Abstract: An operating shaft which provides compensation for axial and spatial misalignment between a rotatable component mounted within an enclosure and a rotating apparatus generally outside the enclosure is disclosed. The operating shaft has a first end dimensioned to be slidably received within a receiving portion of the rotating apparatus such that the shaft is maintained in a fixed angular position with respect to the rotating apparatus. The shaft is axially slidable with respect to the rotating apparatus such that it will provide compensation for axial misalignment between the rotatable component and the rotating apparatus. The shaft has a second end configured to engage the rotatable component such that rotation of the rotating apparatus will produce a corresponding rotation of the rotatable component. The shaft also has a spatial compensation device which is integrally formed from the shaft between the first and second ends.

Abstract: An operating shaft which provides compensation axial and spatial misalignment between a rotatable component mounted within an enclosure and a rotating device generally outside the enclosure. The operating shaft has a first end which is dimensioned to be slidably received within a receiving portion of the rotating device such that the shaft is maintained in a fixed angular position with respect to the rotating device. The shaft is axially slidable with respect to the rotating device such that it will provide compensation for axial misalignment between the rotatable component and the rotating device. The shaft has a second end formed to engage the rotatable component such that an rotation of the rotating device will produce a corresponding rotation of the rotatable component. The shaft also has a spatial compensation device which is integrally formed in the shaft between its first and second ends.

Abstract: The present invention concerns an improvement to the "jog and shuttle" knobs used on electronic or electrical devices, notably video devices such as video recorders. The control according to the invention includes a knob mounted inside a cavity in the face-plate of the control panel such that the external face of the knob is aligned with said face-plate, and a finger fixed to a ring mounted coaxially with the knob, the finger being mounted such that it moves around the arc of a circle in the cavity.

Abstract: The outside perimeter contact surface is molded with a continuously varying outer radius as measured relative to the axis of rotation and concentric circles of contrasting color disposed on the lateral surface of the thumbwheel with centers located at axis of rotation thereby providing visual and tactile feedback to the user of the character of output signal.

Abstract: A heater control unit of a dial type installed on an instrument panel and functioning as an operation portion of an air conditioner equipped in an automobile. The first bevel gear is integral with the shaft coupled with a dial. The first and second supports are integral with the base member. The first support is sectionally crank-shaped and the upper support wall thereof is disposed at the outside of the lower support wall with respect to the second support. The upper support wall has an approximately semi-circular upper support surface for receiving a portion of the shaft upper than the axis thereof, and the lower support wall has an approximately semi-circular lower support surface for receiving a portion of the shaft lower than the axis thereof.

Abstract: A knob for operating a fader as an electronic device of a car stereo is rotatably and axially slidably mounted on a grille detachably attached to a car stereo body. A wall of the car stereo body facing the grille when attached thereto, has an opening through which the knob passes. A manually rotated operating shaft of the fader is disposed inside the body of the car stereo behind the opening. When the knob is pushed into the body through the opening, the knob is connected with the operating shaft of the fader.

Abstract: A control device having a push to turn selector arrangement and method of making the same are provided, the control device comprising a support unit, a first selector member threadedly carried by the support unit so as to be rotatable and axially movable relative thereto, a second selector member rotatably carried by the support unit and being axially movable relative thereto, a coupling structure coupling the selector members together to cause the first selector member to rotate in unison with the second selector member when the second selector member is axially pushed inwardly and then rotated, and a spring unit disposed between the selector members to tend to maintain the second selector member axially away from the first selector member, the coupling unit comprising a drive plate rotatably carried by the support unit intermediate the selector members and having parts thereof respectively splined to the selector members to transmit rotatable movement of the second selector member to the first selector memb

Abstract: An improved ordnance arming knob assembly. An arbor is secured to a switch shaft. A knob is keyed to the arbor to move in an axial direction relative to the arbor while preventing rotation between the knob and the arbor. A pin on the knob extends in a direction parallel to the switch shaft axis into a stationary hole located, for example, on a panel on which the switch is mounted. The knob must be pulled in an axial direction against the force of one or more springs to withdraw the pin from the hole prior to turning to actuate the arming switch.

