Digitally coded scale in linear or disc form for controlling machine tools

Claim 1

IN A CONTROL ARRANGEMENT, THE COMBINATION WHICH COMPRISES: (A) A DIGITALLY CODED BINARY SCALE HAVING A SERIES OF SUCCESSIVELY HIGHER ORDER TRACKS; (B) A PLURALITY OF SIGNAL GENERATORS FOR SCANNING SAID TRACKS EACH OF WHICH SIGNAL GENERATORS PUTS OUT O OR L, THERE BEING BUT A SINGLE SIGNAL GENERATOR FOR SCANNING THE TRACK OF THE LOWEST ORDER AND A RESPECTIVE PAIR OF SIGNAL GENERATORS FOR SCANNING EACH OF THE OTHER TRACKS, SAID SINGLE SIGNAL GENERATOR BEING DETERMINATIVE OF THE READ-OUT LINE OF SAID SCALE AND ONE OF THE TWO SIGNAL GENERATORS OF EACH PAIR OF SIGNAL GENERATORS BEING ARRANGED AHEAD OF SAID READ-OUT LINE AND THE OTHER OF THE TWO SIGNAL GENERATORS OF EACH PAIR OF SIGNAL GENERATORS BEING ARRANGED BEHIND SAID READ-OUT LINE; AND (C) A CIRCUIT MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE INTERROGATION OF SAID SIGNAL GENERATORS SUCH THAT WHEN THE SIGNAL GENERATOR OF A GIVEN TRACK READS OUT O, IT ACTIVATES THE LEADING SIGNAL GENERATOR OF THE NEXT HIGHER-ORDER TRACK AND WHEN THE SIGNAL GENERATOR OF A GIVEN TRACK READS OUT L, IT ACTIVATES THE LAGGING SIGNAL GENERATOR OF THE NEXT HIGHER-ORDER TRACK, SAID CIRCUIT MEANS CONTROLLING MORE THAN ONE OF SAID PLURALITY OF SIGNAL GENERATORS AT ANY ONE TIME.