US3745269A - Mechanical device with manually operable keys for supplying voltage to output channels in preset fashion - Google Patents

Mechanical device with manually operable keys for supplying voltage to output channels in preset fashion Download PDF

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Publication number
US3745269A
US3745269A US00168290A US3745269DA US3745269A US 3745269 A US3745269 A US 3745269A US 00168290 A US00168290 A US 00168290A US 3745269D A US3745269D A US 3745269DA US 3745269 A US3745269 A US 3745269A
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United States
Prior art keywords
helicoid
switching unit
conductor
key
unit according
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Expired - Lifetime
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US00168290A
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English (en)
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T Arvai
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Individual
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Individual
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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H13/00—Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch
    • H01H13/70—Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboard
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
    • G06C—DIGITAL COMPUTERS IN WHICH ALL THE COMPUTATION IS EFFECTED MECHANICALLY
    • G06C7/00—Input mechanisms
    • G06C7/02—Keyboards
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
    • G06F3/01—Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer
    • G06F3/02—Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials
    • G06F3/0202—Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H1/00—Contacts
    • H01H1/12—Contacts characterised by the manner in which co-operating contacts engage
    • H01H1/14—Contacts characterised by the manner in which co-operating contacts engage by abutting
    • H01H1/24—Contacts characterised by the manner in which co-operating contacts engage by abutting with resilient mounting
    • H01H1/242—Contacts characterised by the manner in which co-operating contacts engage by abutting with resilient mounting the contact forming a part of a coil spring

