Card – picture – or sign exhibiting – Changing exhibitor – Motor operated
Reexamination Certificate
1998-01-22
2001-06-26
Knight, Anthony (Department: 3628)
Card, picture, or sign exhibiting
Changing exhibitor
Motor operated
C040S476000, C040S492000, C040S508000, C040S509000, C040S531000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06249999
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates to an apparatus for turning over individual boards assembled as a stack, preferably for leafing the program boards of a music box (juke box).
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In an apparatus of this type known from EP 0 441 949 B1, the individual program boards belonging to two stacks are pivoted next to each other in a chassis behind its two viewing windows around pivots located at their rear sides in such a way that they can be turned over individually by a rail movable to and fro by a drive which rail is provided with stops which engage at lug-shaped projections of the program boards extending beyond the pivots. Here, in each case two opened sides of each stack of the program boards become visible which sides lie diagonally on each side of each viewing window. According to the opened sides of the program boards assembled as racks in each case, the center migrates between two opened sides to the left or right in each viewing window because the pivots of the individual program boards are supported in a line next to each other fixed to the chassis and the row of pivots of each stack takes up a length corresponding to the breadth of the stack. Due to the migrating of the centerlines between the opened sides in the viewing windows, an unattractive appearance is created because the symmetry of the opened sides to the relevant viewing window is interrupted.
It is therefore the object of the invention to provide an apparatus of the type described above where the centerline between two opened program boards always remains at the same position in the center of the viewing window so that the two sides of the program boards always appear at the same place in the viewing window.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This object is solved in accordance with the invention by an apparatus for turning over individual boards assembled as a stack, preferably for leafing the program boards of a music box (juke box), which boards may be pivoted around mutually parallel pivot axes lying in a plane, pivoting bilaterally with the edge area of one side on mutually parallel straight profile sections which can be moved synchronously in guides of a chassis by a drive in a straight line in both directions, and are provided with projections extending beyond the pivots at which a stay fixed to the chassis engages in such a way that in each case a diagonally supported board lying in a viewing window of the chassis is turned over to the opposite side in which position it is supported at an approximately identical, mirror-image angle. In the apparatus in accordance with the invention, the centerline between two opened sides of the program boards always appears at the position in the viewing window at which the stay is located. The stay can therefore be aligned to the viewing window in such a way that the opened sides of the program boards always appear at the same position.
For this purpose, the profile sections are provided in a series of flush spindles pointing towards each other, the number of which corresponds to the number of boards. The individual program boards which appropriately consist of plastic injection moldings, thus only need to be provided with flush blind boreholes with which they can be pushed onto the flush spindles for their support.
For this purpose, the stay consists of a rod parallel to the flush spindles with each projection exhibiting flanks which are approximately at right angles to each other in accordance with the angle formed by the opened sides of the boards facing each other, with the rod entering over that flank lying in the direction of movement until it abuts the flank located at right angles to it and rotates it in the direction of movement while turning over the board. To have the centerline between two opened sides in the center of the viewing window, the rod appropriately lies in the vertical center plane of the viewing window.
One special problem when turning over stacks of program boards in such a way that always two opened sides appear in a viewing window, is to have to opened sides appearing at the same angle to each other. In accordance with a preferred embodiment, it is therefore provided that on at least one of the profile sections two toggle levers are supported in a rotatable manner around pivot axes parallel to the spindles which support themselves in each case with one leg on a guide curve fixed to the chassis and whose other legs support the outside board in each case of a side of the opened board stack, and that the guide curve is shaped in such way that the opened sides lying in the viewing field of the viewing window always form roughly the same angle of opening of preferably 90°.
In accordance with a further preferred embodiment, it is provided that the outer sides of the boards protrude in chambers with edges bent from their outsides parallel to the viewing window which always allow only one turning over of the boards visible in the viewing window. In this way, any unwanted turning over of the program boards by hand is prevented.
Appropriately, two leafable board stacks identically designed in mirror-image are positioned next to each other whose sides of the boards turned open are visible in windows lying next to each other and whose boards turned over towards each other extend into a common central chamber.
To allow the profile sections supporting the pivots of the boards to be moved synchronously, the upper and lower profile sections are appropriately connected by racks which mesh with pinions mounted on a common shaft supported in the chassis with a gear wheel of the gear driving the pinion via a controllable electric motor being provided with markings which can be scanned by a light barrier and which effect a stepped turning over. The light barrier emits signals corresponding to the marks scanned to an electronic control unit which then controls the electric motor in such a way that the program boards are turned over by steps or continuously in following steps.
Appropriately, the program boards possess compartments lying on both sides horizontally next to each other to store the title sheets of the content books and the title lists of the playable CD discs.
One special problem of the apparatus in accordance with the invention is that the stay engaging at the projections extending beyond the pivots of the program boards is not aligned to the program boards to be turned over so that a breakdown in turning may occur. In accordance with a further embodiment of the invention, it is therefore provided that the stay or the rod is guided in a movable manner in the chassis laterally to the straight profile sections against the force of a spring which attempts to move the rod in the direction of its engaged position at the projections extending beyond the pivots of the boards.
If, for example, external intervention is made in the moving title sheets or program boards by hand or by other means, it is possible with the sprung arrangement of the stay or the rod to prevent any jamming of the program boards by the fact that the stays or rods can give way backwards in a sprung manner. If the levers formed by the projections extending beyond the pivots possess at their ends stop surfaces formed by flanks roughly at right angles to each other for the stay or the rod, the rod can give way in a spring-like fashion when it moves over flanks of program boards not to be turned. Only when the rod abuts the flank of a program board to be turned over, is it held tensionally at the angle of engagement in its engagement position in which it effects the turning. Therefore, to be able to leaf a stack of program boards in a synchronized manner, it is only necessary to move the rod so far that it moves over the “incorrectly” lying program boards so that subsequently when the direction of movement of the profile sections supporting the program boards is reversed, the program boards can be turned in a coordinated and synchronised manner.
Appropriately, the rod is guided in longitudinal holes of the frame profile sections.
A flat spring can be provided moving the rod in the dire
Börge Heidersberger
Wilhelm Menke
Chop Andrea
Dilworth & Barrese LLP.
Knight Anthony
NSM Aktiengesellschaft
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