US1592398A - Sign - Google Patents

Description

July 13 1926. I P. s. VAN BLOEM SIGN Original Fil d Nov 24. 1922 2 Sheets-Shut 1 llllllllll INVENTOR -12 Haida/1L9 ATTORNEYS July 13,1926. 1,592,398

P. S. VAN BLOEM SIGN Origirial Filed 24. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 'INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented July 13, 1926.

UNITED STATES PA TENTTOFFICE.

PAUL SCHUYLER VAN mom/nor I-IEMPSTEAD, NEW YQRK, nssrenon TO THE VIKING PRODUCTS CORPORATIO on NEW YORK, N. n, A con-renames or NEW YORK.

- SIGN.

Application filed November 24, 1922, erial No. 683.011. Renewed. January .19, 1925.

One of the main objects of this invention is the provision of a sign or signal plate, of

translucent glass or other material which will permit the passage of light rays, having deeply impressed characters in its rear or light-receiving face, the said. characters being in reverse and readablethrough the front face of the plate. I

Another important object is to so form the sign plate that the walls of the impressed character'swill be so shaped and disposed as to cause the light rays entering the impressions-to be transmitted through the plate in a manner to give the illusion of raised characters on the front face of the plate.

The sign or signal plate is shown in a cas- 7 ing, and receiving illumination upon its rear face, but a sign of this character may be used efiectively in daylight, or other general illumination, and independently of the casing and lamp.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a signal with the plate mounted therein and indicates the illusion of relief characters upon the front face of the plate; i

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken through.

. the signal on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of the rear face of the signal plate;

' Fig. 4 a greatly enlarged detail section taken through the platoon the line 4--4.- of

Fig. 1 showing the form of oneof the depressions and its effect upon the light rays cast therein; s

Fig. 5 a similar view of cation; and

Fig. 6 a view similar to Fig. 4 showing coloring or opaque matter applied to the bottom of the depression.

Referring to the parts, 1 designates the improved sign or signal plate. The plate 1 is made of transparent or translucent glass, or other suitable material which will permit the passage of light rays. The reverse face of the plate 1 is formed with a series of deeply impressed characters C, the said characters being in reverse as shown in Fig. 3 and readable through the front face of the plate as indicated in Fig. 1. In the present showing the plate 1' is adapted for use as an elevator signal and the impressed characters are the letters of the word Down; The plate is larger than the overa slight modifithe side walls 5.

; isazsas all dimensions of the impressed characters in order to secure a generalillumination of that part of the plate surrounding the char? actors. The sign casing C .isprovided, preferably, with a rear reflecting wall W. A lamp L is suitably located andmounted within the casing to properly illumina e the plate. It will, of course, be understood that the lamp and signal plate could be mounted in otherways than the one shown.

Referring to Figs. 1 to l inclusivethe signal plate 1 has a substantially fiat front face 2 and a rear or light-receiving face The face 3 is formed with depressions fl which conform in outline to the character to be displayed through the front face of the plate. In the present instance the deas shown in Fig. 4 anda-re substantially.

perpendicular to the plate face 3. The bot-' tom 6 Of the depression curves inwardly at the sides as shown at .7 and merges with The side walls?) are of material depth particularlv with relation to the width of the letter stroke and this depth of the side walls and their substantial per pen-dicularity to the plate face together with the curves 7 are important factors in accomplishing one ofthe objects of theinvention. that is, to produce the illusion of a character in reliefupon the front face of the plate The effect of the light rays which are directed into the depressions 4-, as illustrated signal is viewed from directlvin front: the ray 0; which passes through the center. of the depression will not be refracted but will be transmitted straight to the eye of :in Fig. his as follows. assnming that the or diifusedaway. fromthe eye of the observer toward the right and left. Owing to the substantial perpendicularity of the walls 5 to the rear face of the plate most of the rays (Z incident thereon will be beyond the critical angle. or the angle at which they would penetratethe plate, and will therefore be totallyreflected to the bottom of the depression, from whence they will be refracted and transmitted in the direction of the observer. Owing to the fact that the rays a and (Z are concentrated and forwardly directed and that the rays Z) and c strike the curves 7 and are caused to diverge away from the eye of the observer. the character will be brilliantly illuminated at the center and will shade away at the sides and cause the forwardly bulged appearance of the character as indicated in Fig. 1. The side walls 5 of the depressions diverge slightly to permit the withdrawal of the mold used in forming the depressions. This divergence of the walls tends to'increase the shaded effect at the edge of the character when viewed from the front.

