Apparatus for supervising equipment with warning lights

Claim 2

Apparatus for supervising equipment wherein plural signal paths are provided, respectively developing signals indicative of errors in parts of the equipment, comprising: a plurality of warning lights each including at least one light emitting diode, a transistor for controlling the diode and a translucent plate in front of the diode; first circuit means connected for respectively controlling the warning lights in response to the signals; second circuit means including a logic-or-configuration connected for providing a control signal when one of the signals indicative of error is developed; a main warning light also including a light emitting diode, a transistor for controlling the diode and a translucent plate in front of the diode; and switching means responsive to the control signal and connected to the transistor-diode configuration of the main warning light, to turn the main warning light on in response to the control signal.

Claim 3

Apparatus as in claim 1, each warning light including plural such diodes connected in parallel and being driven by the respective transistor.

Claim 4

Apparatus as in claim 1, the diode connected to the collector of the transistor, and including plural alternatingly effective resistors in the emitter circuit of the transistor for obtaining bright-dim control of the light emitted by the diode.

Claim 5

Apparatus as in claim 1, the switching means including an astable multivibrator, the diode-transistor configuration of the main warning light constituting resistance means in and forming part of the multivibrator, and circuit means effective to turn the multivibrator on in response to said control signal.

Claim 6

Apparatus as in claim 4, the circuit means including a resettable delay circuit for rendering the signal effective with a delay as to turning the multivibrator on.

Claim 7

Apparatus as in claim 1, the switching means including a micro-reed relay for applying operating voltage to the diode-transistor circuit of the main warning light in response to said signal.

Claim 8

Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the diodes are gallium-arsenide diodes.

Claim 9

Apparatus as in claim 1, the switching means including a resettable delay circuit for developing the control signal only when one of the signals indicative of error persists beyond a particular period.

Claim 10

Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the switching means includes particular means for obtaining an on-off control of the main warning light.

Claim 11

Apparatus as in claim 9, wherein the particular circuit means is an astable multivibrator, thE diode-transistor circuit of the main warning light being included in the multivibrator.

Claim 12

Apparatus as in claim 1, the second circuit means including gating means for inhibiting the OR-configuration in response to an external command.

Claim 13

Apparatus as in claim 1, the first circuit means including plural relays respectively responsive to the error indicating signals and, when closed, providing supply voltage respectively to the warning lights.

Claim 14

Apparatus as in claim 1, the transistor of a warning light of the plurality having the respective diode connected to its collector circuit and having a selectible emitter circuit for bright-dim control of the warning light.

Claim 15

Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein each light has plural diodes connected electrically in parallel and being disposed side-by-side.

Claim 16

Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein each light includes a filter having transmission range only in the emission range of the diode.

Claim 17

Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the first circuit means includes a relay for applying collector bias to the transistor through the diode as load and in response to the signal.

Claim 18

In an apparatus for indicating, supervising or testing equipment developing a signal indicative of error, the improvement comprising: at least one light emitting gallium-arsenide diode; a translucent plate mounted in front of the diode for establishing a uniformly distributed illumination from the plate; a transistor connected to the diode for current conduction through the diode in forward direction; an astable multivibrator including cross-coupled transistors with collector circuit and individual load resistance means in the collector circuits, the said diode-transistor combination constituting one of the load resistance means in one of the collector circuits; resistance means including a Zener diode connected in voltage divider configuration for biasing the transistor to conduction; and circuit means responsive to the signal for providing voltage supply to the multivibrator thereby supplying voltage to the diode-transistor circuit.

Claim 19

In an apparatus for indicating, supervising or testing equipment developing a signal indicative of error, the improvement comprising: at least one light emitting gallium-arsenide diode; a translucent plate mounted in front of the diode for establishing a uniformly distributed illumination from the plate; a transistor connected to the diode for current conduction through the diode in forward direction; an astable multivibrator including cross-coupled transistors with collector circuit and individual load resistance means in the collector circuits, the said diode-transistor combination constituting one of the load resistance means in one of the collector circuits; resistance means including a Zener diode connected in voltage divider configuration for biasing the transistor to conduction; and circuit means responsive to the signal for providing voltage supply to the multivibrator thereby supplying voltage to the diode-transistor circuit.