by a member 141 that is mounted on the plate 114 associated with the annular tube 108 and is effective to open the energizing circuit of the motor 128 when the tube 108 has been given a turning movement in a clockwise direction as viewed from the right hand end of the shaft 107, and it is desired to terminate the turning movement thereof. A similar limit switch 142 is mounted on the bearing member 105 and is actuated by a pin 143 that is carried by the gear wheel 122. The limit switch 142 is effective to limit the operation of the motor in causing a turning movement of the gear wheel 122 in a counter clockwise direction as viewed from the right hand end of the shaft 107.

In actual operation the turning movement of the gear wheel 119 and therefore of the tube 108 is terminated while the pinion 132 is still in mesh with the teeth of the gear wheel 119. The turning movement of the gear wheel 122 in a counter clockwise direction is terminated while the teeth thereof are still in mesh with the pinion 134. Means for initiating the operation of the gear wheel 121 are constituted by a pin 144 mounted on the gear wheel 119 and effective to operatively engage a pin 145 carried by the gear wheel 121. Means for initiating the operation of the gear wheel 122 is constituted by a pin 146 carried by the gear wheel 121 and effective to engage a pin 147 carried by the gear wheel 122. The terminal boards 136 and 137 carry resilient members 148 and 149 respectively which normally engage the pins 145 and 147 respectively and yieldingly hold the gear wheels 121 and 122 in their normal inoperative positions wherein no circuit is energized through the respective fluid connector switch tubes 109 and 111 and which also hold the gear wheels 119 and 121 respectively in their fully energized or operative positions.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, the operation thereof is substantially as follows:--It is understood that the operation of the motor 128 was terminated with the teeth of the pinion 132 still in mesh with the teeth of the gear wheel 119. The limit switch 139 prevents the operation of the motor in such direction as to cause a turning movement of the gear wheel 119 in a clockwise direction as viewed from the right hand end of the shaft 107. The spaced terminal members 112 of the tube 108 are in substantially the position shown by the broken lines in Fig. 10 of the drawing, that is, they are disengaged from the connecting fluid 113 in the tube. Upon energization of the motor 128 the pinion 132 causes a turning movement of the gear wheel 119 and of the tube 108 in a counter clockwise direction, and the left hand terminal member 112 first operatively engages the connecting fluid 113. If this is connected to one supply circuit conductor, a circuit is established as soon as the second contact terminal operatively engages the connecting fluid. It is evident that the connecting fluid remains in substantially the same position while the annular tube is undergoing a turning movement on the shaft 107 by the gear wheel 119.

As the pinion 132 continues its turning movement and effects a corresponding turning movement of the gear wheel 119, one contact terminal after another is moved into engagement with the connecting fluid 113, thereby energizing the light sources electrically connected thereto. When the turning movement of the gear wheel 119 has continued to such a degree that the pin 144 operatively engages the member 145, the gear wheel 121 is given a turning movement until the teeth thereon operatively mesh with the teeth of the pinion 133. At about this time the gear wheel 119 has been moved to such a position that the last tooth thereof is out of engagement with the pinion 132. after which no further turning movement of the gear wheel 119 can take place, and the latter is held in its normal operative position by the engagement of the pin 144 with the resilient holding member 148. In this position all of the spaced terminal members 112 are in engagement with the connecting fluid in the tube 108.

Further turning movement of the shaft 123 causes a corresponding turning movement of the gear wheel 121, and a successive energization of light sources connected to the respective terminal members extending into the tube 109. When the member 146 engages the member 147 the gear wheel 122 is given a turning movement that effects the meshing thereof with the pinion 134. The gear wheel 122 is then permitted to remain in its normal operative position with the member 146 engaging the resilient member 149, further turning movement thereof being prevented by the lack of further teeth in the gear wheel 121.

The operation of the motor 128 may continue until the member 143 engages the limit switch 142, which effects de-energlzation of the motor, with the teeth of the pinion 134 and of the gear wheel 132 still in mesh, and with all of the annular switch tubes moved to their fully energized positions. As was hereinbefore stated in connection with the device illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawing, when the mechanism has been moved to one of its limiting positions the motor can be energized only to run in the opposite direction, and hence if all of the switches are in their fully energized position they may be moved only to a position that de-energizes one or more of the light sources controlled thereby.

When the motor 128 is energized to run in the opposite direction to effect a turning movement of the switch tubes serially in clockwise direction as viewed from the right hand end of the shaft 107, the action of the various parts of the device is substantially similar but in a reverse sense. The pin 147 operatively engages the pin 146 which has been in engagement with the resilient holding member 149 and moves it and the gear wheel and annular tube in a clockwise direction until the teeth on the gear wheel 121 engage the teeth on the pinion 133, after which further turning movement of the gear wheel 121 and of the switch 109 associated therewith is effected by the pinion 133. The pin 147 is held by the member 149 whereby the switch 111 is held in its normal inoperative position. The annular switch tubes are thus operated serially or successively until the tube 108 has been moved into its normal inoperative position when further turning movement is stopped by the de-energization of the motor 128 by reason of the actuation of the limit switch 139 by the pin 141. It is understood that the diagram of connections i1- lustrated in Fig. 6 is employed with this form of device.

Various modifications may be made in the device embodying my invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and I desire that only such limitations shall be placed thereon as are imposed by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a multiple circuit limiting apparatus, a. rotatable shaft, a series of spaced gears fixed thereon, a fixed shaft, a series of interrupted gears revoluble on said fixed shaft said interrupted gears being in the same plane as said first mentioned gears the tooth segment of the interrupted gear normally engaging the gear on the driven shaft the teeth of the subsequent series of gears being normally out of engagement, a multi-contact current controlling member carried by each interrupted gear and means whereby a predetermined rotation of the gears of one series will cause engagement of the segmental teeth of a subsequent gear with those of a subsequent gear on the rotatable shaft.

2. In a system of the kind recited a multiple current modifying means, a rotatable shaft having spaced gears fixed thereon, a fixed shaft parallel to the first shaft and having revoluble gears thereon, current limiting means carried by said second gears, means whereby movement is imparted to a subsequent current modifying gear means after movement of a preceding gear.

3. In a multiple current control means, a driven shaft, spaced gears fixed thereto, a fixed shaft parallel thereto, gears having segmental teeth revoluble on said second shaft and mounted in the same plane as said first gears the teeth of the first segmental gear being normally in engagement with its corresponding driving gear and the teeth of the other segmental gears being out of engagement with the corresponding driving gears, current modifying means carried by the gears having the segmental teeth, a pin carried by the first segmental tooth gear, an oppositely directed pin angularly displaced from the first pin carried by the second segmental tooth gear adapted to be engaged by the first pin to move the second segmental tooth gear into engagement with its corresponding drive gear after a preceding segmental gear has moved through a pre-determinined arc.

MARY HALLOCK GREENEWALT.

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