An Improved Sign-letter or Symbol.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Aug., 1890-Accepted, 25th Oct., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Sign-letter or Symbol.
I JOHN GARRETT TONGUE of the firm of Tongue & Birkbeck of 34 Southampton
Buildings Chancery Lane London in the County of Middlesex Patent Agents (a
communication to mo from abroad by George James Bellamy Rodwell of 10 King
Street East Manufacturer, Herbert Canning Secord of 40 Rose Avenue Accountant
and Samuel John Moore of 28 Front Street West Manufacturer all in the City of
Toronto Canada) 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 to the class of letters or symbols designed chiefly for signs
on the glass panes of windows and doors and which are stamped out of sheet metal
and the object of the invention is not only to produce a letter or symbol which shall
present a striking and attractive appearance but more particularly to shield and
protect the front or obverse side from becoming soiled or defaced; and it consists
essentially in forming the sign-letter or symbol with a recess or concavity in its front
or obverse side and securing the same with the said front or obverse side against the
pane of glass, all as hereinafter more fully described and specifically set forth in the
claims.
Figure 1 is a view showing the letters cemented on the back of a transparent body
or surface.
Figure 2 is a detached perspective view of the front or obverse side of a letter
made in accordance with my invention.
Figure 3 is a cross-section through x-y, in Figure 2 on an enlarged scale.
Heretofore in the class of sign letters on which my invention is an improvement,
it has been customary to form the letter with the convexity on the front or obverse
side of the letter and to fasten the same with its concaved back or reverse side against
the outer side of the pane of glass. This arrangement is subject to many defects and
objections among which may be mentioned that the letter is exposed to the inclemency
of the weather so that it requires a suitably enameled coating to protect its face and
even the enamel is disfigured by dirt and action of the weather. The said exposure
affects the attaching cement of the letter and is liable to cause the same to drop from
its position on the glass pane. The exposed convex front or obverse side of the letter
presents a dull appearance of a plainly painted letter.
By forming the recess or concave on the front or obverse side of the letter and by
guilding, polishing, or otherwise ornamenting the said recessed or concaved front
and securing the face or front to a pane of glass, a strikingly brilliant sign-letter is
produced, the brilliancy being greatly enhanced by the transparency and high polish
of the glass cover, and the refraction of the light admitted through the glass
front.
Furthermore by covering and shielding the recessed or concaved front of the
letter or symbol by a pane of glass the usual expensive enamel may be dispensed
with.
In the drawing,
A represents a sign-letter which I prefer to stamp out of sheet copper or other
light material by means of suitable dies which form the front or obverse side of the
letter concaved or recessed, advantageously V-shaped or angular in cross-section as
indicated in Fig. 3, in contra-distinction to the formation of the concave or recess
in the back or reverse side of the letter as heretofore formed, a Hat edge being
left around the front or obverse side of the letter so that the said front or obverse
side may be readily and securely cemented to the glass or other transparent
body B.

page_text: The concaved or recessed surface of the letter A, is gilded, polished or otherwise
ornamented. I find it advantageous as before stated, to make the recess in the front
or obverse side of the let er angular or V-shaped in form as shown in Figure 3, as
the refraction of the light through the glass upon the V- or angularly shaped recess
produces a much more brilliant effect than when the said recess is simply concave
in form.
a represents a narrow groove which I make around the edge of the letter in which
groove the cement for fastening the letter to the glass is inserted. This groove is not
absolutely necessary but will be found to be an advantage in large letters. The glass
cover B, placed over the front or obverse side of the letter not only greatly increases
the brilliancy of the letter but also protects its surface so that its brilliancy is
preserved for an indefinite time.
The letters being on the inside of the window they are protected from mischievous
boys who are tempted to pick them off with their knives when exposed on the
outside of the window and the smooth convex form of the back or reverse side of
the letter does not present any obstruction to the cleaning of the inside of the
. window.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is :
1) An improved sign-letter or symbol of the class herein specified formed recessed
in its front or obverse side, as set forth.
2) An improved sign-letter or symbol formed recessed in its front or obverse side
and raised correspondingly on its back or reverse side, as set forth.
3) A sign-letter or symbol formed recessed in its front or obverse side and with an
attaching edge on said side, as set forth.
4) A sign-letter or symbol formed recessed in its front or obverse side and with an
attaching edge on said side and raised correspondingly on its back or reverse side, as
set forth.
5) A sign-letter or symbol formed V-shaped in cross-section of its body, the said
recess being ou its front or obverse side, as set forth.
6) A sign-or advertisement composed of letters or symbols formed recessed in
their obverse sides and secured thereat on the inner side of a glass pane, as set
forth.
7) A sign-letter or symbol, formed recessed in its front side, the said recess being
polished, gilded or otherwise ornamented, an attaching edge surrounding said recessed
face to receive the cement which holds the sign-leiter or symbol in position with its
polished, gilded or otherwise ornamented face next the glass or other iransparent
material, as set forth.
8) A sign-letter or symbol recessed in its front or obverse side the said recess
being polished, gilded or otherwise ornamented, in combination with a transparent
cover placed over the recessed face, as set forth.
9) A sign-letter or symbol having a recessed face polished guilded or otherwise
ornamented, in combination with a transparent cover cemented airtight to said
recessed face, as set forth.
10) A sign-letter or symbol having an angularly recessed, polished guilded
or otherwise ornamented face surrounded by an edge to receive the cement which
secures it to the glass with its gilded face next to said glass, as set forth.
Dated this 1st day of August 1800
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Patentee.