US2187851A - Radio station control system - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 23, 1940. A. G. FOSS I 2,187,851

RADIO STATION CONTROL SYSTEM Filed Dec. 20, 1937 2 Shees-$heet l fires a er-z 337 I I 1 J A Q 5% F23 5j"37 5 8 7 H21 B2 p25 H27 P2? 4% //V Vii/V TOE: fidam i585 am 23,, 1940. A. G. FOSS more STATION cormzoa SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec.

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Patented Jan. 23, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE 3 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in the art of radio control systems and has particular reference to'an improved system which is constructed and arranged in a manner whereby a number of switches may be adjusted so that a corresponding number of programs may be heard during the period of a single evening without the necessity of turning the customary dial for tuning in for a particular-station, or for changing from one station. to another.

Another important advantage of the invention is that when the particular stations desired for the evening entertainment have been adjusted,

each of them will come in at the designated time and stop when the program is complete, and the starting and stopping of each station is entirely automatic. I Y

Inasmuch as radioprograms are based upon intervals of fifteen minutes or the multiples thereof, for illustration I have arranged so that six programs of fifteen minutes each may be heard with a single adjustment of the system, or one program of one hour and another of thirty minutes; in fact, any combination of programs may be heard within the range of one and one-half hours. However, the system is limited to the range of one and one-half hours. It may provide for less than six fifteen minute periods, or

any number ,of periods in excess of six may be likewise used. The system which I disclose is also susceptible of application to the control of apparatus of various kinds of other than radio receiving sets, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

With reference to the drawings: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of thecom-' plete electric circuit, also showing the time clock arrangement, distributor, and part of the prin- Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken at a the position of line 'I--l of Figure 5.

Figure 8 is a section upon line 8-8 of Figure 5.

Figure 9 is a section upon line 99 of Figure 5. Figure 10 is a sectional view upon line IHl of Figure 2.

,Figure 11 is a view upon. line ll-ll of Figure 6. I

, ploy the use of conventional type electric motor I which is geared so as to rotate approximately 3. to 6 times per minute, and may operate on A. C. or D. C. current.

Referring to Figure 1, wall plug 2 is the means by which the system connects with the electric supply circuit, and leading from said plug are wires 3 and 4 to clock 5. The path of the current is carried through wire 6 to toggle switch 1' through wires 8 and 9, returning through wire H! to magnet ll. Wire l2 has permanent connection with wire 4. Wire 8 connects with contact arm !3 through copper sleeve 14, contact member l5 of metal and any of metal contacts l6 upon distributor I! through wire [8 to toggle switches 19. Wire connects with toggle switches 2|. Wire 22 connects with toggle switches 23. -.Wire 24 connects with toggle switches 25. Wire 26 connects with toggle switches 21, and wire 28 likewise connects with toggle switches 29.

Toggle switch l5 moved to contact wire 30 connects with contact 3| mounted upon insulating drum 32, and this switch, when moved to contact wire 33, connects with contact 34.v

Switch l9 movedv to contact wire connects with contact 36, and when moved to contact wire 31 connects with contact 38.

Switch I9 moved to contact wire 39 connects with Contact, and when moved to contact wire 4! connects with contact 42.

Toggle switches 2!, 23, 25, 21, and 29 operate similar'to that of toggle switch I9.

Still referring to Figure 1, it is understood that electric-conducting cylinder 43 is disposed within drum 32 and said drum is permanently fixed as at 44, also cylinder 43 is secured to the drum by threads 45. Bushing 45 is provided within cylinder 43 in which is journaled one end of horizontal shaft 41.

