Improvements in Illuminated Signs or Devices for Advertising and the like Purposes.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 19th July, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 19th Apr., 1895-Accepted, 18th May, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Illuminated Signs or Devices for Advertising
and the like Purposes.
I, JOHN EDWARD ROBINSON Electrical Engineer of 9 Strand Street Liverpool
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention consists mainly in a revolving cylinder or drum, fixed either in a
vertical or horizontal position, & illuminated either by electric incandescent lamps
or gas, such cylinder or drum having any desired number of faces or sides, one or
more of these sides or faces to shew at one time, & these sides or faces to have
glass in them on which may be displayed any name, advertisement, device etc. as
may be desired, and these names, advts., devices may be made either opaque,
colored or painted in one or more transparent or semi-transparent colors, or, may be
made of cut or other glass prisms of various colours so as to to form the desired
name, advt., device etc.
The cylinder or drum is made to revolve by means of a spring or weight, which
maintains a constant pull or strain on the said cylinder or drum or axle thereof,
and on one end of cylinder or drum is fixed a pawl & ratchet arrangement, the
number of teeth in ratchet being made to correspond to the number of faces or sides
on drum or cylinder.
The pawl is released or disengaged at any desired interval by means of an
electro magnet which is energised by means of an electric current, which may be
derived from a dynamo, secondary or other batteries, or other available source.
the electric circuit being interrupted by means of a clockwork or other motor,
which actuating a disk or wheel on which there are projections, such projections
on touching an insulated spring completes the circuit, when the electromagnet
becomes energised thus releasing the pawl & allows the cylinder to make a portion
of a revolution.
Dated this Seventeenth day of July 1894.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Illuminated Signs or Devices for Advertising and
the like Purposes.
I, JOHN EDWARD ROBINSON, of 9, Strand Street, Liverpool, Electrical
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 relates to improved means for displaying advertisements, names,
devices, and other announcements, and consists of a revolving drum or cylinder
whose axis may be vertical or horizontal, such drum or cylinder being illuminated
from within preferably by means of incandescent electric lamps, or gas. The drum
may be of square, hexagonal or other cross section, and may be arranged so that
one or more of its faces is or are illuminated at one time. The faces may be glazed
in any suitable mauner, and the advertisement or other announcement may be
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page_text: i.
displayed upon them in opaque, transparent, or semi-transparent letters or devices,.
or such letters or devices may be coloured or consist of cut or other glass prisms of
different colours, as may be desired.
The drum is caused to revolve by means of a spring or weight which maintains a
constant pull upon the drum. This spring or weight is periodically wound up or
raised by means of an electro-motor, as hereinafter described. The means for
causing the revolution of the drum to be intermittent-so that each of its faces
is displayed consecutively for a period of time-consist of a star-wheel attached
to one or both ends of the drum. The points or projections upon this star-
wheel correspond in number to the faces of the drum. The star-wheel is alternately
arrested and released by an escapement mechanism which consists of a rocking bar
provided with pins or stops which alternately intercept and detain the points on the
'star-wheel. The rocking bar is preferably polarised or is attached to a bar-
maguet, the poles of such magnet being disposed opposite and, in close proximity
to the cores of two electro-magnets or solenoids. These electro-magnets are
energised alternately, and by attracting and repelling the rocking bar, alternately
detain and release the star-wheel. The necessary electrical current for supplying
the incandescent lamps, for energising the winding-up motor, and for energising
the escapement electro-magnets, may be derived from electrical supply, mains,
dynamos, batteries, or other source, whilst the making and breaking of the circuit
between the several mechanisms are effected by clockwork, as hereinafter set
forth. - "
.
I.
In the drawings hereto. annexed Fig. 1 is a front view of a revolving drum for
1 displaying advertisements, according to this invention, Figs. 2 and 3 being end
views thereof.
.. t
a is the revolving drum, of hexagonal cross-section; mounted loosely on the rigid
axle b. c is a star-wheel attached to the end of the drum a and provided with
three points or projections, which latter are alternately engaged by the pins d of
the rocking bare, pivotted at el. f, f, are two electro-magnets, the cores of which
alternately attract the poles of the bar-magnet e forming part, of the rocking bar e.
g are incandescent electrical lamps attached to the axle and provided with
reflectors g'. The leads to the lamps pass through the axle 6 which is made
hollow for this purpose. is a weight whose function is to maintain a constant
attached to
pull upon the endless chain i which passes over the sprocket-wheel
the drum a.
Upon reference to Fig. 3 it will be seen that the chain i hangs
loosely between the sprocket-wheel k, on the drum, and the sprocket-wheel l, which
forms part of the winding-up 'mechanism. From the chain i leads over the
roller to the pulley-block n and thence back to the sprocket-wheel k. The
action therefore is that as the weight h descends, the slack chain between k and lis
taken up until the sprocket-wheel is again actuated, through the cord or chain j,
by the winding-up motor, and the weight raised.
