Improvements in the Artificial Illumination of Transparent Inscrip- tions, Designs, and the like for the purpose of Displaying or Exhibiting the same.
Year: 1896

page_text: Improvements in the Artificial Illumination of Transparent Inscrip-
tions, Designs, and the like for the purpose of Displaying or
Exhibiting the same.
We, HENRY FOLLETT OSLER, and ALFRED CLARKSON OSLER, and JOHN TAYLOR
OSLER, trading as F. and C. Osler, of Broad Street, Birmingham in the County
of Warwick, Glass Manufacturers, and HENRY HINDMARSII, of No. 116 Gough
Road, Birmingham, aforesaid, Manager of Works, do hereby declare the nature
of this Invention to be as follows:-
The said invention consists of the construction and arrangement of parts
hereinafter described whereby transparent inscriptions, designs and the like having
a lamp or lamps at their back are so lighted up that a person in front sees the said
inscription, design or the like brilliantly illuminated whatever the angle at which
he looks at it.
We will describe the said invention in connection with a word say the proper
name Osler.
In the front of an opaque box or chamber the letters forming the said name are
cut out, the openings being filled with similarly formed letters of glass the front
or external faces of which are preferably treated in the manner hereinafter
described. In the interior of the said box or chamber is a row of, say, three,
incandescent or electrical glow lamps. At the back of the said box or chamber
is a silvered glass mirror covering preferably the whole of the said back. The
front of the said glass mirror has two series of V-shaped grooves cut or otherwise
formed in it, the grooves of one series crossing the grooves of the other series
preferably at right angles. By these crossing grooves a series of facets or small
reflecting surfaces are formed by which facets light falling on the mirror is
reflected practically in all directions from the front of the mirror. A similar
result may be obtained by cutting or forming the front of the mirror in various
other ways. A person passing in front of the transparent letters sees the said
letters brilliantly lighted up by the light reflected from the facets of the mirror at
whatever angle he looks upon them. The lighting up of the letters by the
light reflected from the facets of the mirror is supplemented by the light radiated
directly from the illuminant.
In order the more effectually to diffuse the light and thereby to produce a more
uniform illumination of the transparent letters their front or back faces may be
provided with two series of crossing V-shaped grooves preferably much smaller
than those of the reflector. Or the transparent letters may be otherwise cut so as
to produce a series of small facets.
The source of light may be other than electricity and the grooves in the mirror
and letters may be made either by the process of cutting or by moulding.

page_text: The sides and ends of the box or chamber may be lined with silvered glass
to increase the reflecting surface.
Dated this twenty-fifth day of September 1896.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicants.
Improvements in the Artificial Illumination of Transparent Inscrip-
tions, Designs, and the like for the purpose of Displaying or
Exhibiting the same.
We, HENRY FOLLETT OSLER, and ALFRED CLARKSON OSLER, and JOHN TAYLOR
OSLER, trading as F. & C. Osler, of Broad Street, Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick Glass Manufacturers and HENRY HINDMARSI, of No. 116 Gough
Road, Birmingham aforesaid, Manager of Works, do hereby declare the nature
of the said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
The said invention consists of the construction and arrangement of parts
hereinafter described, whereby transparent inscriptions, designs and the like having
a lamp or lamps at their back are so lighted up that a person in front sees the said
inscription design or the like, brilliantly illuminated whatever the angle at which
he looks at it.
We will describe the said invention in connection with a word, say, the proper
name Osler.
In the front of an opaque box or chamber the letters forming the said name are
cut out, the openings being filled with similarly formed letters of glass. In the
interior of the said box or chamber is a row of, say, three or four incandescent or
electrical glow lamps. At the back of the said box or chamber is a silvered glass
mirror or other reflector covering the said back. The front of the said glass
mirror has two series of V-shaped grooves cut or otherwise formed in it, the
grooves of one series crossing the grooves of the other series, preferably, at right
angles. By these crossing grooves, a series of facets or small reflecting surfaces
are formed, by which facets light falling on the mirror is reflected practically in
all directions from the front of the mirror. A similar result may be obtained by
cutting or forming the front of the mirror in various other ways.
A person passing in front of the transparent letters sees the said letters brilliantly
lighted up by the light reflected from the facets of the mirror at whatever angle
he looks upon them.
In order to more effectually diffuse the light and thereby to produce a more
uniform illumination of the transparent letters, the front or back faces may be
provided with two series of crossing V-shaped grooves; or the transparent letters
may be otherwise cut in any suitable manner.
The sides and ends of the box or chamber may be lined with silvered glass i to
increase the reflecting surface.--See Figs. 4 & 5.
Figure 1, of the accompanying Drawing represents in perspective the opaque
box or chamber which we use for the artificial illumination of the transparent
inscription carried by the front of the same.
The said front of the box or
chamber is represented removed in Figure 1 but is shown detached in Figure 2;
Figure 3 represents a cross section of the box or chamber with the front carrying
the transparent inscription fixed in its place, the said section being taken through
the letter E of the name Osler as indicated by the dotted line in Figure 2;
Figures 4 and 5 represent an alternative arrangement of the back mirror.

