AN IMPROVED SELF-ACTING APPARATUS FOR EXHIBITING COMMERCIAL AND GENERAL ADVERTISEMENTS.
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Louis Adolphe Couture, of Paris, Merchant, for
the Invention of "AN IMPROVED SELF-ACTING APPARATUS FOR EXHIBITING
COMMERCIAL AND GENERAL ADVERTISEMENTS.'
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Louis Adolpho
Couture at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th February
1877.
CHARLES LOUIS ADOLPHE COUTURE, of Paris, Merchant. "AN IMPROVED SELF-
ACTING APPARATUS FOR EXHIBITING COMMERCIAL AND GENERAL ADVERTISEMENTS."
This Invention relates to apparatus for automatically exposing advertisements.
The apparatus is composed of an endless cloth on which are advertisements moveable
on rollers, one of such rollers being actuated by clockwork, or else a row of
advertisement card holders moveable on a square or polygonal roller, the cards of
which fold one over the other at each free end, or else by means of a continuous
row of cards rolled round two or more square or polygonal rollers. The motion of
the endless cloth or the row of advertisement card holders is obtained by any kind
of clockwork to produce a continuous or intermittent shifting of the advertiso-
ments, to utilize the clockwork, to actuate the needles on a dial, to cause a
cuckoo to sing, to exhibit dummy figures, to produce advertisements by music or
by drum. This apparatus is composed of a frame of metal or wood and moulded or
ornamented, and closed in front by a sheet of glass or by a glass door, and inside
this frame the advertisements are presented and withdrawn or displaced. Move-
ment is imparted to them by clockwork placed in a compartment contrived at the
side or else by two sets of clockwork placed one on each side of the frame. The
clockwork may be of any kind, that is to say, set in motion by a spring enclosed in
a barrel or by a counterweight. In either case it must produce a continuous or
intermittent shifting or displacement of the advertisements; I also utilize this
clockwork to actuate needles on a dial placed above the apparatus, so as to cause
the advertisements to appear and disappear at given intervals, and chiefly at the
moment of a change of advertisement or of a dummy figure, whether at the top
part or at the side of the frame, or else to cause a cuckoo to sing, or to produce an
advertisement by music or by drum.

page_text: To effect the shifting or displacing movement of the advertisements behind the
glass of the apparatus or carrier I fix the advertisements on an endless (fabric)
cloth rolled around horizontal rollers arranged above, and below the frame of the
apparatus. The upper roller which is actuated by the clockwork acts as the
drawing roller, and the lower one serves only to direct the endless cloth; the drawing
roller may for better effecting its drawing action be provided with metallic points
or roughnesses so as to take into the endless cloth.
Intermediate rollers may be employed to sustain or hold the endless cloth bearing
the advertisement as before mentioned, or else the drawing roller receives motion
constantly from the clockwork and turns with a continuous movement, or else it is
only actuated at intervals by means of an arrangement. for throwing out of gear
combined for the purpose.
.
The regulation of the movement may be effected by a ladder wheel, and the
mechanism is capable of receiving any changes so as to obtain the desired
effects
Instead of arranging the advertisements on a cloth they may be on cards joined
to each other like an endless chain, similar to the cards of a jacquard machine. The
upper roller has then a square or polygonal form, and it possesses a continuous or
intermittent movement. The row of cards may have its ends free, or they are
folded one over the other beneath the drawing roller, and near the back of the frame,
where they pass over this roller, and descend behind the glass to be folded one over
the other at the bottom of the apparatus. Or the. row is continuous and takes at
the lower part on a polygonal or facetted roller of the same form as the drawing
roller but free. These apparatus may be hung against walls or placed on lamp-
posts, and they may be illuminated at. night.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Louis Adolphe Couture in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th August 1877.
CHARLES LOUIS ADOLPHE COUTURE, of Paris, Merchant. "AN IMPROVED SELF-
ACTING APPARATUS FOR EXHIBITING COMMERCIAL AND GENERAL ADVERTISEMENTS."
My Invention has for object an improved self-acting apparatus for exhibiting
advertisements by causing either a single advertisement or several at the same timo
to appear and disappear periodically at variable intervals, tho saine being effected
by continuous or intermittent mechanical movements.
