IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DISPLAYING ADVERTISEMENTS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William. Robert Lake, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake,
and Co, Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London for an-Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DISPLAYING ADVERTISEMENTS" com-
municated to him from abroad by William Akin, of the City and State of
New York Huited States of & marion Gentleman
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
.
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th December 1882...
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm. of Haseltine, Lake, and Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings London, "IMPROVEMENTS IN- APPARATUS FOR DISPLAYING
ADVERTISEMENTS [A communication to him from abroad by William Akin, of
the City and State of New York, United States of America, Gentleman.]
"
This Invention relates to improvements in apparatus for displaying advertising
cards, prints, circulars and the like, in places of public resort, and consists in
improved mechanism and devices, automatically operated, whereby the attention of
those in the immediate vicinity thereof is directed to the said advertisements.
More particularly it consists in mechanism whereby the cards, sheets, or similar
advertising mediums are automatically displayed at intervals, in rotation; and in
connection therewith a gong or alarm, may be sounded simultaneously with each
change, or as each card is in its turn displayed for the purpose of drawing attention
thereto.
Preferably I attach said mechanism to a clock, so that it is actuated by the
works of the latter, and I form the case of the clock in such manner that provision
is made therein for displaying said cards, prints, or other mediums employed.
When thus constructed the advertising devices constitute an attachment to an
ordinary clock, but they may be used in a separate case without the clock-dial but
having a clock-movement.
Each case or frame accommodates a number of the advertising cards or sheets,
and the latter are each displayed at brief intervals by means of automatic
mechanism. The cards or sheets upon which the advertisements are printed or
impressed may either be of rigid material such as card-board, or of flexible and

page_text: .
.
pliant material such as ordinary writing paper, the mechanism being modified in its
construction to adapt it to operate the same under these different conditions. In
the latter case, that is to say, when a flexible and pliant sheet is used (and which I
prefer inasmuch as the mechanism is more simple) I secure the several sheets, at
one edge thereof, by suitable means, upon the periphery of a horizontal drum which
is rotated intermittently, being automatically stopped for a predetermined space of
time, to display an advertisement and then rotated to bring the next sheet into
view, which latter by the next movement of the drum is succeeded by another
sheet, and so on. The sheets hang down in front of the drum and are viewed
through a glass door in the clock case or frame, each in its turn being brought into
view by the rotation of the drum. The drum is driven by a coiled spring or other
suitable motor, connected with which are suitable escapement-devices whereby the
intermittent movements of the drum are effected, and which are controlled and
actuated by an auxiliary clock-work, through the medium of a connecting rod, a
lever, and a ratchet, the latter secured upon one of the shafts of said auxiliary clock-
work. By these means the drum is rotated at regular intervals. To ensure
regularity in the movements of the sheets as they drop in succession from the drum,
they are slightly weighted towards their upper ends and a retaining spring at the
back of the case prevents their being carried over the drum prematurely. For the
purpose of arresting the attention of by-standers I employ a gong or bell which is
secured in the lower part of the case and is struck at each change of the sheets by
a hammer fixed at the lower end of a pivotted lever which is operated by a ratchet
wheel on the shaft that carries the drum.
In the other case, that is to say, when a rigid advertising sheet or card is used
said cards rest upon a platform in an extension of the case or frame, one behind
the other, and the printing and other advertising marks thereon are seen through a
glass door in front. This platform is provided with a pivotted support or lip at its
front edge upon which the foremost of the cards rests and from which said cards
are successively dropped into a lower compartment after having been displayed
during the allotted time. When a card falls it sets in motion a system of levers
which constitute an escapement connected with an elevator or carrier that lifts said
card to the platform again and places it behind the other cards to be again dis-
played in its turn. In order to effect this the said support or lip is withdrawn at
regular intervals by mechanism connected with a clock movement, thereby allowing
the card thereon to drop upon the elevator in the lower compartment. This
elevator is lifted by mechanism connected with, and driven by, a separate motor, as
for instance a coiled spring or a weight and the construction is such that whenever
the said elevator is lifted the said pivotted support is re-set to receive the next
card on the platform, and the card just dropped is replaced upon said-platforın as
above mentioned. Suitable means are employed for pushing the cards forward on
the platform and guiding them to the lip. The said operations are controlled by
the clock-movement through the medium of a ratchet-wheel fixed upon the shaft
that carries the minute-wheel, each tooth of which wheel, as it passes under a
pivotted lever provided with a projection that works into the same, raises said
lever and thereby releases a clutch-wheel and pulley, driven by said separate motor,
whereby the elevator or carrier is raised as before mentioned.
