A New and Improved Device for Advertising Purposes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Jan., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Oct., 1899-Accepted, 23rd Dec., 1899
A New and Improved Device for Advertising Purposes.
FREDERICK ALCOCK, Officer of H.M. Customs, 98, Upper Richmond Road,
Putney, S.W., do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The lettering or design of the advertisement is formed in illuminated points
consisting of incandescent electric lights or lamps. This method of advertising
is already largely in use. The present invention consists in causing the points of
light to appear to travel along the lines of the letters or designs by means of a
suitable arrangement of the lamps and their successive lighting and extinction.
The extinction of a lamp at each point is immediately followed by the lighting
of a lamp of similar color and appearance at the succeeding point; the impression
is thus conveyed to the eye that the lamp has moved to such succeeding point.
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A New and Improved Device for Advertising Purposes.
I, FREDERICK ALCOCK, of 98, Upper Richmond Road, Putney, in the County of
Surrey, England, Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
This invention has reference to improvements in advertising devices of the
kind in which letters or designs are rendered visible at night by means of lamps
which are usually so arranged as to themselves form or outline the letters or
designs or so as to throw light through translucent lines or portions of an opaque
sheet or board mounted in front of them which portions form the letters or
design.
According to this invention the illuminated designs or portions of them are
caused to appear to move or travel by means of a suitable arrangement of the
lamps and by providing for their successive lighting and extinction so that, if
they be made up of a series of illuminated points each consisting of say, an
incandescent electric lamp, the extinction of a lamp at a given point is imme-
diately followed by the lighting of a lamp of similar colour at the succeeding
point, and so on successively throughout the series, the impression thus conveyed
to the eye being that the lamp first lit up has moved to each succeeding point.
Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating an arrangement according to this. invention in
an elementary form comprising a single line of electric incandescent lamps

page_text: (marked 1 to 9 inclusive) spaced at short distances apart, one terminal of each
lamp being connected in regular sequence to a separate contact piece of a multiple
switch 10 adapted to successively break the circuit of every lamp in succession
simultaneously or nearly simultaneously with the completion of the circuit of the
next adjacent lamp on the line. By moving the switch handle 11 rapidly from
contact piece to contact piece the effect would be produced of the lamp 1 gradually
moving along the line.
The operation of the switch may be effected mechanically, for instance, by
means of clockwork or an electric motor.
Instead of a single lamp, a group of lamps arranged in any design may be
connected in a similar manner to each contact piece of the multiple switch.
Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating such an arrangement comprising nine groups
of lamps marked 1 to 9, each group consisting of five lamps marked A, B, C, D, E,
arranged in parallel vertical lines. In this case the whole group 1 of the lamps
will, upon rotation of the switch handle, be caused to appear to move along from
left to right as the groups of lamps 1 to 9 are successively lit up.
The apparent motion from position 1 to 2 and from 2 to 3 and so on, although
really a step-by-step movement, will appear smooth or continuous if the contact
breaking and making mechanism be suitably adjusted.
It is thus possible by arranging two groups of lamps in lines converging at one
end and having their circuits controlled by a suitably adjusted two-way switch
to produce the effect of a swinging pendulum, the switch being caused to complete
the circuits of the two groups of lamps alternately. Fig. 3 is a diagram illus-
trating such an arrangement, 1 and 2 being the converging rows of lamps and 10
the switch.
It will be obvious that any designs, pictorial or otherwise, may be outlined by
various groups of lamps and apparent motion may be given to them by the opera-
tion of the multiple switch; thus one grouping of lamps may outline a figure (for
instance, a representation of a man) in one position and other groupings of lamps,
superimposed on the first group, may show the same figure in the same general
position, but in different attitudes, each different and successive group being con-
nected to separate and successive contact steps on a rotary multiple switch, by
rotating the handle of which the figure will be made to appear to take up the
different attitudes in succession. Fig. 4 illustrates a representation of the head
and shoulders of a man, outlined in three attitudes by means of lamps; certain
of the lamps are common to all three attitudes and these are shown in full lines
and others, which are shown in full lines and sectioned or hatched, are common
to the second and third attitudes, those which are only lit up when the
figure is shown in one of the three attitudes being indicated by dotted lines.
In some cases, each group of lamps may delineate the figure or design in slightly
different positions as a whole upon the show board and also in different attitudes
so as to give the effect of the figure moving along bodily as well as assuming
different attitudes.
In representing moving or travelling figures and the like according to this
invention elongated lamp bulbs, or stencil cards or plates, or opaque facia with
stencilled transparent lines with rearwardly extending dividing partitions between
which the several groups of, lamps are arranged, may be employed to assist in the
delineation of delicate or intricate figures or designs, the group of lamps illumin-
ating each separate position of the design being connected to separate contact
pieces of a multiple switch as described.
In some cases, lamps which are arranged in regular order so as to outline any
linear design, may be arranged in groups adapted to be lit up successively. Fig. 5
is a diagram of such an arrangement, the lamps 1, 4, 7 and 10 are arranged in
one group and connected to one contact piece a on a three way rotary switch, the
lamps 2, 5, 8 and 11 in another group connected to the second contact piece b
and the lamps 3, 6, 8 and 12 in another group on the third contact piece c and
the switch contacts are suitably adjusted as previously described, so that ou

page_text: rotating the switch the lamps 1, 4, 7 and 10 will appear to be travelling round
in a circle one behind the other.
In this way, letters or other linear designs the lamps outlining which are alter-
nately spaced on three or more circuits may be made to appear to consist of
elementary moving parts.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is: -
An advertising device wherein an outline pictorial or other figure or design is
illuminated by various lamps, or groups of lamps, in various attitudes and
wherein apparent motion is given to said pictorial or other figure or design by the
operation of a multiple switch whereby certain lamps or groups of lamps are succes-
sively switched off simultaneously, or nearly simultaneously, with the switching o
of the circuit of a succeeding lamp, or group of lamps, substantially as described
with reference to the accompanying illustrative drawings the arrangement being
such that the figure or design is made to appear to move from attitude to attitude
after the manner of a cinematographic representation.
on
Dated this 3rd day of October 1899.
For the Applicant,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn, Fields, London, W.C.,
Chartered Patent Agent!