US1769554A - Electric display system - Google Patents

Description

July 1, 1930. J. P. TARBOX 1,769,554

ELECTRIC DISPLAY SYSTEM 7 Filed Feb. 9, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 LWF I-E- LKF us UGF Us UBF- IN V EN TOR July 1, .1930. J. P. TARBOX 1,769,554

ELECTRIC DISPLAY SYSTEM Filed Feb. 9, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet '2 Jnfiy 1, 1930.

J. P. TARBOX ELECTRIC DISPLAY SYSTEM Filed Feb. 9, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 July 1, 1930.

J. P. TARBOX ELECTRIC DISPLAY,-SYSTEM Filed 192.4 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 mw m m? RN a r m IN VEN TOR a D a Patented July 1, 1930 PATENT OFFICE Jon): 1 TARBOX, or am) CITY, NEW YORK I IIECTRIO DISPLAY SYSTEM Application flle d February 9, 19%. Serial No. 691,731.

My invention relates to those electric disdisplay work of the kind carried on a lar e scale in Times Square, New York. city; 11

these systems are used immense display boards to advertise manufacturing and trade names of various products, but few facts about the products can be set forth at a time by reason of the utter inflexibility of the display devices. Commutator operated monogram systems and scroll operated controlling systems have been used in an attempt to overcome this general inflexibility but their scope is limited. The prime oh- 7 ject of my invention is topr'actically obtain unlimited flexibility of and versatility in subject matter, to draw and hold the interest of the public, and to drive the subject matter home thru strong emphasis.

6, 1927, and from this point of view 'the' present invention constitutes an improve ment over my prior inventions.

The improvement is directed especially to the ends'of simplicity of organization, reduction of first cost and maintenance, and reliability of operation. These ends are attained by an organization of standard commercial telephone relays and their operation accordin to a new method. The organization app es especially to the character forming machine and the monogram spacing and control relays, whereas the new method is applied particularly to the operation of spacing, which is to say, the stepping of the dis lay from one monogram to another.

ubstantially the entire system is novel and the novelt will be self-apparentfrom the following escription. The outstanding feature, however, is the development of the spacing and allied control circuits. These circuits are started in the character determining means. Thru a process of timing each character determination they are developed from one display position to another with absolute reliability and extremely great rapidity. Thus is over-lapping of displayand all other interferent action utterly These ends were also the object of my 7 removed and perfect display assured irre- I play systems especially adapted for outdoor -spective of the speed of operation.

Of the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a diagram of that portion of the apparatus located at the control or operating station (usually in a roof structure called a penthouse), and comprising a typewriter or typewriter keyboard, a character forming machine, the motor generator or other source of power, and the control switches and circuit breakers;

Figs, 2 and 2 represent a similar diagram of that portion of the apparatus mounted upon the out-door'dis'play board or steel structure and comprising the monograms themselves, their control relays and the power busses; 1

Fig. 3 is a diagram of the bi-color monogram used; i

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatical illustration in the plan form of a character forming machine; 7, I Fig. 5 is a side elevation illustratin in general the type of relay of which this 0 aracter forming machine is composed;.

\ Fig. 6 is a detail of the operating keyboard; and r Fig. 7 is a detail of a contact connected with a starting switch.

The relays of thesystem are iii general illustrated by rectangles and as de-energized. The contact points point in the direction of the circuit to be closed. When the. relays are energized, contacts shown open are closed and contacts shown closed are opened.

Referring now first ttyFig. 3, the body of casing of the monogram is represented by the rectangle 20 and the lamps arranged in pairs are represented by the circles 21. Those circles which are cross-hatched represent red or other colored lamps, whereas those open and not cross-hatched represent white lamps or their equivalent or they may represent lamps of some color different from their mates. The lamps may be mounted in the monogram casing accordingto any of the well known methods in practice, in sockets of one form or another and associated with reflectors or shields of any chosen pattern.

One feature of my invention resides in the.

