An Improved Automatic Advertizing Machine.
Year: 1897

page_text: An Improved Automatic Advertizing Machine.
We, JAMES MAJOR, of 28, Cannon Street, Mechanical Draughtsman, and CHARLES
TAYLOR, of 20, Wellington Road, Plumber and Gas Fitter, both of Eccles, in the
County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to the construction of an improved automatic advertizing
machine designed to display by means of a magic lantern, illuminated either by
gas, or by electric light, a series of advertisements one after another, each advertise-
ment being exhibited for a given time and then.changed automatically for another,
and the apparatus being so constructed and arranged that the exhibition of the
advertisements will automatically commence at any desired time and continue for
a given number of hours and then be automatically turned off or discontinued.
The motive power which we intend to employ for this purpose will be a train
of clockwork somewhat like that of an ordinary clock having a pendulum pallet
wheel and pallet, barrel acted upon by either weight or spring, and train of spur
gearing, but with slight modifications the apparatus may be driven by a hydraulic
or other motor.
The lantern may be of the usual construction and mounted upon a suitable
table or stand at a convenient height.
The objective or combination of lenses may be mounted on a separate bracket
or otherwise so as to leave a space between the same and the end of the lantern
for the revolution of a wheel or disc which carrries the series of slides representing
the advertisements to be displayed.
The axis of this wheel or disc may be mounted either above the lantern or
below the same so that its periphery carrying the slides will pass between the
lantern and the lenses so as to bring each one in succession into position to be
thrown on to the screen. A constant tendency to revolve in one direction is given
to the axis of this wheel by means of a weight, cord and drum and to one edge of
the latter is fitted a disc having a number of notches corresponding with the
number of slides on the wheel, so that whenever this catch is raised up out of the
notch the weight above named causes the drum (and the lantern slide wheel) to
make a portion of a revolution until the catch drops into the next notch and thus
change the slide to the next advertisement.
The intermittent raising of the catch so as to change the slides is effected in
the following manner. At the other end of the axle upon which the catch is
mounted we fix a light lever which is actuated at intervals by pins projecting from
a disc fitted on the outer end of the first motion shaft of the clockwork, so that
as this revolves slowly the pins one after another raise the light lever and lift the

page_text: .
catch and let it fall again, one side of each pin being flattened so as to allow of
the sudden fall, so that as each pin passes the lever it raises the same so as to
release the catch and allow the weighted cord to draw the lantern slide wheel
round just sufficiently to place another slide opposite the lenses, when the catch
will fall into the next notch and arrest the lantern slide wheel until the next pin
raises the lever and so on throughout the whole series, when the first slide will
come into view again and the whole series will be repeated.
To start the illumination of the lantern at any prearranged time, and also to
cut off the light after any given number of hours we have a retarding train of
wheels the last axle of which revolves once in (say) twenty four hours, and on the
end of this axle which projects through the casing we mount a disc which is
divided and numbered (say) from zero to twelve, the said divisions reaching round
only a portion (say about one half) of the periphery.
On the edge of this disc is a fixed finger at zero and a movable stop which can
be moved and set to any of the divisions.
Below this numbered disc is mounted a weighted catch the upper arm of which
is in such a position that when the zero point is at the bottom, the fixed finger will
come against the said upper arm, and in this position a projection on the lower
arm of the catch will support the weighted end of a long lever. The other or
shorter end of this lever is provided with a dog taking into the teeth of a ratchet
wheel which is fixed on the fulcrum of the said weighted lever. This fulcrum is
attached to the cone plug of the gas tap which illuminates the lantern, and the
stroke of the weighted lever is such that the fall thereof will cause the plug to turn
one quarter of a revolution.
The numbered disc is so mounted that it can be turned on its axis and set fast
in any required position.
