US2153709A - Apparatus for establishing communications by means of light - Google Patents

Description

V55-606 AU 233 EX g Exammer wjlg UR 2153709 April l1, 1939- J, BQURNISIEN 2,153,709 APPARATUS OR ESTABLWOMMUNICATIOS BY MEANS OF LIGHT (i 5/ a? 5, Filed May 6, 1957 5 sheets-sheet 1 250. RADIANT ENERGY I l 7 Examiner PI' 1l, 1939n I J. BoURNlslEN 2,153,709

APPARATUS FOR ESTABLISHING COMMUNICATIONS BY MEANS OF LIGHT Filed May 6, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FL'g XI .,32 f3 Q 61 94 J1 u 1 91 J- Bou rn zlsz'en /NVeA/of 250. RADIANI ENERGY Examiner April ll, 1939. .lc BouRNlslEN 2,153,709

APPARATUS FOR ESTABLISHING COMMUNICATIONS BY MEANS-OF LIGHT Filed May 6, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 A [/Gcmm'c n rabe Fig. 5

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76 1 ffy/wrme 6.9 [fsf/fzln@ g Figa April 11, 1939 J. BoURNlslEN 2,153,709

APPARATUS FOR ESTABLISHING COMMUNICATIONS BY HEANS OF LIGHT Filed May 6, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Wer/v 250. RADIANT ENERGY l 7 Examiner April l1, 1939- .1. BouRNlslr-:N 2,153,709

APPARATUS FOR ESTABLISHNG COMMUNICATIONS BY MEANS 0F' LIGHT Filed may e, 1937 5 sheets-sheet s I( "/A/M/ /O A. A

Zimt/SMIT' ELM Qn llslml'wlll 109(5 g4 Inventor 250. RADiAN I LNL'riui Patented Apr. l1, 1939 UNITED STATES Examiner PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR ESTABLISHING COMltIU- NICATIONS BY MEANS F LIGHT Jacques Bournisi-en, Asnieres, France Application May 6, 1937, Serial No. 141,176 In France May 6, 1936 6 Claims.

The present invention has for its object an apparatus allowing to establish during the day or during the night a telephonie or telegraphic communication between two fixed stations in utilising the white light or a monochromatic light or the infra-red radiations.

The said apparatus is so devised as to allow to obtain communications of this kind through simple and easy operations; it has been moreover devised with the purpose of obtaining long distance communications, for example those of 20, 30 kilometers and more, although the same uses a source of light of relatively small intensity and occupies a very reduced space, even when it is so constructed as to be able to be used both as a projecting or a receiving apparatus,

An embodiment of the said apparatus will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, given by way of example, in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of the apparatus used for projecting.

Fig. 2 is a plan, partly broken away, of the base plate supporting the apparatus.

Fig. 3 shows the front side in elevation.

Fig. 4 is a corresponding view of the rear side.

Fig. 5 is a cross section made according to line V-V of Fig. 1, at a larger scale.

Fig. 6 is a part longitudinal section made according to line VI-Vl'. of Fig. 4.

Figs. 7 and 8 are elevations corresponding to Fig. 6 and show a lter in the position of rest and in the position of operation.

Fig. 9 is a diagram of the connections for a microphone, a buzzer and a light modulating valve.

Figs. 10, 11, 12 show diagrammatically the diierent connections for focussing, projecting and receiving.

The apparatus as shown comprises a front chamber open at the front, constituted by a cylindrical casing I containing the optical elements, and secured to a support, the inclination and orientation of which can be adjusted.

The said support comprises a cradle 2 pivoted about a vertical pin 3 on a plate 4 which may, on its turn, rock about an horizontal hinge bolt 5 on a plate 6 mounted on three feet 1 (only one of which is represented) articulated by means of spindles 8 about the said plate.

The angle between the plate 4 and the plate 6 can be adjusted by means of a screw 9 connected through shoulders I0, II to a member I2 pivoted at I3 to a lug I4 forming part of the plate 4, the said screw turning within a nut I5 on which (Cl. Z50-7) the member I2 may slide and which is mounted on an arm I6 secured to the plate 6.

