Improvements in Appliances for Indicating Numbers in Places of Amusement and the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Sept., 1898
Complete Specification Loft 7th Juno 1800 Accented 8th July 1800
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Appliances for Indicating Numbers in Places of
Amusement and the like.
I, WILLIAM HENRY ARBER, of 25, Sackville Street, in the County of London,
Architect, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In places of amusement and the like, each separate performance is usually
announced by a number exhibited at the sides of the proscenium or in other
convenient positions.
My invention relates to means by which each number can be exhibited by
illuminating it with an electric lamp actuated from a central switch.
For this purpose I arrange on each side of the proscenium or in other con-
venient positions a board or clock face of opaque material having transparent
numbers which may be spaces cut through it, or the numbers may be opaque
being painted on glass screens. Behind each number I place an electric lamp.
All the lamps are in circuit with a central switch having as many contacts as
there are numbers on each board or face. These contacts are numbered to cor-
respond with the numbers exhibited so that each number is made to appear when
the similarly numbered contact is made on the switch.
Similar boards or clock face indicators may be placed in other parts of the
building or outside so as to shew the particular number of the performance that
is going on.
Also each operation of the switch may be arranged to actuate electric bells
or gongs at the indicators so as to announce audibly the changes of numbers.
Dated this 9th day of September 1898.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Appliances for Indicating Numbers in Places of
Amusement and the like.
I, WILLIAM HENRY ARBER, of 25, Sackville Street, in the County of London,
Architect, 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:-
In places of amusement and the like, each separate, performance is usually
announced by a number exhibited at the sides of the proscenium or in other

page_text: My invention relates to means by which each number can be exhibited by
illuminating it with an electric lamp actuated from a central switch.
For this purpose I arrange on each side of the proscenium or in other con-
venient positions a board or clock face of opaque material having transparent
numbers which may be spaces cut through it, or the numbers may be opaque
being painted on glass screens. Behind each number I place an electric lamp.
All the lamps are in circuit with a central switch having as many contacts as
there are numbered on each board or face. These contacts are numbered to cor-
respond with the numbers exhibited so that each number is made to appear when
the similarly numbered contact is made on the switch.
Similar boards or clock face indicators may be placed in other parts of the
building or outside so as to shew the particular number of the performance that
is going on.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings shews a front view of a clock face con-
structed according to my invention, in which the numbers are painted on glass
screens. Fig. 2 is a section through one of the glass screens a, drawn to a larger
scale.
In order that the light for the electric lamp which is illuminating one num-
bered screen may not illuminate the other numbers, I interpose between the
lamps opaque screens b. For better suppression of diffused light the globe of the
electric lamp may be blackened or silvered on the part c which extends beyond
the screen b.
The central switch for controlling the lamps is of any known construction by
which any one of the lamps can be put in circuit without affecting the others,
or an ordinary switch board having a separate switch for all lamps of the same
number, may be used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
An appliance for indicating numbers consisting of a board having on its face
numbers, each of which can be rendered visible by an electric lamp placed behind
it and controlled from a central switching device, substantially as described.
Dated this 7th day of June 1899.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.