US2057294A - Timed radio switching device - Google Patents

Description

J. M. DULING TIMED RADI O SWITCHING DEVICE Filed Feb. 23, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet l oeooooooooooooooooooooo 000a ooeoooooeooo oooooo o ATTORNEYS Oct. 13, 1936.

Oct. 13, 1936. J. M. DULING 'I'IMED RADIO SWITCHING DEVICE Filed Feb. 23, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 F I I I fr INVENT Sui ing ATT gzIlEYs dohrg fmfl Oct.-l3, 1936. J. M. DULING 2,057,294

TIMED RADIO SWITCHING DEVICE Filed Feb. 23,'l934 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 v 6 ENVEEI TOR I 5 I dalm m. Dulm 371 my??? ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 13,. 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE hpplicatizi zer'ilffy zi si ter-Kl e. 712,620

2 Claims.

I My present invention relates to the time clock art and more particularly to a timed radio switching device.

The large number of radio stations operating throughout the United States at present makes it desirable for the owners of radio sets to have some device which will permit them to study the radio program and select those programs in which they are'particularly interested. These programs will be scattered out over quite a period and it might in certain instances, be desirable to revert to a station one or two times during the course of the evening. Now, to be forced to reset the radio receiver at each changeof program is hardly in keeping with present day achievement and it is to provide a time device which will not only turn the radio set on and off at the time desired but which will change stations at the time desired that I have created 20 my device.

The principal object of my invention is therefore to provide a device which will automatically tune the radio set to the station desired and turn it on at the time it will be carrying the proi gram desired.

A further object of my present invention is to provide means that will enable the user to set his radio set at one setting so that it will switch on the desired programs at whatever I time they may occur and will automatically change the tuners setting of the radio set to correspond to the station desired.

A further object of my present invention is tov provide means whereby the transfer of the tuners setting can be made from one station to another without breaking into the programs of stations disposed between the station from which the change is being made to thestation desired. A further object of my present inventionv is to 40 provide means for automatically timing programs and changingthe tuners setting to correspond to the same which may be used at the will of the operators and if they elect to manually tune the set the same can be easily accomi plished.

Other and more specific objects will be apparentufrbm the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a front elevation of the control means of my program selecting device. Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view along the line 2-2 of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 33 of Figure 2. Figure 4 55 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 2. Figure .5 is a fragmentary view illustrating in part the tuning arrangement of a radio set the adjustable station contact and the clutching means for: disconnecting the auto-. matic program selector from the radio set. Figure 6 is across sectional view taken alongthe line 6--6 of Figure 5 and showing, in addition, the motor which' drives the tuner changing means. Figure 7 is a rear elevation of the equipment shown in Figure 5. Figure 8 is a-compos- 10 ite view partly in perspective and partly diagrammatic to illustrate theco-relation of the various parts of the device.

Referring to the drawings, throughout which like reference characters indicate like parts, If] designates a standard clock mechanism. In the present illustrations this has been indicated as an electric clock. It is desired to point out. however, that this could be the conventional spring motor clock or a weighted clock as this form would be desirable for rural districts not equipped with suitable current for an electric clock. The clock mechanism is provided with the usual time indicating dial II. In keeping with clock mechanisms of this character the clock has the usual setting knob I2. In'most clocks this is an extension which is suitably connected to the minute hand mechanism of the clock and revolves in step with-the minute hand. A pinion I4 is secured to this shaft, it meshes with an idle gear 15 which in turn drives gear IS. The gear ratio between pinion I4 and gear I6 should be such that gear l6 will be driven in step with the hour hand of the clock. For clarity in the drawings this relationship is not exactly maintained. Fixedly secured to gear i6 is the movable wiper contact I'I. In the accompanying drawings contactor i1 is so positioned as to pass over, successively, 48 contact points II. The exact number of these contact points is a 4i? matter of design, of course. In the accompanying illustrations, however, they represent intervals of fifteen minutes of clock time. Each contact point I8 is connected by suitable cables 20 to the plug connector 2|. 4 In the present presentation these elements are shown in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 particularly and are illustrated as being combined with a standard clock. The clock face itself however is not an essential element in this set up, it merely 50 being necessary to have a time controlled mover as the synchronous motor Hi. It is, however, quite convenient to use the clock and while the switching arrangement might all be contained in a cabinet which would represent only the give difierent time intervals.

