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REF ID:A67842 

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. 

ELIE SAVOYE, OF ST. ETIENNE, FRANCE. 

CONTROLLER FOB GROUPS OF ELECTRIC CIRCUITS FOR ADVERTISING AND· OTHER 

PURPOSES. 

1,184,264. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented May 23, 1916. 

Application filed J'anuary 14, 1915. Serial No. 2,238. 

To all whom it may concern: 

Be it known that I, ELIE SAvon, a citizen 

of the French Republic, residing at St. 

Etienne, in France, have invented certain 

5 new and useful Improvements in Controllers for Groups of Electric Circuits for Advertising and other Purposes, of which the 

following is a specification. 

The object of this invention is to provide 

10 improved means whereby a plurality of electric circuits are severally opened and closed 

in varying order. To this end I use a ball 

placed in a container to which I impart 

movement so that the ball rolls therein in 

15 an irregular manner, the container being associated with a series of make and break 

devices, which appertain to the several circuits and are adapted to be actuated or put 

into operation by the ball in the course of 

20 its irregular movements. 

The apparatus is primarily intended for 

use in connection with advertising appliances comprising lamps of different colors 

or the like, but it can also be used for games, 

25 and for controlling ornamental light mstallations, and in fact for any purpose in which 

the making and breaking of a plurality of 

electric circuits in irregular order is required. 

80 The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, showing two embodiments 

thereof in Figures 1 to 3 and in Figs. 4 and 

5 respectively. Fig. 1 is a side view, partly 

in section. Fig. 2 a plan view, and Fig. 3 a 

85 sectional side view of part of the apparatus 

in another position. Fig. 4 is a sectional 

side view, and Fig. 5 a plan view. 

Referring to the construction shown in 

Figs. 1 to 3, a designates a metal box, a 

40 portion of whose interior at one end is divided into open compartments by walls b. 

The box is arranged to rock on a pivot c 

at its other end, the pivot being at the top 

of a metal support d fixed to a wooden base 

45 e, and the box contains a metal ball f, which 

can enter any of the compartments formed 

by the walls b. On the floor of the box there 

are bosses g forming obstacles to the rolling 

of the ball, so that the ball will take an ir60 regular course from one end of the box to 

the other when the box is rocked, and therefore will sometimes enter one compartment 

and sometimes another, when the right hand 

end of the box is lowered. The box is cov65 ered with a sheet h of metal gauze or the 

like. At the end remote from the pivot c 

the box carries a roller i by means of two 

arms j, and this roller lies in the path of 

a cam k fixed to a shaft l mounted in bearings m, so that when the shaft is rotated 60 

the roller is alternately lifted and dropped 

by the cam, and the box is by this means 

rocked on its pivot. The cam path is indicated by a broken line in Figs. 1 and 3, 

and Fig. 3 shows the roller lifted by the 65 

cam. 

. Below tl~e box there is a frame comprismg vu~camte plates n, supporting a series 

of vertical metal rods o, and each of these 

rods extends through a hole into one of the 70 

compartments in the box, the hole being of 

such size that the rod nernr touches the box. 

A strip of felt p is placed on the frame to 

support the edge of the box when the latter 

is dropped by the cam. The rods o are 75 

severally connected to wires q, r, s, t, forming portions of the several circuits to be 

opened and closed. A wire u, forming another portion common to all the circuits, is 

connected to the support d. The wires q, r, 80 

s, t, !flay for example be conn.ected to Jamps 

of different colors. The closmg of the circuits is effected by contact of the ball f 

with the rods o, connection between the 

wire u and the wires q, r, s or t being made Sil 

through the support d, box a, ball f, and 

the rod o, against which the ball rests. 

Fig. 2 shows the ball against the rod to 

which the wire s is connected, so that the 

lamp or series of lamps connected to the 90 

wire s is alight. When the box is tilted, as 

shown in Fig. 3, the ball f rolls away from 

the rod and contact is broken. When the 

box is again dropped by the cam the ball 

rolls back into one of the compartments 95 

and closes one of the circuits. It wiil be 

understood that any number of circuits may 

be used, and that a number of such appliances may be arranged together and collectively actuated, the several shafts being 100 

joined to each other, with the cams parallel 

or in different phases. 

In the embodiment of the invention 

shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the rocking box or 

ball container designated a10 is longitudi- 105 

nally divided by partitions a1 so that it 

comprises three chambers, each containing 

a ba!l f1. Each of these chambers has at 

each of its ends a series of open compartments separated by short walls b1 • -Elastic 110 

lA\pproved for Release by NSA on 09-05-2013 pursuant to E. 0. 1352§ 
REF ID:A67842 

a 

switch arms - 01, mounted at 01, rr, extend 

into the said compartments, so that when 

the balls roll against them they are pressed 

agamst contacts a:, for closmg the Circwts 

a f 1 , r1 , 11 of the lam~s Q, R, S Fig 5 

shows only one set ofo Clrcwts and lamps, 

associated with one of the chambers, but 

there are mmdar sets for the oth~r two 

chambers. Each of the $11'CUits has two 

10 branches, with connections to contacts :1 at 

oppOSite ends of the chamber The switch 

arms 0 1 are connected by wires o• to pairs 

of sector-shaped contacts y, 1f arranpd 

around a shaft V The latter carnes a cam 

11 k1

1 by means of which it rocks the ball contamer a1 on a shaft 01 so that the balls 11 

