US2016459A - Automatic time program selector for radio receiving sets - Google Patents

Description

F. G. @EGEL @QL S9 AUTOMATIC TIME PROGRAM SELECTOR FOR RADIO RECEIVING SETS Filed Aug. 25, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet l nvenor NMOvQ/ IWT/ f1 F. G. SEGEL AUTOMATIC TIME PROGRAM SELECTOR FOR RADIO RECEIVING SETS -5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 25, 1933 lnvenior fraiz e/l/ tlomey F. G. SIGEL Oct. 8, 1935.

AUTOMATIC TIME PROGRAM SELECTOR FOR RADIO RECEIVINGSETS Filed Aug. 25, 1953 '-5 Sheets-Sheet 3 tlomcy By @M Patented Oct. 8, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC TIME PROGRAM SELECTOR FOR RADIO RECEIVING SETS 2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in program selectors for radio receiving sets, and an object of the invention is to provide an apparatus that can be connected up to a radio set and which will operate to change the setting of the dial of the radio receiving set so as to tune it in on one station and then on another, each at a predetermined time, which stations have been selected in advance to prepare a fixed program for a given number of hours.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved dial for an apparatus of the kind above suggested.

A still further object of the invention is to improve generally upon automatic station or program selectors as now generally known and used.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a program selector embodying the features of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 3 3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail sectional view through an arm forming part of the invention.

Figure 5 is a plan View of a portion of a modified form of dial.

Figure 6 is a perspective View of an end portion of one of the segments used in the building up of the dial suggested in Figure 5 and Figure '7 is a fragmentary detail sectional view showing the manner of securing the dial sectors to the hub of the dial.

Referring to the drawings by reference numerals it will be seen that the device comprises a suitable base or platform I0 on which is suitably mounted a bearing bracket structure I I that supports one end portion of the shaft I2 provided for the tuning dial of the radio set. Also mounted on the bracket II is a shaft I4 provided with a gear I5 that meshes with a gear I6 provided on the shaft I2, and through the medium of this gearing the shaft I4 rotates the shaft I2 and shifts the dial on the radioset.

Mounted at one end of the base plate I0 is a suitable electric clock II, the works of which include an arbor shaft I8 having thereon a worm I9 that is in mesh with a worm wheel 20 mounted on a Vertical shaft journalled in a suitable bracket 2 I. The vertical shaft, indicated by the reference numeral 22 is connected by gearing 23 with a horizontal shaft 24 that is journalled in suitable sup- (Cl. Z50- 20) porting brackets 25. On one end of the shaft is secured a control dial either of the type shown in Figure l and indicated generally by the reference numeral 2l, or of the type indicated generally by the reference numeral 28 and suggested in Fig- 5 ures 5 to 7 inclusive.

The dial 21 is in the form of a circular card or disk which is clamped in place by a screw 29 having a head 30.

On the dial 21 are marked concentric circular 10 lines 3l designating wave lengths in meters or kilocycles and a series of radial longitudinally curved lines 32 fifteen degrees apart as divisions of time during which such wave lengths are intended to be employed. Each line will repre- 15 sent a point of time fifteen minutes later than the preceding line and any four consecutive spaces will represent one hour. In the present instance the arrangement is such that the total number of lines with the spaces between them will represent 20 twenty four hours, and on the periphery of the disk, at every fourth line will be, as shown, a suitable numeral for indicating the hour represented by that particular line.

It will be understood that when the dial such 25 as indicated by the reference numeral 21 is used the program will be rst chartered thereon, and the disk is then cut along the line thus made on the disk in the preparation of the program, so that the dial, when ready for use will have an 30 edge contour somewhat akin to that suggested in Figure 1 presenting periodically variant surfaces or steps of varying depth and length, it being apparent that the cutting will follow along a plurality of the division lines 32 and the wave length 35 indicating lines 3|.

