US2605336A - Visual signal type annunciator - Google Patents

Description

July 29, 1952 D. J. MUNROE VISUAL SIGNAL TYPE ANNUNCIATOR Filed Jan. 5, 1950 sourzcc OF POTENTIAL did/i020 2 COMMUNICATION CIRCUIT BETWEEN STATIONS |+3 readily assembled;

Patented July 29, 1952 VISUAL SIGNAL TYPE A NU CiATOR David Munroe, -Racine, Wis., assignorrto Webster Electric Company, Racine, Wis, a corporation of Delaware Application J anua'ry5, 1950, SerialNo.136,877

The present invention relates to annunciators and-more particularly to annunciators of the Wis ual signal type which .are particularly well adapted for use with intercommunication apparatus. application of Richard H. Campbell, Serial No. 136,956, filed concurrently with the present-ape plication and assigned'to the same assignee as the present application.

As will be understood by those skilled in the art, annunciators have numerous applications. They are, for example, extensively employed in connection with intercommunication apparatus to indicateby visual and/or audible means to the called party, not only that such party,ffor example, is being called, but also'designating'the calling party. Preferably, "the signal produced by such annunciators should remain effective untilthe calling party has "taken-some --positive steps to answer the called-party. Ithasybeen customary, "for example, in connection withsuch intercommunication apparatus, to provide selective switching means, such as station -selec tor "switches, whereby the calledparty-mayselect and complete 'the "communication ei-mm with the calling-party; 'It would'be-desirableito terminate the signaling operation of the annunciator concurrently' with or following such-positive action. Numerous types 'o'f iannuncialbors have been suggested heretofore. All er these prior" arrangements, however, have jbfibri-compli cated and have not lent themselvesfavorably-to certainty of'operation and lowcost/as well as high speed production from a m nufe1etufing standpoint. Itwouldbedesirable-to "provide; an annuncia-tor particularly well adapted for-use with intercommunication; apparatus which; I11

notpnly give long and satisfactory service, 1 I which-maybe manufactured at -low costand Accordingly, itis -an'object of the-present in vention to provide a new and improved annunciatOr'system.

Stilt-another object -of the present-invention resides'in the provision of" an -improved ann'unciator er the-visual signal type-particularly well adapted for-use with intercommunicationequip It is af urther object of the presentinvention to provide animprove'd low cost annunci'at'or for use in connection with intercommunicating apparatus of simple construction so as ito be well adapted for use in substantial numbers in' 'inter communication systems comprisinga' large number offstations. i

It is an improvementon a copending u biects' a advanta es Q iEP LDPfiQH invention will become apparent-as 5 .6 iPl WZPE description proceeds and. the :ffiatures of net lty which characterize the invention will be pointed out with particularity in thec ims; nnexed to a f i a part ofthis specification- For a better understanding of the-presentedti r f renee may be :had to h acc meenving drawingiin which:

Fig. 1' is ,a fragmentary perspectivaview 9f embodiment of the annunciator of :the ;present invention shown associated with a -;portion ;of a n intercommunieation system; I

Fig. 2 is a schematiccircuit d iagrarn;illustrat.- ing an.: app1icati0l,1 of the annunc iatorpf l figjj and v Fig. 3 is a somewhat perSDeQtive view eta-pertion of :astation illustratin .how a plurality pf annunci tors of the pr e in ent-tin may :be associated therewithin a-small-compact arrangement.

The present invention is generally concerned with the details of a-visual si nal type-annunremote from the annunciatorwishing to communicate with .the .party located adjacent-the annunciator. 'The' annunciator includesa ,S itr. able signal lightwhichis preferablycontinually energized whenever the unit-,ofihe intercommunication apparatus is rendered .operative as by supplying power thereto. The annunciator further includes an aperture. through which light rays .from .thesignal. may be directed, In addition, a slidinggate for. effectively closing said aperture is provided. :By] means of ,a vsuitalcqle eleotromagnetenergized through action of the calling party, the sliding gate may bemoved to permit light rays from @said signal light to pass throughsaid aperture With the resultthat the visual. signal producedby the annunciator is efiective to indicate to the calledparty that he is being or has been called by :a-particular calling party. "This signalremains effective until-some action is taken on the part ofthe called party to complete an intercommunicating circuit-between the called and calling stations.

