US2733428A

US2733428A - Leblanc

Info

Publication number: US2733428A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1956-01-31
Anticipated expiration: 1973-01-31

Description

Jan. 31, 1956 G. LEBLANC 2,733,423

SELECTOR OR MIXER DEVICES FOR POLYCHROMATIC ILLUMINATION Filed March 23, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l i m A Jan. 31, 1956 G. LEBLANC 2,733,428

SELECTOR OR MIXER DEVICES FOR POLYCHROMATIC ILLUMINATION Filed March 23, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 4 2 f I "LU, 1, 42222222 5&5 25 2/ g i Ix A? i 6 5 L Q:\ i

United States Patent SELECTOR OR MIXER DEVICES FOR POLY- CHROMATIC ILLUMINATION Georges Leblanc, Paris, France, assignor to Compagnie Generale de Travaux dEclairage et de Force, Anciens Etablissements Clemancon, Paris, France, a French society Application March 23, 1953, Serial No. 344,117 Claims priority, application France March 24, 1952 Claims. (Cl. 340-335) This invention relates to so-called chromo-selector devices of the kind in which the light from a plurality of sources of illumination of different color may be combined or mixed in selected proportions in order to obtain a desired total color efiect, as for theatrical, advertizing, or any other purposes.

It is an object of the invention to provide a light-selector or mixer of the type specified, which is simple, compact and efiicient. Another object is to provide improved selector means for selecting the precise proportion in which the light emanating from a plurality of sources of dilferently colored light is mixed so as to produce any desired color shade for the resulting illumination. A further object is to provide such means wherein selection of the desired illumination is effected by actuation of a single selector member regardless of the number of individual light sources used. A further object is to provide such selector means in the form of a compact control panel or box and to facilitate the selection of the desired shade of illumination by the provision of indexing means cooperating with a movable selector pointer.

Further objects may appear as the description proceeds.

In a preferred form of embodiment, my improved selector device may comprise, in combination with a plurality of light sources of different color and power supply circuits therefor, resistances interposed in said circuits, a conductive member movable in engagement with all and any of said resistances to short circuit an amount of each resistance variable with the position of said member, and a selector knob for varying the position of said member.

The preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of illustration but not of limitation with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is an overhead view of the selector-box;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal view section on line II-II of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line III-III of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the control member;

Fig. 5 is a diagram of the circuitry.

As shown, a casing 1 is provided, which may have se cured to its top, as at 2, any suitable diagram or pattern providing the operator with a means of selecting the desired shade of illumination. One example of a diagram suitable for this purpose is the standard colorimetric diagram drawn up by the International Committee for Illumination. More generally, any indexing pattern may be used providing qualitative indications, of a nature adequate to guide the operator in the selection of the desired color shade. For example, such indications may include descriptions of the nature, characteristics, or merely designations of the apparatus units which are to cooperate in producing the effect indexed in each of a plurality of areas of the diagram, for instance in the case of advertizing panels. Quantitative indications may also be used, such as indications of the numerical proportions between the degrees of energization of the various units of equipment used. Or again, a spatial diagram may be used, such 'ice as one indicating the coordinates of the remote equipment to be controlled.

A control member or knob 3 having an index or pointer 4 secured to it, is mounted for parallel displacement in all directions over the casing 1. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the knob 3 is connected by a vertical rod 5 extend ing through a wide aperture 6 (Figs. 1 and 3) in the casing top, with a part 7 within the casing. Secured to the part 7 is a cross member 8 adapted for displacement, through interposed bearing balls such as 9, over horizontal plates 10 fixed in the casing.

Secured to the bottom side of the part 7 is a horizontal insulating plate 11 to the under side of which a horizontal rectangular frame 12 made of conductive material is secured. The frame 12 engages resistance wires 13. The resistance wires 13 are wound on supports 14 resiliently mounted on the bottom of easing 1 through spring mounts 15.

The resistor supports 14 are disposed in a manner to be presently described.

A first pair of parallel spaced links 16 (Fig. 2) have their one ends pivoted to spaced point-s 18 of the fixed casing structure, and their other ends pivoted to diametrically opposed points of a horizontal disc 19 movable in a horizontal plane. A further pair of parallel links 17 have their one ends pivoted to diametrically opposed points of the disc 19, spaced degrees from the pivotal points of the links 16 on said disc, and their other ends pivoted to correspondingly spaced points of the aforementioned part 7 secured to the control knob. The pairs of

links

16, 16 and 17, 17 define a pair of cooperating parallel linkage systems whereby the frame 12 can have any desired parallel displacement imparted to it in its plane or" movement, by actuation of the knob 3.

