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REF ID:A677BB 

Patented July 18, 1939 • 2,166,137 

- .'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ·~ r 

l,118,U7 

BLl:CTBICAL 8WITCIDNG lllBCllANIBll 

Wllllam F J'rleilman, Wuhlndcm, D C, uul 

Frank. B. Bowlet&, Eu& l'alla Church, Va 

' I 

-~.11""' Appllcatlon Aqad 19, 1915, 8erlal No. 18,888 

10 ClalDa. (CL 111-17) .,, , ... 

-... (Granted. uuler &he .... al lllanlh I, 1811, u ""'"''eel April n, 1118, 171 0 G 7157) 

·' The lnveDtlon deecrlbed herein may be manufactured and uaed bJ' or for the Government for 

IQVel'DDl.eD.tal pmposes, without the paJIDeD.t to 

ua of ILD7 roplcy thereon 

, I Tb1ll lnven'flon relates to a switcblng mecba-

:Bfmt and proposes a mecha.nl•m of thla cbaracter 

-ror"automatlcally establl•hlnir and/or va.rymg c1rcul.t connediom' In a random order 

r'" Aa 'd1a'tlnp1alied from the Idea of performing 

"10 rirttcbiDK operattom In an orderly ~uence, the 

present Invention contemplates an oPl>omte func-

'tlon Bild providea means to V8J'1' the c1rcul.t con- 1leCtiom In an frreirulal'. aperiodic or fortuitous 

mun1er' The Invention contemplates an operau "tldil 1vli1ch afforda opportuntcy for the laws of 

probabWcy td functlon: In estahllBhlnir the variation 1

1n c1rcult connectlom, rather than an operation ccmtroned by the usual laws of direct cauae and effect An object of thla Invention 1a to 

BO provfde a meana of aelectlng from a Plurallt)r of 

avalla.ble ·electrical c1rcult.a a ldng]e c1rcult at 

rand~, wh!cb electr1c;aJ. c1rcu1t will be aperatlve 

for1a. Period of time, the length of which depend.II 

Jl,P.!JD one or aeveral variable factors 

21 Another object of tb18 Invention 1a to provide 

apparatus for va.l7fng the speed of rot.a.ting bod1ell 

by means of a friction- drive mecba.n.1am worldns 

In con.Junction with cam wheela of lrreirular outDne and operatively coordinated with a dffferao entlal iiearlnir 11Y1tem for the purpoae of opening" 

and cloelng' electricaJ c1rculta for varJ1ni periods 

·or time 

A further object of the Invention 1a to provide a device In the nature of a fortuitously-operated 

31 &mce for lelect1nl from a large aaaortment of 

punched cardll, a random 11&1D.ple 

A further object of the Invention 1a to provide a ·device In the nature of a aerambllng d8vice for 

arra.nsfng In a purely random sequence, a Iarire 

40 number of punched carda or1glnalb' arranired accotdmg to a definite sequence, auch BB an alphabetical or numerical aequence Por eumple, In 

·the well-known card-aortlng machlnea employed 

In accounUnir or atat1atical work, the :fUnctloU of 

fd the machine ~to arra.n.ire a large number of 1

pun.J:bed card.II tD a aequentt8.I order IUCh aa alphJl.betfcal er numer1cal In certain types of operatlom wltp punched card.II It 1a often necemsary 

.to d1larranll'e the carda S.0 BB to deatroy the orl81-

..l50 Dal aequentlal order and bring the card.II Into a pnreJy random order However, once a larse 

number of dard'I has been aequentlally arranged, 

any attempts to deltro1' the arrangement b;:y 

lhufll1ng the cardl would be utreme]J' tedious and 

n 111&117 cardl would be damaBed In the preaeu.t 

-

Invention, the device If operated In connection 

with an ordln&rJ" card-aorttng machine, would 

permit of placing a aequentlall7-ordered batch of 

cardl In the machine and taldng out of It a pUl'e];:y 

fortultoual;J-ordered batch of card.II ;;I 

In order that the Invention and It.a mode of 

application ma,y be readll;:y understood, there 1a 

d1acloaed In the accompan;:ymg drawing and In 

the detailed following deacrlptton thereof, one 

form or embodiment of the Invention ::IO 

In the drawing, the llngle figure llhows ln•lcbematlc form an apparatua for carr;:ymg out the 

