US2241635A - Mechanical drive - Google Patents

Description

y 1941. w. c. DE ROO MECHANICAL DRIVE 2 Sheets-Sheet i Filed June 28, 1958 Bnnentor (Ittomegs May 13,1941. w. c. DE RO'O 2,241,635

MECHANICAL DRIVE Filed June28, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 r v I 7: I 48 4 7/07/7701 Bnnentor panel 2 of any suitable design is provided for Patented May 13, 1941 FIQE.

PATENT o MECHANIGAL DRIVE William 0,. De R00, Kokomo, Ind, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a

corporation of Delaware This invention relates to indexing means and more specifically to means for indexing the tuning means for a radio receiving set to a series of predetermined positions.

In the construction of the present day sets it is desirable to provide means for indexing or automatically tuning the set with a very small amount of energy and little attention as to the operation of the means. In other words, it is desirable to provide some form whereby the mere pressing of a button will index the tuning shaft to be in correct tuned position to receive a given station. In this manner it is possible for small children, who have no conception as to the mean- Q ing of a dial, to properly tune in a set as well as an older person who does not wish to spend a great deal of time on the dial but may merely casually press a button and have the set properly tuned.

This is a particular advantage also in automo- 'tive sets where it is desired not to detract the drivers attention from the road hazards and he may merely reach over to the instrument panel and press a button without taking his gaze from the roadway ahead.

It is therefore an'object of my invention to provide a simple and rugged means for automatically tuning a radio receiving set.

It is a further object of my invention to provide such a means as will be of small size and easily adapted to be combined with any of the commercial sets. I

It is a still further object of my invention to provide an automatic tuning device which has a pleasing appearance when applied to a control 535 panel.

With these and other objects in view, the embodiments of my invention will be best understood by reference to the following specification and claims and illustrations in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front View of the control panel of my invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the tuning means of my invention, parts being broken away and shown in section.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a sectional View taken on line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Referring now more specifically to Figure 1, a

mounting the apparatus. In this panel there is provided a suitable indicating dial 4 of conventional design which is connected directly to shaft 6 leading to a bank of tuning condensers 8 whose position determines the resonant frequency of reception, and therefore said dial indicates the position of the condensers.

There is also provided in this panel 2 a series of automatic indexing buttons it! which through apparatus to belater described will cause the tuning condenser shaft to assume a plurality of different predetermined angular positions.

There is also provided a knob l2 whichis directly connected to the tuning condensers through apparatus to be described for manually setting the position of the tuning shaft when desired and a further button Id for controlling the volume of the set. The remaining control knob I6 is provided for mechanically operating the connection between the manual tuning knob l2 and the condenser shaft so that until this knob is turned the manual tuning knob is not connected to the tuning shaft.

The plate 2 has a series of openings iii through which the various shafts 29 of the automatic tuning knobs 10 project, said shafts 2i! being threaded for horizontal adjustment. A suitable casing 22 is provided and is rigidly mounted behind the panel 2 which supports the tuning mechanism and this casing is so mounted that its forward portion contains a series of openings 24 in aligment with the openings l8 for the shafts '20. Mounted on the forward face of this casing 22 is a horizontally slidable plate 25 supported in angled tongues 21, said plate having openings 28 therein which encircle the shafts 20 but which are larger than the same .and adapted to allow a tapered collar 30 secured to the shafts 20 but spaced a slight distance from the knobs l!) to pass therethrough.

It will be evident therefore that as this shaft 20 is forced inwardly by pressure on the knob l0 that the tapered portion of the collar 3U will force its way through the opening 28 in the slidable plate 25 until it has proceeded therethrough and after that a spring such as 32, which tensions the slidable plate toward the left as shown in Figure 2, Will engage the collar and prevent the knob from moving outwardly again until released. The plate 26 is of course spring-biased by a spring 32 to the left of the assembly against a stop such as 34 at all times and is only moved to the right by one of the collars engaging the edge of the opening to force it over as it progresses therethrough. This construction provides locking means when any one of the automatic knobs is depressed and also enables the knob depressed to be released as soon as one of the others is pressed inwardly and moves the plate over so that only one can be in tuned position at a time.

