US3344544A

US3344544A - Numeric display

Info

Publication number: US3344544A
Application number: US533052A
Authority: US
Inventors: James S Hellen
Original assignee: General Precision Inc
Current assignee: General Precision Inc
Priority date: 1966-03-09
Filing date: 1966-03-09
Publication date: 1967-10-03
Anticipated expiration: 1984-10-03

Description

Oct. 3,

J. S. HELLEN NUMERIC DISPLAY Filed March 9, 1966 x x x illy WMA@ (T E@ FIG JAMES S. HELLEN INVENTOR.

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ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,344,544 NUMERIC DISPLAY James S. Hellen, Wayne, NJ., assigner to General Precision Inc., Little Falls, NJ., a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 9, 1966, Ser. No. 533,052 7 Claims. (Cl. 40-68) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE An alpha-numeric display device comprising a mask with a plurality of peepholes therethrough having a selective arrangement, and a display member, which has stepped displacements relative to said mask and which has a surface which underlies said peepholes With a plurality of dots marked thereon and selectively arranged in a succession of groups representing numerals.

The present invention relates to an alpha-numeric display, and particularly to a counter-type of alpha-numeric display having overlapping numerals.

A prior-art counter includes a support, a shaft mounted on said support, and a plurality of dials, which are coupled to said shaft with each dial having a series of spaced numerals marked thereon.

Such a prior-art counter is fully described in U.S. Patent No. 3,189,273, which is assigned to the same assignee as in this invention.

One problem with said prior-art counter is that it is dicult to decrease the size of the dial without decreasing the size of the numeral.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the size of the dial can be decreased without decreasing the size of the numeral by marking a plurality of dots on said dial surface, which are disposed in a succession of selectively arranged groups representing a series of overlapping numerals, and by positioning a mask with selectively arranged peepholes in front of said dial through which only one numeral at a time is displayed whereby a series of successive numerals are displayed 'by advancing the dial in steps.

Accordingly, it is one object of the invention to provide an alpha-numeric display, in which the ratio of de- Vice size to alpha-numeric character size is minimized.

It is another object of the invention to form a compact 360 angle counter, in which the ratio of dial size to nu meral size is minimized.

To the fulfillment of these and other objects, the invention provides an alpha-numeric display device comprising a mask with a plurality of peepholes therethrough having a selective arrangement, and a display member, which has stepped displacements relative to said mask and which has a surface which underlies said peepholes with a plurality of dots marked thereon and selectively arranged in a succession of groups representing numerals.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein like parts are designated by like numerals throughout the several views, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of an alpha-numeric display embodying features of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional View taken along the line 3 3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a developed plan View of a portion of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged view of portion A of FIGURE 1; and

Patented Oct. 3, 1967 FIGURE 6 is an enlarged View of portion B of FIG- URE 4.

Referring to FIGURE l, one embodiment of the present invention is an alpha-numeric display counter 10. Counter 10, which is a 360n type of counter, includes a plurality of dials 12, an input shaft 14 on which dials 12 are journaled, a viscous material 16 which is disposed between dials 12 and shaft 14, a latch means 18 with a latch-actuating means 20 for stepping said dials in a selective fashion, and a housing 22 which supports shaft 14 and latch means 18 therefrom.

Dials 12 include a first dial 24, which has 6 numerals thereon including numerals 00 to 50 inclusive, a second dial 26, which has 10 numerals thereon including numerals 0 to 9 inclusive, and a third dial 30, which has 36 numerals thereon including numerals 00 to 35 inclusive.

Dials

24, 26, 30 are coaxial along a common axis of rotation 31.

Dials

24, 26, 30 have

respective grooves

32, 34, 36 disposed on the outer side thereof, and

respective bores

40, 42, 44 which are journaled on shaft 14.

Dials

24, 26, 30 also have

respective ring portions

46, 50, 52, which have respective apex portions (not shown).

