US3636558A

US3636558A - Synoptic control and signalling board

Info

Publication number: US3636558A
Application number: US887835A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jean Debaigt
Original assignee: ELECTRIQUE COMP GLE ENTREPRISE
Current assignee: ELECTRIQUE COMP GLE ENTREPRISE
Priority date: 1968-12-27
Filing date: 1969-12-24
Publication date: 1972-01-18
Anticipated expiration: 1989-01-18
Also published as: BE743321A; NL6919256A; NL163383B; FR1600001A; NL163383C; DE1964596B2; DE1964596A1; GB1276510A; ES374838A1

Abstract

A synoptic control and signal panel comprising mosaic elements having no supporting grid and consisting of detachable panels bearing symbols or data in the form of a diagram. The panels are assembled together by keys having a double dovetail shape which engages hollow parts on the side faces of the panels.

Description

D United States Patent 51 3,636,558 Debaigt 1 1 Jan. 18, 1972 SYNOPTIC CONTROL AND References Ci SIGNALLING BOARD UNITED STATES PATENTS [721 Invent Jean Debaigt Masons-Lafitte France 2,225,612 12 1940 Allen ..46/26 73 Assignee: Compagnie Gena-ale DEn'reluises Elec 2,765,581 10/1956 Adler... ..46/26 mques Levanoisyenet France 3,007,150 10/1961 Arrasm1th.... .....340/381 3,516,194 6/1970 Schmidlin ..46/26 [22] Filed: Dec. 24, 1969 Primary ExaminerBenedict V. Safourek Assistant Examiner-Joseph A. Orsino, Jr. [2]] Appl' 887835 Attorney-Sughrue, Rothwell, Mion, Zinn & Macpeak 30 Foreign Application Priority Data ABSTRACT Dec. 27, 1968 France ..1s1341 A Synoptic control and Signal Panel comprising mosaic ments having no supporting grid and consisting of detachable panels bearing symbols or data in the form of a diagram. The panels are assembled together by keys having a double [52] US. Cl ..340/38l, 46/26 dovetail Shape which engages hollow parts on the side faces of [51] Int. Cl. ..G09f 7/02, G09f 9/30 the panels [58] Field of Search ..340/381; 52/307, 503, 731;

46/26, 29, 31 8 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEU JAN] 8 B 2 SHEET 1 0F 4 FIG.I

PATENTEUJAM 8 m2 3.836; 558

sum 2 OF 4 W Nn [Pl r\/ PATENTEU JAN 1 8 m2 SHEEI 3 OF 4 FIGS SYNOPTIC CONTROL AND SIGNALLING BOARD BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention concerns a synoptic control and signalling board made up of mosaic elements, comprising detachable panels carrying symbols or members of a circuit diagram.

2. Description of the Prior Art Synoptic control and signalling boards made up of mosaic elements which comprise a support grid composed of cells into which panels bearing the elements of the circuit diagram are fitted are already known. The applicants have proposed in their French Pat. No. 1,445,529, of Apr. 12, 1965, synoptic boards in which the cells can receive both panels having the same dimensions and panels whose dimensions are submultiples of those cells, so that the circuit diagram can be further subdivided when it is desired to introduce new elements into These boards, however, lend themselves only to limited modifications because they must be inserted into a grid of predetermined dimensions. It is therefore impossible to add further panels having the same dimensions as those of the basic structure without changing the support grid. Moreover, the support grid increases the weight of the whole structure of the synoptic board and gives it a rather unattractive appearance.

The present invention has for its object to obviate the aforesaid disadvantages and to provide a synoptic control and signalling board in which the number of elements can be rapidly varied within wide limits and which is self-supporting, i.e., free from any support grid, is light and is of attractive appearance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention concerns a synoptic control and signalling board of the type consisting of a plurality of hollow elements of prismatic form closed at one end by a detachable panel bearing symbols or members. The elements are disposed side by side so that their side faces are juxtaposed in pairs and the panels form a plane surface. The elements are assembled by means of assembly members comprising a male member cooperating with female member mounted on the lateral faces of the elements. The assembly members are pegs having the form of a double dovetail in cross section. The pegs are disposed parallel to the axis of the prismatic elements, and are provided with a gripping head and means for locking them in the lateral walls of the elements.

