US2092768A - Luminous tube sign - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 14, 1937. l. v. MANSELL.

LUMINOUS TUBE SIGN Filed May 20, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR 3mg? 6 Mnmsvs Sept. 14, 1937.

I. V. MANSELL LUMINOU'S TUBE SIGN 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed May 20, 1936 i m ATTO R N EY5 Patented Sept. 14, 1937 stas- 4 Claims. (01. 40-433) This invention relates to a luminous tube sign, more particularly those of the type which are commonly called neon signs, although the luminous tubes do not necessarilyinclude neon 5 gas as other rare gases are used, such for example as argon, helium, etc., but it is common in the trade to call them all neon signs.

Luminous tube or so-called neonf signs as they have generally been constructed up to the present time are rather crude and clumsy in appearance. Also, in these signs the daytime sign efiect'and appearance is marred in the present general practice of mounting the luminous tubes with their necessary attachments on the faces, or that is on the outside of the sign, and these tubes are generally spaced some distance forwardly "of the surfaces of the sign panels. Also another detraction from the daylight appearance of these signs is the holes in the faces of the sign required for the tube electrodes and housings. Further, the present practice of placing the trans formers inside of the sign together with the electrodes projecting inwardly necessitates a bulky box construction due to underwriter requirements for proper spacing of the electrodes, which in the case of a double faced sign requires a'thickness of about twelve inches from face to face of the sign. Another objection is that night time appearance and eifect of these existing neon signs are marred by the halation or blending of light from tube to tube, and also by the distortion in the letters and advertising matter when the sign is viewed from any lateral angle (that is, not from directly in front) due to the necessary tube double backs used in forming the letters and other characters, which double backs must be bent in a difierent vertical or horizontal plane from the plane of the main portion of the letter or character.

4 constitutes a great advance and improvement in the old type of sign, and whereby there is combined in one and thesame sign a nighttime appearance eliminting halation and distortion, and bringing out improved luminous tube eifects. Also, there is secured a daylight. appearance not only unmarred by tubes and tube appurtenance obstruction, but on the other hand one which is actually enhanced in appearance and effect by the crystalline showing of the tubes made possible It is therefore an object of my invention to I both daylight as well as nighttime qualities over by the novel arrangement of the tubes within the sign.

.With these and other objects in view the in-' vention comprises certain novel features of'con- 7 struction and arrangement ofparts as will be more fully disclosedin connection with the accompanying drawings. It will, however, be understood-that I am not limited to the exact de-.

tails of construction inthe drawings but may use modified constructions and arrangements within the principles of .the invention.

In these drawings:

Fig.1 is a front elevation of the sign involving my invention, a portion of the front panel 'being broken away to more clearly showthe'construc tion;

Fig, 2 is an elevation showing one way in which this sign may be mounted; 7 i

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of one of the characters of the sign;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section thereof; Y

Fig. 5 is'a transverse section substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 6 and showing one arrangement of tubes which may be used;

Fig. 6 ma front elevation of aportion of the panel; 5 Fig. 7 is a vlewsi a slightly diifere'nt use;

Fig. 8 is a central section showing another ar- 7 ,7 30 Fig. 9 is a front elevation showing how the inj yention canbe applied'to another sign;

rangement of tubes;

Fig. lO-is a partial longitudinal section and a partial elevation of the sign of Fig. 9; p

Fig, 1 1 is a section substantially on the line H -ii of Fig. l but showing both ofthe panels in section; 1 v

Fig. 12 is a transverse section showing one -method of mounting the tubes;

Fig. 13 is a detail section throughthe panel and luminous tube taken across a stroke of a letter; Fig. 14 is a-rear elevation of one of the small 7 letters of the sign offFigs'. Sand 10;- Fig. 15 is a section substantially on line of Fig. l4; V a f Fig. 16 is a s ction similar to'Fig. '13 showing another arrangement of tubes; and

.Fig. 17 is a section through a sign showing another way that the tubes may be arranged.

The completed signs shown are doubled faced signs, and the faces may be of glass or acombina-l T 1 orgies milarto' Fig. s but showing tion of glass and metal or other suitable material. 7

The signo'fFig. -1 shows how my invention'may be used for asign including both letters and a design, while the sign of Figs, 9 and 10 shows it as used for a sign composed mostly of letters. On the faces or panels in each instance is formed in color and diagram the advertising or display matter of the sign. This, of course, may vary greatly both as to color and configuration depending upon the advertising matter to be displayed, the two signs shown on the drawings being taken merely by way of example to disclose my invention and merely indicate in outline and configuration the standard type of sign used for two well known products.

Referring first to Fig.1 it will be noted the sign is of circular shape and comprises two spaced panels and 2 I, these being shown in the present case as of glass, but as indicated above may be of a combination of metal and glass or of other .suitable materials. As shown in Fig. 11 they are spaced apart to provide a suitable space for the luminous tubes of the sign and may be supported in this position by any suitable construction. That shown has been found to be very satisfactory and comprises two ring shaped members. 22 of metal or other suitable material having body portions 23 extending laterally in opposite directions with inwardly extending flange portions 2 at the outer edge thereof and outwardly extending flanges 25 at their inner edges placed back to back and connected by ring 26 of U-shape in cross section extending inwardly from the free edges of these flanges and embracing them to hold them together. The members may be connected together by any suitable means such as the bolts 2?. It will be seen that this construc tion is a very simple one and permits easy suspension of the sign as by brackets 23 secured to these ring shaped members and adapted to suspend the sign from any suitable support such as a cross arm '29 on a post 30.

