Improvements in Building up Letters, Numerals, and Devices, also in Means for Supporting, Suspending, or Hanging same for Advertising and other like purposes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Jan., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 15th May, 1891-Accepted, 20th June, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Building up Letters, Numerals, and Devices, also
in Means for Supporting, Suspending, or Hanging same for
Advertising and other like purposes.
I HENRY SELL of 167 Fleet Street, City of London, Advertising Contractor,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to make or build up letters of the alphabet,
numerals, and devices for name plates, inscriptions, advertisements, and like means
for giving publicity. The invention is intended for use on or against walls, facia
boards of business houses, for fitting in front the glass of shop fronts, names of
streets, numbers of houses, and for such purposes generally.
For the purpose of my invention I employ thin metal, celluloid or an equivalent
compound, which I stamp or mould to the desired form with plain, ornamented or
openworked faces, these pieces I attach to wood or in the case of metal backings I
prefer to make said backings hollow to produce lightness of weight. The backings
may have holes through them or have clips, eyes or other appliances affixed to
enable the letters, numerals or devices to be strung, hung, suspended, nailed or
otherwise secured in their respective order according to fancy or desire.
The exposed parts or faces of the letters numerals or devices if of metal may be
painted, glazed, nickeled, silvered, gilded, enamelled or otherwise coated to make
them conspicuous and the respective distance they can be placed apart to extend
over a given area may be by kinks in supporting wires or bars if they are to appear
in skeleton form in front of a shop window, the wires or bars being strained across
and secured to the side posts preferably away from such window or suspended from
a facia board with a free swing action or to rest against a wire strained across a
window.
In some cases the backing can be dispensed with, particularly with metal letters
and numerals, and the eyes, clips or other fastening devices may be formed with
the letters or numerals, or they may be soldered or otherwise affixed for the
suspension or hanging by wires which would be scarcely visible to pedestrians
because of the superior brightness or brilliancy and the prominence of the letters
or numerals.
I am aware that enamelled metal letters and numerals have been hitherto made
for direct attachment by cement, or mastic to glass, to wood, and other material for
advertizing and general display but these have been produced to a special formation
and to a given contour before the enamel has been fired on to them to distinguish
from ordinary enamelled copper plates used for watch dials, thermometer scale
plates and the like."
My invention differs from this in so far as the placing or means of utilizing them
are concerned.
I am also aware that letters and numerals have been prepared in skeleton form
and suspended from or within specially made frames, now known as "sky-signs."
My invention is unlike this in so far that I do not use a frame but simply support,
suspend or hang them from wires which are almost invisible.
Dated this 30th day of January 1891.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Building up Letters, Numerals, and Devices, also
in Means for Supporting, Suspending, or Hanging same for
Advertising and other like purposes.
I, HENRY SELL, of 167 Fleet Street, City of London, Advertising Contractor,
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 make or build up letters of the alphabet,
numerals, and devices for name plates, inscriptions, advertisements, and like means
for giving publicity. The invention is intended for use on or against walls, facia
boards of bus ness houses, for fitting in front of shop windows, as names of streets,
numbers of houses, and for such purposes generally.
According to my invention, I employ thin metal, celluloid, or an equivalent
compound, which I stamp or mould to the desired form with plain, ornamented, or
openworked faces, these pieces I attach to wood or metal backings, I prefer to
make said backings hollow to ensure lightness of weight. The backings may have
holes through them, or have clips, eyes, or other appliances affixed, to enable the
letters, numerals, or devices to be strung, hung, suspended, nailed, or otherwise
secured in their respective order according to fancy or desire.
The exposed parts or faces of the letters, numerals, or devices, if of metal, may
be painted, glazed, nickeled, silvered, gilded, enamelled, or otherwise coated to make
thein conspicuous, and the respective distance they can be placed apart to extend
over a given area may be by kinks in supporting wires or bars if they are to appear
in skeleton form in front of a shop window, the wires or bars being strained across
and secured to the side posts preferably away from such window, or suspended from
a facia board with a free swing action, or to rest against a wire strained across a
window.
In some cases, the backing can be dispensed with particularly with metal letters
and numerals and the eyes, clips, or other fastening devices may be formed with the
letters or numerals, or they may be soldered, or otherwise affixed for the suspension
or hanging by wires which would be scarcely visible to pedestrians because of
the superior brightness or brilliancy, and the prominence of the letters or
numerals.
I am aware that enamelled metal letters, and numerals have been hitherto made
for direct attachment by cement or mastic to glass, to wood, and other material for
advertising and general display but these have been produced to a special formation
and to a given contour before the enamel has been fired on to them to distinguish
from ordinary enamelled copper plates used for watch dials, thermometer scale plates
and the like. My invention differs from this in so far as the placing or means of
utilizing them are concerned.
I am also aware that letters, and numerals have been prepared in skeleton form
and suspended from or within specially made frames, now known as sky-signs. My
invention is unlike this in so far that I do not use frame but simply support, suspend,
or hang them from wires which are almost invisible.
The annexed sheet of drawings will enable my invention to be understood.
Figure 1 represents a skeleton or box a shape of the letter S with eyes b, c, at
top and bottom respectively bent from the box frame for attachment to a board, to
bars, or other appliance for the purpose intended.
Figure 2 shows a letter E with a backing d of wood, the front e being zinc, or
other metal, or of copper with a plain, a painted, an enamelled, or other surfaced
body affixed to the backing, this having eyes b, c, screwed into it.
Figure 3 is a representation of the letter L pressed, or moulded into trough or
gutter shape from copper, celluloid, or other material, or metal with an eye or loop b
for ready attachment as before explained.

page_text: Figure 4, an elevation of another or square box form of letter L with holes c for
suspending it from a wire, or other device.
Figure 5 represents the letter S of a similar construction to Figures 3 and 4 but
with star shape of nail hole bc for ready attachment to a board or a bar.
Figure 6 shows the letters L, E, T, of the box or built up kind with eyes at top
and at bottom and attached by screw pins to bars, y, say across a shop in front of
the glass.
Figure 7 indicates letters T, E, R, S, and how I suspend them or other letters,
or they may be numerals, from or support them by wires f, g, which I kink at
intervals to fix the letters or numerals at their respective distances apart.
For the sake of clearness, I may observe that my letters, numerals, or devices, for
advertising and other like purposes can be made in plain sheet like form, in skeleton
form, or otherwise, and each may be in one piece, or of several pieces, they may
also be built up and made of any material, or combination of materials, and if
desired, the exposed surfaces may be painted, varnished, enamelled, gilded, or
otherwise embellished to make them conspicuous and attractive, the practical and
novel feature being the manufacture and employment of letters, numerals, and
devices in moulded, or in stamp shaped pieces of material, singly or built up and
used in combination with strips, bars, wires, or the like for suspending, supporting,
or otherwise affixable in front of shop windows, with the glass as a back ground, or in
front of facia boards as to be at a distance therefrom and not affixed directly
thereto, whereby a natural shadow is thrown on to the back ground and the
letter or device made more conspicuous than is possible where shadows are
painted in.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
:―
1. The employment or use of letters, numerals, and devices built up and com-
posed of box or hollow foundation, with copper, celluloid, or other thin material on
the outer or exposed portion or portions, substantially as and for the purpose or
purposes described.
2. The method of fixing built up or faced letters, numerals, or devices, supported,
suspended, or hung in front of shop windows, in front of facia boards, and in front
of other surfaces, and not directly connected therewith, as set forth when employed
for advertising, and other like purposes, substantially as indicated by the annexed
drawings.
The 15th day of May 1901
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London, Agent for the said Henry Sell.