Patent US3794778A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3794778A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Announcement apparatus having independently variable message segments
Assignee: AUDICHRON Co
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Filing: 1971-12-08
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Granted: 1974-02-26
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Expires: 1991-12-08
Abstract
Abstract An announcing system for providing a family of recorded announcements through telephone central office equipment to one or more telephone subscriber lines. The weather segment of the announcement is determined by different three digit weather codes and by changing the positions of a plurality of weather announcing heads along a weather announcing drum in response to a plurality of resistances corresponding to the three digit weather codes. The weather announcing apparatus includes a plurality of message reading heads which are independently positionable along message segment locations on a recording cylinder, and the message reading heads can be simultaneously moved into engagement with the recording cylinder for sequential delivery of selected message segments.
Inventors
- 👤 L Smith
- 👤 E Bryant
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 23:22
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04M; H04M3/00; H04M3/42; H04M3/487; H04M3/4872; F; F02; F02B; F02B75/00; F02B75/02; F02B2075/022; F02B2075/025
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
161 words
Apparatus for delivering plural sets of recorded messages, comprising: a recording cylinder mounted for rotation on an axis and having a surface for receiving a plurality of recorded messages imposed on annular tracks at axially spaced intervals along said surface of said recording cylinder; means operative to rotate said recording cylinder; at least two separate message transducing heads mounted for selective longitudinal movement along the length of said recording cylinder; motive means extending along the length of said cylinder and selectively operative to impart said longitudinal movement to any of said transducing heads; and control means operatively associated with said transducing heads to permit not more than one of said transducing heads to engage said motive means at the same time and to permit any one of said transducing heads separately to engage said motive means, so that the axial position of each transducing head can be changed separately and without relation to the longitudinal position of any other said head.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
161 words
Apparatus for delivering plural sets of recorded messages, comprising: a recording cylinder mounted for rotation on an axis and having a surface for receiving a plurality of recorded messages imposed on annular tracks at axially spaced intervals along said surface of said recording cylinder; means operative to rotate said recording cylinder; at least two separate message transducing heads mounted for selective longitudinal movement along the length of said recording cylinder; motive means extending along the length of said cylinder and selectively operative to impart said longitudinal movement to any of said transducing heads; and control means operatively associated with said transducing heads to permit not more than one of said transducing heads to engage said motive means at the same time and to permit any one of said transducing heads separately to engage said motive means, so that the axial position of each transducing head can be changed separately and without relation to the longitudinal position of any other said head.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
61 words
Apparatus as in claim 1 including: means mounting said transducing heads for selective movement into and out of message transducing relation with said surface of said recording cylinder; and transducing control means operatively associated with each of said transducing heads and selectively operative to simultaneously move all of said transducing heads into or out of message transducing relation with said surface.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
91 words
Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein: each of said transducing heads is mounted on a separate carriage means and each of said carriage means is mounted for longitudinal movement along the length of said recording cylinder; engagement means connected to each of said carriage means and selectively movable into engagement with said motive means; and said control means is operative to selectively move each of said engagement means moves separately into engagement with said motive means while maintaining the remainder of said engagement means out of engagement with said motive means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
152 words
Apparatus as in claim 3, further comprising: a first slide wire positioned adjacent and extending along the length of said recording cylinder; a plurality of separate second slide wires positioned parallel with said first slide wire, with each of said separate second slide wires being positioned in certain relation with only a portion of the length of said recording cylinder; each such portion of recording cylinder length corresponding to a desired extent of longitudinal movement of a particular carriage means; a separate electrical bridge member mounted for longitudinal movement in response to longitudinal movement of a corresponding carriage means and electrically connected across said first slide wire and a corresponding one of said second slide wires, said bridge member connected in circuit operative to detect an electrical imbalance between said first slide wire and said corresponding one of said second slide wires indicative of desired longitudinal movement of said corresponding carriage means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
127 words
Apparatus as in claim 3, wherein: said motive means comprises a lead screw and means for selectively rotating said lead screw in either a first direction or a second direction; said engagement means comprises separate lead screw engagement means connected to each one of said carriage means and selectively movable into engagement with said lead screw to move any one of said carriage means along the length of said lead screw as the lead screw rotates, while the remaining carriage means remain stationary; and said control means engages each of said lead screw engagement means for selectively permitting engagement between any one of said lead screw engagement means and said lead screw while maintaining the remaining lead screw engagement means out of engagement with said lead screw.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
159 words
Apparatus as in claim 5, wherein: said control means comprises a cam member positioned adjacent said carriage means and selectively movable to a plurality of positions; said cam member has a plurality of separate cam means corresponding in number to the number of said carriage means, each of said cam means being coextensive along the length of said recording cylinder with the desired range of longitudinal movement of the particular one of said carriage means with which the particular cam means corresponds; said lead screw engagement means connected to each carriage means including a cam follower portion positioned for selective engagement with the particular one of said cam means corresponding to that carriage means in response to said selective movement of said cam member, and each of said lead screw engagement means being operative to accomplish said selective engagement with said lead screw in response to said selective engagement of said cam follower with said corresponding Particular cam means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
61 words
Apparatus as in claim 6, including: means mounting said transducing heads for selective movement into and out of message transducing relation with said surface of said recording cylinder; and transducing control means operatively associated with each of said transducing heads and selectively operative to simultaneously move all of said transducing heads into or out of message transducing relation with said surface.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
128 words
Apparatus as in claim 6, wherein: said recording cylinder includes a first set of recorded messages imposed on a first set of annular message tracks, and a second set of recorded messages imposed on a second set of annular message tracks, said second set of annular message tracks being circumferentially spaced and longitudinally displaced on said surface of the recording cylinder from said first set of annular message tracks; a first one of said cam means is coextensive along the length of said recording cylinder with the longitudinal extent only of said first set of annular message tracks; and a second one of said cam means is coextensive along the length of said recording cylinder with the longitudinal extent only of said second set of annular message tracks.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
68 words
Apparatus as in claim 6, wherein: said cam member comprises a rod spaced apart from and extending along the length of said recording cylinder, said rod being selectively rotatable to a plurality of positions; and each of said separate cam surfaces have said coextensive extent along the length of said rod, and each said cam surface is axially displaced about said rod from the other said cam surfaces.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
28 words
Apparatus as in claim 9, wherein: each of said carriage means is mounted for said longitudinal movement along a common path along the length of said recording cylinder.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-02-25 | 1977-08-27 | 1978-02-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-02-25 | 1981-08-27 | 1982-02-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-02-25 | 1985-08-27 | 1986-02-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |