An Improved Method and Means of Advertising.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 11th Apr., 1894-Accepted, 30th June, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method and Means of Advertising.
I, EDWIN WHITWORTH, of 74, Bunbury Street, Nottingham, Consulting
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved method and means of presenting advertise-
ments to view, the object of the invention being to display advertisements in such
a manner that the same will be more likely to catch the eye and arouse the interest
of the spectator and become impressed upon the memory, due to the novelty of the
method and the unexpectedness of the presentation, than advertisements as ordinarily
presented, so that the ultimate object of the advertisement may with a greater
probability be attained.
To this end, the invention consists in the combination with the wheel or wheels
of any travelling vehicle, of discs or means carrying the advertisements in such a
manner that while the wheel is revolving the advertisement may, for a time, revolve
therewith so as to be undistinguishable as an advertisement, and may then, for a
time, be suddenly brought to a state of rest, so as, as it were, to flash the advertise-
ment on the spectator in such a manner as to arrest his attention; these operations
continuing successively while the wheel continues in rotation.
In the case of wheels revolving too slowly to render the advertisement undis-
tinguishable during the rotation thereof, the speed of rotation of the latter may
be increased by suitable gearing, and in any case the pause or rest of the advertise-
ment may be rendered of any required duration by the application of suitable
intermediate devices.
In one arrangement of carrying out the invention, I apply the advertisement to
the face of a disc, which I mount on the outer side of the hub or axle of the wheel
in such a manner as to be caused to revolve by its frictional contact therewith;
and as the means of intermittently arresting the disc with its advertisement matter
in a readable position I notch the periphery of the disc, and employ as the arresting
medium a pendant forked catch continuously engaging with the periphery of the
disc and caused to intermittently engage with the notch, the same being pivotally
suspended from a lever pivotally supported by a bracket secured to the vehicle
body, the lever engaging with a peripheral cam-groove in a cam-piece fast on a rod
supported by the said bracket, and by a lower bracket also secured to the vehicle-
body, the rod being fitted with a worm-wheel rotated by a worm on the axle or
hub of the wheel on its inner side, the aforesaid lever extending over the top of the
wheel and so connecting the mechanism on the inner and outer sides thereof.
With such an arrangement, as the wheel revolves, the disc is caused by its
frictional contact to revolve therewith, and the arresting device is simultaneously
actuated, the cam-groove intermittently causing the pendant catch to engage with
and arrest the disc and to release the same, whereupon it re-commences to revolve
with the wheel.
By using two or more discs and discs of different colours, very striking and
attractive chromatic effects can be produced in conjunction with the advertisement
matter.
In the case of double or dished wheels, such as bicycle wheels, I propose to
place the advertisement disc and its means of intermittent arrestment within the
wheel, and to combine therewith a gravity device for ensuring the desired position
of the advertisement when arrested.

page_text: 1 also propose to use, a modification of the anorthoscope or phenakistoscope
wherein the desired effect is produced by the persistence of visual impressions, in
which case I use a disc on which the advertisement is suitably projected in com-
bination with a suitably slit or apertured screen, the disc and screen being caused to
revolve intermittently (while the actuating wheel of the vehicle revolves) at
different rates of speed, the one with the vehicle wheel and the other in an opposite
direction.
In such case, the advertisement when at rest is undistinguishable but becomes
and continues readable while it is in motion.
Dated this 12th day of July 1893.
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method and Means of Advertising.
EDWIN WHITWORTH of 74 Bunbury Street Nottingham Consulting 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 :-
This invention relates to an improved method and means of presenting
advertisements to view. The object of the invention being to display advertisements
in such a manner that the same will be more likely to catch the eye and arouse the
interest of the spectator and become impressed upon the memory due to the novelty
of the method and the unexpectedness of the presentation, than advertisements as
ordinarily presented so that the ultimate object of the advertisement may with a
greater probability be attained. To this end the invention consists in the
combination with the wheel or wheels of any vehicle, of discs or means of carrying
the advertisements in such a manner that while the wheel is revolving the
advertisement may for a time revolve therewith so as to be undistinguishable as an
advertisement and may then for a time be suddenly brought to a state of rest so as,
were, to flash the advertisement on the spectator in such a manner as to arrest
his attention, these operations continuing successively while the wheel continues in
rotation.
as it
In the case of wheels revolving too slowly to render the advertisement
undistinguishable during the rotation thereof, the speed of rotation of the latter
may be increased by suitable gearing and in any case the pause or rest of the
advertisement may be rendered of any required duration by the application of
suitable intermediate devices.
