Video stand and method of exhibiting informational programs

A video exhibit stand and method of exhibiting informational programs comprises a housing having a plurality of large and small openings therein and arranged around the periphery thereof. A plurality of cathode ray tubes and audio speakers are supported within the housing with the screens of the cathode ray tubes secured within the large openings and the audio speakers secured within the small openings. Video transmitter means within the housing conducts informational programs recorded on cassette tapes to a four-way signal splitter which splits the video signal into four distinct but identical signals. These signals are conducted to the inputs of the cathode ray tubes and the audio signals are conducted to the audio speakers. The exhibit stand is portable and may be located at the juncture of hallways where people may view the cathode ray screens from all directions. A plurality of such video stands may be located at remote points in a large auditorium room or in separate remote rooms. A transmitter at a remote central station sends four distinct but identical signals to the plurality of remotely located video exhibit stands where they are received by the four-way signal splitter within the housing. The splitter within the housing further splits the signal into four distinct but identical signals carrying identical information. The signals are conducted to the inputs of the cathode ray tubes whereby the signals appear on the screens thereof for viewing from all angles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to exhibit stands and more particularly to video 
exhibit stands comprising a housing, a base having a standard attached to 
the base at one end thereof and to the housing at the opposite end 
thereof. A plurality of large and small openings are arranged around the 
periphery of said housing and a closure hinged to the housing permits 
vertically upward moving of the closure away from the housing exposing the 
interior thereof. Secured on supports spanning the interior of said 
housing are a plurality of cathode ray tubes having the screens thereof 
secured within the large openings. Audio speakers means are secured within 
the small openings alternating between the screens of the cathode ray 
tubes. An electronic four-way signal splitter is supported within the 
housing between the plurality of cathode ray tubes. Cable means connect 
the outputs of the signal splitter and the inputs of the cathode ray 
tubes. Video transmitter means supported within the housing above the 
cathode ray tubes has the output thereof connected to the inputs of the 
four-way signal splitter whereby video signals from the video transmitter 
are conducted to the four-way signal splitter. Cable means connect the 
outputs of the four-way signal splitter to the audio speakers. The 
four-way signal splitter divides the video signal into four distinct but 
identical signals each containing identical information. Said four 
distinct and identical signals are each fed to the inputs of the cathode 
ray tubes and audio speakers whereby the information is displayed on the 
cathode ray tubes and the audio on the audio speakers. The information on 
said screens and speakers may be seen and heard from all directions. The 
video transmitter may be in the form of a video cassette located within 
the video exhibit stand housing or a video cassette located at a remote 
central station and being connected to the exhibit stand or stands by 
cable means. Furthermore, the video transmitter may be in the form of a 
mini TV transmitter which may be located at a central station for 
broadcasting informational programs to the video exhibit stand or a 
plurality of video exhibit stands located at remote locations. 
2. Statement of the Prior Art 
Prior developments in this field are shown, by way of general illustration, 
in the below listed patents: 
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Inventor U.S. Pat. No. 
Issue Date 
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Miller, Jr. 3,830,855 April 24, 1962 
Burton 4,021,133 March 15, 1977 
Steiner 3,985,430 Oct. 12, 1976 
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The invention hereof provides a portable video exhibit stand having a 
housing for supporting a plurality of cathode ray tubes and audio speakers 
therein. The screens of the cathode ray tubes and the speakers are secured 
within openings in the walls of the housing of said exhibit stand. Video 
transmitter means secured within the housing feeds informational signals 
to the input of the four-way signal splitter which divides the 
informational signal into four distinct but identical signals which are 
then fed into the inputs of the cathode ray tubes. The video transmitter 
may be programmed to provide as many different informational programs as 
desired to suit the intended audience. 
The video exhibit stand may be placed at the juncture of hallways in a 
concourse or in a large room or remote rooms whereby people in the 
proximity of said stands may view the information projected on the cathode 
ray tubes from all angles. The video transmitter may be in the form of a 
video cassette having means for receiving a pre-tape recorded cassette. 
Alternatively, the video transmitter may be in the form of a video 
cassette located at a remote central station from which the video signals 
may be transmitted to the video exhibit stands by means of cables or the 
like. Furthermore, the video transmitter may be in form of a mini TV 
transmitter located at the remote central station which broadcasts 
informational programs by cable means or conventional TV broadcasting 
means to a receiving antenna located on the video stand. 
