Patent GB-745623-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in testing and training machines for the operators of dirigible vehicles
IPC: A61B5/18
Filed: 1951-07-02
Abstract: 745,623. Testing reactions. CHEDISTER, C., FINNEGAN, G. B., and DURHAM, H. N. July 2, 1951 [June 30, 1950], No. 15711/51. Class 81(2). [Also in Groups XV, XIX, XXXI and XXXIII] A testing or training machine for an operator of a dirigible vehicle, e.g. an automobile or aircraft, includes controls adapted to be actuated by the operator. and means connected to the controls for presenting to the operator an action scene calling for actuation of the controls and a resultant scene corresponding to correct predetermined actuation of the controls, or for presenting a different resultant scene or an instruction upon failure to operate the controls or upon failure to operate the controls in a correct predetermined manner. The machine described below is for training or testing automobile operators. General features. A projection unit P, Fig. 1, for presenting the scenes or instructions is mounted on the top of a body A simulating an automobile so as to project on to a curved screen 1 mounted in front of the body. The space between the screen and the body is enclosed by side panels 2, 3 and a top panel 4 to reduce external light. The panels are formed of hinged sections for portability. The body A contains conventional controls, e.g. brake and accelerator pedals and a steering wheel which are connected to the projection unit P and to a remote recording unit R. Projection unit. As shown in Fig. 2 this consists of a sound mechanism, a motion picture projector 10, a still picture projector 25, and the control equipment for these. The motion picture projector 10 presents the action scene and the resultant scene corresponding to correct actuation of the controls and the still picture projector 25 projects the different resultant scene or instructions corresponding to incorrect actuation &c., of the controls. The sound mechanism consists of an amplifier 36 and loudspeaker 35 connected to a pick-up 37 which engages a disc record 38 upon a turntable 39. The turntable is driven from a motor 40 through a clutch 42. The clutch is engaged by a solenoid operated lever 45, the solenoid being controlled by a relay 47, the contacts of which are alternately opened and closed upon energization of the relay by a cam and ratchet and pawl device. The relay 47 is controlled by a switch arm 55 operated by an arm 51 which engages notches in the edge of the film of the projector 10. The notches are of three depths N1, N2, N3 and three switch arms 53-55 are operated by the arm 51. The switch arms are all moved by the deep notch N1 but the inter connections are such that only the relay 47 is energized. One notch N1 causes the clutch 45 to be engaged and the next notch causes it to be disengaged. The lamps of the projectors 10, 25 are energized through the contacts of a relay 71; when the relay is unenergized the lamp of projector 25 is lit ; when the relay is energized the lamp of projector 10 is lit. One circuit for relay 71 is controlled by a disc C on a motor driven shaft 78 and is completed through a contact 68 on the accelerator pedal so that unless the pedal is slightly depressed (so giving a minimum apparent speed as described below) the relay is not energized. The motor driven shaft 78 in turn is controlled by notches N3 on the film as described below. Projector 25 has a series of pictures or instructions contained on a band of film strip which is stopped to present each picture or instruction by a ratchet and pawl device driven by a solenoid 31. The circuit for the solenoid is completed through a disc D on the motor driven shaft 78, the arrangement of contacts on the disc being such that the projector is stepped one frame at the beginning of the disc's rotation to present the different resultant scene if necessary, and a further frame at the end of its rotation to present the warning referred to later concerning keeping the foot on the accelerator pedal if necessary. Projector 10 is driven by a motor 106, Fig. 4, the speed of which is varied by means of a variable resistance 110 operated by the accelerator pedal 65 so that as the pedal is depressed the film runs at a faster rate to give the impression of greater speed. The pictures are directed on to the screen 1 through a pivotally mounted mirror 20, movement of the mirror simulating the effect of curves in the road projected onto the screen by the projector 10. The movements of the mirror are controlled by two solenoids 124, 125. Solenoid 124 is connected in series with a variable resistance 132 controlled by the steering wheel 105 so that movement of the wheel tends to cause a corresponding movement of the mirror. So that the extent of such movement is correlated with the apparent speed a variable speed device comprising a disc 137 engaged by a slidable wheel 136 us positioned between the steering wheel and the resistance 132. The wheel 136 is connected to the accelerator pedal