A New and Improved Method or Means of Advertising or Signalling.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 30th June, 1892
Complete Specification Left. 29th Mar.. 1893-Accepted, 30th June, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New and Improved Method or Means of Advertising or
Signalling.
I, EDWARD HOWARTH of 90 Edith Grove, Chelsea in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to display letters, words, characters or designs at
any height or distance that may be required.
In carrying out this invention I employ two or more closed lamps or lights made
somewhat after the style of magic lanterns or search lights, having powerful
reflectors on the one side, and apertures or openings on the other, in or facing
which in one or more lamps or lights, is placed one or more stencilled plates bearing
the character or design required to be shown.
The other lamp or lamps or lights is or are used to throw one or more streams of
light, such stream or streams of light being obtained and regulated by a fixed or
movable plate, having one or more bars across its opening, and answering to the
sheet or object discs upon which the designs or other matter is to be displayed.
By placing these lamps at an angle, preferably a right angle, to each other, the
words characters or designs are projected into space and shown upon the stream or
streams of light, at any distance.
The stencil plates or discs, can, in any suitable manner be made to revolve, or
change at will.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New and Improved Method or Means of Advertising or
Signalling.
EDWARD HOWARTH of 90 Edith Grove Chelsea S.W. in the County of
London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
The object of this invention is to display letters, words, characters, or designs at
any height or any distance that may be required or thought. necessary and is
performed as follows:-
For projecting the advertisement or signal I employ a powerful lamp or light
made after the manner or style of the magic lantern or search light, with reflectors,
and using therewith either the long focus lens, or stencils as hereinafter described;
or both combined.
For a background or object disc. I employ a second light similar to the first,
only having lenses suitable to project parallel or fan shaped rays, and also where
thought desirable a plate having bars, rings, or any suitable device cut in the
plate to decorate or accentuate the advertisement or signal. I also in connection
with this second light use plain or coloured glass or other transparent media if
thought desirable.
For stencils I use either the ordinary plate with the letters designs &c. cut away
showing the design in white light, and which I call a light "stencil," or with the
design left dark and a line or ring cut around it allowing the rays of light to pass
through and which I call a dark stencil." I also use light or dark stencils cut in
round or square tube or built up in such a manner that when apart they would
form two stencils.
"

page_text: By telescoping the stencils together by any suitable means the marginal rays of
light proceeding from the lens and passing through the one stencil, are cut off by
the other stencil which serves the same purpose as the stop or diaphragm used in
connection with photographic lenses and enables a distinct image or clean impression
to be obtained.
:-
To enable my invention to be fully understood: I will describe how it can be
carried into practice by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the method of advertising or signalling
according to my invention.
Figure 2 is an elevation of my adjustable stencil used in one of the lanterns.
Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3, Figure 2.
Figures 4 to 9 are views illustrating various modified forms of my adjustable
stencils.
Figure 10 is a section illustrating a form of non-adjustable stencil.
Figure 11 is an elevation of the plate for use in the other lantern for enabling the
streams of light to be produced; and,
Figure 12 is a section on the line 12-12, Figure 11.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the
drawings.
In the diagrammatic view shewn in Figure 1, a and b represent the two lanterns
I employ, such lanterns being of the type used in connection with search-lights;
the lanterna is provided with one of my stencils formed in this instance to project
the word "Howarth" upon the surface of the cloud c, the rays of light being caused
to diverge so as to produce a magnified representation on the cloud by means of a
suitable lens and a stencil adjustable as hereinafter described.
bis the lantern provided with a lens for projecting either parallel, or diverging,
or fan shaped, rays of light; in the drawing the lantern is provided with a slotted
plate constructed as hereinafter described whereby the rays of light are divided so
as to be projected in three streams to form three separate illuminated planes of
light through the cloud.
By using the lantern in a position at an angle, and preferably a right angle to
the lanterna as shewn in the drawing and projecting the light from. the said
lantern so as to pass through the body of the cloud to intersect the rays of light
from the lanterna, three representations of the word "Howarth" will be produced
at the intersection of the rays in addition to the representation of the word
projected from the lantern a on the surface of the cloud as herein before described.
The representations at the intersection of the rays from the lanterns a and b are
produced by reason of the increased illumination by the lantern of the parts of
the cloud already illuminated by the lantern ; the said parts having therefore a
greater illumination than the parts of the cloud illuminated by the lantern but
not illuminated by the lantern a, thereby producing a representation the characters
of which appear bright upon a comparatively dull background.
It will be obvious that if no slotted plate be employed in the lantern & only one
representation of the word will be produced at the intersection of the rays from the
two lanterns.
Figures 2 to 8 shew different forms of the adjustable stencils employ in
connection with the lantern a. In these figures d and e indicate two plates in
which is cut the word, design, or the like, (for instance the letter O) to be projected
on the cloud. In Figures 2, 3, 5 and 6 the said letter is cut out of the plates sor
that it will be produced in white light upon the cloud. This: form of stencil I term: 5
a "light stencil." Or the letter, (or word or design) may be formed as part of the
plate by cutting the metal away as shewn in Figures: 4, 7 and 8 so that it will be
produced as a dark letter on a light background.. This form of stencil I term: a
"dark stencil."
The plates d, e are adapted to be moved towards or from one another so as to 5
obtain a focus by means of a rack and piniony operated by a shaft and crank.
handle, the said plates being each provided with parts telescoping into one

page_text: another. In Figures 2, 3 and 4 these parts take the form of rods j,j,j,j telescoping
into tubes k, k, k, k at the corners of the plates d, e; but in Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8
they take the form of tubes 1, m having the configuration of the letter (or word or
design). Figures 7 and 8 have also, in addition to the tubes described, other
tubes n, o having the configuration of the outer frame p of the stencil plates.
Figure 9 represents the adjustable stencil in the form of a tube the design being
cut in opposite portions d, e thereof. By making this tube of thin metal the two
parts can, by pressure, be moved towards or away from one another to obtain a
focus. The dotted lines represent the said parts as having been moved towards
one another.
Figure 10 represents the stencil in the form of a square tube with the design cut
in opposite sides thereof. This form of stencil is, however, not adjustable.
Figures 11 and 12 represent the plate I employ for enabling a number of streams
of light to be produced by the lantern b. In the said figures, indicate the slots
or slits through which the light passes and r, indicate strips of coloured glass
which may be introduced into grooves in the said slits in order to produce coloured
streams of light.
Although I have shewn a series of slits in the plate illustrated by Figures 11
and 12 for producing a series of streams of light I may also form the said plate
with rings or other suitable device for the purpose of ornamenting or embellishing
the device produced by the lantern a.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The new and improved method or means of advertising or signalling herein
described and consisting essentially in the use of two lanterns, one for projecting
by means of stencils the advertisement or signal, and the other for projecting a
plane or planes of light for intersecting the rays of light from the first lantern in
the manner and for the purposes described and illustrated in Figure 1 of the
accompanying drawings.
2. In combination with lanterns for projecting advertisements or signals the use
of stencils and slotted plates, substantially as described.
3. The adjustable stencils for use in projecting advertisements and signals the
said stencils being constructed and operating as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, Figure 4, Figures 5 and 6, Figures 7 and 8,
Figure 9, Figure 10, and Figures 11 and 12, of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 14th day of June 1893.
EDWARD HOWARTH.