When my improved advertising apparatus is used in a dark or dimly lighted
place, or in a shop window or in a similar position, I place a lamp or other lighting
device in the upper part of the case or frame, and arrange a reflector therein to
throw the light upon the face of the sheet or card which is being displayed, suitable
provision being made for carrying off the smoke and heat

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th June 1883.
;
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, .
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DISPLAYING
ADVERTISEMENTS A communication to me from abroad by William Akin of
the City and State of New York, United States of America, Gentleman
"
This invention relates to apparatus for displaying advertising cards, prints,.
circulars and the like in places of public resort, and comprises improved mechanism
and devices, automatically operated, whereby the attention of those in the
immediate vicinity thereof is directed to the same.
f
The said invention more particularly consists in providing mechanism whereby
the cards sheets or similar advertising mediums are automatically displayed at
intervals in rotation, and in the employment in connection therewith of devices
for sounding a gong or alarm simultaneously with each change or as each card is
in its turn displayed for the purpose of drawing attention thereto.
Preferably I attach the said mechanism to a clock, so that it is actuated by the
works of the latter, and I form the case of the clock in such a manner that
provision is made therein for displaying the advertising mediums employed. When
thus constructed the advertising devices constitute an attachment to an ordinary
clock, but they may also be used in a separate case without the clock dial, but
operated by clock movements."
According to the said invention I secure a number of flexible advertising sheets
such as paper or the like at their upper edges to a horizontal drum which is
journalled in the case and rotated intermittently, being automatically stopped for a
predetermined space of time to display an advertisement, and then rotated a part
of a revolution to bring the next sheet into view, which latter by the next
movement of said drum, is succeeded by another sheet and so on. The sheets hang
down in front of the drum and are viewed through a glass door in the case or
frame, each in its turn being brought into view by the rotation of the drum. The
drum is rotated by a train of clockwork, which latter is driven by a spring or
other suitable motor, and connected therewith are suitable escapement devices
whereby the intermittent movements of the drum are effected and which are
controlled and actuated by auxiliary clock-work through the medium of a con-
necting rod a lever and a ratchet; the said ratchet being secured upon one of the
shafts of the said auxiliary clock work.
To ensure regularity in the movements of the sheets as they drop in succession
from the drum, they are slightly weighted toward their upper ends, and a retaining
spring secured to the back of the case prevents their being carried over the drum
prematurely. For the purpose of attracting the attention of by-standers, I'employ
a gong or bell which is secured in the lower part of the case and struck at each
change of the sheets by a hammer as hereinafter described.
Provision is also made whereby the improved apparatus may be used in dark or
dimly lighted places or in shop windows or similar positions; and for this purpose
I place a lamp or other lighting device in the upper part of the case and arrange a
reflector behind it to throw the light upon the face of the sheet which is being
displayed; and suitable provision is made for carrying off the smoke and heat from
the said lamp.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is the front elevation of a clock provided with apparatus constructed

page_text: Figure 2 18 & similar view, part of the case being broken away to show the
interior.
Figure 3 is a side sectional elevation of the same
Figures 4 to 10 are detail views of the mechanism drawn to an enlarged scale
and hereinafter described.
? Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawing.
A indicates an ordinary. clock the case B.of.which is made of suitable form to
receive and hold the working parts and which has a glass plate C in the lower
part of its front through which the advertisements are seen. The advertisements
are printed or otherwise formed upon sheets D. of paper, cloth, or other suitable
material and the said sheets attached at their upper edges, and at equal distances
apart to a drum E.. To each advertising sheet D at a short distance from its upper
edge is attached a weight or bar a. By these means as the drum E is revolved,
the sheets D, are carried over it and drop down successively at its forward side, so
as to be seen through the glass plate C...One end of the drum E is pivotted to a
bracket or other support G attached to the side of the case B and its other end. is
attached to a shaft of ordinary clock-work H the frame of which is attached to
the side of the case B and which is driven by a spring or a weight.