A plurality of trolleys 4B are provided and each of said trolleys being pivoted at 49 to drum 32 in spaced apart relation where indicated, also spring 50 is for purpose of holding said trolleys normally in contact with outer surface of cylinder 43 until at such time when any oneof the trolleys is raised out of contact with said cylinder by copper arm 5!, and said arm is secured to vertical lever 52 as shown. Lever 152 is secured to shaft 41 by pin 53. Arm 54 is secured to lever 52'where shown and has contact members 55 secured thereto so that said members will be in normal contact with inner surface of cylinder 43. v

Referring now to Figure 4, it is clear that pressed upon shaft 41 and integral therewith is large insulating sleeve 5'! adjacent lever 52, and having metal band 58 pressed upon sleeve 5?. Adjacent to sleeve 51'! is small insulating sleeve 59 upon which is pressed metal band 60. Passage 6| extending through lever. 52, sleeves 5? and 59 are for the purpose of accommodating wire 62 through both sleeve elements and said lever. One end of said wire is connected to terminal 63 upon band 60. The opposite end of wire 62 connects with terminal 64 upon arm 51. v

Member 65 permanently contacts band 58, and wire 66 therefrom leads to push-button make switch 6"! and also to motor I. Member 68 permanently contacts band 60, and wire iili leading thereform to radio power supply, also switch. ill

where indicated.

With reference to Figures 6 and 11, it is clear that ball bearing?! is pressed upon shaft ll, and

close to said bearing is cam I2 also pressed upon said shaft, and the cam permanentlyeng'aging roller I3, said roller is supported by yoke I4 of gear, rack 75, and said rack being permanently supported and guided by members 76, said mem-' bers are fixed with radio chassis. A. Gear ll permanently engages rack 75, and is the gear shaft 79.

chassis A by braces all where indicated. Il'lS'llr" securedto shaft l'IA of variable tuning condenser of the radio apparatus. It is also noted that roller- '13 is held in contact with cam I2 by means of spring 13A being connected to ball bearing II and to M.

Referring now to Figures 1, 5,7, 8, and distributor I! is pressed upon ball bearing wand said bearing is inturn'fpressed upon horizontal The distributor is anchored to radio lating bushing BI is pressed upon shaft 79 and copper sleeve M. is in turn pressed upon said bushing; At the opposite end portion of shaft I9 metal sleeve 82 is formed within manually operated knob 8-3-and is adapted to turn with said knob upon shaft I9. has elongated slot 84 therein and is hollow so as to receive spring 85 against pin E6, said pin is secured to knob 83. Arm 8? is permanently fixed with chassis A and extends outwardly therefrom so as to stop knob 83 from turning, which will be explained later.

Shaft I9 is journaled within roller bearing 38 where shown. Spring steel member 89 is fixed with brace 80 and bears against shaft 19 thus performing as a governor for said shaft.

Ball bearing 90 is pressed upon shaft 19, and ratchet 9! is likewise pressed upon said shaft with pawl pivoted to bearing 90 and engagingsaid ratchet as indicated, also tension spring 93 for l0, and 13, the mechanism coacting with time i clock 5, comprises double spirally groovedspool 7&-

99'which is mounted upon horizontal shaft Hill,

This end of shaft Ill and said shaft is journaled within qthe walls of ing arm Hi l secured thereto, said arm being non-conductive and having metal shoe I05 secured to the'lower end there'ohsaid shoe permanently engages spiral grooves 99A. of spool 99.

Shaft M2 is provided with a keyway coaoting with key within tracer i62 so that said tracer is prevented turning upon said shaft.

Double metal contact member IE6 is secured to insulating bushing fill and straddles shaft I02 with wire ill leading therefrom, also wire 9 leading from shaft I532.

With eferenceto Figure l2 in which appears an merit of contact members I5, 55, 65, fill, each of said members having floating tip ..thin tube and spring 5 ill acting against said tip. Also contact I l 5 upon said tube where indicated. i .7

The details of construction of the complete invention having been set forth in the severalpreceding paragraphs the precise manner in which the operates immediately follows: i The source of supply of electric current i through wires l to clock 5, and it is assumed th the desired for various programs to be heard covers a period of from eleven thirty a. m. to three p. m., andthis is controlled by starting dal 1A, which is set for eleven thirty, and stop dial l3 is likewise set so as to stop at three p. m., switch '5 is thenturned on, and toggle switches iii, ii 2i, and 29' each controls the system so that a program of fifteen minutes may be heard, thus the entiretime'would be one and one-half hours, however, the clock is setfor a period of 'tiree and one-half hours, and in this case switch 29 will allow the system to continue until three oclock, the time set on step dial EB. Distributor, knob 83 is then set on start.