On the other hand, the steering of the appa ratus about the pivot 3 can be adjusted in the following manner:

In the top of the plate 4 is provided a circular groove I1 in which is located a movable ring I8 which can be immobilised by means of a locking screw I9 and a nut 20 provided with a handle; the said ring carries a stud 2| projecting upwardly and loosely engaged in a socket 22 provided in the plate 2. Against two opposite sides of the stud 2| bear an adjusting micrometric screw screwed into the plate 2 and a returning spring 23a located in the said plate in alinement with the screw.

The locking screw I9 being loosened, one steers or orientates by hand the casing I which drives with it the plate 2, the lug 2I and the ring I8, relatively to the plate 4; then the nut 20 is screwed up to steady the ring I8 and then the screw 23 is acted upon so as to cause the cradle 2 to rotate with the casing I, and to thus achieve the accurate adjustment of the steering of the latter.

For this adjustment, use is made of the optical devices of the apparatus in order to aline their optical axis in the direction of the distant station with which the communication is to be established.

The said devices comprise two mirrors, 24 and 25, respectively secured to the bottom of the casing l and on a spider 25 mounted at the front part of the latter. The mirror 24 is constituted by a plano-concave lens, of a large diameter, silvered on its front concave face, and provided with a central opening 2'I. The mirror 25 consists of a small plano-concave lens, made of glass, silvered on its front plane face; the same is sealed in a case 28 whose position may be adjusted by means of three levelling screws 29 screwed in the spider or cross member 26 and against which the said case bears through the action of a spring 30 pressed between the spider and the head of a rod 3| mounted at the center of the case.

The said mirrors 24 and 25 are selected in such manner that the substantially parallel rays coming from a distant station will be reflected by the converging mirror 24 upon the mirror 25, then refracted, reected and refracted again by the latter mirror, so as to form a converging bundle the focus oi which is situated slightly back from the bottom of the casing. Such a system presents the advantage of affording a large focal length whilst occupying but a small space. This focal length may be somewhat moded by the action of the screws 29 so that the apparatus may be suitably employed for quite diierent distances. The same allows to obtain a substantially parallel bundle, thereby increasing the range of communications; no chromatic aberrations will take place; nally, its construction and its setting up are quite simple.

The above described adjusting means will easily allow to obtain that the optical axis A-A will perfectly coincide with the axis of the casing l.

In order that the apparatus may be pointed exactly in the direction of the distant station, one may conveniently use a terrestrial or landtelescope 32, indicated in mixed lines in Fig. 1, which is mounted in a removable manner at the center of a cylindrical barrel 33 secured to the bottom of the casing l and forming the rear chamber of the case. To this purpose, a plate 34, secured to the rear of the barrel 33, comprises at its center a socket centered exactly upon the axis of the casing I and in which the front part of the telescope 32 is engaged with friction in an accurate manner. The central orice 21 provided in the middle of the mirror 24 and of the bottom of the casing I being uncovered, it is easy to see through the telescope the image of the distant station reected from the mirrors 24 and 25 and consequently to bring in alinement the optical axis A-A of the apparatus with the said station in acting upon the adjusting members 9 and 23. The telescope 32 is then removed.

The barrel 33 contains the electrical members used for projecting and receiving signals.

For projecting purposes, the apparatus comprises an incandescent lamp 36 with a short and straight filament 31, directed at right angle to the optical axis and passing through the focus of the system of mirrors 24, 25.

The said lamp is rigidly mounted on a support 38 which may pivot about an axis :1rparallel with the optical axis, thereby allowing to bring the same opposite the opening 21 for projecting signals or to move the same apart sidewise, either for allowing to see through the telescope 32, or for receiving signals, as hereinafter described.

In order to immobilise the said support 38 in everyone of its three positions, there is provided a bolt 39 guided in a slide 40 connected to the barrel 33 and caused by a spring 4I to enter into notches 42, 43, 44 of the said support 38.

