US1826501A - Signaling system - Google Patents

Description

B. L. BOBROFF SIGNALING SYSTEM Oct. 6, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 11, 1927 13113.1

W z, 3 RGOM I Tr i WITNESSES I fNVE TOR. BY

ATTORNEY 'Oct'. 6, 1931.

B. L. BOBROFF SIGNALING SYSTEM Filed July 11, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 mm In lllulnnnllln. In"

FIGJZ 98 i0 INVENTOR f/ O Q. QQ

ATTORNEY.

WITNESSES" W6 Oct. 6, 1931.

WI TNESSES M & 6500M B. BOBROFF SIGNALING sYsTEn'l Filed July 11, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 A TTORNEY.

' V 1 Patented a. 6, 1931 IBORNETT L. BoBRorr} or" MILWAUKEE, wIscoNsr-Nf SIGNALING SYSTEM 1 Application filed J'uly 11,

' The invention relates'to signaling systems in which anyone of a plurality of signals may,

be transmitted for indication on one or more 7 I responsive devices, and is more particularly intended for use in hospitals, sanitariums, I and'other' institutions I i An object of the invention is to provide'a signaling system for'hospitals, s'anitariums,

V "and the like, including an annunciator of the 1 answeinbacktype and a-plurality of re- V ""sponsive means controlled by the annunciator to display the same confirmation signal at different locations, and a more'specific object is to constitute one of said responsive'meansl an indicator placed at the 'exteriorof each room from which the signal istransmitted whereby the needs of theoccupant of the roomp naybe made known to nurses or attendants passing'the roonnthus affording an opportunity forprompter: service'to the patient'and' minimizing'trips to the main annunciator board.

" Another object of the invention is to provide sucha system with a motor-driven anlts'nunciator including a rotary member and a transmission of simple and compact construction to effectthe intermittent rotation of said membe-r to indicating and blank positions, said transmission being of such :3 character as to accurately effect the intermittent operation of the rotary member even though the, successive increments ofrotation "of said member are comparatively small.

" A Manes object is to provide an annun- -:ciator "of this characterv in whichthe rotary member is driven by a gear 'co-acting with detentmeans capable of universal' operation f various gears havinga different number xofteeth.

A furtherobject isito provide an annunciator lincluding'anIelectricdriving motor and means for simplyjbut'accurately locating the imrtcr'inits .operative position.

A further objectis tojprovide the motor with an insulatingend fra'me, or platerforQ facilitating thejinsuiatioii of the brush gear 7 andterminals. f i A further "obj ec'tis m-pr'ovidean annuneL gar-o1- including a rotary drum lot insulating i material, prei'erablya phenolic condensation A further object is to effect improvement 7 and simplification of the rotary drum. 4

A further'object isto perfect details of construction of the indicating device for the exterior of each room. I f A further object is to provide a signaling" system including a push-button holder equipped with confirmation responsive elements to apprise anoperator of the existence of the proper signal at the annunciator, each A responsive element comprising an electric lamp which illuminates otherwise invisible ,indicia including a pictorial representation of the signal for the convenience of illiterates.

A further, object on the signaling system disclosed in my coannunciator pending application entitled Hospital sigis to effect improvements ing constructional details and rendering the annunciator units more compact. I The invention further consists of the 'sev eral features hereinafter set forth and more.v particularly defined b" the annexed claims. In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration-of a "hospital signaling system embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of one of the annunciator units;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation thereof;

Fig.4 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the annunciator unit taken on the linear-4,

of'Fig. 2.;

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2; V l

Fig. 6' is a sectional elevation taken on the line 6'6'Of Fig. 2; p g a 7 Fig.7 is a side elevation'o f the'annunciator 'unit'; 0

Fig. 8 is a plan view, partly in section, of a push-button holder;

Fig. 9 is alongitudinal sectional view of the push bu'tton holder;

Fig. lOis an endview of the push-hutton holder; the capfthei'eofbeing removed and 1pa rts beinghroken eway and shoWn'in section;

;Fig. :11 is edge-heel sectional VlGW' of e cable plug and its associated receptacle;

" FigJ-12fislen elevation of wroom or door Way indicator takenton th'e' line -13 13 "of t Fig; 13 is 'e"seetionelfelevation ofthedooi i In these :dra ingsQthe.ndnieml 15- lindi-"i Fig. :14

-'ouit connections' ofzonel'ennunciator unit.

'units adaptedfon hospitaluse,;there,heing E there is' mor'e than one bed in'e room. Thes t a centralopenlng 1n the push-button .holde onejfol each room or one for'each bed Where I annunciatoifiunitsflareplaced-in oneor'niore Tease "'mayi be. I If desired, the fronts plates lo'f several annimoiator units meyi-he integral V 1y formed of-vesinglepiece ofnete rial ngA 5 signal .lemp 17*.is visible, through the front 1 tiers et lai nursels'i 'stetion and each includes 1 2; 'fIiOIItfplate l6'which is; designated; with a room nuniber oriwithe 'bed number, as the plate of eeohhnnuncietoi unit and iname #pletes lS ,oarriedon can; intermittently rotates e; able anminciatorj drujn 19; as hereinafter de;

:1 scribed; are successively visible through an 4 g Each an unciatonu-nit isqconnectedby-fecable 21-]W-ith anputlet box "22 in theWa-Il l' 7 t by the engegementof spring fingersr4l5 with iifront'plate, or close tothe bed so designated, gcontect-ribs 46 on the ennunciatordrum 19 Anjettechment plug 28 iseda'ptedto fit'into suitable reoeptaole 1 24 provided; fol: it in r. the outlet box 22 toestablish Connections be tween the various con'duetors'ofthe-cable 21V end vseveral corresponding conductors in a e l cl g. e ei s o j i ee l. r ill j efi the enve ene t ll t e f :T e 9 t flet n atie ie rjti9e opening 20inthe front platetosi'gna'l the I t w v 7 I I "mg-leIn S- SO its;respectivefconductor' var-ions needsofi'the patient;

f the" "room desighated on the 'a nhuncietor I ,flexihle.. extension-j cable 25 connected, to the I ;te'r1'nina1sof the;attec hment plug; ,The et-l wtachlnent iilug 23, shown "detail in Fig, 1:l','is so; constructed; that'it 'will enter the v vieceptacle 24 inonly the oh'e position inwhich 9 the propel.Connections-are established; 1 i

V A lpush button (holder 26 i-jprefembly in}, :th form; of ay-peat push-hntton with en en-' 1 ;is attached to" thef'free end otithee xt thereol in register with thej slotsend 'c onel is a 'longitii'dinal sectional view of a mod fied form of, ennuncle'ton drum and F1g.1 15 1s a schemetic'dlegreni of the 011"- a, met-elf strap 40, which etur fo th lam s,

of the pnsh-bhtton holder providediivith e inarginelrebbet 32 to receive the edgesol' insulating material; preferably, 1 aphenolic condensation produchiotwhich the push-hut Tton ho1de1fi;-'is: formed. fiEaohf oi rlthe' transve se slots, 29 communicates With a circular opening 36' (it the end, of the holder adjacent forni e'ceptacles" for the indicating lamps 30', the Contact strips '87being securedfto the'flet end "of the holder by means of screws the cep 33,{szind lamp' cont'aot stripsBZ extend along opposlte'sid'es ofeach open'mgto 38 threaded in bushings oiystuds39 embedded in the holden; In} the p 'es'entinstance one set of Contact strips; is connected together forms: a common end of the oiiblef2 5i.pesses'thi'ougih The lree ofthe leinp s; 30 While" other oonduc-to'r sA2 eonneet the individual" lamps, and; a conduce torel3ftogethei with at oont'imietion of the.

