Electromechanical base converter

Claim 2

Instructional apparatus for representing numbers in a selected number system, said apparatus comprising: a master unit for providing a series of count pulses, and having an output and a control operable by a student or instructor for effecting the delivery of a selected number of said pulses at said output; and a plurality of slave units representing respective places of the selected number system, and including a first of said slave units representing the units place and a second of said slave units representing the next higher order place, said first slave unit being coupled with the output of said master unit for counting each of said pulses and displaying the number thereof counted, and producing a transfer command when the next pulse is counted after the units place fills, said second slave unit being coupled with said first slave unit and responsive to said transfer commands for counting the latter and displaying the number thereof counted, each of said slave units having means resetting the unit to zero on the next count after the place represented by the unit fills.

Claim 3

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, said selected number system being other than the decimal system, said master unit being provided with a decade counter responsive to said count pulses for indicating the number thereof delivered at said output, whereby the apparatus converts the number selected by the student from the base 10 to the base of the selected number system.

Claim 4

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, the resetting means of said first slave unit operating in response to each of said transfer commands.

Claim 5

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, said second slave unit producing a transfer command for a subsequent higher order slave unit when the next transfer command from the first slave unit is counted after the place represented by said second slave unit fills, the resetting means of each of said first and second slave units operating in response to each transfer command produced by the respective unit.

Claim 6

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, each of said slave units being provided with a base selector operable by the student or instructor for setting the slave unit to the selected number system.

Claim 7

Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, there being a second plurality of said slave units representing respective places of another selected number system, the first slave unit of said second plurality thereof being coupled with the output of said master unit, whereby the same number of said count pulses is represented in two different number systems by the first mentioned plurality and said second plurality of slave units respectively.

Claim 8

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, each of said slave units including a stepper relay having a series of contacts corresponding to numbers from zero through the base of the selected number system, a movable switch element engageable with said contacts, electrically responsive operating means coupled with said element for advancing the latter from contact to contact, and said resetting means coupled with said element for returning the latter to the zero contact, the operating means of the relay of said first slave unit being coNnected with the output of said master unit and responsive to said pulses, said first slave unit further including circuit means connected with the relay contact thereof corresponding to said base for delivering said transfer command to the operating means of the relay of said second slave unit and to the resetting means of said first slave unit to operate the resetting means, said second slave unit further including circuit means connecting the relay contact thereof corresponding to said base with the resetting means of said second slave unit for operation of the resetting means when the switch element engages the last mentioned contact.

Claim 9

Instructional apparatus for representing numbers in a selected number system, said apparatus comprising: a master unit for providing a series of count pulses, and having an output and a control operable by a student or instructor for effecting the delivery of a selected number of said pulses at said output; a plurality of slave units, each of which is provided with an input and an output and represents one place of the selected number system, each slave unit having a plurality of number-representing states sequentially assumed in response to pulse excitation received at its input, each slave unit delivering a pulse command at its output when the state is reached corresponding to the base of the selected number system, and being further provided with indicator means for displaying the number corresponding to the state thereof; means for electrically coupling the input of the lowest order slave unit with the output of the master unit for operation of the lowest order slave unit in response to each of said count pulses; and means for electrically coupling the input of each succeeding higher order slave unit with the output of the preceding slave unit, whereby each higher order slave unit is operated when the preceding slave unit delivers said command, each slave unit having reset means responsive to delivery of said command by the unit for returning the latter to a normal, zero-representing state.

Claim 10

Instructional apparatus for representing numbers in a selected number system, said apparatus comprising: a master unit for providing a series of count pulses, and having an output and a control operable by a student or instructor for effecting the delivery of a selected number of said pulses at said output; a plurality of slave units, each of which is provided with an input and an output and represents one place of the selected number system, each slave unit having a plurality of number-representing states sequentially assumed in response to pulse excitation received at its input, each slave unit delivering a pulse command at its output when the state is reached corresponding to the base of the selected number system, and being further provided with indicator means for displaying the number corresponding to the state thereof; means for electrically coupling the input of the lowest order slave unit with the output of the master unit for operation of the lowest order slave unit in response to each of said count pulses; and means for electrically coupling the input of each succeeding higher order slave unit with the output of the preceding slave unit, whereby each higher order slave unit is operated when the preceding slave unit delivers said command, each slave unit having reset means responsive to delivery of said command by the unit for returning the latter to a normal, zero-representing state.

