US1460264A - Appliance for displaying colors - Google Patents

Description

UTHTISHmiE.

June 26, 1923.

M. M. MILES APPLIANCE FOR DISPLAYING COLORS Filed June 27, 1919 if??? w ENTOR miw i Patented June 26, 192 3.

UNITED STATES era: Lemar;

PATENT OFFICE.

MAUD MAPLE MILES, OF LOMBARD, ILLINOIS.

APPLIANCE FOR DISPLAYING COLORS.

Application filed June 27, 1919. Serial No. 307,177.

in V This invention relates to color display appliances and my object is to produce an ap pliance capable of embodiment in different forms, by which colors may be displayed in related hues which are believed to suggest to the spectator related tone values, for the purpose of visualizing and aiding in the memorizing of the notes in music and also for enabling artists, modistes, milliners, interior decorators, etc., to quickly and effectively display such a large number of combinations in two or more harmonizing col ors that the esthetic taste of the most critical customers may be satisfied.

In the above connection it is pointed out that it is also a distinctive feature of the invention to provide a carrier for the colors which may be in the form of a ribbon or tape, the said colors being arranged on the ribbon in the form of a color scale wherein the colors are related to each other in the same manner as the notes or harmonies of a musical scale are related.

To this end the invention consists in certain novel and useful features of construction and combinations of arts as hereinafter described and claime and in order that it may be fully understood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which: I

Figure 1, is a front View of a combination color display appliance equipped with a device for masking all the colors except a particular combination of them; the mask being shown broken away.

Figure 2, is a central vertical section of the appliance.

Figure 3, is a perspective view of a different form of the appliance.

Figure 4, is a diagrammatic plan of the appliance shown in Figure 3. t

Figure 5, is a fragmentary perspective view of a third t pe of the appliance.

Referring to t e appliance illustrated by Figures 1 and 2, A indicates a frame wherein are journaled winding drums B connected by a ribbon C, which may be of either opaque or transparent material, and preferably of sufficient length to contain seven and one-third octaves of colorfle lyfLmitones to the octaveeach of suc twelve semiones being numbered consecutivelyv from 1 to 12 inclusive, with the maximum wave length of each color in certain ratio to the preceding color.

The colors or shades of color of each of the different octaves will each contain twelve half tones of color. The lightest octave shows a pure yellow and eleven tints of other colors, all twelve high light in value (high light being a tint slightly distinguishable from white) but preferably growing slightly lighter in value as they progress toward the upper end of the octave. The next octave below will contain as its purest colors, a pure yellow green and a ure orange yellow, also thefirst shade of ye low being darker than high light value) but preferably growing somewhat lighter as they progress toward the top of the octave. The same sequence of color effect is carried out in the succeeding octaves and in the partial octave mentioned.

The ribbon for practically the full distance between the drums or reels runs over the guide rolls D in order that the part of the ribbon between the guide rolls, which part is preferably of sufficient length to display an octave of twelve colors, shall be substantially parallel with the face of the frame A. The ribbon may be wound from one drum to the other by means of handles E which may be detachable or not as desired, and there will preferably be sufficient friction to hold the ribbon stretched fairly taut and to guard against accidental turning of either of the drums. For convenience in displaying the device to a class or to a customer, it will be found convenient to make it in the form of an easel, that is with a hinged back F which when opened will brace the frame in an inclined position without other support.

For use in conjunction with the construction thus far described, there will be a large number of masks, each of which will have a plurality of display openings relatively arranged to show only colors which will harmonize.

The masks G are in the form of removable covers which can be easily and quickly fitted over the face of the frame A, and, as above stated, each mask will be provided at predetermined points with two or more openings. For two color combinations there will be several masks each containing open ings for exposing two colors at a time, which will harmonize because of the measured interval between the rate of their major vibrations. One of these masks will show two colors which are a major third of an octave apart. The other two-color masks will show the openings at prescribed distances apart so that two colors of the ribbon simultaneously appearing through said openings will always harmonize. To change the combinations, the ribbon, of course, will be moved by turning one of the drums or reels, the other turning under the pull of the ribbon. It will be seen that six masks of the two-opening type may be utilized to show six times twelve times seven and one-third schemes of color in pairs which can be depended upon to harmonize.

There will be a set of masks containing groups of three openings in different positions, a set containing four openings, and other sets containing different numbers of openings, the distance between the openings in the different masks being determined by the harmonic relation in music between notes spaced to correspond with the said openings.

WVith a device of this character a salesman entirely ignorant of either music or color can display two-color combinations, threecolor combinations, four-color combinations, etc., and know that these colors harmonize.

