US1913505A - Sign - Google Patents

Description

June 13, 1933. NACHUMSOHN 1,913,505

SIGN

Filed July 1, 1929 anventor:

v Patented June 13, 1933 -UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE IRVING NACHUMSOHN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, .ASSIGNOR TO NAXON CORPORATION, OF

I CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS SIGN Application filed July 1, 1929. Serial No. 375,196.

My invention relates to improvements in signs and more particularly to such types of signs or luminous devices which are used for advertising and display purposes.

One object of this invention is to provide a sign or luminous device utilizing illuminable lamps in such a manner that while some of the lamps are illuminated successively and others continuously, yet all of said lamps are energized from a common electrical circuit,

such. as the secondary circuit of a transformer.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved sign or luminous device in which both moving and stationary light effects can be produced.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved moving light sign in which attractive color effects can also be produced. 90 A still further object of my invention is to effect a simplified electrical circuit in connection with electric signs, and particularly for such signs employing luminescent tubes.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the specification progresses, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing: Figure l is a front view of the device; and Fig. 2, the preferred wiring diagram, showing an electrical circuit used in carrying out my invention.

In the preferred form three illuminable gaseous conduction lamps, 3, 4 and 5 are shown shaped as a display border of the sign board 6. Said board may be made of any suitablematerial and all of the gaseous conduction lamps shown are mounted thereon in accordance with any of the present methods of mounting such lamps to sign panels. In one of said methods the electrodes 0 of the lamps pass through holes (not shown) in the panel 6 and are disposed to the rear of the sign, in a well known manner.

" A continuously illuminated tube 7, shaped to represent the message of the sign, which in the present instance is shown as the letter N, is also mounted on the face of the panel and Within the display border. The terminal portions of the tubes which enter into the panel can be seen at 8, Fig. 1.

In Fig. 1 each of the tubes 3, 4 and 5-is provided with spaced darkened or relatively opaque portions 9 and intermediate light radiating portions 10. Corresponding darkened or illuminable portions of the respective tubes are disposed in a longitudinally advanced relation, so that when the tubes 3, 4 and 5 are fired successively, in repeated numerical order for example, the optical effect produced will be an apparent travel of the luminous portions in a clockwise direction around the border of the sign.

For advertising purposes especially it is highly desirable to keep the message of a sign illuminated steadily and to introduce the moving or flashing effects in the ornamentation or border thereof. This because of the message displayed on the sign board, as the letter N in the present example, is caused to be flashed on and off, it would be more difiicult to read and would probably escape the notice entirely of a quick passerby. Provision has therefore been made to flash the tubes 3, 4 and 5 consecutively, and at the same time maintain continuous luminosity of the message formed by the tube 7. Ordinarily this could be accomplished by providing two independent sources of current, one for illuminating'the message steadily and the other for illuminating the border tubes alternately.

Means ,for successively illuminating the border tubes 3, 4 and 5, is provided in three corresponding contact segments 3', 4' and 5', over which a rotating brush 11 passes, thereby consecutively connecting the conductor 12 with the contact segments during clockwise rotation of the brush. The segments are in respective connection with the three border tubes and the other ends of said tubes terminate in a common electrical conductor 13. The tube 7 is connected between the conductor 13 and the other terminal 14: of a suitable transformer 15, the primary P of which is connected to a source of alternating current.

From the foregoing description it will appear obvious that regardless of the rotative position of the brush 11, the tube 7 will remain illuminated, the latter tube being in series with one of the three border tubes; the particular border tube, of course, being determined by the position of the brush with respect to the segments. This is a very desirable method of operation especially where difiiculty is encountered in operating the tube in parallel. Moreover, this method of operation obviates the necessity of employing a separate source of potential, as a transformer, for the tube 7.

The arm 11 is made wide enough to span two of the contact segments in order that rotation thereof will cause the closing of one of the three tube circuits 3, 4 and 5 before breaking the circuit including the tube previously illuminated. Thus, during the interval which the contact arm simultaneously touches two of the segments, the corresponding tubes will be momentarily connected in parallel. However, gaseous conduction tubes operate with highly negative resistance characteristics due to the initial potential necessary to break down the cathode resistance and such parallel connection will therefore not cause any two of the tubes 3, 4 and 5 to illuminate simultaneously because the comparatively low resistance of the particular tube illuminated will cause sufiicient voltage drop across the momentarily shunted tube to prevent ionization therein.

With particular reference to Fig. 1, it will be manifest that the darkened portions 9 may be efi'ected by painting the tubes opaquely at intervals as shown. Moreover, I prefer to add to the attractiveness of the moving border by having each of the three tubes 3,

4, and 5 display a difierent color.

It is obvious that numerous changes may be made in the details set forth without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the claims.

I claim:

'1. In a gaseous conduction lamp controlling system of the class described, the combination of a transformer having a single secondary constituting a source of ionizing potential, a unit comprising a plurality of gaseous illuminable lamps and a relative continuous operating unit comprising a gaseous illuminable lamp connected in series with each other and with said secondary of said transformer, and means in said circuit for controlling said circuit to apply said potential in a predetermined manner to different combinations of lamps in the first said unit simultaneously with continuous application thereof to said continuously operating unit.

2. in a device of the class described, the combination of a transformer having a single secondary constituting a source of potential, a plurality of gaseous discharge tubes,,another gaseous discharge tube, means for connecting said last tube in said secondary circuit sequentially in series to each of said plurality of tubes while maintaining the secondary circuit unbroken.

3. A device of the class described co1nprising a group of gaseous conduction lamps having a common terminal and a plurality of independent terminals, means in connection with said independent terminals for applying current thereto sequentially, a source of ionizing potential having another gaseous conduction lamp connected in series therewith, and means connecting one terminal of said series to said common terminal and the other terminal of said series to the first said means.

In witness that I claim the'foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 20th day of June, 1929.

IRVING NACHUMSOHN.

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