In the drawing I have shewn escapement mechanism of two kinds for imparting
the intermittent movements, to, the drum E, above mentioned either of which may
be used. One of these escapements is shewn, in Figures 4, 5 and 6; in which I is
a disc attached to one end of the drum E to the outer side of which disc and in a
zig-zag direction; around the same are attached projecting pins b as shewn in
Figure 4, so as to engage successively with a pin c attached to the side of the outer
end of a bar or lever L hinged at its inner end to the frame of the clock work M or
to the case B or other suitable support. . The outer end of the hinged bar L is held
in place close to the wheel I by a guide-bracket N along the upright arm of which
the said end of the bar L moves up and down. Upon the upper corner of the
outer end of the said bar L is formed an eye d into which is inserted a hook
formed upon the lower end of the connecting rod P. The upper part of the rod P
passes through an eye e formed upon the side of the outer part of the lever Q
which latter is hinged at its inner end to the frame of the clockwork M or to some
other suitable support. The upper part of the rod P has a thread formed upon it
to receive the two nuts ff which are screwed upon it one above and the other
below the edges of the lever Q so that the length of the, said rod can be readily
adjusted. The frame of the clock work M is attached to the case B and, the said
clock work may be driven by a spring, or a weight. Upon the lower edge of the
lever Q is formed a tooth g to engage with the teeth of the ratchet wheel Tattached
to the frame of the clock-work M.
•
With this construction as the ratchet wheel T is turned by the clock work M in
the direction of the arrow, the teeth of the said ratchet wheel will raise the lever Q
and allow it to drop successively. Each upward movement of the lever Qraises
the pin c of the hinged bar L. from an inner pin b of the disc. I and brings it into
position to engage with the next outer pin b which latter is released by the next
downward, movement of said bar L and so on successively. As each pin bis
released, the drum E is revolved, by the clock-work H until its next pin b engages
with the pin c. Each movement of the drum E causes an advertisement-sheet D
to drop into view so that each advertising-sheet. will be displayed while the
ratchet, wheel; T is moving through one half the space of a tooth which may
be half a minute more or less according to the number of teeth in the said
ratchet wheel
The other form of escapement and the one which I prefer, is shewn in
Figures 7, 8 and 9. In this the clock-work. H. is placed underneath the
clockwork M as shewn in Figure 7 and attached in that position to the case B
and the disc I and pins b are not used. The lever Q, ratchet wheel T, and
connecting rod; P are constructed and arranged in substantially the same manner
as in the former case. One end of the drum E is attached to, a shaft of the

page_text: clock-work H as before. L' is a lever pivotted at one end to the frame of the
clock-work H and at its other end pivotted to the lower end of the connecting
rod P, so that whenever the lever Q through the medium of its ratchet tooth g.is
raised by the ratchet wheel T the said lever L' is also raised. Upon the lever L' is
a stop-pin d. A fly m consisting of a straight bar is fixed near its centre upon a
shaft of the clock-work H upon which shaft is also secured a pinion n connected
with the train of the clock-work H. The fly m is provided with pins-p and p¹ one
at each end thereof which are placed in such relative positions with each other and
the centre of the fly that one of them will pass underneath the stop pin d and the
other come in contact therewith when the fly revolves and the said stop-pin d' is
in a certain position. The lines of motion of the said pins p p² are shewn in
Figure 9.
The operation of this escapement is as follows that is to say:-Supposing the
lever L to be at its lowest position, then the pin p will rest against the stop-pin d¹
stopping the fly and consequently stopping the clock-work H and the movement of
the drum E.
When by rotation of the ratchet wheel T the tooth g has been raised
one half way up one of the teeth of said wheel T, the lever L' will have been raised
a sufficient distance to allow the pin p to pass underneath the stop-pin d' thus
releasing the fly m (which begins to be revolved by the force of the motor of the
clock-work H) and the pin p will come against the stop-pin d' again stopping the
said fly and the clock-work H; and when the tooth g has arrived at the summit of
the tooth of the wheel T the stop-pin d' will have been raised sufficiently to allow
the pin p' to pass underneath it, thus again releasing the fly but inasmuch as the
levers and L' will by their own weight then immediately drop into their lowest
positions and reach the same before the fly m has completed its half revolution, the
said fly will be again stopped by the pin p coming in contact with the stop-pin d'
The fly m is thus stopped by the pins p and p¹ alternately as the ratchet wheel T
continues to revolve and as the drum E is rotated by the same power that rotates
the fly m the said drum is moved forward to display another advertising-sheet D at
each movement of the said fly. The pinion n must be geared with the train of the
clock-work so that the fly shall have a rapid movement but not so rapid as to
complete its half revolution before the tooth g can fall from the summit of a tooth
of the wheel T to the bottom of the space between the latter and the next tooth of
the said wheel T
The advertising sheets D are held from dropping until the drum E has been
turned so far as that the weights or bars a will cause them to drop quickly, by
means of one or more springs K attached to the back of the clock-case B, in such
position that the free edge of each advertising-sheet will pass out from beneath
the said spring or springs at the proper time for the said sheet to drop.
