US3200525A - Fluid read-out device - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 17, 1965 s. A. FRANCIS FLUID READ-OUT DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 15, 1963 INVENTOR mus; 4/?41Y4'IJ' ATT RNEYS Aug. 17, 1965 s. A. FRANCIS FLUID READ-OUT DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 13, 1963 g W7\\ x m K INVENTOR 207054 4 @A/vc/J' fidlg 4249555 ATT RNEYS United States Patent 3,200,525 FLUID READ-OUT DEVECE Samuel A. Francis, Marion, Mass., assignor to Francis Associates, Marion, Mass, a partnership Filed May 13, 1963, Ser. No. 281,379 11 Claims. (Cl. 40-130) This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application, Serial No. 185,643, tiled April 6,

1962, now abandoned.

The present invention relates to character display devices in general, and in particular to a novel display device for the visual presentation of output information from a fluid device such as a pneumatic computer.

While recent emphasis in the computer art has been largely directed to those devices operating on an electrical basis, and more particularly to digital computers employing sulch conventional circuit combinations of AND gates, OR gates, NOR gates, flip-flops, shift registers, etc., etc, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that there may be constructed a hydraulic or preferably pneumatic functional equivalent for each of these electrical arrangements. The construction of a digital computer working upon the pneumatic principle employing the pneumatic equivalents of the aforementioned conventional digital circuit techniques affords many potential advantages in the computer field both in cost reduction, compactness and reliability over the known electrical techniques.

One form of the invention disclosed, includes a series of planes of transparent material in which shaped numeral passageways are etched. Each numeral is provided with an inlet and outlet passageway for the passage of a liquid therethrough. The planes are laminated together in a manner so that their respective etched numerals, as defined by the passageways, are in a superimposed relation. The planes are edge-lighted at all times, and because of the difference in the refractive index of light along the paths of the etched passageways at the edge of the numerals, the edge lighting is dispersed and the numerals are thus visible. The invention further provides means to blank out one or all of the numerals by selectively introducing into their respective passageways a liquid whose index of refraction is substantially the same as that of the material in which the numerals are etched. As the clear liquid fills each etched path, the edge lighting will be transmitted through the fluid with no change in path. Therefore, each of the etched passageways thus filled will be invisible and display of any selected passageway may be readily accomplished by the mere removal or drainage of the fluid therefrom.

In another and preferred form of the invention, a simplified passageway arrangement is employed wherein the numerical indicia desired to be displaced is formed as a groove in a side wall of a generally rectangular chamber. In similar fashion, as in the preceding embodiment described above, when the chamber is filled with a liquid having an index of refraction similar to the material forming the chamber the outline of the recessed numerical indicia will be invisible. Upon purging the liquid from the chamber, the associated indicia in the side wall will become clearly visible in the presence of edge or other incident light rays.

Accordingly it is an object of this invention to provide means for visually displaying output information from a pneumatic computer.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel display means responsive to the respective fluid output pressures from a computer of the type envisioned employing the optical principles of edge-lighting in combination with transparent solids and liquids having similar indices of refraction.

3,Zh,525 Patented Aug. 17, 1965 Yet another object of the invention is to provide a display device for a pneumatic computer wherein the components of the display are similar in construction to the components employed in the computer logic.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a display device wherein the character to be displayed is in the form of a passageway formed in layer of transport material that is edge-lighted and is removed from display by the filling thereof with a solution having an index of refraction substantially identical with said transparent material.

A further object of the invention is to provide character display which is simple in design, rugged in construction and economical to manufacture.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent and the invention will be fully understood from the following description and drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded schematic perspective of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section of a desk calculator type computer of the type to which applicants novel display would be particularly useful;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of another and preferred form of the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a vertical section taken along line 44 of FIG. 3 as the arrangement of FIG. 3 would appear in normal assembled relationship.

The apparatus shown in FIG. 1 comprises a numerical display generally designated 18 having a plurality of layers or planes 12 made of any suitable transparent material. Each of the layers 12 has etched or formed therein a series of recesses in the form of numerals designated, respectively, 14, 16, 18, 2t and 22. While in the example shown, numerical characters l through 5 are illustrated, it is to be understood that any number of individual planes 12 may be employed to produce the desired series of superimposed characters and that other characters, not necessarily numbers, may be similarly etched within the planes.

The numeral 2 designated 20, due to its etching into the surface of its plane 12 forms a passageway in cooperation with the flat side of its adjacent plane 12. The passageway in the outline of the numeral 2 communicates with a connecting passageway 24 at its upper end and with a second connecting passageway 26 at its lower end. The connecting passageway 24 communicates with a check or float valve 28 placed in series relation with a readout control which connects with an associated computer readout passageway (not shown). While the aforementioned description has been directed toward the connections of the numeral 2 of the display, numeral 1 is also shown with similar connections, and it is to be understood that similar connections would also be connected to appropriate terminal portions of each of the other etched numerals 14, 16 and 18.

The connecting passageway 26 communicates with a liquid reservoir 32 containing a liquid 34 therein having an index of refraction substantially identical to the index of refraction of each of the planes 12. The reservoir 32 is provided with a pressurization source 36 which directs compressed gas such as air to the uppermost portion of the reservoir. Disposed beneath the array of layers 12 is a light source designated 38. As shown, each of the characters and numerals 1, 3, 4-, 5 and the decimal point designated 39 is filled with liquid 34 from the reservoir 32. The liquid 34 extends throughout the passageways 26, the characters and the passageways 24 up to their respective check valves 28, which function to limit the flow of liquid and thereby isolate it from the computer passageway 3t Because of the light from the source 33,

each of the characters 1, 3, 4, 5 and the decimal point would be invisible'in 1 16. 1 because of their identical indices of refraction with that of the material of the planes 12. However, the numeral 2 (the element designated Z) is shown void of liquid 34 due to the application of an overriding pressure through conduit S t check valve 28, conduit 2 to return its fluid to the reservoir. Because the etched boundary edges of numeral 2 will disperse light when it is not filled with liquid from the reservoir 32, the light from light source 38 will thus make When the computer output.

this numeral 2 visible. changes and alternatively pressurizes a different selected readout control passage 30, a different character will be cleared of its filling liquid to thus make it visible, while function keys 42 on the upper surface thereof which operate to control the pneumatic calculating circuits contained in the laminated structure 1 -1. Upon completion of the commanded computation, the structure 44 would produce a series of pneumatic discharges into selected control passageways 311 of a plurality of displays 11 such as shown in FIG. 1. The desk calculator 40 also includes portions corresponding to the reservoir 311, edge light source 38 and air supply 36 schematically shown in FIG. 1. The calculator is provided with a mirror 46 so indirect viewing of the illuminated characters of the display 111 may be obtained. The area 48 includes the array of check valves 28 employed in each of the output passages 30.

Referring to the preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a nine digit or what is also called a nine-bit display is shown capable of displaying either a zero or a 1 in each of the nine positions. While this display is for a binary number system employing only zeros and ones, it

should be understood that the principles of the invention mayreadily be applied to a decimal number system including numerals zero through nine in each one of the nine-bits. I

In particular this embodiment comprises a plurality of individual layers of transparent plastic material laminated together into a unitary block assembly. The necessary passages and chambers are formed in their respective sageway of a computer similar to the passageways 24 of FIG. 1. Each chamber 116 also includesa lower depending drain portion 120 which is formed to be in registry with the aligned apertures 122, 122', and 122", formed in the adjacent plates. The aligned apertures 122, 122' and 122" cooperate to form an elongated passageway from the bottom drain portion 120 of the chamber 116 for passage of fluid therefrom into the reservoir chamber 142 formed in the reservoir plate 141). Superimposed behind each of the chambers 116, and in fluid isolation therefrom, are a plurality of second chambers 130 formed in a second separation plate 128. The intermediate plate designated 124 includes a plurality of engraved or recessed zero numeral outlines indicated at 126. Each of chambers 130 has a similar upper connecting passageway 118 for the application of fluid pressure thereto'to expel the liquid from the chamber 130 into the reservoir 142. The rearwall'of each of the chambers 130 is enclosed by a cover plate 132, which if made of transparent plastic material is provided with a suitable forward facing black surface coating indicated at 134. Each of the chambers 130. is also provided with alower drain portion 136 which communicates through a corresponding aperture d 138 formed in the rear cover plate 132 to place each chamber 13% in fluid communication with the reservoir chamber 142. The rear wall of the display assembly is enclosed by a suitable plate 144 and the entire sandwich of layers may be secured together by any suitable means such as adhesive or by the bolts'146 extending therethrough as shown.

Again, as in the embodiment of FIG. 1, the operation of the display is essentially identical. Under the influence of edge lighting neither of the numerals 112 or 126 will be visible when each superimposed chamber 116 and .130 is filled with fluid. Upon purging of the fluid from either of the chambers 116 or 130 by application of a suitable downward air pressure through the selected passageway 11$, the respective numeral indicated at 112, or 126 will appear. This embodiment differs principally from the embodiment of FIG. 1 in providing a fluid chamber in commonwith the recessed numeral outline to facilitate.

the passage of fluid up to and out of the numeral passageways.

