Patent US 3843873A

Patent number	US 3843873A (click link for details and documents via Google Patents)
Title	Counter having selective direction and variable rate control
Inventors	Bob Beville, Bruce Hofer, Bill Peek
Company	Tektronix Inc
Filing date	1972-09-19
Grant date	1974-10-22

Related products:

Manufacturer	Model	Description	Introduced	Designers
Tektronix	7D10	digital events delay	1976	Carlo Infante • Bob Beville • Bruce Hofer • Bill Peek
Tektronix	7D11	digital delay	1972	Carlo Infante • Bob Beville • Bruce Hofer • Bill Peek

Bob Beville says in his memoirs:

In the 7D11, a novel control set the time delay or number of events desired. This novel control was ‘Forward Reverse and Throttle’, a velocity and direction adjustment. (Do you recall a control on the VCR-Video Cassette Recorder? You dialed fastforward, fast reverse, or slow motion.)

Bruce designed the variable velocity circuit. Phil Lloyd, Mechanical Engineer, did the front panel knob, a shaft and potentiometer suspended in mechanical as well as electrical center. Off center was detected to determine the direction of the displayed count. All these designs were submitted to the Tek Patent Office for review.

They became United States Patent Number 3,843,873, assigned to Tektronix, awarded to Bill Peek, Bruce Hofer and I.

Credits must go to the knob control creator, Phil Lloyd, ME, overlooked on the patent application. Sorry, Phil.