Device for alternately showing display members such as advertisements and such like

Abstract: Device for alternately showing displays (7) such as advertisements, said device comprising: a housing (1) with a front panel (2) which is at least partially transparant (3) and behind which panel said displays (7) can be brought one by one. At both ends of said panel cassettes (4, 42) are positioned in each of which at least two rollers (6) are provided. On each roller (6) a display (7) is wound and by means of a beam (18) movable between both ends the free end of a display (7) can be brought towards the other end of said panel (2). Coupling means (16, 17, 21, 22; 40, 41; 46, 53) being present for coupling the end of a display (7) with said beam (18).

Description: The invention relates to a device as described in the preamble of claim 1. Such a device is known by US-A-2 195 249. In case of this known device a number of rollers is provided on a spool which is rotatably supported by the housing. This brings with it that each time that another display has to be showed said spool has to be rotated. When doing this the complete mass of said spool has to be brouhgt into motion and the spool has to be stopped again in the right position. This will cost a lot of energy. Further the means for moving the displays are executed such that two motors are provided for moving the displays in the two required directions. Other background devices are disclosed in FR-A-2 152 011 and in US-A-1 971 281. Said known devices are cumbersome, energy consuming and changing a display will cost time. Further the replacement of a display by another one will have to be done in the device it self, during which time the device will be out of use. The object of the invention is to remove these disadvantages and to that end the features are applied as described in the characterizing portion of claim 1. In this way changing of displays will be very easy because it is only necessary to replace a cassette by another one. This replacement can be done very fast when applying the features as indicated in claim 2. Further advantageous embodiments of the means for moving the displays are indicated in the claims 3 up to 6. Obviously the motor for moving the beam need only have a small capacity because it has only to move the weight of the beam and has to overcome the force which is exerted to it by a display which has to be drawn from a roller against the force of a spring. Generally speaking the last mentioned force will be compensated because one display is drawn from a roller and another one is wound onto a roller because said roller is biased when the related display is drawn from said roller earlier. The invention is further described by means of embodiments shown in the drawing, in which: Fig. 1 schematically shows a perspective view of a device according to the invention, given portions being omitted. Fig. 2 schematically shows a portion of the device of Fig. 1, partly in view and partly in cross-section; Fig. 3 schematically shows a side view of the portion shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 schematically shows a perspective view of a portion of the device according to Figs. 2 and 3; and Fig. 5 schematically shows a view of another embodiment of the device according to the invention. The device shown in the Figs. 1 - 4 comprises a housing 1, which in particular in Fig. 1 is shown by broken lines. The housing comprises a front panel 2 from which the portion 3 is transparant. Said front panel 2 is in a not shown way pivotally connected to the further portions of the housing 1 such that in this way entrance to the inner side of the housing 1 is obtained. In the housing 1 two cassettes 4 are mounted. A cassette 4 comprises a framework 5 for supported rollers 6. In each cassette 4 three rollers 6 are mounted and on each roller 6 a display 7 is wound. As in particular appears from Fig. 2 the end of a display 7 extending outwardly from the cassette, is provided with a strip 8, the ends of which are received in slots 9, provided in the side plates 10 of the framework 5. In each roller 6 a coil spring 11 is present, one end of which is connected to the roller and the other end to a knob 12, such that the coil spring can be pre-tensioned and a display 7 will automatically be wound onto the related roller 6, such that the strip 8 connected to the display 7 will be received into the slot 9. Bores 13 are provided in the side plates 10 of a cassette 4 and the framework 14 of the housing 1 is provided with pins 15 onto which the cassette can be slid. If necessary a not shown screw can be applied in the side plate 10 of the cassette which screw can be turned against the pin 15. To make it possible to draw a display 7 out of the cassette and to bring this before the transparant portion 3 of the front panel 2, the strip 8, connected to the display 7, is provided with a substantially U-shaped lug 16 with an inwardly extending hook portion 17. To draw a display 7 from a cassette 4 a beam 18 is provided, which is movable up and down along the front panel 2 because it is connected to T-shaped portions 19 which are provided with rollers 20 being guided by not further indicated portions of the framework 14 of the housing 1. So the beam 18 can be moved up and down in the direction of the arrow V in the Figs. 1 and 3. Two shafts 21 are rotatably supported in the beam 18. Onto each shaft three cross pins 22 are mounted at some distance from each other as indicated in Fig. 2, and making an angle with each other of 120°, as indicated in Fig. 3. The cross pins 22 of the shaft 21 may cooperate with a lug 16 as this is indicated in Fig. 3, a shaft 21 with the cross pins being shown