US1092977A - Printing-controlled electric sign. - Google Patents

Description

M. comes. I PRINTING CONTROLLED EBEGTBIO SIGN.

APPLIOATIOI FILED AUG. 16, 1911. ,9'77. Patented Apr. 14, 19M

3 8HEETS-8HBET 1.

YWITWESSES M0154 CmPas man/45y M. COMPOS.

PRINTING CONTROLLED ELECTRIC SIGN..

APPLICATION FILED AUG 16, 1911.

- Patented Apr. 14, 1914.

s SHEETS-SHEET 3.

, O amomdoz W Snow;

fsTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

fastener. source, or monILn, ALABAMA.

To'all whom it ma concern:

Be-it knownat;.I, Mronnn Comros, a citizen of-the United states-ofwkmerica, and resident of Mobile, in the county of Mobile and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Printinfi-Controlled Electric Signs, of which the 0 owing is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in electric lamp signs, and it pertains more particularly to the means for controllin the display of electric lights in a changeab e illuminated sign, advertising lant, announcement-board, bulle tin or 0t er device, employing a switch board, with means whereby the'said means may be unlimited in its capacity'of expression and capable of bein operated to immediately reduce in the'dlsplay of lights, any words, etters, or characters, or pictures, as be desired. he present invention has for its objects among others to provide a simple, yet eflicient and'reliable means for controlling the display of the electric lights by a system of printing or the use of 'letters. or other suitable symbols controlled at will by the operator, said letters or other symbols being readily changed as may be desired and when in position controllin by means of the perforations in the car s, the lighting of the electric 1i hts.

A card is placed in position; the electrical contacts engage the insulation thereof except at points where the perforations are made to form the outline of the letter, picture or other character, and where the contacts enter such perforations they engage the metal plate on which-the card or cards may be mounted and complete the circuit, causing the corresponding letters, words, pictures or other characters to be simultaneously displayed on the bulletin, announcement-board,

advertisement or other place. I further pro- 1 vide for the cutting out of the display, and by proper connections with a flashing device mayfla-sh the display all night, or as long as maybe desired. I

I aim further at improvements in the details of construction, whereby I-am enabled' .to construct my apparatusat minimum cost and permit of the ready assemblage of parts or their removal for the purpose of repairs, 1 changes or. for any other purpose.

Specification of Letters raaiu t t 14,1914, Application filed August 16, 1911. Serial No. 644,348.

Other objects and advantages of the inventlon will hereinafter appear, and the novel features thereof will be specifically. de-

, given only as an example of one form but without in any way restricting myself thereto. 4

The invention, in such preferred form, is

part 2 of this trolling plates, removed. Fig. 5 shows in perspective one ofthe contact selectors, with its partsseparated for the purpose of better illustration. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an apparatus embodying my improvements,

showing the announcement-board and the switchboard or printing plate in operative relation. Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view, showing the circuits, etc.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views.

In my present construction groups or monograms of lamps are simultaneously op-' erated by a device consisting of parallel series of spring-actuated circuit-selectors arranged to contact with a metallicplate and complete the circuit through correspondingly-arranged circuit-wires, the coacting groups thereof being determined by the perforations in the printing or controlling plate. These plates are placed one at a time in a receptacle or box embracing the groups of circuitwires, the plate covering all of the circuit wires except those predetermined by the perforations :inthe controlling plate, according to; the letters, words, or pictures or other characters to be displayed, and these are exposed through and by the openings in the plate and permit of the passage of the spring-actuated circuit-selectors to electric contact-with the plate-when said plate is secured in position, soas to insure operative contact between the selectors and the plate properly insulated so as to insure against short circuitiug, and the different. elements of the device are capable of manufacture at small cost, and can be readily assembled without skilled labor.

