US2122328A

US2122328A - Radio tuning indicator

Info

Publication number: US2122328A
Application number: US142864A
Authority: US
Inventors: William J Schnell
Original assignee: ELECTRICAL RES LAB Inc
Current assignee: ELECTRICAL RES LAB Inc; ELECTRICAL RESEARCH LABORATORIES Inc
Priority date: 1937-05-15
Filing date: 1937-05-15
Publication date: 1938-06-28
Anticipated expiration: 1955-06-28

Description

June 28, 1938. w. J. SCHNELL 2,122,323

RADIO TUNING INDICATOR Filed May 15, 195"! 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Mum/J had @211 7710020 @5:

June 28, 1938. w, J SCHNELL 2,122,328

RADIO TUNING INDICATQR Filed May 15, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 28, 1938 UNITED STATES aamo TUNING mnrca'roa William J.

trical Research Laboratories Inc., Chicago,

Schneli, Berwyn, Ill., assignor to Eleca corporation of Illinois Application May 15, 1937, Serial No. 142,864

8 Claims.

This application relates to a tuning indicator for radio receivers and the like.

In present day receivers of the most expensive type, so-called automatic tuning aids operable by various devices, such as telephone dials, push buttons and the like, have been provided for the purpose of facilitating tuning of the receiver in accordance with the call letters of a number of the most usually selected broadcasting stations.

It is an object of applicants invention to provide a tuning indicator for the small and inexpensive class of radio receivers, which tuning in-' dicators shall be simple in construction, inexpensive in cost, and eflicient in operation.

A further object of applicant's invention is to provide an inexpensive and eflicient marking device indicating the position to which the tuning element of the receiver should be moved to tune the receiver to the station represented by call letters inscribed on the marking device.

It is another object of applicant's invention to provide a plurality of tabs adapted to be inscribed with the call letters of any selected combination of broadcasting stations and inexpensive but eiiicient means to detachably mount said tabs upon the dial of a radio receiver.

A further object of the invention is to provide simplified inexpensive means operable in synchronism with the tuning element of the receiver to give a selective indication of the station to which the receiver is tuned.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in a radio receiver, a plurality of marking devices and means selectively illuminating the marking device representing the station to which the receiver is tuned at any instant.

Numerous other objects and advantages will be apparent from a consideration of the following specification when taken in consideration with the drawings disclosing one form of a device constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention and in which- Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of a radio embodying applicant's invention;

Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 are exploded views in perspective showing the various parts of the mechanism;

Fig.4isaviewofa plicants invention;

Fig. is a vertical section taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 6, and

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken along the line B-5 of Fig. 1.

As shown in Fig. 1, a radio cabinet I is providmarking tab used in aped with a dial assembly 2 visible through an opening in the front face of the cabinet, which opening, in the usual manner, is bounded by a decorative escutcheon 3. The dial assembly 2 comprises a frame or supporting plate 4- bolted or 5 otherwise secured to the front panel of the radio cabinet. The frame 6 is generally rectangular in configuration and is provided with a rectangular opening 5. At the bottom of the opening a pair of brackets 6, secured to the front face of the 10 frame provide a shelf on which is supported a sheet I and a' glass plate 8. The sheet I is generaily rectangular in shape; is somewhat larger than the opening 5 and is provided with a preferably circular opening 9. The front surface of the sheet I is blackened to prevent the reflection of rays toward the glass plate 8. This plate 8 is of a size substantially equal to the sheet I and on its front face are etched one or more semi-circular scales l0 marked with indicia representative of one or more broadcast bands. The back sheet 1 and the glass plate 8 are secured to the frame land held against outward movement by a plurality of clamps H. The clamps H are secured to the rear of the frame 4, passing through recesses I2 in the frame, and have portions l3 overlying the. corners of the glass plate 8.

A lamp It is mounted by a bracket 15 on the upper edge of the frame 4 and a shield i6, surrounding the lamp M, is provided with a longitudinal slot I! in alignment with the glass plate 8. The lamp It serves as a means for diffusely illuminating the scales ill by edge-lighting the glass plate 8.

A tuning condenser iii of any ordinary form is mounted in the usual manner on the radio receiver chassis I9 and on the shaft 20 of the tuning condenser there is mounted, by a collar 2|,

a set screw 22 and a washer 23, a disc 24. The disc 24 is made of any suitable transparent or translucent material such as Pyroxylin and is coated on its rear surface with an opaque material, preferably black, in such a manner as to leave radially aligned transparent strips or lines 25 in the coating. The disc 24 is operated by a pair of fiber discs 26 carried on the inner end of a shaft 21 which is operable by a knob 28. A lamp 29 is mounted by a bracket 30 on the' collar 2| in alignment with the transparent strips 25.

