Improved Means for Advertising.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Advertising.
I, THOMAS BOWDEN, of 41, Percy Street, Hulme, Manchester, Photographic
Artist and Designer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as
follows;
My invention relates to means for displaying advertisements during the night
or day time, and for automatically effecting periodical changes in such advertise-
ments, so as to attract attention, and display an extended advertisement in
stages, and in different colors, or with different optical effects. To that end I
employ a square, hexagonal or like frame, composed of light metal, wood or other
suitable material, and provided on its several facets with grooves or ridges for
the reception of slides or plates carrying advertisements. Such slides or plates
are, by preference, formed of thin card-bcard or metal of suitable exterior appear-
ance or finish with the letter or figure cut out in stencil fashion, and the opening
filled in with calico or paper to form the desired facia.
For colored or night effects such slides may also be backed with one or more
pieces of colored gelatine in various hues, or the calico may be dyed.
Each set of slides on the respective facets of the frame may represent a word or
sentence complete in itself, or be read in conjunction with the next preceding or
succeeding and adjoining facets.
This said frame I mount upon a central axis by means of a disc, or set of radial
arms or spokes, at or near the centre of its length, and the ends of said frame are
open, and those of the axis are supported in brackets or bearings secured to the
floor of a box or casing in which my improved advertising apparatus is enclosed.
Within the said frame I arrange a set or series of (by preference) incandescent
electric lamps carried by, or suspended from, a metal rod, which passes through
the open ends of the frame and being cranked at each end is secured to the
aforesaid casing. Also carried by the axis of said frame is a peg wheel, or bush
having four or more spokes or arms (according to the shape of frame), and each
corresponding' in position to an angle of the frame. At right angles to the said
axis and peg wheel, I arrange another, but shorter, axis, and upon such shorter
axis I mount a finger or spoke.
Also upon, or in connection with, said shorter axis I mount a grooved driving
pulley, or gear wheel, to which continuous motion is imparted from any suitable
source, or by any suitable form of motor.
The effect of rotating the shorter axis is to cause the arm aforesaid to mesh
with the peg wheel, and the speed of such arm, in making a complete revolution,
is such that it advances the peg wheel one tooth, or spoke, and allows a dwell
of two or three seconds before it commences the next revolution, and before it
operates upon the next spoke of the peg wheel, and therefore it will be seen that
with the peg wheel secured to the frame axis it will serve to turn the frame,
and its movements being proportionately adjusted, it will bring each facet of
the frame successively before a spectator.

page_text: To obscure all the working parts, and to allow of only one facet to be seen at
a time, I make the surrounding box or casing with a slit or opening corresponding
with the width of a facet.
Whilst I have only described a single frame I may employ two or more frames,
and by means of gear wheels or gear wheels and chains, or grooved pulleys and
cords, convey the movement of the first frame and its axis to the next, and each
succeeding frame, and thus operate a series of frames from one peg wheel, and
cause the several advertisements to be simultaneously changed.
In such connection I may operate a frame and peg wheel running parallel,
or in line, with the main frame, and thus operate two or more rows of advertise-
ments. Similarly, I may arrange two or more frames on a level, or one behind
or alongside the other, and I may arrange for one to shew through an aperture
on one side of the casing, and the other shew through an aperture on the other
side. In this connection I may apply my invention to a vehicle, and arrange for
a set of advertisements or other matter to be displayed on one or more sides of
such vehicles with means for operating the several frames by the motion of the
vehicle wheels.
By the same means, I may utilise the movement for operating rotating discs,
or devices, in imitation of "twinkling stars," and by the use of colored materials
produce color changing effects or I may utilise the movement for operating an
automatic figure with say head and hand movements, calling attention to the
advertisements.
The form and style of the apparatus, and of the advertisements are such as to
afford an ordinary appearance in the day-time and an illuminated translucent
appearance at night-time.
To increase the effect of the lamps I arrange a silvered or burnished reflector
behind them, and I silver or plate any of the parts upon which the light falls,
and to prevent the light shewing between the respective slides of the advertise-
ments, I form them with an overlapping edge.
In lieu of electric light I may employ gas or oil lamps, but for safety and
facility of control I prefer electric incandescent lamps, and in lieu of colored
slides, I may use colored lamp globes.
Dated this 29th day of November 1897.
THOMAS BOWDEN.
By John G. Wilson & Co.,
Agents.
I, THOMAS BOWDEN, of 41, Percy Street, Hulme, Manchester, Photographio
Artist and Designer, 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 means for displaying advertisements during night
or day time, and for automatically effecting periodical changes in such advertise-
ments, so as to attract attention, and display an extended advertisement in
stages, and in different colors, or with different optical effects.
On the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 illustrates a front view and Fig. 2 a
plan of my improved advertising device. Fig. 3 illustrates an end view, and