cohductorg, 41;passing, through-{7a, {tubular 1-, o'pening-44 in'ithe ;push-button holder to conneet With-the p"dsh bntton* 28'; The; common .conductor fll, thus constitutes eicom non i eturn fiopthepushi-bgitton c1rcuites Well as for thegzlemp citcuits, Eachofihe indicat- 42 311d the {Common eturnconductoi 41 forms a separete'hghting c rcuit controlled plates are preferablvonly translucentso that the ord des1gnat1ons-,es Welles theco r j spondng' pictor al designations, contained:

therebeneath- Will only; be in evidenoeivvhen illuminated by the? indicating lglmpsggoq In the present instance theyord desig etions Q N S T- Jsituctioh, which hasiint'egrelly forIned' theie secured: in the, tandandQ'Ehv a se v scr w. '51] endiextends-yplarellel tothe; forvva edge of v e wei e et rde mllh h P QfI. ably termed f a phe o e- I ati'on' product", is 'pi'o videdgvvith e h i-lo 52 a. thrustiehgeg'ement With Water; etc,,* a1fe eccompeniedfby npietu ol a1111138,};glassfotwater, etc.

, c e. e ine cable 25 endcatr'ie's a push' butto or-circuit.

1 l B QS Hitsne rs epe e d firmw 1 slots 29 are formed throughthdfiet. portion -g27iof the push-b ttonholder tofieceiveindi-V '1 catingrlemps 30 therein, the slots 'eov-y .ered jonppposite sides hygglelssvplatesfil hev iri gathe' vverious needs of the patient hase plate .48feonveniently' of ahea -con; I

1 vided win; an outstanding disk-shaped "flange 53, which, together with radial reengforcingribs 54, supports a concentric cylindrical shell preferably having'a polygonal exterior and provided with shallow dovejtailed or'undercut slots 56'removably receiv- 1 yfingthename plates-1'8. tubular sleeve 57 {coaxial with ith'efhub 52 projects from the flange 53 in a direction-away from the hub and has embedded'therein inserts forming fthe'radial contact ribs46 hereinbefore noted,

as seen in Figsi i andfi} 4 The free end of the l I sleeve57 has diametrically secured therein a bar 58, which 'is received intothe diametrically slotted end of a driving shaft 59 concentricwith the'bearingpin 50and restraining the drum 19 against axial displacement The base plate48 is recessed to receive the "lower portion of the annunciator drum in order to reduceftheheight of the unitas much as possible and thereby permit 8 compact tiering of a group ofunits.

I Inthemodified form of'annunciator drumsh'ownfin'Fig. 14 the inserts forming the separate radial contact ribs 46 are replaced by a metal sleeve 60 pressed onto the sleeve. portion 57 of the drum an d carrying integral contact ribs 46, anintegral interior key 61 f being formed on the sleeve 60 to enter a keyway 62in the sleeve portion 57 of the drum for properly locating thecontact ribs 46' with respect to the name plates '18 on the drum.

' f. v The sprin'g' contact fingers 45 hereinbefore noted, are mounted in. the transversely grooved upper surface of an insulating block 63, which is secured to the upper face of the base plate behind the annunciator drum by means of screws 64. A strip 6510f insulating lmaterial is secured to the upper face of the insulating block 63Z'by screws 66 and serves to 'clamp the contactfingers 45 in place. I The 7 each annunciator unit is provided in its upper f' lsurfa-ce with' -aparallel sided-channel 70,

.sprin'gi, contact fingers are suitably connected to several of a group of terminal screws 67 which are mounted in an insulating plate68 asecured at one side of the base plate by screws 69,.the base plate being cut away beneath the screws for clearance, as seen in Fig. 7 L

V The rear 'portio'njof the base plate 48 of whichreceives thereinagainst lateral dis- 7 placement a small electric motor 71 includ i i ing a laminated field name 72 to whichend plates or frames 7.3 and f741are secured by screws 75, spacers/1'6 being interposed between the end plates 'and the field frame.

- 'The'motoris held iii-place in the channel i H .by screw 77-clamping1the base plate/48 to; the field frame 72,'or, by hold-down clips 78.

G9 engaging the spacers or both although the use of the. screw p77 alone sufficient. A

v motor armature 79' hasits shaft journaledjin T i the. end plates 7 3 and 7 4, 'one end of the shaft i' proj ecting-from the end plate 57 4 and being provided with a helical pinion 80', the teeth 'of which may be formed integrally with the 1 The motor end plate 7 3 is of insulating material, preferably a phenolic con- 7 densatlon product, and has mounted therein brush holders 81 and terminal screws 82. The use of suitable insulating material for this purpose is Very advantageous in a small motor as it eliminates the use. of several insulatingbushings and washers and is inexpensive to manufacture.

I The base plate 48 of the annunciator unit has formed thereont-hree upstanding walls defining part of a rectangular lubricant-receiving transmission casing 83, a fourth side of the casing being formed by a removable plate .84 secured in place by screws 85, and

shaft 91 journaled in the end plate 84 and the opposite wall of the transmission casing. The shaft 91 also carries a one-toothed pinion or arm 92, which meshes with a gear 93 mounted on the driving shaft 59 forthe annunciator drum, the shaft- 59 also being journaled in the end plate 84 and. the opposite wall of the transmission casing. A resilient detent arm 94 is secured by a screw 95 in one end wall of the transmission casing and'has 'itsfree end engageable in the notches between'the te'eth of the gear 93m retain the gear against rotation in the intervals between successive impulses imparted to the gear by theone-toothed pinion 92. -The amount of entrance of the tooth on the pinion 92 into the gear 93 is so selected that the gear 93 with its coaxial annunciator drum 'will be turned through the are desired, such are being of a revolution in the present instance. In case a greater number of designations is-desired on the annunciator drum,

this can be done by substituting another gear 93 -having the proper number of teeth, without other changes in the transmission, and it is possible by means of this construction to I accurately provide for relatively small increments of rotation. I

An' indicating device 96 is placed at the erterior of each room to'be visible along the corridor on which the room opens, and this device isfpreferably placed directly above the-door of theroom although any other adfjaclent location maybe used. The indicatin device 96 comprises casingsections97 and 98 assembledtogether into a ring-shaped casing by screws 99 in one of the casing sections entering metal inserts 100 in the other casing section, the'casing sections [being preferably formed of a phenolic condensation product.

V The sectini97is provided with an ex miss shouldered; and-threaded boss" 101,

fiwhieh enters they cover of a junctionbox 102, "against, which-ibis held by alock nut 103.

A jverticalf'b idge.onsb'ar zlO is formed: ingtegna'l with the insulat ng material of the casm ingjisectiongiand' isjreenforced hy aweb. 105

'dis vosed. at one side :otthe casin section.

The bridge or has 1104 is apertu' ed at intervals-to receive spaced lamp sockets" 106 held ;-in"placebyterminal scr'eWslO'? and receiving ;elongatedhorizontaljelectric 121111 108; The Y 1 a la'mpsg lOSnre separated; from jeach otherhy compartmentformin'g partiti ons 109' formed integrally with, the casing sections and; interlocking at "theiifadjacent ends A common"; v

iplaythezsignal.

i terminalstrip,110 oonnectstheterminal and 'attach1ngsorevvs, 1{)7 of the sockets 6' and .iis,connected to Yone of seriesojfterminal nectionsfoi" the respective sockets. The in I neit edgesportionsfio tthe casing sections 97 f andQSjare piiovidedwith registering dove- -tf'ailed on undercut recesses- 111 2 at opposite' screws-111; fol-med in the web 105, the other terminal SKEW/S1111 forming individual-consides to i"eceive circulan transparent 01 V .itranslucentj glass light 113, each v otgwhieh has formed onits inner taeethedes gnations Nurse; VVater,'etc.,ico responding to sim 1 1941" des gnat ons on the annunciatoi drum: 19 n and the push button,holder 26., Theseidesl i S may c n ntlyliormed on a se' i ews ill'l of the indicating d'et iee forming convenient plac'e at which to effect the;

1 ;para llel conneotion. Instead of conn'ecting' .theseflfampsin pai'allel it willjhe ob'vious that V 4 a "ciator front plate- 16. 'fAtgthe'fsame .tii'ne the a series 'ccnn'ectionacouldbe employed as: an

-' jalternative.