at the position of such a lug 16. When a shaft 21 is rotated in the direction of the arrow P the cross pin, which in Fig. 3 is horizontally directed, will release the related lug 16 and the next cross pin 22 will engage a lug 16 of another display 7. When then the shaft is stopped the related display can be drawn out of the cassette by means of vertical displacement of the beam 18. In a corresponding way the other shaft 21 with its cross pins 22 may cooperate with lugs 16 connected to displays 7 provided in a cassette 4 near the lower end of the housing 1. So each shaft 22 is destined to cooperate with one of said cassettes. To move the beam 18 up and down a chain 23 is present, passing chain wheels 24. The lowermost chain wheel 24 is rotatably supported by a not further indicated portion of the framework 14 of the housing 1 and the upper chain wheel 24 is connected to a drive motor 25, being supported by a portion of the framework 14 of the housing 1. The chain is running in a plane 26 which in Fig. 1 is only schematically indicated, said plane running transverse to the longitudinal direction of the beam 18. By this the chain will hardly be visible when a display 7 is positioned behind the front panel 2 and some lamps 27 are burning in the housing 1. The chain 23 is provided with a pin 28 extending itself transverse to the plane 26 in which the chain is lying. The pin 28 is pivotally supported by a lever 29 which is fixedly connected to a shaft 30 which is rotatably supported by a support 31 connected to the beam 18. As in particular appears from Fig. 2 the beam 18 will be moved upwardly when the chain wheel 24 is driven in the direction of the arrow R. When the part of the chain where the pin 28 is position, is passing the chain wheel 24, the beam 18 will be stopped and the lever 29 together with the shaft 30 will be pivoted over 180°. A lever 32 is mounted to the shaft 30 at a distance from the lever 29 and extending to another side of the shaft than the lever 29. The levers 29 and 32 each are provided with a pin 33, said pins being positioned at equal distances from the shaft 30 and extending transverse to the plane in which the levers move. Each of the pins 33 may cooperate with three pins 34 which at equal distances are mounted onto a disc 35. Each disc is connected to a shaft 21, in such a way that the pins 34 are running parallel to the axis of the shaft 21 but at a distance from this. When now, as said above, the chain wheel 24 is rotated in the direction of the arrow R, see Fig. 2, the lever 29 is taking the beam 18 upwardly till the axis of the shaft 30 is in line with the axis of the chain wheel 24. Then the lever 28 is rotated over 180° and by this also the shaft 30. The pin 33, connected to the lever 29, will then move in the direction of the arrow S, see Fig. 4, and during the last portion of its movement it will take the pin 34, connected to the disc 35, with it. So when moving the pin 34 the disc 35 and so the shaft 21 is rotated over 120°, by which one of the displays 7 is released and another one is coupled with the beam 18. By rotating the shaft 30 in the way as described above the pin 33, connected to the lever 32, will be pivoted to the position 33' indicated by broken lines, without being in engagement with a pin 34 of the other disc 35. When now, after a period that the chain wheel 24 has stand still, this chain wheel is driven again, the related display is taken along from the upper cassette 4. Then the lever 29 is positioned at the right of the shaft 30 as seen in Fig. 2 and the lever 32 is at the left side of this, such as indicated in Fig. 4 with broken lines. So then the pin 28 of the chain 23 is positioned on the portion of the chain 23 which is moving downwardly, see Fig. 2. When now the pin arrives near the lower chain wheel 24 the beam will have reached its lowest position and the pin 28 will take care for it that the lever 29 and by this the shaft 30 will be rotated in the same direction as when passing the upper chain wheel 24. By this the lever 32 with its pin 33 will engage the disc 35 of the other shaft 21, so that a display 7 from the lower cassette 4 will be coupled with the beam 18 and the display which was first coupled with it will be released. When the beam 18 is moved downwardly and during this, as seen in Fig. 3, takes a display 7 with it by means of the shaft 21 and the cross pin 22, a force will be exerted on the related cross pin 22 by which the shaft 21 will try to rotate against the direction of the arrow P. To prevent this a catch 36 is provided on the support 31, said catch gripping in the succeeding cam portions 37 of the disc 35, so that the disc 35, at the right in Fig. 4, can be rotated only in the direction of the arrow P. For the disc 35 at the left side a corresponding catch is provided on the lower side of the support 31. Fig. 5 shows the possibility to provide the beam 18 with electromagnets 40, which may cooperate with magnetisable portions 41 of the strip 8, which is connected to the display 7. If wanted the strip 8 may totally consist of magnetisable material. To move the beam 18 up and down again use can be made of the chain 23 with the pin 28 on it. If wanted a more direct coupling between the pin 28 and the beam 18 may take place, e.g. because the pin is shiftably received in an slotted hole in the support 31 connected to the beam 18. To control the electromagnets 40 limit switches can be used, which may cooperate with an electrical control system. It will be obvious that only some embodiments of the device according to the invention are shown in the drawing and are described above and that many modifications can be applied without leaving the inventive concept.

Claims: Device for alternately showing display members (7), like advertisements and such like which are provided on a sheet of paper or a such like material, said device comprising: a housing (1) with a front panel (2) which is at least partially transparant (3) for showing a display (7) brought behind this panel; at least two rollers (6) being positioned behind said panel (2) at the ends of this and running parallel to each other; a display being provided on each roller by connecting one end of it to said roller and each roller (6) being biased such that the roller is trying to wind the display on it, the free end of a display (7), not being connected to said roller (6), being provided with means (8,16,41) which can be coupled with a coupling member (18,21,22,40) being movable in said housing (1) between the ends of said front panel (2); a number of rollers (6) on which a display (7) is provided being present at each end of said panel (29 and at least one lamp (27) being positioned behind said front panel (2) and a display (7) brought behind this; characterized in that each of said number of rollers (6) at one end of said panel (2) is positioned in a cassette (4) which can be releasably but fixedly mounted in said housing (1), said coupling member being formed by a beam (18) running mainly parallel to said rollers (6) and being guided near the longitudinal edges of said housing (1), said beam being moved by directly or indirectly coupling it with one chain (23) running over chain wheels (24) which are driven in one single direction only. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said cassette (4) comprises a framework (5) being provided with bores (10) either pins running transverse to the longitudinal direction of the rollers (6) positioned in said cassette (4), said bores or pins cooperating with pins (15) or bores respectively being provided in said housing (1) such that when mounting a cassette (4) in said housing (1) the pins (15) can be slid into the bores (13). Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said beam (18) is provided with a rotatable element (29) taking care for coupling said beam with a pin (28) provided to the chain (23), said rotatable element (29) being rotated to the other one of two end positions by said pin (28) when this is passing one of said chain wheels (24), such that one of two driver members (21,22), being rotatably supported in said beam (18), is rotated simultaneously, said driver members (21,22) releasing the display (7) which first was coupled with the beam (18) near the related chain wheel (24) and coupling another display (7) with the beam to show this there after. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that said driver members are formed by shafts (21), running transverse to the plane of the front panel (2) of the housing (1), and cross pins (22) being connected to said shafts (21) at mutual distances and making equal angles with each other such that when a shaft (21) is rotated over the related angle one cross pin (22) will release and another cross pin (22) will be coupled with a display (7), to which end a strip (8) connected to a dispaly (7) is provided with a hook (16,17) extending above the display (7), which hook (16,17) may cooperate with a cross pin (22) but may move free along said shaft (21), such that said shaft (21) may be present close to said strip (8). Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the shaft (21) which is provided with said cross pins (22) is carrying a same number of cams (37) with which a catch (36) cooperates which is biased against said cams (37) such that the shaft (21) can rotate in one direction only and the coupling between a cross pin (22) and the hook (16,17) of the strip (8) of a display (7) cannot be unintentionally released. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said coupling members are in the shape of electromagnets (40) connected to the movable beam (18) and cooperating with a magnetisable strip (8,41) connected to the display (7), the switching in and off of said electromagnets taking place when the direction of movement of the beam (18) is reversed.

Inventors: STOELINGA DIRK JAN, STOELINGA, DIRK JAN
Applicants: BOBO ART HOLDING B V, BOBO ART HOLDING B.V.
Application year: 1991
Main classification: G09F11
IPC codes: G09F11