US1762685A - Display apparatus - Google Patents

Description

June 10, 1930. HARTMAN ET AL DISPLAY APPARATUS Filed Nov. 26, 1928 3 Sheets Shee l are fl flaw/(Orson ATTORNEY-S June 10, 1930. M. HARTMAN E AL DISPLAY APPARATUS Filed Nov. 26, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTO RN EYS June 10, 1930. 'M. HARTMAN ET AL 1,752,635

DISPLAY APPARATUS Filed Nov. 26, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet s INVENTORS ATTORNEYS Patented June 10, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MILTON HART MAN, GRAYSTON L, OI-IMART AND THEODORE I-I. HAWKINSON, OF DE- I 'IRQI'I, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNORS 'IO LOCALIZED ADVERTISING CORPORATION, OF DE- TROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN DISPLAY APPARATUS Application filed November 26, 1928. Serial No. 321,952.

Thisinvention relates to display apparatus and more particularly to an improved construction of sign of the type employing a changeable exhibitor.

One of the primary objects of this invention is to provide a sign of the reflector type, that is, one which is illuminated by reflection as distinguished from direct projection of the light and provided with changeable exhibitor means whereby an animated message consisting of a series of words, signs or the like may be displayed.

Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus of the herein described character having means which may be readily associated therewith for supplying a source of illumination for use at night or at other times when a natural source of light is not available for illuminating the sign.

The invention also has as its object to simplify, render more eflicient and improve generally devices of this character and to thisend consists in the novel combination, construction, and arrangement of parts, all of which will be made more apparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

' Figure -1 is a separated perspective view of a display apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the device with the rear wall removed and certain parts in section.

' Figure 3 isa horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the plane indicated by line 3-3 in Figure 2.

Figure 4; is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane indicated by line 44 in Figure 2 with the shadow box arranged thereabove but separated therefrom.

v Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane indicated by line '5-5 in Figure 2.

.Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal sectional view taken substantially onthe plane indicated byline 66 in Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on the plane indicated by line 77 in Figure 3.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings wherein like reference characters indicate like parts, it will be noted that the device consists of a box or casing 10 consisting of a bottom 11, a back 12, ends 13, and a front 14.

The herein described sign or display device is of the reflector type of a construction substantially similar to this type of sign now in extensive commercial use. To this end the device is provided with a member 14 such as a mirror or the like providing a reflecting surface, this member 14. being suitably supported as for instance by brackets 15 within the housing or casing 10 and in an inclined position such as most clearly illustrated in Figures 1 and 4:. The images or words or the like reflected in the member let are visible through the opening 16 formed in the front of the casing. The matter to be displaced passes longitudinally across the top 17 of the housing in a manner to be more fully hereinafter referred to.

While signs of the reflector type have as a general rule heretofore been capable of dis playing unanimated signs only, the present invention contemplates the association with this type of sign of a travelling exhibitor whereby a series of words, signs, figures and the like may be displayed. The invention also contemplates the provision of means whereby the color of the words, images and the like reflected in the mirror 1 may be changed at will.

To this end the invention contemplates the use of an endless perforated strip or tape which is adapted to be drawn longitudinally of the housing across the top 17. To this end the top 1.7 is provided with a transparent portion or section 19 along which the perforated tape 18 travels while being maintained. in a horizontal or a sub stantially horizontal. position. he reference character 20 (see particularly Figures 1, 2 and 4) indicates a color screen in the form of a sheet of transluscent material of the desired or preferred color. With the herein j illustrated means for accomplishing this, lt-will 'be'imperforated strip 18, this message or sign may be reflected in the mirror 14 bypass ing the perforated tape 18 along the top of the housing 10 between the transparentand translucent members 19 and 20 respectively.

It is of course desirable to provide means for automatically moving the tape 18, across the; top of the housing and while we have electrically operated mediatelyjobvious to those skilled in this art, that a spring motor or any other pre-.

ferred or desired type of power means may be employed for this purpose.

In the embodiment of the invention herein illustrated we have shown an electric motor 21 supported upon a partition 22 which extends longitudinally of the housing 10 and interiorly thereof toprovide between this partition and bottom 11, a chamber or compartment 23. This chamber orcompartinent 23 provides a space in which the endless tape 18 may accumulate in folds, in the'manner' most clearly illustrated in Figure 2.

:It will be obvious that by thus handling that portion ofthe endless tape '18 which is not being illuminated, anendless strip of considerablelength maybe employed and the use of an excessive numberof guide-rolls or other guiding means may be avoided.

The electric motor-21- has the shaft 24 8 thereof onnected by means of a coupling 25 to a reduction gear unit 26. While obviously this reduction gear unit may be of'any desired or preferred "construction, it will be noted,particularly from an examinationof Figures 4 and 6 that it comprises a worm 27 which meshes with a worm wheel 28 car- I ried by a shaft 29which extends ext'eriorly are carried by a member 37 pivotally supported vas at'38on the bottom 11 of the casing; The supporting plate or member 37 and consequently the idler roll 35, is urged in an upward direction toward the driven roll 33 by means of a spring 39'.

The endless strip 18 after it passes between rolls 3335 is guided onwardv into and through'chamber 23 by means of an inclined supporting member 40 'whichforms with the partition 22, a tapering passage way increasing insize 1n the direction away from the roli's 3335.- Thishas been found to facilitate feeding of theaccumulated folds of the endless strip-18 so that the accumulation of the folds ad acent'the feeding rollers will move the previously accumulated folds longitudinally of the chamber 23 in the manner most clearly suggested in Figure 2. As has been previously mentioned, the

endless strip 18 is caused to travel longitudinally of the topof the casing while ar-- F ranged in a horizontal plane which obviously is the most natural position for' the strip and the one in which the strip may 'be most readily and 'efliciently supported handled. The endless strip. is slidably supported upon the transparent panel 19. Ar-

ranged at eachend of the housing 10 is a transversely extending anti-friction or guide roller 41 jover which the endless strip 18" passes and the strip is placed under tension in its flight across the top of the housing by means of a tensioning or friction device which consists essentially of a spring pressed member 42 which is urged towards a. guide plate 43 and frictionally engages thestrip 18 to retard its movement to thus cause the feeding rollers 33 35 to maintain the upper flight of the perforated strip taut.

. Obviously it is frequently desirable to" valter thespeed at which the perforated strip 18 is fed throughthe machine and to this and so I

end we propose .employinga rheostat 44 of i any preferred or desired construction con-j trollable by a handle or lever45 which may be conveniently extended through a slot 46 provided in the rear wall 12 of the casing.

The reference character 47 indicates an electric cable containing the wires connecting the device to any suitable source of our 1 rent. The reference 'charac'ter48 indicates an electric cable containing wires connected to therso'urce of current and leading toa socket 49 secured in the top17 of the casing adjacent one of the longitudinal edges thereof. This socket is employed for a purpose which willzappear immediately.

While ordinarily this display device is 8 adapted to beilluminated byv a natural source of light,.such for instance asthe sun or day light or by a source of artificial illumination not immediately associated therewith, as for instance thelights ina store, shop window or the like, it'isfrequently desirable to provide a positive source of illumination'which may be immediately-associated with 'thef'casas a 7 ing'so that this display device may beefiicientlyemployed at night. To this end we propose employing a removable shadow box 7 indicated generally by. the reference chari V acter- 50, see particularly Figures 1 and 4. This shadow box consists essentially. of an.

inverted pan-shaped reflector .51 in which a plurality of electric light b ulbs 52fare arranged and supported. The sockets 53 I of these electric light bulbs are" all elec trically connected and thejleads therefromfare connected to a plugv54 secured'to the shadow box '50 adjacent one of its lower;

Theplug 54 is so t cated as toengage the socket 49 carried by longitudinal edges.

the casing 10 when the shadow box 50 is placed in position on top of the casing.

The shadow box may be conveniently removably secured in place by means of lugs or projections 55 arranged at the ends thereof which are adapted to engage under hinged flaps 56 carried by the ends of the casing. While these flaps 56 may be locked down in any preferred manner, thumb nuts 57 are shown,the threaded stems 58 of which engage threaded apertures in brackets 59 carried by the rear wall 12 of the casing. These flaps in their locked down position overlie the adjacent ends of both the transparent and translucent members 19 and 20 so as to also secure these members in place. Obviously this provides a convenient means for removing either or both the transparent or translucent members 19 and 20 if and when desired.

Inasmuch as it may be necessary frequently' to gain access to the interior of the casing, the rear wall 12 is made removable and when in place is secured by the thumb nuts 57. The lower edge of this wall member 12 is provided with apertured brackets 60 which engage studs 61 projecting upwardly from the bottom 11 of the casing. A vertical guide wall 62 for closing the rear side of compartment 23 is also carried by the wall 12 and is secured in spaced relation to the latter by means of blocks or supporting members 63.

In operation the endless perforated strip 18 is drawn across the top of the housing, preferably between the transparent and translucent members 19 and 20, and the light shining downwardly through these members 19 and 20 and through the perforations of the strip 18 is'reflected in the mirror 14 and the words, signs or images defined by the perforations, are visible in the mirror 14: and in the color of the screen 20. The motor 21 and feed rollers 33 and 35 provide means for continuously feeding the endless strip through the device so that the entire message consisting of a series of words, figures or signs, is successively displayed. If the apparatus is used in a place where the natural or artificial illumination is not sufficient, the shadow box 50 may be placed in position on top of the casing to supply the illumination necessary to cause a reflection of the sign in the mirror 14. By arranging a construction wherein the endless strip 18 is moved through the machine in a natural horizontal position, this strip may be readily handled and manipulated without necessitating the use of elaborate and complicated supporting means and also may be readily accumulated in folds in the compartment 23 without the use of complicated and expensive mechanism. v

3 While an embodiment of this invention has been described and illustarted herein somewhat in detail, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in this art that various changes in many of the essential and all of the non-essential details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention and to this end reservation is made to make such changes as may come within the purview of the accompanying claim.

lVhat we claim as our invention is:

In a display apparatus of the character described, a casing, said casing having a removable side wall and a removable top panel, a shadow box adapted to be associated with the top of said casing and means for jointly securing said wall, panel and shadow box in position.

In testimony whereof we atlix our signatures.

MILTON HARTMAN. THEODORE H. HAWKINSON. GRAYSTON L. OHMART.

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