US2036032A - Illumination device - Google Patents

Description

March 31, 1936. R, F|QRAVANT| 2,036,032

ILLUMINATION DEVICE Filed Feb. 25, 1935 2 sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR ATTORNEKF Match 31, 1936. R, FIORAVANTI 2,036,032

ILLUMINATION DEVICE Filed Feb. 23, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 5% W l A TTORNE Y6 Patented Mar. 31, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ILLUMINATION DEVICE Application February 23, 1935, Serial No. 7,757

In Italy June 25, 1934 11 Claims.

. This invention relates to illumination devices and more especially to illuminated signs.

In general, it is an object of the invention to provide a device of the character described, which will efiiciently perform the purposes for which it is intended, which is simple and economical of construction, which can be expeditiously, conveniently and safely manipulated, and which can be readily manufactured and assembled.

Another object of the invention is to provide a translucent sign having indicia with automatically variable light characteristics; and to provide such a sign wherein the motive power is derived immediately from a thermo-responsive element.

Another object is to provide switch means for automatically interrupting electric current supplied to a thermo-responsive unit at intervals predeterminedly arranged in conjunction with the movements of a light-modifying unit operated by said thermo-responsive device.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combinations of elements,

' and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a full understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in

which:

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation and partly in crosssection of a device embodying one form of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the device shown in Fig. 1, with the front and one end of the casing removed;

Fig. 3 is a detailed view in perspective of the switch means shown in Fig. 1 and on a larger scale;

Fig. 4 is a front view in elevation, partly broken away, of the device shown in Figs. 1-3; and

Fig. 5 is a side view in elevation and partly in cross-section of a modification of the device shown in Fig. 1. 1

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1-4

a source of illumination such as an electric light bulb I is positioned, directly or indirectly, to illuminate a translucent element II. The element ll may consist of various translucent indicia, letters, figures, signs or pictures, etc. The term translucent embraces the term transparent. The bulb l0 and the element II are suitably mounted, preferably in a casing which shuts off most of the light rays except those passing through the element I l. The casing [2 has a floor l3, a front wall l4, end walls It: (one not shown) and a rear wall l6 and such a cover as may be desired. Suitably positioned between the lamp l0 and element l I are means for varying the quality, i. e., the design, the direction, the intensity or the color, etc., of the light which reaches the element H. These means may comprise reflecting or translucent, colored or clear members ll. These colored members are movably mounted in any desired fashion. For example, the members I! may have their ends attached to discs l8 which are in turn pivotally supported so as to rotate in vertical planes. bers form a relatively rigid barrel-like structure.

Means are provided for causing the rotation of the barrel structure. The principal source of energy for this rotation is derived from a thermoresponsive element I9 which may be in the form of a bi-metallic strip, one end of which is fixed, as by the clamp 20, to the floor 13 of the casing. The free end of the thermo-responsive element I9 is connected to one of the discs whereby as the free element moves during expansion or contraction a rotary motion is imparted to the discs. Any suitable linkage arrangement may be used, that shown comprising. a lever 2| attached to the thermoresponsive element 19 at one end and attached to a crank arm 22 at the other end, the crank arm being pivotally mounted on one of the discs 18. The successive expansions and contractions of the thermo-responsive element l9 communicate an oscillating movement to the discs 18, or they may communicate a continuous rotation by the use of proper pawl and ratchet mechanism.

Heat is supplied to the thermo-responsive device, for example, by means of an electric current which passes through a resistance wire 23 wound around the element l9. One end of the. wire may be directly connected to a binding post 24. The other end of the wire is connected to another binding post 25 through any convenient current-interrupting means.

A wire 26 may bring the current from the binding post 25 to a metallic post 21 fixedly attached to one of the discs 18. There are switch means which provide a contact with the post 21 while it is being moved in a portion of its path in one direction by the disc. These means are arranged so as not to be in contact with the post 21 when that post is passing along the same path but in the opposite direction. Heating current is thus supplied to the resistance wire 23 for a period of time The two discs and the connecting memwhile the barrel structure is rotating in one direction and is eventually out off. Thereupon, the thermo-responslve element causes the barrel structure to rotate in the opposite direction and during this opposite rotation the post 21 is not in contact with the switch means until the discs have returned to a predetermined position.

The switch means comprise a spring 28 which tends to hold the post 21 in contact with a resilient conducting plate 29 which is electrically connected to the resistance wire 23. The post 21 is held in this position against the conducting plate 29 even when the binding posts 24 and 25 are not connected to a source of potential. A second resilient conducting plate 33 is positioned to come into contact with the post 21 as the latter rotates away from the conducting plate 29. The latter plate is also electrically connected to the resistance wire 23. An edge of the plate is so located that as the post 21 is moved by the rotating disc l8, the post passes off from the plate 30 and the connection between the post 29 and resistance wire 23 is thereby broken. The plate 30 which has been bent by the motion of the post 21 springs back, after the post 21 and the plate separate, to the position which it held when the post 21 was in contact with the plate 2 9.

