Improvements in and relating to Notice and Advertisement Apparatus.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Aug., 1898-Accepted, 6th May, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Notice and Advertisement
Apparatus.
I, ANTON WEISSMANN, Sign-writer, of 73, Prinzenstrasse, Berlin in the Empire
of Germany, 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:-
The present invention relates to an apparatus intended for the purpose of
notices and advertisements, the essential feature of which consists in the employ-
ment of a band on which the notices or inscriptions are arranged which runs
to and fro between and upon two rollers so as to be wound off the one and on to
the other according to the direction of motion which may be reversed so that
the apparatus may be continuously operated.
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which
Figures 1 to 5 illustrate an apparatus in which clock work is employed as the
driving power, while the disengagement of a pinion effects the reversal of
rotation when the band has run out in one or other direction.
Figure 1 is a plan of the apparatus.
Figure 2 plan of the driving mechanism.
Figure 3 is an elevation of the driving mechanism showing also one of the
rollers, while
Figures 4 and 5 are details of the catch mechanism, showing different positions
of the catch-mechanism by means of which the reversal of rotation is effected.
Figure 6 illustrates in perspective the application of the apparatus to the roof
of vehicles such as a railway carriage or street omnibus.
Figure illustrates in elevation the application of the apparatus upon a station
indicating board for train routes.
The several figures are drawn to different scales.
In carrying the invention into effect as illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 of the
accompanying drawings, cylinders ab are provided upon which the advertisements
or notices are arranged in series, between which a frame c is mounted upon
which the driving mechanism is secured. The driving mechanism comprises a
spring barrel d and an intermeshing train of wheels by means of which a slow
The spiral spring within
rate of rotation is communicated to the roller a.
the barrel is connected to the spindle № whose projecting extremity may be
formed square, so that a tube 11 may operate to wind up the spring when such
is run down.
The spring barrel & through an intermeshing train of wheels effects the rota-
tion of the shaft o and also the shaft f upon which a pinion and a toothed
wheel fare mounted and form part of the train. The wheel f¹ effects the rota-
tion of the spindle by the interposition of either the single pinion or the
two pinions by means of which rotation in opposite directions may be effected.
The pinion and pinions may be alternately put in train seeing that they
are mounted upon a vibrating plate h which is pivoted to the frame c.
reversal of rotation of the driving roller a is effected by the movement of the
The

page_text: vibrating plate h so as to bring the two pinions into engagement when pre-
viously the one was alone in gear. This is automatically effected by means
of the catch mechanism illustrated in Figures 4 and 5. A disc e' is mounted
upon the shaft e which disc revolves in one direction only and has provided
upon its face two tappet pins which alternately strike against tappet pins k
on the face of a small catch wheel as the disc revolves into the respective
positions to bring the tappet pins opposite to each other. On the back of the
small catch wheel a catch pin or tappet 2 is fixed which catch pin engages
with a notch in the edge of the plate and thus the small catch wheel on its
rotation thereby alters the position of the plate which is fixed on the spindle
carrying the plate and pivots thereon as shown in Figures 4 and 5; in these
views arrows indicate the directions of rotation of the several parts of the revers-
ing mechanism at each end position of the plate. The shaft can also be
operated by bringing the shafts mn and their connected gearing into gear with
the shaft f.
A fan is mounted upon the shaft o for the purpose of regulating the speed
of the mechanism, this fan is also utilized for the purpose of striking a bell
which is arranged in close proximity thereto, so that on striking the attention
of the passengers may be directed to the advertising arrangement. The rotation
of the roller a is effected by means of an endless chain passing round chain
wheels respectively secured upon the spindle g and upon the roller a. Upon
the opposite end of the roller a a chain wheel is provided which gears with a
chain which also passes round a chain wheel affixed to the roller so that the
motion of the roller is communicated to the roller b. The chain equalises
by means of its length and differences of velocity that might result from the
rapid rotation of the rollers of the band or sheet.
In Figure 6 the apparatus is shown in perspective as applied to the roof of a
railway carriage or street omnibus so that one or more bands or sheets containing
advertisements may be presented upon which inscriptions may be suitably dis-
played together with the name of the next stopping place. The movement of
the apparatus is effected by means of the conductor or guard pulling a cord s by
means of which the pawl lever which is normally in engagement with one of
the arms attached to the spindle of the spring drum is released, thus per-
mitting or effecting the desired movement of the spring drum carrying the bands
or sheets to be displayed. A spiral spring we brings the pawl back into its
normal position engaging one of the arms on the drum, a stop being provided
on the back of the pawl to keep the same in position in engagement with one
or other of the arms.
In Figure 7 the apparatus is shown as applied for indicating train routes.
The band or sheet containing names of the stations is mounted upon suitable
rollers within the frames of the pillar so that the names of the stations may be
visible upon both sides. The rotation is suitably effected by means of bevil
gearing from the pillar by means of crank manipulated by a station official.
Any other means of operation may be employed.
Having now 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 claim is;
1. An apparatus for the display of notices or advertisements, consisting of a
band or sheet provided with the advertisements or inscriptions mounted upon
rollers so as to be capable of being alternately wound off the one and wound
on the other, the rotation of the one roller being effected by means of a chain
substantially as described.
2. An apparatus for the display of notices or advertisements such as specified
in the first (laim in which driving mechanism is mounted between the rollers
which are caused to rotate in one direction or the other by means of pinions i

page_text: or the change being effected by means of catch mechanism operated from
the first intermediate shaft e substantially as described.
3. In an apparatus for displaying notices or advertisements such as specified
in Claim 1, the employment of a fan wheel such as which on operation causes
a bell to ring substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
4. An apparatus for the display of notices or advertisements substantially as
hereinbefore described and illustrated in which rollers are employed geared to
rotate together by means of a chain.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, and
25, Cross Street, Manchester, Agents.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, and
25, Cross Street, Manchester, Agents.