US2437306A - Radio dial display device - Google Patents

Description

March 9, 1948. M. RAMSAY 2,437,306

, RADIO DIAL msrmy DEVICE Filed Dec. 12, 1944 INVENTOR. MART/N RAMSA Y BYM/(EWM Patented Mar. 9, 19.48

UNITED STATES PATENT'OFFICE' Martin Ramsay, Houston, Tex.

Application December 12, 1944, Serial No.7567,883

This invention relates to a device for selectively presenting display surfaces, and more particularly to a device for presenting such surfaces in coordination with mechanism settings. In particular, the invention is concerned with the settings of a, multiple contact switch or other multiple setting mechanism and display surfaces coordinated therewith and bearing information relative to the respective settings;

The primary object of the invention is to provide a device that willavoid confusion incident to simultaneous multiple dial displays.

Another and more specific object is to provide a device which presents a single display surface or portion of a display surface indicative of the setting of a multiple contact switch or other multiple setting mechanism co-ordinated therewith.

The foregoing objects together with other objects will be more apparent from a consideration of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a portion of a radio cabinet in which the device of the invention is incorporated;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken online 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 3-3 in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of a multiple contact switch which is illustrative of a multiple setting unit that constitutes an element of the invention, the view being taken of line 4-5 in Fig.2.

The invention may be utilized in such environments as multiple range electrical instruments such as ammeters, voltmeters, and so forth, mechanical setting indications for devices which are remotely controlled electrically, or the invention may be used in radio devices such as receivers to provide wave band settings, switch transfer among amplitude modulation, frequency modulation, television, and so forth. For purposes of illustration, the invention is herein described in connection with an all-wave receiver. However, it is to be understood that such disclosure is intended to be illustrative only, inasmuch as the invention may be embodied in any device utilizing the principles as disclosed in the preferred embodiment of the invention.

The invention as shown in the preferred embodiment of the drawings comprises a radio cabinet I having an opening 2 therein permitting visibility of a rotatable drum 3 having a positive drive connection through bevel gears 4 to a multiple 2 Claims. (01. 116-1241) position switch 5, so that there may be co-ordinated action of the drum and the switch upon rotation of the shaft 6, to which the knob 'l is attached exteriorly of the cabinet I.

The opening 2 is provided with a suitable transparent windowifl, which has an arcuate inner surface adjacent which the drum 3 rotates. A pointer l l'is movable adjacent the window) by a mechanism which is not shown, but in a manner that is well known in the art, so that wave length settings of the receiver in which the device is embodied are indicated.

The drum 3 is preferably polygonal in cross section to provide faces that may be of a suitable color or upon which may be placed indicia such as numerals and graduations l2 and I3. This drum is made of a'material having sufficient light transmission properties that information carried by the drum is made visible through the window ID by virtue of a light l4 mounted within the drum.

End members I5 and I6 on the drum 3 provide a rotatable support for the drum upon supports l1 and I8 within the cabinet I. The end member i5 fits slidably upon the reduced inner end of a tubular journal member I9 secured in support IT. This journal member also supports the elongated lam member l4 within the drum, conductors 20 passing through the opening in the shaft to the base of the lamp [4.

The opposite end, l6, of the drum 3 is attached to a stub shaft 2|, journaled in the support l8 and to which the bevel gear 22 is secured. This gear in turn meshes with the bevel gear 23 secured to the shaft 6.

Mounted upon the inner end of the shaft 6 is an arm 25 which carries a contactor 26 adapted to selectively engage any of the pairs of contacts 21, 28 or 29, such pairs of contacts being shown as three in number for purposes of illustration.

The pairs of contacts on the switch 5 are in turn connected through paired conductors 30, 3| and 32 to circuits providing the desired radio frequency bands, it being under-stood that the indicia or other information presented at the window l0 pertains only to the wave or frequency band to which the receiver is adjusted or to such other circuit as may be affected by the particular setting of the switch 5.

In order that the drum 3 will be accurately located in a predetermined position adjacent the window II], a lug 35 is provided upon the interior of the radio cabinet and attached thereto is a leaf spring 36, which extends outwardly and engages the surface of the drum 3. A detent 31 in the spring 33 is adapted to engage an edge formed by the intersecting faces of the drum 3. By means of this construction the drum 3 is engaged and releasably retained in a definite position and is movable from such position only through positive operation of the device through the rotation of the knob 1.

The operation of the device as illustrated and. above described is believed apparent from the foregoing description. To summarize, it will be assumed that the setting, as shown in the draw ings, is such that the receiver is adjusted for reception in the conventional broadcast band, The indicia and graduations visible as shown in Fig. 1, and only this information, are displayed for the indicated setting. It is obvious, therefore,

that no confusion can arise as to the frequency adjustment as indicated by the pointer I l.

If it is desired to shift to :a different frequency or wave band, the controller knob l is turned in either a clockwise or a counterclockwise direction to move the switch 5 to the desired pair of switch contacts. Such rotation of the knob l synchronously drives the drum 3 so that a different portion of the surface thereof is presented adjacent the window 18, such portion bearing additional information equivalent to the new setting of the mechanism.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a radio receiving set comprising a housing having an elongated opening therein, the combination of an elongated dial member of polygona1 cross section having wave band indicia upon the respective surfaces thereof, end members forming closures for said dial member, a 3

shaft secured to one of the end members to rotate the dial member so that a selected face thereof is moved in front of the elongated opening, a hollow journal member upon which the opposite end member is mounted, a light mounted upon the inner end of said journal member, and means for supplying electrical ener through the journal member to said light.

2. In a radio receivin set comprising a housing having an elongated opening therein, the combination of an elongated dial comprising a hollow body of translucent material and of polygonal cross section, end members forming closures for said dial member, driving means attached to one of said end members for rotating the dialto move a selected face in front of the elongated opening, a hollow journal member upon which the opposite end member is mounted, and

- alight mounted upon the inner end of said journal member, and means for supplying electrical energy through the journal member to said light.

MARTIN RAMSAY.

REFERENCES CITED 1 The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,052,701 De Tar Sept. 1, 1936 2,078,031 Emde 1 Apr. 20, 1937 2,078,270 Newman Apr. 27, 19 37 2,301,419 Lew Nov. 10, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 330,682 Italy Oct. 22, 1935 417,293 Great Britain Jan, 12, 1934 508,972 GreatBritain Jan. 8, 1938

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