US1763071A - Method of producing vacuum-tube-lamp envelopes of special design - Google Patents

Description

I June 10, 1930. 1 c, S L E 1,763,071

' I P ENVELO i M I lN VVVV OR ROBERT c SMALLEY j BYYZZZE ATTORN EYS June 10, 1930. v R. c. SMALLEY 1,763,071

METHOD OF PRODUCING VACUUM TUBE LAMP ENVELOPES OF SPECIAL DESIGN Fil ed June 2. 192a 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 INVENTOR ROBERT c. ISMALLEY ATTORNEYS Patented June '10, 1930 UNITED STATE PATENT OFFICE ROBERT (1.SMALLEY, OF ARLINGTON, NEW- JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO CLAUDE NEON LIGHTS, ING, OF NEW YORK, Y A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK mnon or rnonucme vacuum-museums snvnrorns or SPECIAL nearer Applicatiomflled Inns 2, re2e.- Serial no. 113,808.

This invention relates to vacuum tube lights such for example as the well-known neon 1i hts in which a column of more or less rarefie gas, as for example neon, contained 5 in a transparent envelope, is caused to glow' by the passage of an electric current therethrough and more particularly my invention-v contemplates an improved method for pro.- ducing vacuumtube lights of special design such as words written in a characteristicway,

andthelike' x It is an obj ect-of this invention to provide a convenient and simple method for makingspecial tubes which will eliminate the delay, inconvenience and inaccuracies of the oldmethod.

It is a further object of thisinvention to- I believe to be characteristic ofmv invention are pointed out, with particularity in the, appended claims. My invention itself however, both -'as to its underlying principles and as to its practical embodiments will best'be under stood by reference to the specification and accompanying drawings in which:

I Figure" 1 illustrates the first stage of my method after the proposed design has been laid out. on paper; a Figures 2 and 3 are respectively plan and elevation views'of'the lay-out in the second sta e ofthe method;

it has been formed or worked to the esired design;'and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the completed lamp or light mounted on a base ready for operation.

igure 4 is a plan view of the tubin I after ofiglass tubingemto the desired design was "a te Lamps of the class described are usually used in advertising signs and are frequently formed in the shape of words such as trademarks, characteristic design and the like. In the past itha's been customary to make such lamps by first laying out the desired design in actual size upon paper. This paper was then placed upon a work bench and the glassblower proceeded to take sections of tubing and work them as near as possible to the desired design. He usually provided himself or witha numberofspacing blocks which might be placed upon the-paper to sup ort the. tube in process of being. worked out 0 contact with the paper -to'avoid burning the same and upon which the tubing rested while bein worked. In forming .the tubing he woul bend the tube as far as possible to correspond with the design while sighting down at the design. 'Since the tubing was spaced from the paper carrying the design, paralax caused inaccuracies in the bending and other disadvantages were encountered.

I In certain words and designs-it is-necessary that the tubing be bent back upon itself as for exam le, in the small letter d; if this is to be joined to a following letter the tubing must be bent upon itself'over practically the entire distance of the vertical line of. the d.

' In such cases it is preferable to bend the tubing back upon itself andbehind itself. In so the formation of such letters according to the old process it was necessary for the glass blower therefore to bend or splice tubing under a piece of tubing already in position which was neces ,arily difficult and awkward and resulted in delays and therefore hampered production of the lamps.

- Moreover the bulbs containing the electrode had to be spliced "on and whenthe tubin was worked as above described the bulbs ha to be spliced on between the tubing already in position, and the. table; in other words in the space afiorded bytlres acin blocks. or these reasons and foro ers t e formation ions and uncertain process, and the product frequently failed to conform to the design as well as might be desired.

According to my invention I eliminate the necessity for the spacing blocks, the necessity for working the tubing under and behind tubing alrea :ly in osition, and the guess work in shaping the tu ing to the desired design by laying out the design to actual size and in reverse on non-combustible and heatinsulating material such as asbestos paper or cloth and by carrying on the forming and bending operations on the glass tubing while it is lying directly upon and in contact with the asbestos paper.

Since the tubing lies upon the paperand the design traced thereon is of the same size as the tubing, the accuracy of working the tubing is greatly increased, as the tubing may be heated and shaped to lie precisely upon the design. Moreover. reverse bends are made by bending the tubing down above tubing already in position instead of bending it underneath tubing in position as was the case in the old method and furthermore, in attaching the bulbs containing the electrodes, the ends of the tubing are simply bent up and the bulbs spliced on to project upwardly instead of downwardly. After the tube has been formed to the desired shape, the asbestos sheet carrying the design may be filed away and as will be readily understood, forms a permanent fire-proof record or pattern of the tube which may be utilized laterif additional tubes of the same pattern are desired.