The method of exhibiting informational programs comprises the steps of 
placing a plurality of exhibit stands at remote locations, locating video 
transmitter means at a central station remote from the exhibit stands, 
boosting the video signal prior to transmitting, splitting the video 
signal into four distinct but identical signals containing identical 
information, transmitting the four distinct but identical signals to the 
four-way signal splitter contained within each of the exhibit stands, and 
displaying the information on the screens of each of the cathode ray tubes 
in each of the exhibit stands whereby people at the remote locations may 
view the screens from all directions.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to the drawings in more detail, a video exhibit stand 1 of the 
present invention comprises a housing 2, a support base therefore which in 
one form is an inverted dome and a vertical standard 6 secured to said 
base at one end 5 thereof and to the housing 2 at the other end 7. Support 
base 4 may be in the form as shown in FIG. 4 having a plurality of 
radially extending legs 8 having the ends thereof secured to the end of 
the standard 5. The legs 8 may be of any length to insure proper balance 
of the stand. Legs 8 have a plurality of hollow tubes 10 secured in 
vertical orientation to the outer ends 12 of the legs. Rods 14 are 
received into the hollow tubes 10 at one end 15 thereof. The opposite ends 
17 of said rods have barrier means 16 secured to ends 17 of said rods and 
extend between said rods acting as a barrier to prevent people from 
walking into the exhibit stand and knocking it over. 
The housing 2 has a plurality of large openings 18 which alternate between 
a plurality of smaller openings 20. Means 22 secured to and extending 
between the inter walls 24 of the housing 2 support a plurality of cathode 
ray tubes 23, the screens 25 of which are secured within the large 
openings 18. A plurality of audio speakers 30 are secured within the 
smaller openings 20. Border means 26 cover the edges 21 of the opening 18 
and the edges 28 of the cathode ray screens and border means 32 covers the 
edges 19 of opening 20 and edges 34 of the speakers. Means within the 
housing support a four-way electronic signal splitter 33 the outputs 35 of 
which are fed by cable means 36 to the inputs 38 of the respective cathode 
ray tubes. Cable means 40 feed the audio signal from the output of the 
four-way electronic signal splitter to the input terminals 42 of the 
respective audio speakers. Means 44 within the housing and above the 
cathode ray tubes 23 support a video transmitter 48. The video transmitter 
48 has means (not shown) for connecting the output thereof to the inputs 
(not shown) of the electronic signal splitter. The input signal to each of 
the cathode ray tubes from the electronic signal splitter appears on the 
screens of the cathode ray tubes in a conventional manner. 
The housing 2 has a closure 50 hinged at 52 to the housing 2 adjacent 
support 44. The closure 50 swings vertically upward to allow access to the 
interior of the housing. 
The video exhibit stand so constructed is portable and may be positioned in 
the center of a large room, at the junction of hallways, in remote areas 
of a large auditorium or in different rooms in a convention center whereby 
people passing by the exhibit stands or in the vicinity thereof may view 
the cathode ray screens from all angles and see the program as transmitted 
by the video transmitter. 
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a plurality of video exhibit stands' located at 
different remote locations 56, 57, 58, 59 & 61. Video transmitter 60 feeds 
a signel booster 62 the output 64 of which is fed to the input 66 of a 
four-way electronic signal splitter 70. The outputs 72 of the signal 
splitter 70 are conducted by suitable means to the input 35 of the 
four-way electronic signal splitter 33 within the housing 2 of the exhibit 
stand. The outputs 35 of the latter signal splitter are fed to the cathode 
ray screens as described above. By this construction and arrangement, a 
number of audiences at different locations may view the screens and hear 
the program simultaneously. 
The video transmitter 60 may be in the form of a mini TV transmitter or 
cable television transmitter whereby signals are fed by cable means or 
conventional television transmitting means to the exhibit stands. When a 
conventional television transmitter is utilized, an antenna 80 having 
receiving members 82 picks up the transmitted signal and feeds the signal 
by suitable means to the four-way electronic signal splitter within the 
housing tube. 
The foregoing description is considered illustrative only of the principle 
embodiments of the invention. Numerous modifications and changes may 
readily occur to those skilled in the art to which this invention 
pertains. The description hereinabove is not considered to be limited to 
the exact construction and operation. Substituted modifications may be 
resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention 
as herein claimed.