Improvements in Apparatus for Displaying Advertisements, the Names of Streets and Stations, and other Articles or Devices.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Nov., 1892-Accepted, 25th Feb., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Displaying Advertisements, the
Names of Streets and Stations, and other Articles or Devices.
I, MARK ANTHONY, residing in Oakland, County of Alameda, State of California,
United States of America, Manufacturer, 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 :-
This invention relates more especially to an improvement upon the Letters
Patent, granted to me on the 29th day of October, 1889, which Letters Patent is
numbered 17041, and has reference more particularly to mechanism whereby the
display book or leaves, (fully set forth and described in the foregoing Letters
Patent, reference to which is hereby made) may be automatically returned to its
upright position within the frame or casing.
Referring to the drawings forming a part of this application, wherein similar
letters of reference are used to denote corresponding parts throughout the entire
Specification and several views.
Figure 1, is a vertical side sectional elevation of the indicator;
Figure 2, a similar view, in detail, showing the cards or leaves in their fallen.
position; and
Figure 3, detail view of the gear mechanism.
The letter A designates a frame in the forward portion of which is supported a
book B, on the leaves of which are printed the desired advertisements or indi-
cations. The lower edge of this book is held in the lugs a, a, and the upper
edge is designed to be held by the longitudinal rod or rock bar C, having loose
bearings b, in the upper forward edge of the frame. On this rod or bar are a series
of depending lugs or projections b', which are designed to rest against the leaves
of the book, which is held in a slightly inclined position with its forward edge in
advance, and to prevent said leaves falling downward by gravity. Said leaves are
provided with a series of notches at their upper edges located alternately of each other
in the different leaves; and it is only when the lugs b', on the bar C, are brought
into alignment with said notches, as hereinafter more fully described, that a leaf is
permitted to fall.
The letter D indicates the vertical shaft located preferably near one end of the
frame and provided with suitable bearings at each end. On the upper end of this
shaft, or at any other suitable point thereon is a gear wheel D', or other suitable
device, through which power may be applied to the shaft.
On the upper portion of the shaft is a worm E, which is in engagement with a
toothed wheel F, hung on a horizontal axle, and having a wrist G, in connection
with a pitman or connecting rod. The other end of the rod is connected to one arm
of a pivoted lever, near the other end of the frame, the other arm of which carries
at its end a toothed segment, the teeth of which are in engagement with a rack on the
end portion of the bar or rod C. As said bar is capable of an endwise sliding move-
ment in the bearings, it will be apparent that when said shaft D is actuated, the rod C
will be longitudinally reciprocated through the medium of the pitman and the
segment-carrying lever.
The book B, being in place, at a certain point during the reciprocation, the lugs
or projections 6¹ will be brought to alignment with the notches of the first leaf of
the book, and said leaf will fall downwardly and over by gravity. As the
advertisements or other printed matter are usually printed on both sides of the
leaf, not only the advertisement on the face of the second page will be dis-
played, but also that on the other surface of the first page, which has fallen. As the

page_text: rod C continues to reciprocate, the lugs 6', come into alignment with the notches of
the second page, which, as before stated, are located alternately of the notches of
the preceding page, and said second page will fall, and so on until all the leaves
are exhausted. All of which is fully set forth in my Letters. Patent aforesaid,
consequently need not be specifically described in this application.
To automatically return the book to its original position; after all its leaves have
fallen, so that the operation will be continuous, I provide the mechanism now to be.
described.
.
(a)
As the leaves fall, as above described, they drop against a depending bail H, the
arms of which are fast to a longitudinal shaft H', the ends of which have loose
bearings. On this shaft, at that. end of the machine where is located the shaft D,
is loosely sleeved a large gear wheel I. On the lower portion of the shaft D is a
clutch, the upper section J of which, while turning with said shaft, is capable of an
endwise movement thereon. The lower clutch section J', is loosely sleeved on the
shaft. The lower portion of sleevej of this section has a worm j thereon, which is
in engagement with the wheel I.
1
. I
The letter K indicates an arm or lever pivoted at its rear end to the main
casting Z. of the machine, and weighted at its forward end as shown at K. This
arm is in engagement with a reduced or grooved portion of the upper sliding
clutch section J, or otherwise suitable loosely connected therewith, and when
raised, carries said section out of engagement with the lower section J', the arm
being retained in raised position by means of a spring catch I¹. In this position
the shaft D turns: loosely in the clutch section J¹, and the gear wheel I is not
actuated.
T
The gravity pawl or dog L, is pivoted to the casting Z at I", and has an arm L',
which projects at right angles thereto, and against which the book rests when the
leaves or any portion thereof are up. The weight of the leaves is sufficient to hold.
the dog in raised position. When however, the last leaf falls, the dog drops, forcing
backward the spring catch I', and knocking down the arm K, carrying with it the
clutch section and throwing the worm into gear.
The gear wheel I being normally loose on the shaft, to effect a rigid connection"
between the parts when the worm is thrown into gear, I attach to said wheel the'
curved arms M, having each at one end a book m. These arms are pivoted to the
wheel intermediate of the ends, and at the opposite end from the hook m, have each
an anti-friction roller m', which is designed to engage and travel on an adjustable
cam N on the main casting. On the shaft H' is a rigid arm O, which as the wheel I
is turned by the worm is engaged by the hook of one of the arms M and effects the
connection between said wheel and the shaft, so that as said wheel continues its'
movement, it raises the bail H and the book therewith.
When the bail has been raised sufficiently to return the book to its original'
position, the anti-friction roller m' on the arm M, reaches the point n, of the
cam N, which raises the hook out of engagement with the arm O, destroying the'
connection between the shaft H' and the wheel I, and said bail will fall by gravity
to its original position. As it comes to this position, a second hinged arm P, fast
on the shaft. H' comes into engagement with the weighted end of the arm K, said
hinged arm being rigid, throwing said arm K upwardly together with the upper
clutch section, where it is caught and held by the catch 1¹, and the worm j', is again
out of operative engagement with the shaft D.
The book when brought to its original position, carries back the dog L out of
engagement with the catch I¹. The parts are then all in position for a second
operation.
If a small electric motor is used to supply power, it is evident that a greater
current will be required when the book is being raised, than is normally required to
reciprocate the rod C, and to regulate the current supplied to the motor, I provide'
a switch device R. This may consist of the two contact plates r, r', the pivoted,
movable switch arm S, adapted to contact with either plates r, ..
11
To the plater, is connected the main wire, and to the plate ', is connected a fine