In Figure 3, the appliance is in the form of a box I, open at the back and having a front composed of colored glass, non-inflammable film or other transparent material, arranged in series of twelve different colors as described with respect to the said ribbon, the box being divided by partitions J nto compartments K, each containing an incandescent lamp L. The lamps will contain contacts M and be independent of each other. In place of masks there will be 'a series of contact combs N. The three-color combination combs for example, will have their teeth 0 spaced in relation to the colored face plates of frame I, and said threecontact comb will be wired in multiple and be adapted for connection by a cord to a wall socket or the like, not shown. so that when the switch is operated and the comb is slipped with its teeth between the contacts M of the correspondingly located lamps such lamps will be lighted and thus illuminate and display their respective color plates. It will thus be seen that by simply slipping these comb contacts in position, a very large number of combinations of color may be dis laved.

11 Figure 5. a box is shown having a display opening P through which rays of light may pass from a lamp Q through a transparent ribbon R composed of colors like ribbon C, and adapted to be moved by hand or otherwise, for the purpose of displaying different colors in melodic relation. To avoid danger of fire, with this closed box type, and especially if the ribbon should be in the form of an inflammable film, it is desired to provide the box with openings S through which the air may circulate. If it is desired to throw the colors upon a screen or otherwise display them in succession, singly or in groups, usually but one light need be turned on, the succession of colors being produced by the movement of the ribbon or film. If it is desired only to show certain colors and to omit others, by this system of moving the ribbon or film, special ribbons or film may be used in which the colors not wanted may be omitted, only those desired to be shown being on the ribbon or film. By this plan colors may be shown in melodic arrangement as well as harmonic, similar in their color relationship to each other as is the sound relationship of musical notes that are shown in melodic or harmonic relationship. In both cases it is because of their relative vibration as will hereinafter more fully appear. Colors arranged in 'melodicform may be employed in arranging borders or putting colors in long narrow rows as on counters or shelves. That is to say, the present invention resides particularly in the formation of a color scale which bears a numerical relation of colors similar to the musical scale which enables the operator to obtain color harmonies which are related as are the harmonies of a musical scale. s

As certain colors are believed to bear a fixed relationship to certain tones, I contemplate the use of ribbons or films for showing directly or projecting on a screen, colors in such relationship and of such relative lengthtempo-that the travel of the ribbon or film past the opening shall record on the mind of the observer capable of distinguishing between harmony and discord in music, the melody represented by such arrangement of colors, so that the deaf may enjoy music as well as those whose hearing is unimpaired.

In the above connection it is pointed out that it is pro-posed to relate color to color in exactly the same manner that scientific musicians relate tone to tone.

That is to say, beginning on any color designated by the vibration of its dominant wave length I build both the diatonic scale, the untempered chromatic scale and the tempered chromatic scale in exactly the same manner that musicians build these scales of sound. On this basis a scale of musically related hues would be produced, except for the physical difference in the sense U1 outuiuom It is well known that the mathematical science of music is based on the laws of physics, but that the sense perception of music is psychologically different. However, the sense perception and mathematical science of music are in accord because the ear measures music with the same result that the scientist obtains when he measures the rates of vibration of the musical tones.

But, the eye does not measure color with the same result that the scientist obtains when he measures the vibration of light. Hence, the scales built in the purely physical way as mentioned above needs further modification, based upon the retinal sensibility of the eye.

Therefore, it will be seen that the color scales formed according to the present invention are made by utilizing the dominant wave length of the colors as far as such colors are found in the spectrum and assembling them in the scale in the same way that the musical scales are made, but modifying the tempered or untempered chromatic scale of color built on the purely musical laws by a suitable table of retinal sensibility of the eye thereby giving a color scale that will produce results similar to the results obtained in the use of the musical scale.

By way of example red may be assumed to be middle C, because some hypothesis must be made, and there are, so far, more reasons for this assumption than any other.

For purposes of the present illustration the wave length of red may be assumed tobe 760 millicro-ns because on this basis the colors derived by the musical system are of the hues commonly accepted under the names used. Thus, a scale built under the present system with red at 760 would work out as follows:

Dz'atom'c scale (purely physical).

Red=760 millicrons in wave lengths.

Orange=8/9 of red or 675.

Yellow-:4/5 of red or 608.

Yellow-Green (half step)=3/4 of red or 570 millicrons, etc.

To get the (purely physical) untempered chromatic scale use the figures of the physical diatonic scale and find the half steps by finding 24/25 of preceding color.

For instance:

W'ave lengths of red-orange=24/25 of 760 or 729.

Wave lengths of orange-yellowz24/25 of 675 or 648.

To get the purely physical tempered chromatic scale divide the wave lengths of any color by 1.05646 to get the following halfstep in color for instance:

760:red.

7 60+1.05646=7 18 or red-orange.

718+LO5646=678 or orange, etc.

But the scales thus derived serve only as a basis for the derivation of color scales for the eye does not measure color with the same results that science obtains when it measures the wave lengths; while the ear does measure sound with the same results that science obtains in measuring musical notes. For this reason these purely physical scales must be modified by a table of the retinal sensibility of the eye.