. arrangements of these lamps. *All of the lamps of any iven color constitute in' themselves a complete monogram on which any letter {of the alphabet" or any numeral or any chosen number of punctuation marks or other characters may be formed thru energization of the appropriate lam s. Thus, as

' shown, there are two. complet monograms of lamps in the one body 20. Thelamps of the palrs are located closely adjacent each other and substantially in horizontal alignment, with the result that by energizing one set or the other the color of the formed letter may be changed without substantial change in its position with respect to those letters formed on adjacent monograms, and

witho'utany change in its alignment. More- I over, by energizing both sets of lamps one color may be utilized as a shadow ofshading for the other withoutdestroyingthe alignment. I f 7 On the top of the casing 20 is a compartment 22 formed by a cover member 23 whichv laps the top of casing 20 in a manner to 25 make the chamber 22 weather-proof. Within chamber 22 is a frame structure 24 which supports the control and character forming casing 20, while the individual lamp connec- 40 tions' 63 pass from the relays down into the I monogram thru similar apertures 29. "This keeps the main power circuits separated from the control circuits running thru conduits 25. At the same time, because the relays 5" are mounted on top of the monogram body, a

thoroughly weatherroof'cover' can be provided and the heat rom the interior of the casing 2% utilized tokeep the chamber 22 thorough y dry, 'while by merely removing E3 the cover the relays are readily a'ccessible both front and back. v

1 At the bottom of the monogram body is a row of lamps 30 comprised of a number ofequidistant pairs 21 which together constitute a bi-color underscore. These. pairs are not only in horizontal alignment but also have the endmost, pairs projecting beyond the lateral borders of the monogram so figures formed by the other lights, whereby *when the underscore lamps of anumber of" adjacent monograms a'reenergized a continuousstraight line underscore in either color may beformed. The casing itself may 5 have ofisets 30' to accommodate the project- "ing row 30 and the offsets of adjacent rows may abut each other.

In Figs. 2 and 2" are shown in diagram,

four such monograms 20 with their control relays. They are denominated M M M and M and R R R and B respectively.

Each group of control relays 11 ,11 etc.,

comprises a group relay G thru which the control of the other relays is extended, a timing relay I, a transfer relay F, a quality or color control relay Q, an underscore relay U, and a. plurality of lamp or character forming relaysL.

In Fig. 1, K designates a group. of control and D designates the character determining machine operated or controlled from keyboard T and thru which the characters formed on the monograms M ,-M etc., are determined.

The keyboard K, I shall hereafter term the emphasis control keyboard, in that change of color, flashing, etc., is but achange of quality to derive emphasis or expression. The keys of this board may be of arry'suitable form of electric switch but are preferably inthe form of telephone number or switch board keys, typewriter keys or push button control switches. Toggle switches are another good form to use. The essential requirement is quick, light, easy operation. v

The circuit breakers CB are preferably of the type known as industrial circuit breakers, the contacts of which are arranged tomake and break large currents an enormous number of times without renewal. They may or maynot have magnetic' blowouts and other featuresinsuring more or less uick break. Their capacities are adjuste to the amount of current required in the busses which they control.

The motor generator set MG is preferably of the voltage and typeusually employed in connection with automatic telephone circuits, inasmuch as the type of-relays employed in connection with the monograms is intended to be telephone or other low voltage type. Deriving the control current in this manner renders the control relay equip- .ment independent of the-character of the principal source of power, which varies very considerably in different localities. "It is much more economicalto change motors of the relatively small motor generator set than to change the entire relay and circuit breaker equipment.

The typewriter keyboard T may be the keyboard of any of the well known typewriters. Such a keyboard is adapted, as shown in Fig. 6, by merely placing beneath the key bars 31, spring contacts 32 fixed to an insulating base 33 at one end 34 and curved at the other end 35 to make a wiping contact with the underside of the bar 31 when the same is depressed. The adjusting screw 36 passing thru the contact strip 32 freely at a point between its ends (and preferably close to the end 34) and threaded into the base 33, constitutes an effectual adjustment of the gap between end 35 and bar 31. Any

' other form of contact, one for each bar of the typewriter and one for the spacing bar 37 (Fig. 1), may be provided. Thus, for example, instead of making contact thru the bar 31 itself, there may be used an insulating mating contact connected with that bar. For simplicity I am using the bars themselves and connecting them commonly to the source of power. r

The character forming machine D is constituted by a number of identical multicontact relays 38 having their pairs of contacts 39 arranged in banks 40. A general form of this relay'is shown in Fig. 5. A single magnet 41-thru its armature 42 carries the entire bank into wiping contact simultaneously and thus closes or contacts at one time. This relay is of a well known form. I arrange a number of these relays in serial order on parallel supports 43 with their contact banks extending transversely of the supports and numerically corresponding pairs 39 of their contacts in alignment from bank to bank. Oneset of contacts of each bank 40 I connect commonly together and to a source of power as indicated by conductor 43. The other set of contacts of each bank 40 Iconnect variously to character multiple conductors 44 which extend longitudinallypf the series of relays 38 parallel to longitudinally corresponding dontacts. Thus the contacts of the banks themselves support the multiples which extend between them in a parallel and orderly arrangement in which they may be readily connected and numerically identified. Byusing one such relay for eachcharacter to be determined and mounting thes' relays either all in serial order or in a number 0 parallel rows as indicated at the left of ig. 4, a complete character determiningmachine is organized. The supports 43 may be arranged vertically on a suitable base or hori- Zontally, as may be preferred.

These apparatuses are interconnected b a system of electrical conductors in which inheres the principal part of my invention. An understanding of the operation of the invention will result also in a further comprehension of the means and method by which that operation is attained.

An operator coming to the keyboard K opposite the keyboard T (ke board K may indeed be part and parcel oi the keyboard T), will close first main switch 45 and motor generator switch 46. This latter results in the starting of the motor generator set.

tends a circuit from conductor NB which we will call hereafter positive battery, byway of conductor 51 to transfer relay F and to conductor NB which we will hereinafter call negative battery. This is representative of thelast monogram of a series.

The positive battery bus is designated by a heavy dot and dash line and the negative battery by a heavy dash line throughout the drawings, and with these significant delineations, it will be unnecessary to specifically mention positive and negative battery connections. However, all other portions of the circuits'wil-l be. traced. Also through the drawings the front contacts are delineated as those closed by movement toward magnet of the relay and the back contacts closed by movement" away from the magnet.

Transfer relay F pulling up locks itself up thru contacts 7 5 by way of conductor 7 6 thru back contact 54 in timing relay I of the display position M Transfer relay F at the same time by front contact 7 8 closes the circuit of group relay G from battery at back contact 54 of relay 1* thru conductor s53 and by way of conductor 77, extending from contacts 78 to relay G The starting circuits described are illustrated in connection with the fourth display position M, but in actual practice these starting circuits (which later become reconditioning circuits aswill be seen) start from the last mono gram of an entire series. Relay G of the first display position pulling up closes all of its large number of normally open pairs of contacts and renders the remaining control relays of the group R ready for their control and character forming functioning.

f Thereafter, the operator has simply to pro- III) ceed to write on the typewriter keyboard T just as he would on the typewriter and at any speed he chooses, pausing only to intermittently operate the emphasis keys of the group K.

