Improvements in Construction of Electrical Letters and Signs.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Feb., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 6th Dec., 1894-Accepted, 12th Jan., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Construction of Electrical Letters and Signs.
I ALFRED RENÉ UPWARD of 150 Holland Road Kensington London W.
Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
In the Specification of a former Patent granted to me, (numbered 19551 of
1891), 1 have described certain electric letters and devices for advertising
purposes.
This present invention relates to improvements in that part of the complete
electric letter, which I call the backing; and in the details of construction of same,
and in the method of mounting the electric letters and devices as complete electric
signs.
The mounting board (that is the board on which the electric letters are arranged,
and to which they are attached) is usually about one half an inch in thickness, and
provided at the back with a strengthening fillet, running round its outside edge,
this mounting board may, before use, be well protected at the back with fireproof
paint or other material of a like nature. The face of the mounting board may
next be painted any colour as desired, or covered with coloured cloth, or other
fabric, or otherwise decorated, since by the details of construction described in the
present invention, such decorations are rendered possible by being protected from
the heat which emanates from the electric letters.
The backings of the electric letters (these being the hollow reflecting trough
shaped or flat frame, in which or on which the tubular incandescent lamps of various
lengths lie, and which trough shaped frame or backings are substantially complete
letters, preferably hollow or concave, formed of china, earthenware, glass, or other
suitable substance) are next arranged on the mounting board and attached thereto,
but with small blocks or discs of vulcanised fibre or other suitable material, (not
affected by heat) being placed between them and the mounting board. These
distance pieces are preferably about three sixteenths of an inch in thickness, thus
raising the complete electric letter, this distance from the face of the mounting
board preferably these distance pieces, take the form of fillets or feet, moulded in
the china or earthenware itself. These fillets or feet thus standing out above the
back face of the letter and thus raising it from the face of the mounting board on
which it is placed. The china or earthenware backings of the clectric letters
above described are, when being made, provided with slots or perforations at
required points, through these slots or perforations the connecting wires hereinafter
referred to pass, these wires may be enclosed in small tubes passing both through
the slots or perforations in the backings and through the mounting board, being
made sufficiently long to project above each, say about one eighth of an inch. The
tubular incandescent lamps (of various lengths as required to delineate letters of
good form or design) are provided at each end with connecting wires about four
inches in length, which wires are of course in electrical connection with the filament
enclosed within the glass of the tube. These connecting wires as above stated,
pass through the slots in the china or earthenware backings, and may be secured
by being attached to metal studs screwed into the mounting board, those wires
which are to be in electrical connection being attached to the same stud. It will
be seen that these connecting wires also perform the function of holding the various
tubular incandescent lamps in their places, and also provide for the easy replacing

page_text: of any tubular incandescent lamps which may have failed. The connecting wires
consist preferably of a strand of very fine wires, preferably copper, and are electro-
plated with gold or other suitable metal to prevent corrosion from exposure to the
air. The mounting board above referred to, which carries the electric letters of
these electric signs, is preferably made separately from the outside frame of the
sign, into which frame it fits, and from which it can be taken out and also replaced
at will, without removing, the outer frame of the electric sign, which may thus be
permanently fixed against the wall, hoarding or other place. When it is required
that an electric sign should throw light in both directions, as for example when it is
to be used both as an advertisement and a source of light, as would be the case when
an electric sign would be suspended within a shop window, the backings may be of
glass as above mentioned, and the mounting board may either be dispensed with,
and the electric letters suspended by wires in an open frame, or the mounting
board may have spaces cut through it, in the form of letters, the complete electric
letters being placed in these spaces, and since, in this special case, the backings are
of glass, the electric sign will thus throw light both backwards and forwards. It
will be seen from the above, that the china or other backings forming part of the
complete electric letter, in addition to performing the functions already above
described, constitute a letter of wider line and of good appearance and form in
daylight, or when the electric sign is not lighted up; in accordance with this the
backings may be gilded, coloured, or otherwise decorated.
ليكم
1801
Improvements in Construction of Electrical Letters and Signs.
ALFRED RENÉ UPWARD of 150, Holland Road, Kensington, London, W.
Electrical Engineer, 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:―
In the Specification of a former Patent granted to me, (numbered 19551 of
1891) I have described certain electric letters and devices for advertising
purposes.
This present invention relates to improvements in that part of the complete
electric letter, which I call the "backing"; and in the details of construction of
same, and in the method of mounting the electric letters and devices as complete
electric signs.
<<
Fig. 1 (of the drawings hereto) represents the usual or most convenient form of
backing" of the electric letters, preferably made in china or earthenware, and
Fig. 2, is a cross section of same..
It will be seen that these "backings" (which may be formed in one piece or
several pieces) are substantially complete letters in form, and are preferably hollow
or concave (but may of course be of any form of cross section) these china or
earthenware "backings" are provided with slots or perforations at required points A,
Fig. 1, that is at the angular junction of the tubular incandescent lamps of various
lengths which lie over, in or upon the said " backings," these "backings" are also
provided with screw holes B, for screwing them down to the board on which they
are mounted. In Fig. 3, are shewn examples of tubular incandescent lamps which
are made of various set lengths to exactly fit into or lie upon the "backings" above
described, the combination of the backings and tubular incandescent lamps forming
a complete electric letter: it will be seen from the drawing that the tubular
incandescent lamps Fig. 3, are provided at each end with connecting wires, C. C. which
may be about four inches in length, these connecting wires are in electrical connection

page_text: with the filament enclosed within the tube. These connecting wires C. C. which
are attached to the tubular incandescent lamps, pass through the slots in the china
or earthenware backings, and also through the mounting board and may be secured
to studs screwed into the back of the said mounting board. It will be seen that
these connecting wires, also perform the function of holding each tubular incan-
descent lamp in its place, over or upon the china or earthenware "backing" and
they also admit of the easy removal of any tubular incandescent lamp which may
have failed, and of its replacing by another lamp. These complete electric letters
arranged as required may be mounted on a board which may be called the mounting
board, this mounting board is usually about one half an inch in thickness, and
provided at the back with a strengthening fillet running round its outside edge, this
mounting board may, before use, be well protected at the back with fire-proof
paint, or other material of a like nature. The face of the mounting board may
next be painted any colour as desired, or covered with coloured cloth, or other
fabric, or otherwise decorated, since by the details of construction described, such
decorations are rendered possible, being protected from the heat which emanates
from the electric letters. It will be seen from the above, that the china or other
"backings" forming part of the complete electric letters, in addition to performing
the functions above described constitute a letter of wider line and of good appear-
ance and form in daylight, or when the electric sign is not lighted up; in
accordance with this, these china backings may be gilded, coloured or otherwise
decorated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
"
(1.) Complete electric letters, consisting of tubular incandescent lamps of set
lengths, combined with or mounted on china or earthenware or other "backings'
in the form of letters substantially as described, and details of construction of same
substantially as described.
(2.) The method of construction, and details of construction for mounting such
electric letters, as complete electric signs substantially as described.
Dated this 6th day of December 1894.
A. RENÉ UPWARD.