Improvements in Apparatus suitable for Advertising and like Purposes.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL DIEUTLICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus suitable for Advertising and like
Purposes.
I. JOHN ALEXANDER KENNEDY-MCGREGOR, of Clyde Villa, 128, High Road,
Lee, in the County of Kent, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this in-
vention to be as follows;-
In the specification of another application for Letters Patent No. 2996
of 1898 there is described apparatus suitable for advertising and like purposes
wherein the letters or other devices to form words or other representations to
be exhibited are on parallel strips of material that are moved lengthwise through
suitable mechanism by the action of pins or projections of determined length
and arrangement operated by a movable body, the arrangement being such that
when the apparatus is in action, a set of pins or projections will act to move
the strips lengthwise so as to bring opposite an opening or openings in the front
of the apparatus the proper letters or devices on adjacent strips to form the word
or words or other representation it is desired to exhibit, after which a fresh set
of pins or projections will be brought into position to operate the strips and pro-
duce another word or set of words or other representation, these operations
being constantly repeated so long as the apparatus is in motion.
Now the present invention has reference to improvements in apparatus of the
kind referred to whereby its working is improved and its construction simplified.
In order that the letters, devices or the like (hereinafter referred to as letters)
form a word or words pictorial device or other representation (hereinafter referred
to as a word or words) to be exhibited shall be finally brought into a straight
line, there is provided at the back or front of the movable strips, or at both the
back and front of such strips, an alignment bar or device which, after the strips
have been moved endways more or less into their correct positions, is caused to
engage the strips and move them or permit them to move in such a way as to
bring the exposed letters thereon to a common level and afterwards to release
the strips and enable them to be returned to their initial positions. For this
purpose the alignment bar may be provided with projections or fingers adapted
to enter holes in the strips and bring the exposed letters into a straight line
either by lifting any strips that may be too low, or by acting as stops onto which
the top edge of the holes in the strips through which they extend, are allowed
to fall by arranging the operating pins or projections to release the strips at
this time. The strips are or may be afterwards released by moving the fingers
backward. The alignment bar may be operated at the required times by cam-
like projections on a plate fast on a rotary shaft, such as that of a drum carrying
projections for operating the strips, the projections on the said plate operating
one end of a lever the other end of which carries a toothed segment in gear with
a pinion on the alignment bar which is suitably supported at its ends in bear-
ings carried by the ends of the casing enclosing the apparatus. The front of
the casing is adapted to permit the advertisement to be seen. When there are

page_text: two alignment bars, arranged one on each side of the series of letter strips, the
two sets of fingers on such bars may be arranged to move towards and from
each other.
To enable each letter strip to be readily withdrawn from the casing in order
that the letters may be readily changed when it is desired to change the adver-
tisements to be exhibited, each pair of upper and lower drums carrying a strip,
together with the means for directly operating them from pins, projections or
the like on a drum or other movable body, are mounted in a separate holder
adapted to be slidden into guideways in the casing and to be fixed therein as by
a screw. To facilitate the interchanging of letters, each strip may be composed
of a number of pieces. of thin sheet material such as linen, detachably connected
together, as by loop shaped connections engaging eyes on adjacent pieces each
of which, excepting it may be the end ones, being provided with a letter or
adapted to form a letter.
The pins or projections of different lengths for moving the strips endways to
different extents in order to bring different letter into position to form the
desired advertisement, may be variously shaped and be carried by a rotary drum
or by endless bands or chains.
In one arrangement, the projections are made of cam-like shape and are car-
ried by a rotary barrel arranged at the rear of the casing enclosing the several
pairs of drums with letter strips which are or may be mounted in separate holders
as and for the purposes hereinbefore explained. The projections are fixed in
annular grooves around the barrel, as by longitudinal bars passing through holes
in the roots of the projections and through longitudinal grooves in the barrel
and fixed to the latter by screws. Each upper drum is provided with a pinion
in gear with a toothed segment on a pivoted plate carrying a pin arranged in
the path of the corresponding set of projections on the barrel, and each lower
drum is connected to a spring or weight, the arrangement being such that as
each projection is brought into contact with the pin, it will cause the segment
to rotate the upper drum and pull the corresponding strip partly off the lower
drum which will pull it back again into its initial position when the projection
leaves the pin, the extent of movement of the strip and consequently the parti-
cular letter brought into view, depending upon the length of the particular pro-
jection brought into use. A fixed longitudinal bar or stop is provided against
which each segment bears when not acted upon by a projection.
The barrel is or may be rotated in an intermittent manner from a continuously
rotating motor by a mutilated wheel connected with the motor and engaging a
pin wheel connected to the barrel or by a wheel having a single tooth adapted
to engage with recesses in a wheel the portions of the periphery of which between
the recesses is of concave shape and fit the single toothed wheel.
In a modified arrangement each upper and lower drum constituting a pair,
is provided with a pinion in gear with a toothed segment, the two toothed seg-
ments being carried by a single pivoted plate provided with a pin and adapted
to be operated in one direction by cam-like projections and in the other direc-
tion, towards a fixed bar or stop, by a spring or weight connected to a lever
arm attached to the plate or its spindle. Each set of cam-like projections is or
may be carried by an endless band or chain passing around guide pulleys and
around a chain wheel which engages the band or chain and is driven in an inter-
mittent manner one of the guide wheels being arranged in the same vertical
plane as the chain wheel and the other in rear thereof.
In a modified arrangement, the upper and lower drums with letter strip are
operated as in the arrangement first herein described, by projections which
however in this case are on an endless band or chain passing in a sinuous manner
around two guide wheels and an intermediate chain wheel arranged one above
the other, and around smaller guide pulleys at the top and bottom of the casing,
the arrangement being such that a large number of cam-like projections can be
provided in a small space.

page_text: The cam-like projections may conveniently be threaded on cross bars of square
sections fixed by nuts on eye bolts secured to the rivets or pins by which the
links of the endless chain are secured together. By this means the projections
can be readily replaced.
By suitably forming the cam-like projections, so as to hold the pins or other
parts against which they act, stationary for a short time, the barrel or other
movable body carrying them may be moved in a continuous instead of an inter-
mittent manner.
Electric or other lamps for illuminating the letter on the strips may be carried
by a longitudinal support arranged within the casing behind the strips and ex-
tending through recesses in the holders carrying the drums so as not to interfere
with the removal of the latter.
Improvements in Apparatus suitable for Advertising and like
Purposes.
I, JOHN ALEXANDER KENNEDY-MCGREGOR, formerly of Clyde Villa, 123, High
Road, Lee, in the County of Kent, but now of 3, Heathfield Road, Acton, in
the County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
In the Specification of Letters Patent No. 2996 of 1898 there is described
apparatus suitable for advertising and like purposes wherein the letters or other
devices to form words or other representations to be exhibited are on parallel
strips of material that are moved lengthwise through suitable mechanism by the
action of pins or projections of determined length and arrangement operated by
a movable body, the arrangement being such that when the apparatus is in
action, a set of pins or projections will act to move the strips lengthwise so as to
bring opposite an opening or openings in the front of the apparatus the proper
letters or devices on adjacent strips to form the word or words or other represen-
tation it is desired to exhibit after which a fresh set of pins or projections will
be brought into position to operate the strips and produce another word or set
of words or other representation, these operations being constantly repeated so
long as the apparatus is in motion.
Now the present invention has reference to improvements in apparatus of the
kind referred to whereby its working is improved and its construction simpli-
fied, as I shall now describe with reference to the accompanying illustrative draw-
ings wherein Fig. 1 is a part longitudinal section on the line of Fig. 2, and
Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line y y of Fig. 1, showing one construction of
apparatus of the kind referred to embodying my present improvements. Figs. 3,
4 and 5 are sectional detail views hereinafter more particularly referred to.
1 is a rotary operating barrel arranged horizontally within a casing 2 in the
front wall 3 of which is a slot, opening or glazed aperture 4 through which the
advertisement to be exhibited can be seen; 5 are the independent strips of flexible
material carrying the letters, devices or the like to be exhibited, such strips
being arranged parallel to one another behind the front wall 3 of the casing

page_text: and each of which is secured at its ends to the peripheries of two drums 6 and 7
arranged respectively at the upper and lower parts of the casing, and 9 are pins,
projections or cams (hereinafter called projections) of different lengths for opera-
ing the drums 6 and 7 and strips 5 through suitable mechanism, all substan-
tially as described and shown in my said former specification.
In order that the letters, devices or the like (hereinafter referred to as letters)
to form a word or words, pictorial device or other representation (hereinafter
referred to as a word or words) to be exhibited shall be finally brought into a
straight or other desired line, there is provided at the back or front of the mov-
able strips 5, or at both the back and front of such strips, an alignment bar
or device which, after the strips have been moved endways more or less into
their correct positions, is caused to engage the strips and move them or permit
them to move in such a way as to bring the exposed letters thereon to a com-
mon level and afterwards to release the strips and enable them to be returned to
their initial positions. For this purpose, in the example shown, there is em-
ployed an alignment bar 66 provided with projections or fingers 67 which, after
the strips 5 have been moved endways more or less into their correct positions,
are caused to enter holes or spaces 68 in the strips, as shown in full lines in
Figs. 1 and 2, and bring the exposed letters into à straight line either by lift-
ing any strips that may be too low, or by acting as stops onto which the top edge
of the holes in the strips are allowed to fall by arranging the projections 9 to
release the drums 6 and 7 and strips 5 at this time. The strips are or may be
afterwards released by moving the fingers 67 backward into the position shown
in dotted lines in Fig. 2.
The alignment bar 66 may conveniently be operated at the required times by
cam-like projections 69 on a plate 70 fast on a rotary shaft, such as that 71 of
the barrel 1, the said projections 69 operating one end of a lever 72 the other end
of which carries a toothed segment 73 in gear with a pinion 74 on the alignment
bar 66 which is suitably supported at its ends in bearings 75 at the ends of the
casing 2. When there are two alignment bars 66 arranged one on each side of
the series of letter strips 5, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the two sets of fingers 67
on such bars may be arranged to move from the inoperative positions shown in
Fig. 3 towards each other and into the position shown in Fig. 4 to set the letters
in alignment with each other.
in
To enable each letter strip 5 to be readily withdrawn from the casing
order that the letters may be readily changed when it is desired to change the
advertisements to be exhibited, each pair of upper and lower drums 6 and 7
carrying a strip 5 together with the means for directly operating them from
projections 9 on the drum 1 or other movable body, are mounted in a separate
frame or holder 75 adapted to be slid into guideways 76 in the casing 2 and to
be fixed therein as by a screw 77. To facilitate the interchanging of letters,
each strip 5 may advantageously be composed, as shown, of a number of pieces
of thin sheet material such as linen, detachably connected together, as by loop
shaped connections 78 engaging eyes 79 on adjacent pieces of the strip, each of
such pieces, excepting it may be the end ones, being provided with a letter or
adapted to form the required letter.
The projections 9 of different lengths for moving the strips 5 endways to
different extents in order to bring different letters into position to form the
desired advertisement, can be variously shaped and be carried by a rotary barrel 1
or by endless bands or chains.
In the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the projections 9 are made of cam-
like shape and are fixed in annular grooves 80 around the barrel 1, as by longi-
tudinal bars 81 that pass through holes in the roots of the said projections and
through longitudinal grooves 82 in the barrel and are fixed to the latter by
screws. Each upper drum 6 is provided with a pinion 50 in gear with a toothed
segment 51 on a pivoted plate 52 carrying a pin 53 arranged in the path of the
corresponding annular set of projections 9 on the drum, and each lower drum 7

page_text: is connected to a spring 8 (or weight) the arrangement being such that as each
projection is brought into contact with the pin 53, it will cause the segment 51
to rotate the upper drum 6 and pull the corresponding strip 5 partly off the
lower drum 7 which will pull it back again into its initial position when the pro-
>jection leaves the pin, the extent of movement of the strip and consequently the
particular letter brought into view, depending upon the length of the particular
projection 9 brought into use. 83 is a fixed longitudinal bar or stop against
which each segment plate 52 bears when not acted upon by a projection 9.
