US1689227A

US1689227A - Seat-signal system

Info

Publication number: US1689227A
Application number: US29937A
Authority: US
Inventors: William C Burrell
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1925-05-13
Filing date: 1925-05-13
Publication date: 1928-10-30
Anticipated expiration: 1945-10-30

Description

Patented 0a. 3c, 1928.

' WILLIAM C. BU'RRELL, OF. KANKAKEE ILLI'NOIB.

SEAT-SIGNAL SYSTEM.

Application filed May 18, 1925. Serial No. 28,887.

The invention relates to -seat signal systems for theatres, public halls, moving picture auditoriums, and the like.

The system is especiallyadapted for use in halls where. a continuous performance is being enacted, such as vaudeville, moving picture shows, and the like, and where the audience is continuously changing in personnel. Frequently the halls where such entertainments are in progress are tilled, every seat being occupied by the audience. Such moving picture halls appear to be very dark to persons entering the hall until their eyes become accustomed to the darkness. It is very difiicult, if not impossible, for a person to locate a vacant seat when their vision is so defective and attendants in the foyer or lobby have no means of knowing the location of the seats that have become vacated.

One of the objects is to provide an automatic signal system to indicate at a remote location the fact that a seat has been vacated.

Another object is to provide a system which will indicate in an annunciator located in the outside corridor or foyer of the hall that aseat that has been occupied by one of the audience has been vacated, and which willindicate at the end of the row of seats the particular seat of that row so that an incoming patron may go directly to the row in which the vacated seat is contained and will then be advised definitely'the designating number of said vacated seat. Another object is the provision of an imroved circuit controlling switch operable part of y movement of the pivoted seat or a chair.

A further object is to rovide a guiding signal system or means or patrons of an exhibition hall which by its use will do away with many, if not all of the ushers required- Figure 2 is an'enlarged section through' the seat of a chair showing in side elevation the circuit closer operable by movement of the pivoted seat.

Figure 3 is a plan view of a chair showing parts thereof in section.

F gure 4 is a diagram of the circuits.

Figure '5 is an elevation of a casing for signal lamps attached to a chair at the end of a row ofchairs.

Figure 6 is a diagram showing a modified,

circuit.

In all of the views the same reference characters are employed to indicate similar parts.

In Figures 4 and 6, 10 represents one section of seats and 12 another section. 11 is an aisle between the two sections. Usually the rows of seats are indicated alphabetically beginning with A and extending toward the entrance, progressively. In Figure 4 I have shown rows A and B in

sections

10 and 12. I

In Figure 1, a seat is shown in elevation. The frame 15 of the seat consists of two

side members

16 and 16 and a rod 17 is employed to hold the members together and upon which the seat is pivoted by brackets 19, as more clearly shown in Figure 2. Fixed to the rod 17 by a clamp member 20, is a circuit closing structure 21 consist ing of the spring 22, which normally supports the seat 18 by a projection 23 'extendev ing from the bottom of the seat. The spring 22 forms one part of the circuit closing switch which is connected by a wire 24, and is adapted to contact at 25 to complete the circuit through the wire 26. Normally when the seat or chair is unoccupied the spring 22 is in electrical connection with the contact 25, and the circuit is thereby closed.

en a person occupies the seat, the weight of the person causes the projection 23 to move the spring 22 downwardly into-the dotted line position shown in Figure 2 and open the circuit.

Secured-to the frame 15 of the end chair each. compartment there may be a very small reflector. When the circuit breaking switch 21 is closed, by a. person vacating the seat,

the 1am 29 corres nding. to the vacated seat, wi be lighte in the casing 2'3. The

casing may be so located that the light proceeding from the respective compartments will not have any material-eflect upon the illumination of the room and will not be annoying to the audience. The casin or thelamps therein may be sus ended om the wall or otherwise supporte near the end 0 the rows of the seats. w

In Figure 4, the annunciator 32 may be placed in the outer corridor of the theatre, and lamps 33, corresponding with the lamps 29 located on the endsseats of the rows of seats, will be lighted, at the same time that the corresponding lamps in the row will be illuminated. This will indicate'to the at.- tendants in the outer corridor or foyer of the theatrethat a seat has been vacated and it will also give him the locality of that seat so that he may direct the patron about to enter the theatre to where the vacant seat is located.

In Figure 4, the lamps 29 and 33 are in series, while in Figure 6 the lamps are arranged in parallel, as very clearly shown in the diagrams.

A battery 34 supplies current for the circuit.

Instead of having individual lamps A A A", etc. for example, on the end seats,

a single lamp ma be employed to simply indicate ther'ow of seats in which the vacant seat is contained, and the single lamp will be lighted when any one or more of the seats inthe row is-wacated. This is a very simple modificatioif'and will easily be apparent to persons skilled in the art. In the use of such a modification, it is also obvious that a single lamp may beemployed in place of the annunciator to indicate to the attendant in the corridor that a seat in the theatre or auditorium has become vacated, and the patron entering the auditorium will see at a glance the lamp which indicates the row in which the vacated seat is contained.

circuits and ot -Figure 4, and in Figure 6, are so clear as to need no further explanation.

It is manifest that many changes may be madein the s ecific arrangement of parts, er features disclosed within the scope of the ap ended claims.

Having describe my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A circuit closer including a frame having a su porting clamp at one end and a contact e ement at its oppositeend, and a yieldable contact member anchored at one end in connection with the first mentioned end of the frame. and adapted toflex into and out of engagement at lts free end with said contact element.

2. A circuit closer including a frame having a supporting clamp at one end an a contact 0 ement at its opposite end, and a yieldable contact member anchored at one end in connection with the first mentioned end of the frame and adapted to flex into and out of engagement at its free end with said contact element, said contact element and said yieldable contact member being insulated from the said frame.

3. In a circuit closer adapted to a pivoted chair seat having a cross rod forming the pivot thereof, said circuit closer consisting of a frame clamped at one end to said cross rod beneath the chair seat and provided at its opposite end with a contact element, a flat contact spring in the frame, one end of which is anchored to the clamped end of the WM. o. BURRELL.