US2075764A

US2075764A - Illuminated display apparatus

Info

Publication number: US2075764A
Application number: US88983A
Authority: US
Inventors: Raymond L Marten
Original assignee: CRYSTAL ELECTRIC SIGN Co
Current assignee: CRYSTAL ELECTRIC SIGN Co
Priority date: 1936-07-06
Filing date: 1936-07-06
Publication date: 1937-03-30
Anticipated expiration: 1954-03-30

Description

March 3%, 1937, R. L. MART-EN ILLUMINATED DISPLAY APPARATUS Filed July 6, 1956- INVENTOR. Rn YMOND L. MHRTEN ATTORNEY.

i atented Mar. 30, 1937 2,075,764 ILLUMINATED DISPLAY APPARATUS Raymond L. Marten,

Crystal Electric Sign St. Louis, Mo., assignor to Company, St. Louis, Mo.,

a corporation of Missouri Application July 6,

1 Claim.

My invention relates to illuminated display apparatus, and more particularly to an improved changeable attraction board or sign which is especially well suited for use in connection with ,3 theatres or the like, wherein the entertainment is periodically changed.

An object of my invention is to provide an improved electrically illuminated sign which furnishes a highly attractive display of advertising or other informative media when illuminated either by artificial or natural light; which is designed and constructed to permit of the display characters being easily and quickly removed and replaced when a change of the display is desired,

and which is economical of manufacture and use.

These and other objects and advantages will be hereinafter explained by the following description and accompanying drawing setting forth several presently preferred embodiments of my invention.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a sign constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional View taken at the line Z-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 315 an enlarged sectional view illustrating one form of means for attaching the removable characters to the refleeting plates; Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view through a double face sign constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of the reflecting members of the sign illustrated in Fig. 4, and Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of a character having means of another type for attaching the same to reflecting plates. In Figs. 4 and 5, the reflecting plates are adapted 5 to receive characters having attaching means of the type illustrated in Fig. 6.

In my improved sign, the display characters, which are preferably formed of opaque material, are mounted in front of a highly illuminated background which is constituted by a series of obliquely disposed plates arranged in vertical sequence. Light from a series of luminous discharge tubes are reflected by the plates toward the observer to silhouette the characters and produce a striking display thereof. The luminous tubes are shielded by the reflecting plates to prevent observers from obtaining a direct view of the tubes. The reflecting plates tend to reduce the glare normally accompanying direct illumination by discharge tubes and produce a brilliant,

yet softly lighted background for the display characters which does not discomfort the observer.

One of the outstanding features of the signs constructed in accordance with my invention is the pleasing lighting effect produced by the series 1936, Serial No. 88,983

of reflecting plates. minated background is The appearance of the illuthat of a series of parallel horizontally extending bands of light which are manifest by a high inten the lower margin of each sity of the light near band, the lighting intensity diminishing gradually toward the upper margin of each band.

This results from the fact that the lower portion of each reflecting plate is located nearer to per portion of such plate.

By reason of the high produced on scribed, the being made up of a series the light source than the uplights and low lights the reflecting plates as thus debackground has the appearance of of parallel closely adjacent cylindrical surfaces.

Referring now by numerals of reference to the drawing, my improved sign comprises an upright panel l0 which in tutes the forward wall of the present example constian enclosing structure for electrical conductors (not shown), transformer l2, and any other electrical apparatus for operating the discharge tubes.

Mounted on the front reflectors l3, each thereo plates which extend horizontally across of panel Ill. The reflector face of panel ill are the f comprising elongate the face plates l3 are disposed in parallel, uniformly spaced relation, and each thereof is disposed obliquely with respect to the plane of the backing panel ID.

in any suitable manner, U

are secured to panel II) as by means of rivets M The plates l3 which extend through the panel and lower marginal flanges i5 of the plates l3.

Additional securing means for the 'l 6 disposed the plates where the shadows cast thereby will not detract from the appearance of the sign.