Further, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, which is given by way of nonlimiting example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, of a synoptic control and signalling board comprising square detachable elements.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 illustrates a board element as seen from the rear of the board, in section along the line A-A of FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 illustrates the same board element in section along the line BB ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 illustrates a peg for joining adjacent board elements, as seen in perspective;

FIG. 4 illustrates the assembly comprising a board element and an unpluggable lamp holder disposed behind the corresponding panel, in section along the line AA of FIG. 5;

FIG. 5 illustrates the same assembly as FIG. 4, as seen from the front, in section along the line BB of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 illustrates in perspective two elements for securing the synoptic board to a support frame disposed behind the latter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The board element illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 consists of strong material endowed with some flexibility, and formed, for example, of polyvinyl chloride or of superpolyamide, such as that sold under the trade name Nylon." It comprises four identical walls 1 whose central parts are formed with dovetailshaped recesses 2, and a base 5 disposed on the side turned towards the observer. The base constitutes the equivalent of the panels of the synoptic board. Close to the edge of the walls which is opposite to the base 5, the recesses 2 are formed with blind holes 3 centered on the axis of the recesses. On the inside of the wall, there are provided ribs 4 formed with axial grooves 4A to enable control and signalling members to be secured where necessary. As a variant, the blind holes 3 may be replaced by holes extending through the wall of the panels.

The peg illustrated in FIG. 3 preferably consists of the same material as the elements which is serves to assemble. It comprises an elongated body 8 whose cross section is in the form of a double dovetail, and a head 7 of rectangular cross section having a gripping hole 8 extending along its axis parallel to its length. Two frustoconical studs Q having an angle at their apex of 30 and disposed on either side of the body 6 in the neighborhood of the head are intended to hold the peg fast in the blind holes in the walls of the board elements. The end of the body 6 which is further from the head is terminated by a bevel 10. The angle of the two adjacent sides of the double dovetail is, for example, 120. When a rod is engaged in the hole 8 and situated on the end of a gripping hook and, a sufficiently strong pull is exerted on the hook in a direction parallel to the axis of the peg, the flexibility of the material enables the studs 9 to become disengaged from the blind holes. The peg is then able to slide in the recesses in the walls and to become completely disengaged.

The assembly, comprising a board element and an unpluggable lamp holder, is illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, in which the parts common to FIGS. 1 and 2 bear the same reference numerals. The base of the board element is formed with an aperture in which there is disposed a window 12 which may bear a symbol. The octagonal unpluggable lamp holder 13 is disposed in the connection holder 14, which is in turn surrounded by a metallic protective casing 15. The connection holder 14 is secured in the board element by ribs 16 which engage internal grooves 4A. Four miniature lamps such as 18 provided with colored caps 19 are engaged by the sockets 17 of the lamp holder. Terminals 20 are provided for connection to a source of current. A spring 21 having a circular rib 22 maintains the lamp 18 in position when its rib 22 is engaged in groove 23 in the base of the lamp.

The devices for securing the synoptic board on a support frame shown in FIG. 6 comprise screw-threaded rods 31 disposed at intervals, for example, of 30 centimeters in the longitudinal direction and of 45 centimeters in the vertical direction where the board elements have sides of 30 millimeters. The screwthreaded rods 31 are screwed on to frame elements 30. They are soldered or welded at their ends to

tubes

32 or 32A of square cross section, which

tubes

32 or 32A are terminated by

studs

33 or 33A which are held in the holes in the heads 7 of the pegs 6. The rods provided with tubes 32 secure the board in the vertical direction and those provided with tubes 32A secure the board in the longitudinal direction. When it is desired to secure the board to support frame elements 30, the

studs

33 and 33A of the

tubes

32 and 32A are introduced into the holes in the peg heads. Then the pegs are pushed into the recesses in the walls of the board elements which they are to connect. On disassembly, it is sufficient to exert a pull on the board elements so as to remove them from the

tubes

32 and 32A and thus to disengage the pegs from the walls of the elements. The board elements can thereafter be withdrawn from the

end members

33 and 33A and, if necessary, returned to the recesses which they previously occupied.

