US3136176A - Control arms for electronic, electrical and other instruments - Google Patents

Description

June 9, 1964 G. A. BAGULEY 3,136,176

CONTROL ARMS FOR ELECTRONIC, ELECTRICAL AND OTHER INSTRUMENTS Filed April 13, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor George Baguzey m q wzam A ttornew June 9, 1964 G. A. BAGULEY 3,136,176

CONTROL ARMS FOR ELECTRONIC, ELECTRICAL AND OTHER INSTRUMENTS Filed April 15, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 uuulrlnfirumuuwg lnuenlar Q00 m,:; A, bay/(6y EFL 7 he v IL ATtorneyo June 9, 1964 (5. Av BAGULEY 3,136,176

CONTROL ARMS FOR ELECTRONIC, ELECTRICAL AND OTHER INSTRUMENTS Filed April 13, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 United States Patent 3,136,176 CENTRGL ARMS FOR ELECTRONIC, ELEC- TRICAL AND OTHER INSTRUMENTS George Arthur- Baguiey, Royston, England, assignor to Painton & Company Limited, Kingsthorpe, England, a

British company Filed Apr. 13, 1961, Ser. No. M2351 Claims priority, application Great Britain Apr. 14, 1960 13 Claims. (Cl. 74-48(9) This invention concerns improvements in or relating to control members or arms for electronic, electrical and other instruments and instrumentalities and particularly instruments of the kind which are each provided with a control member movable relatively to the instrument. Such instruments or devices may be furnished with an operating knob or handle (hereinafter called a knob) traveling over a scale arranged either along an arcuate or a rectilinear path. Instruments of this kind are frequently arranged side by side in groups or gangs. This is especially the case with electronic and electrical instruments such, for example, as those used for controlling sound and vision signals in connection with broadcast transmissions. Thus, for example, it is quite usual to arrange side by side on a control desk or panel, a series of similar quadrant-shaped faders or attenuators having control members in the form of arms extending in the general direction towards the operator or controller and usually each fader or attenuator controls a separate circuit.

There are occasions when it would be advantageous for two or more control arms of a group or gang of such instruments to be interlocked so as to move as one whilst yet being independently operable when required. It is therefore an object of this invention to provide means whereby two or more adjacent control members or arms in a grouped or ganged set of instruments, such as faders or attenuators, for example, can be quickly interlocked together or equally rapidly released from one another.

According to one aspect of the present invention, therefore, there is provided means for selectively interlocking a set of electrical or electronic instruments, each having a movable control member, such means including an interlocking element which is adapted to be mounted on the control member of one instrument of the set so as to be movable relatively thereto, into and out of engagement with the control member of another instrument of the set and which, when so engaged, serves to interlock the two control members for joint movement.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an assembly comprising a set of electrical or electronic instruments, each having a movable control member, and an interlocking element movably mounted on the control member of at least one instrument of the set, the said element being movable into and out of engagement with the control member of another instrument of the set whereby the control members of the two instruments can be selectively interlocked for joint movement.

The invention is particularly applicable to interlocking means for instruments having control members in the form of pivotable arms and in this case the interlocking member may be mounted for movement relatively to the control member of the said one instrument in a radial direction relatively to the pivotal axis thereof.

The invention makes it possible to provide for the selective interlocking for movement in unison, of adjacent control arms or other movable control members of similar grouped or ganged electronic, electrical or like instruments, the interconnecting element being adapted to bridge and interlock together adjacent control members and being so constructed that it may be moved to or from 3,13%,176 Patented June 9, 1964 its connecting position simply and rapidly with equal facility. By sliding the interconnecting element in one direction with respect to the control member by which it is carried, this control member may readily and rapidly be locked to the control member of an adjacent instrument, whilst, by movement of the interconnecting element in the opposite direction, the control members may quickly and easily be disconnected from one another. 2

It will be appreciated that any number of control memhere may be arranged for interlocking with one another, and that, when the control members are interlocked, they operate as one.