page_text: The arm S has an
resistance wire T, which is a shunt from the main wire.
insulated connection with a rod U, which at its other end is connected either to the
arm K as shown. the upper clutch section, or to any other vertically movable part
of the mechanism. When the clutch is thrown out of engagement, this rod
will be moved so as to cause arm S to contact with the plate r, to which is con-
nected the fine resistance wire, causing a consequent slowing up of the motor.
When, however, the clutch and worm are thrown into engagement to raise the
book, the arm S is caused to contact with the plate r, and the motor takes the
full current.
In place of the fine resistance wire, any other rheostat may be
employed.
The above described mechanism for reciprocating the rod or bar C, is preferable,
for the reason that the segment exerts an equal pull on the bar at all points of its
movement, while if a bifurcated lever or other similar device is employed, a greater
leverage is exerted at some points of movement than at others, causing an unequal
strain on the motor. This arrangement also enables the operating mechanism to be
located inside the casing.
It will be understood that in place of displaying the names of streets and stations
the apparatus. may. be employed to display printed or pictorial representations,
photographs or the like.
"
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. In a device for the purpose herein specified, the combination with mechanism
for successively displaying the leaves, of the mechanism automatically thrown into
gear by the turning of the last leaf, for returning said leaves to their original
position.
2. In an indicator and advertising device, the combination with the mechanism for
successively displaying the leaves, of the bail for returning said leaves to their
original position, and mechanism automatically thrown into gear by the falling of
the last leaf to operate said bail.
3. In an indicator and advertising device, the combination with the mechanism for
successively displaying the leaves, of the bail, its shaft and gear wheel, of means
whereby the falling of the last leaf throws mechanism into gear for actuating said
wheel to raise the bail, and means for releasing the bail, and allowing it to fall into
its original position.
4. In an indicator and advertising device, the combination with the book having
the alternately notched leaves, the reciprocating rod adapted to successively release
said leaves, and means for operating said rod, of the mechanism operating by the
turning of the last leaf for automatically returning said leaves.
5. The combination with the mechanism for successively displaying the leaves,
the shaft from which said mechanism is operated, the bail, its shaft, the loose
gear wheel, the worm loose on the first named shaft in engagement with said
wheel, means operated at the turning of the last leaf for making said worm fast
to its shaft, means operated by said wheel to cause its connection with its shaft,
to raise said bail, and means for automatically loosening said wheel to allow the
bail to return, and means for throwing said worm out of gear by the return of
the bail.
6. The combination with the mechanism for displaying the leaves, of the following
mechanism for automatically returning them to their original position, said
mechanism being thrown into gear by the turning of the leaves, the bail, its shaft,
the gear wheel normally loose thereon, the arm and hook device for making said
wheel rigid, and the cam for throwing said devices out of engagement, the worm
loose on the main shaft and the clutch sections for throwing said worm into gear,
the arm or lever operating said clutch, the arm for raising said lever, and the pawl
5 or dog for releasing it.
7. In an indicator or advertising device, the combination with the display

page_text: mechanism and the returning mechanism, of the switch operated from the returning
mechanism.
8. In an indicator or advertising device, the combination with the display
mechanism, the returning mechanism, and the motor for operating said mechanism,
of the switch operated automatically by a connection with the device for throwing
the returning mechanism into and out of gear, for controlling said motor.
9. The combination with the book having the alternately notched leaves, and the
reciprocating rock shaft having the depending lugs or projections, of the lever having
a tooth segment in engagement with a rack on said bar, and a connecting rod
and gear for operating said lever.
10. In an indicator and advertising device, the combination with the bail,
its shaft, and the gear wheel loosely sleeved on said shaft, of the pivoted hooked
arms on said wheel, the arm on the shaft designed to be engaged by the hooked
arms, the cam device for throwing said hook out of engagement and means for
operating said wheel.
11. The combination with the main or power shaft and the clutch thereon, of the
weight arm having connection with one of the clutch sections, means for automati-
cally raising said arm, a catch for retaining it in raised position, and a gravity pawl
or dog for releasing said catch..
12. In an indicator, the combination with mechanism for successively displaying
the leaves thereof, of the mechanism for automatically raising or returning the
displayed leaves to their original position within the indicator.
Dated this 8th day of October 1892.
Dated L015 8th day of October 1892.
MARK ANTHONY.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicant.
MARK
ANTHONY.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicant.