GB189808438A - Improved Apparatus for Electrically Illuminating or Displaying Letters, Figures, Designs, Pictures, Signals, and their like, principally adapted for Advertising purposes. - Google Patents

Abstract

8438. Gent, J. T. April 9. Signals, electric-lamp.-In electrical illuminating-apparatus for displaying letters, figures, designs, &c for advertising, signalling, and like purposes, the switches by which particular lamps are lighted to form the desired letters &c. consist of a mercury or like trough a' in electrical connection with the lamps, the other part of the contact consisting of plates g' on oscillating bars g. The bars are released by depressing a key lever m<2>, and they then automatically swing into the operative position, as in Fig. 3, by means of a weight i or its equivalent. The key on being depressed lifts a plate n, and thus a pawl o carried thereon from its engagement with a tumbler s on the end of the bar g. On the return of the plate n by means of a spring n<3>, a stud n<2> thereon engages with the tumbler and rotates the bar g so as to break the circuit. In a modification, the bars g are released by a push-bar, and several switchboards may be separated simultaneously.