WORK SCHEDULING APPARATUS

• US 3,780,695 A
• Filed: 08/04/1971
• Issued: 12/25/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Willard H. Richard
• Original Assignee: Willard H. Richard
• Inventors: Richard, Willard H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Capozi, Louis J.
• Application Number:
  US05/168,889
• Time in Patent Office: 874 Days
• Field of Search: 116/DIG.28,136,133,128,130 40/19A,19.5 35/24A,24B 325/393 273/136C 248/25R
• US Class Current: 116/202
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/00 Visible signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems, remote indication of seats occupied

Abstract

Work scheduling apparatus for scheduling and monitoring the status of a number of tasks specified by work orders and performed by operators which may be persons or machines. The apparatus includes a work scheduling board having timing means for indicating elapsed time and an array of work scheduling positions arranged in horizontal and vertical rows for selectively receiving coded markers representing the different tasks which may be specified by the work orders. One set of the parallel position rows are designated by indicia representing the different work operators, and the remaining rows and the markers are designated by indicia representing the several work orders to be executed and estimated task completion times. In use, the task markers are placed in the board positions in such a way that each marker indicates the estimated completion time of a designated task of a designated work order and the work operator who is to perform the task. The markers representing the tasks currently being performed by the operators are illuminated in a unique way so that the work scheduler may quickly determine by observation of the board the current status of each operator and task.

Claims

1. In work scheduling apparatus of the class described, the combination comprising:

a board having a front face and a multiplicity of holes entering said face and arranged in horizontal rows and vertical rows;

a multiplicity of pegs selectively insertable into and removable from said holes, and said pegs being coded to represent different selected work operations.

2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein:

said pegs have different colors representing different work operations.

3. The combination according to claim 1 including:

means for selectively individually illuminating each peg on said board.

4. The combination according to claim 1 wherein:

said pegs are transparent, and said apparatus comprises means for selectively individually illuminating each peg on said board from the rear of said board in a manner such that light is transmitted through each illuminated peg to permit observation of each illuminated peg from the front side of said board.

5. The combination according to claim 1 wherein:

said pegs are transparent, said board comprises an opaque face plate containing said holes, a light shutter assembly at the rear of said face plate including normally closed shutter means opposite each hole, and a light source at the rear of said shutter assembly, and the shutter means opposite each hole containing a peg being adapted to be selectively opened to illuminate the contained peg from the rear in a manner such that light is transmitted through the peg to permit observation of each illuminated peg from the front side of said board.

6. The combination according to claim 5 wherein:

each peg is movable in its containing hole between forward and rearward positions, and the shutter means opposite each hole containing a peg is opened by depressing the peg to its rearward position and closed by returning the peg to its forward position.

7. The combination according to claim 6 wherein:

said shutter assembly comprises a transparent plate at the rear of and spaced from said face plate, and an opaque resilient compliant sheet between said plates having normally closed intersecting slits opposite said holes, respectively, and forming said shutter means, each peg on said board when in forward position has its rear end seating against the front side of said sheet, whereby the corresponding slits remain closed to block illumination of the peg, and each peg on said board being depressible to force the peg through the corresponding slits to a rearward position wherein the rear end of the peg seats against said transparent plate, whereby the peg is illuminated by said light source.

8. The combination according to claim 7 wherein:

said pegs have different colors representing different work operations.

9. Work scheduling apparatus comprising:

a board having a front face and a multiplicity of holes entering said face and arranged in a set of horizontal rows and a set of vertical rows, the rows of one row set being adapted to be assigned to different work orders and the rows of the other row set being adapted to be assigned to different work orders, work order identification indicia on said board associated with the rows, respectively, of said one row set, presettable timers on said board associated with the rows, respectively, of said other row set, a multiplicity of pegs selectively insertable into and removable from said holes, said pegs being coded to represent different selected work operations, and each peg having indicia representing a selected operation completion time.

10. Work scheduling apparatus according to claim 9 wherein:

the rows of said one row set are said horizontal rows and the rows of said other row set are said vertical rows.

11. The combination according to claim 9 wherein:

said pegs have different colors representing different work operations.

12. The combination according to claim 11 wherein:

said pegs are transparent, and said apparatus comprises means for selectively individually illuminating each peg on said board from the rear of said board in a manner such that light is transmitted through each illuminated Peg to permit observation of each illuminated peg from the front side of said board.

13. The combination according to claim 9 wherein:

said pegs are transparent, said pegs have different colors representing different work operations, said board comprises an opaque face plate containing said holes, a light shutter assembly at the rear of said face plate including normally closed shutter means opposite each hole, and a light source at the rear of said shutter assembly, and the shutter means opposite each hole containing a peg being adapted to be selectively opened to illuminate the contained peg from the rear in a manner such that light is transmitted through the peg to permit observation of each illuminated peg from the front side of said board.

14. The combination according to claim 13 wherein:

each peg is movable in its containing hole between forward and rearward positions, and the shutter means opposite each hole containing a peg is opened by depressing the peg to its rearward position and closed by returning the peg to its forward position.

15. The combination according to claim 14 wherein:

said shutter assembly comprises a transparent plate at the rear of and spaced from said face plate, and an opaque resilient compliant sheet between said plates having normally closed intersecting slits opposite said holes, respectively, and forming said shutter means, each peg on said board when in forward position has its rear end seating against the front side of said sheet, whereby the corresponding slits remain closed to block illumination of the peg, and each peg on said board being depressible to force the peg through the corresponding slits to a rearward position wherein the rear end of the peg seats against said transparent plate, whereby the peg is illuminated by said light source.

16. Work scheduling apparatus according to claim 9 wherein:

said board includes an additional row of holes parallel to the rows of said other row set, and said apparatus includes pegs selectively insertable into the holes of said additional row and coded to represent different work product destinations.

17. Work scheduling apparatus comprising:

a board having a front face and a multiplicity of holes entering said face and arranged in a set of horizontal rows and a set of vertical rows, the rows of one row set being adapted to be assigned to different work operators and the successive rows of the other row set being adapted to be assigned to successive hourly times of the work shift, work operator identification indicia on said board associated with the rows, respectively, of said one row set, hourly time identification indicia on said board associated with the rows, respectively, of said other row set, a multiplicity of pegs selectively insertable into and removable from said holes, said pegs being coded to represent different selected work operations, and the pegs of each peg group having indicia representing the same work order and the pegs of the different peg groups having indicia representing different work orders.