GB1138742A - Verbal report on a counter reading - Google Patents

Abstract

1,138,742. Electric digital signalling systems. SHORROCK DEVELOPMENTS Ltd. 22 Aug., 1967 [31 Aug., 1966], No. 38805/66. Heading G4H. [Also in Division H4] A substation circuit responds to an incoming call to transmit in verbal form the numerical settings of a plurality of number wheels. As described the number wheels are the wheels of a counter which counts the number of items produced by a machine. A ringing tone detector 18 responds to an incoming call by looping the line and enabling a switching unit 16. The switching unit starts a motor 14 causing a magnetic drum 12 to rotate. A reading head 25 enabled at this time, transmits an initial message specifying which counter is involved. A motor 7 is then enabled causing a wiper 5 to slowly sweep its contacts. Alternate contacts connect individually to wipers 2, 3 and 4 respectively of further wiper switches, while the remaining contacts connect back to the switching unit for control purposes. The wipers 2, 3 and 4 are set by the number wheels in accordance with their settings so that for each wheel the associated wiper engages a corresponding contact and selects a reading head 11 associated with a track on which the appropriate spoken digit is recorded. Thus as the wiper sweeps its contacts the settings of successive number wheels are read-out in verbal form. Further wiper switches and drums may be provided to read a plurality of counters and/or to announce the denominations of each number wheel. Tapes may be used instead of drums.