US2268950A - Station indicating means for automatic tuners - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 6, 1942. E RoY J. LElsHMAN 2,258,950

I STATION INDICATING MEANS FOR AUTOMATIC TUNERS Filed Deo. 1, 1957 *6 y Z4, /62 Z'S IN VENTOR.'

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e 'Patented Jas. e,v 1942 l .Uewlsurlezn STATES PATENT- oFFI'CE 2,268,950 I l STATION INDICATING MEANS FOR I AUTOMATIC TUNERS Le Roy J. Leishman, Los Angeles, Calif.

A Application December l, 1937, Serial No. 177,434

' 9 claims. (Cl.1is1z4.1)

This invention pertains to automatic tuning devices for radio sets and the like, and more particularly to those having a series of manually movable arms each of which is adapted totune in a pre-selected station after an initial adjustment has been made. In devices of this kind that are operated by levers, it is customary for the levers tobe provided with springs that'return them after each operation to a rest, or lncperative, position. As a consequence; it is impossible to tell what station the set is tuned tol .by looking at the controls, and the tuning scale must therefore be referred to. Even this method of identification is not satisfactory unless one is able toV identify the statins by their dial read- -ings.-The present invention is directed toward the'elimination of Athis difliculty. Its objects are to make it possible instantly toidentify the station to'which the set is tuned; to provide means for illuminating the index tab vfor such station;

' operating lever., If the straight arm o'f the posi- .r which AI 'is pictured. 'From the foregoing de- 'scriptiom it will be evident that any positionable member'may be rotated to the position in which j to alord amechanism-whereby the subsequent" tuning in of Aa diffrent station will automatically 4cxtinguishthe illumination of the tab for the as it will go, it'jwill assume the position shown in dotted lines and indicated by the reference characters Fla. This will move positionable lever AI to the position shown,'regardless of the position in which it might bewhen engaged by lever FI in its downward movement. Should lever AI `happen to be in the angular position of lever A3,` it will'b'e obvious that the operating lever wouldengage the end of the straight arm, causing it to rotate with the downward motion of the tionable lever is found belowI shaft S in .an angular position 180 degrees from that of lever A3, the rounded arm K3 would be above shaft S, and the downward movement ofthe operating ',lever would then engage this. rounded endandfrotate the pomtionable' lever to the angular position in .member Al is shown vr'nerely by pressing down the associated operating lever. Shaft S may there- `fore be turned t'o any desired angular position by station previously tuned in;` and to provide-means whereby only lone adjusting screw at a time is 95 made accessible. YS

` till other objects will appear asthis description proceeds.- A

In the accompanying drawiigf Fig. 1 is a side -elevation of anautomatic tuning mechanism equipped with applicants inveniw tion for selectively lilluminating the 'station index tabs.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of vpart ofthe mechanism shown-in Fig. 1, taken online 2'-2 of Fig. 1.

ment in which the shutters move only a fraction any of'the operating levers, providing the cooperating positionable vlever has been pre-set in that 'position on the shaft while lthe operating lever is held down.

The pre-setting `operations areperformed in 'l the-'following manner: Cover strip I is removed from escutcheon'D .by taking out screws P-one on each end ofthe strip. One of the operating levers, say. FI is then pressed down. This brings set-screw R. behind' hole XI in-bar Y and into alignment with hole' U in the escutcheon. With the lever stili held down, a screw-driver is inserted through these ,holes and the-'set-screw loosened. Shaft S vniaythenbe turned while the positionable lever is held'I stationary. Inasmuch as shaft S is operatively connected to the tuning of the distance required for the shutters m'condensers of theradio set, the manual .tuning in inthe previous figures, but which does notV co pletely admit orl exclude the light.