Referring'to the drawings 1 designates a board or the like which may be supported upon suitable icet or otherwise, in a horizonial, inclined or other position, as may be found, most expedient. -In th1s board are,

i l .1 l i supported the cirruit-selectors, which may =1 be of any desired number, running up into the thousands, if necessary. .is these circuit-selectors are all alike, a description of one will sutiice for all. Attention, therefore, is directed to Figs. 3 and 5, wherein it will be seen. that a metal cylindrical, or other shape, body piece 3 is disposed vertically in a suitable openingin the board 1, this body piece being screw threaded at its opposite ends as seen at 1' and Within this body piece is arranged a spring 6, the ends of the body piece extending beyond the upper and lower faces-of the board as seen in Fig. 3, the lower end receiving a cap 7, and the other end a cap 8. These caps serve to hold the body piece firmly, in the board and permit of ready separation when desired. The cap 8 has a central opening 9 in its outer end through whichloosely works the outer end of the contact member 10, the inner end of which is received in the body piece 3 and has a head or enlargement 11 against which one end of the spring 6 bears as shown clearly in Fig. 3. The spring tends normally to project the end of the contact mem ber 10 through the opening 9 in the end of the cap 8. Through the cap 7 there is an openinginto which leads one end of a wire 12 the other end of which is connected with the socket of the lamp at the sign where the display is to be made. It is to be understood that one of such wires is connected with each of the circuit-selector devices, as will be apparent from Figs. 3, 6 and 7 The board 1, thus equipped, constitutes the base of the device at the office or other place from which the control of the display is had.

For thepurpose of guiding the controller plates, soon to be described, as-they are placed in position upon this board, I place upon the upper surface of the board 1 at the corners the corner or angle plates 13 which serve not only as guides for the said plate but also to prevent lateral and longitudinal shifting of the plate after once having been placed in position. These maybe of any suitable character and 'afiixed to the upper face of the' board in any well known way.

The controlling plate, now to be described,

can be arranged in many ways, it may be arranged to slide, it may be hinged, or it may be made to be placed in posltion and through aid perforations. The parts are removed by hand, by being lifted vertically.

The latter is herein illustrated. This controlling plate comprises a base 14 of wood or other suitable material of a size calculated to fit within the space inclosed by the corner pieces on the board 1, as seen clearly in Fig. 3, and to the under face of this base lal is afiixed in any well known way a metal plate, preferably brass, 15, the opposite edges of which are turned over as seen at 16 to form opposite guides into which the cards now to be described may be easily slid or placed and easily removed and by which the cards are held against displacement. An insulating strip 17 is secured to the said plate at one end as seen in Fig. 4.

The cards 18 are formed of fiber or other suitable insulating material and are adapted to be fitted in the metal plate within the guides thereof as seen in Figs. 3 and 4;. Each card is provided with perforations, according to the letter, figure or character which it is designed to represent and which is to be correspondingly displayed on the sign, bulletin or announcement-board, or other display device. In Fig. 4 there are four of these cards within the plate on the base, and these are perforated to display the word Hats it being understood that other a lever 21 pivoted at one end as at 22 on the board 1, in any suitable manner, as upon a pivot held in the bifurcation of a bracket or upright 23, its other end being provided with a suitable handle 24 and adapted to engage a suitable catch, hook or the like 25 rising from the board 1. A spring plate 26 may further be provided if necessary against which the said lever presses as seen in figures the said spring plate being if desired secured to the under side of the lever as shown at 27. This tends to equalize the pressure. The wires 12 leading from the circuit-selectors are connected each with a. lamp socket 28 of the display sign, bulletin or annunciator-board 29, which may be located in any desired lace and at all times under the control 0 the operator at the printing or controlling plate hereinbefore described. All the wires 12 may be arranged in a cable as shown in Fig. 6, or otherwise. Extending from the wires 12 there may be branch wires 30 as seen in Fig. 6, one for each wire, and these branch wires ma lead to a flashing device whereby when esired the printing operation may be discontinued and the display flashed all ni ht-or as long" as. ma' 'be desired; It will )e understood that t e Wire 12 from each circuit-selector extends to one terminal of the lamps; the

other terminals of the respectivelamps are connected to a single circuit 31, which in cludes a current-generator or source of electrical energy as represented at 32.

