Christmas tree lighting control

Claim 2

A light intensity control for Christmas tree lighting including in combination connector means for connecting said control to a power supply source, an electrical outlet continuously in circuit with said power supply connector means for connecting thereto one or more strings of Christmas tree lights, voltage dropping resistor means forming a part of said control and electrically connected in series with said outlet for reducing the voltage to said outlet proportional to the resistance in said circuit, circuit controlling means electrically connected across said resistor means and operable to intermittently short out portions of said resistor means to increase and decrease in predetermined fixed increments, the voltage to said outlet.

Claim 3

A light intensity control as claimed in claim 1 wherein the said circuit control is in the form of a motor driven cam operable to move into and out of electrically contacting engagement spring contact members electrically connected at resistance differing positions to said resistor means.

Claim 4

A light intensity control as claimed in claim 1 wherein the said intermittent shorting out of portions of said resItor means is effected at predetermined timed intervals and sequence.

Claim 5

A light intensity control as claimed in claim 1 wherein the said circuit control means is in the form of a motor driven cam operable to intermittently close, in predetermined timed sequence, shorting circuits connected at resistance differing positions to said resistance means.

Claim 6

A light intensity control as claimed in claim 1 wherein at no time is the voltage to said outlet reduced by more than 80%.

Claim 7

A light intensity control as claimed in claim 1 including overload circuit breaking means electrically connected between said connector means and said outlet.

Claim 8

A light intensity control for Christmas tree lighting including in combination connector means for connecting said control to a power supply source, an electrical outlet continuously in circuit with said power supply connector means for connecting thereto one or more strings of Christmas tree lights, voltage dropping resistors means forming a part of said control and connected to reduce the voltage to said outlet, a motor drive, contact members electrically connected at resistance differing positions to said resistor means and movable by said motor drive electrically together to intermittently short out in predetermined time sequence portions of said resistor means to alter in predetermined fixed increments the voltage to said outlet.

Claim 9

A light intensity control for Christmas tree lighting including in combination connector means for connecting said control to a power supply source, an electrical outlet continuously in circuit with said power supply connector means for connecting thereto one or more strings of Christmas tree lights, voltage dropping resistors means forming a part of said control and connected to reduce the voltage to said outlet, a motor drive, contact members electrically connected at resistance differing positions to said resistor means and movable by said motor drive electrically together to intermittently short out in predetermined time sequence portions of said resistor means to alter in predetermined fixed increments the voltage to said outlet.

Claim 10

A light intensity control as claimed in claim 7 wherein the motor drive includes a movable cam operative, when driven by said drive, to move said contact members into and out of resistor shorting position in predetermined timed sequential relation.

Claim 11

A light intensity control as claimed in claim 7 wherein the voltage dropping resistor means connected in series with said outlet does not reduce the voltage to said outlet by more than 80%.

Claim 12

A light intensity control as claimed in claim 7 wherein overload circuit interrupting means is electrically interposed between said power supply and said outlet.

Claim 13

A light intensity control for christmas tree lighting including in combination connector means for connecting said control to a power source, resistor means having at least two differeing fixed voltage outputs, an electrical outlet continuously in circuit with the lowest voltage output of said resistor means for connecting therewith one or more strings of Christmas tree lights, means movable for intermittently connecting in common with the said lowest voltage output the other outputs of said resistor means in predetermined sequence and in the order required to successively increase the voltage to said outlet.

Claim 14

A light intensity control for christmas tree lighting including in combination connector means for connecting said control to a power source, resistor means having at least two differeing fixed voltage outputs, an electrical outlet continuously in circuit with the lowest voltage output of said resistor means for connecting therewith one or more strings of Christmas tree lights, means movable for intermittently connecting in common with the said lowest voltage output the other outputs of said resistor means in predetermined sequence and in the order required to successively increase the voltage to said outlet.

Claim 15

A light intensity control as claimed in claim 11 wherein the said means movable is in the form of a motor driven cam operative to intermittently move together, into and out of common electrical engagement, spring contact members respectively connected to the outputs of said power supply.

Claim 16

A light intensity control as claimed in claim 11 wherein a circuit interrupting thermal overload is electrically interposed between said power supply and said outlet.

Claim 17

A light intensity control as claimed in claim 11 wherein the voltage to said lowest voltage output of said power supply is not less than 30% of the power supply input voltage.

Claim 18

A lighting intensity control as claimed in claim 11 wherein said means movable is operable to intermittently disconnect said other outputs from said lowest voltage output as required to successively decrease the voltage to said outlet.