Improvements in Apparatus for Advertising and like Purposes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Jan., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 19th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 21st Nov., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Advertising and like Purposes.
I, GUY CAREY FRICKER, of 149, Fleet Street, in the City of London,
Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of this invention is to produce a brilliant scintillating prismatic
illumination on a glass or other transparent facia upon which a device, pattern, or
lettering is traced or otherwise formed the purpose of the illumination being to
arrest the attention of spectators by the beauty and variety of the display.
To this end a facia consisting of a sheet of plain glass or other suitable transparent
material (hereinafter referred to by the term glass) is prepared by painting it with
a coloured opaque ground so as to leave the desired device, pattern, or lettering
clear. Close against the back of this facia there may be placed a sheet or sheets of
ribbed, diamond-moulded or other glass preferably having a roughened surface so
that the portions of the facia that are left clear present a ribbed, studded, or
otherwise roughened appearance. Further behind the facia there is horizontally
mounted, according to one arrangement, a hollow polyhedron, the sides of which
consist of strips of coloured glass, or a hollow glass cylinder having parallel stripes
of colour, the coloured strips or stripes being preferably arranged in the order of
the colours in the solar spectrum. Within this hollow polyhedron or cylinder are
mounted a number of incandescent electric lamps arranged either so as to rotate
with the coloured polyhedron or cylinder around the axis of the latter or so as to
be stationary whilst the coloured polyhedron or cylinder rotates around them.
Behind this polyhedron or cylinder, again, there is preferably placed a suitable
reflector, which may advantageously be parabolic in vertical cross section and be
lined with silvered glass strips so as to present as perfect a reflecting surface as
possible. This reflector may, however, be made of silvered or nickelled copper or
of tinned iron, or it may consist of a single bent sheet of silvered glass or even, in
some cases, of wood or papier maché painted white inside. When parabolic, the
axis of the reflector should coincide with that of the polyhedron or cylinder.
To operate the sign, the lamps are illuminated and the transparent coloured
polyhedron or cylinder is slowly revolved by clock work, a small electric motor,
or any other suitable means. The effect on the facia is to produce a brilliant
illumination, partly direct and partly reflected, and interspersed with prismatic
bands of colour which gradually exhibit all the colours it may be of the spectrum
as the coloured axial cylinder or polyhedron revolves. The light is further broken
up by the refractions of the moulded or roughened backing of the facia when such
backing is used.
This arrangement may be modified as for example by substituting for the single
horizontal polyhedron or cylinder, a number of such coloured polyhedra or cylinders
arranged vertically. In this case, oil or gas may be used as the illuminating agent since
the necessary ventilation can be easily accomplished. The reflector is then preferably
parabolic in horizontal cross section instead of in vertical cross section, and may
consist of a number of parabolic recesses with a vertical illuminating device at or
about the axis of each. In some cases a single lamp or its equivalent may be used
for illuminating each polyhedron or cylinder and in this case the reflector may be
in the form of a paraboloid or similar to an ordinary parabolic reflector. If

page_text: rotate in bearings 6, 6ª to which the poles of the electric generator are connected.
Suitable means are provided for rotating the polyhedron or cylinder about its axis.
For this purpose a pulley 7 may be fixed upon the outer end of one of the
trunnions, say 5º, and be driven by an endless cord or gearing from a suitable
clockwork, electric or other motor 8 that may be carried by the apparatus, or
otherwise, as may be most convenient. Behind the polyhedron 3 (or cylinder)
there is preferably placed a suitable reflector 9, which may advantageously be
parabolic in vertical cross section, as shown, and be composed of silvered glass
strips so as to present as perfect a reflecting surface as possible. This reflector.
may, however, be made of silvered or nickelled copper, or of tinned iron, or it may
consist of a single bent sheet of silvered glass, or even, in some cases, of wood or
papier maché painted white inside. When parabolic the axis of the reflector
should coincide with that of the polyhedron, or cylinder.
To operate the apparatus, the lamps are switched into circuit and the
polyhedron 3 (or cylinder) is slowly revolved by the motor 8, whereupon the
design on the facia will be brilliantly illuminated partly by direct light and partly
by reflected light, the illuminated portions being crossed by constantly changing
prismatic bands of colour which gradually exhibit it may be all the colours of the
spectrum as the coloured polyhedron or cylinder revolves. The light is further
broken up by refraction due to its passage through the moulded or roughened
transparent backing 2 of the facia, when such backing is used.
As will be obvious apparatus according to my invention can be variously modified
without departing from the essential features thereof. Thus instead of using a
single horizontal polyhedron 3, as in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, (or cylinder), a number
of such coloured polyhedra (or cylinders) arranged vertically may be used as
shown in horizontal section in Fig. 4. In this case, oil or gas can be used as the
illuminating agent, because the necessary ventilation can be easily obtained. The
oil or gas burners can in this case be stationary and be carried by the bottom of
the box or casing so that the flames therefrom will extend centrally into the
polyhedra which may be rotated by providing each of them with a worm wheel 9
gearing with a worm 10 fast on a common shaft 11 that is driven from a suitable
motor. The reflector in such an arrangement is preferably parabolic in horizontal
cross section instead of in vertical cross section, and may consist of a number of
parabolic recesses 8ª with a vertical illuminating device 3 at or about the axis of
each. In some cases a single electric lamp or its equivalent may be used for
illuminating each polyhedron (or cylinder). In this case the reflector may be in
the form of a paraboloid or similar to an ordinary parabolic reflector. If sufficient
illuminating power be provided, the particular form of the reflector is of less
importance and a plain box of rectangular cross section will then be sufficient.
The device, pattern or lettering on the glass facia may, if preferred, be painted
so as to be opaque whilst the ground around the same is left clear.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. My improved apparatus for advertising and like purposes constructed,
arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to
Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive of the drawings annexed (with or without either or both the
reflector 9 and glass 2).
2. Apparatus for advertising and like purposes constructed arranged and
operating substantially as herein before described with reference to Fig. 4 of the
drawings annexed, (with or without the glass 2).
3. In apparatus of the kind hereinabove referred to providing the facia with a
backing consisting of one or more sheets of glass arranged behind the said facia
and having a ribbed, diamond-moulded or cther roughened surface such that the
portions of the facia that are left clear will present a ribbed, studded or otherwise