US2011670A - Radio program indicator and announcer - Google Patents

Description

' Aug; 2o, 1935.

W. W. BAIRD RADIO PROGRAM INDICATOR AND ANNOUNCER Filed May 3, 1934 2 sheets-sheet 1 wcKv Orches ira Back Roger: M. West SpuHer whine Harry lia/'Iman` Kaff 6mm,

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WFBE

Aug. 20, 1935. w. w. BAIRD 2,011,670

RADIO PROGRAM INDICATOR AND ANNOUNER Filed May 5, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patentedl ug. 2i), 1935 `RADIO PROGRAM 'INDICATOR AND ANNOUNCER Wilbur W. Baird, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor of three-eighths to Harry R.v Schlueter, Mariemont, Ohio Application Mays, 1934, sei-,iai No. '123,803

9 Claims.

This invention relates to an indicator and an-V nouncer for radio programs, whereby a person may have a predetermined program audibly brought to his attention while he is occupied in other matters.

One of the important objects of the invention is to provide a device for the purpose stated, which is so simple and inexpensive that everyone owning a radio receiver can afford to apply the device of this invention.

Another object' of the invention is to provide a device of the character stated, which will perform the function of a time-piece or clock.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character stated, which is small and portable, and which does not require mechanical connection with a radio receiver.

The foregoing and other objects are attained by the-means described herein and disclosed in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l. isa perspective front view of the device of the instant invention.

Fig. 2 is a wiring diagram for the various electrical elements of the device.

Fig. 3`is a front elevational view of the device with the casing of Fig. 1 removed.

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view looking from left to right on Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a detail view showing, in plan, an intermittently operative electrical -switch included in the device.

Fig. 6 isa cross-sectional view taken on line 6 3 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a fragmental perspective view of a reel or roller mounting means forming a detail -of the invention.

Fig. 8 is a detail view showing, in perspective, a resilient tape vor ribbon support which may be employed in the combination.

Briefly stated, the device comprises a tape or ribbon I2 of paper or other suitable material, which is suitably lsupported for uniform slow movement past a window I3 in the case I4. The tape or ribbon has printed or otherwise represented thereon a series of divisions or equal sections S, each of which sections lis of a proper length so that a section will pass an indicator or stationary hand I5 every quarter hour. Each section has printed or Written, within its confines, the names or letters of a series oi' radio broadcasting stations all of which are scheduled to broadcast during a given quarter hour; for example, Fig. l Indicates that during the time period between 7 oclock-and 7:15 oclock, broadcasts will be receivable from any one of the stations WHAS, WFBE, WSAI, WCKY, WKRC, and WLW, and the name of the program from each station is indicated opposite the station name or call letters. During the period of time from '1:15

to 7:30 oclock, these same stations, or perhaps others, are indicated as offering other programs' or continuations of the preceding programs. .Any reasonable number of selected stations and their anticipated programs may be indicated within the sections S. It is intended that purchasers vof the devices will procure the tapes or ribbons daily, l weekly, or at other intervals, from a person who will select the best programs and have them printed upon the tapes or ribbons. As the tape or ribbon moves at a uniform rate of speed past the indicator I5, as determined by a clock motor 15 M, the device performs the function of a timepiece, and to enhance this function the tape preferably is graduated as indicated at I 6 to indicate minutes adjacent to the series of sections S.

