Abstract: A timer for controlling an appliance includes a housing. The timer also includes a camstack having a plurality of cam surfaces defined therein. The plurality of cam surfaces are positioned within the housing. The timer further includes a switch block which cooperates with the plurality of cam surfaces to provide switching operations for the appliance. Moreover, the timer includes an auxiliary member having a circuit pattern positioned on a side thereof. Rotation of the camstack causes rotation of the auxiliary member. The auxiliary member is positioned outside of the housing. The timer yet further includes a first switch arm positioned in contact with the side of the auxiliary member. Rotation of the auxiliary member causes the circuit pattern to be advanced into contact with the first switch arm. A method of controlling an appliance is also disclosed.

Abstract: A rotary switch for providing deicing power to the heaters of a helicopter rotor includes a conductive rotor with conductive protrusions located thereon. Conductive fingers are arranged such that a pair of conductive fingers are in electrical communication with a pair of conductive protrusions for a given position of the conductive rotor. The pair of conductive fingers are in electrical communication with the heaters of a helicopter rotor such that if one the pair of electrical fingers fails to make electrical contact with its respective conductive protrusion electrical power is still delivered to the heater.

Abstract: An electrical timer is provided having an electrical motor connected to a first geneva drive gear via a gear train. The geneva drive gear engages a geneva wheel and is coupled to a cam via a clutch joining the geneva wheel and the cam. The clutch may provide a plurality of indexable operating positions wherein each operating position is angularly displaced from adjacent operating positions by a distance equal to the angular distance between adjacent cusps.

Abstract: An actuator for an air-conditioner for use in a vehicle includes an actuator housing for accommodating a motor, a reduction gear unit and a position-detecting unit. The motor has a shaft extending therefrom with a worm gear fixed to the shaft. The reduction gear unit includes a helical gear that is adapted to engage the worm gear, another gear that supports an output shaft, and a plurality of spur gears positioned between the helical gear and the gear that supports the output shaft. The position-detecting unit includes an output shaft-inserting cylinder which has brushes mounted thereon. The output shaft-inserting cylinder is removably fixed to the output shaft. A printed circuit board having switching patterns thereon that are adapted to engage the brushes and the output shaft-inserting cylinder are mounted at predetermined positions in a position detecting unit housing.

Abstract: A motor actuator for an air conditioning system comprising a driving motor and an output shaft rotated by a driving force from the driving motor. At least one moveable contact is mounted on a contact mounting member rotatable together with the output shaft. Fixed contacts are mounted on a fixed circuit board. The movable contact is in sliding contact with the fixed contacts. A hysteresis imparting device is provided for imparting a hysteresis to the rotation of the contact mounting member with respect to the rotation of the output shaft. Further, the circuit board is interposed between an output gear on the output shaft and a switch disc rotatable together with the output gear. A switch device comprised of the movable contact and the fixed contacts is mounted between the circuit board and the output gear and/or between the circuit board and the switch disc.

Abstract: A hardened electromechanical switch is disclosed. When appropriate electrical contacts and pick-offs are aligned, four switches close. The possible number of switch combinations selectable are 4095 based upon a base eight counting system. The switch has a counter section and a memory section. The counter section uses an odometer like device based upon octal. Each counter wheel of the counter section has an electrical pick-off that interacts with the memory section. In the memory section, a plurality of octal numbers, four, are entered into and locked thereon such that each counter set disk, four, therein has one octal number thereon. Electrical contacts are placed on the counter set disks of the memory section and these touch the pick-offs of the counter wheels which will simultaneously close on the four contacts of the counter set disk in only one of the 4095 combinations noted above.

Abstract: An Electric Dispatcher switching system is actuated by an electric clock mechanism and is designed to set in motion automatically, either simultaneously or consecutively, and to stop in the same way, a number of electric appliances or machines. The Electric Dispatcher comprises concentric circles of connecting structure energized by the rotating commutator arm of an electric clock having permanent magnets or gliders fixed on the commutator arm. Electric current is distributed through the connector structure to an electric wire system connected to technical equipment of a factory or institution in conformity with a time table previously dialed on a sectorized dial plate of the Electric Dispatcher.