When it is desired to use the apparatus for telephoning to a distant station, use is made of a microphone 45 connected through a cable 46 to a light modulating valve 41 invariably mounted on a pallet 48 secured to the support 38. The said light modulating valve, of a known kind, is provided with jaws 49 which extend opposite the filament 31 of the lamp and which are used for throttling more or less the light bundle emitted by the said iilament and passing through a small port 50 of a cup or hollow boss 5| on the pallet 48; it is known that the jaws 49 are operated by electrical or electromagnetic means, so as to oscillate synchronously with the vibrating members of the microphone and accordingly to modulate the light bundle in accordance with the sound vibrations acting in the microphone.

The bundle thus modulated is reected from the mirrors 25 and 24, in the form of substantially parallel rays, in the direction of the distant station.

When used for telegraphy, the apparatus is provided with a buzzer 52 which is actuated by means of a switch 53 disposed in the handle of the microphone 45 and operated by the thumb of the operator; the intermittent currents which are formed by the said buzzer 52 are then utilized in the light valve 41 for modulating the bundle produced by the lament 31.

Fig, 9 shows in a diagram the connections between the said members: 54 denotes the modulation transformer and 55, the winding oi the light valve 41. At 58 is indicated a potential source of 4 volts whose pole is-connected to the primary of the transformer 54 which, on the other hand, is connected to the contact pieces 59 and 60 of a jack, mounted at 6I upon the barrel 33 (Fig. 4) by means of two current branches in one of which is interposed the buzzer 52; the third contact piece 62 of the jack is connected to earth; the contact pieces 63 and 64 of the jack plug are respectively connected to the microphone 45 and to the interrupter 53 which, on the other hand, are connected to the third contact piece 65 of the jack plug, on its turn connected to the earth, when the plug is inserted into the jack.

When the plug is driven into the jack, the current from the battery 58 passes through the primary winding of 54, 59, 63, 45, 65, 62 and the operator is now able to telephone.

When the button of the switch 53 is manipulated according to a covenanted code, the circuit 58, 54, 52, 60, 64, 53, 65, 62 is every time closed and the buzzer produces through the medium of the light valve for modulating 41 and of the lamp 36, a series of intermittent luminous emissions which constitute the required message.

On the contrary, when the apparatus is to be used for receiving a telephonie or telegraphic signal, a photoelectric cell 66 (Fig. 5) is substituted to the lamp 36, said cell being also mounted on the pallet 48; to this purpose, it is only necessary to cause the support 38 to turn by means of an operating knob 61 which is connected thereto so as to bring the notch 44 upon the bolt 39; the cell 66 is then opposite the opening 21 and may receive the modulated light bundle coming from the distant station and reflected from the mirrors 24 and 25.

This results in a current modulated in the circuit of the cell 66 and in an amplier connected to the latter and located in the barrel 33; the modulations thus ampliied are received in a suitable receiver which is diagrammatically indicated at 68 in Fig. 4, as for instance a radiohelmet, or a loud speaker, or any relay used for actuating a mechanical device or the like.

Fig. 5 shows diagrammatically the tubes 69 of the amplier, its inductances 10, its condensers 1|, its volume control or potentiometer 12, which can be adjusted by means of an external knob 13.

The members 69, 10, 1I, 12 are mounted, as well as the buzzer 52, upon a plate 15 made of an insulating material secured in the barrel 33, in the space which is left free by the projecting lamp 36, the light valve for modulating 41 and the cell 66. Metal partitions 16 are provided on the said plate 15 for the purpose of insulating the lamps 69 the one from the other.

In order to allow an accurate adjustment of the position of the filament 31 relatively to the optical axis of the apparatus, the following means have been provided for:

The support 38 is hollow and is provided at its ends with cylindrical portions 11 and 18 which are pivotally mounted, concentrically to the above mentioned axis --zc and respectively, in a plate 19 secured to the front of the barrel 33,

250. RADlANT ENERGY Examiner'p and in a plate 34 secured to the rear. Within the support 38 is rotatably mounted a tube 88, the front end of which carries a transverse sleeve 8|; in the latter may slide and revolve a socket 82 in which the socket 83 of the lamp is mounted by a bayonet-joint or in any other removable but rigid manner. This mounting will allow to turn the lamp 36, so that its filament 31 will be directed perpendicularly to the optical axis of the apparatus.