The barrel is or may be rotated in an intermittent manner from a continu-
ously rotating motor by any suitable means such as by a mutulated wheel 84
connected with the motor and engaging a pin wheel 85 connected to the said
barrel.
Electric lamps 86 (or other lamps) for illuminating the letters on the strips 5
may be carried by a longitudinal support 87 arranged within the casing 2 behind
the said strips and extending through recesses 88 in the holders 75 carrying
the drums 6 and 7 so as not to interfere with the removal of the latter.
Fig. 6 is an exterior view, Fig. 7 a view with the front of the casing
removed, and Fig. 8 a cross section on the line A A of Fig. 7, showing a modified
construction. Fig. 9 is a plan, showing to a larger scale than Figs. 6, 7 and 8,
one of the removable elements of the apparatus. Figs. 10 to 13 inclusive are
enlarged detail views.
In this arrangement in order to facilitate the removal of the frames or sup-
ports 75, the alignment bar 66 is made in sections, one for each frame or sup-
port 75 and strip 5, the adjacent sections being adapted to be connected together
by sleeves 66 (Fig. 10) each of which can be slid endways upon either of two
adjacent sections of the bar to admit of the intermediate section being readily
removed with the frame or holder 75, and which can be fixed to the sections by
suitable means, such as pins 66, to form the complete bar.
wall 3 of the casing 2 is hinged at 2 to the bottom of the casing 2 so that it
Also the front
can be turned outward and downward, and the top of the casing is or may be
hinged at 2 to the front wall so that it can be moved off with the front wall and
afterwards folded up against the same.
The projections 9 of each annular set thereof are removably fixed in notches
in the periphery of a disc 1 on the shaft 71 by adjustable notched discs 1b and 1°
which are secured to opposite sides of the disc 1 by bolts 89 that pass through
are shaped slots in the discs 1, 1 and circular holes in the disc 1". The lower
drum 7 which is made smaller than the upper one, is connected to a weight 8
by a cord 8 passing over a pulley 8° on the frame or support 75 and connected
to a pulley S on the drum axle. Also in order to ensure that each frame or
support 75 shall be correctly replaced in position after removal and firmly held
in place so that the pin 53 on the pivoted plate 52 shall be in proper position to
be acted upon by the corresponding group of projections 9, the frame in addition
to bearing against a fixed stop 2 in the casing 2 is provided with a bracket 90
(Figs. 11, 12 and 13) carrying a bearing 91 adapted to be placed around a grooved
collar 92 on the shaft 7.1 so as to be held thereby in the correct working position.
For this purpose the bearing 91 is provided with a movable cap 91ª that fits the
collar 92, is pivoted to the bearing at 93, and is provided with a spring catch 94
adapted to engage with a projection 95 on the said bearing. By disengaging
the catch from the projections, the cap 91" can be opened to admit of the frame
or support 75 being withdrawn, and upon replacing the said frame or support
the cap can be closed upon the collar 92 and secured thereto by the spring
catch 94, thus securely holding the frame in correct working position. In other
respects the arrangement shown in Figs. 6 to 13 inclusive is similar to that
shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive.
Fig. 14 is a transverse section and Fig. 15 a detail view, showing a modified
arrangement in which each of the drums 6 and 7 of a pair corresponding to a
movable strip 5, are of equal diameter and provided respectively with pin-

page_text: ions 50, 50 that gear with toothed segments 51, 51" on an oscillating plate 52.
This plate is mounted and operated like that shewn in Figs. 1 and 2, by a series
of cam-like projections 9 of various heights which however in this case are
mounted upon an endless chain or band 96 that passes around guide pulleys 97
and a sprocket wheel 98 which latter is partly rotated at intervals from a spring
or other motor, its teeth engaging in suitably arranged openings in the said chain
or band. The arrangement is such that as each projection 9 presses up the
pin 53 on the plate 52, the segments 51, 51" are oscillated to a corresponding
extent and move the corresponding drums 6 and 7 and strip 5 so as to bring the
corresponding letter opposite the aperture in the front wall 3 of the casing 2.