This latter position is such that when the post 21 reverses its direction of motion and returns toward the plate 36, it contacts the latter upon the opposite face from that with which it was previously in contact. This opposite face is covered with a non-conductor 3|. The plate 30 is provided with an aperture 32. While the post 21 is passing along the non-conductor 3|, the resilient plate 30 gives to accommodate the arcuate path of the post 21 and is bent in a direction opposite to that mentioned above. Eventually the post 21 reaches the aperture 32 whereupon the plate 30 springs back to its normal position, the aperture 32 permitting the plate 30 to swing past the post 21. The plate 29 which has also been bent aside by the plate 30 while the post 21 was in contact with the nonconductor 3|, similarly springs back to its normal position, but since there is no aperture in the plate 29, the latter forms an electrical contact with the post 21, and the switch device and post 21 once more are in the initial position in which the spring 28 tends to hold them.

A reflecting element 33 may be positioned with respect to the lamp l0 so as to direct the rays therefrom toward the illuminated sign element I The operation of the device is as follows:

Before the current has been connected to the terminal posts 24 and 25, the spring 28 attached to one of the discs I 8 tends to hold the barrel structure in a position suchthat the post 21 lies between the plates 29 and 30 and in contact with the former. When a source of potential is applied to the binding posts 24 and 25 a current passes along the wire 26, the post 21, the plate 29, the resistance wire 23, and the binding post 24. This current heats the resistance wire 23, which in turn heats the thermo-responsive element l9, the latter expands and the free end thereof moves, carrying with it the lever 2|, which in turn pushes the crank arm 22 so as to rotate the attached disc l8 against the force of the spring 26. As various ones of the colored strips |1 pass between the lamp I0 and the illuminated element they throw a colored light upon the latter which moves. At certain times certain of the strips H are passing downward between the lamp l0 and the element while others are passing upward. This gives an interesting and novel compound light effect upon the element Looking at the device from the right-hand end, the barrel structure and discs I! have a clockwise motion, which carries the post 21 up past the edge of the plate 29 and into contact with the left-hand surface of the plate 30. The current continues to pass until the post 21 passes off the edge of the plate 30, which plate in 'the meantime has been bent to the right by the post 21 as it has moved in its clockwise direction. The plate 30 now snaps back to the left to its normal position. The current no longer passes; the thermo-responsive element becomes cold, contracts, and operates to pull the barrel structure in the opposite direction, that is in a counterclockwise direction. The post 21 approaches again the plate 30, this time in its downward path passing along the right-hand or rear surface of the plate 38 which is electrically insulated. The plate 30 is bent to the left, or forward; by the motion of the post 21 until the latter reaches the aperture 32, which latter permits the plate 30 to spring past the post rearwardly to its normal position. The plate 29 also moves rearwardly and comes into contact with the post 21, whereby the electric circuit is again established and the device is ready to proceed again with the above-described cycle of events.

A modification of the device shown in Figs. 1 to 4 is illustrated in Fig. 5. In this modification the translucent element II, which is to have various light intensities and colors played thereon, is located in the upper part of the forward wall 46 of the casing and receives light reflected from a mirror 4|. This light is supplied by a lamp 42 and passes through a plurality of colored translucent strips 43 which are arranged horizontally and longitudinally of the device. These strips are supported by at least one horizontal support 44. The support 44 is carried by a pivoted arm 45 and one end 46 of a pivoted lever 41. When the end 46 is caused to rotate the arm 45 also rotates, giving the support 44 a transverse movement, as viewed from above. The various colors transmitted by the various strips are reflected from varying portions of the mirror 4|, and these colors then appear to move up and down the element The lever 41 is caused to rotate around a pivot 48 by means of a. thermo-responsive element 49 which has an extension 50 which bears against the other ann 5| of the pivoted lever 41. One end of the thermo-responsive element is fixed,

. and to the other end there is attached a finger 52. When the element 49 is cold the finger 52 is in a position such that it has pushed a switch blade 53 against a contact 54. The contact 54 is electrically connected to a resistance wire 55 wound around the thermo-responsive element 49, the other end of which wire is connected to the binding post 56. The switch blade 53 is connected to a second binding post 51.

The operation of the device is as follows:

When there is no potential supplied to the binding posts 56 and 51, the thermo-responsive element is cold and the finger 52 has pushed the switch tongue 53 into such an unbalanced position that the compressed spring 58 has pushed that blade into contact against the contact 54. If now a source of potential is applied to the binding posts 56 and 51, an electric current passes through the resistance wire 55 and heats the thermo-responsive element, the free end of which moves in such a direction as to cause the finger 52 to lift the switch blade 53 away from the contact 54 and past dead center so as to cause the spring 58 to snap the blade 53 against the insulated SCOIJ59. At the same time that the finger 52 has been opening the switch 53 the extension 50 has pressed against the arm 5| ofthe pivoted lever 41 and caused the latter to move. The arm 46 of the lever 41 by its motion shifts the horizontal position of the strips 43, giving the desired light changes upon the translucent element or screen I I.

