US2051438A - Selective control mechanism for radio receiving sets - Google Patents

Description

Aug. '18, 1936. m. DWYER 0 1,438

SELECTIVE CONTROL MECHANISM FOR RADIO RECEIVING SETS Filed March 13/ 1953 2 Sheets-Shea}; 1 v

. INVENTOR 176.2. RI Iva: Jpn r51? BY A ATTO R N EY Aug; 18, 1936. r F. J. DWYER 2,051,438

SELECTIVE CONTROL MECHANISM FOR RADIO RECEIVING SETS Fi led March 15, 1935 2 sheets -sheet 2 INVENTO R fimvc/s Mun-w Patented Aug. 1936 UNITED STATE res ns SELECTIVE CONTROL IMECHANISM FOE RADIO RECEIVING SETS Francis 'J. Dwyer, Rochester, N. Y.

Application March 13, 1933, Serial No. iifilhd'ld This invention relates to selective control mechanism for radio sets and has for its object to provide a mechanism whereby the radio set will, at periodical intervals, be automatically tuned to select one or more predetermined programs from, any one or any number of broadcasting stations.

A further object of this invention is to provide a very simple construction for this automatic and lo selective control mechanism in order that it may be manuiactured at a low cost and adapted to any radio receiving set. 1

With these and other objects in view the invention will become more readily apparent from the detailed description thereof which follows,

reference being had to the accompanying drawinss in which ,Figure l is a diagrammatic iront elevation of a tuning element oi a radio receiving set with my selective control mechanism applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the tuning element and selective control mechanism illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic front elevation of a modified form of the selective control mecha-- nism. 1

In the several figures of the drawings like reference numerals indicate like parts.

The automatically operated selective control mechanism for radio receiving sets forming the subject matter of my present invention is adapt ed to be set to. tune in consecutive programs broadcast from any number of radio broadcasting stations. In this way the programs of any 36 number of stations, including consecutive programs of individual stations, may be selected over a period of time and the selective control set to operate the receiving set and tune in the various stations at the time the programs are put on the 40 air by them.

For the purpose oi. timing the selective control I use a suitably operated clock I and provide this clock with a series of tour contacts 2, 3, l and 5 which are spaced-so as to correspond with the 45 fifteen, thirty, forty-five and sixty minute positions oi the minute hand of the clock mechanism. The contact arm 6, driven by the clock mechanism in unison with the minute hand or in place of it, will therefore momentarily close the elec- 50 trical circuit 1 at the end of each fliteen minute period. The electrical circuit, when closed, energizes the solenoid 8 so as to attract and'raise the armature 9. This armature is pivotally connected to the arm in of the segmental gear ll 66 which is mounted to swing on the pivot stud l2.

As the armature is raised it abuts against the end of the pin it carried by the arm l4 and raises it with the sliding rod 05 until the stop pin it, carried by the sliding rod, is brought in engagement with the under side of the bearing 5 block i! and prevents a further movement of the sliding rod. Inthis way both the segmental gear ii and sliding rod it are operated by the armature t and are moved to a predetermined elevated position. 310

The segmental gear ii meshes with the pinion p it carried by the condenser shaft i9 and the tuning condenser it operated by this shaft is set so that the movement of the segmental gear by the armature will move the condenser to its 5 zero position and hold it in this position until the solenoid is tie-energized and releases its armature. This takes place as soon as the contact arm ii has moved out of contact with one of the four contacts of the clock mechanism and has 20 opened the electric circuit '5 as the result of it. On the release of the armature aspring 2| draws down the arm it until this movement is arrested by the engagement of the stop pin 22 with one oi the selector pins 23. The stop pin 32 25 is carried by the arm I0 and projects thru a suitable opening in the panel 26. The selector pins 23 are mounted in a carriage 25 which is adapted to slide in the guide channel 26. The under side of the carriage 25 is provided with 3o suitable ratchet teeth 21, 21 and a pawl 28, carried on the lower end of the sliding rod !5, is adapted to engage these ratchet teeth in such a manner that on raising the sliding rod IS the pawl advances the carriage to the left and moves it step by step at each operation of the armature to bring consecutive selector pins 23 into position as stops for the arm I0 and its seg-. mental gear ll.

The distance the selector pins project from the carriage 25 thus determines the length of the movement of the segmental gear ll so that by varying the length or these pins the segmental gear can be moved to turn the pinion l8 and with it the condenser shaft l9 so as to tune the condenser to any desired tuning position. Selector pins 23 of diiIerent lengths may thus be placed into the carriage to tune the radio set to difierent stations at fifteen minute intervals and selector pins 23 of the same length may be placed into the carriage to tune the radio set to the same station at each fifteen minute interval. The pins are placed into the carriage with relation to the period of time during which the set is to be tuned to the various stations. By starting the set, for 66 example, at ioziiiloclock end piecing eselector pin into the carriage which will tune the set to stetion WEAF with the first pin, the set will be tuned to receive the program broadcast by this station from :00 to lfizlboclcclr. If the some length of pin is pieced ior the second pin in the cerriege the set will be tuned again for this some station to receive the continuation or the next progrem broedcest by this station during the rollowing iiiteen minutes or until 10:30