Abstract: In a battery powered alarm clock, an alarm switching device comprises at least one detecting wheel whose phase is set in accordance with the desired alarm time, at least one detecting switch which is closed when the phase of the time wheel of the clock corresponds to that of the detecting wheel and a printed circuit board having alarm circuitry mounted thereon with at least one land for connecting the alarm circuitry to one pole of the battery. The alarm switching device construction provides solderless connection by at least two battery contact plates for contacting the two poles of the battery. One of the plates provides three electrical contacts including a first contact with one pole of the battery, a second contact with the land on the printed circuit board and a third contact with the detecting switch, whereby the assembly and construction of the clock is greatly simplified.

Abstract: A time detecting switch for an alarm clock comprises phase detecting type slide switches between rotatable coaxially mounted pairs of time wheels and detecting wheels which are rotated to the phases corresponding to an alarm signalling time according to an alarm signalling time setting. One of the pair of the two kinds of wheels comprises a disk of electrically insulating material having a hole therethrough, and an electrically conductive switch plate mounted on one face of the disk has an electric contacting portion which extends through the hole in the disk and bent to form a contacting face in the same plane with the other face of the disk.

Abstract: A timer mechanism for a clock which has a manually settable rotatable timer drum. A pair of complementarily arranged semicircular contacts which are electrically insulated from each other are adapted to actuate the timer when electrically connected to each other. Two contact fingers are provided which are urged into contact with the respective semicircular stationary contacts. A timer cam between the timer drum and a projecting lug associated with one of the contact fingers for prevention thereof from contacting one of the semicircular contacts and thereby render the timer inoperative. A flange with a cutout is provided on the timer cam which permits the one of the contact fingers to contact the semicircular stationary contact and thereby actuate the timer.

Abstract: An automatic controller comprising a supporting structure, a plurality of adjustable contacts, and a selector mounted for movement on the supporting structure for sequentially engaging each of the contents. The adjustable contacts are mounted on the supporting structure for movement relative to each other along a path from a relatively stacked condition to a relatively fanned out condition. In the fanned out condition, each adjustable contact can project beyond at least one adjacent adjustable contact a variable amount so that the extent of exposure of each adjustable contact can be adjusted. The selector sequentially engages the exposed portions of the contacts to sequentially make and break a plurality of circuits.

Abstract: An alarm device of a clock has an alarm time detection mechanism coacting with the time wheels of the clock for detecting a preset alarm time and sound an audible alarm. The audible alarm is terminated in response to manual depression of a call time setter pin and with each depression of the pin, the alarm time detection mechanism is reset to detect a new alarm time so that the new alarm time is determined by the number of times the pin is depressed. A time indicating mechanism indicates the preset alarm time and is automatically adjusted to display the new alarm time dependent upon the number of depressions of the call time setter pin.

Abstract: An electrical switch device for detecting preset alarm times in an alarming device comprises a one-piece switch part connected to and rotatable with a rotationally driven time wheel, and first and second fixed switch parts electrically insulated from each other. An alarming circuit is electrically connected to the fixed switch parts and sounds an audible alarm when the switch parts are closed. An alarm time setting mechanism is settable in a predetermined angular position corresponding to the alarm time to be detected so that when the time wheel is driven to the predetermined position, the switch parts are closed thereby activating the alarm.

Abstract: There is provided an alarm clock of the type which produces an electric signal and which operates in conjunction with an auxiliary device. The clock comprises first circuit means having first switch means for producing and cancelling the signal, and second circuit means having second switch means for switching the auxiliary device on and off. A single spring contact forms a common switch member of said first and second switch means. The advantage gained hereby is that the number of switches normally required to produce and cancel said signal and to energize and de-energize said auxiliary device is reduced.

Abstract: A rotary switch for a timepiece in which a rotatable setting plate made of non-conductive material has fixed thereon a plurality of upstanding projections of equal axial height on a major surface thereof resiliently supporting coaxially thereon on the tips of the projections an electrically conductive contact gear driven rotationally by an hour gear of a timepiece. The setting plate carries an electrically conductive contact plate thereon that has upstanding angularly spaced contacts of lesser axial height than the upstanding projections. These contacts are angularly spaced from each other differently than the angular spacing of the upstanding projections and are disposed among and alternately with the upstanding projections.

Abstract: A programmed control unit is provided which is capable of controlling one or more pieces of electrical equipment, and of turning such equipment on and off automatically at pre-established times which may change from day-to-day. The programmed control unit of the invention includes, for example, one or more program storage members which control the electrical switching of one or more associated pieces of equipment on an independent basis, and in accordance with a program which may extend, for example, from day-to-day, for a month or more.