Since certain changes may be made in the above construction and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which as a matter of language might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination, means providing translucent indicia, a source of illumination, means adapted for changing the quality of the light reaching said indicia and attached to rotatable mounting means, and thermo-responsive means adapted for supplying energy to said qualitychanging means at such spaced points thereon that certain of said light quality-changing means cross in one direction a line joining said source and said indicia while others thereof cross in another direction said line.

2. In combination, means providing translucent indicia, a source of illumination, means adapted for changing the quality of the light reaching said indicia and attached to rotatable mounting means, and theme-responsive means adapted for supplying energy to said qualitychanging means, said thermo-responsive means being connected to said mounting means whereby said mounting means are rotated in opposite directions by the expansion'and contraction of said 'thermo-responsive means.

3. In combination, means providing translucent indicia, a source of illumination, means adapted for changing the quality of the light reaching said indicia and attached to rotatable mounting means, thermo-responsive means adapted for supplying energy to said qualitychanging means, said thermo-responsive means being connected to said mounting means whereby said mounting means are rotated in opposite directions by the expansion and contraction of said therrno-responsive means, and means associated with said mounting means and adapted at predetermined points of the rotation thereof for establishing and discontinuing the heat received by said thermo-responsive means.

i. In combination, means providing translucent indicia, a source of illumination, means adapted for changing the quality of the light reaching said indicia and attached to rotatable mounting means, thermo-responsive means adapted for supplying energy to said qualitychanging means, said thermo-responsive means being connected to said mounting means whereby said mounting means are rotated by the thermally-induced motion of said thermo-responsive means, electric current means adapted for supplying heat to said thermo-responsive means, and

means associated with said mounting means and adapted at certain positions of said mounting means to establish and discontinue the heatsupplying power of said electric current means.

5. In combination, means providing translucent indicia, a source of illumination, means adapted for changing the quality of the light reaching said indicia and attached to rotatable mounting means, thermo-responsive means adapted for supplying energy to said quality-changing means, said thermo-responsive means being connected to said mounting means whereby said mounting means are rotated by the thermally-induced motion of said thermo-responsive means, electric current means adapted for supplying heat to said thermo-responsive means, and switch means associated with said mounting means and adapted for making and breaking, at predetermined points of rotation of said mounting means, a circuit in said electric current means.

6. In combination, means providing translucent indicia, a source of illumination, means adapted for changing the quality of the light reaching said indicia and attached to rotatable mounting means, thermo-responsive means adapted for supplying energy to said qualitychanging means, said thermo-responsive means being connected to said mounting means whereby said mounting means are rotated by thethermally-induced motion of said thermo-responsive means, electric current means adapted for supplying heat to said thermo-responsive means, switch means associated with said mounting means and adapted for making and breaking, at predetermined points of rotation of said mounting means. a circuit in said electric current means, and means adapted for tending to cause said mounting means to return to a position such that said switch means makes said circuit.

7. In combination, means providing translucent indicia, a source of illumination, rotatably mounted means adapted for changing the quality of the light reaching said indicia, and thermo responsive means adapted for supplying energy to said quality-changing means, electric-circuit means for supplying heat to said thermo-responsive means and having a relatively fixed resilient contact and a contact movable with said rotatable means, and means causing said contacts to be brought together when said movable contact moves in one direction and causing said contacts to remain in engagement when said movable contact moves in the opposite direction.

8. In combination, means providing translucent indicia, a source of illumination, rotatably mounted means adapted for changing the quality of the light reaching said indicia, and thermoresponsive means adapted for supplying energy to said quality-changing means, electric-circuit means for supplying heat to said thermo-responsive means and having a relatively fixed resilient contact and a contact movable with said rotatable means, and means causing said contacts to be brought together when said movable contact moves over a given path in one direction and causing said contacts to remain in engagement when said movable contact moves in the opposite direction along said path.

9. In combination, means providing translucent indicia, a source of illumination, means adapted for changing the quality of the light reaching said indicia,'thermoresponsive means adapted for supplying energy to said qualitychanging means, pivotally-mounted arms adapted for supporting said light quality-changing means, and means mechanically connecting said thermoresponsive means and one of said arms whereby a motion of said thermo-responsive means is communicated to said light quality-changing means.

10. In combination, means providing translucent indicia, a source of illumination, means adapted for changing the quality of the light reaching said indicia, thermo-responsive means adapted for supplying energy to said qualitychanging means, and automatic electric means adapted for supplying heat to said thermo-responsive means and having an oil-center switch operated by said thermo-responsive means for shutting oiT the electric means when said thermoresponsive means has undergone a predetermined expansion.

11. In combination, means providing translucent indicia, a source of illumination, means RAFFAELE FIORAVANTI.

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