US1850635A

US1850635A - Method of forming designs in the sky

Info

Publication number: US1850635A
Application number: US548461A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jr Willard Reed
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1931-07-02
Filing date: 1931-07-02
Publication date: 1932-03-22
Anticipated expiration: 1949-03-22

Description

March-22, 1932. w REED. JR

- METHOD OF FORMING DESIGNS IN THE SKY Filed July 2, 1931 gwuwnhyc Kilian! Reed, Jr:

61 Hot new Patented Mar. 22, 1932 PATENT OFFICE WILLARD REED, JR., OF QUAN'IICO, VIRGINIA METHOD OF FORMING DESIGNS IN THE SKY Application filed July 2,

, various parts of the design being made, the

' its completion visible smoke being released while the plane is traversing the parts of the design.

My invention is an improvement on this known method and involves the use of a plurality of aeroplanes which cooperate to produce the design.

This method has many advantages over the single aeroplane method. One of the difficulties encountered in sky writing is the premature disruption of thedesign if the air conditions are unfavorable. Again, even though there may be a uniform movement of the air in onedireetion within the area in which the design is being formed, by the time the design has been finished, it may have moved bodily away from the part of land over which its formation was begun. It is therefore highly important to form the design as rapidly as possible so that there will be a comparatively long time after the design is completed during which it can be observed and understood from the ground over which it was formed. By the use of a plurality of aeroplanes cooperating to produce the design, the time for is redneed, not only in proportion to the number of aeroplanes being used, but still further by the elimination of many loops and circuits which must be performed by a single aeroplane in writing a series of letters, for example.

Another advantage is better adapted to the making of print letters, or any design involving sharp angles. By employing a sufficient number of aeroplanes, and three is a sufficient number for most printing, it is possible to form a word comprising letters having angularlv related parts, forming clear cut angles, and still all of the aeroplanes mav be travelling in fairly direct courses from the beginning to the end of the word. without looping back to put in several parts of the same letter.

The value of any advertisement is propor of my method is that it 1931. Serial 1T0. 548,461.

tional to the interest which it will attract. A group of aeroplanes stunting in formation is far more interesting than a single aeroplane. For this reason also my improved method has a great advantage over the older method of forming the design by means of a single aeroplane.

The accompanying ample of sky printing by my method. The single figure shows how the word Camel can be printed by the use of three aeroplanes. The view shows the operation as it would appear to an observer on the ground.

The three aeroplanes are numbered 1, 2 and 3. The course of number 1 is indicated by medium length dashes, that of number 2 by short dashes, and that of number 3 by long dashes.

Number 3 drawing shows an eX- forms the letter C alone, this being a simple letter involving a single long curve. As is well known, the pilot cuts on his smoke producer at the point where the letter C is begun and cuts it off at the lower .end of the letter. In the meantime numbers 1 and 2 have been making the two sides of the letter A. These two aeroplanes will be flying at different heights so as not to interfere with each other, but the effect from the ground will be the same. Number 1 ma y be slightly in advance of and above number 2 and will determine the upper point of the letter A. Number 2 flying below will be looking up, and as he comes under the upper end of number 1s smoke, will cut in his smoke producer. Alternatively, numbers 1 and 2 may cross the vertex of the letter A at the same instant, but at different levels, and simultaneously release theirsmoke. The interest to spectators of this simultaneous laying out of the two diverging sides of the letter A, and its consequent advertising value, will be evident. a

After numbers 1 and 2 have completed the sides of the letter A, number 3 cuts through to make the cross stroke of the letter, flying at still a different level to avoid disturbance of two sides of the letter.

The manner in which the other letters are made cooperatively by the three aeroplanes will be apparent from the drawing. It is to be noted that there are very few sharp turns made by any aeroplane, and consequently, the printing is very clear-cut and legible.

The use of a plurality of aeroplanes is particularly advantageous because it makes possible the finishing of many designs with a very pretty stunt adding greatly to the interest of the operation. For example in printing the Word Camel the word may be completed except for the horizontal strokes of the letter E and the three aeroplanes then turn back in V-formation and simultaneously put in the horizontal strokes of this letter. Many other Words embody letters making the same sort of stunt possible.

'An inspection of the-courses indicated in the drawing will show how greatly the total length of the course traversed is reduced below that which would be required in printing the same word with a single aeroplane.

My invention is not limited to any particular size of letters, but I have found that an average of 800 feet tall by 600 feet wide is about correct, considering visibility and ease of operation of the aeroplanes to direct them along their several courses.

Any suitable material may be used to make the designs. It may be of various colors, each plane liberating a different color, or it may be luminous so as to be visible at night. The process can be carried out at night without luminous smoke by lighting with flares or otherwise. All kinds of material which may be used to form a visible design in the air are referred to'as smoke in this specification and the appended claim.

Having described my invention, I claim:

The method of printing words in the s I containing letters composed of a plurality of angularly related lines, which consists in simultaneously flying a plurality of aeroplanes above the place from which the design is to be viewed, along predetermined coordinated courses such that different lines of individual letters are traced by difl'erent aeroplanes, and releasing visible smoke from said aeroplanes during the time they are tracing the lines of the letters.

WILLARD REED, JUNIOR.