When the signal is viewed obliquely as from the direction indicated by the righthand arrow in Fig. 4, the rays such as a and b which are cast upon the curve 7 are directed toward the observer while the rays falling upon the bottom 6 and the nearer side wall 5 are directed away from the observer thus causing the character to appear as an outstanding perspective with a high light at the corner due to the rays coming through the curve 7 and with the bottom 6 and side walls 5 of the depression shading off from either side of the high light.

Fig. 5 shows a slight modification. the

hottdm of the depression in this case being uniformly curved. This form will increase the diffusion of the rays and will produce a character somewhat different in appearance from the form shown in Fig. 4.

In Fig. 6, the bottom 6 of the depression 4 is shown as provided with either a colored or an opaque coating 9 to produce a desired ornamental effect. The coating 9 may be applied to only the'c enter of the bottom leaving the curves 7 uncoated so as not to diminish their effect.

It will be seen that a simple. easily manufactured sign or signal and one that is also beautiful and effective. is provided. A sigml of this character which permits the light o pass through the entire area of the plate is particularly effective as it makes a more striking effect and will attract more attention than if merely the characters were illuminated. The form shown in Fig. 1 may also be kept clean and bright with a minimum of effort as there is no place for dust to lodge on the front face as is the case with projecting characters.

A sign of this character is effective even when used independently. without the special illumination shown in Fig. 2. hen unprovided with special illumination the sign will share in the general illumination. either davlight or artificial. of its surroundings, and if both front and rear faces receive illumination the effect will be the same as indicated in Fig. 1 in which the characters have a shaded outline, while if the sign is disposed against a dark background and receives most of its illumination from the front, the effect is reversed, the outlines of the characters appear bright while the centers of the characters and the rest of the sign appear dark.

What I claim is:

1. A sign plate of material adapted to permit the passage of light rays formed in its rear or light-receiving face with a depression conforming in outline to a sign character, the said depression having a bot tom. side walls so disposed as to reflect most of the light rays received thereon upon the bottom. and surfaces at the juncture of the side walls and the bottom so disposed as to cause light rays cast thereon to be refracted away from the center.

2. A sign plate of material adapted to permit the passage of light rays formed in its rear or light'receiving face with a depression conforming in outline to a sign character. the said depression being formed with a bottom adapted to transmit directly the light rays which fall centrally and normally thereon and to refract away from the center rays which fall upon the bottom at either side of its center.

3. A sign plate of material adapted to permit the passage of light rays formed in its rear or light-receiving face with a depression conforming in outline 'to a sign character the said depression having a bottom through which the light is transmitted. side walls of material depth substantially perpendicular to the rear face of the plate. and adapted to reflect light rays to the bot tom. and surfaces connecting the bottom and the side walls adapted to cause the light rays falling thereon to be refracted away from the center.

4:. A sign plate of material adapted to permit the passage of light rays formed in its rear or light-receiving face with a depression conforming in outline to a sign character the said depression having side walls of material. depth and substantially perpendicular to the rear face of the plate. and a bottom curved rearwardly at the sides to merge with the said side walls.

5. A sign plate of material adapted to permit the passage of light rays formed in its reverse face with a depression conforming in outline to a sign character the said depression having a bottom, side walls disposed to reflect light rays upon-the-bottom and a coating of colored matter applied to the bottom, the said coating terminating short of the side walls. 7

6. A sign plate of material. adapted to permit the passage of light rays formed in its rear or light-receiving face with a deep character impression. the said impression having a concave bottom and side walls substantially perpendicular to the rear face of the plate.

7. A sign plate of material adapted to plate being larger than the over-all dimensions of the sign character and admitting 10 light through the character and through its area surrounding the character.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

PAUL SCHUYLER VAN BLOEM.

Images