The unit of measurement of the retinal sensibility of the eye is usually called a steplimen. y using one table of retinal sensibility and assuming the lacking numerals in some instances, the given tempered and untempered limen-scales of color are obtained based on the purely physical scales below using their relative intervals in ratio to the accepted step-limen.

Untempered Tempered chromatic Interval scale of Interval scale of color, in wave color, purely in wave purely physlcal. length. physical. length. 760 760 In both the tempered and untempered scale the second color is assumed to be true for the first step-limen in the scale as it is a barely perceptible step. If any difference between these figures were to be made it would preferably consist in increasing the interval by moving the first figure from 760 toward a possible 780.

The resultant chromatic scales, limen (bothtempered and untempered) follow:

Tempered limen scale Untempered limen scale of color (chromatic). of color (chromatic).

v The diatonic limen scale may be derived from the untempered scale by beginning on the first (7 60) color selecting the colors according to the wish to derive a major or a minor scale. The steps in any chromatic scale are termed l/2 steps or l/2 tones. The

scale of C (red) major would be as follows: 760608579.1533.2-489.41452.1 405.8-380. (Vere the last two colors found in'the spectrum this would be a scientific scale but not the best adapted to achange of key. In the tempered scale begin on any color and build the chromatic scale according to the intervals of the desired scalefor instance use 62'Oas the first color for a major scale: 620-573.? 508.492.6-l5 l.5t-( l05.8not found in any spectrum as a psychologically true hue) 718-620. These figures refer only to the hue. 9

In this connection, it should be borne in mind that the term hue refers to that extremely narrow portion of the spectrum which corresponds to a definite wave length, tint is a hue diluted with white, while shade is the hue altered by the addition of black. A hue is always specified by the wave length of the monochromatic light used (wave length of the dominant hue). It has been demonstrated experimentally that any color can be made by the mixture in proper proportions of white light with monochromatic spectral light of the proper wave length. The amount of saturation of a color determines its proximity to monochromatism. In building up any color scale, therefore, the saturation of the colors must be taken into consideration, that is, their tone-value.

Thus, by recapitulation, the following color scales are obtained which are not absolute perhaps but which are sufficiently accurlate to prove the psychologically derived sca es.

The scales.

if 3g? Color (wave length).

Note.

Int r Scien- C010 Tem' Pg: Tem Unt m. L per. L.s L.S

per.

Pitch Pitch. 1.0 253.6 256 i. Red. 760 760 760 760 2. c3 274 271 213.0. 713 720 713 729 3.D 290.3 237.3 3. Orange. 673 675 620 603 4. D5 307.5 304.4 4. 0. Y. 640 643 591.3 595 325.3 322.5 5. Yellow. 604 608 573.7 570.1 6.F 345.2 341.7 6. Y. G. 570 570 543 533.2 7.12; 365.3 362 7. Green. 533 547 503 510.6 3.4} 337.5 333.6 3. G. B. 503 507 492.6 439.4 9. or. 410.6 406.4 9. Blue. 479 434 473.2 476.5 10.14 435 430.4 10. B. v. 452 456 454.4 452.1 11.113 460.9 456.1 11. Vio. 426 436 433.3 437.2 12.13 433.3 433.2 12. R. V. 402 405 405.3 405.3 OctaveC 517.3 512 1. Red. 330 330 330 330 From the foregoing it will be apparent that the ribbon C is provided with a color scale in which the colors are definitely related in psychologically the same manner as the notes of a musical scale, and the forms of apparatus described herein may be used to display the colors in the various ways suggested. As a matter of fact other forms of apparatus may be used and the forms shown herein are simply illustrative of different types that may be employed to advantage.

I claim:

1. A ribbon having a color scale thereon, comprising a series of hues the wave lengths of which bear substantially the same relation to each other as the wave lengths of a series of notes which comprise a musical scale.

2. A ribbon having a color scale thereon, comprising a plurality of series of colors, each series consisting of a sequence of colors, the wave lengths of Which bear substantially the same relation to each other as the notes in a sequence which comprise a musical octave.

3. A ribbon having a color scale thereon, comprising a plurality of series of colors, each series consisting of a sequence of colors, the wave lengths of which bear substantially the same relation to each other as the notes in a sequence which comprise a musical octave, and means for displaying certain of the colors in musically harmonious relations.

4. A ribbon having a color scale thereon, comprising a plurality of series of colors, one of the series consisting of a sequence of hues, the other series consisting of sequences of tints and shades of these hues, each member of a sequence being related to the other members in the same manner that the members of a musical scale are related to each other.

5. A ribbon having a color scale thereon, comprising a plurality of series of colors, one of the series consisting of a sequence of hues, the wave lengths of which are related to each other in substantially the same manner as the sequence of notes which comprise a musical octave, the corresponding colors in another sequence being of a different degree of saturation, all of the colors in one sequence being of substantially the same degree of saturation.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

MAUD MAPLE MILES.

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