33 is a circuit-switch with which the wire 20 from the brass plate 15' leads as seen in Fig. '4' which shows in diagram the circuits etc. This circuit-breaker or switch' is designedv to be operated before the plate It is placed in position to shutofi' the current :iintil afterthe controlling plate has been placed in positioiaso as to avoid flashing; After the controlling switch is turned. 7

t r The operation will in connection with the annexed drawings,

n nth brieflyh stated as "foll nvs: The parts being connected up as seen in Figf-(i, the controlling plateis put in position,- contain; ing as many cardsas may benecessary and those perforated according to the design to be displayed; The controlling plate'is held down to o erative position' fby the lever 21,

and its spring and thelswitch is their turnedh to turnon'the current.v Thosefleontact mem bers 10 which are noteoi-neidentflwitlr the perforations in the eardsl areengaged with, "the insulation 17. which ('tlVtlQ he-si'lr'face' of the brass plate except; where.perforated; those contact members 10 which arecoii'ieb dent with the perforations'in thecards enter said perforations and cilnnin', in contact with the brass plate eom 'ilete the eircu'itfla nl the corresponding lamps liliillt)"illlilll'lltltflthr- I lie: fen-ring to Fig. 7 it willbenoted that -be-w board or ad vertising Sign arirfil'igihtedl ginning at the left. the first anit-second; the fourth, the sixth. seventlfrand eighth; and

'- the eleventh contact inemberslflare entered in the perforatioi'is of the cards. the correspending lamps'at the right of saiditigure;

beginning at the bottom. are shown as lighted. To change a card, the lever 21 jis re leased, after having first turned the. switch 33 .to shut off the current. the controlling plate is removed and another \vilhditl'erent cards put in pcsition. or the same plate may be used b v removing the ohl cards and substitnting therefor others with other arrange ments of perforations in accordance with the display to be made. \Vhenthe'controlling plate is removed there of-eonrse will be no display made on the-"sign the same resnltis attained by the turnin shut oil the current. I used as a flash by means of the branch wires 30 which permit of the running of the sign as-a flasher as maybe desired.

From the above it will be seen that I have plate is inl'position the be readily understood, from the foregoingdescription when; taken of the switch 83 to henthe sign may be devised a very simple; yet eflicient device for the controlling of the display by a printing l system, and while the structural embodiment of the invention as hereinbefore disclosed is what I, at the present time, consider preferable, it is evident that thesame is subject to out departingfrom the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages; I therefore do not lntend to restrict myself to the exact details hereinbefore describedand shown. but reserve the right to makevsuch changes, "airiations and modifications as come properly w tection prayed. v v

What is claimed ,asnew. is':-' "f i t L 1. In a device of the character stated, a circuit-selector comprising a body piece; removable eaps; therefor; a s'prin 'actiiated member insaid-body piece" and iaving one end projecting through one of said caps, a controlling plate ,and a; card of insulating "and having perforations "some of which are adapted 1 tom selectors; In a idev' a. cireiiitlselet removable caps therefoig a ndfa spring-ache t i v l f l d? 0 1)" piece and having on ndprojectingithron h. one 'ofsaid caps;

therefor ha \filr g 'j guides; an insulating strip. and a card of insulating ma t'e'ria'l memorably held, in said guides and, ha ving perforations, so reef which a're'a'daptcd to; receive some of isaideircuit selectors.'

cultselectors with springeaetu'ated contact edgest'urned to form guides an insulatin {member of insnlatingmaterial held in saidguidesavertical neinbers earriei'lgby said board and, serving as gui les='t'or said plate 7 and l'ltiltllllg the latter against lateral and longitudinal shifting. a'leverpivoted atone 3 longitudinal shifting. a lever pivoted at one s end on said board andv extendlng longitudiithin the scope of the proreceive some of I said circuitof the character 'describ'edj.

comprising a body iplece,

nieinlxws. 'a controlling 'plate'comprisingl'a baset'a- -inetal|1c, plate. thereon having its str'i-pat one end of said guides. aperforatef end on said board and extending longitudi nallvv thereof. and. means for holding the changes. variations and n'iodifications'Twith material 1 rem-Ovably supported on said plate and holding the latter against lateral and combined with {a ".eontrolling plate, a support v nil deviceof the chaialeterdescribed,' a. board prov ded .witha iimltiplicityjof 'elr nuliy thereof, means for holding the oppo- Signed by me at \Vashington, D. C., this site end in its luwvi-inost position, and a 1 16th day ofAngnst, 1911.

spring (-ai'i'iod by the nndewide of said X a y iL'YQl'jlDd extending in the direction of the MHJHBJL QOM] length thereof and hearing at its ends? Witnesses: against said plate to equzdizv the pressure HUGH M. STERLING,

thereof on the said vircuit-sulector I E. H. BOND.

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