Invention 

- Referrlns to the drawing,.! fl a irear. driven 

bJ' ILD7 prime mover auch aa a motor M, gear I tll 

meahell with the two ie&l'I 2 and I', having different numbers of teeth Gear I 1a flzed to .shaft I 

a.ncr drives the worm gear 4, which ux turn, 

through the tram of geara I, I, 1, drlvea Iha.ft I, 

on which 1a mounted cam I of 1rreKUlar outline ego 

Roller 11 rldel on the perlpher;:y of cam I and 

aervea to move lever 11, through a aucceuf.on of 

a.nglea which are "determined bt the depreulom 

"Blld elevatlom of cam I The free end of lever 

11 I.I connected by & pin 11 to a collar 11 whlch iJifi 

1a free to lllde uP and down on Iha.ft I but 1s 

Independent of the latter In lta rotation The 

upper end of collar 11 preaea alriLlmt dillc 14, 

which 1a alllo mounted on Iha.ft I but, b;:y a Blot 

and bar arra.n.irement, 1a dnv.en by~ abaft I cl,O 

Spring II aervea to keep the aasembl;:y 12, II, and 

14 In place on lbe Iha.ft. I and alao to CICUse the 

roller 11 to foDow the outll.iie of cam I Diak 

14, bJ' fr1ctlonal e!rect, drives wheel II, ke;Jed to 

lhaft 11 10 that as lhaft I turnl d1ak 14 t1D'D8 .:ti 

and llldes up and down apimt the face of wheel 

II, caualnll' Iha.ft 11 to rot.ate at CODtlnu.oualJ' 

var;:y1ng IPt!eda BB the roller 11 rides on the perlpher;:y of cam I Inherent In the mechan.lsm. 

here d1acloaed and aa the reault of auch a trfctlon .(Ill) 

drive a aH.pplng action 1a produced, whfch action 

1s aided bJ' the llldlzls movement of d1akl 11 and 

II' on the face of wheela II and II', respect.ivel;J 

The cams I and I' aa wen BB the B;JBtem of gearing 

prevloualJ" deacrlbed, contribute an tmparta.nt r.4!5 

part to th1a ll1pp1ng action and consequent lost 

motion wbereb;J the awltchlng operation 11 performed in an 1rregular, aperiodic or fortultoua 

ma.nner Th1s CCllllltltutes an 1mportant object 

of the lnventtmi all aa full;:y set forth In the 1pec1- 1.JO 

flcatlon and lhown In the drawing On the lhaft 

11 1a mounted the commutator seneraJlJ' designated &1 II and a con.tact wheel II, provided 

with a plural:l.t;:y of contact.a II, connected In a 

random manner to the commutator r1np 21, H, liG 
,. 

• REF ID:A677BB 

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2· .. . . - ..... 1,188,187 -~~... - : - • -·~ •• -. ·-~-

' ·- 18, H, II Resting against the commute.tor rings lrregular contours Individually operable with 

are collectors H, which are connected to con- se.id units • 

ductors 21 leading to iruilvldual circuits. which 4 A combination accordmg to cla1m 3, in 

circuits ma.J include any conventional means or which the le.st named means includes cams of 

6 Jnstrumental1t1es suggested, schematically as at different irregular contours IS 

31 for utwztng the randomizing function of the 5 A switcbing mechanism compr1s1ng ID compresent invention. blnation, a rotatable commutator provided with 

The action of the members 2 to 11 Inclusive contact elements and a rote.table conductor opJs the same as that of the members 2' to I l' erable with said elements for establJsbbJg a plu10 Shaft 11' rotates switch arm II, carrying brush~ rillty of circuit connections, Independently varl- 10 11 which sweeps over the contacts 21 as It rotates able friction dnves for operating se.id commuThe commutator BSSembly which essentially com- ta.tor and said conductor respectively, and means 

prises commutator 18 and Its associated parts, In- including difterentlal gearing, and cams of lrcluding contact wheel 19, may be regarded as regular contours operativell' coordinated with 

llS one component of a switching de1!ce, while Be.id gearing and lndlvlduaJJ:v with each of Se.id IIS 

switch arm II carrying brush 11 may be regarded drives to var:v the circuit connections aperiodlas the other component of ae.id switcblng device· caJJ:v 

Brush II Is connected ~ the., common return J~ 8_ A l)loDdo!JllzS..ng switching mechanism of the 

conductor 32 for the circlll.ts R.1, Rei, R.3, Bl, R& to charactF descrltied, comprJslng a rotatable com20 which conductors 21 lead SJnce wheel 18 and mutator provided with a plur&lity of contact ele- 20 brush arm ID rotate in difterent directions and ments and a rotatable conductor opera.bl!' with 

at constantly varying speeds, the clrcults R1, &, se.id elements for establishing a plurality of cirR.3, lW and Rs are selected In the order of the cuit connections, and means for continuouslJ' 

contacts 21 on wheel 18, but each clrcuit is op- and irregula.rl:v changing the relative speed. of 

