Patent GB-338897-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to electrical indicating or display devices
IPC: G09F9/307
Filed: 1929-07-26
Abstract: 338,897. Automatic Telephone Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Gillings, C., Taylor, R., and Simpson, L. M. July 26, 1929. Monogrammic signs. - In a monogrammic lamp indicator for displaying cricket and like scores, advertising matter, and totalizator totals, each digit unit is operated by a rotary step-bystep switch actuated by an interrupter relay, which controls the lighting of the lamps, and a stop relay, the switch being adapted to hunt to find a contact marked by one of a number of control leads, these control leads being equal in number to the number of indications possible on the signal unit. Each indicating unit comprises a bank of lamps, Fig. 2, adapted to be lighted in combinations to form the numerals 0, 1 - - 9 when the contact arms 1b - - 6b, and 1k - - 6k, Fig. 1, are on the corresponding contacts 1 - - 10 of their respective banks. The banks 6l and 6k are connected to the control leads 125, which may be multipled round the remaining contacts of these banks. Switch operation. When the main switch relay SD is energized closing its contacts sd1, a circuit is established through the interrupter contacts of the driving magnets LAM and RAM to a slowacting interrupted relay P; the contacts p3, p4, close, energizing the driving magnets LAM, RAM. which attract their armatures opening their interrupter contacts lam, ram to break the circuit of the relay P. This relay, after a slight interval, de-energizes and opens the circuits of driving magnets LAM, RAM, which notch round their corresponding switch arms one step. The interrupter contacts close, relay P being again energized, and this action goes on, the switches hunting continuously until the wipers of the control banks come to an energized control lead 125, say the fourth, as indicated in Fig. 1. As relay P is de-energized while the wipers are actually moving, the stop relays LC and RC now energize in series with the driving magnets, and open respectively contacts lc1, rc1. The stop relays LC and RC have a high resistance, the minute current now flowing through the driving magnets being insufficient to operate them. The rotary switches now being at rest on the fourth contact and the relay P having closed contacts p1, p2, the lamps 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 11, 16, 17, 20, 22, 23 now light to form the numeral 3 and this indication remains until a different control lead 125 is energized, when the stop relays LC and RC are de-energized, contacts lc<1>, rc<1> close, and the rotary switches hunt until the contacts corresponding to the newly energized control lead are reached when a corresponding numeral is illuminated. Control-modification. Fig. 4. With the arrangement above, the lamp circuits are momentarily closed at contacts p<1>, p2, during hunting of the switch. To avoid this, contacts sd1 are connected over the self-interrupting contacts of the driving magnets LAM, RAM, and normally closed contacts lc2, rc2, of the control relays LC, RC whose contacts lc1, rc1 control the lighting circuits. Indicator unit construction. The individual lamps are contained in cylindrical tubes extending a little beyond the end of each lamp, the interior of the tubes being dull black. The face of the indicator is covered with fine mesh wire gauze tor better visibility in sunlight. Pilot lamps may be energized from the control leads and fitted on the back of the indicator. The indicator may be fitted as a self-contained unit, the electrical connections being in the form of spring contacts. In the first Provisional Specification the indicator is described as being used with a totalisator as described in Specification 331,500. Specification 334,270 also is referred to.