In order that the nature of the invention may be more readily understood, two embodiments of the same will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side vieW of part of a set of ganged instruments provided with interlocking means inaccordance with the invention, the interlocking means being in its inoperative state;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 but showing the interlocking means in its operative state;

FIGURE 3 is an end view of the arrangement, as viewed from the right in FIGURE 2;

FIGURES 4 and 5 are exploded perspective views showing various component parts of the arrangement as seen from the left and from the right respectively, in FIGURES 1 and 2;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a detail;

FIGURE 7 is a view corresponding to FIGURE 1 but showing another arrangement of ganged instruments provided with interlocking means in accordance with the invention; and

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary end view of the arrangement shown in FIGURE 7.

Referring now to FIGURES 1 to 3 of the drawings, there are shown three so-called edgewise miniature fader units 1 such as are used in connection with the control of sound and television broadcast transmissions. Each fader 1 has a control member or arm 2, the various control arms 2 being mounted to pivot about a common axis 3 relatively to curved scales 4. Each control arm 2 is provided at its outer end with an operating or control knob 5, 6 or 7, the knobs moving in arcuate paths and following the curvature of the scales 40f the instruments 1. Each control knob 5, 6 or 7 carries a depending guide tongue. Thus the knob 7 carries a tongue 8 bearing against the end wall 9 of the corresponding instrument 1, so as to guide the knob 7 during its arcuate movement.

The instruments 1 are narrow in the direction of the common pivotal axis 3 of the control arms 2 and, in practice, they are frequently not in excess of wide so that a plurality of these edgewise miniature faders may be arranged in a relatively small space side by side in a group or gang.

The control knobs 5, 6 and 7 are moulded from synthetic resin plastic material and one lateral side of each control knob, such as the knob 5, has a groove or channel 11 (FIG. 5) of which the longitudinal walls 12 and 13 converge towards one another in a direction towards the axis of rotation 3 so that, in end elevation, the groove 11 is of outwardly divergent form, the walls 12 and 13 thus constituting sighting wings to facilitate reading of the scale over which the knob operates and to reduce parallax. Preferably the sighting wings 12 and 13 progressively increase in width from their outer to their inner ends.

On the lateral side of the control knob 5 opposite to that furnished with the channel 11 is slidably mounted an interconnecting element 14 for interlocking this control knob with the control knob 6 of the control arm of the next instrument in the group or gang. The interconnecting element 14 is mounted on a carrier element 15 which is in the form of a synthetic resin moulding conforming in side contour to that of the side of the control knob to which it is fitted. The element has two locating pins 16 and 17 projecting from one side thereof for engagement in correspondingly located holes 18 and 119 in the control knob 5 to which it is fitted.

The element 14 is secured to the control knob 5 by means of a member 2% having a screw-threaded portion 2i engaging in a threaded hole in the member 8. Beyond the screw-threaded portion 21 the member 2% has collars 23 and 24 of different diameters. The collar 24 seats in a counter-bored portion 25 of a hole 26 formed in the element 15 while the collar 23 projects into the smaller diameter portion of the hole 26. The collar 24 is slotted at 27 to facilitate rotation of the member 24) for the purpose of engaging the screw-threaded portion 21 in the above-mentioned threaded hole in the part of the member 8 which is within the knob 5.

The portion 23 of the member provides a guide pin upon which there is mounted the interconnecting element 14. The guide pin or portion 28 engages in a slot 29 which extends radially of the axis of rotation 3 of the control arm 2. Thus the element 14 can slide in a direction towards and away from the axis of rotation 3. Like the control knobs S, 6 and '7 and carrier element 15, the element 14 is also conveniently formed as a synthetic resin moulding, the outline shape of which, as viewed from an end face thereof, conforms with that of the control knobs and of the carrier element. The interconnecting element 14 is retained in position on the guide pin 28 by means of a washer 32 and a circlip 33. The circlip 33 is engaged in a slot 4-2 in the guide pin 23 and it is not uniplanar but is arcuate in cross-section so as to exert resilient axial pressure on the washer 32.