Supposing now that it is desired to turn on the gas in two hours and to exhibit
the advertisements for eight hours and then turn it off again, the movable stop
is fixed at eight, the weighted lever is lifted onto the projection at the lower end
of the catch, and the numbered disc is moved backwards by hand until the figure
two is opposite the upper arm of the catch. The clockwork is then set in motion
and in two hours time the fixed finger on the disc will come against the upper
arm of the catch, and as it carries it along it will withdraw the projection at its
lower end from the end of the weighted lever which will then fall, and by means
of the dog at its shorter end it will turn the ratchet wheel one quarter of a revolu-
tion and thus turn on the gas.
The intermittent exhibition of the whole series of advertisements will then pro-
ceed automatically, and in the meantime a cord or equivalent attachment connected
to a convenient part of the clockwork will have raised the weighted lever to its
highest position again, and the weighted catch will then oscillate and take hold
of the end of the lever until again released. The raising of the weighted lever
will have no effect upon the gas tap as the dog will over-run the teeth of the
ratchet wheel, but in eight hours time the fixed finger on the numbered disc will
come against the catch and release the weighted lever again which will then fall
and by turning the pluo another quarter of a revolution will shut off the gas.
It will be evident that the same arrangement may be caused to work the electric
light, when electricity is preferred to be used as the illuminating agent, by so
connecting the weighted catch lever to any convenient form of "switch" that the
oscillation thereof may be caused to make or break contact between the main and
lamp terminals and thus illuminate and extinguish the lamp at the desired time.
Dated this 25th day of September 1897.
.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
Agents for the Applicant, 4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester.

page_text: We, JAMES MAJOR, of 28, Cannon Street, Mechanical Draughtsman, and CHARLES
TAYLOR, of 26, Wellington Road, Plumber and Gas Fitter, both of Eccles, in the
County of Lancaster, 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 the construction of an improved automatic advertizing
machine designed to display by means of a magic lantern, illuminated either by
gas, or by electric light, a series of advertisements one after another, each advertise-
ment being exhibited for a given time and then changed automatically for another
in regular succession, the apparatus being so constructed that the exhibition of
the advertisements will automatically commence at any desired time and continue
for a given number of hours, and then be automatically turned off or discontinued.
The practical construction and operation of our improved automatic advertizing
machine will be readily understood on reference to the two sheets of drawings
hereunto annexed and the following explanation thereof.
On Sheet 1 of the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation and Fig. 2 a front view
of our improved machine as arranged for illumination by gas.
On Sheet 2 of the drawings, Figs. 3 and 4 are similar views of the same as
arranged to be illuminated by an electric are light.
The motive power which we intend to employ for this purpose will be a train
of clock work (see Figs. 1 and 2, Sheet 1 of the drawings) somewhat like that of
an ordinary clock having a pendulum a, a pallet wheel 6 and pallet c, a barrel d
which is preferably actuated by a weight attached to the cord e (or may be actuated
by a spring) and a train of spur gearing f, but with slight modifications the
apparatus may be driven by a hydraulic or other motor.
The lantern g may be of the usual construction and mounted upon a suitable
table or stand h at a convenient height.
The "objective" or combination of lenses may be mounted upon a separate
bracket k or otherwise so as to leave a space between the same and the lantern g
(as shown at Fig. 1) for the revolution of a wheel or disc 1 which carries a series
of transparent slides m parallel to its face and representing the advertisements to
be displayed. The axis n of this wheel or disc may be placed above but it is
preferably mounted below the lantern g (as shown) so that its periphery carrying
the slides m will pass between the lantern g and the lenses i, so as to bring each
advertisement in succession into position to be thrown onto the screen.
A constant tendency to revolve in one direction is given to the axis n, of the
wheel or disc by means of a weight cord and drum o, and to one edge of the latter,
or to the disc itself is fitted a disc p having a number of notches in its edge
corresponding with the number of slides m on the wheel, so that whenever the
catch q is raised up out of one of the notches the weight o' causes the drum o (and
the lantern-slide wheel 1) to make a portion of a revolution until the catch q drops
into the next notch, and thus change the slide m to the next advertisement.