page_text: Fig. 4 a cross-section. Fig. 5 illustrates details. Fig. 6 illustrates on a smaller
scale a multiplied form of my invention for displaying two or more sets, or a
series of advertisements. Fig. 7 illustrates its application for automaton, or shop
window use.
Like letters of reference denote like parts in all the views.
In accordance with my invention, I employ a square, hexagonal or like
frame (A) composed of light metal, wood or other suitable material, and provided
on its several facets with grooves or ridges (B), as shewn by cross-section in Fig. 4,
for the reception of advertising slides or plates (C).
The said frame (A) I mount upon a central axis (D) by means of a disc, or
set of radial arms or spokes (E) at, or near, the centre of its length. The ends
of said frame are open, and those of the axis (D) are supported in brackets or
bearings (F) secured to the floor of a box or casing in which my improved adver-
tising apparatus is enclosed.
Within the said frame I also arrange a set, or series, of (by preference) incan-
descent electric lamps (G) carried by, or suspended from, a metal rod (H), which
also passes through the open ends of the frame (A), and being cranked at each
end is secured to the aforesaid casing. Also carried by the axis (D) is a peg-
wheel or bush (I) having four (or more) spokes or arms (J) (according to the
shape of frame), and each corresponding in position to an angle of the frame (A).
At right angles to the said axis of the frame and peg-wheel, I arrange another
axis (K), and upon such axis I mount a finger or tappet (L). Also upon, or in
connection with, axis (K) I mount a grooved driving pulley, or gear wheel (M)
to which continuous motion is imparted from any suitable source, or by any
suitable form of motor.
The effect of rotating the axis (K) is to cause the arm (L) aforesaid to mesh
with the peg-wheel (I), and the speed of arm (L) in making a complete revolution,
is such that it advances the peg-wheel (I) one tooth or spoke, and then allows
a dwell of two or three seconds before it operates upon the next spoke (J) of the
peg-wheel (I), and therefore it will be seen that with the peg-wheel secured to
the frame axis (D) it will serve to turn the frame (A), and its movements being
proportionally adjusted, it will bring each facet of the frame successively before
a spectator.
Whilst I have only described a single frame I may employ two or more frames
as shewn in Fig. 6 and by means of gear wheels (M) (or gear wheels and chains,
or grooved pulleys and cords) convey the movement of the first frame and its
axis to the next, and each succeeding frame, and thus operate a series of frames
from one peg-wheel (I) and cause the several advertisements to be simultaneously
changed. In such connection I may operate a frame and peg-wheel running
parallel or in line, with the main frame, and thus operate two or more rows of
advertisements as shewn in Fig. 6. Similarly, I may arrange two or more frames
on a level, or one behind or along-side the other, and I may arrange for one to
shew through an aperture on one side of the casing, and the other shew through
an aperture on the other side, and in this connection I may apply my invention
to a vehicle, and arrange for a set of advertisements or other matter to be displayed
on one or more sides of such vehicles with means for operating the several frames
by the motion of the vehicle wheels.
By the same means I may utilise the movement for operating rotating discs,
or devices, in imitation of "twinkling stars" (see Fig. 6) and by the use of colored
materials produce color changing effects, or I may utilise the movement for
operating an automatic figure with say head-and-hand movements, calling atten-
tion to the advertisements, as shewn in Fig. 7. The movement of this latter
and when the apparatus is used in shop windows and made in a small scale,
may be effected by clock work, geared to wheel (M).
The slides or plates (C) are, by preference, formed of thin card-board or metal
(see Fig. 5) of suitable exterior appearance or finish with the letter or figure cut

page_text: out in stencil fashion, and the opening filled in with calico or paper to form the
desired facia.
For colored or night effects such slides may also be backed with one or more
pieces of colored gelatine in various hues, or the calico may be dyed.
Each set of slides on the respective facets of the frame may represent a word
or sentence complete in itself, or be read in conjunction with the next preceding
or succeeding and adjoining facets.
The form and style of the apparatus, and of the advertisements are such as
to afford an ordinary appearance in the day-time and an illuminated translucent
appearance at night-time.
To increase the effect of the lamps I arrange a silvered or burnished reflector (0)
behind them, and I silver or plate any of the parts upon which the light falls,
and to prevent the light shewing between the respective slides of the advertise-
ments, I form them with an overlapping edge (C¹) (see Fig. 5).
In lieu of electric light I may employ gas or oil lamps, but for safety and
facility of control I prefer electric incandescent lamps, and in lieu of colored slides,
I may use colored lamp globes.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I desire to secure by Letters Patent is :-
―
1: In means for displaying advertising matter and the like the use and com-
bination of a frame with a series of facets, designed to receive loose plates or
stencils representing letters or other facia, and said frame mounted on axle fitted
with a star wheel, intermittently propelled by continuously revolving taffet or
the like as and for the purposes set forth.
2: In means for displaying advertising or like matter, the use and com-
bination of intermittently revolving frame carrying transparent or semi-trans-
parent media, and fitted with electric lamps or other lighting medium, and
reflector plate, as set forth.
3: In means for displaying advertising or like matter, the use and combina-
tion of a series of frames, with a series of facets, fitted with advertising media,
and said frames mounted on shafts, in line with each other and each operated
intermittently by star-wheels and revolving tappet, as set forth.
4: In means for displaying advertising or like matter, the use and combina-
tion of a series of frames with a series of facets and mounted upon shafts parallel
above or below each other and the several frames operated intermittently by peg
wheel, tappet, and gearing, as set forth.
5: In means for displaying advertising or like matter, the use and combina
tion of intermittently revolving frame or frames carrying advertising media with
star device, or automaton operated by clock or other motor, as set forth.
6-In means for displaying advertising or like matter, the use of slide or
plates (C) backed with plain or colored material to give plain or colored effects,
as set forth.
7: In means for displaying advertising or like matter, the use and combina-
tion and arrangement of parts mounted and operating substantially as and for
the purposes set forth and illustrated on the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 20th day of August 1898
THOMAS BOWDEN,
By John G. Wilson & Co.,
Agents.