As shown in the exemplary embodiment described, four elementary light sources are used, provided by the lamps 21, which may emit yellow, red, green and blue light respectively. In this case, there are provided for resistor elements 13, arranged along the four arms of a cross, With their inner ends spaced from one another, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 5. The outer end 13a of each resistor winding 13 is connected to one terminal of a corresponding one of the lamps 21. The other terminals of the lamps are connected in parallel over a common lead 22 to one side of an A.-C. supply source. The other side of the supply source connects by a lead 23 with the conductive rectangular slide frame 12.

In operation, it will be apparent that on suitable manipulation of the control knob 3, any desired position may be imparted to the slider 12 within the range allowed by the

parallel linkage systems

16, 17. The components are so dimensioned that the slider 12 can be positioned to short-circuit completely any selected one of the resistors 13, or to short selected complementary amounts of the lengths of the respective four resistors.

It will be understood that many modifications may be made in the typical embodiment described and shown, without exceeding the scope of the ensuing claims. Thus, the resistance elements, instead of being wound elements as shown, might be provided in the form of strips or the like. The circuit connections between the light sources and the power supply and including said resistances may ditfer from the simple circuit hooleup shown. For example, the resistances instead of acting directly on the energizing circuits for the light sources, may act thereon indirectly as through the intermediacy of appropriate relays, elec tronic amplifiers, or similar expedients which will be ob vious to those familiar with the art. Means may be provided whereby the elector member or knob may be used, simultaneously with or separatly from its action in modifying the relative intensities of the light sources, also to adjust the total intensity of the resulting light.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the kind described, in combination with a plurality of electric light sources of difierent colors and a power supply therefor, a casing, elongated resistors mounted in said casing in angular equispaced relation in the same plane and each having the outer end thereof connected to one terminal of a respective one of said light sources, a conductive rectangular member displaceable in contact with all said resistors and parallel thereto and connected to one side of said power supply, conductor means connecting the other side of said supply to another terminal of each light source, a selector knob operable from outside the casing and operatively connected to said member, and parallel linkage means operably connected with said member to constrain the motion thereof whereby actuation of the knob will impart a parallel displacement to said member for determining the relative amounts of said resistors effectively connected to each light source.

2. 1m a device of the kind described, in combination with a plurality of light sources of different colors and a power supply therefor, a casing, elongated resistors mounted'in said casing in angular equispaced relation in the same plane and each having the outer end thereof connected to one terminal of a respective light source, a conductive rectangular member displaceable in contact with all said resistors and parallel thereto and connected to one side of said supply, conductor means connecting the other side of said supply to another terminal of each light source, a selector knob connected to said member and actuable from outside the casing, an intermediate element, a first pair of parallel links having their one ends pivoted to the casing and their other ends to said intermediate element, and a second pair of parallel links having their one ends pivoted to said element and their other ends to said member, whereby said member is constrained to a parallel displacement in any direction in engagement with said resistors on actuation of said selector knob.

3. In a device of the kind described, a plurality of light sources of different colors, a power supply therefor, circuit means interconnecting said supply to each of said light sources and including elongated resistors arranged in angularly equispaced relation in the same plane and respectively connected with said light sources, a common conductive member displaceable in engagement with all of said resistors and parallel thereto to vary the relative amounts thereof efiectively connected with said light sources and hence the relative illuminating intensities of said light sources, means constraining said member to parallel displacement in any direction in engagement with said resistors, and actuating means to displace said memher.

4. in a device of the kind described, a plurality of light sources of different colors, a power supply therefor, circuit means interconnecting said supply to each light source and including elongated resistors arranged in angularly equispaced relation in the same plane and respectively connected with said light sources, a conductive member displaceable in engagement with all said resistors and parallel thereto to vary the relative amounts thereof effectively connected with said sources and hence the relative illuminating intensities of said sources, a first pair of parallel links having their one ends pivoted to fixed points, an intermediate element having the other ends of said first links pivoted thereto, a second pair of pivoted links having their one ends pivoted to said element and their other ends pivoted to said member whereby said member is constrained to parallel displacement in any direction in engagement with said resistors, and a selector knob for actuating said member.

5. In a device as claimed in claim 4, resilient mounting means for said resistors to provide resilient pressure contact between the resistors and said member during displacement of said member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,976,005 Boden Oct. 9, 1934 2,265,980 Berger Dec. 16, 194-1 FOREIGN PATENTS 449.656 Germany Sept. 20, 1927