The rear end of the tube 88 is connected to a disc 84 disposed against the operating knob 61 secured to the part 18 or rear trunnion of the support 38. The said disc 84 may be shifted relatively to the knob 61 by means of an eccentric 85 which is engaged in a groove 86 of the knob 61 and which is connected to the rod 81 of a regulating knob 88, the said rod being rotatably mounted in a boss 89 of the disc 84.

'I'he disc 84 may then be immobilised on the knob 61 by means of a locking screw 98 with an operating knob 9|; the said screw passes with a large play through a boss 92 of the disc 84; when the same is screwed into the knob '61, it presses upon the boss 92 and thus locks the disc or plate 84 against the knob 61.

The said adjusting means allows to orientate the sleeve 8| relatively to the support 38 about the axis -x and consequently to bring the middle of the lament 31 opposite the opening 58.

When needed, it is possible to move longitudinally the socket 82 in the sleeve 8| so as to bring the middle of the lament 31 exactly upon the optical axis A-A; to this purpose, a rod 93 is mounted so as to be able to revolve about the axis :1r-:c within the tube 88 and carries at its rear end an operating knob 94 and at its front end an eccentric 95 engaged in a groove 96 provided around the sleeve 82.

It is to be observed that the arrangement as shown allows to group within a small space the various members used for projecting and for receiving the signals, except the microphone, the helmet or other receiver, and the storage batteries which are located necessarily outside the apparatus. Moreover, the adjusting or regulating knobs 88, 9|, 94 are grouped on the knob 61 used for changing the position of the projecting and receiving parts, thereby reducing still further the room occupied.

When it is desired to obtain the communications by means of infra-red rays. it is only necessary to interpose on the way followed by the light bundle, a filter 91 consisting of a glass plate with parallel faces, the composition and the colouration of which are selected in such manner that only radiations with a length of wave higher than the limit of visibility are allowed to pass. The said lter is secured to a support 98 pivoting loosely about a rod 99 mounted in the plates 19 and 34 and carrying at the rear an operating knob |88 and at the front an arm |8|. The latter is connected to the support 98 by a loop-shaped spring |82 (Figs. 6 and '7) tending to space apart the one from the other its hinging points |83 (upon the arm |8|) and |84 (upon the support 98). The oscillating motion of the arm |8| is limited by stops |85 and |86 and that of the support 98, by stops |81 and |88. When the arm |8| is turned against the stop |05 by means of the knob |88, the tension of the spring |82 presses back the support 98 against the stop |81 so that the filter 91 is moved apart from the opening 21. On the contrary, when the knob |88 is turned so as to bring the arm |8| against the stop |86, the spring |82 after having being strongly stretched expands and suddenly drives back the support 98 against the stop |88, thereby bringing the lter 91 opposite the opening 21. The apparatus then projects quite invisible infra-red rays.

As a source of light, there may be used in some cases an heliostat (not represented) which is secured to the back of the apparatus instead of the telescope 32; the support 38 is then turned so that the opening 21 will be uncovered, the notch 42 being brought on the bolt 39.

In the example which has been represented, the support 38 carries a commutator |89 adapted to change automatically the required electrical connections between the various members or parts of the apparatus, according as to whether the said support 38 is set to the focussing position, to the projecting position or to the receiving position.

These connections which every man of the art can easily combine according to the particular kinds of microphone, light valve for modulating, projecting lamp, photo-electric cell, amplifier, receiver, and the like, have been shown in Figs. 10, l1 and l2.

Fig. 10 shows the connections for focussing, Fig. 11 for projecting and Fig. 12 for receiving.

In Fig. l0 the lamp 38 and the photoelectric cell 66 are brought out of the optical axis and the telescope 32 is put in place for focusing. All the electric connections are cut off by means of the commutator |89a and |895.

In Fig. 11 the lamp 36 is brought into the optical axis for projecting while the cell 66 ls brought out of said axis. Said lamp 36 is put in circuit by means of the commutator elements 89a. It is then possible to send a message either by means of the microphone 45 or by manipulating the buzzer operating button 53.

In Fig. l2 the lamp 36 is brought out of the optical axis While the photoeleotric cell 66 is brought into said axis for receiving. Said cell is directly connected to the inlet circuit of the ampliiier, which is connected to the batteries 58 and 14 by means of the commutator elements |89b, and to the helmet 68.

Of course, it will be possible, without departing from the invention, to vary the details of carrying out the various parts of the apparatus as above described. Particularly, the casing of the apparatus consisting, in the present example, in a casing and a barrel 33, which are distinct the one from the other, of a same diameter, secured the one to the other, can be replaced by any other similar casing, in one or more parts. It is also possible, without in any way altering the general arrangement and the essential features of the apparatus, to do away with some parts, such as for instance the parts used for receiving signals when the apparatus .is used for the purpose of sending them only, or inversely to do away with the parts used for sending signals when the apparatus is simply adapted for receiving signals only. In fact, it will be understood that at every one of the distant stations one may use one or several sending apparatuses according to the invention and one or several receiving apparatuses according to the invention instead of one or several complete apparatuses such as the one which has been hereinbefore described, for instance for simultaneously sending and receiving signals.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for establishing communications by means of visible or invisible, modulated light, comprising a front chamber open at the front, an optical system composed of a large concavemirror disposed at the rear of said chamber and having its concave face silvered and turned towards the front, and a small mirror placed at the front of said chamber and constituted by a plano-concave lens and having its concave face turned towards said large mirror, its opposite face being silvered, said large mirror being centrally provided with an opening and forming with the small mirror an optical system the focus of which is situated back of said opening, in combination with a rear chamber and means for sending or receiving modulated rays, rotatably mounted and adapted to be selectively placed at the said focus, a stationary support at the back of said rear chamber provided with a sleeve concentric to the optical system of mirrors. a telescope removably located in said sleeve whereby said telescope may be used in connection with said mirror system for sighting said apparatus.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising within the rear chamber a pivoting support, spring locking means for immobilising said support in various positions, a sending glow-lamp with filament, adjustably mounted on said support, a light valve for modulating secured to said support and arranged opposite the lament of said glow-lamp, a photoelectric cell also mounted upon said support, said members being brought to the optical focus or moved away from the latter through the pivoting movement of said support.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim l, in which a lter for infra-red radiations is arranged behind said large concave mirror and mounted on a transverse arm secured to a longitudinal shaft rotatably located in said rear chamber, said shaft being provided with an operating knob, by means of which said lter is brought before and away from the central opening of said large mirror.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising in its rear chamber a buzzer connected to a light valve for modulating, in combination with a microphone located outside of said chamber and switching means for inserting said microphone in a circuit comprising said light valve, a sending glow-lamp with lament and means for moving said glow-lamp towards and away from the axis of said optical system.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising in its rear chamber an amplifier a pivoting support, and, mounted on this support, a sending glow-lamp with iilament and a photoelectric cell, this latter being permanently connected to the input of said amplifier, means for rotating said support from the outside of said chamber for bringing said glow-lamp and said photoelectric cell separately on and away from the axis of said optical system, switching means for switching on said glow-lamp when it is brought on the axis of said optical system for sending purposes, and for switching off said glowlamp when it is brought away from said axis, switching means for connecting said amplifier to electric current batteries arranged outside of said chamber, when said photoelectric cell is brought on the axis of said optical system for receiving purposes and for switching oi said amplier when said photoelectric cell is brought away from said axis, the output of said amplifier being permanently connected to sound producing means.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising within the rear chamber a hollow pivoting support, a tube pivotally mounted within said support, a transverse sleeve upon said tube, a socket slidably mounted in said sleeve, a sending glow lamp mounted upon said socket, an actuating knob on the external end of said support, a spring fastening means for immobilising said support in various positions, means for adjusting and locking said pivoting tube relatively to said support, means for adjusting said socket relatively to said sleeve, said adjusting and locking means for said tube and said socket being provided with operating knobs located on said operating knob of the pivoting support.

JACQUES BOURNISIEN.

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