Time reminding machine

Claim 2

A time reminding machine including in combination a plurality of normally-closed manually-operable switches, a time keeping device, an output circuit, and means responsive to the time keeping device for sequentially coupling each switch to the output circuit, said output circuit providing an output signal upon the coupling thereto of a switch which has been manually operated from its normal closed position to an open position.

Claim 3

A machine as in claim 1 wherein each switch comprises a pair of normally closed spring contacts and a thin insulating member adapted to be inserted therebetween.

Claim 4

A machine as in claim 1 wherein each switch comprises a pair of normally closed spring contacts, the machine further including a Thin insulating member adapted to be inserted between the contacts of a selected pair.

Claim 5

A machine as in claim 3 wherein each group of two adjacent pairs of contacts comprises a centrally disposed U-shaped member, a first finger normally contacting one U leg of said member, and a second finger normally contacting the other U leg of said member.

Claim 6

A machine as in claim 4 wherein each U leg and its contacting finger flare apart adjacent their free ends to guide the insertion of the insulating member therebetween.

Claim 7

A machine as in claim 3 wherein alternate groups of two adjacent pairs of contacts are disposed in alternate planes.

Claim 8

A machine as in claim 1 wherein the time keeping device includes an hour hand mounted on a shaft.

Claim 9

A machine as in claim 7 wherein the sequential coupling means includes a stationary commutator having a plurality of equally spaced conductive segments, means connecting each switch to a corresponding segment, and a brush mounted on said shaft and disposed to contact sequentially the segments of the commutator.

Claim 10

A machine as in claim 7 wherein the sequential coupling means includes a stationary commutator having a plurality of equally spaced conductive segments, and a pair of angularly spaced brushes mounted on said shaft and disposed to contact sequentially the segments of the commutator.

Claim 11

A machine as in claim 7 wherein the number of switches is N and wherein the sequential coupling means includes a pair of brushes mounted on said shaft and having an angular spacing of approximately 180/N* .

Claim 12

A machine as in claim 7 wherein the number of switches is N and wherein the sequential coupling means includes a stationary commutator having N equally spaced conductive segments, each segment subtending appreciably more than 180/N* , and the insulating gap between adjacent segments subtending appreciably less than 180/N* .

Claim 13

A machine as in claim 1 further including time indicia associated with each switch.

Claim 14

A machine as in claim 12 wherein the indicia provide half-hour increments.

Claim 15

A machine as in claim 12 wherein the indicia provide quarter-hour increments.

Claim 16

A machine as in claim 12 wherein the indicia are disposed in two columns of equal length.

Claim 17

A machine as in claim 15 wherein the indicia at the top of the left hand column represents a whole hour in the region from 6:00 to 9:00 and wherein the indicia at the top of the right hand column represents a whole hour in the region from 12:00 to 3:00.

Claim 18

A machine as in claim 1 further including a top wall provided with a plurality of slots adapted to receive business cards.

Claim 19

A machine as in claim 1 further including a top wall provided with a calendar pad bearing time indicia.

Claim 20

A machine as in claim 1 further including a top wall, wherein the switches include manual operating members arranged in columns along the left hand and right hand margins of the top wall and disposed for movement left and right.

Claim 21

A machine as in claim 1 wherein the output circuit includes an aural annunciator and a visual annunciator.

Claim 22

A machine as in claim 1 further including an annunciator, a bistable circuit, means coupling the bistable circuit to the annunciator, means responsive to the output circuit for setting the bistable circuit, a manually-operable spring-loaded switch, and means responsive to operation of said switch for resetting the bistable circuit.

Claim 23

A machine as in claim 1 wherein the time keeping device includes a source of reference frequency, a plurality of cascaded counters, a plurality of display indicators, means coupling the reference source to the first counter of the cascade, and means coupling the final counters of the cascade to the respective display indicators.

Claim 24

A machine as in claim 22 wherein at least four numerical indicators provide a display in hours and minutes.

Claim 25

A machine as in claim 22 wherein at least six numErical indicators provide a display in hours and minutes and seconds.

Claim 26

A machine as in claim 22 wherein two numerical indicators display hours from 1 to 12 and wherein at least one further indicator selectively provides a display of ante and post meridian.

Claim 27

A machine as in claim 22 wherein the last counter of the cascade divides by two and is coupled to an indicator selectively providing the letters A and P, the machine further including an indicator providing a constant display of the letter M.

Claim 28

A machine as in claim 1 wherein the time keeping device includes a first divide-by-ten counter, a second divide-by-six counter, a third counter, means including a source of reference frequency for providing one pulse of fractional second duration each minute, means responsive to each one-per-minute pulse for indexing the first counter, means responsive to the first counter for indexing the second counter, means responsive to the second counter for providing one pulse of fractional second duration each hour, means responsive to each one-per-hour pulse for indexing the third counter, a first and a second manually-operable spring-loaded switch, means responsive to each operation of the first switch for providing a first pulse of fractional second duration, means responsive to each operation of the second switch for providing a second pulse of fractional second duration, means responsive to each first pulse for indexing the first counter, and means responsive to each second pulse for indexing the third counter.