Fig. 5 is a` cross section of Fig. 4 on-line m Fig. 1,' Al, .u and A: are rotatable levers. f -'each having a curved arm and a relatively straight arm bearing a set-screw R.="The operating levers FI and F2 move-in the same planes respectively as rotatable levers AI and A2.- The. operating levers are `all pivotedl on a common 4smit Q, and the rotatable 1evers are mountedin jvarlous angular positions on shaft Swhich is used to transmit rotatcry vmotion to the conA win, the set-screw is again tightened, and-the cover strip is replaced. Any subsequent pressing of' lever FI 4will automatically time in this station. Other operating levers will bring in other stations if the cooperating positionable members 'are set in the manner just described.

. Levers FI and F2 are provided with springs J 'and J'fo'r returning them to their rest position Aagainst bumper B', which in the form disclosed denser gang. A If the operators. .nnger is placed 1s 'a tube of rubber around rod QI. Other levers,

on button Wl and lever FI pressed as far dem .not'showm are equipped with such springaand since all the levers therefore flip back up after each operation, it is impossible to tell what station is tuned in unless the dial is consulted. No dial is shown in the drawing, as the dial forms no part of this invention. To obviate the inconvenience of referring to the dial readings to identify the station that is tuned in, the present index tab for the lever last operated.

In Fig. 1, the station labelor index tab O is shown in a recess between the holder M and the escutcheon D. Holder M has a window N through which the tab may be seen from the front of the set, and the escutcheon has a window Na through which the tab is illuminated. Member G, Fig. 2, extends across the front of the tuner assembly from one end plate to the other, and is provided with windows TI, T2, T3- one for each index tab. Member G has a perpendicular projection Bat the top and another projection 1 at the bottom. Projection 1 is stamped, as shown in Fig. 3, to form guides for vertical members CI, C2, C3 and C4, Fig. 2, with their'shutter projections VI. V2, V3 and V4.

Members CI to C4 are movably fastened at the bottom by ears ZI, Z2, Z3 and Z4, which may be punched on bar Y, and which t into slots 8 of members C I, C2, C3 and C4 respectively. These vertical members each have a slot 9 near their upper ends. Down the center of each of these slots extends a tongue I0, which is integral with the member. An expansion spring II surrounds each tongue I0. One end of each spring II.

presses against guide member 1, and the other end forces the .vertical member upward against bumper B2.

y in position as soon as it passes the' lower edge of invention provides means for illuminating the the latch bar. Shutter V2 is then below window T2, and the .associated index tab, not shown, then become the illuminated one. The operating lever then returns to its rest position againstl bumper B.

From the foregoing description it will be clear that the illuminated index tab always indicates the lever that was' last pressed down.

'I'he same result may be attained without the shutters by providing each index tab with an by the same lamps used for the dial, is less Iex- XI, X2, X3 and Xl in bar Y.

Member G has a series of lugs I4 for preventing lateral movement of the upper ends of the vertically movable members.

When the slidable shutter members are in their normal position against bumper B2, light from the lamp L is intercepted by the shutter projections VI, V2, V3 and V4, thus preventing the illumination of the index tabs, as no light can then pass through the corresponding winvdows TI, T2, T3 and TI, but if one of the levers, say FI, is depressed, the lever engages projection I2 on member CI and pulls the shutter member down to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, with the shutter VI below window Tl permitting the light to pass through windows TI and Na, Fig. l, and illuminate tab O. 'I'he operating lever then occupies the position indicated by Fla in Fig. 2. The shutter is held in this lowerl position by latch bar E, which engages projection I5a formed on the shutter, but the operating lever returns to its original position. The latch bar extends all the way across the tuning device and lies in the path of projections I5a, I5b and lic on all the shutters. On one end of the latch bar a spring J3 isfastened above the pivot Q3,

which may be integral with the bar, or a rod or stud journaled in end plate I'Ia. The other end of this springis fastened to stud QI. The tension of this spring pulls the latch bar against pin Q5 on plate IIa. At its other end, the bar has a pivot Q6, Fig. 2, in end plate Ilb, and a spring J4 acting in conjunction with spring J3 lpreviously described. The subsequent tuning in individual lamp and using similar latch-controlled members tov operate switches that are individual to the lamps. I prefer, however, the embodiment of the invention shown in the figures, as it permits the illumination of the tabs pensive, and does not entail diiliculties due to faulty contacts or the burning out of the lamps.

If the index tabs are placed above the levers as shown in the drawing, instead of below the levers as in my Patent No. 2,084,851, the removal of strip I, Fig. l, reveals all theset-screw holes Only one setscrew, however, will be in perfect alignment with the correspondinghole, and that one will be the set-screw for the positionable member cooperating with the operating lever that was last pressed down; but the set-screws for any positionable levers that have been set at only slightly different angular positions will also be visible through the adjusting holes. This sometimes causes confusion to a novice which is adjusting the device-to bring in a group of desired stations, or who may be changing the station for a given lever. To overcome this diiliculty, the present invention provides means for covering all the set-screws except the one in the lever that is to be set. The vertically movable members CI, C2, C3 and Cl are provided with masking portions lia, lib, IGc and lid, that cover the adjusting holes when members C are in their upper positions. When one of these members is pressed down, however, the opening I3 reveals the corresponding set-screw hole, as shown by opening I3 in vertically movable member CI, Figs. 1 and 2. I

It may be thought desirable to have all the index tabs dimly illuminated at all times and ythe index tab for the tuned-ln station merely illuminated to a greater degree, or to achieve the objectives of this invention with a vertically movable member having less travel than the arrangement previously described. This may be accomplished by the modiiication shown in Figs. 4 and 5. In this arrangement, each of the windows TI, T2 and T3 of the preceding ilgures is replaced by a series of openings Ta, and shutter V has a series of openings or transparent sections Tb that are normally hidden behind the solid portions between the openings Ta. If shut.

ter V is moved down a distance equal to the height of one of these openings, an examination of Figs. 4 and 5 will disclose the fact that openings Tb will register with the lower two openings Ta, thus permitting light to pass therethrough, and that light may also pass through vthe higher ofV the Ta. -openings because the upper opaque section .of the shutter will have moved behind the solid section between the two higher openings in member G. This embodiment of the invention oi course requires much less longi- .tudinal movement of members C than the arrangement previously described in which the' shutters either lie behind or completely vbelow windows T.

It will be understood that my selective indextab illuminating means may be used with any tuner having a manually movable member for each of a group of pre-selected stations, and that the' form of tuning mechanism shown in Fig. 1

is described in this specication merely to illustrate the use of the present invention with tuners of this general type. v

While I prefer the form of my invention shown inFigs. l; 2 and 3, it will be obvious that various modifications may be made from the embodiments disclosed without departing from the spirit of v'the invention. n

My claims are:

position, an lindicating means comprising, in combination, va light source; an opaque shield having a plurality of windows therein; and a movable shutter for each window adapted to screen said window vfrom light from said source when said shutter is in a iirst position: said. shutter movable to a second position in which it does not lscreen said window from said light;

` and a plurality of means each individual to one 1. In a radio tuning apparatus having a mov-l I able control element and a plurality of means for eecting the movement of said element each to a predetermined position vand each comprising an independently operable manual, indicating means including, in combination, a light source; I

an index tab for each of said manuals; a movable shutter foreach index `tab adapted to screen said tab from light from said source when said shutter is in a restive position; and a plurality of Ameans each individual to one of said manuals for moving the associated shutter from said restive position upon operation of the amociated manual.

2. In a radio tuning apparatus having a movable control element and a plurality of means for moving said element each to a predetermined position and each comprising an operating device, a combination for indicating the -last device operated, said combination including, a light source; an index'tab for each of said operating devices; a movable shutter forv each index tab tion that will permit light from said source to illuminate said tab; means for locking said shut- A adapted to screen said tab from light from said vsource when said shutter is in a restive first position; said shutter movable to a second positer in said second position; and a plurality of means each individual to one of said operating devices and to one of said shutters for moving the associated shutter lfrom said Aiirst positionv vto said second position upon operation of the associated operating device. r

3. In a radio tuning apparatus having a mov-' ofsaid operablemeans and to one of said shutters for moving the Yassociated shutter from said first position to said second position upon operation of the associated operable means.

v5. In a radio tuning apparatus having a positionable tuning element and a plurality of independently voperable means for effecting the movement of said element each'to a predetermined position, an indicating means comprising,

in combination, a light source; an opaque shield having aplurality of windows therein; a movable shutter for each window acting to screen said window from light from said source when means for unlocking said shutter upon the sub.-v

sequent operation of any other of said operable means.

6. In a radio tuningapparatus having a positionable tuning element and a pluralityof independently operable positioning means for effecting movement of said element each to a predetermined position, an indicating means comprising, in combination, a 'plurality of index tabs; means for illuminating said tabs. comprising alight source; a plurality of movable members each individual to one of said tabs and held by a retaining spring in a first position in which said member intercepts light rayS passing from said source to the tab associated with said member; each of said members having means able control element and a plurality of means for effecting the movement of said element each to a predetermined position and each comprising an operating membermovable independently of the other operating members, an indicating means including, in combination, a light source;

an index tab for each of said operating members;

a movable shutter for each index tab adapted to vscreen said tab from light from said source when said shutter is in arestive first position;

' saidshutter movable toa second position in` which it does not screen said tab from said light; means for locking said shutter in said second position; and a plurality of means each individual to one o! said operating members and to one of said shuttersfor moving the associated l shutter from said first position to said second position upon operation of the associated operating members; and means for unlocking said shutter upon the, subsequent operation of any other of said operable means.

4. `In a radio tuning apparatus having a movable control element and a plurality of indeing means.

by which it is moved by one-of said positioning means to a second position in which said member does not intercept said light rays; means for locking said member in said second position; and means for unlocking said member upon the subsequent operation of any other of said position- '7. In a radio tuning sitionable tuning element and a plurality o i.' independently operable positioning means foreifecting the movement of said element each to a predetermined position, an indicating means 60 comprising', in combination, a plurality of index -tabs each individual to one of said positioning means; means for illuminating said ta-bs comprising alightA source; a plurality' of vmovable members each individum to one of said tabs and to one' of said positioning means,l each of said :members normally held by a retaining spring in a iirst position in which said member intercepts light rays passing from said source to the tab associated with said member; each of said, members adapted to be engaged by the associated' positioning means andmoved to a second position-in which said member does not intercept pendently operable means for eecting the .move- A ment of said element each to ya predetermined u. tion; each of said members having means to said light rays; and a latching means adapted` to lock any of said members in said second posiapparatus having a poactuate said latching means to unlock the previously locked member. l.

8. In a radio tuning apparatus having a positionable tuning element and a plurality oi selectively operable positioning means for effecting the movement of said element each to a predetermined position and each comprising adjustable position-predetermining means -having a screw for maintaining the adjustment thereof, a combination including: a shield having apertures individual to,each of said screws; an index tab for each of said positioning means; means for illuminating said tabs comprising alight source; a plurality of movable members each adapted to mask one of said apertures and to substantially shield one of said tabs from light from said source; and a plurality of means each individual to'one of said members and operable by one of said positioning means for moving the associated `member toa position in which it does not mask the associated aperture and shield the associated tab.

9. In a radio tuning apparatus having a posii tionable tuning element and a plurality of selectively operable positioning means for effecting the movement of said element each to a predetermined position and each comprising an adjustable device held in adjustment by a screw for predetermining said position, a combination including: a'shield having apertures individual to each of said screws; an index tab 'for each of said positioning means; means for illuminating lnot mask said aperture nor shield said tab;

means for locking said member in said position; and means for unlocking said member upon the subsequent operation of another one of said p0- sitioning means.

LE ROY J. LEISHMAN.

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