US2986626A - Illuminating device for a map simulator - Google Patents

Description

May 30, 1961 B. M. MADIGAN 2,986,6Z6/ .WX 6 ILLUMINAT'ING DEVICE FOR A MAP SIMULATOR f t Filed June 25, 1959 l i dse 4 42 l 'FIG-"5 1N V EN TOR.

40 4| BASH. M. MADIGAN Il BY @www M F l G'- 4 ATTORNEY United States Patent O ILLUMINArnsG DEVICE non A MAP srMULAron Basil M. Madigan, Wadsworth, Ohio, assgnor to Goodyear Aircraft Corporation, Akron, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Filed June 25, 1959, Ser. No. 822,855

Claims. (Cl. 240-1.3)

Itis an object of the invention to provide an illuminat- Y ing device for this purpose.

Other objects `are to provide a rotating light source in which the light source is substantially a point and the light emanating therefrom is shaded constantly in axial alignment and permitted to sweep radially an area radially outward of the shaded area, to provide substantially uniform illumination over the light swept area, and to provide the sweep of light from a source relatively close to the relief surface.

Further objects are to provide accuracy of illumination, adjustability of marking of the light source for different elevations of traverse over the relief surface, and simplicity of construction.

These and other objects will appear from the following description and the accompanying drawings.

Of the drawings,

Fig. 1 s a plan view of a map illuminating device constructed in accordance with and embodying the invention, portions being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a partial sectional view thereof taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the cone mask.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view thereof taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a plan View of the mask mount.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view, partially broken away and on a reduced scale, of a relief map with the apparatus of the invention mounted above the map.

Referring to the drawings, a carriage having a frame or housing 1 is provided and preferably comprises a U- shaped frame member 2 of insulating material such as micarta, a molded ber reinforced resinoid material, and a plate frame member 3, preferably of aluminum alloy secured to the legs of the U-shaped frame member 1 by screws 4'. The U-shaped frame member has a central bore in its base for receiving an antifriction bearing 5 and the plate is bored in alignment therewith to receive a similar bearing 6. A rotatable spindle is journalled in said bearings and includes a member 7 of brass or other electrically conductive metal which has a tubular sleeve portion 8 which extends through and is journalled in bearing 6 and an enlarged cupped flange 9 below plate 3. A second rotatable member 10 has a cylindrical tubular sleeve portion 11 extending through and` journalled in bearing 5 and an enlarged ange portion -12 above the Patented May 30, 1961 rice bearing. These rotatable members are of electrically conductive metal.

A tubular bushing 13 of insulating material is seated in the cupped ange 9 of the upper rotatable member. A second tubular bushing 14 of insulating material has an annular recess in one face thereof to seat over the flange 12 of the lower rotatable member. A disc 15 of electrically conductive metal such as brass is mounted between insulating bushings 13 and 1-4 and is cupped at opposite faces to engage over the adjacent ends of the bushings. The margin of the disc is wide enough to act as a collector ring and is exposed at the outer face of the insulating bushings.

Each of the rotatable metal members 7 and 10 are axially bored and threaded as at 16 and 17 respectively to receive the threaded metal outer contact bases of a pair of miniature incandescent lamps 18 and `19. For providing a connection between the outer bases of the lamps, the rotatable members 7 and 10 and the intervening insulating bushings 13 and 14 and disc 15 are drilled at a position spaced from and parallel to the axis of rotation to receive a conductive metal pin 20. The disc l5 has a larger clearance hole therethrough and is insulated from the pin 20 by an insulating bushing 21. A brush 22 of spring metal is mounted on the frame 1 and contacts the ange 9 which acts as a collector ring.

A second brush 23 of spring metal is also mounted on the frame 1 and contacts the disc 15. For connecting the central contacts of lamps 18, 1'9 with the disc 15, an insulating sleeve 24 is axially slidable in the bore of bushing 13 and is inwardly anged at its upper end to retain a metal contact disc 25, preferably of silver. A coil spring 26 rests upon disc 15 and disc 25 and conducts the current. The bulb 18 has a central contact which engages the disc 25 under pressure when the lamp is in place, compressing spring 26.

A similar insulating sleeve 27 is axially slidable in the bore of bushing 14, carries a silver contact disc 28 and is supported from disc 15 by a conductive coil spring 29. The bulb 19 has a central contact which engages disc 28 compressing conductive spring 29.

For rotating the spindle assembly including the two lamps, their mountings and electrical connections, the flange of the rotatable member 7 is formed with a conical drive surface 30. An electric motor 31 is secured to frame member 2 with its shaft extending through an opening 32 in a side wall thereof. A bevel friction pinion 33 is mounted on the motor shaft 34 and is pressed axially against the conical surface 30 by a coil spring 35. The pinion is cross slotted to receive a drive pin 36 and the spring 35 has a bearing against a collar 37 xed to the shaft 34. The arrangement is such that the pinion has axial movement and is heldin contact with the conical surface by the spring. The motor is preferably a low voltage D.C. motor.

The lamp 19 is preferably a G.E. 329 in which the light source is concentrated at about one-sixteenth of an inch from its tip and when in position in its socket it projects below the end of the sleeve portion 11 of the rotatable member 10 by about one-eighth of an inch in order to permit radiation normal to the axis of rotation.