Supported to the rear of the forward face of the casing 22 is a block member 36 having a plurality of cylindrical openings 38 therein, the axis of said openings being in axial alignment to the position of the shafts 26 and being the same mumber as the shafts. Within each one of these openings 38 there is provided a compression spring 49 and a longitudinally movable piston member 42 having an enlarged head portion against which the compression spring 48 seats, the opposite end of the spring seating against the base of the cylindrical opening. In this base is provided a small opening 44 and the member 42 is adapted to project therethrough so that it may be forced in and out of said opening but being spring biased to a position Where it is in substantial alignment with the base of the member 36, said member 42 being provided with a cylindrical center bore 46 which is screw-threaded and adapted to cooperate with the end of the shaft 20 so that the same may be screwed inwardly or outwardly for adjustment purposes.

One side of the opening 44 is provided with a small key 48 which is adapted to seat in a keyway 56 in the member 42 so that the same may be longitudinally moved but held against rotation when it is desired to adjust the shaft 26 within the member 42. It is thus obvious that the knob I6 may by rotation be given different longitudinal settings with respect to the index of the sliding lock plate and that when said knob is depressed the member 42 will be pressed inwardly to varying degrees depending upon the amount the member 26 is screwed into the member 42 in operation. The construction of each of these automatic setting knobs is identical and they may all be set at different longitudinal positions so that they may index the tuning shaft to different positions.

Mounted to the rear of the block 36 is an an-v gular movable plate 52 having in its center a flanged opening 54 adapted to encircle and. slide upon a member 56 around the shaft 6, said member 56 acting as a bearing and an alignment member for the movable plate 52. This plate is springbiased against the rear face of the block 36 by tension springs 58, one end of which is connected to the block 36 and the other to a pin such as 69 projecting from either side of the angled arms 62 of the angular member 52. With this construction it is evident that the angled assembly 52 may move back and forth with respect to the block 36, dependent upon the setting of the particular member 42 which causes it to move away from the block. The arms 62 are provided in the lower faces with rack teeth such as 64 and above these teeth are also provided slots such as 66 through which project supporting members 68 projecting from the side of the condenser housing 8.

Also projecting from the side of the housing 8 are the ends of the tuning shaft proper l6 and upon these are provided pinions 12 which are adapted to mesh with the rack teeth 64, one on either side of the condenser housing, and as the member 52 moves horizontally these rack teeth will cause the tuning shaft to be rotated an amount dependent upon the position of the rack.

If it is desired .to at any time manually control the position of the tuning shaft, it is necessary only to turn the knob l6 to its vertical position which knob is mounted on a shaft 14 which projects through the instrument panel 2 or plate, the housing 22 and also through a boss 16 extending from the block 36 mounted on the inner surface of the member 22. On the inner end of the shaft there is provided an eccentric cam 18 which rotates with the shaft 14 as the knob I6 is turned. The supporting member 16 supports in an extending arm a small stub shaft which acts as a. pivot for a bell crank member 82 one end of which cooperates with the eccentric l8 and the opposite end such as 84 is positioned under a vertically movable angular block 86, one portion of which, 88, is substantially circular and extends into a circular opening 96 in the block 36 so that there may be relative vertical movement between the two. The member 88 is also hollow and encloses a compression spring 92 to force the member 86 down against the end of the bell crank at 84 to normally disengage the manual knob l 2 from ac tuaticn.

However, when the knob I6 is turned so that the arrow is vertical, the eccentric T8 presses down one end of the bell crank 82 and forces 84 upwardly which in turn compresses the spring 92 and forces the member 88 up into the circular opening 96. The worm 94 supported upon the end of a shaft 96 which extends through an opening in the member 86 and is driven by the knob [2, may now engage and drive the rack teeth 98 provided in the lower surface of a portion of the slidable angular member 52. This of course will move the member 52 and cause rotation of the shaft 79 to tune the set to any desired position. There is, as before mentioned, a volume control shaft M for controlling the volume of the sound emanated from the loud speaker.

In initially setting each one of the knobs I6 to allow the tuning of a predetermined station, it is only necessary to depress the knob and then rotate the same until the desired station is in correct tuning position. Thereafter whenever the knob is depressed the tuning shaft will be in the proper position for reception of that station so that it is only necessary to depress the first knob rotated until the desired station is received and then immediately depress the second knob and set another station, etc. until the whole manual has been set up to give a desired collection of selected stations.

I claim:

1. In a control device, a rotatable shaft, a reciprocable means operatively connected thereto for turning the latter, manually reciprocable means engaging the first named reciprocable means to cause the same to move, and manually rotatable means adapted to threadedly engage the first named reciprocable means to cause it to move, said movement in either case causing shaft rotation for index purposes.

2. In a control device, a rotatable shaft, a reciprocable means connected thereto in driving relation for turning the latter, manually reciprocable means engaging the first named reciprocable means to cause the same to move, manually rotatable means adapted to threadedly engage the first named reciprocable means to cause it to move, said movement in either case causing shaft rotation for index purposes, and means controlling the engagement of the rotatable means with the first named reciprocable means.

3. In a control device, a casing, a rotatable tuning shaft carried thereby, a reciprocable membenoperatively connected to the shaft to rotate the same, a block having a plurality of parallel bores carried by the casing, spring biasing means for maintaining the reciprocable member against the block, plungers movable within the bores to actuate the reciprocable members, rods threaded into the plungers for actuation, a tapered enlarged collar on each rod and a slidable locking plate having openings through which the rods project for engagement with the tapered collar for locking purposes.

4. In a control device, a casing, a rotatable tuning shaft carried thereby, a reciprocable member operatively connected to the shaft to rotate the same, a block having a plurality of parallel bores carried by the casing, spring biasing means for maintaining the reciprocable member against the block, plungers movable within the bores to actuate the reciprocable members, rods threaded into the plungers for actuation, a tapered enlarged collar on each rod and a slidable locking plate having openings through which the rods project for engagement with the tapered collar for locking purposes, a toothed portion on said reciprocable member, a manually operable rotatable shaft, a worm carried thereon, supporting means for the shaft maintaining the worm normally out of contact with the toothed portion but movable into engagement so that the reciprocable member may be moved thereby.

5. In a control device, a casing, a rotatable tuning shaft carried thereby, a reciprocable member operatively connected to the shaft to rotate the same, a block having a plurality of parallel bores carried by the casing, spring biasing means for maintaining the reciprocable member against the block, plungers movable within the bores to actuate the reciprocab le members, rods threaded into the plungers for actuation, a tapered enlarged collar on each rod and a slidable locking plate having openings through which the rods project for engagement with the tapered collar for locking purposes, a toothed portion on said reciprocaable member, a manually operable rotatable shaft, a worm carried thereon, supporting means for the shaft maintaining the worm normally out of contact with the toothed portion but movable into engagement so that the reciprocable member may be moved thereby and additional manually adjustable means for locking said worm in engagement with the toothed portion.

6. In a control device, a casing, a rotatable shaft carried thereby, a reciprocable member operatively connected to the shaft to rotate the same, trunnion means pivotally supported on the casing, a second shaft rotatably supported on said trunnion means, threaded means on the sec ond shaft and reciprocable member which may be brought into engagement by movement of the trunnion whereby as the second shaft is rotated the reciprocable means will be moved longitudinally.

'7. In a control device, a casing, a rotatable shaft carried thereby, a reciprocable member operatively connected to the shaft to rotate the same, trunnion means pivotally supported on the casing, a second shaft rotatably supported on said trunnion means, threaded means on the second shaft and reciprocable member which may be brought into engagement by movement of the trunnion whereby as the second shaft is rotated the reciprocable means will be moved longitudinally and spring biasing means to normally maintain the threaded means out of engagement but capable of being manually overcome to connect the two for driving.

8. In a control device, a casing, a rotatable shaft carried thereby, a plurality of parallel reciprocable means operatively connected to the shaft to individually cause it to turn, trunnion means pivotally mounted on the casing, a second shaft rotatably supported in the trunnion means,

interengaging means connected between the two shafts whereby the rotation of the second will drive the first, said means being separated when the trunnion is in one position and in engagement when in another, and resilient means to maintain the two out of engagement unless overcome by manual force.

WILLIAM C. DE R00.

Images