US1330604A

US1330604A - Illuminated sign

Info

Publication number: US1330604A
Application number: US263911A
Authority: US
Inventors: Thaddeus A Nolan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1918-11-23
Filing date: 1918-11-23
Publication date: 1920-02-10
Anticipated expiration: 1937-02-10

Description

I A. NOLAN. ILLUMINATED SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 23, I9I8.

Patented Feb. 10, 1920.

ATOHNEY TI-IADDEUS A. NOLAN, OF CINCINNATI, QI-IIO.

ILLUMINATED SIGN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 10, 1920.

Application filed November 23, 1918. Serial No. 263,911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THADDEUs A. NoLAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Illuminated Sign, of which the following is a specification.

An object of my invention is to produce an illuminated sign of the type employingprojection apparatus, in which more than one projection apparatus is simultaneously employed for the projection of the subject matter to be projected.

A further object is to produce an illuminated sign in which more than one projection apparatus is simultaneously employed for the purpose of more brilliantly illuminating the projected images of the subject matter of the sign.

A further object is to produce an illumi nated sign in which more than one projection apparatus is simultaneously employed to enable images of greater proportions to be projected than has heretofore been possible by the use of but a single projecting apparatus.

A further object of my invention is to produce an i luminated sign in which the characters may be made to appear upon and move-across the sign in proper sequence and in uniform regularity without changing light intensity in their movement.

A further object is to produce an illuminated sign in which each character is pro duced by a separate instrumentality and source of illumination which remains stationary relatively to the display portion of the sign, but which permits of the transfer of each character from one instrumentality and source of illumination to the next adj acent instrumentality and source of illumination throughout the travel of the sign characters across the sight portion of the sign.

These and other objects are attained in the sign construction described in the following specification.

I have illustrated two forms of sign embodying my invention, for the stationary as well as for the moving projection of character images upon the sight portion of the sign.

Figure 1 discloses a somewhat diagrammatic view of my improved sign designed for the moving projection of the images or characters to be displayed.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of a sign embodying my invention and designed for the stationary projection of characters to be displayed.

The sight portion of the form of my improved sign disclosed in Fig. -1 upon which the characters of the sign are rendered visible preferably consists of a sheet or several sheets of translucent material such as frosted or ground glass 1. Back of this sight portion I preferably locate the remainder of the sign mechanism consisting of a transparent medium 2 bearing the sign characters to be thrown upon the sight portion,v and the battery of individual character projectors 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 by means of which the sign characters are projected onto the sight portion 1. This may be arranged for the projection of the sign characters from the front instead of fromthe rear of the sight portion if desired.

The transparent character bearing medium 2 may be a film constructed much like that used 1n the production of motion pic-' tures. Printed or otherwise marked on this film are the characters to be projected on the sight portion. The characters are located on the film in as many duplicate lines bearing the legend to be displayed as there are projectors. the corresponding characters in the corresponding words of the legend appearing in adjacent lines of the film may be staggered with relation to one another for a purpose to be presently described.

Each of the projectors 3, .4, 5, 6 and '3' preferably consists of a lens tube 8 of the usual construction to be found in picture projection apparatus, which is located in front of the film containing the characters to be projected, a condenser lens 9 located back of the film and in alinement with the lens tube, a source of illumination 10 located back of the condenser lens, and a reflector 11 located back of the source of illumination and in focus with the source of illumination to project its light through the projector lens and lens tube. The location of each projector is such that but one projector is provided for each line of characters on the film, the illustrated embodiment of my invention showing the projectors so positioned apart as to project the images of the characters which are in register w th them onto the sight portion 1 of the s gn and in the proper relatively spaced position Also it will be seen that with relation to each other. Thus projector 3 is positioned and focused to project the images of all the characters from the first line 12 of the-film, onto the sight portion 1 of the sign and into the first space 13 thereof. Projector 4 is positioned and focused to project the images of all characters on line 14 of the film into space 15 of the sign. Similarly projectors 5, 6, and 7 are positioned and focused to project the images of all characters on

respective lines

16, 18, and 20 of the film, upon the respective spaces 17 19, and 21 of the sight portion of the sign. I

s In the illustrationI have used by Way of example the legend THE SONGS OF LONG AGO. Since projector 7 projects the characters of lower line 20 into space 21 of the sight portion of the sign, the character T which is located back of the lens tube 8 of projector 7, will project image T to the sight portion 1 as shown. The same being repeated in each of the lines of the film,

line 18 will also bear it, but the position of J the characters of the legend with relation to those on line 20 will be different since the next image to be thrown on the sight portion is H as shown. The image E is likewise produced by the staggered location of the legend on line 16 with relation to the legends of

lines

18 and 20. The blank space 15 between the words appearing on the sight portion is produced by a blank space in line 14 between the words THE and SONGS appearing in the legend thereof which shuts off the light of projector 1 as shown. Letter S in the sight portion is produced by the projection of the first S of the word SONGS in the legend of line 12 of the film by means of projector 3.

