US1006483A - Sign. - Google Patents

Description

J. J. JONES.

SIGN.

I APPLICATION FILED TUNE Z3, 1908. I 1,006,483, Patented 001.2411911.

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l (i5 l /0 ff' \7 7 5 a "f2 COLUMBIA PLANMRIAPH c0.,w^su|Nn'roN n c J. J. JONES.

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APPLICATION FILED JUNE 23, 1908. 1,006,483. Patented Oct. 24, 1911 y 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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@if WQ COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPI! c0,.wAsH|NnToN. 1L c" JOSHUA J. JONES, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

SIGN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 24, 1911.

Application led June 23, 1908. Serial No. 439,945.

To all 'wwm t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOSHUA J. JONES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county iof Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signs, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention refers to improvements in illuminating signs, preferably electric, and has for its object to provide means for obscuring the supply lamps, partially confining the rays, diffusing the light, and providing boundary slots or fissures for the emission of the rays for a night sign, while providing a flat faced prominent day sign of great utility and advantage.

Referring to the drawings: Figure l is a view in elevation of a sign character made in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line II. II. of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line III. III. of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a similar section, showing a double faced sign. Fig. 5 is a section similar to Fig. 3 showing the shield provided with edge flanges. Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. l but showing the light inclosing walls and shield as made in one construction. Fig. 7 is a crossl section on the line VII. VII. of Fig. 6.

Illuminating signs of the general class in. which my invention is an improvement are provided with continuous series or lines of individual lamps, defining the characters,

and set upon a background, usually white,` within light-confining walls which extendl outwardly at each side of the lamps, beyond l a. vase, usually black.

rIhe lamp-bearing background and the inner faces of the walls, contrasting in color from the base, define the outline of the sign character by contrast for day use whether the lamps be inserted or not, while for night use the successful operation of the sign depends largely for complete efficiency not only on the continuity of the closely adacters are necessarily rendered incomplete for night use, while the sign for day use consists necessarily of the deeply recessed lamp-containing channels formed by the thin projecting walls extending beyond the main base.

The object of my invention is to provide a sign having outer flat faces in relief in contrast with a supporting base, combined with the light-containing channels with outlining light-emitting slots or fissures, whereby the individual lamps will be concealed and their rays conned, reflected and diffused in increased intensity therethrough, as hereinafter described.

In the principal figures of the drawings, 2 represents any convenient base of sheet metal or other suitable material, upon which are built outwardly therefrom the characterdefining walls 3 which are ordinarily of sheet metal, extending outwardly to a uniform height beyond the base. Within the defining channel 4 thus formed are mounted the lamp bases 5 on base 2, suitably wired from the back or in any operable manner to suit the construction, adapted to receive the series of lamps 6 and so arranged that the lamps will be distributed generally along the channel or channels 4 to substantially outline the character.

7 is a front shield or mask mounted between the walls 3 at or about the same general level as their front edges in any suitable or convenient manner to permit of opening or closing the lamp` cavity. I have shown the shield as pivoted at one end by means Iof one or more hinge pins 8 set in the walls 3 and secured at the other end by similar pins 9, preferably removable, to permit the shield to be turned upon hinges'S to open the interior cavity 4. rIhe width of the shield 7 is made sufficiently less than the width of the cavity 4, and its length is correspondingly shortened, so that whe-n the shield is located in position, midway of the space between the walls it will leave a oontinuous intervening slot or fissure 10 entirely surrounding the shield and within the outer walls 3.

rlhe object of this construction is that the individual lamps will be obscured and their aggregate volume of light will be confined within the cavity 4 and diffused in a composite ray through the slot l0. The sign character is thus defined by inner and outer continuous lines of great brilliancy which be seen that the light will be equally difwith backwardly extending flanges l1 of l having the backwardly extending sides 3a to the obscur-ing of the individual lamps, and

vand back by lshields 7 and 7 with correarer'set upon the inner face of said shields 'c and provided with the lamps' inthe same are sharply defined when viewed fromY a close distance while as the dist-ance is increased, the shield itself appears to disappear so that the entire. face of each mainy member of the character has the appearance of a continuous band of light. This is due a feature of great advantage is that the sign does not depend for efficiency upon the continuity of a series of closely adjacent lamps, but lthat the number of lamps for any given area of a sign is `greatly reduced. Also, that i-n the case of lburning out, breakage, orremoval of one or more lamps, the continuity of the defining rays is merely lessened in degree without interrupting' or marri'ng the eect as is the 'case Where the formation 4of the sign character depends largely upon the actual presence and indi# vidual operation of each lamp. The outer fa'ce of shield 7 is of a color contrasting to that `of the face of base 2, preferably white, and when used as a "day sign presents a continuous fiat face practically even with the 'outer edges of the walls, of a good and finished appearance, while the slots 10 add variety and interest to the character itself' either with or without the interior light.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a modied construction in which the walls 3 vextend through and beyond the base 2 at each side, and in which the cavity t is closed at front spending light slots l0V corresponding4 to those above described. The lamp bases 5 7 'as shown 'and by this arrangement it will fused in both directions, rendering the sign operable at each side and doubling its efficiency.

Fig. 5 shows the front shield 7 as provided sufficient depth to cut off 'the direct ray of the lamps through the slot l0 when viewed diagonally. l

In Figs. 6 and 7 the outline of the character defined by -a flat faced4 base 'set upon any lsuitable support as a wire screen;

general manner as already described. The4 shield or mask consists of the front face 7a* integral with or attached to the front, and the shield as thus made is mounted out-- wardly in front of the base b upon supports i Copies of this patent may be `obtained for ve cents .Washingtom I). C.

or bearings 12 of any suitable kind, with the pins already described. In such construction the light slot 13 is located immediately in front of the base Z) whereby the light will be refiected from the projecting edges 14 of the base, clearly defining the character in the same manner generally as has been above described.

It will be understood that the invention may be greatly changed or modified in construction or design to suit different condi-l tions of use, and may be applied to any de- 'sign of sign, device, ornamental border, or emblem; lor the device may be otherwise varied by 'the skilled mechanic, but all such changes are to be considered as within the 4scope of the following claims.

What I claim is l. In a sign, the -combination of a fiat refiecting base, a fiat character-defining shield parallel therewith, straight walls located outwardly beyond the base at right angles to the base and shield and forming with the base and shield defining light slots which surround the shield, and light furnishing means located behind and obscured by the shield, said shield and base having cont-rasting colors, substantially as set forth.

2. In a` sign, the combination of a flat refleeting base, outwardly extending charac :ter-defining walls at right angles to the base, an 'obscuring shield parallel with the .base and located outwardly beyond the base between said walls with an intervening defining slot conforming to the outline of the shield land walls, and light furnishing means located behind land obscured by the shield, said base also being provided with a defining slot kbetween it and said walls, `substantially as set forth.

` 3. In a sign, the combination of a flat reflecting base, outwardly extending characterdefining walls at right angles to the base and spaced away therefrom to provide a defining light emission slot, an obscuring shield parallel with and outwardly beyond the base between said walls, and light furnishing means located behind and obscured by the shield, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

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