C
"
In the case of double or dished wheels such as bicycle wheels I propose to place
the advertisement disc and its means of intermittent arrestment within the wheel.
I also propose to use a modification of the "anorthoscope" or phenakistoscope
wherein the desired effect is produced by the persistence of visual impressions in
which case I use a disc on which the advertisement is suitably projected in
combination with a suitably apertured screen the disc and screen being caused to
revolve intermittently (while the actuating wheel of the vehicle revolves) at
different rates of speed the one with the vehicle wheel and the other in an opposite
direction. In such case the advertisement when at rest is undistinguishable but
becomes and continues readable while it is in motion.
Such being the nature and object, of my said invention I will now proceed to
describe more in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed
or carried into practical effect and in order that the same may be distinctly under-
stood I have annexed hereunto 4 sheets of drawings illustrative thereof. In one
arrangement for carrying out this invention, as shewn in Figures 1 and 2 (Sheet 1')

page_text: I apply the advertisement to the face of a disc A which I mount on the outer side
of the hub of the wheel B in such a manner as to be caused to revolve by its
frictional contact therewith and as the means of arresting the disc with its
advertisement matter in a readable position, I notch the periphery of the disc at C
and employ as the arresting medium a pendant forked catch D continuously
engaging with the periphery of the disc A and caused to intermittently engage
with the notch C. The forked catch D is suspended from a lever E which is
carried by a bracket F secured to the vehicle body G. The lever E engages with
a cam groove in the cam H which is driven by the shaft I which is supported by
the brackets F and J attached to the body of the vehicle the lower end of. shaft I
is fitted with the worm wheel K which is driven by the worm L on the inner side
of the hub of the wheel B, with this arrangement as shown in Figures 1 and 2
(Sheet 1) as the wheel B revolves the disc A is caused by its frictional contacts to
revolve with it and at the same time the worm L causes the cam H to slowly
revolve through the worm wheel K and the cam groove intermittently causes the
lever E to rise and fall this causes the pendant forked catch D to intermittently
fall into the notch in the advertisement disc A. and so arrest its motion and the
advertisement can be read, and then to release the said catch and allow the disc to
again rotate with the wheel, when the advertisement becomes unreadable, I prefer
to make the advertised matter on a separate sheet, or disc, of any suitable material
and cause this to be secured to the disc A by a screw or any simple fastening, thus
making the advertised matter easy to alter or change.
A modification of this arrangement is shewn in Figures 3 and 4 (Sheet 1) in this
arrangement instead of causing the advertising disc A to revolve by its frictional
contact with the wheel B I cause it to be driven by a pin C fixed on the wheel B
this pin causes the advertising disc to revolve by coming in contact with another
pin D carried on a spring E, on the disc A and the rotation of A would be constant
by this method of driving unless the pin D was disengaged from the driving pin C
on the wheel B, as a means of effecting this disengagement I employ a forked
lever F which extends from the back of the wheel B and is. pivotted at G this
lever is actuated by a cam H fixed on to the inner side of the hub of the wheel B
this cam causes lever F to rise during one revolution of wheel B and to fall with
the next revolution of the same the result of this action is to cause the lever F to
fall on to the pin D carried on the disc A and to press it down and thus allow the
driving pin C on wheel B to ride over it and the end of this lever F being suitably
shaped or recessed it causes it to retain a hold on the pin D on the disc A and thus
arrests the motion of the said disc which carries the advertisement this pause of
the disc, takes place during one revolution of wheel B and the next revolution
causes the lever F to rise and liberate the pin D on the disc A and this movement
is timed so that the driving pin C on wheel B then begins to drive the disc A as
before.