Suppose he desires the letters to be dis played in fixed white, he operates push button switch SW (meaning sign white). This closes the circuit breaker 59 of group CB and connectsone of the mains S to bus 60. This bus connects thru back contacts 61 of the relays Q with the white lamps of all the monograms. Unless other switches than SW have been operated all of the other chine D and'this relay is maintaine'd'energized as long as the key A is vheld down or remains down. suificiently to keep its bar 31 in contact with spring 32 (Fig. 6).-

Period of itsclosure maybe governed -in re lation to the position ofbar 31 by merely adjusting screw 36 and so the relation of relay G on timing relayfl This timing relay is pulled up at the same moment as v lay I (and all such relays I) is held own for'this period and additionally for such period as relay A of the character detenmining machineD requires for such deenergization as to open all its contacts. Relay I pulhn'g. up opens at back contact 54 the circuit of the preceding transfer relay, in this case the locln'ng circuit 76 of relay F. Thru-front contact 72 rela I at the period of closureby one key in point ofw the same time independently. closes t e cirtime to the period of closure by anotherkey of -the typewriter keyboard may beregulated and the relays of the character determining machine closed only for-separated periods, never for over-lapping periods. Relay A ofthe machine D pullin up closes all of its contacts and connects attery by way of common conductor 43", not to all of the character multiples 44 but to those of them which are connected with the contacts of the relay. .Thus multiples .44 which are so connected are those 'whichextend thru the contacts of relay Gr by way of conductors 62 to those lamp relays L associated thru conductors 63 with those lam'ps which when illumined will form the letter A in themonogram. Thus certain of the relays L are pulled up over the circuit 43, 44 their contacts 64, conductors 62 and battery,

' while certain others whose multiples 44 are not connected to batterythru relay A of' machine D are not pulled up. Those which do pull up are locked to battery thru their,

contacts- 65 by way of locking circuit 66 ,3 which extends thru back contacts 67- of a 1 repeat relay E, Fig. 2 (whose principal function will be described later). Locklng.

these lamp relays thru the three'contacts he group 68 connect the associated'lamps to the source of ower S. Thus the lamps of the pairs 21 ormin the letter A,are illumined' the instant t e key 'A is ressed and the letter A is displayed in w ite.

Simultaneously, with the determination of the character as just described there is commenced the process of timing the period of that determination. At the same moment that the character determining relay A puts battery on character multi les '44 it puts also'battery on space multiple 69 thru its contacts 70. Space multiple 69 is multipled' to contacts 70 in each relay of the character determining machine D and also (see Figs. 2 and 2 to contacts 71 in each roup relay G. Relay G being energized,-

attery laced on multiple 69 thru contacts 70 of rel A, is placed thru contacts 71-of controlling locking circuit 76 the succeeding display position to battery. Thus transfer relayF is retained energized until the institutionof the timing process in connection with the display in the second position of the series.

The moment the process of character determination ceases, relay A of character determin-ing machine Dbeing deener iz'ed removes battery from spacing multip e 69 and the timing process until now carried on by timing relay 1 is terminated thru the iesuiting deenergization of that relay." Falling back, rela I opens at front contact 72, the circuit 0 group relay G and at the same time or immediately following such opening, closes thru'back' contacts 54, and

. conductors 53 the heretofore partially completed circuit 77 of relay G the partial completion having been effected at front contact 8 of transfer relay F}- when the latter was pulled up by relay -1 upon the institution of the tnmng process. Thus-the transfer of character determination from one position to a succeeding p sition effected thru the initiation of the t' ing process, is completely efl'ected only thru termination of the timing process, guaranteeing a perfect and non-interfering transfer from one display position to another, and absolutely prevent ing over-lapping of one display upon another or anv'other interference. Display at each position is unquestionably upon its own footing. k

Atithis juncture, display at one position having been effected and display at the sue ceeding position not yet having been commenced, the control of the succeeding position continues in the preceding position thru the timing and transfer relays of which it was efle'cted, that is to say, if the timing relays I or F or either of them, are changed in energization, the control of group relav G is affected.

lVhen the second key of the typewriter keyboard T is pressed, however, and the same or another relay of the character determining machine D is energized, battery is again placed upon spacing multiple 69 with the result that timing relay I is energized thru the now closed contacts 71 of relay G Relay G being deenergized has opened all its contacts. So too lie open the contacts of all other relays G of the series of display position except G The energization of relayI now institutes the timing procedure of character determination of position M With this institution the control of position M is assumed by the apparatus of'position M timing relay I opening the locking circuit 76 of transfer relay F (heretofore controlling relay G at its back contact 54:,

i and at the same time closing at its front contact 72 the local circuit 58 of relay G Also at front contact 73 there is closed the local circuit 74 of transfer relay F resulting thru closure of its front contacts 78 in partially effecting the transfer of character determination from vposition over its conguctor 77 M to the next succeeding position Simultaneously with the institution of the timing process. thru ener 'zation of relay 1 relays L L etc., pertaining to the lamps of monogram M which are to form the new character, are energized over propriate multiples 44,.contacts 64 of re afy G and conductors 62 of monogram M'f. Being en ergized these lamp relays lock up and remain locked up like the correspondingrelays of the monogram M also through conductor 66.

Upon termination of the character determination thru release or rising of the second key so pressed, battery is removed from mul- P tiples 44 and also from spacing multiple 69. Timin relay I now falls back and in falling bac not only opens-the circuit 58 of theslocal group relay G relinquishing contrdlof the local position, but also thru closure of the back contact 54 completely effects the transfer-of character determination by conductor77 and relay Gr to the next succeeding position M of the series thru the already closed contacts 78 of transfer relay F In an entirely similar'manner the control is stepped from position M to position M, and from the position M back to osition M The description of the starting ey S'l,

conductor .51, etc., indicates themanner m ing from contacts of relay F back past positions M and M to position M and to contacts 54 of relay. I constitutes the locking circuit for the transfer relay F. Similarly, the conductor 77 likewise extending back to the head of the series of ositions M constitutes the energizing circuit of the Y the display positions in serial order. Blank spaces are made by pressing the spacing bar 37 of the typewriter keyboard T which results in placing battery upon spacing multiple 69 independently of therelays of the character determining machine, the connection being made over conductor 81. By this method display may be made serially on any number of positions whatsoever, the only requirement being that these positions shall be interrelated by the spacing circuits outlined between monograms M and M.

When the end of a series of display positions has been reached, however, the entire display would be obliterated by one or more manual operations, as for example by opening the main switches of the apparatus which connect it to the source of power. I have devised in connection with this system a new and novel method whereby the entire operation of obliteration or erasure is not only carried out automatically, but the display board is progressively conditioned and remediate the beginning and the end of the series obliterating characters earlier displayed, and at a point nearer the beginning than said intermediate point obliterating those characters between the intermediate oint aforesaid and the end of the series. 1

The method is carried into efiect firstly thru the transfer of the control of character determination from the last position of a series back to the first. of the circuit 77 previously described between transfer relay F of monogram M and group relay (3: of monogram M Secondly, I place on relay I, or on some other relay intermediate the be 'nning and the end of the series, a pair o contacts 82 arranged normally to place battery on conductor 83 and thru conductor 83 on contact 84 of a relay E located at any convenient point This is the function of the series and which I shall here term a repeat relay. -On a certain other relay I nearer the beginning of the series than the relay 1 or its equivalent, I lpllaee contacts Sin-[filer to c n t 82, w serial y place battery thru conductor 86 on a contact 87 of relay E. aforesaid, the locking circuit 66 of lamp relays L of positions M to M 'terminates in contacts 67 of relay E. These contacts 67 are normally closed to battery-as indicated, so that all the display positions of the series may be used without obliteration and when obliteration does not take place some manual operation is carried out, such tor example as release ,of the starting key ST in the group K. To institute the new method, repeat key RK of tion) is controlled from'contacts 82, where as the locking circuit 66 of position M (representing all those positions succeeding the chosen control position) is controlled from contacts 85 of relay 1. Thus the forepart of any display board is eliminated upon the I institution of display upon the rear part and the rear. part of the display is obliterated upon institution of the display upon the forepart of the board, and when one has due regard for 'syllabication (as appearing on the/typewritten record in the typewriting machine of which the keys A, .B, G, D, etc. are a part) a display may be carried on by continuous operation of the-typewriter keyboard without manual 0 eration in connection with release of the display board The display has been described asbeing made in a fixed-white color. It is not necessarily so, it may have been made in fixed red by merely pressing key SR in lieu of key SW resultmg in the energization of. circuit/breaker 88 instead of circuit breaker '59. In this case conductor 89 connected with contact 90 o the redlamps on pairs 21 is energized and power is su plied to the lamps thru back emphasis control relays Q and the'connected common conductor 91, so too, the writing could have been .done in a flash} ing white-by pressing key SWF'of control group K resulting in the. energizing of circuit breaker 92 which instead of connecting the source of power continuouslyfito conductor 60- connects it intermittently thru commutator 93. Conductor 60 connects thru back contact 61 of relay Q with conductor 94, which is the common conductor of the white lam s ofthe pairs. So too, the dislay coul have been made -'in flashing red y the pressing' of key SRF which results in energizing circuit breaker 95 and the placing of power intermittently .uponconductor 89 thru a second commutator 96, the conducting segment of which is 180 degrees of this particular system.

