chuck wrote: I'm trying to find the original patent for the crane control system but I don't have enough information for the Patent Office search engine. Neither the trade name Omni-Lectronic or the assignee's company, Trenton Marine Service pull up any hits.
I'm trying to find the original patent for the crane control system but I don't have enough information for the Patent Office search engine. Neither the trade name Omni-Lectronic or the assignee's company, Trenton Marine Service pull up any hits.
I rather like John Grams' theory on the legal issue: the demise of the set appears to him to have more to do with Korean War materiel shortages than lawsuits. Apparently, the patent might not have been enforceable in the toy train environment.
Yog-Sothoth wrote:Chuck, how about the current TMCC patents? They might reference the old patents in the "Cited References" section.
There isn't be anything in the TMCC patent application regarding this system. The TMCC patent documents do cite the QSI "semaphore" system and describes differences in DCC and itself. The primary element of the TMCC patent is in regard to the use of the track as a radio antenna to carry command signals around a layout.
Speculating on how this system works is interesting but I suspect someone could look at the controller signal with an oscilloscope and figure it out in a few minutes. Given that Ben indicated the circuitry is pretty simple I would guess its just a RF carrier that is modulated with ten different frequencies. The cars are tuned for their particular frequency.
Maybe we should start a pool?
Pete
There is no carrier. The transmitter simply generates one of ten LF-MF baseband frequencies between 352.2 kilohertz (1) and 228.3 kilohertz (10).
The frequencies are in two groups of five, but the groups are 1-5 and 6-10. The frequencies in each group are interleaved with those of the other. I suspect that there are 5 taps on the inductor of the oscillator's tank circuit, with each tap selected by one button from the low group and one button from the high group. I think there is probably a capacitor that is added to the tank when a high-group button is pressed, to offset all the low-group frequencies down slightly.
Bob Nelson
"Lionel trains are the standard of the world" - Jousha Lionel Cowen
This isn't arguing. I respect Bob and agree with many of his points and at a pure semantic level the old system isn't realy analog. To me it isn't really digital either. I can see some clever real estate agent touting a feature of a house for sale as having digital lighting control. After all, very one of the fixture switches is either off or on (none of those pesky easy to break analog dimmers).
My main issue is in comparing the 1947 electronic set with anything we are using today. The closest thing I can thing of is the Dallee/Atlas LocoMatic button box from a few years ago. And even in that case the only real simlarity is that we have a box with buttons on it.
Perhaps arguing was to strong a word.... How about bickering instead?
You two go back to your bickering!
Hello Grayson!
The First Electronic Sets came with a VW 150 watt Transformer, 151 Semaphore, A Pair of Switch Tracks & Plenty of Track to build your own railroad. Lionel must have dropped some set components such as the Transformer & Semaphore in order to reduce the price & make a sale. This would be my guess. They were probably interested in selling off excess stock. The Electronic set was never a big seller for Lionel anyway as they cost more than most folks could afford anyway & the fact it was complicated to maintain & operate did not help matters anyhow so this is probably what happened. Take Care.
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