US2052250A

US2052250A - Sign changing device

Info

Publication number: US2052250A
Application number: US705839D
Authority: US
Inventors: Said Ahmed
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1933-01-28
Filing date: 1934-01-09
Publication date: 1936-08-25
Anticipated expiration: 1953-08-25
Also published as: GB414109A

Description

Aug. 25, 1936. A SAID 2,052,250

` SIGN CHANGIG DEVICE Filed Jan. 9, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 25, 1936.

A. SAID v 2,052,250

SIGN CHANGING DEVICE Filed Jan. 9, 1954 2 'sheets-sheet 2 g w w Pff-- lNVENTOR Patented Aug. 25, 1936 UNITED .STATES SIGN CHANGING; DEvIcE' Ahmed said, cairo. om

Application January 9, smerialfNo. 705,8391/2 In Great Britain January'ZS, 1933 l Claims.

This invention relates to sign changingdevices, and has for its object to provide a device whereby signs, programs, scores, and like matter, either for the dissemination of information, for the purpose@ of advertisement, or otherwise, may be readily produced or changed when necessary.

With vthis and other objects in view, the present invention consists in a sign changing device comprising a plurality of spools, on which are mounted a plurality of ribbons or tapes, a surface of each of which is provided with numerals, letters, signs or the like intended for display, the said ribbons 'por tapes being adapted to be wound on or oi the spools'by a change gear mechanism to effect the rotation of the spools to thereby bring a variety `of predeterminedV numerals, letters, words, sentences, signs or the like into view.

The invention also consists in a sign changing device according to the preceding paragraph `wherein the change gear mechanism is adapted to be traversed horizontally and also in vertical direction to bring the said change gear mechv anism into functional engagement with a selected spool carrying a ribbon, or in association with a ribbon, to bring a predetermined numeral, letter,

lsign or the like into view.

Other features of the invention will be apparent from the following description- Y In order that my invention may be clearly understoodand readily carried into practice, a pre,- ferr'edform thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherei117- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective View, partly broken away, of a sign board constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the gear mechanism.A

wFigure 3 is a detail in side elevation, partly broken away, of part of the gear mechanism.

Figure 4 is a detail in side elevation, partly broken away, showing more particularly the winding device.

Referring to the'drawings "In Figures l and 2, there is shown a casing or frame m, which may form a unit of a sign board or displaying apparatus, which may include a plurality of ribbons or tapes, a surface of which is provided with numerals, letters, signs or the like. The said ribbons are mounted on a plurality of spools, which correspond to double the number o1' the ribbons. The spools are positioned in shelves b, defining separate rows of spools and ribbons. 'I'he frontsof the shelves are provided with groups oi' stretching wires h, over which the display parts (cmo-s6) fftheribbons areA adapted to pass. A ribbon, carried by two spols,`is adapted tobe wound on one', and-.off the other. The said ribbon, in passing 'frmione spoolV to-"the other, is led to the front @ff the`Y shelf or casing over two adjacent wires 5 of the rgroup bymeans of which the fiatness of the.displaypartfofthe ribbon may be assisted. Fo'rieampleitheribbon e mounted on two spools fcfand d, is adapted yto be wound on one and off the other passing .over two adjacent stretching l0 wires Iifa'n'd hfand'drawing thereby into view on the front of the'casing a sign, as'for instance the letter .hij The fronts of the shelves with the ribbons constitute, when assembled in the outer casing, the display chart a', which may appear as a 15` ruled` sheet. jl'helapparatus also includes, as in Figure 2, a traveller 46 `and a gear box l, which are adapted to operate a ribbon to bring a predetermined numer-a1, letter, sign or the like into view, as will hereafter appear. The spools carrying the ribbons have their outer ends mounted between the shelves, and the upper ends are adapted to mesh with the winding device, in such a manner that upon rotation of the winding device, a rotary "movement is also imparted to the spools engaged therewith'toeifect thewinding and unwinding of the ribbon. Y f 'Ihe traveller `6, carrying the gear box l, is adapted Yto be traversed laterally within the casing bylneansofa screwed horizontal spindle 2 engaging a nut 20 carried by the traveller. The gearbox isadapted to be raised or lowered within the traveller by means of a screwed vertical spindle `Imengaging' a nut 22` carried by the gear 35 boxxi A The spindle l is adapted to be rotated by the horizontal spindle 4 which is provided with a worm wheel I9a meshing with the worm I9 secured to the spindle I. The worm wheel I9a 40 slides Von the `spindle 4 by means of a feather key 4and keyv way and istted between the sides of the travellerl. The traveller carriesV a second vertical spindle 5, to which is connected by means of a 'feather key and key way a gear wheel 23, as in Figs.'2 'and 4, Afor giving rotation to the gears of the winding device'. The spindle 5 is driven from the horizontal spindle 3, which is provided with a .worm wheel 2|a meshing with the worm 2l securedtothe spindle 5. The worm wheel 2la slides on ,the spindle 3 by means of a feather key and key way and is` fitted between the sides of the traveller` 6. The traveller also has journalled thereinra vertical guide bar 9, which passes through the gear box 1 carrying the winding device 8 and is slidable and rotatable therein.