Thus it will be seen how applicants novel pneumatic display may be employed in a computer having fluid pneumatic readout impulses. While the invention has been described as being preferably employed with a pneumatic computer, those skilled in the art will readily realize that it need not be necessarily in combination with a computer, but could be used in any environment where visual display of fluid, data is required. Furthermore, while in applicants preferred embodiment the removal of the liquid 34 from the character passageway selected to be displayed is shown as being accomplished by air means, it is well within the scopeof this invention to remove the liquid 34 having the similar index of refraction, from the character passageway by another liquid having a dissirnilar index of refraction.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application'of the inventive principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without'departing from such principles.

What I claim is:

1. A fluid operated visual display comprising a plurality of layers of transparent material having a predetermined index of refraction, a plurality of individual passageway means in said layers having portions defining the boundaries of predetermined characters, said characters being in superimposed relation, a light source for illuminating the edges of said layers to thereby illuminate the boundaries of said characters, a reservoir for containing a supply of liquid having an index of refraction substantially equivalent to the index of refraction of said layers, conduit means in communication between said reservoir and one end of each of said passageway means, means for applying a pressure to the interior of said reservoir to transfer the liquid contained therein through said conduit means to fill said passageway means to render said means substantially invisible when said layers are subjected to illumination from said light source, and

means to selectively remove liquid from predetermined 4. A display according to claim .3, including checlc valve means in said last1mentioned conduit means to limit the flow of liquid from said reservoir.

5. A display according to claim 3, wherein each of said layers includes a plurality of passageway means each of which is connected by individual conduit means to said reservoir.

6. In a fluid computer of the type having a visual read out display of indicia and having a body of transparent material of a predetermined index of refraction and being adapted to be exposed to illuminating means externally thereof, the improvement comprising passageway means within said body having portions for defining the edges of the indicia, means for supplying a transparent liquid having an index of refraction substantially equal to the index of refraction of said body to said passageway means, and means for clearing said passageway means of said liquid, said portions for defining the edges of the indicia being rendered visible when said passageway means are cleared and said body is subjected to illuminating means, said portions defining the edges of the indicia being rendered substantially invisible when said passageway means are supplied with a transparent liquid and said body is exposed to the illuminating means.

7. A fluid operated visual display comprising a plurality of layers of transparent material having a predetermined index of refraction, a plurality of fluid isolated individual chamber means in said layers having portions defining the boundaries of predetermined characters being in superimposed relation, a light source for illuminating the edges of said layers thereby illuminating the boundaries of said characters, a reservoir for containing a supply of liquid having an index of refraction substantially equivalent to the index of refraction of said layers, conduit means in communication between said reservoir and a lower portion of each of said chamber means, means for applying a pressure to the interior of said reservoir to transfer the liquid contained therein through said conduit means to fill said chamber means to render said edge portions substantially invisible when said layers are subjected to illumination from a light source, and means to selectively remove liquid from predetermined chamber means to render the edge portions thereof visible.

8. A display according to claim 7, wherein said characters are numerals.

9. A display according to claim 8, wherein each of said layers includes a plurality of chamber means each of 6 which is connected by individual conduit means to said reservoir.

10. A fluid operated visual display for indicia comprising a body of transparent material having a predetermined index of refraction, multiple superimposed chamber means within said body having portions defining the edges of indicia to be displayed when said body is subjected to edge lighting, means for illuminating the edges of the indicia, means for supplying a transparent liquid having an index of refraction substantially equal to the index of refraction of said body to said chamber means, and means for selectively clearing individual chamber means of said liquid.

11. A fluid operated indicia type visual display comprising a body of transparent material having a predetermined index of refraction, passageway means within said body having portions superimposed over each other and having portions defining the edges of indicia to be displayed, means for illuminating the edges of said indicia, means for supplying a transparent liquid to said passageway means having an index of refraction substantially equal to the index of refraction of said body, and means to selectively clear the liquid filling one or more of said passageway means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,485,772 3/24 Du Pont 8861 XR 2,489,751 11/49 Candler 88-61 2,612,078 9/52 De Lisio 88-61 2,621,430 12/52 Neville l06.22 2,703,547 3/55 Hardesty 40-130 X 2,722,762 1l/55 Krajian 40130 2,751,584 6/56 Isborn 40-130 XR 2,783,682 3/57 Swenson 88-61 EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner. JEROME SCHNALL, Examiner.

Claims (1)

10. A FLUID OPERATED VISUAL DISPLAY FOR INDICIA COMPRISING A BODY OF TRANSPARENT MATERIAL HAVING A PREDETERMINED INDEX OF REFRACTION, MULTIPLE SUPERIMPOSED CHAMBER MEANS WITHIN SAID BODY HAVING PORTIONS DEFINING THE EDGES OF INDICIA TO BE DISPLACED WHEN SAID BODY IS SUBJECTED TO EDGE LIGHTING, MEANS FOR ILLUMINATING THE EDGES OF THE INDICIA, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING A TRANSPARENT LIQUID HAVING AN INDEX OF REFRACTION SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE INDEX OF

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