There are three switches is, and each of said switches are capable of selecting two broadcasting station,' but in the .series of switches I9 only one of them may be used to select a single station during the fifteen minute period, and this advantage and operation is identical with switches 25, 23, 25, 27, and 251, however, switch 29 will remain in effect until stopped by dial 53 on clock 5.

The system is new in readiness for operation and will select the particular stations as they have been set according to the programs desired.

v When clock 5 reaches thetime set on starting dial ea current passes through wire 6 and switch I to wire 8 to contact member 53, and wire 9 to shaft Hi2, then tracer Hi3 moves in a horizontal path, and by virtue of depending arm I04 it is adapted to move forwardly or rearwardly through double spiral groove MA. simultaneous with the rotating of spool 99 which is actuated by pinion ldi and clock gear 5C. Tracer 563 is carried the full length of spool 99 and returned every fifteen minutes, and at-the expiration of this period said tracer contacts member Mid which passes curmoving contact member I5 from one of contacts 6 to the next one of said contacts. The current flows through arm I3 to I 4, l5, and I6 and through wire 18 to switches it through any one of said switches being turned on, and from this switch the current flows through the corresponding wire of the wires 33, 35, 31, 39, M to the corresponding of trolleys 48, said trolleys normally contact metal cylinder d3 through contact members and arm 54 to 58, 65, and 56 to motor I thus operating same rotating shaft M moving lever 52 and arm 5! thus lifting the one of trolleys 48 carrying the current to 43 and to motor I so as to move this trolley out of contact with cylinder 43, thereby stopping said motor.

During the period in which motor i is in operation through shaft 4! cam 12 is rotated thereby moving rack forwardly and rearwardly simul taneously rotating gear ii, said gear being attached to the variable tuning condenser shaft of the radio, thus causing said condenser to operate consistent with the stations selected.

While I have described a particular embodiment of my invention as an example, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that my invention is susceptible of other embodiments, and all such embodiments which are covered by the scope of the appended claims I consider to be within the spirit of the invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. In a radio station control system, a shaft, a driving motor therefor, a drum secured thereto, a metal cylinder within said drum and secured thereto, a plurality of trolleys pivoted on the inner surface of said drum and spring means to bias said trolleys agaisnt the outer surface of said cylinder, a lever secured to said shaft, an arm cooperating with said trolleys and secured to the end of said lever at right angles thereto, a source of current and a plurality of selectable circuits from said source, through said. trolleys and cylinder to said motor whereby, upon energization of one of said circuits through one of said trolleys, said motor moves said lever and arm to a position where said arm moves said trolley out of contact with said cylinder to open said circuit and stop the motor.

2. In a radio control system, a shaft, a driving motor therefor, a drum secured thereto, a metal cylinder within said drum and secured thereto, a plurality of trolleys pivoted on the inner surface of said drum and spring means to bias said trolleys against the outer surface of said cylinder, a lever secured to said shaft, an arm cooperating with said trolleys and secured to the end of said lever and at right angles thereto, a source of current, a large insulating sleeve fixed to said shaft and a first metal sleeve upon said large sleeve, a small insulating sleeve and a second metal sleeve thereon fixed to said shaft and adiaoent said large insulating sleeve, said lever and insulating sleeves being provided with a passage extending through said lever and both of said insulating sleeves and parallel to said shaft, so that a wire may pass entirely through all three elements, a contact point upon said lever and a similar point on said second metal sleeve, a first contact member permanently engaging said second metal sleeve, a second contact member permanently engaging said first metal sleeve, and a plurality of selectable circuits from said source, through said trolleys and cylinder to said motor whereby, upon energization of one of said circuits through one of the trolleys, said motor moves said lever and arm to a position where said arm moves said trolley out of contact with said cylinder to open said circuit and stop the motor.

3. In a radio receiver control system, a cam fixed to the shaft of an electric motor, a roller normally engaging said cam, a gear rack and a yoke formed upon one end thereof, said roller operatively supported by said yoke end, a spring secured to aforesaid ball bearing and to said yoke end for purpose of retaining the roller normally in contact with said cam, a gear engaging said rack, said gear secured to shaft of the variable condenser of the radio receiver, and means for securing and supporting said rack on the radio receiver chassis.

ADAM G. FOSS.

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