US2314584A

US2314584A - Annunciator

Info

Publication number: US2314584A
Authority: US
Inventors: Leo L Kritz
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1940-10-07
Filing date: 1940-10-07
Publication date: 1943-03-23
Anticipated expiration: 1960-03-23

Description

Patented Mar. 23, 1943 UNITED res-rare 'r OFFICE I ANNUNCIATOR 'Leo L. Kritz, Spencer, Iowa Application center 7, 1940-, Serial No. 359,993

2 Claims. (Cl. 177-329) not interfere with the operation or continuation,

of the other signals, and further to provide in connection therewith means wherein the capacity may be varied by'increasing or decreasing the number of individual units.

A further object of my invention is to provide an annunciator employing a light for illuminating colored lenses wherein a single light may be utilized for illuminating all of the lenses simultaneously, and in connection therewith means for individually cutting off the light from any one or all of said lenses, and in connection therewith means whereby articles such as a desk may also be illuminated from said light if so desired.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates a front view of my improved signal device, a portion of said front being broken away to show the interior construction;

Figure 2 is a detailed sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a detailed sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a diagrammatical view of the wiring of my improved signal illustrating the electric circuits used in connection therewith.

My improved device comprises a casing Ill having a bottom II, a back 12 and end members l3, the bottom ll being provided with a longitudinally extending slot l4 near the front edge of said bottom to provide means through which light in the interior of the casing may be projected downwardly to a desk or any other article supported beneath the casing, as desired.

The casing is provided with a top member l5 having an opening I6 and a slide cover l1. By removing the cover I! an opening is provided in the top through which the mechanism within the casing may be inspected, and for the replacement of lamps or other broken or worn out parts.

Supported on the upper surface of the back side of the member M is a block 18 to provide a stand for supporting the signal units, each of said units comprising a frame l9, including a U-shaped core 20, the lower leg of the member 2i? being provided with a coil 2i to form an electromagnet. A frame member I9 is mounted on each side of the core 20 having horizontallyextending members 22 at its upper end, between which an armature 23 is pivotally mounted, the

lower end of which is supported opposite the lower end of the core 20. The lower ends of the frame members l9 are provided with upwardly extending portions it between which an arm 25' is pivotally mounted. The inner end of said arm is designed to engage a notch it formed in the lower end of the member 23 and to provide meansfor locking the free end of the arm 25 in a horizontal position, said member 23 being held in a latching position by means of a spring 2511, having one end mounted in a bracket 21.

The casing. i0 is provided with a front member 28 having a slot 29 for each of the levers 25, and above each of the slots 29 a signal opening 38, each signal opening being provided preferably with a colored lens 3 I. A horizontally arranged lamp 32 is mounted in a suitable base 33 carried by a block 34, said lamp extending horizontally and opposite to the inside of the openings so that all of the openings 30 may be illuminated by one lamp.

Supported adjacent to the inner face of the member 28 and opposite each of the slots 2'9 and the corresponding openings 30 I have provided a shutter 35 adapted to be slidably supported against the inner face of the member 28 and carried by the lever 25, the said shutter 35 having an opening 36 for receiving the said mem ber 25 and provided with flanges 3'! designed to rest against the sides of the lever 25. A spring 38 provides means for yieldably holding the shutter 35 against the inner face of the mem ber 28 in such a manner that when the lever 25 is at its upper limit of movement, the corresponding opening 30 will be closed, but when the lever 25 is at its lower inclined position of movement. as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the corresponding opening 30 will be opened and light from the lamp 32 caused to illuminate the corresponding lens 3|.

From the above construction it will be seen that if the coil 2| is energized the armature or latch 23 will be moved inwardly towards the core 20, causing the notch 26 to disengage the inner end of the lever 25, permitting its outer end to drop and the shutter to be slid downwardly to uncover the corresponding opening 30. The device may be reset by simply grasping the lever 25 and moving it upwardly until its inner end engages the notch 26.

From this construction it will be seen that the capacity of the device may be increased or decreased by simply adding to or removing the units consisting of the frame [9 and the levers 23, and associated. parts.

Each of the frames 19 is provided with an insulator block 39 having binding posts 40 by means of which the individual units may be connected into a common electric circuit consisting of conductors 4| and 42. Each of the'coils 2| has a conductor 43 connected to the conductor 4| and a conductor 44 extending into a cable 45 and connecting to a push button or switch 6, which in turn is connected to a return conductor 41 connected to the conductor 42, thus providing means whereby one of the switches may be placed in one room and the other in another room, or at any desired point wherein the operator in a desired room may cause a corresponding coil 2i to be energized and the lever 25 actuated and the corresponding lens 3| illuminated.

The front face of the member 23 is provided with numerals 38 or other identifying means for each of the signal lenses, whereby the particular lenses illuminated will indicate the place or position at which the push button is located, so that the person in charge of the signal device may know that some person in the said room desires attention or information.

A transformer G9 is included in the conducttors 4| and 42 and provides means for furnishing current to the coils 2| at a lower voltage than the main line, the lamp 32 being connected in the said main line 50 and controlled by an exterior switch, not illustrated.

Thus, it will be seen I have provided a signal device of comparatively simple construction and of a series of individual units any one of which may be removed if so desired, for repair, and replaced with another unit if so desired, by simply disconnecting the terminal 40 and the conductors ll and and removing the frame members l9 from the base l8 by removing the screws securing the same thereto and withdrawing the arm 25 from the slot 29. The slot I4 may be utilized to illuminate a desk supported underneath the signal, if so desired, or the cover I! may be removed and means provided for illuminating the sign or picture above the signal device. The outer end of the lever may be used to indicate that a signal has been given, on account of being at its lower position of movement, even if the light should fail to illuminate the corresponding lens. By providing a signal lamp for illuminating the interior of the casing which is so wired as not to interfere with the removal of the individual units, a very simple circuit is provided, over that which would be necessary if each of the lenses were provided with an individual lamp for its illumination, thus providing a signal of very simple construction.

I claim as my invention:

1. A signal device, comprising a casing having a signal opening in one of its sides, a vertical slot beneath said opening, an arm projecting through said slot, pivot means supporting the inner end of said arm, a shutter slidably mounted on the inner face of said casing and carried by said arm to cover and uncover said signal opening when the lever is elevated and lowered, means carried by said arm for yieldably holding said shutter against said casing, a latch bar adapted to engage the inner end of said arm to hold it in its elevated position with the shutter covering said opening, and a remote control magnetic means for releasing said latch bar.

of said arm, a shutter slidably mounted on the inner face of said casing and carried by said arm to cover and uncover said signal opening when the lever is elevated and lowered, a latch bar adapted to engage the inner end of said arm to hold it in its elevated position with the shutter covering said opening, and a remote control magnetic means for releasing said latch bar.

LEO L. KRITZ.