Claim 29

A machine as in claim 27 wherein the means providing the one-per-minute pulses includes a fourth divide-by-ten counter, a fifth divide-by-six counter, means including a source of reference frequency for providing one pulse of short duration each second of time, means responsive to each one-per-second pulse for indexing the fourth counter, means responsive to the fourth counter for indexing the fifth counter, and means responsive to the fifth counter for providing the one-per-minute pulses, the machine further including a third manually-operable spring-loaded switch, means responsive to each operation of the third switch for providing a third pulse of fractional second duration, and means responsive to each third pulse for indexing the fourth counter.

Claim 30

A machine as in claim 27 wherein the third counter divides by 10, the machine further including a two state device and means responsive to the third counter for indexing the two state device.

Claim 31

A machine as in claim 1 wherein the sequential coupling means includes a plurality of logic circuits having at least one input, means connecting each switch to the input of a corresponding logic circuit, and means responsive to the time keeping device for sequentially controlling the logic circuits.

Claim 32

A machine as in claim 30 wherein the time keeping device includes an hours counter and a fractional hours counter, wherein each logic circuit has a second and a third input, and wherein the sequential controlling means includes means coupling the hours counter to the second input of each logic circuit and means coupling the fractional hours counter to the third input of each logic circuit.

Claim 33

A machine as in claim 1 wherein the time keeping device includes an hours counter, a fractional hours counter having a maximum count not less than two nor greater than 30, and a minutes counter having a maximum count not greater than 30 nor less than two, the product of the maximum counts of the fractional hours and minutes counters being equal to 60, and wherein the sequential coupling means includes means responsive to the hours and the fractional hours counters, the machine further including a first manually-operable selector switch having a number of positions equal to the maximum count of the minutes counter, means coupling the minutes counter to the selector switch, means responsive to the selector switch for providing a first master control signal, and first mEans responsive to the first signal for governing the coupling of any switch of said plurality to the output circuit.

Claim 34

A machine as in claim 32 wherein the sequential coupling means includes a logic circuit having at least one input and means sequentially coupling each switch of said plurality to the logic circuit input, and wherein the governing means includes means responsive to the signal for controlling the logic circuit.

Claim 35

A machine as in claim 32 wherein the means providing the master control signal includes a bistable circuit and means responsive to the selector switch for setting the bistable circuit.

Claim 36

A machine as in claim 32 wherein the means providing the master control signal includes a bistable circuit and means responsive to the time keeping device for resetting the bistable circuit at a predetermined time less than 60 seconds after each minute.

Claim 37

A machine as in claim 35 wherein the resetting means includes manually operable means for adjusting said predetermined time.

Claim 38

A machine as in claim 32 further including a second manually-operable selector switch having a number of positions equal to the maximum count of the minutes counter, means coupling the minutes counter to the second selector switch, means responsive to the second selector switch for providing a second master control signal, and second means responsive to the second signal for governing the coupling of any switch of said plurality to the output circuit.

Claim 39

A machine as in claim 37 wherein the output circuit includes a two state device and means responsive to the two state device for selectively controlling the first and second governing means.

Claim 40

A machine as in claim 37 wherein the output circuit includes a two state device and wherein the first and second governing means comprise a first and a second logic circuit each having at least one input, means coupling the first signal to the input of the first logic circuit, means coupling the second signal to the input of the second logic circuit, means responsive to one state of the two state device for enabling the first logic circuit and disabling the second logic circuit, and means responsive to the other state of the two state device for disabling the first logic circuit and enabling the second logic circuit.

Claim 41

A machine as in claim 37 wherein the output circuit includes a two state device, a gating circuit, a holding circuit, means including the gating circuit for coupling the two state device to the holding circuit, and means for enabling the gating circuit at a predetermined time less than 60 seconds after the minutes counter provides its maximum count.

Claim 42

A machine as in claim 37 wherein the output circuit includes a two state device, a gating circuit, a holding circuit, means including the gating circuit for coupling the two state device to the holding circuit, and means for enabling the gating circuit at a predetermined time less than 60 seconds after each minute.

Claim 43

A machine as in claim 1 wherein the output circuit includes a two state device, a relay having a winding and at least a pair of contacts, means responsive to the two state device for selectively energizing the relay winding, a first and a second electrical receptacle, and means including the relay contacts for selectively energizing the first and second receptacles.

Claim 44

A machine as in claim 42 further including a first visual indicator connected in shunt with the first receptacle and a second visual indicator connected in shunt with the second receptacle.

Claim 45

A machine as in claim 1 wherein each switch comprises a pair of contacts, at least one contact being moveable, and means resiliently biasing said moveable contact against the other contact.

Claim 46

A machine as in claim 1 wherein each switch comprises a pair of normally closed contacts, at least one contact comprising a spring member.

Claim 47

A machine as in claim 45 further including a thin insulating member adapted to be inserted between the contacts of a selected pair, wherein the spring member of each switch is provided with a flaring free end to guide the insertion of the insulating member.

Claim 48

A machine as in claim 1 further including time indicia associated with each switch wherein the indicia are disposed in a plurality of columns of equal length.

Claim 49

A machine as in claim 1 further including a top wall provided with a plurality of slots adapted to receive business cards, wherein the slots are disposed in a plurality of columns of equal length.