` To use the device of this invention, it is nec- 20 essary only to interpose the device in the electrical current supply ,line which feeds the radio, and this is most conveniently accomplished by inserting the plug I1 ofthe radio receiver electrical supply line into the socket I8 of the present 25 device, after which the plug I9 of the said device l is connected with the electricity supply or household current. The operator may then tune his radio receiver to the station he desires to hear from, and places the intermittently operative 30 electrical switch 20 in the operative position by means of the knob or handle 2I which extends from the front of the casing I4. The shunt switch 22 would be permitted to remain in open contact condition. Thereafter, as the ribbon or tape 3.5 moves downwardly past the indicator i5 under the'motive power of the clock motor, one of the perforations 23 of the tape will eventually move linto registration with the switch element 20 whereby to close the electricity supply circuit to the radio receiver. During the interval that the switch member 20 remains in registry with the perforation of the tape for closing said electrical circuit, the radio receiver will be energized a sufhcient length of time to inform the listener that the station selected by him previously is beginning to broadcast the program. If the program thus announced bythe selected station is not the one which the listener desires to hear, he simply ignores the program announced, and said program would'shortly thereafter be terminated by reason of movement of the perforation 23 from registration with the switch element 20.' The switch element 2G, therefore,'may be said to close the radio circuit through a metallic band 24 on the tape vsupporting drum 25 whenever a perforation such as 23 moves into yregistration'with the switch element 20. As soon as such perforation leaves the switch element,` due to the advancing movement of the tape, the circuit to the radio re- A ceiver -is broken or-opened until a succeeding perall the functions of the switch with which all radios are equipped. The general brief description of the device having been given, vI shall now proceed to describe the device'in detail.

lA base for the mechanism is-indicated by the character 21,- and said base is adapted to be slid into the casing from the rear upon removal of `a suitable rear cover plate 28. -The base carries the clock motor M, which may be either an electrical or a-spring motor, the latter -type of motor being 'illustrated inthe present instance. Thel motor has a winding arbor 29 extending from the face' thereof, and also a minute hand arbor 3D in substantial parallelism with arbor 29. The minute hand arbor is extended lengthwise of the ibase and has fixedly mounted thereon the roller or drivingdrum 25 which preferably is Voi! electricity insulating material.' At the free end of the arbor ynr shaft 30 is fixed van adjusting knob or handle 3| whereby the drum 25 may be rotated manually when' the mechanism is removed from the casing for application or removal of the tape or ribbon l2. The usual clutch lmeans found in association with the minute hand of a'clock motor, which would permit relative rotation of the shaft 30 and the clock gearing, is conventionally indicated by the character 32.

As is most clearly shown in Fig. 4, the tape or ribbon extends about the drum, and' a more or less positive driving' means is effected by equipping the drum with a series of pin points 32 which may enter the material of the tape. A resilient guide or support 33 having a bifurcated end 34 may be provided for maintaining the tape always in engagement with the sharpened pins. During' operation of the device, the tape unwinds from an upper reel or spool 35, passes under the drum 25, and is wound onto a second 'wheel or spool 3B. The tape may be guided past the window of the casing by the use of laterally extending supports or rods 31 and 38 near the top and bottom ofthe mechanism, respectively. The support al may be the winding key for the clock motor, and as such wouldl preferably be provided with a handle means 39.

. Each ofthe reels or spools 35 and 3B is adapted to' be easily removed from their respective shafts 40 and 4 I. Accordingly, each of said shafts may carry afixed collar or ange 42 from which extends a plurality of pins or lclutch elements 48 which are receivable ina slotted vend `44 oi.' the spool or reel. Fig. l 'clearly indicates the manner of associating the spool with its supporting 'shaft so as to provide for unitary rotational movement From the Fig. 4 disclosure, it is at once evident that the driving drum, rotating in clockthereof.

wise direction, progressively pulls the tape or ribbon'from the spool 35 so as to rotate said spool and its supporting shaft 40. The shaft 40 carries a suitable power transmission element, which may be .a sprocket 45, andover this sprocket a chain 46 may pass for driving a second sprocket 41 which has driving relationship with the shaft 4I of spool 36. Thus, the rotational movement imparted'to the spool 35 and its shaft, by reason of the moving tape i2, eie'cts rotation of spool 36 and its supporting shaft 4|. As is clearly indicated in Fig. 4, the sprocket 41 is made smaller than sprocket 45, so thatspool 3S will be driven at a speed slightly in excess of the speed of spool 35.A In order to maintain the tape or ribbon in a taut or tightened condition without breaking it,

a friction clutch 48 is associatedV with the means` for driving the take up spool 36. The clutch may be of any desired construction, there being shown a simple form of clutch comprising one or more resilient arms 49 which yieldingly bear upon a face of'a disc 50 which is xed relative to-the shaft 4|. The arm or arms 49 are supported upon a sleeve 5lwhich loosely encircles the shaft 4l,

said sleeve providing a mounting means for'thesprocket 41. 'I'he sprocket 41 may be fixed tothe sleeve by the use of any known means.

Attached to the upper frame. structure 52j or to any other stationary part, is a socket 53 for an electrical bulb or lamp 54 that may project its rays through the tape and toward the wndow I3,

whereby to illuminate the tape for distinctly dis- @D playing the printed or written matter carried thereby; The manner of connecting this lamp in the electrical circuit will beset forth hereinafter.

The intermittently operative .switch which is controlled by the knob or handle 2l may be of any practical construction, there being shown, however, a simple form of switch which will function in accordance with the requirements of the device of the invention. The said switch is shownl in detail in Fig. 5, and it may comprise an operating rod or shaft 55 which is slidably and rotatably mounted relative to a supporting block 56. The shaft may carry a transverse pin or extensionv 51 which is adapted to enter a slot or recess 58`in the block when the knob 2l is actuated to place the pin in registration with said recess.' When the.

before 'referred to. The shaft. may be provided with suitable shoulders or flanges 5I at each end of .block 60, so as to insure movement of the block with the shaft. The block may be supported upon a suitable guide 62 which is fixed tothe base plate. From the foregoing -it will readily be understood 'that manipulation of the knob or handle 2l may.

dispose the resilient contact member 20 either refmote from or in intimate contact with the tape'or ribbon, and that registration of one of the perforations 23 of the tape with said contact mein'- ber will afford an .electrical connection of member 20 with the metallic contact ring 2,4 on drum 25; The bracket 'B3 -which supports the drum -preff era'bly is of metal and is electrically connected with the band 24 in any suitable manner, such as by providing a metallic plate 64 on the end of the drum and securing the plate and its hub to the shaft by means of a set screw or the like 65. Electrical connection .between the plate andthe band may be enected by means of'a conductor 8B which is imbedded in the non-conductive drum 2E.

Switch 22, which is controlled by the knob or handle 28, may be any well known typ'e of switch, preferably one having a snap action.

' Means are provided for conveniently adjusting the glraduationsA of the tape to the pointer or indicator I in theevent that the clock motor fails to keep accurate time. VSaid means may comprise a small gear61 which is normally out of engagement with a cooperative ring gear 68 carried by the driving drum. It is immaterial whether the elements 61 and 68 be bevel gears or any other type of gears orpower transmission elements, so long as they may be disengaged during normal operation of the device.v As is clearly indicated in Fig. 4, gear 61 is fixed upon a shaft 63 which is supported in bearing brackets 16, there being provided suitable resilient means such as a spring 1I for yieldingly maintaining gear 61 disengaged relative to gear 68. By pressing inwardly upon and rotating a knob or handle 12 on the free end of shaft 69, gear 61 may be caused to engage and transmit rotational movement to the ring gear 68 and the drum 25 to which the Iring gear is secured. The knob or handle 12 is adapted to extend exteriorily of the rear covermember of casing I4. While it is not absolutely necessary to provide for disengagement between the gears 81 and 68, such disengagement is considered preferable and helpful in preserving the accuracy of the time keeping mechanism. v y

The manner of electrically associating the various electrical parts of the device is illustratedin .a conductor 18 leaving the lamp may be connected to the terminal 96 of' a terminal block 11. From said point 86, a conductor 1B leads to the other terminal 18 of plug I6. A terminal Bil, which is in electrical communication with the terminal 96, has a conductor 8l leading to the metallic bearing bracket 63 of the driving drum, and, as above stated, a conductor means 86 provides electrical connection between the bracket and the metallic band 24 of said drum. The switch element 20 has a conductor 82 leading to a terminal 83 of block 11. The snap switch or shunt switch 22 is wired across the terminals 80 and 83 by means-of the conductors 84 and 85. Lead wire 14 extends directly to a terminal 86 of the block, lwhich terminal is in electrical communication with the terminal 83.v