The carrier element 15 is formed with two bosses 34 and 35 each of which engages in a corresponding elongated hole 36 or 37 formed in the interconnecting element 14. Each opening 36 or 3'7 is shaped to provide two recesses or depressions such as 38 and 3% (FIGURE 6) into either of which the boss 34 can snap during sliding movement of the element 14 relatively to the element 15, so as to lock the interconnecting element 14 in either of its two end positions relatively to the carrier element 15. It will, of course, be understood that other arrangements can readily be devised for locking and unlocking V the interconnecting element.

The assembly consisting of the interconnecting element lid and the carrier element 15 is of such dimensions that, when the assembly is mounted on the control knob 5, it almost fills the gap between the two aligned control knobs 5 and 6. In order to enable two such adjacent control knobs to be interlocked together, the interconnecting element 14 has, on the lateral side thereof remote from the control knob 5, aprojecting rib or keyportion A which is adapted to mate closely in the longitudinal groove or channel 41 provided in the opposed lateral side of the control knob 6. This rib or key-portion 5 h can be disengaged from the channel 41 of the knob 6, as shown in FIGURE 1, or engaged therein as shown in FIGURE 2, merely by sliding the interconnecting element 14- radially outwards or inwards respectively relatively to the supporting guide pin 28. Since the interconnecting element 14 is complementary in shape with the control knobs 5 and 6 between which it is mounted, it conforms to the outline of the latter when in its interlocking position.

it will be appreciated that the arrangement described permits the ready interconnection of the adjacent control arms of the ganged instruments 1 while nevertheless allowing individual instruments to be readily removed from or replaced in the assembly of instruments in the case of a fault occurring.

The invention is not limited to its application to the interlocking of instruments having pivotable control arms but it can equally well be applied to the interlocking of instruments, the control members of which are mounted for parallel rectilinear sliding movement relatively to rectilinear scales.

Thus FIGURES 7 and 8 show an arrangement of ganged instruments 51 having control members 52 mounted for parallel rectilinear sliding movement along rods such as 53, relatively to rectilinear scales 54. Each control member 52 has an operating or control knob 55, 56 or 57 similar to the knobs 5, 6 and '7 described with reference to FIGURES 1 to 6. As shown in FIGURE 7, the knobs have mounted thereon mounting elements 58 and 59 carrying interlocking elements 60 and 61. In FIGURE 7, the interlocking element 60 is shown in its operative position while the interlocking element 61 is shown in its inoperative position. In this case, the keyportion 62 of the element 61 is disengaged from the keyway or channel of the knob 57. Such a channel is clearly shown in FIGURE 8 at 63 in the case of the knob 55, and serves also to facilitate reading of the corresponding scale 54.

The mounting elements 58 and 59 and interlocking elements 6% and 61 are of similar construction to the corresponding elements shown in FIGURES 1 to 6 and are mounted in a similar manner on the knob 55 and 56.

I claim:

1. Means for selectively interlocking two movable control members which are mounted for side-by-side adjusting movement, comprising an interlocking element mounted on one of said control members for movement thereon in a direction intersecting the direction of adjusting movement thereof and interlocking element receiving means on the other of said control members, said interlocking element being engageable with and disengageable from said receiving means by movement on one of said control members, whereby said control members can be moved either jointly in interlocked relationship or independently.

2. Interlocking means according to claim 1, in which said receiving means comprises a keyway formed on said other control member and wherein said interlocking element has a key-portion adapted to be engaged with and disengaged from said keyway by movement of said interlocking element on said one control member.

3. Interlocking means as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control members are spaced apart transversely of the direction of adjusting movement thereof and wherein said control members, said interlocking element and said receiving means are so shaped that when said interlocking element is engaged with said receiving means, said control members, said interlocking element and said receiving means are substantially contiguous in the direction transverse to the direction of adjusting movement of said control members.

4. Control means as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control members and said interlocking element are of such shapes that when said interlocking element is engaged with said receiving means, said control members and said interlocking element conform substantially with one another in external profile when viewed transversely of the direction of movement of said control members.

5. Interlocking means as claimed in claim 1, including a mounting element upon which said interlocking element is movably carried and which is detachably secured to said one control member.

6. Interlocking means as claimed in claim 1, said interlocking element being formed with an elongated opening, a guide pin being provided on said one control member and engaging in said opening and means being provided to retain said interlocking element in engagement on said guide pin, thereby, to guide said interlocking element for sliding movement relatively to said one control member.

