US2037041A - Illuminated sign - Google Patents

Description

April M, 193%, E. H. PENDLETON 2,937,041

ILLUMINATED SIGN Filed Aug. 29, 1934 P 'lE l I N VEN TOR. [0 1 1077 h. 8/70V6/0/7 A TTORNEY Patented Apr. 14, 1936 ILLUMINATED SIGN Edwin H. Pendleton, Venice, Calif., assignor to Econolite Corporation, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Application August 29, 1934, Serial No. 741,917

3 Claims.

Myinvention relates to display devices and is particularly concerned with signs which are illuminated by gaseous discharge tubes such as neon tubes.

customarily, such signs are manufactured in a relatively expensive manner, by bending discharge tubes into suitable shapes to form letters and other requisite insignia. The complication is considerable'when the insignia are foreign language characters, such as Chinese, or Japanese or Arabic. Somewhat cheaper constructions have been utilized, in which a gaseous discharge tube in linear form is visible through a stencil or similar sign-forming element in order to provide the desired sign. This cheaper form, however, is not entirely satisfactory, inasmuch as the rectilinear source of illumination is glaringly visible and is itself so apparent as to subordinate the remainder of the sign.

An object of my invention is to provide a satisfactory illuminated sign utilizing a gaseous discharge tube in generally linear form, which at the same time is cheap to manufacture.

A further object of my invention is to provide such a sign in which the source of illumination is not glaringly visible.

A further object of my invention is to provide a manner of displaying extremely intricate insignia in an economical and satisfactory fashion.

An additional object of my invention is to provide a generally uniform field of illumination for an illuminated sign. I

The foregoing and other objects are attained in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an illuminated sign constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-section the plane of which is indicated by the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the gaseous discharge tube shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing a modified form of gaseous discharge tube arrangement.

In its preferred form, the illuminated sign of my invention includes a transparent indicia panel varying the characters or indicia of the sign, adjacent to which there is arranged a generally rectilinear gaseous discharge tube. The tube is 50 often associated with a reflector which, together with the panel, forms an enclosure, and the tube is provided with a screen or shield or coating between the tube and the panel, which shield is of such a character as to reduce the amount of light transmitted directly by the tube, so that the resulting transmitted light is of approximately the same color and intensity as the light transmitted indirectly from the reflector onto the panel, the net result being to afford a generally uniform field of illumination for the sign and to preclude unusual brightness or intensity of the source of light.

While the illuminated sign of my invention can of course take various forms in accordance with different environmental conditions, I have chosen to illustrate it herein in the form which includes a generally transparent panel 6 which in; the present instance is of ordinary glass and carries suitable indicia l for affording the desired sign display. These indicia are distinguished from the remainder of the glass in any desired fashion; in the present instance it is arranged that the indicia I are freely light transmitting, while the background 8 is substantially opaque.

Acting in conjunction with the panel 6 is a casing 9 preferably of sheet metal or comparable material, which is of substantially the cross-sectional contour shown in Fig. 2 and which is peripherally flanged, as at l I, tobe suitably engaged with the panel 6 by a circumscribing channel l2 which secures the parts detachably together. In this fashion there is formed an enclosure in which the casing 9 is on its interior surface effective as a reflector. I do not contemplate that the interior surface l3 of the material 9 ordinarily will be highly polished, but I do contemplate that it will be light in color, or bright, so that it serves as a reasonably good light reflector.

Situated within the enclosure formed by the panel and the casing, and preferably mounted on the casing itself through suitable supports l4 and I6, is a gaseous discharge tube I! which in its major portion is generally rectilinear in form and which is located centrally of the enclosure but in close juxtaposition to the panel 6. The discharge tube is preferably the so-called neon tube of commerce, or some recognized equivalent thereof.

If the sign as so far described were illuminated, an observer would be impressed with a very vivid line of light coming directly from the tube I1 through the letters 1, and would perceive a comparatively poor and dull illumination for the remaining part of those letters and the remaining part of the sign. This difliculty is obviated in accordance with my invention by providing the forward side of the tube IT, or the side of the tube next to the panel 6, with a shield IS. The shield preferably takes the form of a coating of paint or comparable material applied directly to the tube on substantially the forward half thereof,

which paint is applied in a thickness and of a color so that when the tube I1 is illuminated the paint is effective as a shield to prevent direct transmission of a major portion of the light from the tube to the indicia I, and. at the same time presents from the exterior of the sign to an observer substantially the same color and intensity as the background or reflector l3. In this fashion there is provided a generally uniform shield, and the source of light is sufliciently subdued that it is not obtrusive. the shield I9 can be completely opaque, and thus cast somewhat of a shadow upon the interior of theless sufliciently translucent to permit some light to filter therethrough directly onto the indicia I.

In certain instances, the shield need not be directlycoated upon the tube, but, as illustrated in Fig. 4, there can be provided a shield 2| which is a coating of paint or comparable material on the panel 6. In this instance the coating extends substantially in registry with the projected outline of the tube l1, so that, to most intents and purposes the constructions of Figs. 3 and 4 are equivalent, they being utilized interchangeably unless conditions particularly indicate one or the other.

While in many instances I claim:

1. An illuminated sign comprising a reflector, a gaseous discharge tube adjacent said reflector, an indicia panel having transparent indicia formed thereon through which said tube and said reflector are visible, said tube and said reflector presenting to an observer a different appearance when viewed through said panel, and means in the nature of a light permeable film matching said reflector in luminosity and substantially in registry with saidtube, interposed between said tube and the observer.

2. An illuminated sign comprising a reflector, a linear gaseous discharge tube adjacent said reflector, a substantially opaque indicia panel having transparent indicia formed thereon through which said tube is visible, and means in the nature of a light permeablefilm matching said reflector in luminosity and substantially in registry with and conforming to the contour of said tube interposed between said tube and said indicia panel. 3. An illuminated sign comprising a reflector, a gaseous discharge tube adjacent said reflector, a panel having a substantially opaque portion and a transparent indicia portion through which said tube is visible, and means in the nature of a light permeable film matching said reflector in luminosity and substantially in registry with said tube interposed between said tube and said panel.

EDWIN H. PENDLE'I'O'N.

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