is
The intermittent raising of the catch q so as to change the slides is effected in
the following manner: At the other end of the axle r upon which the catch
mounted we fix a light levers which is actuated at intervals by pins t projecting
from a disc u fitted on the outer end of the second motion shaft of the clock-work
so that as this revolves slowly the pins t one after another raise the light lever s
and lift the catch q and let it fall again, one side of each pin t being flattened (see
Fig. 2) so as to allow of the sudden fall, so that as each pin t passes the lever s

page_text: it raises the same so as to release the catch q and allow the weighted cord o to draw
the lantern slide wheel round just sufficiently to place another slide m opposite the
lenses i when the catch q will fall into the next notch on the disc p and arrest
the lantern-slide wheel 7 until the next pin t raises the levers and so on throughout
the whole series, when the first slide m will come into view again and the whole
series will be repeated.
To start the illumination of the lantern g at any pre-arranged time, and also to
cut off the light after any given number of hours we have a retarding train of
wheels w the last axle x of which revolves once in (say) twenty four hours, and on
the end of this axle, which projects through the casing we mount a disc
which
is divided and numbered (say) from zero to 12 or 24, in each direction the said
divisions reaching round the whole (or say about one half) of the periphery.
"
y
On the edge of this disc y is fixed a finger or projection z at zero and a movable
stop which can be moved and set to any of the divisions. Below this numbered
disc y is mounted a weighted catch 1 the upper arm of which is in such a position
that when the " zero point is at or near the bottom, the fixed finger or pro-
jection will come against the said upper arm, and in this position a projection 2
on the lower arm of the catch will support the weighted end of a long lever 3.
The other or shorter end of this lever is provided with a dog or catch 4 taking
into the teeth of a ratchet wheel 5 which is fixed on the fulcrum 6 of the said
Jever 3. This fulcrum 6 is attached to the cone plug of the gas tap 7 which
supplies the gas for illuminating the lantern g and the stroke of the weighted
lever 3 is such that the fall thereof will cause the plug to turn one quarter of a
revolution. The numbered disc y is so mounted that it can be turned on its axis
and set fast in any required position.
Supposing now that it is desired to turn on the gas in two hours and to exhibit
the advertisements for eight hours afterwards and then turn it off again, the
movable stop is fixed at 8 on the right of zero, the weighted lever 3 is lifted on to
the projection 2 at the lower end of the catch I and the numbered disc y is moved
backwards by hand until the figure two on the left of zero is opposite to the upper
arm of the catch 1.
The clockwork is then set in motion and in two hours time the fixed finger or
projectionz on the disc y will come against the upper arm of the catch 1 and as it
carries it along it will withdraw the projection 2 at its lower end from the end of
the weighted lever 3 which will then fall and by means of the dog or catch 4 at
its shorter end it will turn the ratchet wheel 5 one quarter of a revolution and thus
turn on the gas and illuminate the lantern g.
The intermittent exhibition of the whole series of advertisements will then pro-
ceed automatically and in the mean time a cord 8 (or equivalent attachment)
connected to the lever 3 and to the pin 9, or other convenient part of the clockwork,
will have raised the weighted lever 3 to its highest position again, and the weighted
catch will then oscillate and take hold of the end of the lever 3 until again
released. The raising up again of the lever 3 will have no effect upon the gas
tap 7 as the dog 4 will overrun the teeth of the ratchet wheel 5, but in eight hours
time the movable finger 2¹ on the numbered disc y will come against the catch 1
and release the weighted lever 3 again which will then fall and by turning the
plug of the gas tap 7 another quarter of a revolution in the same direction will
shut off the gas. The falling of this lever may also stop the clockwork, or it may
be allowed to go on moving but as the lantern is not illuminated the advertise-
ments will not be displayed.
It will be evident that a similar arrangement may be caused to work the electric
light, when electricity is preferred to be used as the illuminating agent, by so con-
necting the weighted catch lever to any convenient form of switch" that the
movement thereof may be caused to make or break contact between the main and
lamp terminals and thus illuminate and extinguish the lamp at the desired time.
Such an arrangement is shewn at Figs. 3 and 4.
Similar parts to those before described are similarly lettered on Figs. 3 and 4.