Definitions

  • a movable, electrically conducting blade operable by means of a key is in registry with an opening or space between a pair of successive projections whereby to be able to establish an electrical contact with certit'ude between said blade, when it is driven downwardly by pressing the key and the helicoid conductor.
  • the present invention which falls within the province of electric switches, relates to a keyboard, that is to say to a device with manually operable keys for supplying voltage to output channels in preset fashion by establishing the required electrical contacts.
  • a combination for supplying a certain number of output channels among a plurality thereof that corresponds to a given code or meets certain needs is obtained by operating a specific key on the keyboard.
  • Such a keyboard may comprise a plurality of keys of this kind, each corresponding to a different combination.
  • the latter can be devised by utilizing conventional mechanical switches. If however it is desired to use such a device for controlling a unit such as an electronic computer or the like, the contacts to be made must meet the following requirements in particular 1 they must be reliable and positive, that is, there must be no danger of making false electrical contacts or contacts established through appreciable contact resistance;
  • Prior art methods also include making the contacts by means of knife edges striking wires, but this is not satisfactory for the more general case herein considered.
  • each of the output channels or connections is electrically connected to a helicoid electrical conductor the tightly wound turns of which rest on successive insulating projections, and key-actuated blades acting as contacts are provided opposite helicoid between pairs of consecutive projections, means being provided to electrically connect these contacts to the input voltage shortly after depression of the blades is initiated.
  • FIG. 1 shows on an enlarged scale the method of operating the contact
  • FIG. 2 is a plan view of part of a keyboard according to the invention.
  • FIG. 3 is a corresponding cross-sectional view, the keys being shown in their resting position
  • FIG. 3a is a portion of FIG. 3 shown with a key depressed
  • FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic plan view of the keyboard of FIG. 2;
  • FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the diagrammatic view of FIG. 4.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates the physical phenomenon on which this invention is based. It was found that if a wire 1 was tightly coiled into a helix over a series of projections 2 formed on the bottom of an insulating housing and that if contact blades 3 positioned above and opposite the openings or spaces 2a between consecutive projections 2 are moved downwardly by insulated key means 3a or the like, a clean-cut unambiguous electrical contact is obtained with certainty, that is to say without exception, between a blade 3 and the helical wire 1. For as shown for example for the middle blade in FIG.
  • an insulating plate 4 may be positioned above and embody openings 4a through which the moving blades 3 extend.
  • Readily devisable lateral and longitudinal insulating'stops can likewise be provided to locate the coil; alternatively, plate 4 and base 5 may be integral and be drilled with at least one cylindrical passage 6 into which the helically wound wire 1 fits and the wall of which is formed with transverse indentations 2a.
  • the wire 1 must be made of a relatively flexible, good electricity conducting material such as copper or silver or a good conducting alloy.
  • This method of making contact can be used in various ways for devising a keyboard in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention as shown in FIGS. 2-5.
  • end wires 1 are stretched parallel to one another on a frame 10 and rest on a notched case 11 made of moulded insulating material.
  • rakes 12 made of metal or some other good electricity conducting material, as already indicated in connection with the wires themselves.
  • Each rake carries a set of identical teeth 120, the first 1 one 121 of which is shorter than the others.
  • FIG. 3
  • Each of rakes 12 is bolted to a supporting bar 13 curved at 13a and 13b at either end, and, apart from the number of teeth left in place or cut off, the rakes are all identical, whereby all that is necessary in order to effect a new combination in place of an obsolete one 3 is to take a new rake, break off the appropriate teeth, and substitute it.
  • Each of bars 13 can be actuated by the key 19 assigned to that particular combination.
  • the position of the key 19 will depend on the rake; obviously, this is by no means compulsory, and it would be possible to retain the same position for all the rakes, in which case it would be necessary to mutually space the rakes by the width of a key at least, which would result in a lengthwise disposed keyboard with wasted space; hence with the arrangement shown in FIG. 2, in which the keys are staggered lengthwise it is possible to ensure minimum spacing between the rakes, the overall size of the keyboard is reduced, and the length of wire 1 is not lengthened unnecessarily.
  • the bar 13 pivots about an axle 14.
  • the bar 13 is provided at one end thereof with a cranked extension 13a which is adapted to be inserted between two balls 15 of a series of balls arranged side by side (this is a device for avoiding simultaneous engagement of two keys).
  • the bar 13 is provided with another cranked extension 13b which is urged back by a spring 16 and passes through a guiding element 17.
  • Another guiding element 18 is also shown.
  • the first wire 11 is connected to the input voltage E, the other wires 1 to the output channels or connections S1, S2 Sn. This means that no voltage will appear on the output channels corresponding to the combination selected by a depressed key until the shortest tooth l2i of the depressed rake touches the coiled conductor of wire 1i.
  • the difference in length between this shorter tooth 12and the other remaining teeth 120 on the same rake is chosen so that tooth 12i should inevitably encounter the coiled conductor, while contact is already surely established in the case of the other teeth 12a.
  • the keyboard may be made very long, thus enabling a large number of keys, and hence combinations, to be accommodated, and furthermore it is possible to juxtapose a plurality of frames by interconnecting the mutually lengthened wires li as well as the remaining wires 1, whereby the growth potential of the capacity of such a keyboard is very great.
  • a switching device comprising a helicoid electrical conductor resting by one side thereof on a support which comprises successive insulating projections separated by openings which will permit deflection of said conductor into said openings, an electrically conducting blade which is positioned on the other side and clear of said conductor and in registry with an opening between a pair of successive projections and which is directed and movable towards said conductor at right angles to the axis of the latter, an actuation key fixed to said blade for its manual actuation, whereby under the pressure of the blade by means of the key an electrical contact is established with certitude between said blade and the conductor, the possible local deformation of the helicoid conductor being accommodated in the opening in registry.
  • a switching unit having the form of a keyboard with manually operating keys comprising a plurality of switching devices according to claim 12, and a source of input voltage electrical supply means with a delay arrangement which interconnect any actuated blade of said switching device with the source of input voltage after establishment of contact between any actuated blade and a corresponding helicoid conductor of said switching device, whereby the depression of one key ensures that one of said output connections is supplied with the input voltage in preset fashion.
  • a switching unit wherein a plurality of said switching devices are arranged parallel with one another and wherein said unit includes me chanical interconnection means for simultaneously actuating by means of the same key a plurality of conducting blades of said switching devices each of which cooperates with one of said helicoid conductors of said switching devices.
  • a switching unit wherein a plurality of said helicoid conductors of said switching devices are. arranged parallel with one another and wherein said switching unit includes mechanical interconnection means for simultaneously actuating by means of the same key a plurality of conducting blades each of which cooperates with one of said helicoid conductors, said mechanical interconnection means being formed by a plate fastwith the key and said blades by teeth dependent therefrom, said plate and said blades being made of electricity conducting material.
  • a switching unit which includes a plurality of said plates respectively fast with an actuating key and arranged transversely in relation to said helicord conductors, whereby to permit activation of different combinations of the output supply voltages by depressing the corresponding keys.
  • a switching unit which includes a plurality of'identical rakes, arranged transversely in relation to said helicoid conductors so as to permit activation of them by depressing the corresponding keys, said rakes having specific teeth broken off whereby to obtain the several desired combinations of output voltage.
  • a switching unit comprisingmovable supporting bars wherein said supply means include a tooth shorter than the others that cooperates with a helicoid conductor similar to the others but connected to the input voltage.
  • a switching unit comprising a fixed axle for pivoting said supporting bars, means for guiding and resiliently returning the same and members for avoiding the simultaneous engagement of two bars.
  • a switching unit wherein said bar is formed at its ends with integral extensions at right angles, said switching unit comprising a return spring cooperating with one of said extension and a series of balls arranged side by side, each of them at least cooperating with one of the other said bar extensions so as to form a removable obstacle and avoid the simultaneous engagement of two bars.
  • a switching unit comprising a frame, an insulating member mounted in said frame and shaped to support the helicoid conductors stretched across said frame, and means mounted on the frame for supporting the bars at their thrust points.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
  • Computing Systems (AREA)
  • Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
  • Push-Button Switches (AREA)
  • Input From Keyboards Or The Like (AREA)
  • Toys (AREA)
US00168290A 1970-08-10 1971-08-02 Mechanical device with manually operable keys for supplying voltage to output channels in preset fashion Expired - Lifetime US3745269A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR7029447A FR2102579A5 (enExample) 1970-08-10 1970-08-10