lower half of Figure 1, its combination with the clock is a very convenient and practical one. It has further been found desirable to provide a plurality of jacks for each station, take' for instance the indication of station KPO'in Figure 1, indicated at 22, three inter-connected jacks 23 are employed. Now, to understand the operation of these elements it should be remembered that there is one plug 2| for each time interval desired, In the present showing I have indicated 15 minute intervals altho an increased or decreased number of plugs would Then too, it might be desirable for the user to so set the mechanism that the program from KPO, for instance, would occur at three or more different periods throughout an evening. By inserting the plugs 2|, corresponding to the three times desired, into any of the jacks 23 in the KPO bank the set will be switched to KPO when. those selected times arrive. To' augment the convenience that such a bit of equipment should possess, I provide that all the plugs 2| will be returned to the face plate 24 by suitable means as by the coil spring 26 working thru the shive This unit, that is the parts shown in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, may be termed the selector and may be placed at any convenient place. The single leads from each group of jacks 23, will be grouped in an output cable 28.

Cable 28 must be of suflicient length to reach to the switching mechanism which of necessity should be a component part or attachment directly to a radio set itself. The switching mechanism is illustrated in Figures 5, 6, and '7 and of course also in the diagrammatic view Figure 8.

For convenience the tuning unit of the radio set is represented by the variable condenser 30. This is operatively connected to the worm gear 3i by means of suitable insulating bushings and shafts as 32 and 33 respectively and may be disengaged from the worm gear by the clutch 34 thru suitable control linkage 35, 36, 31 and the finger knob 38. Worm gear 40 is driven by a suitable motor 5i thru reduction gear means 42. Motor 4| is controlled by current supplied thru cable 28 and which is subject to the interruptions imposed upon it by the selector means. .Worm gear 3| drives, thru suitable insulating means the contactor disk 44 which is formed of metal 01' suitable conductivity and is provided at one point with an insulating strip 46. Current is fed to disk 44 by the brush contact member d? and the return is thru the adjustable brush contact member 68. Now, it will be apparent it is believed that whenever a current is flowing thru M, disk 4d and contact 38, motor M will be driven but when the contact of 48 encounters the insulating strip 6% the circuit will be broken and the motor stopped. 4

One contact as E8 is provided for each station group of jack 23. These contacts, further, are made adjustable with respect to their support 50 so that when the initial installation is made or at any time thereafter, the operator wishes to make station KPO available, the contact member corresponding to KPO is set so that it is resting upon insulated strip 46,.when the radio set is accurately tuned to station KPO. This initial tuning, oi -murse, being accomplished by manual control in the usual manner. It would be efiected, of course, by releasing clutch 35 which is'so arranged that it can engage but at one point when it is again put into use. .The various co actors 48 are positioned in the same manner for the other stations it is desired to have available and in case two of them should occur in close proximity it has been further provided that two or more rows of contacts can be used after the showing of Figure '7.

In order to adapt this tuning or switching mechanism to a wide variety of commercial sets it is so arranged that the tuning device as condenser'30 may be driven continuously in a single direction or if it is of that type that can only be revolved so far and then must be returned, a reversing switch for motor 4| must be employed. This I have indicated at 52. It provides for two outgoing wires to motor M and three incoming wires so that the reversal may be accomplished. Many forms of switches could no doubt be used. In the illustrations however I have shown a toggle switch having the control arm 54 so arranged as to be contacted by the outwardly extending lugs 56 and 51 which are secured to or formed as part of disk M.

To the end of preventing arcing and to fur-'- ther obviate the possibility of electrical shock to the user, I have provided that the current flowing thru the switching and selector cables,

will be a reduced current. However, in order to have the electric motors operate to full emciency they should have an ample current supply. This necessitates, in the present arrangement, the relay indicated at 60 in Figure 8.

Thus when motor 68 is operating, contact is be desirable to employ a second relay in series.

with M to provide a switching means for the. set current. A suitable resistance or other current reducing means is indicated at 10.

- Certain variations in my present arrangement would be required, of course, if the spring motor l0 were used but it is believed well within the capacity of anyone skilled in this art to make suitable variations to adapt my equipment to the wide variety of radio equipment now offered to the public.

Method of operation When the user of this equipment desires a program from a particular station for instance KPO, he takes the plug 2! from board 2 5 corresponding to the hour and fraction thereafter that the program will occur and plugs that connector into one of the jacks under station KPO. Now it will rarely happen that the user will plug in the exact time shown by the clock. Normally there will be an interval between the time of plugging in and the hour designated for the program. Consequently, no switching will occur until the appropriate time has arrived.

At'the indicated time contactor ll will form a closed circuit with the appropriate contact point 88 and the current will then be free to flow-thru the appropriate cable 26, thru jack 23, the ad justable contactor 48 disk M and out thru the constantly engaged contact til, thence thru relays and 64 and back to the service line thru resistance 10. This operation closes the relay 60 which provides the operating current for motor 4|. It also interrupts the loud speaker circuit so that there is no breaking into station programs as the tuning progresses over their respective tuning point. The completion of the circuit thru motor 4| starts the tuning mechanism in one direction. This direction will be dependant upon the positioning of the reversing switch 52 except in sets where the tuning control makes a complete revolution, there a uni-directional motor would be sufiicient. When the motor, thru the gearing, has driven plate 44 sufilciently far so that the insulating strip 46 is engaged by contact of 48 corresponding to KPO, the current is interrupted, the motor stopped and the tuning mechanism comes to an immediate rest. The necessity for immediately stopping the tuning control seems to indicate the desirability of the worm and worm gear 3| and 40 as a single thread worm provides a self locking mechanism and will prevent the tuning assembly overrunning the.

proper setting. It is to be understood of course that the adjustable contact of 48 has previously been adjusted in position for station KPO, this adjustment being made once when the insulation is made and need not be changed thereafter. Now, as soon as the current is broken by insulator 46 the connections at relay 60 are broken and the connections at relay 64 are made so that the set now-being properly tuned to the station and the current channel completed for the loud speaker 66, the program is available.

The foregoing description and the accompanying drawings are believed to clearly disclose a preferred embodiment of my invention but it will be understood that this disclosure is merely illustrative and that such changes in the invention may be made as are fairly within the scope and spirit of the following claims:

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. In an electric timing apparatus for a radio set including a loud speaker and circuit therefor, a station circuit including a rotary conductor and a complementary annular series of stationary contact points having a source of electric supply, flexible conductors connected to said contact points, and a plurality of station indicators each having a socket to receive said flexible conductors, an annular series of adjustable station conductors and a complementary rotary conductor disk, circuit breaking means mounted on said disk, a motor circuit and a motor therein for operating the rotary conductor disk, a reversing switch having a switch-arm, and a lug on the conductor disk for co-action with said arm, a relay in said station circuit and said loud speaker circuit for interrupting said loud speaker circuit when said motor is operating.

2. In an electric timing device for a radio set, including aloud speaker and circuit therefor a station circuit including a rotary conductor and a complementary series of stationary contact points in the path of movement of said conductor, flexible conductors connected to said contact points, 'a plurality of station indicators each having a socket to receive said fiexiblei conductors, and spring retracting means for the flexible conductors, a support, an annular series of adjustable station conductors and means for securing said conductors on the support in adjusted position, a complementary rotary conductor disk co-acting with said adjustable station conductors, a radially extending non-conducting strip on said disk forming a circuit breaker, a motor circuit and motor therein for operating the conductor disk, a relay in said station circuit and said loud speaker circuit for interrupting said loud speaker circuit when said motor is operating.

JOHN M. DULING.

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