GB1390229A - Animated surface display device - Google Patents

Abstract

1390229 Animated display B A AMOURIQ 28 June 1972 [29 June 1971] 30312/72 Heading G5C Animated images displayed on each of two parallel composite surfaces A, B are carried on flexible sheets 15A, 15B which are moved in unison. Each sheet 15A, 15B has two horizontal portions and a vertical section in the plane of the surface A, B, respectively which section passes over guiding means 12A, 12B such as a slat, rod or tube. Each surface A, B is made up of these vertical sections. The sheets are interconnected and moved in unison over the guiding means so that the image displayed changes. One of the two horizontal portions of each sheet 15A is connected to a horizontal portion of a corresponding sheet 15B and to the adjacent horizontal portion of the sheet 15A immediately below it. The sheets 15B are similarly interconnected. One horizontal portion of each sheet is connected at its corners by straight connectors 20, and the other horizontal portion is connected at its corners by angled connectors 18, keeping the sheet under tension. The connectors 18 are fixed, on either side of the device, to a vertical rod 19 common to all the sheets. The rod 19 is fixed to blocks 21 which are screwthreaded on screws 22. The screws are rotated by a motor 27 or by a crank handle via chain 24 and sprockets 25 and 23, the latter being carried on the screws 22. Blocks 21 are moved along the screws and the sheets 15A, 15B move in unison over the guiding means 12A. Alternative means for moving the sheets (Fig. 11), comprise two vertical rollers 43 which are connected by flexible connectors 42A, 42B to the corners of the sheets 15A, 15B. As the rollers are rotated the sheets are moved. The device may be internally illuminated by tubes situated in the gap between the free edges of the sheets, the size of the gap being such that the sheets do not foul the tubes as the sheets are moved or by tubes located within hollow guiding means. The portions of the sheets not in the surface A or B need not be horizontal but can be inclined or almost parallel to the surfaces. Various modified ways of interconnecting the sheets are also described, e.g. the sheets of a surface may be formed from a continuous band, or a sheet 15A and the corresponding sheet 15B may be formed by a continuous band. A different guiding means is also disclosed (Fig. 9). The slats 12A are replaced by assemblies situated at each vertical side of the surfaces A, B. Each assembly consists of a series of projections 40 separated by slots and the sheet 15A passes over a projection and is engaged in the slots on either side of that projection. An overpressure may be provided in the case of the device, slightly inflating the sheets and reducing friction between the sheets and guiding means. The images may initially be formed on the sheets as the sheets are moved in the device, either by printing or by perforating the sheets.