1 a I i-the scheinaticwiring diagi-anit o f' Figirl fi a battery115" onothersource of current supply has 'one'terminal-connected with the coinnon return Wire I41 andjthe other terminal connected by acondu'ctor 116-with'onevof the -yspring'contaot' fingers l5 and a conductor 117 A with one terminal ofth ts rnlina-l of; the moto'i I .nv ii'ef froin push-hutton 28. and another push-button 118in -pa1'alleltherewith, the

V. latter-of which is cam'ied bjz'the all 130x22 .7; holder; 1 Besides those;'oftheicontajct t nge 5 i which flare connected- -to each, ind cating i amfiofin thepush-huttonilioldei f26andindii eating device 96; there; areothen. Contact, fin ign'al" circuits ito diffeij gefi'fqrf e-11in "61 1 Parts of t b: its); a e, he?

" n lja centthe -bed'se ved ytlie'* p-ush button Amotoi Theotler s connected with the V These; auxiliary circuits are desiredfto he closed in. each signaling position of the anmay include theannunciatoifsigilal lamp 17 itheewall box lamp 119" in the wall 100K122, a

lamp 120 infthe'sunerintendentsloflice and V V 8 one 01f more other" lanipsflQl in suppl room, or" wherevei else it; is; desi edfto T 7 In order to insufeiatteiitionjto pa,-

t'ient when he is so weak that he islonly able to niomentarilydepress thepush-hutton 28 in: the push button'fholder, auxiliary contact '1'ibs46 areinterposed between th e' other con tact ribs in order tojestabl'ishz a circuit for e f ti g a v- Nurse* indication alternately with each of'theiother signals. -q1l1ef;blank places between they contact Iribs are'a-oco d ingly relatively short and -seVei aIQNurse indications ma vbe obtained: dui inga single "rotation of the annun eatordrum; thus avoiddrum to efi'ect such indicationI wing thenecessity for'completelyarotating the n When the: patient desires; attention he presses the push-button 28 in the, push-button holder 26,1Whih serves to establish a motor cii cuitinc'luding the battery 115, the conductor 117, annunciator motor 71; conductor 4L3, push-button 28andconductoii411, b'ackito the v battfjrl ;Th'e' motor 1;i s,the'reuponst rted in operation,whichythrough the transmis i Sign gearing? in [the transmission" casing 83;

display through the opening 20in the" annunserves to etfect thefislofw intermittent rota I tionof the annun'eiat'or dru nf'l9to bring the name plates 18 successively 'in' position for rotation offthe druin' causes the-operation of the ContactfingenQsitches controlling the circuits thfoughthe indicating'lan'ips 3 0 and 108i sucha W'aythat circuits .Will be closed through these lannpsgto illuniinateithe name on theipllsh-bjlttml holder 26 and indicating eitie i s spond n tq "th flame he th us oee n int e j i m fi' b lt -plate .1flAt-tlie same tiin'e each jindi'catorjsig- Y .nal isilluminatedthe signaljla s 17, 119, 120 an 2. "ar l illuminated; as ere nb ieii O y u" The lighted indicating lamp BOin'Ithe-pUsh;

huttonholderl indicates to th atient the signal which he has caused to he displayed on t' l 'annu tii 1 indi li e e .aiidif that is notjth it I ,7 givenheiiiere'ly hold'stlie push-hutton 28 deng 'Wheieitis' desiredgpressed to light, succssivelanips' until the deg'nal "been; glyen; sii'edlsi'gnali is indicated He; then reinov essjlao signa Jdesiid to be, I

I ihis finger from thepush-button, thusopen "ing the motor circuitand allowing the annunciator drumto remain,inthat indicating position until the nurse-arrives at the, patients bedsideand pressesthe resetting but- 'ton.118 to restore the annunciatordruin to the succeeding blank position where no in'dieating lamp circuits are closed: The blank position'is indicated to'the nurse assoon as the lamp 119 in the wall b0-x'22 becomes exdevice, may have theirconductor wires connected tothe same 1 contact finger 455. The

' V supply room light and other lights 121 require connection to separate contact fingers since they are preferably connected" in common enabled to signal at once'his desires without necessitating the delay incident to requirmg with allthe instruments on the floor.