It will be appreciated that various modifications may be made to the synoptic control and signalling boards just described without departing from the scope of the invention. More particularly, the board elements may have a cross section of other than square form, for example, they can be in the form of a convex regular polygon of triangular, pentagonal hexagonal, etc., shape. The means for joining the assembly members and the board elements may have a form other than that of a dovetail such as, for example, they may have a cross section of substantially dumbbell form.

The means for gripping the heads of the pegs, the means for holding the pegs secure and the means for attachment to the support frame may be any other known means.

What is claimed is:

l. A synoptic control and signalling board of the type consisting of a plurality of hollow elements of prismatic form closed at one end by a detachable panel bearing symbols, said elements being disposed side-by-side in such a manner that their lateral faces are contiguous in pairs and that the panels form a plane surface, said elements being assembled by means of assembly members supporting a male member cooperating with a female member supported by the lateral faces of the elements, said assembly members being pegs having the form of a double dovetail in cross section, said pegs being disposed parallel to the axis of the prisimatic elements and having means for holding said pegs fast in the lateral walls of the elements, said pegs further having a gripping head of a parallelipipedic form, with at least one dimension being substantially equal to twice the thickness of the lateral wall of an element.

2. A synoptic board according to claim 1, wherein the gripping head is formed with a hole for the introduction of a demounting tool, said hole having an axis perpendicular to the axis ofthe peg.

3. A synoptic board according to claim 2, wherein the board is connected to a support frame at intervals by means of rods perpendicular to the plane of the visible face of said board and elongated members are connected parallel to said plane, the ends of said elongated members being lodged in holes in the gripping heads of two adjacent pegs either in a horizontal plane or in a vertical plane.

4. A synoptic board according to claim 1, wherein the locking means of the peg comprises studs mounted on the peg which cooperate with holes in the lateral face of the elements.

5. A synoptic control and signalling board of the type comprising a plurality of members with a prismatic form and having at one end a square panel face bearing symbols with lateral faces, said elements being disposed side-by-side in such a manner that said square panel faces form a flat surface, and

a key means for locking together prismatic members including a gripping head with a hole perpendicular to its longitudinal axis, said key means coacting with said lateral faces of adjacent prismatic members when positioned parallel to said lateral faces whereby a synoptic control and signalling board is formed adapted for easy dismantling by a tool coacting with said hole in said key.

6. A board as in claim 5, further including a support frame means including rods and fasteners with studs, said rods are fastened to the support frame means perpendicular to flat surface panel face while said fasteners are fastened to the end of said rods with the studs parallel to said panel face, said studs coacting with said gripping head holes.

7. A board as in claim 6 where said lateral faces of said prismatic members have recesses and locking means on said key means for coacting with said recesses of said lateral faces.

8. A board as in claim 7 where said recesses are circular indentations and said locking means are circular studs.

Claims

1. A synoptic control and signalling board of the type consisting of a plurality of hollow elements of prismatic form closed at one end by a detachable panel bearing symbols, said elements being disposed side-by-side in such a manner that their lateral faces are contiguous in pairs and that the panels form a plane surface, said elements being assembled by means of assembly members supporting a male member cooperating with a female member supported by the lateral faces of the elements, said assembly members being pegs having the form of a double dovetail in cross section, said pegs being disposed parallel to the axis of the prisimatic elements and having means for holding said pegs fast in the lateral walls of the elements, said pegs further having a gripping head of a parallelipipedic form, with at least one dimension being substantially equal to twice the thickness of the lateral wall of an element.

2. A synoptic board according to claim 1, wherein the gripping head is formed with a hole for the introduction of a demounting tool, said hole having an axis perpendicular to the axis of the peg.

5. A synoptic control and signalling board of the type comprising a plurality of members with a prismatic form and having at one end a square panel face bearing symbols with lateral faces, said elements being disposed side-by-side in such a manner that said square panel faces form a flat surface, and a key means for locking together prismatic members including a gripping head with a hole perpendicular to its longitudinal axis, said key means coacting with said lateral faces of adjacent prismatic members when positioned parallel to said lateral faces whereby a synoptic control and signalling board is formed adapted for easy dismantling by a tool coacting with said hole in said key.