The pivot of the lever F is carried on the body of the vehicle and it will be
observed that the use of a spring to carry the pin D on disc is a very convenient
arrangement for two reasons; to cause the rise and fall of the pin and also to cause
the motion of the disc A to be arrested gradually through the elasticity of the.
spring.
In another modification I use the following arrangement shewn in Figures 5 and 6
(Sheet 2). Instead of using a lever or connection from the body of the vehicle or
from behind the wheel I arrange the advertising disc A and the motion for checking
its rotation on the front side of the wheel B in the following way.
It will be observed that the axle of the wheel B is fixed and that the wheel
revolves upon it so that a worm wheel E being attached to the axle by the
bearing D meshes into the worm C carried on the hub of wheel B this causes the
rotation of the worm wheel E and the axis of this worm wheel E carries at one
end a projecting finger F, this finger is caused during its rotation to come into
contact with a pin G on the disc A this causes a disengagement of a driving pin on
wheel B (in a similar mauner to that described in Figures 3 and 4 Sheet 1) and

page_text: not only causes the driving pin H to be disengaged but also forms a stop to arrest
the motion of the disc A. This pause or stop of disc A continues until the motion
of worm wheel E causes the finger F to pass away from the pin G on the disc A
which is then again driven by the pin H on wheel B and so partakes of the
revolution of the wheel B.
It will be obvious that the time of pause and rotation of disc A is dependent on
the number of teeth in worm wheel E & on the shape of finger F, a spring I is
used to return lever catch J on disc B to a suitable position to be again engaged
by the driving pin H on wheel B.
In some cases where the wheel or wheels of a vehicle move slowly, it is desirable
to make the motion of the advertising disc quicker than the wheel carrying it, one
method of doing this is shewn in Figures 7 and 8 (Sheet 2). A bevil wheel C is
mounted on the hub of the wheel B so as to turn freely on it as a centre to this
bevil wheel the advertising disc A is attached and on a sleeve on the hub of
wheel B a stud carries another bevil wheel D gearing into bevil wheel C on disc A,
and fixed on to the axle of the wheel B which does not revolve is another bevil
wheel E also gearing into bevil wheel D on stud D' as this wheel D turns freely
on its stud it follows that as wheel B is revolved it carries around with it the stud
and its bevil wheel D this causes a rotation of bevil wheel D on its stud through
its meshing with fixed wheel E and as bevil wheel D also meshes with bevil wheel C
on disc A it causes an acceleration of the motion of disc A.
In this method I do not fix the bevil wheel C to the disc A directly but prefer to make
disc A separate from the bevil wheel C and cause the spring F to make a connection
between the bevil wheel C and the disc A and so form the spring that it drives
disc A by it contact with a pin G on disc A so that when any of the before
described means of checking or arresting the motion of disc A are used it causes
the spring F to yield and slip from under the pin G and the disc remains at rest so
long as it is held by the arresting motion, on its being released the spring F again
comes in contact with the pin on disc A and it resumes its revolution.
In applying my arrangement to wheels of the bicycle type (Figures 9 and 10
Sheet 3) I prefer to place the advertisement disc A and its means of intermittent
arrestment within the wheel, one method of doing this is shewn in Figures 9 and 10
Sheet 3, on the axis of the wheel B I place a spur pinion C gearing into a spur
wheel D pendant and supported from the axis of wheel B this spur wheel is fixed
on a shaft E carrying at its other end another spur wheel F which gears into a
spur pinion G loose on the axis of wheel B to this spur pinion G is attached the
advertisement disc A, the pendant bearing which carries the wheels D and E is
kept in its position by gravity a weight being attached to it. The spur wheel F is
not provided with teeth on the whole of its circumference but is a mutilated gear
wheel consequently the effects of this motion is to cause the advertisement disc A
to intermittently revolve and pause, during the pause the advertisement can
be read.