nm to and fro in the container between tlie 

switch arms at its ends, the course of the 

balls being rendered irregular by p_ms J/1 

20 fixed to the floor of the contamer Un the 

shaft 71 are loosely mollllted brushes a work1°' between the contac\s y, y1 these brushes 

being connected by springs s1 to arms l11 

fixed to the shaft In the course of the roH tatlon of the shaft Z1 the arms Z

11 drag 

around the brushes, winch work with con-

'Biderable fr1ct1on between the sectors '!h $f 11 

so that when a brush has completed its 

course between two sectors it 1s abruptly 

so pulled away from them by the spnng s1 and 

the C1rcu1t is broken "1th a m1n1mum of 

sparlnng, or without any spark at all The 

brushes and sectors operate m conJunctlon 

with the SWltches 0 1 m for closing the lamp 

H c1l"C1.11ts, but the brnshes break away from 

the sectors before the balls release the switch 

arms ,;. so that the mrcu1ts are broken 

abruptly With the balls rolling quickly 

from one end of the box to the other the 

40 interruption of the dlurrunat1on 1s onlv momenza ' but the lamps are constantly ch an 

at I claim as my mvent1on and desire 

to seeure by Letters Patent of the United 

45 States is - .. 1. In ~paratus for the purpose set forth, 

the combmat1on of a container, means d1-

Vldmg a portion of the interior of said container into open compartments, a ball m 

60 said container adapted to enter any one of 

B1ud compartments, electric contact deVlces 

m S&Id compartments adapted to be put into 

operation by said ball, and means for imparting motion to said container whereb:r 

15 Bald ball is ca.used to roll into and out of 

said compartments. 

2 In apparatus for the purpose set forth, 

the combmatlon of a container, means diVIdmg a portion of the mterior of said contamer mto o~ compartments, obstructions 80 

on the floor of s8ld container, a ball in said 

container adapted to enter any one of S&Id 

compartments, electr.Ic contact devices m 

said compartments adapted to be put mto 

operation by said ball, and means for im- 81 

parting motion to said container whereb:r 

&1ud ball IS caused to roll into and out of 

SDJ.d compartments. 

3 In apparatus for the purpose set forth, 

the combmnt1on of a pivoted contamer '10 

means div1dmg a portion of the mtenor of 

sftld contnmer into. open compartments, a 

ball in said contamer adapted to enter any 

one of sald compartments, electnc contact 

devices m said compai tments adapted to be 'II 

put into ope1abon by said ball1 and a cam 

for rockmg s01d contnmer, whereby Bind 

ball lS caused to roll into and out of sud 

compartments 

4 In apparatus for the purpose set forth BO 

the combmat1on of o. pivoted container, 

means whereby a portion of the interior of 

said conta.mer at each of t'vo opp.OSite ends 

thereof is d1v1ded mto open compartments, 

n. ball in said oontamer, adapted to enter Bl 

any one of said compartments, electric contact devices m sa1d compartments, adapted 

to be put mto operation by said ball, and 

means for 1'0Cktng said container, whereby 

said ball is caused to roll from end to end 80 

thereof 

:> In npparntus for the purpose set forth, 

the comb1nntien of a container, means d1-

' iding a portion of the interior of said container into open compartments, n ball Ill' H 

sn1d oontnmer adapted to enter any one of 

said compartments, electnc contact devices 

in said compartments adapted to be put mto 

operation by s81d ball, means for 1mpartmg 

motion to sud contnmer whereby said ball 100 

11 caused to roll into and out of SaJ.d compartments, nnd mnk" and break devices electncally connectecJ. to said contacts, actuated 

by the means imparting motion to the container, and arranged to become operat1"¥e as IOI 

circmt breakers shortly before the ball rolls 

out of &and compartments. 

In witness whereof I have signed this 

spec1ficn.t1on m the presence of two witnesses 

ELIE SAVOYE 

Witnesses 

.JEAN GDKAI:N, 

.JOHN J ER:NSDR 

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~REF ID:A67842 

E. SAVOYE. 

CONTROLLER FOR GROUPS OF ELECTRIC CIRCUITS FOR ADVERTISING AND OTHER PURPOSES. I • 

1,184,264. 

APPLICATIOfl FILED JAN 14, 1915 

Patented May 23, 1916 

2 SHEETS-SHEET I 

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REF ID:A67842 

E. SAVOYE 

CONTROLLER FOR GROUPS or ELECTRIC CIRCUITS FOR ADVERTISING AND OTHER PURPOSES. 

1,184,264. 

APPLICATION FILED JAN 14, 1915 

Patented May 23, 1916 

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 

FIG-4 

T'IG·5 - \. 

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