For a" better understanding ofthe present invention, reference may be had to theaccompanying drawings in .which the annunciator. of the present invention. is generally designated by. the reference numeral I!) in Fig. 1 ofithecdrawing. It will be understood that the annunciator of. the present invention has numerous applications. :In

the called party will known ata 3 calling or has-called him.

order to aid in understanding the operation of the annunciator of the present invention, it has been illustrated in connection with an intercom munication system generally designated at H in Fig. 2 of the drawing. Intercommunicating apparatus such as might be employed for intercifice communication or the like, comprises a plurality of stations designated in Fig. 2jby'the reference numerals I2, I3, l4, etc. Appropriate nomenclature, such as station I, station 2, station '3, etc., has been applied to the individual be had to 1 where the aperture ltd is shown units as a further aid in understanding the op- I-,;,

eration of the annunciator per so with which the present invention is particularly concerned; Conventionally, each station of an interoommunicating system may include, in addition to the annunciators, a loud speaker; selectivelyopfirw I able communication controlling means, station v selector means and the like. Generally,each station includes a unit or device, which is usually disposed in a position where it may readily be seen, comprising a suitable cabinet or housing l5 on the front panel of which may be located a plurality of manually operable station -se.-

"lector control means designatedas ltd, 1622, c

and. ltd respectively, each'of'whichpreferably has an operative portion extending within the 'cabin'etl z as through suitable apertures Ha, lib, Ho and lid, respectively. By Way of example only, the unit illustrate'din Fig. 3- of the drawing is showncapable of being used with four additionalstations to provide a five'station system. Each station has as many annunicators as there are stations which'can call a particular station in the system, i. e;, on less annunciator than the number of stations in the system. This indicates the need' for compact annunciators when used in a multiple station intercommunication system, if it is. desirable as usually is the case, to maintain the cabinet or housing 15 at each station as small as possible.

As illustrated, each of-the selector. means 48 has associated therewith an annunciator'fl it) forming the basis of the presentinvention which exteriorly of the'oabinet i5 appearsonlyas'an aperture lt. As illustrated in Fig. 3 or the drawing, four apertures Ida," 81), 180 and ifidere provided, one associated'with each selectormeans 15' marked with the corresponding subscript.

These apertures are capable of being illuminated by a'visual signal means in a predetermined manner descriheo. hereinafter so as to indicatewhich stationis calling. If desired, suitable indicia shown in Fig-B'of the drawing; such as the names or" the parties at thedifferent stations;

may appropriately be ass'ociated, w'iththe apere tures i 8, so that when the annunciatoriassociated with'a particular, aperture 18 isrendered effective,

The selector means: it are preferably station selector switches'designate'd by the samereierence'n'umerals'in Fig. 2 as in Fig. 8. As:illus-- trated. these switches comprise amanually actuable member which maybe moved either to the right or 'to'th'e left as viewed *in Eigh3'and'in either position being "capable of operating certain control circuits. In 2-- 'of'the drawing some of the circuits, for the selectorswitcheslta and 1th are" indicated. As.-,illustrated,- each oi the switches has associatedtherewith' two sets of switches each having'normally open contacts designated as Eda Zia respectively for-the selective contr'o'l' mea'ns .150 The contacts Eta are illustrated as-controlling'a communication glance who is and the selector switch Hie may be seen to comprise a manually movable member 22 pivoted to means associated with the cabinet id as indicated at 22A, so that a portion thereof extends through the aperture lid for manual actuation from outside the cabinet. The contacts 20a and Zia are not visible in Fig. l of the drawing, but the resilient supporting arms for thes contacts are generally designated by the. reference numoral 23. Thesearms 23 are mounted in spaced insulated relationship through means comprising a pluralityof insulators '25 which in turn are supportedon an angularly disposed flange 253a or an L-.-shaped bracket 2d having one arm 5 of the L attached to the inside front panel of the cabinet 15. As illustrated, said one arm of the bracket 2 has an aperture 25 therein which is aligned with the aperture lla. Preferably .the member 22 is pivoted to the bracket 2t whereby the selector switch may compris a subassembly of parts mounted on the bracket 24. The end of member 22 disposed within the cabinet I5 is effective to move the resilient contact arms 23 selectively to close the contacts 252a or.2la or, if desired, others not shown in the drawing.