It will be apparent that'for the coated disc 24 there may be substituted a like disc of opaque material having radially aligned slots allowing passage of the light therethrough.

A metallic plate 3| is secured to the frame I to provide resilient sections 34 under which a marking tab 35 is adapted to be inserted and frictlonally held against the glass plate 8. The resilient sections 34 are bent forwardly at their outer ends, as at 36, to facilitate the insertion of the tabs 35. The tabs 35 comprise transparent strips upon which there is or is adapted to be inscribed the call letters of desired broadcasting stations.

The frame 4 and associated parts are mounted on the chassis is by a bracket 31 fastened to the rear surface of the frame 4 and secured to the condenser housing as by bolts 38. The bracket 31 is provided with a substantially semicircular opening 39 forming a bearing for the shaft 20 of the condenser.

In use, tabs 35 are prepared by inscribing the same with the call letters of the most frequently selected broadcasting stations; the receiver is tuned in turn to these stations and the tabs are in turn inserted under the lips 36, being pressed between the resilient sections 34 of the plate 8| and the glass plate 8 in alignment with the illuminated transparent slits or strips 25.

It will be seen that applicant has provided a radio receiver having a plurality of marking devices, and has provided means for selectively illuminating the marking device representing the station to which at any instant the receiver is tuned.

Changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages, and the right is hereby reserved to make all such changes as fairly fall within the scope of the following claims.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of dial means comprising a lighttransmitting plate and a scale visible through said plate, a second plate in clamping engagement with said first plate and having an opening through which said scale may be viewed, and a plurality of marking tabs adapted to be inscribed with indicia representative of selected broadcasting stations, said second plate having a plurality of resilient sections for frictlonally clamping said tabs between said first and second plates.

2. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of dial means comprising a light transmitting plate and a scale visible through said plate, a second plate in clamping engagement with said first plate and having a semicircular opening concentric to said scale, a plurality of marking tabs each adapted to be inscribed with indicia representative of a selected broadcasting station, said second plate being radially slit at equally spaced points to form a plurality of resilient sections for frictlonally clamping said tabs between said first and second plates.

3. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a translucent plate, an arcuate scale marked on one surface of said plate, means for directing rays of light against said plate diflusely to illuminate said scale. a second plate in clamping engagement with said first plate and having an opening concentric to said scale, and a plurality of marking tabs each adapted to be inscribed with indiciarepresentative of a selected broadcasting station, said second plate directing rays of light against said plate diffusely to illuminate said scale, a second plate and scale in clamping engagement with said first plate and having an opening concentric to said scale, and a plurality of marking tabs adapted to be inscribed with indicia representative of a selected broadcasting station, said second plate having a plurality of resilient sections for frictlonally clamping said tabs between said first and second plates, a tuning element, a driving shaft for operating said element, luminous means carried by said shaft, a shutter carried by said shaft and interposed between said plate and said luminous means for directing a concentrated beam of light from said luminous means upon said plate selectively to illuminate various ones of said tabs in accordance with the position of said tuning 'element.

5. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a translucent plate, an arcuate scale marked on one surface of said plate, means for directing rays of light against said plate diffusely to illuminate said scale, a second plate in clamping engagement with said first plate and having an opening concentric to said scale, and

a plurality of marking tabs adapted to be inscribed with indicia representative of a selected broadcasting station, said second plate having a plurality of resilient sections for frictlonally clamping said tabs between said first and second plates, a tuning element, a driving shaft for operating said element, luminous means carried by said shaft, a transparent disc having an opaque coating with an opening in said coating forming a transparent strip in alignment with said luminous means, said disc being carrled by said shaft and interposed between said plate and said luminous means for directing a concentrated beam of light from said luminous means upon said plate selectively to illuminate various lines of said scale and various ones of said tabs in accordance with the position of said tuning element.

6. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a translucent plate, an arcuate scale marked on one surface of said plate, means for directing rays of light against the edge of said plate diffusely to illuminate said scale, a second plate in clamping engagement with said first plate and having an opening concentric to said scale, and a plurality of marking tabs adapted to be inscribed with indicia representative of a selected broadcasting station, said second plate having a plurality of resilient sections for frictlonally clamping said tabs between said first and second plates, a tuning element, a driving shaft for operating said element, luminous means carried by said shaft, a disc having a narrow radial slot in alignment with said luminous means, said disc being carried by said shaft and interposed for triotlondlly clamping said tabs between said 10 plate and the dial cover plate.

8. Means for detachebly securing a. plurality oi marking tabs to the dial cover plate of s mdio receiver, comprising a. plate adapted to be pieced in clamping engagement with the cover plate, said plate being radially slit at equally spseed points to form a. plurality of resilient sections for friotionelly clamping the marking tabs between seid plate and the dial cover plate.