US1236592A

US1236592A - Electric sign.

Info

Publication number: US1236592A
Application number: US14311517A
Authority: US
Inventors: Abraham Morgan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1917-01-18
Filing date: 1917-01-18
Publication date: 1917-08-14
Anticipated expiration: 1934-08-14

Description

A ELECTRIC SIGN.

APPUCATION FILED MN. 38, 192?. 1,236,592. Pmnm Aug, 14,1917.

2 SHEETSTSHEET I.

Svwewtoz if ,EZKOW; 012/ Y to be conveniently ABRAHAM MORGAN, OF INDEPENDENCE, MISSOURI.

, ELECTRIC SIGN.

Specification of Letters'lPatent.

Patented Aug. 14, 191 7.

Application filed January 18, 1917. Serial No. 143,115.

To all whom it may] concern:

Be it known that I, ABRAHAM MORGAN, a

citizen of the United -States, residing at Independence, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Electric Sign, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention appertains to electric signs, and aims to provide a novel and improved apparatus of that character enabling the wording or characters of the-sign changed from time to time.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a switch or controlling board of novel and improved construction for controlling the circuits of the lamps of the switch board, whereby various characters can be provided at will upon'the sign, it merely being necessary to operate the switch board by means of a roller, stencil or other suitable element which will close the circuits of certain lamps of the sign to provide the desired characters thereon, and the view. which will appear as the description" switch board can be: cleared whenever de sired to change'the sign. 7

,With the .foregolng and other objects in proceeds, the invention-resides infthe combination and arrangement I'of paits and in.

the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it "being understood that changes intheprecis'e embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a diagrammatic'al view of the apparatus.

Fig. 2' is a diagrammatical view illustrating a few of the complete circuits. I

Fig. 3\is a sectional view of the switch board, portions being broken away.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an .operating member for the switch board.

Figs. 5 and 6 are side elevations of the operating rollers for the switch board.

The apparatus includes an electric sign 1 of suitable proportions and construction, the same being providedwith a field of cells 2 each containing an electric lamp 3. This si is connected by a cable' i containing the wires or conductors of the lamps 3 with the switches of the. switch or controlling board 5. This switch boardis of special construction as will presently appear.

The switch board preferably embodies a casing or frame having the top or face plate 6 of the same shape as the sign 1, but preferably of smaller size. The switchboard can be located at any desired point adjacent to or remote from the sign. There is a partition 7 within the switch board casing parallel with the face plate 6, and switch .plungers 8 are slidable through the

plates

6 and 7. These plungers 8 are arranged similar to the lamps .3, there. being one plunger for each lamp, and as illustrated, the plungers are constructed of any suitable insulating material and are provided between their ends with switch members 9 of conducting material. Spring contacts 10 are carried by the plate or partition 7fto bear against the plungers 9, there being a pair of contacts for each plunger, and the upper ends of the plungers are preferably rounded where they protrude slightly above the plate 6 normally, with the switch members 9 raised above the upper free terminals of the contacts 10 to open the circuits. The lower ends of the plungers 8 depend from the plate or partition 7. When a member is placed upon or passed over the plate 7 to depress the plungers 8, the switch members 9 are moved downwardly between the contacts 10 to bridge the same, and close the respective'circuits. One contact pin of. each pair is connected by a conductor 11 with one terminal of an electric generator 12 or other source of electrical energy, and the other contact 10 of each pair is connected by a conductor 13 with the lamp 3 of the sign 1 which is in the same relative position on the sign. compared with the corresponding plunger 8.- The other terminal of each lamp 3 is connected by a conductorv 14 with the other terminal of the generator 12. Thus, each lamp 3 is in circuit with the corresponding switch plunger 8, and when certain plungers of the switch board are depressed, thecorresponding lamps of the sign will be lighted. Thus, by forming different characters on the switch board by depressing the plungers, the same characters will be formed on the-sign.

In order to clear the switch board, for changing the sign, suitable means is provided for raising all of the depressed plungers 8, whereby to open the circuits and extinguish the lamps of the sign. Thus, a push plate 15 is movable vertically within I the casing of the switch board underneath the plate or partition 7, and is connected by toggle links 16 or otherwise with the bottom I can be normally depressed by a suitable spring 19. Consequently, whenever it is desired to clear the switch board and sign, the lever 18 or other operating'member is actuated to raise the plate 15 and thereby push all of the depressed plungers 8 upwardly, in which event a new arrangement of the sign can be made by depressing such plungers as desired.

Various means can be used for depressing the plungers 8. Thus, a plate 20 can be used of substantially the same shape as the plate 6 to be disposed thereon, said plate 20 having raised characters 21 which will bear upon certain plungers of the switch board and depress them to close the corresponding circuits. Therefore, such lamps 3 of the sign will be illuminated as to form the characters contained on the plate 20. Similarly, a suitable stencil can be used, or a roller 22 of any suitable sort can be run over the board for providing the desired characters. The roller 22 has a handle 23 for manipulating it. A caster roller 24 can also be moved about the board by a handle 25, whereby to spell the words or draw the characters which are to be displayed on the sign. The operating member can therefore be placed on the switch board or be moved thereover, to either operate the desired plungers simultaneously or in succession, the corresponding lamps being lighted correspondingly. The switch board thus embodies a plurality by the extinguished lamps, instead of the lighted lamps.

1 Instead of using electric lamps, any other suitable electrically operated signal elements can be used.

- Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A sign apparatus embodying a switch board having spaced plates, plungers slidable through said plates and having switch members therebetween, spring contacts carried by one plate and projecting toward the other plate, said contacts bearing a ainst the plungers to hold them fiictiona ly in any position to which they are slid, said switch members being engageable with the spring contacts for controlling lamp circuits, a push plate below one of the aforesaid plates and toward which the plungers are moved from the other plate, and means for mounting the push plate and moving it to return all of the plungers.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto allixed my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

ABRAHAM MORGAN.

Witnesses:

Gso. A. GOULD, D. M. MCINTYRE.