page_text: The same letters of reference indicate the same parts.
a is the opaque box or chamber in the bottom of which a row of incandescent or
electrical glow lamps b, b is supported; c is the front of the box or chamber made
of metal (or other material) fixed in its place by screws or otherwise. In the
front c of the box, openings are made having the snape of the letters or inscriptions
to be illuminated, and the said openings are filled with similarly shaped glass
letters or devices. One of the letters fixed in the front of the box is marked d in
Figures 3 and 5. The front and back faces of the glass letters may be cut or
moulded in any suitable manner.
As an alternative arrangement the back of the box or chamber may be lined
with a silvered glass or metal ribbed mirror e (see Figures 1 and 3) the ribs of the
mirror being vertical as represented. The top and bottom of the box or chamber
may also be lined with ribbed mirrors f, g but the ribs in this case are horizontal;
or the direction of the ribs may be reversed. The ends of the box or chamber may
be provided with plain or unribbed reflecting surfaces.
By lining the inside of the box or chamber with ribbed or faceted reflecting
surfaces as described and represented, the light falling upon them is reflected
practically in all directions so as to brilliantly light up the glass letters of the
name or inscription or device in the front of the said box or chamber. The
diffusion of the light is also increased and a more uniform illumination of the
transparent letters obtained by the cutting of the front or back of the said letters
in facets or otherwise.
By the combination of parts described and illustrated, a person in front of the
box or chamber a, sees the transparent inscription or design carried by its front,
brilliantly illuminated whatever the angle at which he looks at it. The electrical
glow lamps b, bare not placed immediately behind the glass letters or inscription
but in the opaque spaces between the glass letters or inscription so that nearly the
whole of the light passing through the said inscription is reflected from the mirror
at back and diffused in a uniform manner by the facets or ribs.
The source of light in the box or chamber may be other than electricity.
The apparatus constituting the said invention may be used for the artificial
illumination of inscriptions designs or the like within a room or shop or outside
a building.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed We declare that We
claim as the said invention:-
The construction and arrangements or combinations of parts hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, for the artificial illumina-
tion of transparent inscriptions, designs, and the like, for the purpose of displaying or
exhibiting the same; that is to say, fitting or forming the glass or transparent
inscription, design or the like to be illuminated in the front of an opaque box or
chamber having in its interior incandescent or electrical glow lamps or other
source of artificial light, the front or back of the transparent inscription or design,
being preferably formed into facets or inclined reflecting surfaces, and lining the
interior of the back or back and top and bottom of the opaque box or chamber
with ribbed, grooved or faceted reflecting surfaces for the purposes and substantially
as described and illustrated.
Dated the fourth day of June 1897.
HENRY FOLLETT OSLER,
ALFRED CLARKSON OSLER,
JOHN TAYLOR OSLER,
HENRY HINDMARSH.