AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING ILLUMINATED ADVERTISEMENTS.
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING ILLUMINATED ADVERTISEMENTS.'
A communication from abroad by Charles Antoine Bourquin and Gérard
Théodore Van-Heers. both of Paris, France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th September 1876.
"
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middle-
sex, Patent Agent. AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING
ILLUMINATED ADVERTISEMENTS."
This Invention relates to an improved method of and apparatus for producing
illuminated advertisements, in which is light employed as the advertising medium,
and the surfaces of street pavements, roads, pathways, or the walls of buildings for
the display.
In carrying out this Invention I employ apparatus more or less similar to the
phantascope, megascope, or magic lantern with its lenses, and by means of reflectors
suitably disposed I project upon the pavement or roadway, or upon the wall of an
adjacent building, the rays from any source of light, such as a lamp or gas flame,
electric, or other light, the rays being made to traverse a glass plate (which may be
colored or not) bearing the letters or designs to be reproduced. These letters or
designs may be translucid, and the remainder of the glass plate opaque, so that the
rays of light traversing only the letters or designs, the latter are projected on an
enlarged scale on the pavement or wall, as the case may be.
In order that the Invention may be more readily understood I have illustrated it
in the accompanying Drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a transverse section in
the direction lengthwise of the pavement upon which the advertisement is to be
projected; and Figure 2, a longitudinal section in the transverse direction of the
same pavement.
This apparatus is suspended at a height of 2 or 3 yards, according to the size of
advertisement desired.

page_text: A is a gas flame or other source of light, and B, B, B, a reflector of parabolic,
circular, or other form best adapted to reflect the rays of light downwards. C is a
dome perforated to allow the gaseous products of combustion to escape. The four
vertical sides D, D, D, D, of the apparatus are of metal or other opaque material
capable of receiving a brilliant polish on the interior surface to reflect as much as
possible the rays of light. K is a slide consisting of a plate of ordinary or colored
glass blackened or made opaque, except the spaces occupied by the letters or designs
composing the advertisement; this plate is shown in Figures 3 and 4 in the posi-
tions to project the advertisement transversely or longitudinally on the pavement;
this slide is removable, so as to be readily replaced by one of a different color or
bearing a different advertisement.
KK
A K°
AT
It will be readily understood that the rays of light from A traversing only the
letters, the latter are reproduced on the pavement in the color of the glass, and
enlarged according to the relative distances of A K° and K°T, as in any case
TT =
since the triangles are similar. The degree of enlargement may
therefore be varied by varying either A K° or K° T, but preferably the latter. It
will however be understood that this variation will be limited by the dimensions of
the pavement or other surface, but the apparatus may be readily adapted to suit
requirements.
The footways may in the above manner be covered with illuminated advertise-
ments of all kinds and colors at but a small expense for the gas or other light. A
cheap mode of advertisement is in this manner provided for large business establish-
ments in the chief towns and centres of trade and surrounding villages.
Each apparatus may be provided with a set of glass slides of different colors and
bearing different advertisements, which may be readily substituted one for another.
The attention of the passer by cannot fail to be attracted by an advertisement
thus thrown in front of his feet; for example, the daily bill of fare of the restau-
rateur; or, more useful still, the address of a medical man whose services may be
required at night time on an emergency. The fire and police stations may also be
thus indicated. The names of streets, and even the number of houses, may also be
advertised in the same manner, so as to facilitate finding an address; and a hundred
other applications might be mentioned.
The advertisements may take any imaginable form, whether rectangular, circular,
octagonal, &c., to suit the fancy; but I would merely remark that the rectangular
form is preferable with the advertisement running in opposite directions, as indi-
cated in the Drawing, in order that passers in both directions may read the same
without having to turn round. This double arrangement is of advantage only when
the advertisement is projected upon the footway, and would be dispensed with when
displayed on walls or the fronts of houses. In this case also the arrangement of the
apparatus would be modified in order to project the rays horizontally instead of
vertically.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th
March 1877.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middle-
sex, Patent Agent. "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING
ILLUMINATED ADVERTISEMENTS." A communication from abroad by Charles Antoine
Bourquin and Gérard Theodore Van Heers, both of Paris, France.
This Invention relates to an improved method of and apparatus for producing
illuminated advertisements, in which light is employed as the advertising medium,
and the surfaces of street pavements, roads, pathways, or the walls of buildings for
the display of the illuminated advertisement.

