US1803017A - Electrical circuit - Google Patents

Description

April 28, 1931. F. K. HERSCHMANN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT Filed April 1, 1927 Patented Apr. 28, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT Application filed April 1,

The present invention broadly relates to improvements in electrical circuits and more particularly to electrical circuits for use in radio communication.

This application is a continuation in part of my prior application for patent, Serial No. 3,158, filed Jan. 17, 1925.

Electrical circuits are usually constructed of wire of ductile metallic conductive material such'as copper and the entire circuit is assembled and put together by joining a number of pieces of ,wire as by soldering or other means. When the wires are used to electrically connect various instruments such as those used in a radio circuit, the instruments are mounted on a supporting member such as a panel and the ends of the wires are connected to the various instruments by means of binding posts or the like. The construction of an electrical circuit and particularly of a radio circuit as hitherto practised requires an'intimate knowledge of the electrical and radio arts in order that the person constructing the circuit may assemble the same properly, and it also necessitates the expenditure of considerable time in suitably locating the instruments and in making the various connections. It also is necessary to use a means for supporting the instruments and to make provision for supporting and concealing the wires comprising the conductors of the circuit in order that the appearance of the resulting apparatus will be as pleasing as possible.

My invention aims to provide an electrical circuit particularly adapted for use in radio communication either as a receiving or a sending circuit which is self-supporting and also serves to support the various instruments included in it and one which may be readily put together and the instruments properly located without difficulty or requiring any extensive knowledge of radio.

With the above end in view my invention in its preferred form contemplates the provision of an electrical circuit composed of a rigid self-supporting conductive member or memberswhichare adapted to be carried on v a suitable base or support. In one modifica tionof the invention the circuit is formed as 1927. Serial No. 180,125.

a single member and portions are broken out of this member to provide places wherein the various instruments may be located and supported. In another embodiment of the invention, the circuit is adapted to be built up oi a number of small rigid members which are secured together or interlocked in any convenient way, and a rigid solid circuit is thus constructed containing and supporting the various instruments at the places desired. The conductive members comprising my improved circuit may be composed of a single material, which must be both rigid and conductive, or they may be composed of two or more materials, one of which is rigid and another of which is conductive so that they form a member which is both rigid and conductive.

For a better understanding of my invention reference will now be had in the aca part of this Referring now more particularly to the drawings, which are to be considered merely as illustrative and to the details of which I do not intend to be confined, there is shown in Figure 1 a diagram of a simple radio receiving circuit comprising an antenna,

10, induction coil, 11, and a ground wire, 12. The antenna leads to the set through a conductor, 13, while a conductor, 14, connects the set to the ground wire, 12. Across the conductors 13 and 14 and in parallel relation therewith there is placed a variable condenser 15 for tuning the circuit. The conductor 13 connects with the grid 16 of the three-electrode vacuum tube 17, which serves as-the detector while the conductor 14 is connected to the filament 18 of the vacuum tube. The circuit of the filament 18 is heated by a battery 19 and includes an adjustable resistance 20 whereby the current through the filament may be varied. The plate 21 of the vacuum tube is connected to one terminal of the ear phones or loud speaker of the set by means of a conductor 22 while the filament is connected by the other terminal of the ear phones or loud speaker through a battery 23.

As pointed out above this circuit is of a conventional and well known character and I have merely shown it for the purpose of illustrating my invention, one embodirent of Which is shown in Figure 2. This figure shows a solid self-supporting circuit constructed in accordance with my invention employing the circuit arrangement shown in Figure l and including and supporting instruments included in said circuit. By reference more particularly to said Figure 2 it will be noted that the rigid self-supporting member comprising the circuit includes a plurality of slender, elongated, rigid elements comprising the conductors of the circuit. In the embodiment of the invention shown in this Figure 2, the circuit is substantially composed of a single rigid member including the various conductive elements and is supported on a base or the like by leg members 24. The rigid self-supporting circuit has portions broken out of it at various places and at these places the instruments included in the circuit are inserted and are supported by the circuit itself. The circuit shown in Figure 2 is analogous to that shown diagrammatically in Figure 1 and the same numerals are employed in both figures so that an understanding of the electrical characteristics of the modification shown in Figure 2 is readily apparent. The-embodiment'of the invention shown in Figure 2 is particularly desirable inasmuch as 'it enables the solid circuit to be sold as a unit with portions marked 'for location of the instruments which may be readily put in place and assembled.

In lieu of constructing my improved circuit of a single rigid member and break- Ling out portions of this member for the disposition of the instruments, I may build up the circuit from a plurality of small rigid members and oin or interlock the small members in any suitable way. In Figure 3, I have shown a fragment of a circuit constructed in accordance with this embodiment of the invention and by reference to said figure it will be noted that the circuit includes a plurality of small slender elongated conductive members 25 which are interlocked and connected together as by means of tongue and groove joints 26. My invention is not c'onfined' to the particular manner of joining the rigid members shewii in Figure 3 but maybe practised with any suitable means for connecting or interlocking the members together.

WVhile it is essential that the elements comprising my circuit be composed of rigid and conductive material it will be understood that this material may be of any suitable characteror of any composition having the required properties. In lieu of employing a conductive element of uniform material, I may use the construction shown in Figure 4 wherein the circuit is formed of elements comprising a rigid solid core 27 made of such a material as steel and a coating or covering 28 of a more ductile conductive material such as copper. The composite element thus formed has the required rigidity due to its steel core while it also possesses good conductive properties owing to its copper coating. the scope of my invention to use any type of composite element which may be formed in any suitable manner. The copper coating 28 may be applied to the steel core 27 either by electroplating or in any other manner.

It will be understood that the invention is not confined to the various details described and I desire to be limited only by the state of the prior art and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A substantially complete radio circuit in which substantially all of the conductors enter into and form a rigid unitary network and in which network the electrical instruments of said circuit are mounted and solely supported comprising a plurality of rigid conductors, means for joining said conductors together to form said circuit and said rigid unitary network, and electrical instruments in said circuit, said electrical instruments joined in and supported solely by said network.

2. A substantially complete radio circuit in which substantially all of the conductors enter into and form a rigid unitary network and in which network the electrical instruments of said circuit are mounted and solely supported, comprising a plurality of rigid conductors, means for joining said conductors together to form said circuit and said rigid unitary network, and electrical instruments in said circuit, said electrical instruments joined in and supported solely by said network and lending rigidity to said network, and means on said network at a plurality of points for mounting said network upon a base.

3. A substantially complete radio circuit in which the conductors form a quickly assembled rigid unitary network adapted to carry and support within itself the electrical instruments of said circuit, comprising a plurality of rigid conductors, and interlocking quick ass'einbling and detachable means on said conductors for joining said conductors agrarian-earn and rigid 'unitary'iietwo'rk.

It is within- 4-. A substantially coin lete radio circuit in which the conductors Form a quickly assembled rigid unitary network adapted to carry and support Within itself the electrical instruments of said circuit, comprising a plurality of rigid conductors, quick assembling and detacl'iable means on said conductors for joining said conductors together to form said rigid unitary network, and electrical instruments in said circuit, said electrical instruments joined in and supported solely by said network.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this 30th day of March 1927.

FREDERICK KENNETH HERSCHMANN.

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