Referring now more particularly to Figure 1. suppose it is desired to produce a vacuum tube light showing the Word Ace written as shown in Figure 1. The artist or designer will lay out the word in the style and size desired upon an ordinary sheet of paper 1. The outlines of the design may then be traced by perforations as for example by utilizing a perforating wheel 2 which is run over the lines of the design leaving a line of perforationsfi. L

The sheet 1 carrying the design will then be placed face downward and secured in positlon upon a suitable sheet of asbestos paper or cloth 4. Suitable marking material such as lamp black may then be dusted or distributed over the sheet 1 and more particularly upon the lines of perforations forming little piles 5. The lamp black may then be rubbed through the perforations b the fingers or a suitable tool, after which t e paper may be removed and the design will be outlined as a IlllIlOl image of the artists layout, in black upon the asbestos sheet.

This sheet may then be plaeedupon the glass blowers work bench and the tubing formed as already described by taking ordinary tubing 10, making the necessary bends 11 and splicing where desirable. The glass blower may for example in making the let.

ter A as shown in Figure t make the'bend 11 at the apex of the LA then an additional bend to form the cross bar of the A.

At this point, where it is necessary to a reverse bend, instead of finding it necessary to bend under the cross bar ahead in position as would have been the case In the old method, he may now make a bend in such manner that the reversely bent portion 12 lies above the cross bar of the A. In a similar manner in the reverse bend of the 0, portion 12 which according to the old method would have been made under the already formed portion is now made on top and finally in splicing on the bulbs 14 containing the electrodes 15 a simple upward bend is made on the tubing and the bulbs spliced thereto. The lamp envelope is now completed and is ready for exhausting, filling and sealing. After completion, the lamp may be suitably supported upon the base 16 in such manner that the bulbs 14 are concealed behind the base 16 and the lamp tubing passes through suitable holes 17 therein. If new suitable voltage be applied between the electrodes the illuminated word Ace will appear in the same style as laid out by the artist or designer.

While I have shown and described certain preferred embodiments of my invention it will be understood that modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

What I claim is: V

1. The method of producing a vacuum tube lamp envelope of predetermined design which comprises laying out the design in reverse on non-combustible material and working the envelope tubing in contact therewith to fit said design.

2. The method of producing a luminous tube envelope of predetermined design which comprises laying out the design in reverse on non-combustible and heat-insulating material, and 'working the envelope tubing in contact therewith to fit said design.

3. The method of producing a luminous tube envelope of predetermined design which comprises laying out the design upon relatively thin fibrous material, transferring the design in reverse to heat resistant material, and working the envelope tubing in contact therewith to fit said design.

4.- The method of producing a luminous tube envelope of predetermined design which comprises laying out the design upon paper, transferring the design in reverse to noncombustible and heat-insulating material and working the envelope tubing in contact therewith to fit said design.

5. The method of producing a luminous tube envelope of predetermined design which comprises laying out the design upon-relatively thin fibrous material, transferring the design in reverse to non-combustible material and working the envelope tubing in contact with said material to fit said design.

6. The method of producing a luminous tube envelope of predetermined design which comprises laying out the design upon paper, transferring the design in reverse to heat resistant material and working the envelope r tubing in contact with said material to fit said design.

7. The method of producing a luminous tube envelope of predetermined design which comprises laying out the design upon relatively thin fibrous-material, perforating said fibrous material along the lines of the design, placing the fibrous material carryin the design upon heat resistant material, istributwhich com rises other ortions substantially at ri ing marking material over said fibrous material to pass through said perforations and to 0 transfer the design in reverse to said heat resistant material, and working the envelope tubing in contact therewith to fit said design.

8. The method of producing a luminous tube envelope of predetermined design which .the desi tubing of predetermined design which comprises laying out the design in reverse on a surface. and working the tubing in contact therewith to fit the said design. I v

14. The method of producing a luminescent tube sign, which comprises laying out the tube 1n contact therewith to fit said design, and mounting theshapedtubing on abuse.

15. The method of making a sign of luminescent tubing comprising the steps of laying .out the design in reverse, and bending the tubin to conform to the design in reverse,

where y the normally hidden return bends of the tubing are on the side toward the operator. J In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 21 da of ay 1926.

. no ERT e. SMALLEY.

comprises laying out the design u on paper,

tracing the lines of the design wit a perfo-,

rator, placing the perforated pa r face downward in contact with a sheet p asbestos j a paper, distributing marking material upon I rial, working the envelope to fit the desi and bending the said other portions in a rection away from the non-combustible material.

10. The method of producin a vacuum tube envelope of predetermined esignwhich comprises la ing out the design in reverse on a sheet of as estos and workin the envelope in contact therewith to fit sai design.

11. The method of producing a vacuum.

tube lamp envelope of predetermined design ayin out the desi upon paper, er orating the aper along 1: elmes of the esign, placing t e paper design in reverse upon a sheet ofasbestos, distributing lam black over the paper to pass through the per orations and to transfer the design in reverse to the asbestos, and working the envelope tubing incontact therewith to fit said esign.

12. The method of making a of luminescent tubing, comprisin the steps of la out the design of thetu ing as a positive, transferring the desigq in reverse to a heat resistant surface, and bending the tubing to I conform to the design in reverse, whereby the i normally hidden return bends of the tubing are on the side toward the operator:

13. The method of producing luminescent in-reverse on a surface," shapmg y

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