removed from the conducting segment of the commutator 93. c

So also the display can be made in any desired combinations of favorable colors and fiashings merely by closing for the same time the keys desired. Thuskeys SW and SR down at the same time make the display in white with a red shading. Thus keys SWF and SRF down at the same time effect the display flashing alternately white and red, alternately because the white and the red circuit 'flashingbreakers 92 and 95 are connected with the respective commutators 93 and 96, the'conducting portions vof which by reason of the 180 degree spacing alternately engage their contacts.

Nor is it necessary that the color or other emphasis of the display be predetermined' It may be determined initially after the characters have all been determined, the

board remaining entirely black until one or another or several of the keys SV, 'SVVF, SR and SRF are operated. This follows simply because while appropriate lamp relays L are energized and locked up as character determination proceeds, they but partially close the circuits of the lamps which are to constitute the characters, those circuits being only completed when the emphasis controlling the keys of the group K are closed to supply power thru the commonterminals 91' and 94 of the lamps. Therefore insteadof adhering to a display made letter by letter an entire display board, for the moment entirely dark, may be suddenly completely filled just as is the regular practice with the one-announcement board of today. At the time of the complete display the color and flashin emphasis may bein any color desired,- an after the display is made, either an entire display or a display letter by letter, the color and flash emphasis may be changed from one thing to another, back and forth as desired. The initial quality of the display is determined by those of the quality control switches K which are initially closed. The subsequent quality is determined by opening these switches and closing others.

But the emphasis of the display at large is not the most efi'ective'em basis which can bev given every display, in act not the most important'emphasis which can be given the majority. The emphasis more often belongs upon a single word or a single group of words. -In the earlierpne of my two prior patents in this art I claim broadly the method of display thru which this portant emphasis is attained. In this system} I have likewise incorporated a means of obtaining it, incorporated it in such a manner that it has become part and parcel When the relays'A, B,

C, etc; of a acter determimng machine are energized,

all corresponding contacts 100 with the result that the relay U associated with that display position at the moment under control thru character determination, and that relay U only, is energized. Relay U pulling up locks up by contact 102 to locking cir cuit 66 of the lamp relays L L etc. It closes both front contacts 103 and 104, thereby extending bussesl05 and 106 to the green and blue lampsof the pairs 21, which constitute the underscore displa of the monogram. Depending upon which of the keys UG, UGF, UB and UBF of the control group K are pressed, either the green lamps, the green lamps flashing, the blue lamps or the blue lamps flashlng, are energized and the underscore is given the corresponding character, for the closure of any one of these keys closes only the corresponding circuit breaker of the group CB. Relations ofthe'ci rcuit breakers to the busses 105 and 106 are identical with those described in connection with keys of the series SW, SWF, etc., and need not be repeated here. Thus the-underscore may have any one of four different characters or any combinations of these. l

The operation described in connection with dis lay position M is precisely what follows or position M and for all other positions, but only as long as the underscore key U of the control group K is maintained closed. Because key U may be closed at any point in the display and opened at any succeeding point, the underscore display ]l1St described may be made under any letter or group of letters lying anywhere in the entire display. Nor does the use of the underscore in connection with one word preclude its use in connection with a word removed any distance therefrom, for-key U can be' when the display is obliterated is the under.

scoring obliterated, although it may be specially obliterated by pressing special underscore release key UL located in conductor 102, if desired.