The winding device, it will be noted, swings horizontally about the spindle 5 and may be swung to one side or the other by oscillating the bar 9. The bar 9 is, for this purpose provided with the sleeve 9a slidable on and rotatable with the bar. This sleeve is tted between the top and bottom of the gear case soas to slide up and down therewith and, is provided with an arm 9? which has a pin-and-slot connection with the winder so as to swing the latter when the bar is oscillated. Normally the bar is resiliently held in position to engage the winding device with a pair of spools c, d, by means of a coil spring I8a which is connected at one end to a stationary part and at the other to a sleeve vI3b slidable on and rotatable with the bar. This sleeve is formed with end cam faces I8c engaging co-operating cam faces and adapted to thus position the bar in its central position, with the winding device engaged with the spools as hereinafter described.

It is necessary to bring the winding device from its spool engaging position'between the shelves when the winding device is Yto be raised or lowered. For this purpose the spindle I is provided with the rock arm I8 adapted to engage the projection i801 on the sleeve I8b and to pass it by. Thus the bar S is rocked by Ythe sleeve to swing the winding device to the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. When the rotation of the spindle I ceases .and the-'arm I8 and projection I8d are clear of one another the spring I8a takes control and swings the winding device to its spool engaging position.

The winding device is provided with a gear train 23b journalled in the gear box and meshing with the gear 23. The outer gears 23b are provided with pins 23C for meshingwith the'ends of the spools c and d when the device is swung between the shelves.

On rotation of the winding device, a rotary movement is imparted to the spools to move the ribbon from one spool to the other to bring the displaying partl thereof into View. For example, if there are twenty-six signs, say A-Z, then the ribbon can be moved to any one of these signs by suitably placing the gear box opposite the spools carrying the said ribbon and setting the winding device to operate the spools to the desired extent to bring the selectedsign to the front of the cas- Indicating arrows I6 and I'I are secured to the traveller 6 andgear box I respectively and are disposed within the casing, by which means the position of the gear box can be indicated from the front of the casing.

The driving mechanism within the casing comprises a drive shaft I0 which, by means of bevel gearing Illa, actuates the shaft I2 which is geared to the shaft il by gearing 10b. The spindles 2, 3 and 4 are driven from either of the shafts I I and I2, which revolve in opposite directions, by means of the shiftable

double worm gears

24, 25, and 26, each of which is adapted to occupy either a neutral position, as shown, or a position in engagement with one of the worms 24a, 25al or 268 or with one of the worms 24h, 25b or 2lib as the case may be. Thus either spindle 2, 3, or 4 may be rotated in either direction or neither as required by suitably positioning the corresponding double worm gear and rotating the shaft ID. Each double worm gear is secured on its spindle 2, 3, or 4 by means of a feather key and key way and is shiftable by one of the shift levers I3, I4, or I5 as the case may be, each lever being fulcrumed intermediate of its ends and engaging at one end between the ends of a double worm gear. Each lever is controlled by a manually operable rod slidable in the casing and suitably engaged with the free end of a lever. These rods are indicated in the drawings by the reference numerals 1c, l, and m, but the connection of the rod m with the lever I5 is alone shown, the others ybeing broken away to show other parts.

, In operation assuming a sign board or displaying apparatus, as in Figure l, including thirty ribbons mounted on sixty spools and arranged in ve horizontal and six vertical rows, on each ribbon are twenty-six signs, say A-Z, if it is desired to set the signs on the top row so as to read Menu, the gear box is raised to the top row and to the left so as to set the c winding device thereof into engagement with the two spools of the rst ribbon. The winding device is rotated until letter M appears on the front of the casing. The traveller is then Ymoved one stage to the right so as to come opposite the next ribbon and to bring the winding device'into engagement vwith the spools of the second ribbon on the top row.

Having thus described my invention what I do claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. A sign changing device or chart of display whereby indefinite 'variety of numerals, letters, words, phrases and the like can be readily produced and changed when necessary, and comprising in combination with a suitable casing, a plurality of ribbons or tapes, each wound upon a pair of rotatable spools; a plurality of shelves defining separate rows of ribbons and spools, said spools being positioned within the shelves; mechanism remote from said shelves for the operation of the spools upon which the ribbon is wound, said mechanism being adapted to be brought into position to yeffect the rotation of any predetermined pair o spools; and stretching devices with which the shelves are provided whereby the edges of any two adjacent ribbons are brought substantially in contact one with the other.

2. A sign changing device or chart of -display whereby indefinite variety of numerals, letters, words, phrases and the like can be readily produced and Achanged when necessary, and comprising in combination with a suitable casing, a plurality of ribbons or tapes, each wound upon a pair of rotatable spools; a plurality of shelves defining separate vrows of ribbons and spools,

said spools being positioned within the shelves; and mechanism remote from said shelves for the operation of the spools upon which the ribbon is wound, said mechanism being adapted to be brought into position to eiect the rotation of any predetermined pair of spools.

'3. A sign changing device according to claim 2 provided with a single winding device or bandoperating mechanism adapted to be traversed horizontally and also in a vertical direction to selectively bring the said band-operating mechanism into functional engagement with any given pair of spools upon which a ribbon or the like is wound to effect the winding and unwinding of the said ribbon and to bring a numeral, sign or the like into view.

4. A sign display apparatus according to claim device orY band-operating mechanism; a horizontally movable traveller carrying the winding device; and a threaded vertical spindle connecting Y the traveller and engaging a nut carried by the winding device to move the latter vertically.

5. In a sign display apparatus, the combination with a case having incorporated means comprising three horizontal spindles of which one is screwed and the other two grooved, and two vertical spindles of which one is screwed and the other grooved, adapted for mechanically operating a winding device or a band-operating mechanism and also to effect the horizontal and vertical motion of the said band-operating mechanism by means of a removable handle and operating buttons.

A. SAID.