After each projection has been moved past the pin 53, the strip is returned to
its normal position by means of an arm 99 fixed to the axle 100 and connected at
its free end to a spiral spring 101 the tension of which may be adjusted by
means of a screwed pin and milled nut 102. The sprocket wheel 98 may be
rotated through gear like that shown in Fig. 5, or that shown in Fig. 16. In
the latter case, a wheel 103, which receives continuous rotation from the motor
of the apparatus, is provided with a single tooth 104 that gears with notches 105
in a wheel 106 connected to the sprocket wheel, the arrangement being such
that at each complete rotation of the wheel 103, its tooth 104 engages with one
of the notches 105 of the wheel 106 and gives to the latter a partial rotation,
the parts being so arranged that the pin 53 will remain stationary upon the top
of the projection 9, for the time being in action, while the wheel 103 is rotating
idly.
Fig. 17 shows in cross section, an arrangement similar to that shown in Figs. 1
and 2 except that the pin 53 on the plate 52 is operated by projections 9 on an
endless chain 96 which receives its motion from the intermittently driven sprocket
wheel 98 and passes around guide rollers 107 arranged one above the other and
preferably formed with rims 107" to retain the chain in place, and also around
other guide rollers 108.
Figs. 18, 19 and 20 show respectively in longitudinal section, plan and sec-
tional end elevation, part of a chain with cam-like projections 9 that may be
used in the apparatus shown in Figs. 14 to 17 inclusive. The rivets or pins 109
of the chain links 110 are extended inwardly and each fitted with an eye-bolt 111
to the screw-threaded part 111" of which a cross-bar 112 of square cross section
can be readily fixed by thumb-nuts 113. The projections 9 are threaded on the
cross bars and retained in place endways thereon by pins 114. By this construc-
tion the said projections 9 can be readily changed to suit requirement.
By suitably forming the cam-like projections, so as to hold the pins or other
parts against which they act, stationary for a short time, the rotary barrel or
other movable body carrying them may be moved in a continuous instead of an
intermittent manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is;-
1. Apparatus of the kind herein referred to wherein there is provided in con-
junction with the endways movable letter-strips, an alignment bar or device
common to all the strips and whereby after the strips have been moved endways
more or less into their correct positions, they can be moved or permitted to move
in such a way as to bring the exposed letters or other devices thereon into the
proper desired positions, relatively to one another, to be exhibited, substantially
as described.
2. In apparatus of the kind herein referred to, the combination with the end-
ways movable letter strips, of one or more alignment bars provided with fingers
or projections adapted to enter holes in the strips, and means for operating the
said bar or bars, substantially as described and shown for the purpose set forth.
3. Apparatus of the kind herein referred to wherein each pair of drums with

page_text: the endways movable letter strip connected thereto and the means for directly
operating the said drums from the pins, projections or cams on the rotary driving
shaft or other body, are mounted in a separate holder adapted to be readily in-
serted in and removed from the casing enclosing the apparatus so as to permit
of the letter strip being readily withdrawn from the casing for changing or
altering the same, substantially as described.
4. Apparatus of the kind herein referred to wherein the drums carrying the
letter strips are arranged to be actuated in the manner set forth by a series of
pins, projections or cams of various heights carried by an endless movable band
or chain, substantially as described.
5. Apparatus of the kind herein referred to wherein each of the letter strips
is connected at one end to a spring or weight actuated drum and at the other end
to a drum provided with a pinion in gear with a toothed segment adapted to
be intermittently operated by a series of pins, projections or cams of various
heights carried by a movable band, chain or the like, substantially as described.
6. Apparatus of the kind herein referred to wherein each of the drums is
operated alternately in opposite directions by toothed segments, the movement in
one direction being effected by the pins, projections or cams carried by the band
or other movable body and in the other direction by a spring or equivalent, sub-
stantially as described.
7. Apparatus of the kind herein referred to, constructed arranged and operat-
ing substantially as herein before described with reference to and shown in Figs. 1
and 2, or modified according to Figs. 6 to 13 inclusive of the drawing annexed.
8. Apparatus of the kind herein referred to, constructed arranged and opera-
ting substantially as herein before described with reference to and shown in
Figs. 14 and 16; and in Fig. 17 of the drawing annexed.
JAT
this 5th day of September 1899.
For the Applicant,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.