Improved Means for Oasting Illuminated Representations of Pictures and other Objects' on Walls, Pavements, and like Surfaces for Advertising and other Purposes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Dec., 1896-Accepted, 8th May, 1897
.COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Oasting Illuminated Representations of
Pictures and other Objects' on Walls, Pavements, and like
Surfaces for Advertising and other Purposes.
We, JOHN UPTON BARR, Junior, of 606 Herron Avenue, Pittsburgh, County
of Allegheny, State of Pennsylvania, Gentleman, and HERBERT AUGUSTUS
HULET, of Shaftsbury, County of Bennington, State of Vermont, Commercial
Traveller, all in the United States of America, 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 :-
Our invention relates to illuminated sign apparatus.
The object of our invention is to provide an apparatus for automatically
exhibiting upon the street or pavement or upon a wall, screen or the like, a
series of illuminated pictorial or other objects in succession for advertising
or other purposes, and to provide a novel apparatus which can be employed for
indicating the exact time or hour of the day or night, as well as the advertising.
To accomplish these objects, our invention involves the features of construction,
the combinations or arrangement of elements, and the principles of operation
hereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying
drawings in which :-
Figure 1 is a side view of the box containing the apparatus embodying our
invention;
Figure 2 is a vertical central section of the box;
Figure 3 is an enlarged top view of the apparatus employed;
Figure 4 is a still further enlarged bottom view thereof;
Figure is a side view of the apparatus;
Figure 6 is an enlarged cross section on the line 6-6 Figure, 3; and
Figure 7 is an enlarged detail view.
Like letters indicate like parts in each of the figures of the drawings.
The box A is preferably formed of metal such as tin etc., and is provided with
the openings a for ventilating purposes. At the lower end of the box A is the
neck b around which are formed the openings c in the bottom cl of the box A to
further ventilate the same. Below the neck b is the receptacle d for the reception
of the apparatus B, and a neck el is formed in the door or lid e below the
receptacle d for the lens. As preferred by me an incandescent electric lamp g
enters the top of the box A opposite the neck b, and a reflector is hung within the
box A above the lamp g, so that the rays of light are reflected through the neck
and apparatus B as hereinafter described. The apparatus B is passed into the
receptacle d through the door e and is held therein by pins d 1 on the blocks d 2,
the said pins d 1 entering. the notches it in the circular plate i of the apparatus B,
and upon the apparatus B being turned one of the pins di will come in contact with
the stop i2, so holding the apparatus B securely within the receptacle d. The
apparatus B rests against the blocks d 2, so forming an air space d 3 between the top
of the receptacle d and the apparatus B. Secured to the bottom face i3 of the
circular plate at one side thereof is the ordinary clock-work mechanism C used
for indicating the time, the hand operating shaft of which extends through the
circular plate i and has the gear wheels j1j2 thereon above the top face i4 of the

page_text: plate An opening 1 is formed in the plate i within which is secured the glass.
clock dial k containing the different time characters thereon, and fitting around the
diul is the case which has the flange on its top edge and the flanges 12 around
the sides thereof for securing it to the top face id of the plate i. Fitting loosely
within the case i and held therein by the flange is the loose ring m, around the
outside periphery of which is the gear face m 1 which meshes with the gear wheel 1
on the shaft through an opening 13 in the side of the case . Between the loose
ring m and the dial k is the glass plate n which is loosely held within the case by
means of the ring n 1 secured around the same and provided with the gear face n2
which meshes with the gear wheel j2 on the shaft j. The minute band m2 is
rigidly secured to the inside face of the loose ring m, and the hour hand n 3 is
rigidly secured by cement or in any other suitable manner to the upper surface of
the glass plate n. Passing through the centre of the plate i is the shaft o to which
is connected the clock-work mechanism D the said clock-work mechanism being
used for displaying the different advertisements, and being rigidly securel to the
bottom face i3 of the plate i by means of the frame D1 which supports the said
clock work mechanism D and the clock-work mechanism C. Secured to the upper
end of the shaft o between the plates oi o 2 is the glass disk p which is formed
circular and is provided with a number of advertising spaces p1 thereon, the said
disk p being held between the plates o1 o2 by means of the nut o 3 engaging with
the end of the shaft o by screw threads in the ordinary manner. Secured upon the
shaft g of the clock-work mechanism C is the ratchet wheel q1 within. which
engages the pawl 92 secured on the lower end of the lever g 3, the upper end of
which is rigidly secured around a rock shaft r journallel in the feams DL of the
clock-work mechanism C. A spiral spring g4 connects the lever g3 and the
frame D1 at 5 and draws the pawl g into engagement with the ratchet wheel g
The shaft r is also provided with a levers which is connected thereto at one end
and its opposite end is provided with two projecting flanges 12 having an
opening 3 between them for a pin t 1 on a gear wheel located in the clock-work
mechanism D and engaging with a small gear wheel t 2 on a shaft w in the clock-
work mechanism D for operating the disk p to operate and change the advertise-
ments. A small opening 4 is formed in the flange s2 for the entrance of the
pint 1 into the opening s3 between the flanges s I s 2. The clock-work mechanism C
and the clock-work mechanism D are almost identical in form, except that the
clock-work mechanism D is minus the balance wheel u, hair spring ul and
regulator 2 such as shown on the clock-work mechanism C in Figure 4.