But goi farther than this I have also incorporat e d the method described in my prior patent for individualizing the control of the color and flashing'of the character itself, thus still further intensifying-individual emphasis of characters and groups of characters. This is'done thru the series of keys L, LW, LWF, LR, LRF, and LL. When key L is pressed'it places battery from multiple 98 upon multiple 107 which is multi led to the contacts 108 of all the relays G etc. and thru them'by conductors 109 to the emphasis control relays Q, Q etc. As inthe case of underscore relays U, whenever and as long as key L is closed, always when a character is deter .mined the emphasis control relay Q or the like associated with the particular display position upon whicha character is being determined, is pulled up and locked up simultaneously with the lamp relays L L etc. Like underscore relays U character quality relayQ also locks up over the associate locking multiple 66 or 66 in this case by relay Q etc., pulls up it shifts the common terminals 91 and 94 of the red and white lamps respectively from the busses 60 and 89 respectively to the busses 111 and 112 respectively, the shift being made by the closing of the front contacts. of groups 61 and 90. Busses 111 and 112 extend to the circuit breakers connected with the series of branch conductor 110. -\Vhenever a quality M keys L, LW, LWF, etc., and bear the same relation to them as that of the busses 60 and 89 to the group S, SW, SVVF, etc., with the result that the same color and flashing variations which are possible on the sign at large thru the gr oup SW, etc., are possible with the individualized letters and groups of letters thru the group LiiQ-LVF, etc. Thus any trademark, tradename, or any important descriptive matter may be emphasized as intensely-as desired.

Still further it is obviously possible with this system to combine such individualized and underscore emphasis and again redouble the intensity of the expression. In

short the system provides for the'attainment of any degree of emphasis of any character which ,may be advantageous, in any case, no matter how special.

As is almost alwaysthe case with inventions of broad scope, my invention is capable of many modifications without departing from its generic spirit. I desire to cove er all of them of whatsoever nature falling within the purview of my invention in the" annexed claims.- I

What I claim is: x

1. A character display system com rising a plurality of character display character keys, character forming relays governed thereby, and character spacing circuits serially interrelating said display devices and emanating initially from said character forming relays.

2. A character determining machine comiia evices,

prising a number of character multiples, a

character emphasis multiple, and a plurality of groups of switching contacts including variable connections from said character multiples to a source of ower according to the group used, and invariable partially completedconnections from the emphasis multi v ple to a.source of power.- I

3. A character. determining machine comprising a number of character multiples, a spacing multiple, and an emphasis multiple and a plurality of groups of switching contacts including variable connections from said character multiples to a source of power, and invariable separate connections from said spacing and emphasis multiples to a source of power.

4. In a character displaysystem, aseries of display devices, each comprising character forming elements, a group relay, a timing relay, and a transfer relay, primary circuits for the character forming elements con-- trolled by the localgroup' relay, primary circuits for the timing relays controlled by the local group relays, primary circuits for the transfer relays controlled by the timing relays, primary circuits for the group relays controlled each jointly by a timing relay and associated transfer relay, secondary circuits for'the group relays controlled by the local timing ielays, and secondary circuits for 35, vices, each comprising character forming elethe transfer relays controlled succeeding timing relay.

5. In a character display system, character determining means, a series of display deeach through a erning the timing relays and controlledby the timing relays themselves.