page_text: In carrying out this Invention I employ apparatus more or less similar to the
phantascope, megascope, or magic lantern with its lenses, and by means of reflectors
suitably disposed I project upon the pavement or roadway, or upon the wall of an
adjacent building, the rays from any suitable source of light, such as a lamp or gas
flame, electric or other light, the rays being made to traverse a glass plate (which
may be colored or not) bearing the letters or designs to be reproduced. These letters
or designs may be translucid, and the remainder of the glass plate opaque, so that
the rays of light traversing only the letters or designs, the latter are projected on an
enlarged scale on the surface of the pavement or wall, as the case may be.
In order that the Invention may be more readily understood I have illustrated it
in the accompanying Drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a transverse section in
the direction lengthwise of the pavement upon which the advertisement is to be
projected; and Figure 2, a longitudinal section in the transverse direction of the
same pavement.
This apparatus is suspended at a height of 2 or 3 yards, according to the size of
advertisement desired.
A is a gas flame or other source of light, and B, B, B, a reflector of parabolic,
circular, or other form best adapted to reflect the rays of light downwards. C is a
dome perforated to allow the gaseous products of combustion to escape. The four
vertical sides D, D, D, D, of the apparatus are of metal or other opaque material
capable of receiving a brilliant polish on the interior surface to reflect as much as
possible the rays of light. K is a slide consisting of a plate of ordinary or colored
glass blackened or made opaque, except the spaces occupied by the letters or designs
composing the advertisement; this plate is shown in Figures 3 and 4 in the posi-
tions to .oject the advertisement transversely or longitudinally on the pavement;
this slide is removable, so as to be readily replaced by one of a different color or
bearing a different advertisement.
KK
TT
====
A K°
AT
It will be readily understood that the rays of light from A traversing only the
letters, the latter are reproduced on the pavement in the color of the glass, and
enlarged according to the relative distances of A K° and K°T, as in any caso
since the triangles are similar. The degree of enlargement may
therefore be varied by varying either A K° or K°T, but preferably the latter. It
will however be understood that this variation will be limited by the dimensions of
the pavement or other surface, but the apparatus may be readily adapted to suit
requirements.
The footways may in the above manner be covered with illuminated advertise-
ments of all kinds and colors at but a small expense for the gas or other light. A
cheap mode of advertisement is in this manner provided for large business establish-
ments in the chief towns and centres of trade and surrounding villages.
Each apparatus may be provided with a set of glass slides of different colors and
bearing different advertisements, which may be readily substituted one for another.
The attention of the passer by cannot fail to be attracted by an advertisement
thus thrown in front of his feet; for example, the daily bill of fare of the restaurant;
or, more useful still, the address of a medical man whose services may be required
at night time on an emergency. The fire and police stations may also be thus indi-
cated. The names of streets, and even the numbers of houses may also be advertised
in the same manner, so as to facilitate finding an address; and a hundred other
applications might be mentioned.
The advertisements may take any imaginable form, whether rectangular, circular,
octagonal, &c., to suit the fancy, but I would merely remark that the octagonal
form is preferable with the advertisement running in opposite directions, as indi-
cated in the Drawing, in order that passers in both directions may read the same
without having to turn round. This double arrangement is of advantage only when
the advertisement is projected upon the footway, and would be dispensed with when
displayed on walls or the fronts of houses. In this case also the arrangement of the

page_text: apparatus would be modified in order to project the letters in a horizontal instead
of in a vertical direction.
The interiors of houses and public buildings, railway platforms and embankments,
rivers, and other surfaces upon which light can be reflected, may also be utilized for
the purposes of this Invention; also, blinds, shop windows, doors of shops and
private houses, marble and other floors, which by their color will render the effect
of the luminous advertisement more brilliant.
The letters or designs may either be projected in a downward or upward direction,
or obliquely at any angle from 0 to 90°, this effect being obtained by means of
suitable reflectors, mirrors, or prisms combined with the apparatus, and made
adjustable in such manner as to permit of directing the illuminated advertisement
upon any point around the apparatus without moving the same.
The apparatus
may also be made to concentrate the luminous rays within a limited space, forming
in this case an efficient and cheap substitute for the reflectors now used for illumi-
nating the contents of shop windows.
Although the apparatus has been described as stationary, or as suspended from a
fixed point, it will be understood that it may be mounted on street carriages and
other vehicles, steam boats, &c.
Any suitable means may be adopted for automatically shifting or changing the
illuminated advertisement at regular intervals; for example, a disc may be used
bearing a certain number of advertising slides set in motion by clockwork.
The advantages of the above Invention are,-
1st. Simplicity.
2nd. Small cost for providing and maintaining the light.
3rd. The facility of changing the advertisement, as also of producing the same in
various colors so as to forcibly arrest the attention of passers by their brilliancy,
form, and position.
Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the improved method of and appa-
ratus for producing illuminated advertisements by the application of light, whether
natural or artificial, for the reproduction on an enlarged scale of letters or designs of
all kinds upon the walls of buildings, roads, footways, shop fronts, and doors, and
other surfaces, as specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.