US3150362A - Multi-character readout assembly - Google Patents

Description

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JOHN A. BELANICH United States Patent 3,153,362 h'iULTI-(II IARACTER READQUT ASSEMBLY .l'ohn A. Eelanich, 3101 Via Amalia, San Diego 11, Calif. Filed May 31, 1963, Ser. No. 284,549 1 Claim. ('Cl. 340-4378) This invention relates generally to numeral indicators and particularly to readout device that displays illuminated numerals.

Background Readout devices of various kinds are well known in the art. Among those most commonly used for readout and permanent record are type printers, card punchers, magnetic tapes, and microfilm when the kind of data to be displayed is temporary in nature, as in digital voltmeters and some types of computers, cathode ray tubes, character display tubes, and counters may be used.

Mechanical counters have been widely used for displaying numerical data. Due to inertia and friction, however, mechanical counters are too slow for use in high speed equipment, and devices with faster response must be used in such equipment.

The instant invention is a readout device that responds instantly to electrical signals for temporary display of illuminated numerals and other symbols.

Objects It is a principal object of this invention to provide a readout device that displays illuminated symbols in a common easily visible area.

It is another object of this invention to povide an illuminated readout device which is very compact and can be mounted on the front of a panel or other structure for ease of access and visibility.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide an illuminated readout device .that displays symbols selectively at high speed.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a compact and reliable readout device for a variety of uses in electronic equipment, such as computers, digital voltmeters, and the like.

With these objects definitely in view, this invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of elements as illustrated in the drawings that form a material part of this disclosure, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation view of the readout unit;

FIGURE 2 is a rear elevat on view thereof;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIGURE 2, showing the unit mounted on a panel;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a typical transparent plate;

FIGURE 6 is a front elevation view of a suitable mounting panel;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 7-7 of FIGURE 6; and

FIGURE 8 is a partially sectioned side elevation view showing the mounting of a single unit.

Similar characters of reference indicate similar or identical elements and portions throughout the specification and throughout the views of the drawings.

Detailed Description Referring to the several figures of the drawing, a boxlike rectangular case it) fabricated from insulating material, such as plastic has a frontal display opening 12 between covered end port-ions 14, and a back plate 16. The end portions 14 and the back plate 16 contain holes 18 for insertion of installation screws. Back plate 16 also has a number of openings 22 retaining electric light bulbs 24.

A number of plates 30 of transparent material, such as Lucite, have engraved on the face thereof a numerical symbol as indicated generally at 32 in FIGURE 5. A sufficient number of plates 30 are provided to include the ten digits of the decimal number system and the decimal point 28. Each plate 36 also contains holes 18 for mounting screws and apertures 34 which correspond to openings 22 in back plate 16. The inner walls of all apertures 34, except one different one in each plate, as indicated at 36, are coated with an opaque, reflective material 38, which is also applied to at least one face of each plate on the end port-ions surrounding said aperture as indicated at 39.

Plates 30 are stacked so that symbols 32 are superimposed on one another and holes 18 and apertures 34 are aligned. The stacked plates 30 then are installed in case 10 so that symbols 32 are visible in display opening 12, as in FIGURE 1. Plates 30 are secured in case 10 by back plate 16, which can be cemented or otherwise se cured in any suitable manner, the aligned openings 22 and apertures 34 forming sockets 40 so that bulbs 24 may be slidably inserted and retained therein.

Case 18 is secured to a mounting panel 42 by means of screws 20, the central contact 43 of each bulb 24 then being engaged by an electrical terminal 44 in said mounting panel, common ground terminals 46 also being connected to a metallic strip or coating 48 on back plate 16, against which the casings 51? of the bulbs make common connection. Alternatively back plate 16 could be en tirely conductive. The mounting panel 42 is preferably of the type illustrated with the terminals comprising resilient fingers cut in the panel, the resilient contacts engaging the bulbs and making it unnecessary to have separate bulb retaining means. As will be apparent from FIGURES 3 and 4, all of the bulbs 24 extend the same distance into sockets 4t).

Bulbs 24 are energized one at a time by electrical signals connected to terminals 43, light from each bulb 24 being reflected by opaque, reflective material 38 through uncoated aperture 3% in one of plates 30. Light thus reflected is transmitted through plate 30, illuminating and outlining sharply the respective symbol 28 or 32 engraved thereon, the illuminated symbol being clearly visible in display opening 12. The covered end portions 14 of case 10 mask the light from the illuminated ends of bulbs 24, while back plate 16 confines the light inside case 10.

A number of cases it? may be mounted side by side on mounting panel 42 for simultaneous display of as many digits as desired. For convenience a channel 52 can be cut in the back plate 16 and casing It? to accommodate the associated wiring. Thus, the instant invention provides a compact readout device for many different applications, the device being instantly responsive to electrical signals. The mounting on the front of a panel, made possible by the compactness of the unit, greatly facilitates servicing, since only the two screws 20 need be removed to replace or repair a unit.

I claim:

In an illuminated readout device, the combination comprising:

a plurality of transparent plates, each having a plurality of apertures in the end portions thereof and a symbol engraved in one surface between said end portions, similarly positioned apertures in all plates being aligned to form sockets for light bulbs, all apertures except one in each plate being coated with an opaque reflective material, said symbols being superimposed on one another;

an uncoated electric light bulb inserted in each socket so a case enclosing said plates, said case having a window that light from said bulb is reflected by said refiecin the central portion thereof for viewing said symtive material through the uncoated aperture,- illumibols and closed end portions masking the illuminated nating said symbol; all of said bulbs extending the ends of said bulbs.

a same distance into said sockets; 5 a a means for selectively energizing said light bulbs and Refefellses Cited in the file of this P illuminating said symbols one at 'a time including a a UNITEDSTATES PATENTS mountlng panel having resilient ternnnals for indi- 2,751,584 Isbom June 19, 1956,

vidual contact with said bulbs when said case is secured to thepanel, said terminals constituting the 10 Ietaim'ng'means for the bulbs; and a 2,765,458 Hoover Oct, 2, 1956

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