From the foregoing it will be understood that, with the switch 29 closed, as shown in Fig. 2, elec- -trical current may pass from the source of supply 16 and through conductor 13 to one of the conductors 81 which leads to the radio receiver, the current continuing through the receiver and back through the conductor 88 Ato terminal 19, whence it continues through conductors 16, 96, 80, 8l, 88, 68, 24, 26, B2, 83,38, and 14 to the source 16. Electrical current will also'pass through the conductors 18 and 18 of the lamp 54. With the intermittent circuit closed, as Just described, the radio receiver will be energized so long as contact 2B is permitted, by the apertured tape, to maintain-electrical connection with the band 24. However, as soon as en unperforated part of the tape is interposed between the contacts 20 and 24, the radio receiver will be de-energized. To render the intermittent circuit closing function iny the radio receiver.

eiective, the operator may close the shunt switch 22 whereby to aiord continuous energization of Under such circumstances, the path of electricity is from source 15 through conductors 13, 34, 81, through the radio receiver,

, back through conductors 88, 19, 18, 96, 80, 85, 22,

, have provided an indicator and announcer for radio programs whereby a person may have a predetermined program audibly brought to his attention while he is occupied in other matters, the device serving also as a clock which may be set with the accurate time broadcast of the 'radio system, and the device serves, further, as an informative and progressive record of radio broadcast programs. V vantage that it is simple and inexpensive, thereby enabling usage by a large majority of radio owners. does not require a more or less permanent mechanical connection with the radio receiver, wherefore it may readily be associated and disassocated relative to any radio receiver.

The device has the further ad- Installation or attachment of the device vIt 1s to be ,understood that various modifications and changes in the structural details of the de@ vice may be made, within the scope of theappended claims, without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

What I claim is:

l. In a radio program indicator, the combination of a casehaving a window therein, a longitudinal tape divided into successive fractionalhour time period sections, each section carrying the call letters oi aplurality of selected radio broadcasting stations and the names of the programs to be broadcast by each of such stations during said fractional-hour time period, means including a clock motor for progressively advancing the tape past the window at clock speed, and means associating the radio program indicator witli a radio receiving set to energize said receiving set momentarily as the time period sectionsV pass a predetermined portion of the window.

2. In a combination clock and radio program indicator, the combination of a case having a window therein, a longitudinal tape divided into successive fractional-hour time period sections each of which are in turn graduated in minute markings, said sections each carrying the call letters of a plurality of selected radio broadcasting stations and the names of the programs to be broadcast 'by each of such stationsduring said fractional-hour time period, a time indicator normally fixed relative to the case and pointing to the minute markings on the tape, means including a clock motor for progressively advancing the tape past the window and the time indicator at clockspeed, a radio receiving set having selector. means capable of tuning the set to one of the stations indicated upon the tape, and means associating the receiving set with the radio program indicator' to energize said receiving set momentarily as the time period sections move successively into a predetermined position with to the stationary time indicator.

3. In a combination clock and radio program successive fractional-hour time period sections each of which are in turn graduated in minute markings, said sections each carrying the call tarily as the time period sections move successively into a predetermined position with respect to the stationary time indicator, and manually operable-means for maintaining the radio receiver set lin. the energized condition. 4. In a combination clock and radio pnogram indicator, the combination of a, case having a window therein, a longitudinal tape divided into suc- .cessive fractional-hour time period sections each of which are' in Aturn graduated in minute' markings, said sections each carrying the call letters ist Aoi a plurality of selected radio broadcasting stations and the names of the programs to be broadcast by each of such stations during said fractional-hour time period, a time indicator normally ilxed relative to the case and pointingto the minute markings on the tape, means including a lclock motor for progressively advancing the tape ,past the window and the time indicator-at clock speed, a radio receiving set having selector means capable of tuning the set to one of the stations indicated upon the tape, and means associating 4the receiving set with the radio program indicator V`to energize said receiving set momentarily as the time period sections move successively into a predetermined position with respect to the stationa pay-out means supporting one end of theta'pe,

a take-up spool supporting Itheother endof. the

:ary timle indicator, and means for coordinating .the minute markings` of the tape with the fixed ;time indicator in accordance with time signals broadcast by the broadcasting stations.