handle is secured to the bottom face i3 of the circular or plate i for the purpose
of inserting and withdrawing the apparatus from the box A.
The operation of our improved illuminated sign apparatus is as follows:-After
the clock-work mechanism C and D of the apparatus B have been wound up in the
ordinary manner and the balance wheel u is started the apparatus B is inserted
within the receptacle d of the box A which has heeu so placed that the time and
advertisements will be thrown upon the street, side-walk, wall or screen as desired.
Upon the movement of the balance whee: u, the cloek-work mechanism C is put
into operation and through the medium of the chain of gearing therein, the
shaft is turned to indicate the time by means of the gear wheel j 1 on the shaft j
meshing with the gear face m 1 on the loose ring m on the loose minute hand m2,
and the gear wheelj 2 on the shaft j meshing with the gear face n 2 on the ring n I
secured around the glass plate a carrying the hour hand a 3. Daring the move-
ment of the clock-work imechanism C, the shaft g therein is slowly revolved,
imparting motion to the ratchet wheel 1 connected thereto. As the ratchet
wheel 9 Tis turned, the pawl q 2 engaging therewith is raised by a tooth once in
about every three minutes and through the lever q3 connected to the rock-shaft r,
raises the flanges 1s 2 on the levers from engagement with the pin 1 on the
gear-wheelt in the clock-work mechanism D, so allowing the gear-wheel to
revolve, and, through the chain of gearing in the clock-work mechanism D, turning
the shalt o therein sufficiently to place another of the advertising spaces pl

page_text: opposite the centre of the glass plate.n and clock-dial k. When the tooth of the
ratchet-wheel has moved past the pawl q', the said pawl descends again by the
action of the spring g', and the pin t', on completing its revolution, passes through
the aperture and comes to rest against the flange s', when the mechanism is
ready for another operation. While the apparatus B is in the receptacle d of the
box A, the lamp g is above and opposite one of the advertising spaces p 1 on the
disc p which appears opposite the centre of the glass plate n and dial k, so that
the time indicated by the hands m³ n³ on the ring m and glass plate n, with the
characters on the glass dial k, will appear on the sidewalk, street, screen or other
suitable place, as well as the advertisement in the space p1, when the light is
reflected from the lamp g by means of the reflector and down through the
condensor b, disc p, glass plate n, dial k and lens fin the neck e 1.
It will thus be seen that, by the use of our improved illuminated sign apparatus
different advertising signs can be shown upon the sidewalks, streets, walls or screens
as well as the exact time of the day or night. The number of advertisements can
be changed at will and can be shown as rapidly as desired by the simple changing
of the parts. The apparatus is automatic in its action and does not require any
attention whatever except the winding of the mechanism at the proper time
when it has run down. The parts are simple in their construction and durable,
and the apparatus is not liable to get out of order or be affected by the
weather.
Various modifications in the construction and position of the various parts of the
apparatus may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or
sacrificing any of its advantages.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. An illuminated sign apparatus, comprising a lens and a source of light,
a clock-dial, means for indicating the time, mechanism carrying a picture or
pictures, and means for operating the time-indicating apparatus and picture-carrying
mechanism, substantially as described.
2. An illuminated sign apparatus, comprising a lens and source of light, a picture
er pictures, a transparent clock-dial and hands, and mechanism connected to said
picture or pictures and clock-hands whereby the picture or pictures and the time
indicated by the clock-dial and hands are displayed upon a surface at the same
time, substantially as described.
3. An illuminated sign apparatus, comprising a lens and a source of light,
a transparent clock-dial, means for indicating the time, mechanism for carrying
a picture or pictures, and means for operating said time-indicating apparatus and
picture-carrying mechanism, substantially as described.
4. An illuminated sign apparatus, comprising a lens and a source of light,
a clock dial, means for indicating the time mechanism carrying a picture or
pictures, and means for operating said time indicating apparatus and picture
carrying mechanism, the entire apparatus being contained in a box or case,
substantially as described.
5. Au illuminated sign apparatus, comprising a box or case containing a lens and
the source of light, a set of pictures within said box or case, a trausparent clock-dial,
a minute and hour haud carried on separate parts, and mechanism connected to
said pictures and parts carrying the minute and hour hands, whereby the pictures
and time indicated on the clock-dial by the minute and -hour hands are automatically
displayed upon the surface, substantially as described.
6. An illuminated sign apparatus, comprising a lens and a source of light, a clock
dial, means for indicating the time, mechanism carrying picture or pictures,
means for operating the time indicating apparatus, and means for operating the
picture carrying mechanism operatively connected to the apparatus for working
the time indicating apparatus, substantially as described.

page_text: 7. An illuminated sign apparatus, comprising a lens and a source of light a clock
dial, means for indicating the time, mechanism carrying a picture or pictures,
clock-work mechanism for operating said time indicating apparatus, and clock-work
mechanism for operating said picture carrying mechanism, substantially as
described.
8. An illuminated sign apparatus, comprising a lens and source of light, a clock
dial, means for indicating the time, mechanism carrying a picture or pictures,
clock-work mechanism for operating said time indicating mechanism, and clock-work
mechanism for operating said picture carrying mechanism operatively connected to
said first named clock-work mechanism, substantially as described.
9. In illuminated sign apparatus, the combination with a box or case, containing
a lens and the source of light, of a set of pictures within said box or case, a
clock-dial, clock-hands mounted on separate parts, clock-work mechanism for
operating the clock-hands, clock-work mechanism connected to the pictures, and
mechanism connected to said first clock-work mechanism for operating the second
clock-work mechanism to automatically change or shift the pictures, substantially
as described.
10. In illuminated sign apparatus, the combination with a box or case containing
a lens and the source of light, of a set of pictures within said box or case, a clock
dial, clock-hands mounted on separate parts, clock-work mechanism for operating
the clock-hands, clock-work mechanism connected to the pictures, a ratchet wheel
on said first clock-work mechanism, a spring lever having a pawl thereon engaging
with said ratchet wheel, a shaft connected to said spring lever, and a lever
connected to said shaft at one end and having its opposite end engaging with a piu
on a gear wheel mounted on a shaft in the second clock-work mechanism to
automatically change or shift the pictures, substantially as described.
11. In illuminated sign apparatus, the combination with a box or case containing
a lens and the source of light, of a plate or body portion secured within the box or
case, a transparent clock-dial secured within the said body portion, a transparent
plate having the hour-hand secured thereto, a flanged case around the transparent
plate, a loose ring within the flanged case having the minute hand secured thereto,
clock work mechanism secured to said body portion, and gear faces around said
transparent plate and loose ring adapted to engage with gear wheels on a shaft in
the clock-work mechanism, substantially as described.
12. In illuminated sign apparatus, the combination with a box or case containing
a lens and the source of light, of a plate or body portion secured within the box or
case, a transparent clock-dial secured within an opening in the body portion, a
transparent plate having the hour-hand secured thereto a flanged case around the
transparent plate, a loose ring within the flanged case having the minute hand
secured thereto clock-work mechanism secured to said body portion at one side
thereof, gear faces around the transparent plate and loose ring adapted to engage
with gear wheels on a shaft in the clock-work mechanism, a disk carrying a set of
pictures secured on a shaft located within the body portion, clock-work mechanism
connected to said shaft, and mechanism connected to said first clock-work
mechanism for operating the second clock work mechanism to automatically change
or shift the pictures, substantially as described.
13. An illuminated sign apparatus, comprising a lens and the source of light, a
transparent clock-dial, a transparent plate having the hour-hand secured thereto, a
loose ring having the minute hand secured thereto, a mechanism for operating said
transparent plate and loose ring, substantially as described.
14. An illuminated sign, apparatus, comprising a lens and a source of light, a
transparent clock-dial, a transparent plate having the hour-hand secured thereto, a
flanged case around the transparent plate, a loose ring within the flanged case, and
mechanisin for operating said transparent plate and loose ring, substantially as
described.
15. An illuminated sign apparatus, comprising a lens and source of light, a
transparent clock-dial, a transparent plate having the hour-hand secured thereto, a

page_text: flanged case around the transparent plate, a loose ring within the flanged case, and
gear faces around said transpareut plate and loose ring adapted to engage with
gear wheels on a shaft in a clock-work mechanism, substantially as described.
Dated this 12th day of December 1896.
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12 Southampton Buildings. London. W.C.,.
Agents for the Applicants..