An Improved Automatic Apparatus for Displaying Intermittently Pictorial or Printed Effects.
Year: 1889

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by WILLIAM BARRACLOUGH, Engineer, ERNEST CHARLES
DAVIES and CHARLES AUGUSTUS WYLIE, Financial Agents, all of 137, Elizabeth
Street, Hyde Park, Sydney, in the Colony of New South Wales.]
An Improved Automatic Apparatus for Displaying Intermittently
Pictorial or Printed Effects.
I, HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 6 Bream's Buildings,
Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, 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 consists of a novel apparatus for displaying intermittently,
panoramas, dioramas, advertisements, or other pictorial or printed effects, the changes
being operated automatically. The effects may be rendered visible by night or by
day through the medium of direct or reflected natural or other light, from without, or
by artificial light placed within the framework of the apparatus; in the latter instance,
the displayed effects would be known as transparencies.
The apparatus consists of a pannelled framework of suitable dimensions, the panels
being rendered transparent, either by the introduction of glass, or by leaving the
panel space vacant, so that the displayed effects may be clearly seen from without.
Placed within the framework are one, two, or more pairs of nests of spring rollers,
one of each pair of nests of rollers being placed within the framework, at the top,
and the other at the bottom of each transparent panel. Each roller in the nest
has a suitable picture or advertisement rolled upon it, the outer extremity of each
roll or sheet being furnished with a batten or lath, the ends of which (when the
picture or advertisement is rolled up on the roller) take into recesses or notches
formed in the peripheries of discs that carry the axes of the nests of rollers, and the
axis of cach individual roller.
The pictorial or printed sheets are displayed by unwinding them alternately from
the top and bottom nests of rollers. This is effected by means of a slide or slides
carrying automatic finger clips, which (as the slide is drawn upwards or downwards)
will seize the extremities of the batteus or laths attached to the sheets, and thereby
unwind the sheet from its roller, and retain it in its displayed situation until such
time as the slide is caused to return to its former position, when the nest of which
this particular sheet forms part, will be caused to turn a determinate part of a
revolution, with a view to present another roller ready for display, as will be herein-
after explained. The rollers are furnished with springs that will cause them to be
wound up automatically when released from the strain exerted by the slides in the
action of unrolling. The slides and clips that seize the sheet laths in rotation, are
preferably actuated by an endless cord or band, which passes over sheaves or pullies
revolving in different planes. This endless cord is connected to the driving or motive
power shaft of the apparatus in any suitable manner, and is the vehicle by which the
motive power is conveyed to the rollers. In order to communicate an efficient parallel
motion to the slide at each end of the rollers, a second endless band or cord is attached
to each slide, and as one slide is actuated by the motive power cord or band, a precisely
similar motion will be transmitted by the second endless cord to the second slide, and
a regular and parallel motion of the two slides will ensue. The motive power endless
band is furnished with a metal or other stop, which, at a particular point in its travel,
seizes the slide, and so pulls it up or down as required; and, at another point of its
travel, this stop will impinge upon and operate a lever arm intended to throw into
gear a friction pulley on a worm shaft, gearing into a worin wheel on the axis of the
nest of rollers, thus causing the nest to be rotated a determinate part of a revolution,
for reasons already explained. Any other suitable means may also be adopted to
effect this object.

page_text: In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the exterior of the
apparatus; Fig. 2 is a plan of the same, with the top removed; Fig. 3 is a longi-
tudinal section; Fig. 4 an end elevation, having a portion of the end framework
removed, and shewing two pairs of nests of rollers, one on each side of the apparatus ;
Fig. 5 is a section, on an enlarged scale, of a nest of rollers removed from its
bearings; Fig 6 a partial section of a nest of rollers showing the slide and finger
clips in elevation; and Fig. 7 is a plan of the same, shewing the worm, and
worm wheel for intermittently rotating a nest of rollers a determinate part of a
revolution. a. a. are spring rollers, upon which the advertisements are wound ;
bb are the notched or recessed discs that carry the axes of the rollers. The battens
or laths c c, which are attached to the outer extremities of the advertisement sheets,
are made of such a length that they will project beyond the end of the discs bb, and
when home, will drop into the notches or recesses made in the peripheries of the
discs b. b. The rollers a. a. are furnished with internal springs (not shown in the
drawings), which will ensure their being automatically wound up when released
from any unrolling or extending strain. The whole nest of rollers contained between
the discs b. b, rotate intermittently upon a central axis d, which is supported in
bearings or hangers e. e, attached to the framework. To any convenient part of the
frame-work, near the discs b. b, are secured the guides f. f, upon which the slides g. g
work up and down. The slides g. g. are each furnished with a pair of studs h. h,
between which travels the motive power cord or band j.j, carrying a metal or other
stop, of such dimensions, that it will be incapable of passing between the studs h. h,
but when the stop k. comes in contact with the studs hh, the cord or band j. will
carry the slide g with it in the direction of its travel. The studs h. h. are placed
towards the bottom of the slide at one end of the nest of rollers, and towards the
top of the slide, at the other end of the nest of rollers. In order to secure an
absolute identity of motion to the two slides, a second endless cord or band 1.1,
arranged upon guide pulleys so as to pass up one side and down the other side
of each of the two slides, is firmly attached to both slides, the attachment being
made (see Fig. 3) towards the outer side of the left hand slide at g', and towards the
inner side of the right hand slide at g, so that directly the stop k. on the motive
power cord j, comes in contact with the studs h. h. on one of the slides, and begins to
raise or lower it, a parallel and identical motion will be instantly communicated,
through the medium of the endless cord l, to the other slide. On the inner side-of
oach slide, towards the rollers, are pivoited two spring finger clips m. m, the under
one being so placed as to seize the battens c when the slide is rising, while the upper
one will catch the batten when the slide is falling. The action of the clips m will
best be seen by referring to fig. 6. In this figure, the slide y. has risen to its highest
point, the upper batten has entered its recess in the disc b, the lower sheet or advertise-
ment is displayed to its fullest extent, and the upper clip is in position to receive the
next batten in rotation; the discs & will then make a determinate part of a revolution;
the overlapping ends of the battens c will force down and pass over the upper
clip, and occupy the position shown in Fig. 6, so that when the slide is drawn
down, the clip shall seize the overlapping end of the batten, and pull it down, thus
unrolling a fresh sheet; at the same time the lower sheet will be returned to its rolled
up position by the force of its own spring.
On the front of each slide g, is a flange n, which serves to further guide the battens,
and ensures the sheet being rolled up square and true on its roller. The flange n.
carries a stop o, which checks the backward motion of tho clip m, and is an additional
source of strength to the clip while engaged in pulling up or down one of the sheets.
The dics that support the nests are intermittently rotated by means of a
worm p, worm-wheel p¹, and friction pulley 2, which is operated by the motive power
cord This friction gear is started by the action of the stop k, on a lever. No
special means for carrying this into effect has been shewn in the drawings, as any
mechanical appliance suitable for the purpose may be adopted. In Figs. 3. & 4, the
stop k has been shown in gear with the studs h on the slide g, drawing the slide down-
wards, thus displaying one of the sheets in the upper nest, and allowing the lower

page_text: sheet to roll itself up. On the slide 9 arriving at its lowest point, the stop k. will be
withdrawn laterally from the studs h, passing round the releasing pulley r, thence
diagonally upwards towards the opposite corner of the frame, where it passes over
another pulleys, and draws downwards with it the pair of slides at the opposite
side of the frame. On leaving the slide, the stop. k. will pass under another releasing
pulley, thus throwing the friction clutch pulley 9. in gear, and imparting, through the
worm and worm wheel, the desired intermittent rotary motion to the two bottom
nests of rollers; thence passing over the friction pulley, is it guided by pullies x.
to the driving shaft of the apparatus, attached, in this instance, to the hub of the
hearing wheel of the vehicle, supporting the construction, as may be seen by reference
to Figs. 1 & 2. The stop k. then returns over the pullies z. (Fig. 2) within the
framework, and operates the slides at the oposite end of the frame, taking upwards the
fellow of the first slide operated upon, which it leaves at the top, and passing over a
releasing pulley, as before, travels downwards diagonally towards the opposite corner
of the frame, where it passes under another pulley, and takes upwards the fellow of the
second slide operated upon. After passing over the releasing pulley at the top, and
setting in motion the intermittent friction gear, it is then guided over the friction
pulley in the upper part of the apparatus, thus communicating the necessary
determinate part of a revolution to the upper nests of rollers; from this point it is
guided back to its original starting position.
Although this invention has been shewn in Fig. 1 as a perambulating advertisement,
I do not intend so to restrict its use; the apparatus may be stationary, and worked
by any convenient fixed motive power.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me from
abroad, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In apparatus for displaying pictorial or printed effects, a pair or pairs of nests
of rollers working alternately as described and illustrated in the drawings, for the
purpose heroin set forth.
2. In apparatus for displaying pictorial or printed effects, a pair or pairs of slides,
the two slides of each pair working together at a distance from one another with an
identity of motion, by means of an endless cord or band, as described, and illustrated
in the drawings, for the purposes herein set forth.
3. The improved apparatus substantially as described, and illustrated in the
drawings, for the purposes herein set forth.
Deal thin 11th of A nonet 1889
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.