US1717758A - Advertising sign and the like - Google Patents

Description

June 18, 1929. v. BRIDGMAN ADVERTISING SIGN AND THE LIKE Filed Oct. 8, 1928 Patented June 18, 1929.

UNITED STATES VICTOR BRIDGMAN, 01* LONDON, ENGLAND.

' ADVERTISING SIGN AND THE LIKE.

Application filed October 8, 1928, Serial No. 311,187, and in Great Britain August 23, 1927.

This invention relates to advertising signs as disclosed in my British applications filed August 23rd and 25th, respectively, 1927, and is an improvement in the sign disclosed in my U. S. application 190,019.

The type of sign to which the invention primarily relates is that in which daylight, preferably direct from the sky, passing through a stencil, transparency or the like, hereinafter termed stencil, is reflected by means of a reflecting surface or mirror in the direction in which the sign is to be viewed, the stencil being interposed between the mirror and the source of light, so that a brightly illuminated image of the stencil is seen in the mirror. The invention secondly relates to the type of sign in which daylight is reflected through a stencil by means of a reflecting surface or mirror which is arranged above the stencil and at an angle thereto, the stencil being interposed between the reflecting surface and the observer.

If a sign of either of the aforesaid types is to be artificially illuminated at night or when the natural light is insufficient, the difficulty arises that if the artificial light be arranged above the sign in the position in which it can be utilized to greatest advantage it will intercept some of the natural light by day, while if it be placed in a position in which it does not intercept the daylight, the stencil will not be very effectively illuminated.

Now the object of this invention is to provide an improved sign of either of the aforesaid types which can be illuminated artificially in an efficient manner when the natural daylight is insufficient for the purpose.

To this end, according to the invention, a source (or sources) of artificial light, for example, electric incandescent lamps, is linearly disposed along one or more edges of the stencil and a sheet of glass or other suitable transparent or translucent material having a roughened, corrugated, serrated, fluted, prismatic or similar surface is arranged relatively to the stencil and to the source of artificial light in a position in which its roughened surface is adapted to reflect or refract light received from the source of artificial light on to the stencil.

The term prismatic glass is hereinafter to be understood to mean glass or other suitable transparent material of which at least one of its surfaces is roughened, corrugated,

serrated, fluted or of prismatic or similar form.

The prismatic glass may either be arranged close to or in contact with the stencil or alternatively at some distance therefrom, and it may be employed either instead of or in addition to any other glass, for example the coloured glass usually employed, with which the stencil is covered. When employed instead of the usual coloured glass, the prismatic glass itself may be coloured. hen employed in addition to another glass, the surface of the latter which faces the artificial light is also preferably roughened. Vhen two glasses are employed and the artificial light is disposed along one edge only of the stencil, the glasses are preferably arranged at an angle to one another so as to converge towards the edges furthest from the artificial light, which is arranged between or just beyond their divergent edges.

The artificial source of light is preferably arranged outside the plane of the prismatic glass and is provided with a suitable screen in front so as to be invisible to the observer.

Different embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a cross-section through a sign of one type, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 11-11 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 3 is a cross-section, similar to Fig. 1 showing a modified form of construction.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the sign comprises a box or casing 1 in the bottom of which is fitted a mirror 2 and of which the top, which is otherwise open, is formed by a stencil 3 which is attached or applied to a sheet of coloured glass 1, the upper surface 5 of which is preferably roughened or serrated. The upper surface of the stencil 3 is preferably whitened or mirrored and the lower surface black. Above the casing 1 is fitted, a, preferably metal, frame 6 into the top of which is fitted a sheet of glass or transparent material 7 the lower surface 8 of which is roughened, fluted, serrated, corrugated or of prismatic or similar form. The frame fi is open at the top and bottom, so that light can pass through the glasses 4: and 7, but is closed at the back and also at the front which is rounded and extends somewhat beyond the edge of the stencil. In the rounded portion of the frame 6, which is preferably formed also so that it acts as a reflector, are arranged a number of electric incandescent lamps 9, which are fitted in sockets 10 attached to a tube 11 containing the wires 12 which carry the current. A shield may be fitted immediately over and slightly forward of the lamps so that as small an amount of light as possible is visible above the sign. The frame 6 is preferably removably attached to the casing 1 in order to enable the electric lamps to be replaced when necessary.

The sign is fitted up in such a manner that the mirror is inclined at an angle such that it reflects light from the sky in front of the mirror in the direction in which the sign is to be viewed. By day, light from the sky passes through the prismatic glass 7, the coloured glass 4 and the stencil 8, so that a brightly illuminated image of the stencil is seen in the mirror. By night, the lamps 9 are switched on whereby the stencil is illuminated in part by direct light from the lamps 9 and in part by the light which is reflected or refracted by the roughened or prismatic surface 8 of the glass 7, so that a brightly illuminated image of the stencil is again seen in the mirror.

Referring now to Fig. 3, the modification here illustrated differs from the constructional example previously described, only in that the coloured glass 4 is omitted. Inthis case the prismatic glass 7 may, if desired,

so as to be adapted to be fitted to existing signs of either type for the purpose of enabling them to be artificially illuminated.

I claim:

1. A sign comprising a reflector disposed to reflect light from a source thereabove in a lateral direction, a stencil disposed above said reflector for the passage of daylight therethrough-onto said reflector, an artificial light source above and at the side of said stencil, and a sheet of prismatic lass overlying said stencil above said artificial light source.

2. A sign comprising a reflector disposed to reflect light froma source thereabove in a lateral direction, a stencil disposed above said reflector for the passage of daylight therethrough onto said reflector, an artificial light source above and at the side of said stencil, and a sheet of prismatic glass overlying said stencil above said artificial light source, and disposed at an angle to said stencil to reflect light from said artificial light source through said stencil onto said mirror.

Dated this 24th day of September, 1928.

VICTOR BRIDGMAN.

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