Plural order digit display apparatus

Claim 1

IN A VISUAL INDICATOR HAVING FIRST AND SUBSEQUENT ORDERS EACH OF WHICH IS OPERABLE FOR SEQUENTIALLY DISPLAYING INFORMATION CHARACTERS; A GROUP OF INPUT CONDUCTORS FOR EACH ORDER WITH EACH CONDUCTOR WITHIN A GROUP BEING INDIVIDUAL TO ONE OF SAID CHARACTERS, SWITCH MEANS FOR APPLYING AN INPUT SIGNAL TO A SELECTED CONDUCTOR IN EACH GROUP, REGISTRATION MEANS INDIVIDUAL TO EACH OF SAID CONDUCTORS, A CONTROL CIRCUIT INDIVIDUAL TO EACH ORDER AND OPERABLE IN RESPONSE TO AN INPUT SIGNAL ON ANY CONDUCTOR FOR ITS ORDER TO OPERATE THE REGISTRATION MEANS INDIVIDUAL TO SAID ANY CONDUCTOR, MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE OPERATION OF SAID REGISTRATION MEANS FOR CAUSING THE INDICATOR FOR ITS ORDER TO DISPLAY THE CHARACTER ASSOCIATED WITH SAID ANY CONDUCTOR, MEANS FOR MAINTAINING SAID DISPLAY UNIT A SUBSEQUENT SIGNAL IS RECEIVED BY A CONDUCTOR FOR SAID FIRST ORDER, SAID SWITCH MEANS BEING SUBSEQUENTLY EFFECTIVE FOR APPLYING A SIGNAL TO A SELECTED CONDUCTOR FOR SAID FIRT ORDER, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE APPLICATION OF SAID SUBSEQUENTLY APPLIED SIGNAL FOR ERASING THE CURRENT DISPLAY IN ALL OF SAID ORDERS AND FOR EFFECTING THE DISPLAY BY SAID FIRST ORDER OF THE CHARACTER ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONDUCTOR TO WHICH SAID LAST NAMED SIGNAL IS APPLIED.