By means of this invention thepatient is the nurse to visit the bedside of the patient 1 signal system is reset by the nurse at the bed side after'responding tothe'signal. The pa{ in order to learn what iswanted. Furthermore, the signal. as given remains 1111131]. the

. tient knows just What signal he has given be- If he desires to cancel a signal or to change itafter it has been g1ven,-1t'1s only necessary cause of the illumination ofthe indicating lamp in the push-button holder and it 1s-not necessary'for him to learn a code of signals.

for him to press the push-button '28 again and V so [start the motor-driven annunciator drum inoperation until the'succeedmg blank pos1- tion is reached or the desired signal is indi eated. A patient in weakened condition may signal for a nurse by depressing thepushbutton'for a comparatively short period of signals.

v -With the provision'of the corridor inditimesince suchindication may be eflected intermediatelybetweeneach pair of the other I eating device 96 the indicating function of the annunciator drum 19 becomes of secondary importance, except for purposes of supervision, since the nurses on. duty need only observe the corridor lights outside of the respective rooms to learnthe needs of the patients. This feature makes itunnecessary to visit the main annunciator board at the nurses station, thus saving many steps and ice to the patient.

The construction of the push-button holder affording an opportunity for prompt servis such that the signal indications may be ex-- amined from either side thereof and the V words maybeso arranged that they are up- I right when either face of'the push-button holder is turned to the front while the device is held in the same hand, or so that one face reads correctly when the device is held in one hand, and-theotherfacexwhen the device is held innthe'v other hand;

other applications when needs onwants are to be signaled. 1

hatI-r claim as new and-desire tosecure byL'etter's Patent is: 4

1; In a signaling. system, the combination of asignal rotor formed of-molded insulating materiah and contact elements -mounted "on" sa1d rotor, and having axially spaced contact portions. 1

2.: In: a? signaling system, the combination of a signal rotor formedof molded insulating material, and contact elements embedded in said rotor the successive angularly spaced contact elements having axially spaced con-,

tact portions. 7

3. In a signaling system, the combination of a signal rotor formed of molded insulating material, and contact ribs embedded longitudinally in said rotor and having axially spaced contact portions.

4. In a signaling system, the combination of asignal rotor formed of molded insulating material, and exteriorly notched contact strips embedded longitudinally in said r0tor.

5. In a signaling system,the' combination of a signal rotor formed of molded insulating material, and a contact-rib-carrying sleeve mounted on an end portion of said rotor. I -6. A drum for signaling systems, comprising an apertured bearing hub and a contactcarrying sleeve formed in tandem coaxial relation, an integral disk-like flange projecting outwardly from the intermediate part of said hub-and-sleeve assembly, and an annunciator shell formed integral With said flange to concentrically surround said hub portion.

7. A drum for signaling systems, comprising an apertured bearing hub and a contactcarrying sleeve formed in tandem coaxial relation, an integral disk-like flange projecting outwardly from the intermediate part of said liub-and-sleeve assembly, an annunciator shell formed integral With said flange to concentrically surround said hub portion, and radial reenforcing arms integrally connect ing said hub and shell.

8. A drum for signaling systems, compris ing a rotary member including a contactcarrying sleeve portion and a driving bar diametrically secured in said sleeve portion in relatively fixed relation.

9. A drum for signaling systems, comprising a rotary member including a contact-carrying sleeve portion of insulating material and a driving bar diametrically secured in said sleeve portion in relatively fixed em-

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