6. In a characterdisplay' system, character determining means, a series of-display devices, each comprising character forming elements, a timing relay associated with the character determining means, and atransfer relay, mitlal c1rcu1ts for the transfer relays controlled by the timing relays, and

initial circuits for the timing relays partially closed by thetransfer relays and completed by the 't1ming relays associated therewith.

7 In a character display system, character determining means,-.a series of display devices, each comprising character forming elements, a timing relay associated with the character determining means, and a transfer relay, primary circuits for the transfer relays controlled by the timing relays, primary circuits for the timing relays controlled. each jointly by a timing rela .and associated transfer relay, and secon ary circuits govby a timing relay and associated' the grou erning the timing relays which circuits are closed when the timing relays are energized over the primary circuit. 8.. In a character display system, character determining means, a series of display devices, each comprising character forming elements, a timingc relay associated with the character determining means, and a transfer a relay, primary circuits for the transfer rethe transfer relays controlled each through a succeeding timing relay.

9. Ina character display system, character determming means, a seriesof display devices, each comprising character forming elements, a timing relay associated with the character determining means.,.and a transfer relay, primary circuits for the transfer rlays controlled. by the timing relays, and

secondary circuits for the transfer relays controlled each through asucceeding timing relay. I

10. In a character display system, character determining means, a series of display devices, each comprising character forming elements, a timing relay associated with the character determining means, and a trans fer relay, primary circuits for the timing relays controlled each jointly by a timing relay and associated transfer relay, and secondary circuits governing the timing relays and controlled bythe timing relays themselves. 11. In acharacter display system, character determining means, a series of display devices each comprising character forming elements, and a group relay associated with a the character determining means, a primary circuit for each group relay generated from the preceding group relay, and a secondary circuit for each group relay generated at itself. 1 12. A icolor monogram comprising two sets of character forming elements, one set inc of circuit controlling relaystherefor, a'Q

single character determining means common to a plurality of monograms, and tvio sets of circuit controlling contacts governed by said relays, one for each set of character forming elements.

131A monogram display device comprising a plurality,of character forming elements, a group relay controlling the' same, and an emphasis device also controlled by said group relay. v

ing a pluralit of character forming ele ments, a group relay controlling the same, and an emphasis controlling relay, whose clrcuit is made by way of contacts closed by the group relay. f i a 15. In a selective character display sys- 14. A monogram display device comprismeaasa tem, a plurality of character display monograms controlled from a central point, a cut-in device in the form of a group switch for each monogram, and an emphasis device controlled from the central point thru the cut-in device.

16. In a selective character display system, a plurality of character display monograms, character determining means common to a plurality of devices, and an emphasis device on each monogram, controllable from the character determining means.

17. In a selective character display system, a plurality of character display monograms, character determining means, a cut: in device in the form of a group switch for each monogram, and an emphasis device for each monogram controlled from the character determining means thru the cut-in device.

18. In a selective character display system, a plurality of character display devices, a spacing multiple common to the devices, an emphasis multiple also common to the devices, and a cut-in device in the form of a group switch for each display device through which the said multiples are separately extended to the display device.

19: In a selective character display system, a plurality of changeable multicolor display devices, selective switching means common to a plurality of devices to determine the character display, group control segregating means, a flashing device for the dlsplay at large, and a flashing device connected to flash the colors of segregated groups oppositely to the flashing of colors of the remainder of the display.

20. In a selective character display system, a plurality of changeable display devices, control devices for the same, selective switching means .to determine the character of the display and common to a plurality of display devices, a multicolor underscore display on each device, and selective switching means independent of the display control devices to determine the color of said underscore.

21. In a selective character display system, a plurality of changeable display devices comprising character forming means set to display various characters, and restoring means for the character forming devices in certain of said display devices controllable thru the operation of a certainother display device when such other is set, together with a set ofspaced transfer circults extending from device to device from the beginning to the end of the series and also from the last to the first device of the series.

22. In a selective character display s s I tem, a plurality of changeable display evices comprising character forming means set to display various characters, restoring signature.

JOHN P. TARBOX.

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