Shaft 14 includes a pair of

bearings

62, 64, which are journaled in housing 22 at the ends thereof. Shaft 14 also has a plurality of annular recesses 66, 70', 72, which face respective bores 40, `42, 44, `and which contain viscous material 16.

Viscous material 16 includes

viscous portions

82, 84, 86, which are respectively disposed in recesses 66, 70, 72.

Latch means 18 includes escapement latches 90, 92, 94 which have respective prongs 96, 100, 102, that have respective fixed ends 104, 106, and respective guided ends 112, 114, 116. Latch means 18 also includes a guide bar 118 for engaging ends 112, 114, 116. Latches 92, 94 are respectively engaged by

actuators

46, 50. Shaft 14 also has an actuator disc portion 120, which has a bore portion 124 that is fixedly coupled to shaft 14 by key 126. Disc has an apex portion (not shown), which engages latch 90.

Housing 22 includes a pair of

opposite end walls

144, 146, a bottom wall 150, and a top wall 152.

Dials

24, 26, 30 also have respective radially

outer surfaces

154, 156, 158.

The above described portions of counter 10 are more fully described in the aforementioned U.S. Patent No. 3,189,273.

According to the invention, counter 10 includes a mask 160, which has a plurality of peepholes 162; and radially outer surface 158 has a plurality of dots 164, which are displayed through peepholes 162.

Mask 160 overlies surface 158. Said peepholes 162 extend through mask 160 and have a selective arrangement for viewing surface 158. Dots 164 are marked on surface 158 and are preferably identical in size and shape and are selectively arranged in a succession of

groups

166, 168, 170, 172, 174, which represent numerals, whereby one numeral at a time in a series of successive numerals is displayed through peepholes 162 during the stepped displacement of dial 30 relative to housing 22. Top wall 152 also has a pair of windows 178, 180. Mask 160 is positioned bel-ow window 178 and is disposed radially outwardly of surface 158.

Mask 160 should preferably have not less than 9 of said peepholes 162, that is, 3 horizontal rows containing 3 ea-ch and vertically spaced apart to forrn 3 vertical rows of 3 each. Peepholes 162 are preferably arranged in 4 straight lines and form a closed loop 182, which has the shape of a slanted par-allelogram with an angle of tilt 184 relative to the vertical, that is preferably not less than 15 thereby forming aslantedpnumeral character.

In one model of one embodiment of counter 10, each said group of

dots

166, 168, 170, 172, 174 measures A8 units high, where each unit is about 0.100 inch. Group 166, which is typical, is overlapped by its rst succeeding number group 168 by 5 units, and is overlapped by its second succeeding number group 170 by 2 units, and is spaced from its third succeeding number group 172 by 1 unit. Surface 158 has 36 of said grooves 36, so that each stepped displacement of dial 30 measuress less than one-half the height of said numeral group 166.

In this way, surface 158 carries 36 numerals on its perimeter, while it previously carried only 12 spaced numerals. With this construction, the ratio of the size of dial 30 to the size of numeral 166 is minimized.

Mask 160 has `an X-axis 186, which is disposed substantially parallel to a tanget to dial 30 along its line of travel, a Y-axis 188, which is disposed substantially at right angles to X-axis 186, and a vertical Z-axis 190, which is disposed substantially at right angles to a

plane including axes

186 and 188. Mask 160 also has an upper face 192 and a lower face 194, which are axially spaced along axis 190. Lower face 194 is separated from surface 158 by a gap 1956 that is preferably as small as possible in thickness.

In said one model of said embodiment of counter 10, upper face 192 has a black-colored, non-reflecting finish; and dots 164 also have a black-colored, non-reflecting iinish. However, surface 158 has a white-colored lightreflecting finish. In this way, surface 158 has white portions which form white dots in some of peepholes 162; and surface 158 has black dots 164, which form black dots in the remaining peepholes 162. Thus, black dots 164 blank out some portions of loop 182 and the remaining white peepholes 162 form the numeral.

In summari this invention provides an alpha-numeric display device in which the ratio of device size to alphanumeric character size is minimized; and provides a counter, in which the ratio of dial size to numeral size is minimized.

While the present invention has been described in a preferred embodiment, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made therein within the scope of the invention. For example,

dials

24, 26, 30 may be composed of a white translucent material, and lights may be mounted on housing 22 for illuminating numeral dots 164. It is intended that the appended claims cover all such modifications.

What is claimed is:

1. An alpha-numeric display device comprising:

a mask with a plurality of peepholes extending therethrough having a selective arrangement; and

a cylindrical display member having stepped displace- -ments relative to said mask and having a surface which underlies said peepholes with a plurality of dots marked thereon and selectively arranged in a succession of groups representing alpha-numeric characters, the arrangement of which as seen through the mask displays alpha-numeric symbols, each symbol being of such size as to subtend an arc of more than 36 of the cylinder, each symbol being displayed through the mask in response to a movement of the display member a distance of less than onehalf the size of each symbol;

whereby one numeral at a time in a series `of successive numerals is displayed in said peepholes,

2. A display device as claimed in claim 1, in which said mask has not less than 9 peepholes, which are arranged in 4 straight lines in a closed loop having a shape of a slanted parallelogram.

3. A display device as claimed in claim 2, in which the parallelogram loop has an angle of tilt with the vertical measuring not less than 15.

4. A display device as claimed in claim 1, including a stator with an elongate axis on which said mask is mounted, and including a rotor coaxial with said stator and rotatable relative thereto and integrally connected to said display member.

5. A display device as claimed in claim 1, in which said succession of groups of dots includes a third group of dots having a portion of its dots disposed adjacent to first and second preceding groups of dots and having another portion disposed adjacent to fourth and fifth succeeding groups of dots whereby its numeral overlaps two preceding numerals and is overlapped by two succeeding numerals.

6. A display device as claimed in claim 1, in which said mask has a vertical Areference axis and has a pair of axially-spaced upper and lower end faces between which said peepholes extend, said lower face being separated from said display surface by a slight gap, and in which said display surface has a line of travel substantially normal to said reference axis.

7. A display device as claimed in claim 6, in which said upper face has a relatively-dark non-reflecting nish, and in which said dots also have a relatively-dark nonreiiecting finish, and in which said display surface has portions surrounding said dots which have a relativelybright light-reflecting nish for ease of viewing said numerals.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,719,004 9/1955 Bliss 235-117 2,829,833 4/1958 Carbonara 235-117 3,189,273 6/1965 Hellen 23S-117 3,229,907 1/ 1966 Shatas et al. 235-117 RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner, L. R, FRANKLIN, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. AN ALPHA-NUMERIC DISPLAY DEVICE COMPRISING: A MASK WITH A PLURALITY OF PEEPHOLES EXTENDING THERETHROUGH HAVING A SELECTIVE ARRANGEMENT; AND A CYLINDRICAL DISPLAY MEMBER HAVING STEPPED DISPLACEMENTS RELATIVE TO SAID MASK AND HAVING A SURFACE WHICH UNDERLIES SAID PEEPHOLES WITH A PLURALITY OF DOTS MARKED THEREON AND SELECTIVELY ARRANGED IN A SUCCESSION OF GROUPS REPRESENTING ALPHA-NUMERIC CHARACTERS, THE ARRANGEMENT OF WHICH AS SEEN THROUGH THE MASK DISPLAYS ALPHA-NUMERIC SYMBOLS, EACH SYMBOL BEING OF SUCH SIZE AS TO SUBTEND AN ARC OF MORE THAN 36* OF THE CYLINDER, EACH SYMBOL BEING DISPLAYED THROUGH THE MASK IN RESPONSE TO A MOVEMENT OF THE DISPLAY MEMBER A DISTANCE OF LESS THAN ONEHALF THE SIZE OF EACH SYMBOL; WHEREBY ONE NUMERAL AT A TIME IN A SERIES OF SUCCESSIVE NUMERALS IS DISPLAYED IN SAID PEEPHOLES.