For directing radiation of light a mask-mounting cross bar 38 is secured to the sleeve portion 11. A conical mask 39 of sheet metal has its concave center bearing against the tip of lamp 19. The conical mask has an included angle slightly less than and perferably of about 172 and 46 so as to shield the horizontal rays from the lamp 19. Diametrically opposite ears 40, 41 of the mask are secured to the ends of the cross bar. The mask, as seen in Fig. 3, is formed with at least one and preferably a pair of diametrically opposite notches 42, 43 each of which has one margin which is radial of the mask and an opposite margin of curved form, the notch widening progressively in an outward direction at a rapidly increasing rate, the form of the notches being such as to provide a sweep of light across a relief map with the sweeping beam of light traveling from an initial radial distance from the intersection of the axis of rotation with the map determined by the dimension of an area adjacent the axis in which no illumination is desired, to a greater radial distance therefrom and at the same time providing a uniform degree of illumination over the illuminated area so as to require the same exposure photographically. The degree of illumination is proportional by the square law and reilection of light from the illuminated surface is controlled by Lamberts law. The shape and size of the mask is determined by the distance the lamp 19 is located above the relief map and different masks are provided for different elevations. Also while opposite slots may be provided in most of the masks, some masks may have a single light distributing slot. As the lamp and mask are rotated about an axis normal to the relief map, the mask casts a rotating shadow which sweeps radially outward.

For indicating the position of the illuminating device relative to the relief map, the lamp 18 is provided. It is enclosed by a collar 44 which is secured about the sleeve 8 and is capped by a disc 45 of frosted glass. This provides an illuminated spot for locating the axis of the sweeping light source.

ln use the lamps 18 and 19 are lighted continuously. The illuminating device 1 is moved horizontally over the relief map 50 at a desired elevation. The spindle carrying the lamps 18 and 19 is rotated constantly and the mask in combination with the lamp 19 casts a sweeping illumination of the relief map while the position of the axis of rotation is shown by the light 18. This permits a camera 53 located thereabove in line with the axis of rotation of the mask to simultaneously photographically record the position of the center of rotation while photographing the relief map as illuminated by the sweeping light.

While a certain repersentative embodiment and details have been shown for the purpose of illustrating the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in this art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without depatring from the spirit or scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An illuminating device for a map simulator, said device comprising a carriage having a frame movable along and above a relief map, a spindle mounted in said frame for rotation with its axis normal to the relief map, a light source carried by said spindle at one end thereof, a mask mounted on said spindle in front of said light source and controlling illumination of said map from said light source, said mask having at least one radial slot therein, said mask being rotatable by said spindle to provide a sweep of light over an area of said map, and a position indicating illuminated means on the opposite end of said spindle for indicating the center of rotation of the spindle.

2. An illuminating device for a map simulator, said device comprising a carriage having a frame movable along and above a relief map, a spindle mounted in said frame for rotation with its axis normal to the relief map, a light source carried by said spindle at one end thereof, a mask mounted on said spindle in front of said light source and controlling illumination of said map from said light source, said mask being conical and having a pair of diametrically opposed radial slots therein, said mask being rotatable by said spindle to provide a pair of sweeps of light over areas of said map, and a position indicating illuminating means on the opposite end of said spindle for indicating the center of rotation of the spindle.

3. An illuminating device for a map simulator, said device comprising a carriage having a frame movable along and above a relief map, a spindle mounted in said frame for rotation with its axis normal to the relief map, a light source carried by said spindle at one end thereof, a mask mounted on said spindle in front of said light source and controlling illumination of said map from said light source, said mask comprising a conical disc adjacent said light source and having at least one radial slot permitting radiation of a rotating beam of light, said slot extending radially of the mask and being progressively wider in a direction away from the center of the mask, and said mask being rotatable by said spindle to provide a sweep of light over an area of said map and illuminating means at the axis of said spindle at the opposite end thereof for simultaneously indicating the position of the axis of the spindle in relation to said map.

4. An illuminating device for a map simulator, said device comprising a carriage having a frame movable along and above a relief map, a spindle mounted in said frame for rotation with its axis normal to the relief map, means on said carriage for rotating said spindle, light sources carried by said spindle at opposite ends thereof, and a mask having a radial slot therein nd mounted on the spindle in front of one of the light sources for selectively shielding the map from said one of said light sources while sweeping an area of the map through the slot with a rotating beam of light from said one light source, said light sources comprising miniature incandescent lamps and said carriage and spindle having brushes and collector rings for conducting an electric current to said light sources, the other of said lamps being shielded from said map at all positions and indicating the axis of rotation of the spindle.

5. An illuminating device for a map simulator, said device comprising a carriage having a frame movable along and above a relief map, a spindle mounted in said frame for rotation about an axis normal to the relief map, said spindle including axially aligned lamp sockets at opposite ends thereof, incandescent lamps mounted in said sockets, connections for said lamps through said spindle, brushes on said carriage engaging collector rings on said spindle for connecting said lamps to a current source, an electric motor on said carriage for rotating said spindle, and a mask carried by said spindle for selectively shielding said map from one of said lamps during rotation of said spindle, said mask comprising a cone having an included angle of substantially 173 degrees and at least one radial slot extending through said cone from a position near its apex to its periphery and increasing progressively in width outwardly, the other of said lamps being shielded from said map at all positions and indicating in an upward direction the axis of rotation of said spindle.

References Cited in the ijle of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,114,714 Kalsey Apr. 19, 1938 2,153,186 Henderson Apr. 4, 1939 2,211,749 Habin Aug. 20, 1940 2,288,177 Bailey June 30, 1942 2,382,609 Dale Aug. 14, 1945 2,721,256 Duhon Oct. 18, 1955

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