It will be understood that the dial is rotated continuously by the clockworks I'I, and-means are provided for cooperation with the dial 21 to operate the tuning dial of the radio set so as to 40 tune the set in on one station and then on another each at a predetermined time, which station as before suggested will have been selected in advance and the chart delineated and cut to make up the fixed program for a desired number 45 of hours.

The means above mentioned consists in the present instance of an arm 33 that is tapered, and adjacent its smallest end has extending laterally therefrom a shaft 34 on one end of which 50 is a roller 35 that is in proper wiping engagement with the edge of the dial.

At its largest end the arm 33 is mounted on one end of a suitably mounted shaft 36. At the last named end the arm 33 has fixed thereto 55 a gear segment 31 that is in mesh with a pinion 39 provided on the aforementioned shaft I4 for transmitting movement of the arm 33 to the shaft I4, and from the shaft I4, through the gearing I5, I6 to the radio tuning dial shaft I2 for setting the tuning dial of the radio set.

For raising the arm 33, that is to say for swinging the arm in a clockwise direction (Figure l) there is provided an electric motor 39 that has its armature shaft equipped with a gear 4U that is in mesh with a gear 4I provided on a suitably mounted shaft 42. On the shaft 42 there is also provided a pinion gear 43 that is in mesh with a suitably mounted idler gear 44, which latter, is in mesh with a relatively large gear 45 secured on the shaft 36.

For controlling the circuit to the motor 39 there is mounted a switch which includes a fixed contact member 46 mounted on a block 41 of insulating material suitably secured to the arm 33. Cooperable with the contact 45 is a movable contact 43 secured to a block of insulating material 49 provided on the free end of the shaft 34.

The shaft 34 has an intermediate portion thereof mounted in a slide 59 that operates in a Iongitudinal slot 5I provided in the free end of the arm 33 and is normally urged inwardly toward one end of the slot 5I through the medium of an adjustable spring device 52. It will thus be seen that when the block 50 is caused to move to the left in Figure 4 due to the action of the revolving dial on the roller 35 the contact 48 will move into engagement with the contact 46 thus closing the circuit to the motor 39, and this motor through the medium of the gearing 40, 4I, 43, 44 and 45 will rotate the shaft 46 for swinging the arm 33 in a clockwise direction. At the same time the movement, of the arm 33 will, through the medium of the gearing 31, 36, I5 and I6, be transmitted to the shaft I2 of the tuning dial of the radio receiving set to properly set the dial for tuning in on the proper station.

The arm 33 is normally urged to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction through the medium of weights 53 suspended from the free end of the arm 33 through the medium of a suspension member 54. The utility and operation of the device will be apparent from the following:

Assuming that the program as selected is to commence at one oclock and continue through to eight oclock P. M. as suggested on the dial in Figure 1. The roller 35 is placed into engagement with the peripheral edge of the dial 21, let us say, in line with the sector line indicating twelve noon. It will be understood that the dial 21 runs continuously and in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 1. As the dial 21 rotates the roller 35 engaging the edge of the disk will controll the swinging of the arm 33 as the roller moves into and out of the notches formed by cutting the disk in preparing the same according to the stations selected in making up the program. Thus generally it will be seen that during the period of time in which the roller 35 is operating within a notch the radio set will be tuned in on a particular station, and as the roller moves from one notch to the other the tuning dlal of the radio receiving set will be automati cally turned for cutting out one station and tuning in on the next succeeding station, and that further this changing from one station to the other will continue in chronological order and at predetermined varying intervals of time until the selected program has been completed.

It will be further apparent that as the roller 35 moves in to a notch the arm 33 will swing in a counter-clockwise direction and inwardly toward the center of the dial, and that this move ment of the arm 33 will be transmitted through the gearing hereinbefore described to the shaft I2 of the tuning dial of the radio receiving set thus setting the dial in the desired position for tuning in on the proper station.

