An Improved Illuminated Board or Stand for Displaying Words, Numbers, or other Matter
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Jan.,
1897
Complete Specification Left, 21st Oct., 1897-Accepted, 11th Dec., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
"An Improved Illuminated Board or Stand for Displaying Words,
Numbers, or other Matter."
I, JOHN WILLIAM HUNTER, of 13, St. Stephens Square, Bayswater, in the County
of London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a stand or board for displaying any printed or written
matter required to be seen by a number of persons. For this purpose I suitably
perforate the face of the stand and behind the perforations I place strips of
transparent, or semi-transparent material by sliding them between guides, by
mounting them upon rollers, or otherwise. The said strips have the required
information printed on or otherwise applied to them. By turning the rollers or
replacing one strip by another the information thereon may be brought opposite the
perforation where it can be readily seen.
The board or stand is adapted to be lighted from behind, and if desired is provided.
with a covering for the light.
Such a device when used as a programme stand may be provided with a pair of
rellers on which a semi-transparent strip is mounted bearing the names of the kinds
"Quadrille" or the
of dances to be performed in a ball-room; for example, "Waltz
like, the name required to be shown being brought opposite an opening by pulling a
string wound upon one of the rollers, the said rollers being turned in the opposite
direction by means of a spring or otherwise. The dances may be indicated in a
similar manner by displaying the number of the dance, for instance the numeral “3”
at another perforation.
The names of each of the dances to be performed may be borne by semi-transparent
strips adapted to be placed behind other openings in the board and held in place by
guides.
The board may be provided with a support at its back for holding the lamp by
means of which the strips bearing the information are illuminated.
A device according to this invention may be provided with a bell or gong adapted
to be automatically sounded each time the matter displayed at an opening in the
board is changed or replaced by other matter.
Dated this 22nd day of January 1897 -
An Improved Illuminated Board or Stand for Displaying Words,
Numbers or other Matter.
I, JOHN WILLIAM HUNTER, of 13 St. Stephens Square, Bayswater, in the County of
London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what

page_text: in and by the following statement:
This invention relates to an improved stand or board for displaying any printed or
written matter required to be seen by a number of persons. For the purposes of my
invention I suitably perforate the face of the stand and behind the perforations I
arrange in guides, or mounted on rollers or otherwise, strips of transparent or semi-
transparent material having the required information written or printed thereon or
otherwise applied to them. On turning the rollers or replacing one strip by another
the desired indications are brought opposite the perforations where they can be seen
from the front.
The board or stand is adapted to be lighted from behind and if desired is provided
with a covering for the light.
Referring to the accompanying, drawings which illustrate the ball programme
*stand constructed according to my invention,
Fig. 1 is a face view, and
Fig. 2 is a plan of the stand.
Fig. 3 is a side view looking from the right of Fig. 1, and
Fig. 4 is a side view looking from the left of Fig. 1.
Fig. 5 is a rear view of the stand,
Fig. 6 is a plan of a hinged bracket for supporting the stand, and
Fig. 7 illustrates on a larger scale the mode sometimes adoped for fixing in the
stand certain slips hereinafter referred to.
"
Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in the several figures.
The front or face A of the stand is made of cardboard, sheet metal, celluloid, or
other suitable material and is secured upon a light frame B Fig. 5 which may be
arranged to rest upon a foot C or be otherwise supported. The face A is provided
with a long opening a to exhibit the name of the next dance upon the programme
and a smaller opening 6 through which the number of the dance is exhibited.
The said names and numbers are written or printed upon or otherwise applied to
transparent or semi-transparent strips of material D, E. The strip D is wound up on
and has its ends fastened to a pair of rollers d, di mounted in the frame B in such a
männer that by turning the said rollers, the strip can be wound upon one and
unwound from the other and any desired part of it can thus be brought opposite the
opening a in the face A: Similarly, the strip E is wound upon a pair e, e¹ and can be
wound on one and off the other by turning the rollers, thus causing the strip to
travel behind the opening 6 in the face A.