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3745269A true US3745269A (en) 1973-07-10

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ID=9060044

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US00168290A Expired - Lifetime US3745269A (en) 1970-08-10 1971-08-02 Mechanical device with manually operable keys for supplying voltage to output channels in preset fashion

Country Status (11)

Country Link
US (1) US3745269A (enExample)
AU (1) AU3214471A (enExample)
BR (1) BR7105114D0 (enExample)
CA (1) CA941423A (enExample)
CH (1) CH546474A (enExample)
DE (1) DE2139812A1 (enExample)
ES (1) ES394606A1 (enExample)
FR (1) FR2102579A5 (enExample)
GB (1) GB1329209A (enExample)
NL (1) NL7111019A (enExample)
SE (1) SE361757B (enExample)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3927284A (en) * 1973-11-07 1975-12-16 Facit Ab Keyboard switch assembly having coil spring contacts providing point contacts engagement
US4434338A (en) 1982-01-22 1984-02-28 Rood Robert M Coil spring switch

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1460021A (en) * 1973-01-24 1976-12-31 Gen Electric Co Ltd Electric switches
FR3120836B1 (fr) 2021-03-16 2023-02-10 Psa Automobiles Sa Procede de commande d’une pompe a vide d’un vehicule electrique

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2666822A (en) * 1952-10-15 1954-01-19 Central Commercial Ind Inc Stop switch
US2882514A (en) * 1955-10-11 1959-04-14 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Electric circuit connector
US3193607A (en) * 1961-03-07 1965-07-06 Chicago Musical Instr Co Key switch assembly
US3432635A (en) * 1965-02-04 1969-03-11 Paolo Settimio Soprani Switches and mechanism for forming chords in electronic musical instruments
US3494550A (en) * 1967-01-13 1970-02-10 Ibm Universal keyboard

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2666822A (en) * 1952-10-15 1954-01-19 Central Commercial Ind Inc Stop switch
US2882514A (en) * 1955-10-11 1959-04-14 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Electric circuit connector
US3193607A (en) * 1961-03-07 1965-07-06 Chicago Musical Instr Co Key switch assembly
US3432635A (en) * 1965-02-04 1969-03-11 Paolo Settimio Soprani Switches and mechanism for forming chords in electronic musical instruments
US3494550A (en) * 1967-01-13 1970-02-10 Ibm Universal keyboard

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3927284A (en) * 1973-11-07 1975-12-16 Facit Ab Keyboard switch assembly having coil spring contacts providing point contacts engagement
US4434338A (en) 1982-01-22 1984-02-28 Rood Robert M Coil spring switch

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
BR7105114D0 (pt) 1973-04-12
CA941423A (en) 1974-02-05
SE361757B (enExample) 1973-11-12
GB1329209A (en) 1973-09-05
CH546474A (fr) 1974-02-28
AU3214471A (en) 1973-02-15
FR2102579A5 (enExample) 1972-04-07
ES394606A1 (es) 1973-11-16
DE2139812A1 (de) 1972-03-30
NL7111019A (enExample) 1972-02-14

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