US2027187A

US2027187A - Illuminated sign letter

Info

Publication number: US2027187A
Application number: US725915A
Authority: US
Inventors: Rome A Luna
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1934-05-16
Filing date: 1934-05-16
Publication date: 1936-01-07
Anticipated expiration: 1953-01-07

Description

Jan. 7, 1936. R. A. LUNA ILLUMINATED sIcTN LETTER Filed May 16, 1934 INVENTOR.

ROME A. L UNA 4 3 u" 1 4 m 7 e 15 25 Patented Jan. 7, 1936 ILLUMINATED SIGN LETTER RomeA. Luna, San Francisco, Calif.

Application May 16, 1934, Serial No. 725,915

3 Claims.

This invention relates particularly to an illuminated sign letter t o be used for display or advertising purposes, and wherein said illuminated letter will be substantially as visible in the day- 5. time as in the nighttime.

An object of the invention is to provide a sign letter formed of a transparent or translucent sheet of material having a letter or symbol embossed or formed in l a neon illuminating exterior of the letter relief thereon, within which tube is confined, and the around the embossed or relief portion, outlined by an opaque covering.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sign consisting of an open front housing of opaque material,

within which a translucent of the housing, said translucent member having a neon illuminating tube arranged therein,

and the rear part of the housing having a back- I ing member supported thereon to maintain the neon illuminating tube in operative position relative to the translucent material in the front portion of the housing.

A further object of the invention is to provide a neon illuminated display that will be superior in point of simplicity, inexpensiveness of construction, positiveness of operation, and facility and convenience in use and general efficiency.

In this specification and the annexed drawing, the invention is illustrated in the form considered to be the best, but it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to such form, because it may be embodied in other forms; and it is also to be understood that in and by the claims following the cover the invention be embodied.

description, it is desired to in whatsoever form it may In the accompanying drawing:

sign constructed in tion.

Fig. 1 represents a front elevation of a display accordance with my inven- Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. a

with neon or other like gases, are particularly effective in nighttime but practically valueless for daytime purposes. like display media,

. An advertising sign or other which may be efiicient for nighttime usage is non-effective for daytime usage, and vice versa, thus in many instances, two independent signs or displays are required, one for daytime purposes and the other for nighttime purposes. prises the subject matter of this invention, is adapted for both daytime and nighttime use, and the one sign'is equally effective for both purposes.

In detail the construction illustrated in the 5% drawing comprises a box-like housing or casing I, having an open back 2, and a front 3, a portion of which is cut away at 4 in the form of an outline of. any letter or symbol which is to be supported within the housing.

The interior of the casing I, on the rear side thereof, is provided with threaded studs 5 on which a backing plate 6 is mounted and held on the studs by means of nuts, in a conventional manner. The face of the backing plate 6 with- 11-.) in the housing I, is lined with asbestos I, or other equivalent non-conducting and non-inflammable material.

A sheet of transparent or translucent material 8 is adapted to be confined within the housing I, between the asbestos covered backing plate 6 and the front wall 3 of said housing. The plate 8 is preferably formed of glass or other like material possessing light refracting properties. The sheet 8 is provided with a raised or embossed letter 9 thereon, said letter being indicated in the drawing as the letter I or the numeral I. The sheet 8 has the letter 9 molded or otherwise formed therein, so that the sides and ends of the raised letter are beveled as at I0, and the front face 35 II of the letter lies in a plane parallel to the rear face of the said sheet. The raised or embossed letter 9 is of a size which conforms precisely to the area of the aperture 4 cut in the front wall 3 of the housingv I, so that the aperture 4 in the housing will outline and define the letter 9.

The neon tube l2, or other like tube containing an illuminated gas, is arranged within the raised portion of the letter 9 so that the illuminating portion of the tube is confined between the under side of the letter 9 and the asbestos covering on the backing plate 6. The opposite ends of the tube I2 project out thru the rear side of the plate 6, and terminate in porcelain bushings [3, each of which contains terminals connected by the respective wires I4 and I5, to a source of electrical energy.

Whatever letter or symbol it is desired to outline, is first molded or otherwise formed in the 5 The display sign which comsheet 8 by embossing or raising the same thereon, and the aperture 4 in the front wall of the housing I has its, perimeter formed to correspond to the exact outline of the raised letter which it is to receive. The sheet 8 is formed of translucent material which is preferably of a clifierent color than that of the opaque front wall 3 of the housing i, wherein the letter supported in the aperture of the housing will be visible in the daytime, and even the not illuminated by the neon tube therein.

The illumination given oil by the neon tube i2 is practically undiminished or minimized to' any degree by the translucent letter which covers it, so that for nighttime illumination, the light given off by the tube I2 is amplified to a great extent by the translucent letter. For daytime illumination purposes, the translucent glass comprising the letter which encloses the tube, likewise materially intensifies the light rays given off by the tube and makes the letter or symbol readily visible.

The opaque material of the housing which outlines the translucent letter also accentuates the visibility of the letter or display. The refractive properties of the translucent sheet 8 are increased by the angularity of the side and end walls of the letter, enabling the letter to be particularly effective from a point of visibility both in the daytime and nighttime.

The studs 5 in the housing are so disposed that the ends of the sheet 8 on which the letter 9 is formed are supported around said studs to thus position the letter in operative spaced relation to the neon tube and the backing member.

Having thus described this invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the character described comprising, an opaque plate having an aperture therein formed in the outline of a selected symbol; a translucent sheet having a symbol enibossed thereon and conforming to the outline of the aperture; a closure arranged on the rear side of the plate having the aperture therein; and a tube containing illuminating gas having 6 its opposite terminals supported on the closure and the mediate portion thereof being formed to match the contour of the symbol and being confined on the rear side of the translucent sheet within said embossed symbol. 1

' 2. A device of the character described comprising, a plate having an aperture therein formed in the outline of a selected symbol; a translucent sheet having a symbol embossed thereon and conforming to the outline of the aperture; a closure arranged in spaced parallel relation to the rear side of said translucent sheet;

a sheet of insulating material on the side of the closure facing the translucent sheet; and a tube containing illuminating gas matching the contour of the symbol and nested between the embossed symbol and the closure and resting upon said insulating material.

3. A device of the character described comprising, a plate having an aperture therein formed in the outline of a selected symbol; a translucent sheet having a symbol embossed thereon and conforming to the outline of the aperture; a closure arranged in spaced parallel relation to the rear side of said translucent sheet; means on the plate to hold the sheet and closure in position thereon; a tube containing illuminating gas matching the contour of the symbol and nested between the embossed symbol and the closure, the terminals of said tube being secured to said closure; and means connecting the tube terminals to a source of electrical energy.

ROME A. LUNA.