Abstract: A control device having a push to turn selector arrangement and method of making the same are provided, the control device comprising a support unit, a first selector member threadedly carried by the support unit so as to be rotatable and axially movable relative thereto, a second selector member rotatably carried by the support unit and being axially movable relative thereto, a coupling structure coupling the selector members together to cause the first selector member to rotate in unison with the second selector member when the second selector member is axially pushed inwardly and then rotated, and a spring unit disposed between the selector members to tend to maintain the second selector member axially away from the first selector member, the couping unit comprising a drive plate rotatably carried by the suport unit intermediate the selector members and having parts thereof respectively splined to the selector members to transmit rotatable movement of the second selector member to the first selector member

Abstract: A mechanical rotational control assembly (100) is provided having a knob (20) engaged to a potentiometer's rotating shaft (55). A friction element (40), such as a washer made of a material having similar temperature characteristics to the knob (20), is interlocked to the stationary portion (57) of the potentiometer. The peripheral boundary (47) of the friction element (40) is engaged to the skirt portion (25) of the knob (20), so as to produce a fricional force when the knob (20) is rotated, and thereby increasing the rotational torque of the rotational control assembly.

Abstract: An attachment for use in conjunction with radio control transmitters, especially for use with model cars, which has a steering wheel and a fork-shaped lever extending therefrom. The lever is adapted to fit over the directional control stick of the transmitter, whereby the rotary motion created by turning the steering wheel translates into the rectilinear motion which actuates the control stick. Realism and enhanced operator control are achieved.

Abstract: A rotary shaft holding mechanism for a rotary variable element comprises a frame for rotatably supporting a rotary shaft of a rotary variable element such as a variable capacitor, a resilient member fixedly mounted to the frame for urging the rotary shaft toward the frame, and a retainer member fixedly mounted to the frame for rotatably supporting an externally adjusting end of the rotary shaft so as to rotatably hold the rotary shaft.

Abstract: An actuator mechanism, particularly for a potentiometer, comprises a mounting frame defining an interior space. An elongate rotary shaft traverses that space. A lever arm is secured to the shaft and extends radially away from the longitudinal axis of the shaft within the space defined by the mounting frame. The mounting frame has two substantially parallel surfaces that confront the lever arm, and respective friction assemblies are interposed between the lever arm and those two surfaces respectively. Each friction assembly comprises a body of friction material engaging one of the two parallel surfaces, and a compression spring that urges the body of friction material against that surface. The body of friction material and the spring are maintained captive between the lever arm and the surface of the frame that is engaged by the body of friction material.

Abstract: A station-selecting device for a radio receiver comprises a rotatable control knob for driving an element of a tuning device which is capable of moving between two end positions. Motion transmission is carried out by applying a coefficient of friction between a shaft which is rigidly fixed to the control knob and a driven member. The coefficient of friction is of sufficiently high value to transmit motion when the moving element is located between its end positions and of sufficiently low value to cause displacement of the shaft in sliding motion against the previously driven member when the moving element reaches the end of travel. The driven member is a cyclindrical journal-bearing in which the shaft is rotatably mounted and which is preferably elastic, at least in the radial direction.

Abstract: A self-aligning mechanism utilizes a flexible shaft affixed at one end to a means for rotating it. The other end of the rod is configured to engage a complementarily-shaped opening in a coupler provided with a funnel-shaped front surface to guide the flexible shaft into engagement. In one embodiment, the coupler is mounted directly to the shaft of the device to be adjusted. In another embodiment, the coupler is a pulley which drives, by means of a drive belt, a device which is offset in position relative to the flexible shaft. Wire-retaining means are provided to enable the knob and shaft to be easily removed and reinstalled with a minimum of effort and adjustment, even in the presence of misalignment in the X-, Y-, and Z-axis directions.

Abstract: An operating shaft mechanism in a pushbutton tuner, etc. characterized in that there is formed an enlarged portion in a central portion of a shaft element and the enlarged portion is formed with a plurality of slits in different phases with each other. The enlarged portion thus comprises a plurality of disc portions connected to each other by connecting portions which remain at the bottoms of the slits, thus to be flexible.

Abstract: A rotary type television tuner includes a chassis and a channel changing shaft extending through the chassis and having an operating knob mounted on the front end thereof for rotating the shaft. The channel changing shaft is made of a synthetic resin reinforced with glass fiber and is circular in cross-section over the greater part, the knob mounting section being formed with a flat portion and having a cross-section that is nearly semicircular. The root of the flat portion of the knob mounting section is rounded. A reinforcing rod assembly comprising a reinforcing rod made of a metal and a reinforcing rod made of a rigid synthetic resin which are connected together as by threads is embedded in the channel changing shaft including its knob mounting section. The length of the reinforcing rod of metal is such that when it is assembled as the tuner, it extends from the front end nearly to the chassis plate.

Abstract: A driving unit having a rotatable driving roller and a driven roller, an elongated member capable of moving longitudinally and independently of the rollers, said elongated member comprising a rigid bar with a rounded upper surface and a strip of flexible material in contact with said surface, said driving roller engaging said flexible strip and said strip remaining substantially tangential to the rounded upper surface regardless of the position of the rotatable driving roller or the interrelationship of the various parts.

Abstract: A universal T.V. channel knob has a channel indicator skirt slidably receivable on a cylindrical, molded synthetic plastic knob shaft and relatively attachable thereto in an infinite number of rotative positions to provide for universal replacement usage. A metal, radially depressable slide pin is provided for securing the dial skirt in adjusted rotative position with respect to the knob shank with only minimal projection inwardly along its mounting shank, thereby minimizing any possibility of interference with fine tuner knob assemblies and the like that may be coaxially arranged in close proximity behind the T.V. channel knob assembly.

Abstract: A friction device for coupling the manual tuning knob of a keyboard (pushbutton) radio to a reciprocal tuning slidebar is disclosed. The friction device comprises a cylindrical rod attached to the tuning slidebar which selectively is drivingly engaged by a peripheral V-shaped groove in a pulley rotated by the manual tuning knob.

Abstract: Tuning apparatus which is tunable to different broadcast frequencies and including a scale provided with indicia corresponding to such broadcast frequencies and a pointer movable across the scale to indicate the particular broadcast frequency to which the tuning apparatus is tuned. The pointer is supported by a movable support which is guided by a guide shaft. A plurality of markers are slidably guided along at least one guide rail and are individually settable to desired locations adjacent the scale, thereby representing particular broadcast frequencies to which the tuning apparatus is tunable. A key also is slidable along the guide shaft with the movable support, the key being selectively operative to engage a desired one of the markers to move the engaged marker therewith as the support is moved, whereby the marker is set to a desired position by reason of its engagement with the key.

Abstract: In an electric device wherein the shaft of a rotary component part of the electric device is operated by an operating member located eccentrically with respect to the axis of the shaft, a universal coupling is provided between the operating member and the shaft.

Abstract: A rotatable link coupling mechanism with a first disc attached to one end of a radio tuner shaft, a second intermediate disc, and a third disc attached to the end of a moveably positioned drive shaft. The first and second discs and the second and third discs are linked together respectively by a series of elongated coupling links which provide rotational coupling between the drive shaft and the radio tuner shaft.

Abstract: A frequency selector comprising a first control member for frequency preselection changing and a second control member for changing the preselection frequency. The control members are coupled such that unintended changing of the preselection frequency by touching the second control member is prevented.

Abstract: A locking device is provided for a potentiometer dial and knob which are disposed on the front panel of a printed circuit board. There is a radial flange on the shaft of the potentiometer dial and knob. The base or non-turning portion of the potentiometer is fixedly disposed on the panel and is fixedly disposed on the printed circuit board. A pressure plate member having an opening therein is disposed around the rotatable shaft. The flange may thus abut the pressure plate to prevent substantial axial motion of the shaft which might cause the potentiometer base to be loosened from the printed circuit board. A movable locking member having an opening is disposed around the outer portion of the shaft so that the flange is disposed between the pressure plate and the locking member. There are second aligned openings in each of the locking member and the pressure plate through which a screw protrudes. The threaded base of the screw is rotatably disposed in a correspondingly threaded hole in the panel.

Abstract: A tuning device for a radio receiver is disclosed wherein the manual knob which permits tuning and permits viewing of a radio frequency scale can be pivoted to face the operator directly. The manual knob is rotatably linked to a shaft of a tuning element, such as a variable capacitor or a variable inductance, by a coupling means including at least one universal joint.

Abstract: A control device having a support and a first selector member rotatably carried by the support. A second selector member is rotatably carried by the support and is axially movable relative to the support and the first selector member. The selector members are coupled together in a manner to cause the first selector member to rotate in unison with the second selector member when the second selector member is rotated. A pair of spaced spring members are disposed between and respectively engage the selector members to tend to maintain the second selector member axially away from the first selector member. The first selector member has a cylindrical part extending therefrom and the second selector member has a C-shaped shaft rotatably disposed against the cylindrical part of the first selector member.

Abstract: A TV tuner has a housing and a rotating channel selector shaft mounted on the housing. There are a plurality of individual support members positioned by and mounted on parallel flatted areas of the shaft, which flatted areas vary in size to assure correct placement of the support members. Individual coil strips, each carrying a tuning screw, are fixed to the shaft assembly. A simplified clutching arrangement for controlling adjustment of the screws utilizes a coil spring to provide the initial force for moving a pinion gear into operating engagement with the tuning screws. The tuning screws are held by resilient arms which bias the head of the screws toward the shaft to thus firmly maintain the screws in any adjusted position. Each of the coil strips have contacts extending outwardly from one side and positioned to be in electrical and mechanical contact with cantilever spring members fastened to a printed circuit board which in turn is held by the housing.

Abstract: An insulated coupling usable with a television tuner shaft or the like for electrically isolating the tuner shaft from the chassis of the television receiver includes a pair of flanged insulating bushings pressed into axially extending chambers formed in the ends of two coupled sections of the tuner shaft. A knurled pin fabricated from hardened steel or other strong material is pressed into the two bushings to hold the two sections of the shaft together with the two flanges of the bushings abutting to form an insulated section between the two coupled sections of the shaft.

Abstract: A mechanism for the precisional turning of a threaded shaft or leadscrew wherein the turning of a hand knob is used to precisionally regulate the amount of turning of the shaft. By the hand turning of a drive knob, a pair of ring drive keys are made to move along the upper surface of a cam unit having two lobes and two recesses. A castellated counter ring, which is placed around the cam unit has equally spaced cogs which normally will not be engaged by the ring drive keys. However, when the ring drive keys fall into the recesses of the cam surface, they engage against two cogs on the counter ring causing them to shift a fixed amount, after which the rise of the lobe of the cam raises the ring drive keys out of engagement with the cogs of the counter ring. The effect of this is to turn the shaft, for example, 1/10 of a shaft revolution.

Abstract: A control device having a housing provided with a movable actuator and a rotatable selector shaft for positioning the actuator in relation to the rotational position of the shaft. An actuator driver is carried by the shaft and is operatively interconnected to the actuator to drive the same upon rotation of the driver by the shaft, the shaft and driver being axially movable relative to the actuator. The housing has a latching part cooperable with a latching part of the shaft when the shaft is in a certain rotational and axial position relative to the housing whereby the shaft cannot be rotated relative to the housing until the shaft is axially moved from that certain axial position thereof to another axial position thereof to clear the latching part of the shaft from the latching part of the housing and thereby unlock the selector shaft.

Abstract: A vertical scale indicator has an index movable relative to a scale for indicating a condition sensed by a signal condition device. The index is supported on a flexible band wound on two drums. One drum is driven directly by a servomotor responsive to signals from the signal condition device and the other drum is driven by the servomotor through spring means for providing relative rotation between the drums to accommodate rotation of the drums through different angles in accordance with the amounts of tape wound on the drums.

Abstract: This invention relates to a vernier drive mechanism, in which a vernier shaft always being subjected to the elasticity of a coil spring is put into a hollow part of a main shaft in a freely rotatable manner, a housing is put outside the main shaft also in the freely rotatable manner, a part having a hexagonal section or a shape causing the similar effect is made at the center of the main shaft, holes open to the hollow part of the main shaft are made on the three planes placed radially at the same angle of the six peripheral planes, balls are put into the holes and are made to contact with a small diameter part of the vernier shaft and the inner surface of the housing by the elasticity of the spring so as to rotate planetarily by the rotation of the vernier shaft and to turn the main shaft at a speed slower than that of the vernier shaft.

Abstract: An amusement device, the subject matter herein, includes a support, which is particularly adapted for mounting on a floor. A hollow housing is secured to the support. The housing has a continuous bottom and side walls, and is open at its upper end. A table top is hingedly secured to the housing and is releasably locked thereto. The top has a screen opening in its center. A cathode ray tube is secured to the top, with the screen of the tube adjacent to the screen opening substantially parallel to the upper surface of the top. Electronic circuitry is mounted on the interior surface of the top and electrically connected to the cathode ray tube. A logic board is mounted in the housing and is connected to the electronic circuitry to generate the image of a ball moving across the screen and images of a plurality of paddles to give the appearance of a paddle striking the ball and returning it. A plurality of control knobs is mounted on the top for controlling the paddle images.