With reference to Fig. 4, which illustrates diagrammatically the arrangement of
leads for supplying the incandescent lamps g, A denotes the source of the electrical
current, 1 being the positive lead to the lamps, and 2 the negative leads from them.
B-is a clockwork.driven disc provided with long-contact pieces B' upon which rest
the insulated springs. B
Fig. 5 illustrates diagrammatically the arrangement of leads by which the
electro-magnets f, fare alternately energised. A again denotes the source of the
electrical current, 3 being the positive, lead to the magnets, and 4 the negative
... leads froin them. B, is a clockwork driven disc which may be the-same disc as
...that shewn in Figure 4, or a disc arranged on the same arbor, or the discs in each
....fig. may be on separate arbors... The disc B in Fig. 4. is provided with short-
..contact pieces B. It will be noticed that each of the long-contact pieces B
..extends less than half way round the disc B, the action being that when the
insulated springs leave these pieces and the lamps g are extinguished, the short
contact pieces B³ make a circuit through one of the spring contacts B' so that ont
of the magnets is energised, and the drum is allowed to revolve the distance of

page_text: one of its faces. When the 'circuit between B and B is now broken, a circuit is
again established through B and B and the 'lamps are again lighted.
Figure 6 illustrates diagrammatically" the arrangement of leads and devices for
actuating and controlling the weight winding-up motor. In the figure, A again
denotes the source of electrical supply; C the motor, which may be of any suitable
type; and D a clockwork driven electrical circuit maker and breaker. The parts
marked hi and correspond with those similarly marked in Fig. 3. E is a rod.
provided with tappets- E' and is free to slide vertically in the guides E. The
upper end F of the rod E dips into a mercurial contact cup H when the lower
tappet E is depressed by the weight. When the parts have assumed the
position shewn in Fig. 6, namely when the weight requires to be raised, a circuit.
is established from the positive pole of the electrical source A, through the motor C,
contact maker D, mercurial cup H, rod E and lower guide E, to the negative pole
of the source A. When the motor has raised the weight h, by means of the gear
shewn in Fig. 3, the weight comes in contact with the upper tappet E' and raises F
out of the mercurial cup H, and by thus breaking the circuit prevents the
weight from being over-wound. The operation is repeated when the weight h
has again sunk to the lower level. Contact is preferably made at D before it
is made at H, so that any sparking which may take place will occur at the latter
point.
It will be understood that the arrangement of leads, contact makers, and other
devices herein described may be varied to suit different requirements, without
departing from the spirit or scope of this invention. In some cases it will be
preferable to dispose all the working parts within the drum, especially where the
drum is large enough to allow a sufficient fall for the weight within it. In a
modification the drum may be disposed behind or within a screen provided with a
window or aperture, so that only one face is visible at a time. In another modifi-
cation a spring may be substituted for the weight h, in which case the winding
motor C would be coupled to the winding arbor of the spring, suitable devices.
being provided for automatically putting the motor in and out of circuit.
In another modification coal gas may be the illuminating agent employed, the
service pipe being preferably disposed within the hollow axle 7. The gas lights
would be preferably lowered or extinguished (with the exception of pilot flames),
each time the drum made a partial revolution, by suitable mechanism actuated by
the drum itself or otherwise.
In another modification, where the drum is revolved by spring or clockwork, the.
escapement mechanism may be actuated directly by such clockwork.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what.
I claim is :-
1. The employment of a revolving drum or cylinder as a means of displaying
advertisements and other announcements, actuated, controlled, and illuminated.
substantially in the manner herein set forth.
2. The use in combination with a revolving drum or cylinder for displaying.
advertisements and other announcements, of the electrically controlled escapement
mechanism comprising the star-wheel c, rocking bar e, pins d, and electro-
magnets f, f, arranged and operating substantially in the manner herein set forth.
3. The use in combination with a revolving drum or cylinder for displaying
advertisements and other announcements, of mechanism for raising the actuating
weight thereof, comprising the endless chain i, sprocket-wheels k, l, roller m, and
pulley block n, arranged and operating substantially in the manner herein set.
fortà.
4. The use in combination with a revolving drum or cylinder for displaying.
advertisements and other announcements, of a rigid hollow axle as a conduit for
the electrical leads or gas pipe which supply the lamps, lights, and electrical.
devices within the drum, as herein set forth.

page_text: 5. In combination with a revolving drum or cylinder for displaying advertise-
ments and other announcements, the arrangement and disposition of the parts
described with reference to Fig. 4 of the drawings, operating substantially as and
for the purpose herein set forth.
6. In combination with a revolving drum or cylinder for displaying advertise-
ments and other announcements, the arrangement and disposition of the parts
described with reference to Fig. 5 of the drawings, operating substantially as and
for the purpose herein set forth.
7. In combination with a revolving drum or cylinder for displaying advertise-
ments and other announcements, the arrangement and disposition of the parts
described with reference to Fig. 6 of the drawings, operating substantially as and
for the purposes herein set forth.
J. A. COUBROUGH,.
Agent for the Applicant,
10, St. George's Crescent, Liverpool, Registered Patent Agent.