The rollers may be rotated in any suitable manner, for example by pulling on a
string against the tension of a spring or an elastic cord which draws them back when
the string is released.
In the drawing the rollers 'd, d¹ are shown projecting beyond their bearings at the
léft side, and a string F by which the rollers are turned is wound on the end of the
roller d and hangs freely as indicated. F¹ is an elastic cord for drawing the rollers
back when the string F is released.
The said cord passes over a guide pulley.f and bas one end secured to the roller d¹
and the other end secured to the frame at f¹. The object of this arrangement is to
secure in a compact form a long elastic cord so as to ensure ample extensibility
without risk of breaking and to obtain a uniform pull over a long distance.
The string F is initially wound several times round the roller d so that when it is
pulled it causes the roller to turn and so wind the strip D on the roller d and off the
roller d' and draw the various names on the strip successively past the opening a.
By the rotation of the upper roller d' the elastic cord F¹ is wound upon its projecting
end and extra tension is placed in 'the cord, which operates to draw back the rollers
when the string F is released. To retain the strip D at any desired place, the string
is hitched round a cleat f2 which serves to hold it. The strip E is moved in a precisely
similar manner by means of a string G which is arranged at the right side of the
device, but in this instance I have provided for ringing a bell while the change is
being made. For this purpose I pass the string Gover a guide pulley g and round

page_text: a pulley h on the spindle of the bell H attached to the frame, then back over another
pulley g¹ and finally around the end of the roller e. It will be obvious that when the
string is pulled it will ring the bell H besides turning the rollers e, e¹. Either string
may be arranged to ring the bell.
The elastic cord G¹ attached to the upper roller e¹ passes round a guide pulley g²
and is attached to the frame at G³. g* is the cleat to which the cord G can be
fastened. I have shown and described an elastic cord for drawing back the rollers,
as this is a very simple and convenient method, but I may use a helical or other
spring or weight for that purpose.
The apparatus is intended to be illuminated by a light from behind so as to show
up the names or indications on the strips. If desired the light may be boxed in,
but usually it will not be necessary to do this.
In Figs. 4 and 6 I have shown an arm J for securing the device to a gas bracket
for example, which is a convenient method when the device is to be illuminated by
gas.
K is a clamp by which the attachment is effected. The arm J may be rigid, or
it may be hinged or jointed as shown at j. j¹ to allow of the apparatus being raised or
lowered to adjust its position with respect to the light behind it. The joints are
sufficiently stiff to support the weight of the device. Besides indicating the number
of the dance next on the programme and its name as above described, I also construct
the indicator with slots or openings 1, so that the whole programme can be
exhibited through them by means of printed or written slips L placed behind the
openings. The slips are preferably transparent. A very convenient mode of
arranging and securing the said slips in place is by threading their ends through slits
in a thin sheet metal or cardboard strip M Fig. 7 which strips may be readily secured
in place behind the face A by means of spring clips m, m. The slits in the strip M
are spaced the same distance apart as the openings in the face A. In Fig. 5 I have
shown one strip M in place behind the board.
My invention can be equally well applied to various other indicators that are
required to be seen by a number of people at once or from a considerable distance.
For instance I can utilize it for making a billiard marker, the strips in that case
being furnished with figures to indicate the score. By three narrow strips arranged
side by side and each marked with the figures 0 to 9 I can indicate any number up
to 999 in a very convenient and simple manner.
In lieu of strips mounted on rollers I sometimes employ removable strips arranged
in guides so that they can be readily and quickly changed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. A perforated board or stand in combination with transparent or semi-transparent
strips adjustable in guides or on rollers and carrying words or figures or other matter
which can be seen through the openings in the stand, substantially as described, and
for the purposes specified.
2. The combination, with the subject matter of the preceding claim, of an audible
signal to denote when the changes are made, substantially as described.
3. A ball programme stand or indicator constructed substantially as described with
reference to the accompanying drawings, and operating, as, and for the purposes,
specified.
1
LOLL
Lab 1007
GEORGE HARRISON,
35 Therapia Road, Honor Oak, London, Agent for the Applicant.