Remote control system for televsion program distribution

Claim 1

A CONTROL APPARATUS FOR AN INDIVIDUAL PROGRAM PAYMENT TELEVISION DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM OF THE TYPE WHEREIN THE DISTRIBUTED TELEVISION SIGNALS ARE NOT USABLE IN A STANDARD TELEVISION RECEIVER, SAID CONTROL APPARATUS COMPRISING A CONVERTER OPERABLE WHEN ENERGIZED TO CONVERT THE DISTRIBUTED TELEVISION SIGNALS INTO CORRESPONDING TELEVISION SIGNALS USABLE BY A STANDARD TELEVISION RECEIVER, A COIN CHUTE, A PLURALITY OF SETS OF ELECTRICAL CONTACTS EACH SET BEING ADAPTED TO BE CLOSED IN RESPONSE TO THE PRESENCE OF COINS AT A RESPECTIVE SPACED POSITION IN SAID COIN CHUTE, A COIN GATE AT THE END OF SAID COIN CHUTE, MEANS OPERABLE WHEN ENERGIZED TO RETAIN SAID COIN GATE IN CLOSED POSITION AGAINST THE WEIGHT OF SAID COINS, A STEPPING SWITCH ADAPTED TO BE CONTROLLED IN RESPONSE TO A REMOTE CONTROL SIGNAL, MEANS FOR CONNECTING RESPECTIVE TERMINALS OF SAID STEPPING SWITCH WITH CORRESPONDING ONES OF SAID ELECTRICAL CONTACTS, FURTHER MEANS CONNECTING SAID STEPPING SWITCH AND SAID CONTACTS TO COMPLETE AN ELECTRIC CIRCUIT TO ENERGIZE SAID CONVERTER AND SAID COIN GATE RETAINING MEANS, WHEREBY SAID CONTROL APPARATUS MAY BE OPERATED BY SAID REMOTE CONTROL SIGNAL TO REQUIRE THE DEPOSIT OF A CERTAIN NUMBER OF COINS IN ORDER TO RENDER SAID CONVERTER OPERATIVE SO THAT THE DISTRIBUTED SIGNAL WILL BE CONVERTED TO ALLOW VIEWING OF A GIVEN PROGRAM AND SAID COIN GATE MAY BE RELEASED AT THE TERMINATION OF SAID PROGRAM TO COLLECT SAID COINS.