. 5.4 In a device of the vclass described, the combination lof a case having av window aperture therein, a visible indicator normally fixed rela.- tive to the case, a base removably received by the case, and mechanism supported upon the base including a clock motor having a minutehand arbor, a tape-driving drum rotated :on-

' tinuously at ,minute-hand speed by said arbor,

anapertured longitudinal. tape adapted to contact the drum and to be advanced thereby past the' window and the indicator, a pay-out means supporting one end of the tape in spiral formation, a takef-up spool supporting the other end of the tape', ashaft for the spool and means for detachably ilxing the spool to said shaft, means .including a friction clutch for driving the takeup spool, electrical circuit means including a source of electricity, a radio receiving set, and

electrical switch means interposed between said source and said receiving set, said last mentioned means comprising a contact band on the tape-driving drum, a tape-controlled resilient contact member separated from the contact band by the tape except when the apertures of the `tape move. into registry with said contact member, a shunt switch for manually connecting the receiving set directly with the source of electricity regardless of the open or closed circuit condition of the tape-controlled switch.

i 6. In a device of the class described, the combination of a case having a window aperture therein, a visible indicatornormally fixed rela.- tive to the case, a base`removably received by the case, and.mecha.nism supported upon' -th'e base including a clock motor having ajminute hand arbor, a tape-driving drum rotatedfc'ontinuously at minute-hand speed by said arbor,

an apertured longitudinal tape adapted to contact the drum and to be advanced thereby past the window and the indicator, a'pay-out means` lsupporting one end of the tape in spiral forniaton, a take-up spool4 supporting the other end for detachably .xing the spool t'osaid shaft, means including a friction clutch for driving the take-up spool, electrical circuitmeans including a source of electricity, a radio receiving set, and

electrical switch meansinterposed between 'saidsource and said. receiving set, said lastl mentioned means comprising a contact band on 'the tape-driving drum, a tape-controlled resilient contact member separated from the contactband by the tape except when the apertures loi .the

tape move into registry with said contact meni".

ber, a shunt switch for manually connectingthe of the tape, a shaft for the spool and ymeans *ie receiving set directly with the'sou'rce 'ofselectrlcity regardless of the open or closed circuit` condition of the tape-controlled switch, and means for manually displacing and maintaining the 4relV tape, a shaft for the spool and means for .de-

, tachably xing the spool tosaid shaft, electrical -circuit means including a source of electricity,

a radio receiving set, and electrical switch means interposed between said source and 'saidj'receivf ing set, said last mentioned means comprising a contact band on the tape-driving drum, a tapecontrolled yielding contact member separated i from the contact band by the tape except when the apertures of the tape move intov registry withsaid contact membera shunt pswitch for -shunting out the contact band and the yielding member and `for connecting the receiving Set directly with the source of electricity regardless .of

the open or closed circuit condition o! the'tapecontrolled switch means, and means for-selectively maintaining the entire electricaln circuit in open circuit condition for de-energizing the radio receiver. y l

8. In combination, a radio receiver including an electricity supply circuit, a source oi electricity, and a device interposed .between the source of electicity and the supply circuit of the radio receiver for controlling said receiver, said device including a time-keeping mechanisnnan intermittently operating circuit closer under the control of the time-keeping mechanism'ior momental-ily closing the electricity supply, circuit of the radio receiver at predetermined intervals. of time, and manually operative means for mainmittently operating circuit closer.'

9. In combination, a radio receiver includin an electricity supply circuit.' a sourceoffelccf tricity, and a device interposed in the circuit between the source of electricity and the radio receiver, said device including a motor, an intermittently operating circuit closer under the 5 control of the motor for momentarily closing the electricity supply circuit of the radio receiver at predetermined intervals of time, and manut ally operative means for maintaining the closedcircuit condition of the supply circuit regardless of the intermittent action of the motor con trolled circuit closer. Y

WILBUR W. BAIRD.

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