Patent GB-190107608-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Apparatus for Indicating the Time or for Exhibiting Letters Words or Figures either for Advertising or other Purposes.
Inventor: BELL WILLIAM THOMSON
Filed: 1901-04-13
Granted: 1902-03-13
Abstract: 7608. Bell, W. T. April 13. Systems of clocks; illuminated clocks.-The time of day is indicated at certain intervals, or letters and the like for advertising and other purposes may be formed and exhibited by apparatus such as that shown in Fig. 1. In the opaque front A of a suitable casing is formed a series of perforations A<1>, which are adapted to be closed by shutters A', so that, the case being illuminated from within, illuminated letters and figures may be formed on the front by opening certain shutters. In the same way figures to denote the time of day, with or without the addition of the letters P.M. and A.M., may be displayed at intervals. In this case three actuating-cylinders, mounted loosely on a common shaft G to control the formation of the figures denoting the units and tens of the minutes, and the hours respectively, are used, additional cylinders being used for any additional characters, that it may be desired to display. The cylinders carry longitudinal bars H<5>, which, as the cylinders are rotated, engage with the short ends D' of levers D straddled over a longitudinal bar D<1>, the levers being held in place by an upper bar D<2>. The other ends D<3> of the levers D engage with the bent ends D<6> of wires D<5> hinged to the shutters A'. Thus, through the arrangement described, the bars H<5> operate the shutters. There are, however, slits in the levers H<5> which allow some of the levers D to pass without being operated upon, and so some of the shutters will remain closed while those apertures which go to form the figures or letters will be opened. The first or unit cylinder is rotated a step intermittently by a pawl I<1> engaging with a ratchet I on the cylinder, the pawl being carried on a crank lever I<2> pivoted on the shaft G, and connected by a spring-rod P with the core 14 of a solenoid 15, which, when energized, causes the core to slide downwards towards its centre, thus operating the cylinder. The solenoid is energized every minute by a switch, operated by clockwork. One wheel of the clockwork has a pin which lifts a pivoted lever having a widened end which on its fall passes between two spring contacts and completes the circuit. The second and third cylinders are, by means of sliding bolts operated by cams, put into gear with the first cylinder and thus rotated, a step at certain intervals. The shutters may be dispensed with, the separate illuminations being effected by lamps arranged as described in Specification No. 16,220, A.D. 1897, [Abridgment Class Advertising &c.], which are automatically switched on by mechanism such as that used to lift the shutters. In this case the wires D<5> are connected with pivoted switch - levers having contacts at one end dipping into mercury caps. For the ordinary display of letters &c. a single cylinder is sufficient. According to the Provisional Specification, the arrangement of switch described in Specification No. 3177, A.D. 1899, [Abridgment Class Advertising &c.], may be used in connection with the electric lamps.