In another modification in applying this advertisement disc to wheels I arrange
it so that it revolves continuously in one direction but at varying rates of speed one
part of its motion being at the same rate as the wheel B but in the opposite
direction the effect of this is that during the time the disc revolves at the same
rate as the wheel it apparently stands still and consequently the advertisement can
be seen and read and when the motion of disc is either quicker or slower than that
of the wheel B, the advertisement on it cannot be read. One method of effecting
this is shewn in Figures 11 and 12 (Sheet 3) on the axle of the wheel B, I place a
pin C eccentric to the centre of the axle itself, on this stud or pin I place a disc or
plate D turning freely on the stud (which does not revolve) on this disc or plate I
place a pin E projecting from its inner and outer faces, the inner pin engages with
a fork projecting from the hub of the wheel B which causes the eccentric disc or
plate D to be revolved on its centre C. The pin projecting from the outside of
disc, or plate engages with a groove in a ring & which turns freely on the hub of
wheel B, this ring is provided with teeth and forms a bevil gear wheel G' which

page_text: gears into another bevil wheel H carried on a stud I on the hub of wheel B this-
again gears into another bevil wheel J which turns freely on the hub of B, to this.
bevil wheel J, the advertising disc A is attached.
A stay or strap K extends from the centre C to the stud I carrying the bevil
wheel and prevents this bevil wheel from turning with the wheel B, the effect of
this arrangement is that the eccentric disc D, imparts a variable motion to the-
bevil wheels G H and J, and causes the advertisement disc A. to be driven
continuously in the opposite direction to that which wheel B takes and the motion
is arranged that during part of its revolution it revolves at same speed as B con--
sequently it appears to stand still & the advertisement matter can be seen and read..
The same effect can be attained by making disc A revolve continuously in opposite
directions but I prefer the above described arrangement as it avoids the shock of
reversal or arrestment (Figs. 13 and 14 Sheet 3 are enlarged views of same) I also
propose to use a modification of the "anorthoscope or "phenakistoscope" wherein.
the effect is produced by the persistence of visual impressions.
"
One method of doing this is shewn in Figures 15, 16, and 17, (Sheet 4) on the-
hub of the wheel B I mount the disc C provided with four slots or apertures C1, C2,.
C3, C4, and also mounted on the hub of wheel B is another disc A this is the
advertisement disc, and has the advertised matter suitably projected upon it. The
slotted disc C turns with wheel B but the disc A is driven in the opposite direction
and at a greater speed by the gearing shewn in Figures 15, 16, and 17 (Sheet 4).
D is an internal spur wheel fixed to wheel B driving the pinion E on the shaft F
which also carries another pinion G which drives spur wheel H which is attached
to advertisement disc A which turns on hub of wheel B as a centre the pinions D-
and E are supported by the stay I extending from the body of the vehicle.
The internal wheel D is a mutilated gear wheel and conveys an intermittent.
motion to pinion D consequently the motion of disc A is intermittent. The effect
of this motion is as follows, when the disc A is in motion and driven at a higher
speed than slotted disc C (& in the opposite direction) the advertised matter on
disc A can be seen and read through the slotted disc C, but as soon as disc A.
ceases to rotate the advertised matter on it cannot be seen or read.
It will be obvious that any of the above described arrangements can be used on a.
wheel, other than the wheel of a vehicle, for instance, on a separate wheel placed
in a shop window and driven by electricity, or clockwork or any other source of
power.
And it is also obvious that the arrangement when used on the wheel or wheels of
a vehicle can be placed within the control of the driver of the vehicle, by using a.
cord, attached to the arresting motion.
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
First. The combination with the wheel, or wheels of any vehicle, of discs, or means.
of carrying advertisements in such a manner that while the wheel is revolving, the
advertisement may for a time revolve therewith so as to be undistinguishable as an
advertisement, and may then for a time be suddenly brought to a state of rest, or
to a state in which it can be read, so as "to flash" the advertisement on the
pectator in such a manner as to arrest the attention, these operations continuing
successively while the wheel, or wheels rotate.
Second. The application of the arrangements substantially as shewn and
described, in drawings and description; to any other wheel, or wheels, other than.
the wheel of vehicles.
Dated this 7th day of April 1891
EDWIN WHITWORTH..