In accordance with the present invention, a suitable light source 28 connected to a source of electrical energy is disposed so that rays of light therefrom are directed towards eachof the apertures I311, l8b, l8c and Mid. These apertures may, if desired, be covered with a suitable translucent window. The signal light 28 is 7 preferably, energized whenever the power [sup,

ply; unit for the particular station of the intercommunicating apparatus is energized.

Forthe purpose of producing a controlled visuaL-signal at the front of the cabinet 15 indicative of the particular annunciator operated and thus of the calling station, there is provided,

' hire-32. As illustrated, slide 30 is mounted for limited reciprocal movement to the insideof cabinet [5 by fastening means such as 3 3 c):- tending through the slots 3|. Slide 38 is preferably formed of an opaque material and is adapted to move between the extreme position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, where the apertures [8c and-32 are misaligned and another extreme position where the apertures l8d and 32 are aligned, theformer being the annunciator 01f position and the latter the annunciator on or operated'position. It will beobvious that only .in the operated position will light from the Also,

s s v l" present invention :has b h trat'd is not beifig -ii'sd, the slide-"3W edet lffil'id -"'-position=-shown in Fi c'h dsig natd' as the a'jriniilic'iator off Tor perate'd' position. "Upon the "'energ'izatien or he ele'ctroiriagntw'l the' s'lide SO 'is inov d-"to a' pos'itien where the" apertures 18a, 2 are in alignment, whereby rays of light--r6mtlie source may-pass through {these a-Ii-gne'dapertures 1 to i give a clear --'iridication of; annunciator sands 9a 'of' -a support =39 to rov y siiitabl'y attaehed ei'tlier tem ably or i cpiatitn'. {-rne annuntiato'r is restored its f the '4 -b. Ke i-I lustrated, a'n e'lectrical *c'i'r'c'uiflwith' 171 18 c rit I selector switch atstation 2 and m stres -traum source "of "power-schematically indicated as a battery 45. It,will bev apparent that momentary closure of the contactsfl by operation of a selector switc h', siinilar "to switch lfi'a at :sta-

tion I, will cause winding alto be"energized'-2f with the consequent 'rnovement pi; the plunger 4! in a, .direction pivotally to rotate memberjfi, in a"counterclockwise directionas viewed inf-Fig. ii "ofthe' drawing, "with the result that the'fslide 730, 'isfmoved' to the "left un't'ili tlie apertures IBa Ta'ntli-H 'aiealigned. With the annunciator 'e "plo'yed in tin intercommunicating system, its operation as just described will indicate to the p y a atio ergized to operate said annunciator, means opt he is being has been C d by the party eratively interconnecting said electromagnet and at station 2. By manipulating the selector signal member whereby energization of said elecswitch l6a to close the contacts 20a, which retromagnet efi'ectively slides said member from its quires rotation of member 22 in a counterclockpredetermined to its operated position, and means .wise direction as viewed in either Figs. 1 or 2, including a manually actuable control element there is completed a communicating circuit be- 40 and a lost motion linkage element operatively tween stations I and 2. Under these conditions connected to said control element and said slidit will be understood that it is desirable to reable signal member operable after operation of store the annunciator to its non-operated posisaid annunciator for sliding said signal, member tion and, in accordance with the present invento its predetermined position.