so that depression of the pedal decreases the steering gear ratio. Solenoid 125 is controlled by a photo-electric cell 170, the output of which depends upon a variable width track on the edge of the film strip ; thus the mirror tends to be swung by the track on the film and the steering wheel is moved to oppose such movements. The movement of the projector 10 can be stopped on a frame of the film when the brake pedal 87 is depressed, so giving the effect of the vehicle being stopped. This is done by means of a bell crank 92 which engages a pin 93 on a flywheel on the projector driving shaft and stops its rotation when the bellcrank is moved by energising a solenoid 91. The circuit for the solenoid is completed through contacts 85, 86 on the brake pedal and a disc A on the motor driven shaft 78. When the film is about to show a scene which calls for application of the brake, a shallow notch N3 on the edge of the film causes the arm 51 to move switch arm 53. This switch arm completes the circuit of a solenoid 76 which engages a one-revolution clutch 77 to cause a motor 79 to rotate the shaft 78 of the disc switches through one revolution. Thus :- (1) The disc switch C short-circuits the accelerator switch 68 for one second so that whether the accelerator pedal is released or not the film in projector 10 is projected onto the screen. (2) A disc switch B conditions a reaction-time recorder for operation as described below. (3) One circuit for relay 71, which controls the lamp of projector 10, is completed through disc switch C and unless the brake (which controls another circuit for relay 71) has been applied, the lamp for projector 10 is extinguished after one second by disc switch C which breaks the circuit of relay 71 and consequently, as explained above, the lamp of projector 25 is lit and the consequences of failure to brake or a suitable admonition are shown on the screen. (4) Disc switch A first conditions the circuit for the brake switch for operation and subsequently breaks the circuit after one second to ensure that if the brake is applied after this time and consequently too late it cannot stop the changeover of the projectors as described above. If the brake is applied during the first second, solenoid 90 is energized to stop projector 10 on a frame of the film as described above and a relay 81 in parallel with the solenoid is operated. One contact set of this relay locks it operated through the contacts of a disc switch E and another set of contacts completes an alternative circuit for the relay 71. Hence, projector 10 shows one frame of the film to simulate the effect of brakiug for the remainder of the rotation of the disc switches. At the end of this rotation disc switch E breaks the circuit of relay 81 and the circuits revert to their normal state. Recording unit. This indicates graphically on a record sheet the apparent speed throughout the test and the deviations of the mirror 20 corresponding to steering errors and prints whether the brake was operated or not for a predetermined series of incidents and also prints if required the time taken to operate the brake after the start of the incident on the screen. The record sheets are mounted in the form of a web W on reel 274, pass round a driving and impression roller 175 and leave the casing of the unit through a slot at the bottom of a vertical lip 278 on which the record sheet can be torn from the web. The driving roller is driven through reduction gearing and a flexible shaft from the motor 106 which drives the projector 10 so that its speed of rotation corresponds to the apparent speed. An inking ribbon 280 for the brake indications is fed over the roller 175 by guide pulleys 282 from a spool (not shown) to a take-up spool 281 through a tensioning device 283. The spool 281 is intermittently rotated by a ratchet and pawl which is cam operated from a recording motor 285. Two styli, one for speed indication and the other for steering deviations (and only one of which is shown) bear on the web W. Each stylus 195 is connected by a hollow arm 196 to an ink pot 197. The arms 196 are mounted so that the styli can be manually raised from the web and also moved transversely of the web. Transverse motion of each is controlled by two solenoids which attract in opposition an arcuate armature. In the case of the steering deviation stylus, one solenoid 200 is connected in parallel with mirror solenoid 124 in series with the steering wheel variable resistance 132 and the other solenoid 201 is connected across the output of the photo-electric cell in parallel with the mirror solenoid 125. Thus the movement of the stylus corresponds to movement of the mirror 20 and correct steering is indicated by a straight line on the web W. In the case of the speed indicating stylus, one solenoid 209 is provided with a constant current and determines the rest position of the stylus, the other solenoid 207 is connected in parallel with the projector driving motor 106 in series with the variable resistance controlled by the accelerator pedal and t