Claim 11

Instructional apparatus for representing numbers in a selected number system, said apparatus comprising: circuitry for providing a series of count pulses, and having an output and a control operable by a student or instructor for effecting the delivery of a selected number of said pulses at said output; a plurality of stepper relays, including a first and a second stepper relay each having a series of contacts corresponding to numbers from zero through the base of the selected number system, a movable switch element engageable with said contacts, electrically responsive operating means coupled with said element for advancing the element from contact to contact, and electrically responsive reset means coupled with said element for returning the latter to the zero contact, the operating means of said first relay being coupled with the output of said circuitry for advancement of the element of said first relay from contact to contact in response to said pulses; first indicator means representing the units place of the selected number system and coupled with said first relay for indicating the number corresponding to the contact position of the element thereof; first circuit means connecting the reset means of said first relay and the operating means of said second relay with the contact of said first relay corresponding to said base; means coupled with the element of said first relay for delivering electrical excitation thereto to effect energization of said reset means of the first relay and said operating means of the second relay when the element of said first relay engages the contact thereof corresponding to said base, whereby said first relay is reset and the element of said second relay advances one contact position; second indicator means representing the next higher order place of the selected number system and coupled with said second relay for iNdicating the number corresponding to the contact position of the element thereof; and second circuit means connecting the reset means of said second relay with the contact thereof corresponding to said base for energization of the last mentioned reset means upon engagement of the element of said second relay with said contact corresponding to said base, whereby to reset said second relay when said higher order place fills.

Claim 12

Instructional apparatus for representing numbers in a selected number system, said apparatus comprising: circuitry for providing a series of count pulses, and having an output and a control operable by a student or instructor for effecting the delivery of a selected number of said pulses at said output; a plurality of stepper relays, including a first and a second stepper relay each having a series of contacts corresponding to numbers from zero through the base of the selected number system, a movable switch element engageable with said contacts, electrically responsive operating means coupled with said element for advancing the element from contact to contact, and electrically responsive reset means coupled with said element for returning the latter to the zero contact, the operating means of said first relay being coupled with the output of said circuitry for advancement of the element of said first relay from contact to contact in response to said pulses; first indicator means representing the units place of the selected number system and coupled with said first relay for indicating the number corresponding to the contact position of the element thereof; first circuit means connecting the reset means of said first relay and the operating means of said second relay with the contact of said first relay corresponding to said base; means coupled with the element of said first relay for delivering electrical excitation thereto to effect energization of said reset means of the first relay and said operating means of the second relay when the element of said first relay engages the contact thereof corresponding to said base, whereby said first relay is reset and the element of said second relay advances one contact position; second indicator means representing the next higher order place of the selected number system and coupled with said second relay for iNdicating the number corresponding to the contact position of the element thereof; and second circuit means connecting the reset means of said second relay with the contact thereof corresponding to said base for energization of the last mentioned reset means upon engagement of the element of said second relay with said contact corresponding to said base, whereby to reset said second relay when said higher order place fills.

Claim 13

Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, said first circuit means including a first base selector switch having a plurality of contacts connected with corresponding contacts of said first relay, and a switch component selectively engageable with individual contacts of the selector switch to set the units place to the selected number system, said second circuit means including a second base selector switch having a plurality of contacts connected with corresponding contacts of said second relay, and a switch component selectively engageable with individual contacts of the second selector switch to set the higher order place to the selected number system.

Claim 14

Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, the switch element of each of said relays including a rotor, each of said indicator means including a pointer mechanically connected with the rotor of the respective relay, and an indicia bearing dial operably associated with said pointer.