Timer for telephone toll calls and the like

Claim 2

As an article of manufacture, a self-contained timer unit for timing telephone toll calls and the like comprising a closed housing of a size readily usable on a desk or the like adjacent a telephone instrument, said article comprising: first, second and third light emitting signal elements on said timer for indicating respectively and in order the beginning of a predetermined time period and the passage of an intermediate time period and the termination of said predetermined time period; an electric battery mounted within said housing, timing means including solid state timing circuitry within said housing and utilizing said battery as its energy source for actuating said light emitting signal elements in order; and switching means for initiating operation of said timing means, said switching means including a starting element mounted on said housing and accessible from the outside thereof, and said starting element upon actuation connecting said timing means to said battery for energization first circuit connecting means in said timing means operative to energize said first signal element only immediately upon actuation of said switching means, second circuit connecting means in said timing means operative after the passage of said intermediate time period simultaneously to deenergize said first signal element and to energize said second signal element only, and third circuit connecting means in said timing means operative after the passage of said predetermined time period simultaneously to deenergize said second signal element and to energize said third signal element only.

Claim 3

A self-contained timer unit as claimed in claim 1 and said housing including a top wall, said light emitting signal elements being of different colors and arranged in a row relative to said top wall so as to be visible from a remote point, and said switching means starting element also being operatively related with said top wall.

Claim 4

A portable, self-contained, readily monitorable timer unit for timing telephone calls and the like comprising wall means including a top wall defining a closed housing of a size readily usable on a supporting surface adjacent a telephone instrument, within said housing and beneath said top wall first, second and third light emitting signal element means arranged in a row for respectively indicating and in order, the beginning of a predetermined time period, the passage of an intermediate time period and the termination of said predetermined time period, an electric battery within said housing, timing means within said housing for actuating said signal element means, said timing means comprising solid state circuitry connected between said battery and said elements, and including timing components and a switch means for controlling said circuitry, said switch means being operable exteriorly of said housing between a first position electrically connecting said timing components between said battery and said signal element means, and a second position electrically disconnecting said battery from said timing components, said timing components being effective in said first position of said switch means to energize said first, second and third light emitting signal element means in such a sequential relationship that said first signal element means only is immediately initially energized, upon the passage of said intermediate time period only said second signal element means simultaneously being energized and said first element means being deenergized, and upon the passage of said predetermined time period only said third signal element means simultaneously being energized and said second element being deenergized, said top wall having a row of openings therein overlying said signal element means, and said signal element means including different colored lenses arranged in said openings and protruding above said top wall so as to facilitate ready viewing of the timing of a telephone toll call being carried by such a telephone instrument by a monitor positioned at a distance from such instrument.

Claim 5

A portable, self-contained, readily monitorable timer unit for timing telephone calls and the like comprising wall means including a top wall defining a closed housing of a size readily usable on a supporting surface adjacent a telephone instrument, within said housing and beneath said top wall first, second and third light emitting signal element means arranged in a row for respectively indicating and in order, the beginning of a predetermined time period, the passage of an intermediate time period and the termination of said predetermined time period, an electric battery within said housing, timing means within said housing for actuating said signal element means, said timing means comprising solid state circuitry connected between said battery and said elements, and including timing components and a switch means for controlling said circuitry, said switch means being operable exteriorly of said housing between a first position electrically connecting said timing components between said battery and said signal element means, and a second position electrically disconnecting said battery from said timing components, said timing components being effective in said first position of said switch means to energize said first, second and third light emitting signal element means in such a sequential relationship that said first signal element means only is immediately initially energized, upon the passage of said intermediate time period only said second signal element means simultaneously being energized and said first element means being deenergized, and upon the passage of said predetermined time period only said third signal element means simultaneously being energized and said second element being deenergized, said top wall having a row of openings therein overlying said signal element means, and said signal element means including different colored lenses arranged in said openings and protruding above said top wall so as to facilitate ready viewing of the timing of a telephone toll call being carried by such a telephone instrument by a monitor positioned at a distance from such instrument.

Claim 6

As an article of manufacture, a self-contained timer unit for timing telephone toll calls and the like comprising a closed housing of a size readily usable on a desk or the like adjacent a telephone instrument, said article comprising: first, second and third light emitting signal elements on said timer for indicating respectively and in order the beginning of a predetermined time period and the passage of an intermediate time period and the termination of said predetermined time period; an electric battery mounted within said housing, timing means including solid state timing circuitry within said housing and utilizing said battery as its energy source for actuating said light emitting signal elements in order; and, switching means for initiating operation of said timing means, said switching means including a starting element mounted on said housing and accessible from the outside thereof, and said starting element upon actuation connecting said timing means to said battery for energization, first circuit connecting means in said timing means operative to energize said first signal element only immediately upon actuation of said switching means, second circuit connecting means in said timing means operative after the passage of said intermediate time period simultaneously to de-energize said first signal element and to energize said second signal element only, and third circuit connecting means in said timing means operative after the passage of said predetermined time period simultaneously to de-energize said second signal element and to energize said third signal element only, said timing means including a source of substantially equally timed pulses feeding a binary coded decade counter having a decoder driver operatively connected thereto, said decoder having nine output terminals of which only one is at operative logic zero for any given count from zero through nine, and wherein the said zero through five output terminals of said driver are included within said first circuit connecting means, the sixth and seventh output terminals are included within said second circuit connecting means and the eighth output terminal is included within said third circuit connecting means.

Claim 7

As an article of manufacture, a self-contained timer unit for timing telephone toll calls and the like comprising a closed housing of a size readily usable on a desk or the like adjacent a telephone instrument, said article comprising: first, second and third light emitting signal elements on said timer for indicating respectively and in order the beginning of a predetermined time period and the passage of an intermediate time period and the termination of said predetermined time period; an electric battery mounted within said housing, timing means including solid state timing circuitry within said housing and utilizing said battery as its energy source for actuating said light emitting signal elements in order; and, switching means for initiating operation of said timing means, said switching means including a starting element mounted on said housing and accessible from the outside thereof, and said starting element upon actuation connecting said timing means to said battery for energization, first circuit connecting means in said timing means operative to energize said first signal element only immediately upon actuation of said switching means, second circuit connecting means in said timing means operative after the passage of said intermediate time period simultaneously to de-energize said first signal element and to energize said second signal element only, and third circuit connecting means in said timing means operative after the passage of said predetermined time period simultaneously to de-energize said second signal element and to energize said third signal element only, said timing means including a source of substantially equally timed pulses feeding a binary coded decade counter having a decoder driver operatively connected thereto, said decoder having nine output terminals of which only one is at operative logic zero for any given count from zero through nine, and wherein the said zero through five output terminals of said driver are included within said first circuit connecting means, the sixth and seventh output terminals are included within said second circuit connecting means and the eighth output terminal is included within said third circuit connecting means.