Improvements in Apparatus for Automatically Displaying Advertisements, Pictures, and the like.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Dec., 1892-Accepted, 4th Feb., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Automatically Displaying
Advertisements, Pictures, and the like.
We, GEORGE COOK of 58 Spencer Street, Clerkenwell in the City of London,
England, Clockmaker and CHARLES KERR MARR of 2 Sutherland Terrace,
Hillhead in the City of Glasgow, Scotland, Gentleman 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 that class of automatically acting advertising machines
wherein a series of rectangular or other shaped drums or cylinders are used to
display advertisements pictures and the like the said drums or cylinders being
periodically partially rotated through the instrumentality of clockwork mechanism
in order to expose to view a number of different advertisements in the same space
and the present invention has for its object the provision of electrical means for
rotating the cylinders or drums in conjunction with a clock and by which means
any desired number of cylinders or drums may be rotated or partially rotated.
The invention is illustrated on the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 of which is a front elevation of the improved advertising apparatus.
Figure 2 a rear elevation with the back of the casing removed.
Figure 3 being a front and Figure 4 a side elevation of details of the electrical
mechanism whilst
Figures 5, 6 and 7 are views of a device which is attached to the clock for
regulating the time during which the apparatus is to be kept in operation.
As shewn by the drawings the improved apparatus consists of a lever A which is
centred at its rear end on a bracket arm A the forward end of the lever being
formed with a curved cross arm A' which moves through an arc in proximity to the
soft iron cores 6 of electro magnets B the cores b being cut away to correspond to
the arc of movement of the lever. Each lever A has fixed to its curved cross arm
an iron or steel plate C and in order to obtain the greatest effective inductive power
of the electro magnets B on the lever the plate at its upper part has over the top
of each core 6 a horizontal projection coverlapping but in its lowest position
clear of the top ends of the cores. The coils of the electro magnets B are con-
nected by wires with the battery and in the circuit a clock D is placed. The clock
has a contact making cam d the spindle of which is geared to any suitable wheel.
In conjunction with the cam d a series of spring blades E is provided the number of
them corresponding to the number of drums or cylinders in the apparatus each
blade being connected by a wire to its individual drum. The positive wire from
the battery is connected to a plate d¹ carrying a series of pinse the number of
which corresponds to the number of spring blades E and the cam d in its rotation
successively makes contact of each blade with its pin e. The circuit being then
complete during the short interval of connection between pin e and spring blade E
the drum or cylinder is caused to be partially rotated. In connection with the
curved cross arm A* of each lever A a plate spring F is provided the free end of
the said spring bearing on the cross arm A' of the lever A and when contact has
been made as described by the cam d the electro magnet B for each lever A. by
induction draws down the lever against the resistance of the spring F the pro-
jection c of the lever being kept from actual contact with the core 6 by a buffer f
and remaining down until contact is broken by the release of its spring blade E
when the spring F returns it to the position shewn at the top of Figure 3. The
lever A has hinged to it a spring pawl a which projects beyond it and extends
over the face of an escapement plate or disc G the contour of which is so shaped

page_text: as to periodically stop the rotation of the drum or roller and display each advertise-
ment or the like upon it in succession. Each cylinder or drum H has an escapement
plate G secured on its spindle g and the facets of the plate G are curved on their
edge to correspond to the cross arm A² of the lever A against which the said
facets bear in succession to lock the cylinder or drum H in position after each
partial rotation. Each facet of the plate G is provided on one side with a pair of
projecting pins g¹ g' and when the lever A is being drawn downwards as before
described the spring pawl a is pressed outwards until it has passed over the upper-
most pin g¹ when it again springs inwards between the pair of pins as shewn at the
lower part of Figure 3. On the lever A. being returned by the spring F to its
uppermost or normal position the spring pawl a acting on the underside of the top
pin g of a pair causes the plate G and with it the cylinder or drum H to be turned
to an extent corresponding to one facet of the plate.
The drums H are shewn with four sides but they may have any number of sides
the mechanism being modified to suit.
In order that the period during which the machine shall remain automatically in
-operation may be rendered adjustable the apparatus illustrated by Figures 5, 6
and 7 is conjoined with the clock D and the said apparatus consists of an adjustable
cam driven by the clock in the direction of the arrow. The cam is composed of
two similar pieces J J' loosely centred on a spindle k but made to turn with it by
a pin l. The spindle is geared to make one complete revolution in twenty four
hours and the pin is fixed in the piece J¹ and projects into one of a series of
twenty four corresponding holes in a disc m fast on the spindle k. The piece J' has
index numerals marked on it whereby the number of hours during which the cam
is adjusted to make contact can be seen. To make contact the cam acts on a spring
blade n in the circuit and presses it against a screw in a terminal. The major
or contact making part of the cam as shewn by Figure 5 is equal to one third of
the circumference or the equivalent of eight hours but by turning the piece Ji
round a distance equal to one twenty fourth of the circumference the duration of
contact will be increased by one hour and so on. As represented by the drawing
the duration of contact would be eleven hours. To adjust the cam the hands of the
clock are turned to the hour at which it is desired that the apparatus shall start.
The cam and with it the pin is then drawn out of gear with the disc m and the
part J¹ of the cam is turned round in the opposite direction to the point of the
arrow until the number indicative of the desired number of hours the machine is
to be maintained in operation is exposed at the edge of the wider portion of the
part J. The cam as adjusted is then turned round in the direction of the arrow
until the major position of the part J just puts the blade n into contact with the
screw r. The pin will then be opposite a hole in the disc m into which it is
pressed by the action of a springs which in withdrawing the pin was previously
compressed between the thumb nut and a pin y fixed in the spindle k. The hands
of the clock are then turned backward to indicate the correct time and the clock
put in motion.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The arrangement and combination of parts constituting the improved
electrically controlled automatic apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described
with reference to the accompanying drawings for displaying advertisements pictures
and the like.
2. In apparatus operated by clockwork mechanism for automatically displaying
advertisements pictures and the like the combination with the clock of a contact
making cam d and spring blade E connected by wires to electro induction magnets B
in a battery circuit the magnets being caused to turn the cylinders or drums
displaying the advertisements by the cam d making contact of the spring blades E
with pins e in the circuit substantially as described.

page_text: 3. In apparatus of the class set forth the combination of the lever A with its
plate Cc magnets B spring F and escapement G operating to turn the cylinders or
drums H substantially as and for the purpose described with reference to the
drawings annexed.
4. In apparatus of the class set forth the adjusting mechanism substantially as
described with reference to Figures 5, 6 and 7 of the drawings for automatically
controlling the duration of the machine's operation.
Dated this 29th day of December 1892.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents.