Sequencing light controller
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A device for energizing a plurality of lights sequentially comprising:
- first and second power buses;
means for connecting said buses to a power source;
a plurality of outlet receptacles each having first and second terminals adapted for connection to at least one of said plurality of lights, said first terminal of each receptacle being electrically connected to one of said power buses;
a solid state switching device for each receptacle, each said switching device having a pair of main terminals and a gating terminal, one of said main terminals being electrically connected to said second terminal of said corresponding receptacle and the other of said main terminals being electrically connected to the other of said power buses;
gating circuit means associated with each said switching device for furnishing a gating signal to said gating terminal in response to an enabling signal to said gating circuit means;
timing circuit means for generating timing pulses at uniformly spaced time intervals;
stepping circuit means having an input terminal receiving said timing pulses, a reset signal input terminal and a plurality of output terminals, said plurality of terminals being greater in number than said plurality of outlet receptacles, said stepping circuit means being operable to energize a single output terminal during the interval between successive timing pulses, beginning with a first output terminal and progressing to successive ones of said output terminals at successive timing pulses and operable to revert to said first output terminal upon receipt of a reset signal; and
connecting circuit means including at least one manually operable switch for connecting said stepping circuit output terminals to said gating circuit means for furnishing enabling signals thereto and to said reset signal input terminal for furnishing a reset signal thereto, said connecting circuit means providing, for each gating circuit means, at least one enabling signal path between said gating circuit means and an output terminal of said stepping circuit means different from the output terminals to which the remaining gating circuit means are connected, for at least certain of said gating circuit means, additional enabling signal paths between said gating circuit means and said output terminals of said stepping circuit means, and, for said reset signal input terminal, at least one reset signal path from at least one of said output terminals of said stepping circuit means, at least certain of said enabling signal paths, additional enabling signal paths and reset signal paths extending through said manually operable switch whereby different ones of said signal paths are completed depending upon the position of said manually operable switch.
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Abstract
A controller for sequentially energizing a plurality of lights, such as commercial display lighting or Christmas tree light strings, includes a plurality of outlet receptacles into which the lights or light strings may be connected, a Triac for each receptacle to control the energization thereof, a timing circuit and a programmable gating circuit responsive to the timing circuit and generating gating signals for the Triacs according to any of several predetermined sequential combinations.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A device for energizing a plurality of lights sequentially comprising:
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first and second power buses; means for connecting said buses to a power source; a plurality of outlet receptacles each having first and second terminals adapted for connection to at least one of said plurality of lights, said first terminal of each receptacle being electrically connected to one of said power buses; a solid state switching device for each receptacle, each said switching device having a pair of main terminals and a gating terminal, one of said main terminals being electrically connected to said second terminal of said corresponding receptacle and the other of said main terminals being electrically connected to the other of said power buses; gating circuit means associated with each said switching device for furnishing a gating signal to said gating terminal in response to an enabling signal to said gating circuit means; timing circuit means for generating timing pulses at uniformly spaced time intervals; stepping circuit means having an input terminal receiving said timing pulses, a reset signal input terminal and a plurality of output terminals, said plurality of terminals being greater in number than said plurality of outlet receptacles, said stepping circuit means being operable to energize a single output terminal during the interval between successive timing pulses, beginning with a first output terminal and progressing to successive ones of said output terminals at successive timing pulses and operable to revert to said first output terminal upon receipt of a reset signal; and connecting circuit means including at least one manually operable switch for connecting said stepping circuit output terminals to said gating circuit means for furnishing enabling signals thereto and to said reset signal input terminal for furnishing a reset signal thereto, said connecting circuit means providing, for each gating circuit means, at least one enabling signal path between said gating circuit means and an output terminal of said stepping circuit means different from the output terminals to which the remaining gating circuit means are connected, for at least certain of said gating circuit means, additional enabling signal paths between said gating circuit means and said output terminals of said stepping circuit means, and, for said reset signal input terminal, at least one reset signal path from at least one of said output terminals of said stepping circuit means, at least certain of said enabling signal paths, additional enabling signal paths and reset signal paths extending through said manually operable switch whereby different ones of said signal paths are completed depending upon the position of said manually operable switch. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A device for sequentially energizing a plurality of electrical outlet receptacles adapted for connection to conventional light means comprising:
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first and second power buses; means for connecting said buses to a power source; a plurality M of outlet receptacles each having first and second terminals, all of said first terminals being electrically connected to one of said buses; a solid state switching device for each receptacle, each said switching device having a pair of main terminals and a gating terminal, one of said main terminals being electrically connected to the second terminal of the corresponding one of said outlet receptacles and the other of said main terminals being electrically connected to the other of said buses; gating circuit means associated with each said solid state switching device for furnishing a gating signal to said gating terminal in response to an enabling signal to said gating circuit means; timing circuit means for generating timing pulses at uniformly spaced time intervals; stepping circuit means having an input terminal receiving said timing pulses, a reset signal input terminal, and a plurality N of output terminals, N being greater than M, said stepping circuit means being operable to energize a single output terminal during the interval between successive timing pulses, beginning with a first output terminal and progressing to successive ones of said output terminals at successive timing pulses, the Nth output terminal being connected to said reset signal input terminal to cause said stepping circuit to revert to said first output terminal following the Nth timing interval; and connecting circuit means including a manually operable switch and providing signal paths for connecting the first N-1 output terminals of said stepping circuit means to said gating circuit means for furnishing enabling signals thereto, at least certain of said signals paths extending through said manually operable switch whereby different ones of said signal paths are energized in accordance with the setting of said manually operable switch. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A device for sequentially energizing a plurality of electrical outlet receptacles adapted for connection to conventional light means comprising:
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first and second power buses; means for connecting said buses to a power source; a plurality M of outlet receptacles each having first and second terminals, all of said first terminals being electrically connected to one of said buses; a solid state switching device for each receptacle, each said switching device having a pair of main terminals and a gating terminal, one of said main terminals being electrically connected to the second terminal of the corresponding receptacle, and the other of said main terminals being electrically connected to the other of said buses; gating circuit means associated with each said solid state switching device for furnishing a gating signal to said gating terminal in response to an enabling signal to said gating circuit means; timing circuit means for generating timing pulses at uniformly spaced timing intervals; stepping circuit means having an input terminal receiving said timing pulses, a reset signal input terminal, and a plurality N of output terminals, N being greater than M, said stepping circuit means being operable to energize a single output terminal during the interval between successive timing pulses, beginning with a first output terminal and progressing to successive ones of said output terminals at successive timing pulses and operable to revert to said first output terminal upon receipt of a reset signal at said reset signal input terminal; and connecting circuit means including at least one manually operable switch for connecting said stepping circuit output terminals to said gating circuit means to provide enabling signal paths thereto and to said reset input terminal to provide reset signal paths thereto, said manually operable switch being connected to at least certain of said enabling signal paths and said reset signal paths whereby different ones of said enabling signal paths and reset signal paths are completed depending upon the position of said manually operable switch. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification