Improvements in Optical Advertising Appliances.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Apr., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 5th Jan., 1895-Accepted, 9th Feb., 1895
Improvements in Optical Advertising Appliances.
I, JOHN HILLERY COLLINGS of Wansbeck Villa, Grange Park Road, Leyton,
in the County of Essex, Draughtsman do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention relates to certain improvements in optical advertising appliances,
and has for its object the combination of a light for ordinary purposes, and also an
ever changing pictorial or other advertisement, which is projected upon a screen
or the like.
In carrying my invention into effect, I provide a light, which may be an electric
glow lamp, a gas jet, or any form of oil lamp. This may be made, by suitable
adjustment within a case or box, to serve the ordinary purposes of a light on one
side, and furnish the concentrated light rays for a reflected picture or device upon
the other side. Upon this side of the lamp I provide an ordinary magic lantern
lens, of suitable focus, and cause the picture or device to intervene between the
light and said lens, or lenses. A number of pictures or devices are painted or
printed upon discs of mica or other transparent substance or material, and are
mounted around the circumference of a moveable disc or wheel, punctured to
receive them. In order to arrange a greater number of changeable pictures or
devices upon one disc or wheel of a given diameter, 1 may fix subsidiary discs
upon arbors around the circumference of the larger disc, in such a manner that said
lesser discs may carry two or more pictures or devices, which are capable of being
automatically changed once during each revolution of the main disc or wheel, by
means of a star and stop arrangement, or equivalent. The arbor carrying said
main disc also carries a ratchet wheel, and a loose arm, preferably weighted, at
A toothed wheel,
the end of which is a pawl, engaging with the ratchet aforesaid.
which is revolved by means of a step by step motion hereinafter to be described, is
also fitted loosely upon the aforesaid arbor, or concentrically therewith. Said
wheel is provided with stops, or pins, one of which engages with a claw catch on
the weighted arm, and gradually raises it. At a certain degree of elevation a
projecting lug or the like causes the claw catch to lift, thus releasing the pin, and
allowing the weighted arm to fall, which, since the pawl affixed thereto has engaged
with the ratchet teeth, causes the main disc to move through part of a revolution,
and if there be subsidiary discs around the circumference thereof, one of these will
also be moved upon its centre. In order to effect the step by step movement
hereinbefore referred to, I fix an electro magnet upon a spindle, the poles of which
are contiguous to a fixed armature, but in such a manner that the magnet makes a
slightly oscillatory movement when energised. An arm attached to said magnet
carries a pawl, engaging with the teeth of the wheel to be moved, and each
oscillation advances a tooth thereof. A suitable make and break is arranged by
means of a balance wheel and spring, similar to that of a clock or watch train, said
wheel carrying a contact arm, which engages with a similar contact arm on the
magnet. Each "make," and the corresponding oscillation of the magnet, causes
the balance wheel to make a semi revolution in the opposite direction, against the
tension of a coiled spring, thus causing an appreciable period of time to elapse
between each "make" and "break." The toothed wheel aforesaid, and also the
ratchet wheel upon the arbor of the main disc are provided with suitable stops to

page_text: prevent them from retrograde movement, or from being moved farther than
necessary. Thus, by means of the appliance herein described, I am able to present
an ever changing succession of pictures or devices, which are projected by means
of the light through the lenses upon a screen or the like. If the light be furnished
by an electric glow lamp, the mechanism may be operated by a shunt from the
main leads, or in any case a constant battery of any suitable type may be
employed.
Instead of actuating the step by step gear by an electrical arrangement as
herein before described, I may use an ordinary clock train with a suitable escapement,
or any of the pneumatic or heat motors that are at present used in cases where a
small power is required continuously.
Dated this 30th day of March 1894.
FREDK. WALKER,
73, St. Stephens Road, Upton Park, E., Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Optical Advertising Appliances.
I, JOHN HILLERY COLLINGS of Wausbeck Villa Grange Park Road Leytou
in the County of Essex, Draughtsman 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 :-
My invention relates to certain improvements in optical advertising appliances,
and has for its object the combination of a light for ordinary purposes, and also
an ever changing pictorial or other advertisement which is projected upon a screen
or the like.
In order that my said invention may be the better understood I have appended
the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the mechanism of the apparatus, and Figure 2 is a
back end elevation thereof.
Figure 3 is a view of the chief details, drawn to a larger scale, and placed
differently so as to render the method of operation in a clearer manner.
Figure 4 is a general diagram of the optical arrangement and
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the complete apparatus.
Figure 6 is a diagram showing the electrical connections.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.
In carrying my invention into effect I provide a light, A, Figure 4, which may
be an electric glow lamp, a gas jet, or any form of oil lamp, the former being
preferable and used in the case illustrated. This is made, by suitable adjustment
within a case or box B to serve the ordinary purposes of a light upon the shop
window C or the like, and furnish the concentrated light rays for a reflected picture
or device upon the other side. Upon this side of the lamp I provide ordinary
magic lantern lenses, a b c. A number of pictures or devices are painted or printed
upon discs of mica or other transparent substance or material, and are mounted
around the circumference of a moveable disc or wheel D suitably punctured to
receive them. The mechanism by means of which said disc or wheel is revolved
consists of a ratchet wheel E, (shown more clearly by Figure 3), fixed upon the
arbor or spindle F to which the disc D is also fixed. A loose arm G, preferably
weighted at the end, works freely upon F, and carries a pawl d at the end, which
has a releasing lug e. A toothed wheel H is revolved by means of a step by step
motion through the intervention of the pawl in a manner hereinafter to be
described. Said wheel H is fitted loosely upon the arbor or spindle F, or in such a
manner as to move freely concentrically thereto. Said wheel H is provided with
stops or pins one of which engages with the pawl d and thus gradually raises the

page_text: arm G. A second pawl h upon the arm G engages with the teeth of the ratchet
wheel E, which is held in position by the pawl i with its releasing lug j and the
retaining pawl k which simply prevents retrograde movement. The revolution of
the toothed ratchet H causes the arm G to be raised to the point indicated by the
drawing, Figure 3. Then the pawl d is lifted from its contact with the pin f by
reason of the releasing lug e riding upon the projecting catch m. At this same
time a projecting pin upon the pawl h engages with the releasing lug and causes
the pawli attached thereto to release the pin upon the wheel E. The arm G
then is gripped to the wheel E by the pawl h, and the weight of said arm G then
rotates E in the direction of the arrow until another stop pin is encountered on.
the face of the wheel E by the pawl i. The distance thus moved is exactly that
necessary to bring one of the small transparent discs n on the large disc D within
the focus of the lenses aforesaid. The time during which the design, picture or
word is exposed depends upon the rate of feed by the step by step motion imparted
to the ratchet wheel H, which is necessary to bring the loose arm G up to its
position of release and action upon E as before described, during which feeding
action E is held perfectly still by the two pawls i and k.
In order to effect the step by step movement hereinbefore referred to, I employ
an electro-magnet I which may be energised by a shunt from the main lamp circuit
when an electric lamp is employed, or by a battery or other source of electric
energy when gas or oil is employed as an illuminant. A hinged or pivotted
armature J is arranged to operate a rod K carrying the pawl which effects the
step by step rotation of the ratchet wheel H as hereinbefore described. In order
to produce a "make and break contact, with an appreciable period of time
clapsing between each alternation thereof, I employ a balance wheel L, Figures 1
and 2, which is poised so as to oscillate freely against the tension of a coiled
balance spring. A contact pin is fixed upon the spindle or pivot of the balance
wheel L, which at each semi revolution, engages with a contact arm M in connection
with the armature J of the magnets I. Each contact of said pin with the arm M
energises the magnets aforesaid, and, attracting the armature J, moves the ratchet
wheel H another tooth forward, and at the same time the contact arm M, by the
reflex movement, gives a fresh impulse to the balance wheel L. I may in some
cases employ a pendulum in lieu of the balance wheel L, the essential features of
the electrical contacts and the electro magnetic action remaining the same.
In order to multiply the number of designs, pictures or the like which may be
exhibited by the employment of one central disc D, I may fix subsidiary discs upon
arbors around the circumference of the major disc D in such a manner that said
lesser discs may carry two or more pictures or devices which are capable of being
automatically changed once during each revolution of the main disc or wheel D, by
means of a star wheel and stop arrangement or an equivalent device.
In Figure 5 the complete apparatus is shown, C being the shop window or the
like which is to be illuminated in the ordinary manner, B the case or box containing
the mechanism and lamp, and O a screen or the like fixed a short distance from B,
and upon which is projected the changing pictures or the like.
Figure 6 shows the preferable method of arranging the electrical connections. A is
the lamp, I the magnet, J the armature L the balance wheel and M the contact.
A resistance R exactly compensates that of the magnet 1, and thus, when the
circuit is interrupted through the coils of said magnet, the illuminating effect is not
altered nor is there a perceptible fluctuation. The dotted lines shew the alternative
positions of the moving parts.
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. In an optical advertising appliance the combination of an oil, gas or
electric lamp with an electro magnetic step by step movement, raising and releasing
a weighted arm or lever which by reaction in falling causes a device or the like to

page_text: be changed, said device being optically projected upon a screen, substantially as
herein described with reference to the appended drawings.
"
Second. In an optical advertising appliance the construction and employment of
an electro-magnetic step by step movement, with an alternate "make and
"break" contact controlled by a pivotted balance wheel or pendulum, substantially
as herein described with reference to the appended drawings.
Third. In an optical advertising appliance the combination of a lamp, lenses, and
electro-magnetically operated mechanism, with a disc carrying transparent pictures
or the like in such a manner that the light is an ordinary illuminant on one side and
a medium for projecting reflected images upon the other side substantially as herein
described with reference to the appended drawings.
Fourth. In an optical advertising appliance the combination of a ratchet wheel H
Figure 3, loose upon an arbor F, with a fixed ratchet E weighted arm G, and
pawls d ghik substantially as and for the purposes herein described.
Fifth. In an optical advertising appliance the arrangement of the electrical
connections, substantially as herein described and shewn by the diagram Figure 6 of
the appended drawings.
DL:
C T
1005
FRED. WALKER,
73, St. Stephens Road, Upton Park, London, E.,
Agent for the Applicant.