The Invention will be clearly understood by reference to the annexed Drawings.
This apparatus may be composed of a frame of metal or wood A moulded or orna-
mented, and closed in front by a sheet of glass or by a glass door B. Inside this frame
the advertisements are presented and withdrawn or displaced. Movement is imparted
to them by clockwork placed in a compartment contrived at the side, see Figure 1,
or else by two sets of clockwork, sec Figures 4 and 5, placed one on each side of
the frame. The clockwork may be of any kind, that is to say, set in motion by a
spring enclosed in a barrel C, Figure 1, or by a counterweight D, Figures 4 and 5.
In either case it can produce a continuous or intermittent shifting or displacement
of the advertisements; I also utilize this clockwork either to actuate the hands of
a dial E, Figure 4, placed above the apparatus, or to cause the appearance and
disappearance at given intervals, and chiefly at the moment of a change of
advertisement, of dummy figures G, H, see Figures 3 and 4, either at the top part
or at the side of the frame, or else to cause a cuckoo to sing or to produce an
These
advertisement by music I, Figures 4 and 5, or to beat upon a drum.
automata or the music act by the movement of the clockwork and announce the
change of advertisements.

page_text: To effect the shifting or displacing movement of the advertisement behind the
glass B of the apparatus or carrier A, I fix the advertisements on an endless fabric
or cloth J rolled around horizontal rollers K, Figure 2, arranged above and below
the frame of the apparatus. The upper rollers which are actuated by the clock-
work act as the drawing rollers, and the lower one serve only to guide or direct
the endless cloth J. The drawing rollers may, for better effecting their drawing
action, be roughened or provided with metallic points so as to take into the
endless cloth.
Intermediate rollers may be employed to sustain or hold the endless cloth bearing
the advertisement. Or the drawing rollers receive motion constantly from the
clockwork, and turn with a continuous movement, or else they are actuated only at
intervals by means of an arrangement of gearing combined for the purpose.
The regulation of the movement may be effected by a face wheel P, Figures 4
and 6, and the clockwork is capable of receiving any changes so as to obtain the
desired effects. To avoid the friction of the endless band against itself in shifting,
the rollers may be of different diameters.
Instead of arranging the advertisements on a cloth they may be on cards L joined
to each other in endless chain form, see Figure 3, similar to the cards of a jacquard
machine. The upper roller M has then a square or polygonal form, and it possesses
a continuous or intermittent movement by means of the clockwork. The row of
cards may have its ends free; they are folded one over the other beneath the
drawing roller and near the bottom of the frame; they pass over this roller and
descend behind the glass B to be folded one upon the other at the bottom of the
apparatus A, Figure 3. Or else the row of cards is continuous and passes at the
lower part upon one or more polygonal or facetted rollers M³, M", M, of the same
form as the drawing roller, but free, see Figure 6.
Figure 7 is a sectional plan showing the position of the door R, the opening of
which controlled by the clockwork exhibits the automata announcing the shifting
of the advertisements. These apparatus Figures 1 to 7 may be hung against
walls, or they may be placed on lamp posts, as seen in Figure 8, and illuminated
at night.
And having now described the nature of my, said Invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
Firstly. The automatic advertizing apparatus composed as above described, and
substantially as shown in the annexed Drawings, of an endless cloth on which are
advertisements movable on rollers, one of which rollers is actuated by clockwork, or
else of a row of advertisement card holders movable on a square or polygonal roller,
the cards of which fold one over the other at each free end, or else of a continuous
row of cards rolled around two or more square or polygonal rollers.
Secondly. I claim the combined motion of the endless cloth on the row of
advertisement card holders by any kind of clockwork, to produce a continuous or
intermittent shifting of the advertisements, to utilize the clockwork, to actuate the
hands on a dial, to cause a cuckoo to sing, to exhibit dummy figures, to produco
advertisements by music or by drum, all as set forth and substantially as shown in
the annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Louis Adolphe Couture, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of July. One thousand eight
Vitness,
JULES ARMENGAUD,
of Paris,
Boulevard de Strasbourg, 23,
Civil Engineer.
CH. COUTURE. (L.S.)