25 erative for a difterent Interval of time said commutator and se.id conductor to var:v 25 In the drawlng, speciftc mechanical principles the circUlt connections aperlodlcalJy, se.1d means 

are shown for effecting the movements of the including a :friction drive operative with the com.-

various parts of the apparatus However, these mutator and conductor lndivlduaJJ:v, C&IJlS of 

are shown onll' for the purpose of demonstration irregular contours operativel:v ®ordinated with 

ao of the principles Incorporated in this invention, each drive, and gearing for actuating-the cams 30 

and it is pointed out that any other mechanlcal differentially 

means for var:vfng the angular velocity of the 7 A mechanism for controlUng the operation 

commutator 18 rotating with contact disk 19 and of an electrical system, comprising relatively rothe contact a.rm ID, either separately or con- ta.table switching devices provided with· cooperSIS jointly, wW effect the result desired It is also a.ting contact elements ,for establishing a· plu- -

35 pointed out that, while five commutator rings are rallty of circuit connections., and means for condepicted In the drawing, any number may be used, tiDuousJy and aperiodically varying the, relative 

and that the number of contacts on the face of speed of rotation of .said switching devices, .aa"id 

the disk 19 ma:v be equal to the number of con- means comprising change speed drives IDdlvid4.0 tact rings or greater by any practicable number ually operative with se.id switching dmces, Jn- C40 

It wW also be noted that cams 8 and 8' are In- tercbangeable cams of different irregular contended to be detachable and interchangeable, tours operative wtth se.id drives, and a differential 

means being shown in the drawing to facilitate gearing sYStem for operatfng the cams and drives 

-removal,for that purpose, or to permit substitu- in opposing relation 

4IS tion of other cams of different shape r , 8 A mechanism Of the cha.ra_cter described. "4.IS 

Changes, modifications and equivalent ar- comprising switching components movable relarangements are contemplated within the scope of tive to each other and provided with contacts 

the invention as defined by the appended clalms for establishing a plurality of circuit connecWe cle.im tions, and means including continuously slipping 

ISO 1 In a mechanism of the character described, drive elements and cams .of irregular contours C&O 

a pa.Ir of :tatatlng bodies associated for operative operative with each component for contiDuousI:v 

movement relative to one another, friction drives and irregularly varying the timing of the conhav.lng a slipping action and arranged to actuate tacts In a random manner _ • 

se.id bodies In a discrete-time relation, and means 9 A switching device .comprJsJng components 

61 including a sYstem of differential• gearing and provided- with electrical contacts, said compo- •

66 

ca.ms of irregular contours operatively coordl- nents being rotatable with respect to each other ' 

nated with said gearing and with each o~ se.id for establishing a plurality of Circuit connections, 

drives iDdlVfduaJ.Jy to aid the sllppJng action and a friction drive mechanism. for each of said comto effect aperiodic movement of said bodies rela- ponents, and including means for separatel:v and 

80 tive to one another differentially operating se.id mechanisms to va17 80 2 A mechanism of the character described for the timing of the circuit connections in a random 

controlling the operation of an electrical system, manner 

comprising a rotatable commutator provided with 10 A switching mechanism, comprising relacontact elements and a rotatable switching device tl~l:v movable components provided with con81 operable with said elements for establishing .a tacts for establishing a plurality of dlfrerent •

66 plurality .of circuit connections, and-means to ·c1rcuit connections, means for varying the cJrcuit 

effect a random operation of se.id system com- connections, comprising frictional drive mechprislng variable driving units for operating said ,anisms operable variably with said components, 

commutator and said switching device as:vnchro- and means for changing the rate of movement 

TO nously, and means for differentially controlling of se.id mechanisms to assist in randomizing the TO 

the operation of the units circu1t oontrolllng operation of the .con.tacts 

3 A combination according to cle.im 2, In WILLIAM pr FRIEDMAN I 

which the last named means includes cams of PB.ANK B BOWLE'r.l' • _ 

•r.l"ri 

.. - . - """ ; r -:;r:,-. -~,er '\ :.r • r ~ 
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July 18, 1939. 

..__ -~ 

REF ID:A677BB 

W F FRIEDMAN ET AL 

BLBCTRICAL SWITCHING MECHANISM 

Filed Aug 19, 1935 

2 2' 

• .J 

2,166,137 

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