Electromechanical indicating device

Claim 1

In an electromechanical rotary indicating device for selectively displaying a pluralitY of symbols in response to electrical energization, said indicating device being of the type including a stator having a plurality of magnetizable pole pieces and a magnetizable yoke portion connecting the pole pieces together at one end thereof, a separate excitation coils axially mounted on each of said pole pieces, a permanent magnet rotor rotatably mounted between said pole pieces for rotation about an axis transverse to the direction of magnetization of said rotor, circuit means for selectively energizing said coils to position said rotor to a selected one of a plurality of discrete angularly spaced positions, and a cylindrical cover having the symbols to be indicated thereon and coupled to said rotor for rotation therewith, the improvement wherein; said stator pole pieces are disposed with their axes parallel to the axis of rotation of said rotor; said stator is formed from a single piece of magnetizable material with said pole pieces being substantially perpendicular to said yoke portion; the axis of rotation of said rotor is in a vertical plane; and said cover substantially surrounds said pole pieces and has said symbols on the vertical outer surface thereof, said cover having a height which is substantially greater than the outer periphery thereof divided by the number of symbols thereon.