oclock. if e. progreni from another station is desired for the time between. llizdli end loz lfi, e. pm oi e. length which will time to this particular stetion will be inserted :lor the third pin in the cerriege and soon until the carriage is filled with pins which will tune the set at the end oi each fiiteen minute internal to the stetlon from which the desired program is broadcast that pertlcuclock mechanism which. is provided with four pairs oi contacts 35 nudes which ere spaced so degrees on the dial. Contacts 3 3 cooperate with the contact arm to close the circuit ill and energize the solenoid til at the end or each fifteen minute interval, and contacts 35 cooperate with contact arm do to close circuit and energize solenoid M at the beginnin of h fifte n min ute interval. The pair 05; contacts are arranged in each position so that both solenoids will be consecutively energized one after the other with solenoid 3E9 slightly before each quarter oi an hour on the clock end solenoid 3i directly after each quarter of an hour or approximately so. In this way the tuning condenser will be turned to a. zero position 1st the end of each filteen minute interval by the pinion which meshes with the rack bar 32 but will be turned back to tune'ln the desired station immediately after the beginning of the following fifteen minute period.

The selector pins dd which stop the rack bar in its movement to tune the set are carried by the index disc M and are placed into the holes dill which are radially end concentrically arranged in this disc. The disc is shifted to present consecutively arranged pins in line with the reels bar by means of the ratchet wheelGZ which is adepted to turn with the disc concentric thereto. An. arm 33, which swings concentrically with the ratchet wheel 42,-.carries a. spring pressed pawl 44 to engage the ratchet teeth of the ratchet wheel. The arm or is connected by the link so with the arm 46 carried by the sliding pin or. The sliding pin in turn is mounted in the bearing Y member to and is moved to the left by the arms.-

ture at the left hand end or the rack bar 32. The movement of the rack bar to set the tuning condenser to a. zero position thus at the some time swings the arm 43 to advance the ratchet wheel and with it the index discto bring the succeeding radially arranged holes in the disc in line with the right hand extension of the rack bar 32. A pin 40 is inserted into one of these holes to stop the rack bar in the desired position. After the ratchet wheel has been advanced, a. spring 48A returns the arm 46 to its normal starting positiou. The movement of the sliding pin all is lim-= ited by the movement of the pin 59 in the slot 50 provided in the bearing member 68.

l. in on automatic tuning apparatus for radio receiving sets having 2. tuning element, a. selector slide, selecting members oi varying lengths car ried by seld selector slide and uniformly spaced thereon, reciprocating means fior intermittently moving said selector slide to move the selecting members to a, controlling position and said tuning element to e predetermmed detu ing position in its movement in one direction operating the tuning element of the radio receiving set to e tuning position in its movement in the opposite direction with one of the selecting members of sold selector slide controlling this movement or said reciprocating meeus in the letter opposite direction and means for intermittently causing a single reciprocation of said reciprocating means.

2. In an automatic tuning apparatus for radio receiving sets having 2, tuning element, a. selector slide, selecting members of varying lengths carried by said selector slide and uniformly spaced thereon, reciprocating means for intermittently moving said selector slide to simultaneously move the selecting members to e. controlling position, and said tuning element to predetermined detuning position in its movement inone direction; means associated with the reciprocating means for limiting the movement or the selector slide to a, fixed position in its-movement in the said one direction and means controlled by the lengths of the selecting members for limiting the movement of the reciprocating means in the opposite direction and the position of said tuning element.

3. In an automatic control for radio receiving sets having a movable tuning member, the combinetion or reciprocating means for operating said tuning member, stop means for limiting the movement of said tuning member to e, uniform fixed detunlng position and operated by said reclprocatingmeans in its movement in one direction, interchangeable stop means operated by sold reciprocating means jointly with said tuning member during its first movement in one direction, said interchangeable stop means limiting the return movement of said reciprocating means and means controlled by said reciprocating means for positioning the interchangeable stop means, and means for intermittently causing a -single reciprocation or said reciprocating means.

i. In an automatic control for radio receiving sets having a movable tuning member, the combination of a reciprocating operating member for moving said tuning member, movable means operated by said reciprocating operating member in its movement in one direction for limiting the movement of said operating member in the opposite direction with a lost motion connection provided between the operating member .and the movable stop member so as 'to permits. variable 5. In an automatic control for radio receiving sets having a tuning member, the combination reciprocating operating member in its forward movement to uniformly and progressively move said carriage member step by step in advance of the return movement of said operating member and to variably limit the movement of said tuning member in one direction in advance of the variabie return movement limited by said interchangeable step means and means for intermit tently causing a singie reciprocation of said reciprocating operating member.

6. In an automatic controi for radio receiving sets'having an osciliating tuning member, the combination of a movable selector member, a series of stop means interchangeably carried by said selector member, a step by step operating means for progressively advancing said selector member, a reciprocating operating member for oscillating said tuning member during each reciprocation thereoiand operating said step by step operating means during its forward movement to cause said selector member to advance one of said interchangeable stop means and oscillate said tuning member to a fixed position in one direction and limit the return movement of said operating member to a predetermined movement in the opposite direction and means for intermittently causing a single reciprocation of said reciprocating operating member.

7. In an automatic control for radio receiving sets having an oscillating tuning member, the combination of a swinging arm for oscillating said tuning member, an armature connected to said arm, a solenoid for moving said armature to swing said arm in one direction and spring means for swinging said arm in the opposite direction, a link operated by said armature to move'to a fixed position on the movement of the armatvre by said solenoid over a variable distance, a seiector member operated by said link to move a uniform distance on the variable movement of said armature, an interchangeable stop means carried by said selector member to cause a variable return movement of said arm by said spring means.

FRANCIS J. DWYER.

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