7. Interlocking means as claimed in claim 1, including co-operating means on said interlocking element and on said one control member to limit relative movement thereof.

8. Interlocking means as claimed in claim 1, including co-operating means on said interlocking element and on said one control member to limit relative movement therof, and said co-operating means comprise a projection engaging in an elongated opening to guide said interlocking element during movement between two limiting positions defined by said opening.

9. Interlocking means as claimed in claim 1, including co-operating means on said interlocking element and on said one control member to limit relative movement thereof, and wherein said co-operating means comprises a projection and two communicating recesses, at least one of said one control members and interlocking element being made of resilient material and said projection being movable between and engageable in either of said recesses by virtue of the resilience of said material.

10. Means for selectively interlocking two control arms which are arranged for pivoting movement about a common axis, comprising an interlocking element mounted on one of said control arms for movement radially thereof and interlocking element receiving means on the other of said control arms, said interlocking element being engageable with and disengageable from said receiving, means by radial movement, whereby said control arms can be pivoted either jointly in interlocked relationship or independently.

11. Means for selectively interlocking two control members which are mounted for parallel rectilinear sliding movement, comprising an interlocking element mounted on one of said control members for movement thereon in a direction perpendicular to a plane containing the directions of sliding movement of said control inembers'and interlocking element receiving means on the other of said control members, said interlocking element being engageable with and disengageable from said receiving means by movement on said last-mentioned control member, whereby said control members can be moved either jointly in interlocked relationship or independently.

12. Means for selectively interlocking two control arms 6 which are arranged for pivoting movement about a common axis, comprising an interlocking element mounted on one of said control arms for movement radially thereof and interlocking element receiving means onthe other of said control arms, said interlocking element being engageable with and disengageable from said receiving means by radial movement, whereby said control arms can be pivoted either jointly in interlocked relationship or independently, said receiving means comprising a keyway formed to extend radially on said other control arm and tapering inwardly towards said common axis and wherein said interlocking element has a key-portion which is en gageable with said keyway by movement of said interlocking element radially inwards and is disengageable F from said keyway by movement of said interlocking element radially outwards on said one control arm.

13. An assembly comprising two control members movable in side-by-side relationship, a scale relative to which one of said control members is movable, a pair of wing portions on said one control member projecting therefrom in the direction towards said other control member and co-operating with said scale during movement of said one control member relatively thereto, said Wing portions diverging away from said scale to facilitate reading thereof, and an interlocking element movably mounted on said other control member and projecting therefrom towards said one control member so as to be engageable with and disengageable from said wing portions, whereby said control members can be moved either jointly in interlocked relationship'or independently.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,274,492 Zenker Aug. 6, 1918 2,276,724 Horowitz et al Mar. 17, 1942 2,277,645 Johnson Mar. 24, 1942 2,872,829 Belmont Feb. 10, 1959 2,878,332 Locher Mar. 17, 1959 2,935,892 Hodek May 10,1960 2,964,970 Hiegel et a1 Dec. 20, 1960 3,041,433 Froland June 26, 1967

Claims (1)

1. MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY INTERLOCKING TWO MOVABLE CONTROL MEMBERS WHICH ARE MOUNTED FOR SIDE-BY-SIDE ADJUSTING MOVEMENT, COMPRISING AN INTERLOCKING ELEMENT MOUNTED ON ONE OF SAID CONTROL MEMBERS FOR MOVEMENT THEREON IN A DIRECTION INTERSECTING THE DIRECTION OF ADJUSTING MOVEMENT THEREOF AND INTERLOCKING ELEMENT RECEIVING MEANS ON THE OTHER OF SAID CONTROL MEMBERS, SAID INTERLOCKING ELEMENT BEING ENGAGEABLE WITH AND DISENGAGEABLE FROM SAID RECEIVING MEANS BY MOVEMENT ON ONE OF SAID CONTROL MEMBERS, WHEREBY SAID CONTROL MEMBERS CAN BE MOVED EITHER JOINTLY IN INTERLOCKED RELATIONSHIP OR INDEPENDENTLY.

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