US2152106A - Dial construction - Google Patents

Description

wl D. TEAGUE, JR

March 28, 1939.

f DIAL CONSTRUCTION Filed Deb.

INVENTOR. ML TER .aRw//v YEAGUEJIQ BY Patented Mar. 28, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DIAL CONSTRUCTION Application December 2, 1937, Serial No. 177,708

5 Claims.

My invention applies in general to means for effecting and indicating the tuning of radio sets and it has for its general objects, the provision of a newV and improved assembly, and the provision of a multi-scaled dial, which when viewed at an angle to the general plane of the dial, nevertheless presents to the eye the portions of the scale figures necessary to be read, in a plane substantially normal to the line of vision. It is also my object to produce a dial assembly having a highly ornamented and attractive appearance, although simple in construction and comparatively inexpensive.

In radio sets the dial is almost invariably located on the front face of the cabinet, and in many radio sets the dial is no more than waist high. One of the inconveniences of tuning a radio set, therefore, is the necessity of crouching or stooping in order to inspect the dial. This Vindicates the importance of the second general object of my invention outlined above.

These and other objects of my invention, which will be set forth hereinafter, or will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon reading these specifications, I accomplish by that certain construction and arrangement of parts of which I shall now describe a preferred embodiment, but nevertheless an embodiment in its simplest form. It will be understood that more elaborate constructions may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention and that additional features may be added as required. Reference may now be made to the drawing wherein:

Fig. l is a face View of my assembly with certain parts broken away.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the assembly.

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the dial itself.

The general construction of my assembly will best be appreciated from the description which follows. I have shown in Fig. 2 the shaft I of a condenser gang or other tuning instrumentality of the radio set. This is indicated as fitted with atuning knob 2. This, of course, is the simplest form of structure. Where desired a Vernier drive for the condenser may be employed having a plurality of knobs, one at least of which, is mounted on a sleeve on the condenser shaft as in well known constructions.

I have shown the shaft passing through alarge perforation 3 in the front wall of a radio cabinet. Adial member 5 may be attached to the shaft I by means of a collar E or the like, and will receive more extended description later.

A cover member l of dished form is employed. This cover member is transparent in part at least.

It may be made of glass or other clear substance; but I have found that it can conveniently and economically be made of pressed, clear, heavy Celluloid. When so made, it may be attached to thewall 4 of the radio cabinet, about the opening 3 therein by means of tacks orsmall screws 8. In the form shown, it is perforated for the passage of the shaft I.

Anescutcheon plate 9, perforated to disclose thedial 5 and cover 1, but overlying the edges l0 of the cover, may be fastened to the front wall of the cabinet by screws I0 or the like. The escutcheon plate may have any configuration desired, and may be ornate or simple. I have illustrated one of generally circular form and having extensions ll at each side, with perforations I2 for the push buttons of an automatic tuning means such as that set forth in the co-pending application of Howard J. Tyzzer, Serial No. 192,258 led Feb. 24, 1938.

I have also shown, as additional control means for the radio set, a volume control knob I3 and a wave band selector knob I4. This wave band selector knob is connected to a wave band selector switch I5, performing a function in the radio set familiar to those skilled in the art. Thedial 5 is a dial bearing a plurality of scales intended for use with different wave bands as selected by the selector switch I5. Preferably, though not necessarily, indicating means are provided in connection with my dial to indicate the wave band which the set is operating. In the preferred embodiment, thedial 5 is translucent. Behind it a plate I6 is secured across the opening 3 in the cabinet wall. On this plate, I mount concentric vanes I'I, I8, and I9 which underlie the boundary lines of the several scales on the dial. In the spaces between these vanes and within the innermost vanes I mount one or a series of light means 20, 2 I, and 22. These are connected with the selector switch I5 by suitable leads; and the selector switch is caused, in addition to setting the radio apparatus for tuning within a given wave band, to complete an electrical circuit to the lights appropriate to the scale on the dial for the wave band so selected. Thus when the radio is adjusted for a given wave band, the particular scale for that wave band will be illuminated on the dial. To make it clearer to the operator which wave band is being operated in at any given time, the light means for the several scales may be made of different colors.

In the embodiment shown, the dial rotates with the condenser shaft. It is most convenient there- 55 n r in.)

fore to provide anindex line 23 upon the cover member 1.

As I have indicated my dial is so constructed as to present the useful portion of each scale substantially normal to the line of vision when the dial is observed aslant to its general plane. Thus the outer edge of the dial, i. e. the portion which bears the outermost scale, is beveled as at 24, and is shown in Fig. 2 as` having an angularity of approximately 45 to the general plane of the dial. The otherconcentric scale portions 25 and 26 have very nearly the same angularity to the plane of the dial. The scale portions are connected by oppositely directed, and steeper, beveled or slantingportions 21 and 28. It will thus be seen that when the dial of Fig. 2 is viewed from an angle of aproximately 45 to its general plane, the portions of each scale which lie adjacent theindex line 23, will be approximately normal to the line of vision. The particular angularity illustrated is not a necessary limitation upon my invention; and it will be within. the skill of the worker in the art to select particular angularities for the scale portions of the dial so as to cause these scale portions to lie sulciently nearly normal to the usual line of vision adopted in viewing the radio set to make the dial readily readable from the usual posiiton of the operator.

It will be understood that modifications' may be made in my invention without departing from the spirit of it. Thedial 5 may be made of a Wide variety of materials as will be understood. I have found that an excellent material to use is pressed translucent Celluloid, which may be white, or tinted as desired. Having thus described my invention, what I claim as` new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A dial for radio sets, comprising a disc-like member, bearing a plurality of concentric scales or indicia, having an outer beveled portion, bearing the outermost scale and at least one inner portion bearing another scale and lying approximately at the same angle to the general plane of the disc-like member, the said two portions being connected by a reversely beveled portion, the said dial means being translucent, in combination with a plate-like member located behind the said disc-like member and bearing vanes located substantially at the boundary lines of the said scales, and illuminating means in the spaces demarked by saidvanes 2. A dial for radio sets, comprising a disc-like member, bearing a plurality of concentric scales or indicia, having an outer beveled portion, bearing the outermost scale and at least one inner portion bearing another scale and lying approximately at the same angle to the general plane of the disc-like member, the said two portions being connected by a reversely beveled portion in combination with a cover member, which is translucent and of generally planar shape, but having a beveled marginal portion corresponding substantially to the angularity of the outer portion of said disc-like member.

3. A dial for radio sets, comprising a disc-like member, bearing a plurality of concentric scales or indicia, having an outer beveled portion, bearing the outermost scale and at least one inner portion bearing another scale and lying approximately at the same angle to the general plane of the disc-like member, the said two portions being connected by a reversely beveled portion, the said dial means being translucent in combination with a plate-like member located behind the said disclike member and bearing vanes located substantially at the boundary lines of said scales, and illuminating means in the spaces demarkecl by said vanes in combination with a cover member, which is translucent and of generally planar shape, but having a beveled marginal portion corresponding substantially to the angularty of the outer portion of said disc-like member.

4. A dial for radio sets, comprising a disc-like member, bearing a plurality of concentric scales or indicia, having anv outer beveled portion, bearingthe outermost scale and at least one inner portion bearing another scale and lying approximately at the same angle to the general plane of the disc-like member, the said two portions being connected by a reversely beveled portion, said disclike member being of pressed, translucent Celluloid.

5. In combination in a dial mechanism for a radio set or the like, a transparent cover member of sheet material having a central planar portion and a slanting peripheral portion, and a dial member having a corresponding peripheral slanting portion, and within said slanting portion, concentric angular-ly stepped concentric portions.

WALTER DORWIN TEAGUE, JR.

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