The upper horizontal rolled over, as best a bead I! which is adapted appears edge of each plate i3 is in Fig. 3, to provide to be gripped by spring clips Hi, to be hereinafter described, secured to the letters or characters The front face of panel rear faces of plates l3 are l9. l0, and both front and provided with suitable reflecting surfaces, preferably formed by coating the said faces with layers of white vitreous enamel.

Thus the rear faces of t he plates l3, and the front face of the backing plate Iii, reflect the light from the discharge tubes the light cast directly upon upwardly to augment the front faces of the plates which provide the background for the characters Ill.

The luminous discharge or other suitable gas sired color, extend horizo tubes, containing neon to produce light of the dentally across the face of the sign, and each tube is located near the lower edge of the reflecting plate which it serves to illuminate.

The tubes may extend into end enclosures, designated 2i and have their electrodes and electrical connections protected by such end enclosures. In signs of relatively great width, the tubes may have angularly bent terminal portions Which extend backwardly through suitable openings in the panel i 8. Suitable insulating supports are provided for the tubes, and are indicated at 2|.

The removable and interchangeable letters or characters I9 are formed of sheet metal or cardboard and have a surface coating of black paint to enhance their contrast with the illuminated background. The spring clips [8 are secured as by riveting to the characters. The clips are produced from strips of resilient metal each thereof being bent to provide a backing portion 22 and a tongue portion 23 for clamping the bead I! therebetween. The backing portion 22 of the spring clip extends at an angle to the plane of the character, as shown in Fig. 3, to enable the character with which it is associated to be firmly supported in a vertical plane when mounted on the oblique reflecting plates. That the described means for attaching the characters to the plates allows the same to be quickly and easily removed and replaced is believed to be apparent.

For the purpose of relieving the troughs, formed between plates [3 and panel N3, of rain water, suitable discharge openings 24 are provided in the plates l3. These openings permit water to drain from the troughs, for ultimate discharge from the sign, through opening 25 in the bottom Wall of the sign.

If desired, the sign previously described may be constructed without the backing panel In, relatively narrow, vertically extending strips of metal, such as strips of angle iron, being used in place of the backing panel for supporting the oblique reflecting plates. The suggested alternate construction is less expensive to manufacture and avoids the presence of water-, and dirtcollecting troughs, but is less desirable from the standpoint of attractiveness because of the absence of the light reflecting surface provided by the backing panel.

In the double face sign illustrated in section, Fig. 4, the reflecting plates comprise elongate troughs which are preferably V-shaped in cross section, both inner and outer surfaces of such troughs being rendered light reflecting by the application of white or other suitably colored enamel. Drainage openings are provided in the bottom of the troughs.

The outer oblique surfaces of the troughs which provide the background for the characters are preferably illuminated by a series of discharge tubes arranged in pairs, as shown in Fig. 4. If desired, a single tube may be employed for lighting both sides of each horizontal section, in which construction the tubes are located in the medial plane of the double face sign, near the lower extremities of the troughs as the broken line showing of the tubes (Fig. 4) indicates.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 also illustrate alternate means for removably attaching the characters 26 to the reflecting plates. The reflecting plates are provided with flanges 21 each having a series of regularly spaced apertures 28. The characters are provided with brackets 29 having downwardly extending pins 36 which are adapted to be inserted in .the flange apertures 28. On characters of substantial width, such as the letters H and .employing a plurality of laterally spaced mounting pins 30, such pins are suitably spaced apart to register with a plurality of the flange apertures 28.

I have described and illustrated my invention with reference to several presently preferred embodiments thereof, but it is to be understood that various changes may be made in the parts and their arrangement without departing from the spirit and full intended scope of my invention as defined by the appended claim.

I claim:

A sign of the type described comprising a vertical series of elongate, horizontally extending reflector plates, uniformly spaced and disposed in inclined, relatively parallel planes, sign characters, spring clips secured to the characters for mounting the characters on said plates, each of said clips including a portion inclined with respect to the plane of character, adapted for surface engagement with a reflector plate and a resilient finger, the upper margin of the reflector plate being adapted to be clamped between said inclined portion and resilient finger whereby the character is secured in angular relation to the reflector plate; and a luminous discharge tube disposed behind the upper margin of each reflector plate.

RAYMOND L. MARTEN.