US3230520A

US3230520A - Signalling controlled system

Info

Publication number: US3230520A
Application number: US265746A
Authority: US
Inventors: Eli M Lurie
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1963-03-18
Filing date: 1963-03-18
Publication date: 1966-01-18
Anticipated expiration: 1983-01-18

Description

Filed March 18, 1965 INVENTOR. El. l /E BY 0u* new EAM. 5eme, 65e@ {Jaffe/v United States Patent 3,230,520 SIGNALLING CONTROLLED SYSTEM Eli M. Lurie, 9349 Abbott Ave., Surfside, Fla. Filed Mar. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 265,746 5 Claims. (Cl. 340-286) This invention relates to signalling systems in general and more particularly relates to a novel system of this type for directing the performance of a number of operations in a particular sequence.

Presently there are many business applications, in particular the operation of hotels, which require the supervision of and signalling to personnel at remote locations. More particularly, in a typical large size hotel the room clerk should signal the cashier that a check-in has occurred, the cashier should signal the housekeeper and room clerk that a check-out has occurred, the housekeeper should signal the room clerk when a room is ready for occupancy, and in a special situation the room clerk should be able to signal the housekeeper that a check-in has been made for a room which is not ready for occupancy. Typically, this signalling between the room clerk, cashier and housekeeper is accomplished by switching means which operate signal lamps.

The prior art has provided various arrangements for accomplishing one or more of the functions noted above. However, in prior art arrangements the circuitry included relays and stepping switches. These devices, in addition to making the initial installation very costly, are the sources of most of the operating troubles of the systems.

The instant invention overcomes these ditliculties of the prior art by providing a system to accomplish all of the functions previously noted without the necessity of utilizing relays or stepping switches. The arrangement is such that there is a low initial installation cost and servicing costs are reduced to a bare minimum.

In essence the signalling system of the instant invention comprises three double pole double throw switches for each room of the hotel. One of the switches is operable by the room clerk, a second switch is operable by the cashier, and a third switch is operable by the housekeeper. Colored lamps are provided to indicate room status.

The three switches are so arranged that when the lamps indicate that a room is ready for occupancy, operation of the room clerks switch will change the energization of the lamps to indicate that the room is occupied. When the lamps indicate that a room is occupied, operation of the cashiers switch changes energization of the lamps to indicate that a check-out has taken place and that the room should be made up. When the lamps indicate that the room is to be made up, operation of the housekeepers switch changes the energization of the lamps to indicate that the room has been made up and is ready for occupancy. However, if at the time the lamps indicate that the room is to be made up and the room clerks switch is operated the energization of the lamps is changed to indicate that a priority condition exists and that this room is to be made up immediately.

Accordingly, a primary object of this invention is to provide a signalling system of novel construction for reporting and directing which is less expensive and more reliable than similar systems of the prior art.

Another object is to provide a system of this type which does not require any relays or stepping switches.

Still another object is to provide a system of this type in which there is a simple double pole double throw switch at each of three locations connectible in such a manner that four distinct signalling indications are obtainable.

A further object is to provide a signalling system of this 3,230,520y Patented Jan. 18, 1966 lCC type in which four different signals are obtainable with a three lamp group of indicators.

These as well as other objects of this invention shall become readily apparent after reading the following description of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an electrical schematic diagram showing a signalling system constructed in accordance with the teaching of the instant invention.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of a room clerks control board for use with the circuit of FIGURE 1.

Now referring to the figures. FIGURE 2 illustrates control board 20 located at the room clerks station. Control board 2G is provided with a switch 2BR, a red lamp 26K, a yellow lamp 27R, and a green lamp 28R for each room of the hotel. A control board similar to control board 20 is located at the cashiers station and another of these control boards is located at the housekeepers station.

Particular attention is now directed to FIGURE 1 which shows the entire circuit arrangement required for each room of the hotel. Each of the

lamps

26R, 27R, andl 28R has one terminal connected to common bus 30. The other terminal of lamp 26K is connected to bus 31, the other terminal of lamp 27R is connected to bus 32, and the other terminal of lamp 28R is connected to bus 33. Lamps 26C and 26H on the cashiers and housekeepers control boards, respectively, are connected in parallel with lamp 26R. Similarly lamps 27C and 27H are connected in parallel with lamp 27R and lamps 28C and 28H are connected in parallel with lamp 28R.

Each of the

switches

25R, 25C and 25H are manually operated double pole double throw units. Blade 44 of switch 2ER is operable to connect bus 33 to either switch terminal 46 or switch terminal 47. Switch arm 45 is .ganged to switch arm 44 for simultaneous operation [therewith and is operable to connect either switch termiual 48 or 49 to bus 39.

Switch arms 54 and 55 of switch 25C are ganged for simultaneous operation. Arm 54 is operable to connect bus 32 either to switch

terminal

56 or 57 while arm 55 is operable to connect bus 39 either to switch terminal 58 or 59. Lead 71 connects

switch terminals

57 and 49 while lead '72 connects

switch terminals

56 and 48.

Switch

arms

64 and 65 of switch 25H are ganged for simultaneous operation. Arm 64 is operable to connect either

switch terminal

56 or 67 to bus 31 while switch arm 65 is operable to connect bus 39 to either

switch terminal

68 or 69. Lead 73 connects

switch terminals

67 and 59 While lead 74 connects switch terminals 66 and 58. Bus 38 connects switch terminals 46 and 68 While bus 37 connects switch terminals 47 and 61. I The signalling system is energized from A.C. source 81. The primary Winding 83 of transformer 82 is connected through switch 84 and fuse 85 across the terminals of source 81. Terminal 87 of transformer secondary 86 is connected directly to common bus 30 While terminal 88 of secondary winding 86 is connected directly to bus 39. With

switches

25R, 25C and 25H in the positions illustrated in FIGURE 1, terminal 88 of transformer secondary 86 is connected from bus 39 through switch arm 45 to terminal 48, through lead 72 to terminal 56, and through switch arm 54 to bus 32. Thus, all of the

yellow lamps

27R, 27C and 27H are energized while all of the remaining lamps are deenergized. A yellow lamp is utilized to designate that the room has been rented.

When the party renting the room goes to the cashier and checks out the cashier operates switch 25C and by so doing disconnects bus 32 from secondary terminal 88 and connects bus 31 to secondary terminal 88. Under these conditions all of the

red lamps

26R, 26C and 26R are energized. This indicates that a check-out has taken place and the room in question is to be prepared for the next occupancy.

After the room in question has been made up the housekeepers switch 25H is operated. Keeping in mind that Aswitch blades 54 and 55 remain in engagement with

terininals

57 and 59, respectively, operation of switch 25H disconnects bus 31 from secondary terminal S8 and connects bus 33 to secondary terminal 88. Thus, all of the green lamps are now lighted to indicate that the room is ready for occupancy and all of the yellow and red lamps are extinguished.

At the time the room clerk rents the room he operates switch 25R. Keeping in mind that switch

arms

54, 55, 64 and 65 are in engagement with

terminals

57, 59, 67 and 69, respectively, it is seen that bus 33 is disconnected from terminal 88 and bus 32 is connected to terminal 88 so that the

yellow lamps

27R, 27C and 27H are again lighted and the red and green lamps are extinguished.

At the next check-out the cashier operates switch 25C back to the position illustratedin FIGURE 1 thereby extinguishing the yellow Ilamps and energizing the

red lamps

26R, 26C and 26H.

Thus, it follows that with the red lamps lighted operation of switch 25H extinguishes the red lamps and lights the green lamps, with the green lamps lighted operation of switch 25R is effective to extinguish the green lamps and energize the yellow lamps, and with the yellow lamps lighted operation of switch 25C is effective to extinguish the yellow lamps and energize the red lamps.

In addition, an emergency condition may arise. That is, a guest may arrive for check-in after the prior guest has checked out but before the room is ready for occupancy. Under these conditions the room clerk must signal the housekeeper in a special manner. This condition arises with the red lamps energized. At this time if switch ZSR is operated all three of the buses 3133 will be connected to secondary terminal S8 so that all of the lamps will light simultaneously.

It is apparent that when the room clerk and cashier are one and the same or when they are located very close to one another, a set of lamps, say lamps 26C, 27C and 28C may be eliminated. In addition certain of the lamps may be eliminated from a particular station. For example, lamp 28C may be eliminated from a particular installation since it is not always essential that the cashier be appraised that a room is Iready for occupancy.

Thus, this invention provides a simple inexpensive and reliable signalling system of the type especially adapted for hotel operations. The system is such that all expensive and bulky components have been eliminated with the only switching elements comprising simple manually operated double pole throw switches.

Although there has been described a preferred embodiment of this novel invention, many variations and modifications will now be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, this invention is to be limited, not by the specific disclosure herein, but only by the appended 'claims The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive privilege or property is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A signalling system including a first, a second, a third, a fourth, a fifth and a sixth switch section; a first and a second indicator means; a power source; each of said switch sections being manually operable between a first and a second position; first and second circuit means each connecting said source to said first indicator means for energization of the latter; said first circuit means including said first and said fourth switch sections each in its said first position; said second circuit means including said first and said fourth switch means each in its said second position; third and fourth circuit means each connecting said source to said second indicator means for energization of the latter; said third circuit means inc-luding said third and said sixth switch sections each in its said first position; said fourth circuit means including said third and said sixth switch sections each in its said second position; first means connecting said first and said second switch sections together for simultaneous operation; second means connecting said third and fourth switch sections together for simultaneous operation; third means connecting said fifth and sixth switch sections together for simultaneous operation.

2. A signalling system as set forth in claim 1 also including a third indicator means; fifth and sixth circuit means each connecting said source to said third indicator means for energization of the latter; said fifth circuit means including said second and said fifth switch sections each in its said first position; said sixth circuit means including said second and said fifth switch sections each in each said second position whereby only one of said indicator means is energized at a given time unless all of said switch sections are simultaneously in their correspondingly designated said first or said second position and in the latter event all of said indicator means are energized simultaneously.

3. A signalling system as set forth in claim 2 in which said first and second switch sections constitute different poles of a first double pole double throw switch, said third and fourth switch sections constitute different poles of a second double pole double throw switch and said fifth and said sixth switch sections constitute different poles of a third double pole double throw switch.

4. A signalling system as set forth in claim 4 in which each of said switches is located at a different control panel, each of said control panels disposed at locations remote from one another.

5. A signalling system as set forth in claim 4 in which said first indicator means includes a visual indicator located at the control panel having said first switch thereat, said second indicator means includes another visual indicator located at the control panel having said second switch thereat, and said third indicator means includes a further visual indicator located at the control panel having said third switch thereat.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,268,240 12/1941 Brixner 340-332 2,659,838 l1/l953 Durocher 340-332 X 3,155,957 ll/1964 Parissi 340-332 NEIL C. READ, Primary Examiner.

R, M. GOLDMAN, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. A SIGNALLING SYSTEM INCLUDING A FIRST, A SECOND, A THIRD, A FOURTH, A FIFTH AND A SIXTH SWITCH SECTION; A FIRST AND A SECOND INDICATOR MEANS; A POWER SOURCE; EACH OF SAID SWITCH SECTIONS BEING MANUALLY OPERABLE BETWEEN A FIRST AND A SECOND POSITION; FIRST AND SECOND CIRCUIT MEANS EACH CONNECTING SAID SOURCE TO SAID FIRST INDICATOR MEANS FOR ENERGIZATION OF THE LATTER; SAID FIRST CIRCUIT MEANS INCLUDING SAID FIRST AND SAID FOURTH SWITCH SECTIONS EACH IN ITS SAID FIRST POSITION; SAID SECOND CIRCUIT MEANS INCLUDING SAID FIRST AND SAID FOURTH SWITCH MEANS EACH IN ITS SAID SECOND POSITION; THIRD AND FOURTH CIRCUIT MEANS EACH CONNECTING SAID SOURCE TO SAID SECOND INDICATOR MEANS FOR ENERGIZATION OF THE LATTER; SAID THIRD CIRCUIT MEANS INCLUDING SAID THRID AND SAID SIXTH SWITCH SECTIONS EACH IN ITS SAID FIRST POSITION; SAID FOURTH CIRCUIT MEANS INCLUDING SAID THIRD AND SAID SIXTH SWITCH SECTIONS EACH IN ITS SAID