Rindicates a bell or gong which is secured in the case B in any suitable
position, and is struck by a bell hammer at each movement of the 'drum E.
When the first mentioned escape mechanism is used, I arrange this bell so that
the lever-handler of its hammer q is tripped by the pins b on the disc I as they
successively come in contact with the end thereof, as shewn in Figure 4, and
when the second of the above-described escapements is used, I arrange the said
bell and hammer so that the latter is tripped by a ratchet-wheel fixed on one of
the shafts of the clock-work H, or it may be tripped by means of pins 88 on
the fly m. The object of this bell is to call attention to the advertisement
displayed.
Provision is made for throwing the advertising mechanism out of gear at night,
or when it is not desired to use it. For this purpose the clock-work M is so
constructed that its large wheel will revolve once in twenty four hours and upon
its hub M is formed a segment t of a ring-flange. The arc of 'this flange bears
the same proportion to a complete circle as the number of hours during which it
is desired to have the advertising drum stand still, bears to twenty-four. As for
instance if the drum is to stand still from ten o'clock at night to six o'clock next
morning (or 8 hours) the said flange should be one-third of a circle. The front

page_text: .
edge of the said flange is bevelled as at o'..Attached to the lever is a fine
spring the free end of which is bent so as to stand at about right angles to the
plane of the wheel on which the flange t is formed and extends over the front
edge of the latter. The flange is made adjustable so that it can be turned to
change the hour at which the stoppage of the drum shall commence and cease,
and the spring u is made of ordinary watch spring with its edges placed vertically.
and is passed through an opening in the end of the lever Q as shewn in Figure 10.
When the flange t comes underneath the end of the spring and the lever Qis
raised to its highest position by one of the teeth of the ratchet wheel T the said
spring will rest upon the said flange and prevent the lever from dropping to
release the fly m; and the movement of the drum E will consequently be stopped
until by the rotation of the flange it has passed from the spring. The object of
the bevel o¹ is to act on the spring u so that the movement of the clock-work M
shall not be affected or retarded as the flange comes in contact with the said
spring, and so that the latter shall yield until the main body of the flange comes
under the spring.
In order that the advertising sheets may be plainly seen when the apparatus
is placed in shop-windows or in dimly-lighted places, I employ the devices shewn
in Figure 3 wherein V indicates a lamp placed on any suitable support in the
vacant space in the case B above the drum E or when the case is permanently
fixed a gas-jet may be introduced in lieu of a lamp; w is a flue or chimney for
carrying off the heat and smoke from the flame, and y is a reflector of any suitable
form and material attached to the case B in such position that the light from the
lamp or gas jet will be thrown thereby directly upon the face of the advertising-
sheet which is being displayed. The upper part of the case marked B¹ is opaque
and as before stated the advertisement is seen through the glass plate C.
Having thus fully described the said invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent and the manner of performing the same I wish it understood
that I claim-
First. An automatic advertising apparatus, constructed substantially as described,
consisting of the case B, the clock-work M and H, the drum E carrying the
advertising sheets D, and escapement mechanism for imparting an intermittent
'movement to the said drum E, as, and for the purpose, set forth.
+
"
Second. In an automatic advertising apparatus, the combination, with the clock-
work M and H and the drum E carrying the advertising sheets D, of the lever Q
having the ratchet tooth g, the lever L³ having the stop-pin d, the connecting
rod P, the ratchet-wheel T and the fly m, all constructed and arranged to operate
substantially as described.
Third. In an automatic advertising apparatus, the combination, with the clock-
work M and H and the drum E and escapement mechanism Q, T, P, L' and m, of
the flange t on the large wheel of the clock-work M, and the spring u attached to
the lever Q, as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Fourth. In an automatic advertising apparatus, the combination of the case B
having the glass plate C, the lighting device V, the flue w and the reflector y, all
arranged substantially as described for the purpose set forth.
.
Fifth. The weights or bars a and the spring K, in combination, with the drum E
and the sheets D, for regulating the movements of the said sheets, as set forth.
In witness whereof I the said William Robert Lake have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Ninth day of June in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty three