A Novel Aerial System for Advertising, Displaying Announcements, Emblems, and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 29th June, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 29th Mar., 1900-Accepted, 5th May, 1900
A Novel Aerial System for Advertising, Displaying Announcements,
Emblems, and the like.
I, EDWARD WILSON SMITH, of 16, Laurence Pountney Lane, Cannon Street,
City of London, Lithographic Designer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows;-
This invention relates to a novel method or system of displaying or exposing
prearranged advertisements, announcements, emblems, and the like or of the
desired kind by the aid of balloons and spherical or other shaped vehicles or
appliances in or from which electrical lamps can under control of switch boards
or contact keys be caused to indicate names, numbers, or other easily distin-
guishable indication high up in the air.
As an example of my invention, I make a frame of wirework to which I affix
fransparent spheres, discs, or other shaped bodies to imitate, say, alphabetical
letters, numerals, or devices. The framework is connected, say, to two balloons
and to electrical cables or conducting wires which can be led off a drum or from
coils to any desired height, so that the frame with the balloons float in the air
in order that the devices, designs, or emblems can be easily read or compre
hended as to their meaning by persons from below.
The balloons may be surrounded or surmounted with glow lamps, plain or in
colour, for artistic effect, and by the addition of balloons from each corner a
light frame could be carried horizontally and be kept floating from and with
the balloon at a great elevation and yet be under control and the height regu-
lated by winding drums or other appliances.
Dated this 90th dor of June 1800
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said Edward Wilson Smith.
A Novel Aerial System for Advertising, Displaying Announcements,
Emblems, and the like.
I. EDWARD WILSON SMITH, of 16, Laurence Pountney Lane, Cannon Street,
City of London, Lithographic 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:―
This invention relates to a novel method or system of displaying or exposing
prearranged advertisements, announcements, emblems, and the like or of the
desired kind by the aid of balloons and spherical or other shaped vehicles or
appliances in or from which electric lamps can under control of switch boards
or contact keys be caused to indicate names, numbers, or other easily distin-
guishable indication high up in the air.

page_text: As an example of my invention, I make a frame of wirework to which I affix
transparent spheres, discs, or other shaped bodies to imitate, say, alphabetical
letters, numerals, or devices. The framework is connected, say, to two balloons
and electrical cables or conducting wires which can be led off a drum or from
coils to any desired height, so that the frame with the balloons float in the air
in order that the devices, designs, or emblems can be easily read or compro-
hended as to their meaning by persons from below.
The balloons may be surrounded or surmounted with glow lamps, plain or in
colour, for artistic effect, and by the addition of balloons from each corner a
light frame could be carried horizontally and be kept floating from and with
the balloon at a great elevation and yet be under control and the height regu-
lated by winding drums or other appliances.
My invention will be understood by the accompanying drawings in which
several examples of the application of my invention is shown.
Figure, is a perspective elevation of a framework A bearing an indication
or advertisement formed from holes B in the framework A, electric lamps
being arranged inside the framework for lighting the interior so as to illu-
minate the advertisement, or such advertisement may be in the form of electric
incandescent lamps arranged outside the framework, the electric current being
conveyed to and from the source of supply through the wines C arranged in the
ropes D which are connected to the framework, contact pieces E being applied
to the framework A for connecting the wires.
Balloons F support the framework in the air by the connections G.
Figure 2 is a view of a balloon carrying a screen or framework A having an
advertisement, as in Figure 1, around it, said screen being supported by ropes
from the top of the balloon, the conducting wires C, C, to the lamps in this
case being conveyed by one guide rope.
Figure 3 is a similar view to Figure 2 except that the screen or framework A
carries emblems B made up of transparent material, the electric lamps being
arranged between them and the balloon F for illumination.
Figure 4 is a view of a balloon F with an emblem or decoration H arranged
to travel or as a form of tail depending from the balloon, the electric lamps B
being in this case the centre of the flowers forming part of the decoration.
It will be understood that the electric lamps may be arranged in various
colours so as to indicate the advertisement or emblem first in one colour and
then in another, the lamps in this case being separately connected up in the
manner well known, the conducting wires being led to a switchboard for action
by any suitable machine driven by clock or other mechanism.
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. The herein described system of illuminating advertisements, emblems, or
the like carried by a balloon or balloons in mid-air by electric lamps, the balloons
being controlled by guide ropes from a drum or other retainer as set forth.
2. Providing a captive balloon or balloons with a framework or screen carry-
ing advertisements or the like for illumination by electric lamps or
forming the
advertisement or the like from electric lamps attached to such framework or
screen,, substantially as set forth.
1000
R. CORE GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said Edward Wilson Smith.