As the dial 21 turns through the angle between the lines 32 defining the width of the particular notch in which the roller 35 is operating the tuning dial of the radio receiving set will of course remain in set position.

To swing the arm 33 in a clockwise direction it will be apparent that the motor 39 will be brought; into operation in the following manner: When the dial 21 has moved through the angle above indicated the edge of the dial defining one side of the notch in which the roller 35 is operating moves into engagement with the roller, and 1 the rotation of the dial will cause the roller 35, shaft 34 and associated parts to move toward the smallest end of the arm 43. This will result in a movement of the contact 48 into electrical engagement with the fixed contact 46 thus closing the circuit to the motor 39. From the motor 39 power is transmitted through the gearing hereinbefore set out to the shaft 36 for rotating the shaft in a clockwise direction which shaft having the arm 33 thereon will cause said arm to swing in a corresponding direction. The swinging of the arm in this direction will be transmitted to the gearing 31, 38, I5 and I6 to the shaft I2 to turn the dial of the radio receiving set for tuning in on the desired station.

The dial 28 shown in Figures 5 to 'l inclusive will be used in substantially the same manner as the dial 21, but instead of being constructed from a single disk is made up of a series of segments, including the larger segments 55, three quarter hour segments 56, quarter hour segments 51, and half-hour segments of varying length, the outer edges thereof serving in the same manner as the lines 3l on the dial 21. The dial 28 also includes a central hub member 58 provided with a peripheral flange 59 provided with inner and outer series of sockets 6I) and with which apertures 6I on the inner end of sectors 55, 56, and 51 aline to accommodate retaining pins 62. There are, in the present instance two series of pins B2 for each of the a sectors. The sectors, as clearly shown in Figure '1 are confined on the hub between the flange 59 and an annular retaining disk or washer 63 that fits on the hub as shown in Figure '1. When the dial 28 is thus assembled the hub 58 thereof is secured on the end of the shaft 24 and can be used in substantially the same manner as the dial 21.

I claim:

1. 'Ihe combination of a radio receiving set having a shaft for the tuning dial, a device for rotating the shaft for automatically setting the tuning dial. said device comprising a program dial mounted to rotate and divided into sectors of varying lengths and arcs presenting for the dial a peripheral edge having a substantially periodically variant surface, an arm mounted to oscillate across the face of the program dial, and said arm being weighted at one end to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction, a driving connection between the other end of said arm and the shaft for the radio tuning dial for transmitting movement of the arm to said tuning dial shaft, a slide on the weighted end of said arm, lateral means carried by the slide and in wiping engagement with the said surface of the program dial for shifting the slide, a motor having driving connectionwith said other end of the arm for rotating the latter in a clockwise direction, said motor including a circuit, a iixed circuit contact on the arm, a circuit contact on the slide for wiping engagement with the rst named contact upon movement on the slide in one direction for closing the circuit to the motor at predetermined intervals and time means for continuously rotating the program dial.

2. Means for controlling a radio receiving set, comprising a shaft connected with the tuning element of the receiver, an arm for connection with said shaft, and mounted for swinging movement, a program dial mounted to rotate, and divided into a plurality of sectors of varying lengths and arcs presenting a peripheral edge for the program dial having a periodically variant surface comprising notches of varying depth and widths, a motor having driving engagement with said arm to cause the latter to swing in one direction, a. slide on said arm, a shaft extending through the slide and having roller means on one end arranged in wiping engagement with said surface of the program dial, a circuit for said motor, and circuit closing means connected with said arm and slide respectively to close the motor circuit upon movement of the slide in one direction and start the motor and move said arm in one direction to set the dial of the radio set in a desired position; -said roller means being adapted to pass alternately into and out of succeeding notches in a manner to cause the tuning dial of the radio set to rotate through a predetermined angle upon movement of the roller from one notch to the other, and means for continuously rotating the program dial.

FRANK GUSTAVE SIEGEL.

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