Improvements in and relating to Advertising Apparatus.
Year: 1899

page_text: Improvements in and relating to Advertising Apparatus.
I, SILAS HIBBARD AYER, a Citizen of the United States of America, residing
at 318, Shawmut Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts, Physician, 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 state-
ment:
-
This invention relates to advertising or display apparatus, and has for its
object to provide an attractive and efficient apparatus for the purpose specified
and one which is especially attractive at night-time. In accordance with this
invention I employ a transparent or translucent body or surface having printed
or otherwise affixed thereto or thereon one or more advertisements, and a second
body, opaque in whole or in part, which is adapted to cover the first body,
means to remove the said cover substantially in an instant in order to display
the advertisement or advertisements, and means to move the cover so as to
conceal the advertisement. A plurality of advertisement-surfaces and their
co-operating covers may be mounted on a portable apparatus provided with a
suitable light for illuminating the advertisement-surface at night, and for the
best results the advertisements on the surface are arranged so as to leave an open
space, and the cover is provided with an advertisement which is arranged on
said cover so as to come into line with the blank or unoccupied space on the
advertisement-bearing surface, the remaining portion of the cover which is in
line with the advertisements on the rear surface being opaque, so as to conceal
the advertisements on said rear surface when the advertisement on the front
surface or cover is being displayed, and especially at night.
These and other features of this invention will be pointed out in the claims at
the end of this specification.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one form of apparatus embodying this invention,
the cover being in its withdrawn position;
Fig. 2, an end elevation of the upper portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1,
the cover being in its withdrawn position;
Fig. 3, represents Fig. 2 with the cover down;
Fig. 4, a horizontal section of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, taken on the
line 14, and with the vehicle omitted.

page_text: In the present instance I have shown one form of apparatus embodying my
invention, the said apparatus consisting of a substantially oblong frame composed
of suitable corner-posts «, united by top and bottom cross-connecting bars a¹,
and to the outside of, which are suitably secured transparent or translucent
surfaces or bodies a³ a³a'a³, which may be composed of white textile material,
such as cotton cloth. The transparent surfaces referred to are designed to
have printed or otherwise affixed to them advertisements of the same or different
kind, and preferably each surface will be provided with a different advertisement,
as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2.
The advertisement on each of the transparent surfaces may and preferably will
be arranged thereon so as to leave a blank space, which in the present instance
is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as a rectangular space b near the center of the said
Burfaces.
Each of the transparent surfaces a³ a³ a² a³ has co-operating with it a movable
surface or cover, preferably in the form of a curtain b¹, provided with the usual
spring-operated roll or fixture 63, which is supported in brackets 63, secured to
the framework near the top of the same, the said curtain being opaque for the
whole or a portion of its surface, and preferably said curtain is left transparent
for a portion of its surface, as indicated at b, Fig. 3, which comes in line with
the blank space 6 of the rear surface, those portions of the curtain which come
in line with the advertisements on the transparent surface being painted black
or otherwise rendered opaque, so as to conceal them from view when the curtain
is in its drawn position.
The transparent space or portion 65 of the curtain is designed to have painted
or otherwise applied thereto an advertisement, which may and preferably will
be different from that on the rear surface.
The curtain may be drawn into its exposed position by a cord c, fastened at
one end to the lower portion of the framework-as, for instance, to a screw-eye c¹,
and passed over suitable pulleys ², herein shown as two in number, which are
fastened to the lower edge of the curtain, and the cord c may then be passed
through a screw-eye-c' at the opposite side of the framework and carried down
to the seat on the vehicle carrying the advertising apparatus. It will thus be
understood that the operating-cords of all the curtains are designed in practice
to run to one point, such as the seat of the vehicle, so that all the curtains may
be manipulated by a single operator, who may be the driver of the vehicle.
The vehicle which carries the advertising apparatus may be of any suitable
style or character and is herein represented as a bicycle of the tandem type.
The framework of the advertising device or apparatus may and preferably wil
contain within its four walls a light d, which may be an incandescent electric
lamp, or it may be any other suitable light, it being represented as an incan-
descent electric lamp, and when the vehicle is driven by electricity-such, for
instance, as an electric-motor carriage-the lamp may be lighted by the power
employed to propel the vehicle.
The advertising-frame may be secured to the vehicle in any suitable manner.
and as represented, it is secured to supporting bars or rods 10, which are fastened
to the frame of the bicycle.
The advertising apparatus is especially attractive at night-time, as the curtain
when raised displays the advertisements on the transparent rear surface and
when lowered covers these advertisements and displays its own. The advertise-
ments are rendered particularly noticeable by reason of the rapid manner in
which they are displayed and then withdrawn from view, for it will readily be
seen that the curtain may be raised and lowered substantially in an instant, so
that when drawn the advertisement on it is displayed, and when raised this
advertisement is withdrawn substantially in an instant and a new advertisement
is exposed to view, which in turn is removed from view substantially in an
instant when the curtain is drawn.
I prefer to provide the curtain with an advertisement, as it not only pro-

page_text: more
vides for greater advertising-space, but renders the advertisements
attractive by reason of the contrast; but I do not desire to limit my invention
in this respect, as the curtain may be made dark or opaque for its entire area
or surface, and in this case the whole of the rear surface may be utilized for
advertising purposes; but this construction or arrangement is not so advantageous
as that herein shown and above described.
I have described the curtains as being operated manually in one direction;
but I do not desire to limit my invention in this respect, as the curtains may
be operated by power.
I have herein shown a single cover or curtain co-operating with each advertis-
ing-surface; but, if desired, a plurality of curtains may be used.
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 combination with a vehicle, of an advertising apparatus carried thereby
and comprising a supporting-frame provided with a transparent or translucent
surface having thereon an advertisement arranged to leave a blank space on
said surface, and a curtain adapted to cover and uncover said surface and pro-
vided with a dark portion to cover the advertisement on the rear surface, and
with a transparent portion having an advertisement thereon which comes in
line with the blank space on the rear surface, substantially as and for the pur-
pose specified.
2. An advertising apparatus comprising a framework provided with an
advertisement-bearing surface having the advertisement arranged thereon to
leave a blank space, and a co-operating surface movable into and out of line
with said advertisement-bearing surface and having on it an advertisement or
character arranged to come in line with the said blank space when the said
surfaces are opposed to each other.
3. An advertising apparatus comprising a framework provided with an adver-
tisement-bearing surface having the advertisement arranged thereon to leave a
blank space, and a curtain to cover and uncover said surface and having a dark
portion to conceal the said advertisement and a light portion provided with an
advertisement or character, substantially as described.
Dated this 13th day of June 1899.
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.