In the operation of the above described elements of my improved sign the action is as follows: Assuming the lamps 10 to be lighted and the film moved at the desired speed back of lens tubes 8 in the direction of arrow A, the movement of the images of the characters upon the sight portion of the sign will take place in the direction of arrow B in accordance with the well known action produced by the, lens of projection apparatus, the images appearing in reinverted position as shown.

As character T asses from behind lens tube 8 of projector it-passes off the sight portion of the sign and is immediately followed by the H which is shown in line 20 ready to pass back of the lens tube. Simultaneously with this the H in space 10 is being supplanted by the E of line 18, the E of space 17 is being supplanted by the blank in line 16, the blank of space 13 is supplanted by the S of line 14:, and the S of space 13 is supplanted by the O of line 12. This action continues as the film is moved, the successive characters following each other across the sight portion as they are brought by the movement of the film behind the lens tubes. The effect produced by this is the movement ofthe sign characters across the sight portion in regular order thus permitting the sign matter to be read easily and without the flickering and flashing action found in the usual moving electric sign. In addition the ,characters may take on natural and correct shapes and be produced in any color or colors desired without having to be limited by a set series of lamps or other devices on the sight portion thereof or any element adjacent thereto.

Although I have thus far described my improved sign as being designed toproject the image'of but one character from each projector, it is my intention also to so subdivide the subject matter of the sign to be displayed that more than one character is exposed to each of the projectors. Such an arrangement is disclosed in Fig. 2 in which the projector 22 is located to project the characters OW of the word SHOW and the projector 23 is located to project the characters SH. The characters are located upon the transparent character-bearing medium 24 in reversed and inverted order in order to have them appear upon the sight portion 25 in proper order and condition as shown.

Such a sign as I have just described is not particularly designed for the projection of images in motion, but is intended to show more clearly that the principal idea of my invention is to produce character images of larger proportion and having more clearly defined outlines than has been heretofore possible when but a single projector is employed for the entire sign matter in successive positions across the sight portion of the sign.

2. A sign comprising a sight portion, a character bearingelement located adjacent to the sight portlon, having a series of duplicate lines of characters thereon, and in staggered relation to each other, and means adapted to project the images of like characters in adjacent lines successively and in successive positions across the sight portion. of the sign.

3. A sign comprising a sight portion adapted to display a limited number of character images simultaneously, a character bearing element located adjacent to the sight portion, a series of duplicate lines of characters upon the element corresponding in number to the number of character images simultaneously displayed on the sight portion and having the same characters of adjacent lines in staggered relation to each other, and separate means adapted to project the image of each character to be si-- adjacent lines of the film as to project the images of successive characters upon the sight portion when the film is moved.

5. A sign comprising a sight portion, a character bearing film adjacent to the sight portion, having a series of duplicate lines of characters thereon and in staggered relation to each other, and a projection apparatus for each line of characters focused upon a distinct part of the sight portion and so located with relation to the characters on adjacent lines of the film as to project the images of successive characters upon the sight portion When the film is moved.

6. A sign comprising a sight portion, a character bearin element located adjacent to the sight portion, having a series of duplicate lines of characters thereon, and means adapted to project upon the sight portion of the sign the images of successive characters of the legend to be displayed, from corresponding characters in adjacent lines of the character bearing element.

7. A sign comprising a sight portion, a character bearing film adjacent to the sight portion, having a series of duplicate lines of characters thereon, and a projection apparatus for each line of characters, each projection apparatus being focused upon a distinct part of the sight portion and having its focal point so located with relation to the focal points of the rojection apparatus for the adjacent line 0? part of the sight portion of the sign and project the images of the successive characters in the legend to be displayed, in proper order when the film is moved, upon the respective parts of the sight portion upon which the projection apparatus are focused.

THADDEUS A. NOLAN.

the film as to cover its