tion, the slide 30 is connected with the selector 2. In an annunciator of the visual signal type switch 16a by a suitable link 48 extending comprising a housing, a light source associated through opening 241) as indicated in Fig. 1 of the with said housing, means defining a first aperdrawing. If desired, two smaller openings inture in said housing toward which light rays stead of opening 241) could be used for the link from said source may be directed, an L-shaped and electromagnet. The link 48 is illustrated as .50 Slide having armvtheleef attached to Said having a lateral projection 4801, at one end housing for limited reciprocal movement relative hooked over the lateral projection 30a of the to said first aperture, means defining a second slide 30 and, if desired, soldered or otherwise aperture in said one arm adapted select vely to be secured thereto as indicated at 50. The other ed and misa n d h S fi s ape u end of the link 48 is illustrated as a loop 48b endepending upon the position of said slide, an gageable with a pin 51 attached to member 22. e e tr a D l y mounted member op- The loop 481) and pin 5| provide a lost motion r tively interposed between said electromagnet 7 connection whereby link 48 does not intereiere and the other arm of said L-shape Slide whereby with free operation of the side 30 in response to energization of said electr m n t causes moveenergization of the electromagnet 42. The conment of the slide and alignment of said apertures, nection also enables member 22 to be operated to a anually actuable control element carried by close the signaling circuit without operating or said housing, and means interconnecting said affecting the position of the slide. other arm of said L-shaped member and said In order that the party at station I may call control element for misaligning said apertures the party at station 2, the contacts Zla are conin ponse to a predetermined operation of said nected in circuit with a source of potential 52 control element. and a winding 53 of an electromagnet forming 3. In an annunciator of the visual signal type part of an annunciator located at station 2 and comprising a housing, a source of light rays aspreferably identical with the annunciator I0. sociated with said housing, means defining a first Similarly, the contacts 211) are connected in ciraperture in said housing toward which light rays cuit with a source of potential 54 and a winding from said source may be directed, a horizontally 55 of an electromagnet forming part of an andisposed L-shaped slide, means including a, pair nuciator located at station 3. of elongated slots in one arm of said slide and In view of the detailed description included fastening means attached to said housing and above, the operation of the annunciator of the extending into said slots for mounting said slide for limited reciprocal movement relative to said housing and said first aperture, means defining av second aperture in said one arm adapted to be alignedand misaligned with said first aperture depending upon the position of said slide, an :electromagnet, and a pivotally mounted member operatively interposed between said electromagnet and the other arm of said L-shaped slide whereby energization of said electromagnet causes movement of said slide and alignment of said apertures. U

,4. In an annunciator of the visual signal type comprising a housing, a source of light rays associatedwith said housing, means defining a first aperture in said support toward which light rays from said source may be directed, a horizontally disposed L-shaped slide, means including a pair .of elongated slots in one arm of said slide and fasteningmeans attached to said housing and extending into said slots for mounting said slide for limited reciprocal movement rel-ativezto said housing and said first aperture, means defining :a second aperture in said one arm adapted to be aligned and misaligned with saidfirst aperture depending upon the position of said slide, 'an

,electromagnet, a pivotally-mounted member operatively interposed between said electromagnet and the other arm of said L-shaped slide whereby Henergization-of said electromagnet causes movement of said slide and alignment of said aper-' tures, a manually actuable control element carried by said housing, and means interconnecting said other arm of said L-shaped member and said control element for misaligning said apertures in response to' 'a predetermined operationof said control element.

5.- A- station selector switch and annunciator means including a housing support mounted to the rear of said housing and having an apertured wall rearwardly extending, a station selector switch :at one side of said wall and secured thereto, switch operating means located at said ,one side of said wall and having a portion extending outside said housing for operating" the station selector switch, an electromagnet mounted at saidone side of said wall and having a movable armature projecting throughthe wall, visual signal means including a slide mounted on said housing adjacent said wall and movable by said armature, and visual signal restoring means extending through the said wall operatively interconnecting said visual means and said switch operating means. 7 r v i r a DAVID J. MUNRQE.

I j REFERENCESJCITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

' :UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 7' ,Name Date 955,815.v 1 Miller May 3, 1916 11,913,937 Loefiier June 13, 1933 2,179,792 Lapin NOV. 14, 1939 2,450,441

Mitchell Q. Oct. 5,1948

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