On each of the panels of this sign is a word such as that made by the letters 3! and a design such as the star 32. The letters are each composed of one or morestrokes 33 on the panel for daylight visibility, these strokes being contrasting with the background 3 l'so as to be readily visible. This stroke portion 33 may be colored as desired and may be either opaque or translucent, but is preferably substantially opaque,

usually formed by suitable paint applied to the surface of the panel. Within the outline of the stroke and running longitudinally thereof is a clear strip or window 35 preferably formed by leaving a portion of the glass uncovered, and it is also preferably located at the center of the stroke and extends through all the strokes of each letter or character, as the letters or pictorial design and characters may be constructed in the same manner. I have used theword character in the specification and claims in a generic sense as meaning either a letter or other design. In

the letters as shown this transparent window is of the general shape of the letter so that when it is illuminated by itself it shows the letter or design. It may be of the full width of the stroke of the letter or outline of a design, but preferably, particularly when used in a letter, it is of less width than the width of the stroke of the letter so that the stroke is clearly visible in daylight independently of this transparent window, but in the outline of designs, and as for example the star of Fig. '1, this transparent strip or window may be of width equal to the width of the stroke or it may be of less width as desired. Immediately back of this transparent strip or window is a glass tube 36, and this tube follows the length and as the visible portion of the tube is of the transparent strips. It is preferred that the width of these transparent strips be of subthe clear strip is of substantially the width of the strip, the tube when illuminated will be clearly and sharply outlined by the sharp edges of the clear strip so that halation about the surface of the tubes is cut off, making a clear and distinct outline of any letter or character which is much more clearly and sharply visible or sharply outlined than would be the bare tube.

Another very material and distinct eifect of this construction and arrangement is that light is deflected from the tube in daylight through the transparent strip or panel whereby the appearance of the letters or design is greatly enhanced as the tube shows of a generally crystalline appearance, or a silver effect which gives a very attractive and distinct appearance by daylight.

There are several ways in which these improved daylight and night effects can be secured. Thus the tubes themselves may be luminous tubes containing the rare gas or gases such as neon, argon, etc. as shown at 35 in which the entire word Texaco is formed from a single tube 36, and has electrodes mounted in its opposite ends 37 which may be connected directly by suitable vmeans to a transformer 38, or, if other words or designs are used, they may be connected in a series with them. Thus in the sign of Fig. 1

there are three luminous tubes, the tube 36 being i used for the word Texaco, a second tube 39 being-used for the star outline, and a third tube 4!) being used for a colored translucent band or border ii, and these tubes are all connected in series, thatis one of theleads 32 from the transformer leads to one end of the tube 36. another lead 43 leads from the other end of this tube to one end of the tube 39, a lead 44 leads from the' other end of tube-39 to one end of the tube 4G, and

a lead 45 from the other end of this tube leads to "the transformer. I

There are severaladvantages from this construction and arrangement aside from the improved daylight and nighttime visibility as above described. It will be evident that as the tubes are all enclosed within the sign they are fully protected both from the weather and in handling,

determined by the transparent strips or windows 35 the entire tube may be bent in a single plane as indicated in dotted lines Fig. 1, and therefore, double backs in diiferent vertical or horizontal planes are not required andmuch less space is required for the tube in the direction of thick-- ness of the sign. The same is true of the tubes for the design outline of the star or other designs, and therefore the sign may be made much thinner than the old constructions, the sign shown not being required to be greaterin thickness than about 3 inches as compared with the old sign 5 of a thickness of about 12 inches. The tubes may be mounted within the sign in any suitable way. For example the outer tube or for that matter any of the tubes where they extend adjacentto the outer frame may be supported by the hanger of the type shown in Fig. 11 comprising a suitable 'insulatorAG having a threaded stem 4'! embraced by coil spring 48 secured by any suitable means such as a screw 49 to the frame. This forms a yielding cushioning support for the tube and protects it from breaking,

jar, etc. and also permits adjustment by screwing the spring more or less on to the stem 47. Another manner of supporting the tube is shown in Fig. 12, in which :may be molded on. the: back of the glass panel V-shaped lugs 56, in the recess of which the tubeindicated at may be seated and then secured in position by suitable wires 52 extending over the tube in any suitable recesses or grooves 53, in the lugs, or the tube may be mounted by a suitable cement as indicated at 54 in Fig. 15, or a combination of cement and wires as indicated at 54 and 55 in Fig. 14.

It will be evident that different arrangements and designs of color and outline may be used. Thus in the sign of Fig. 1 the background 34 V is of opaque white paint so that it gives a white background for the letters and star in the daytime but a dark background for the illuminated tubes at night. In the letters St the stroke 33 is of blue and may be either opaque or translucent to form a background for the transparent strip or window 35. The stroke is preferably outlined by a black border to separate it from the background. However, the stroke 32 for the outline ofthestar is preferably confined to the transparent strip or window as shown in Figs. 1 and '7, although this transparent or clear strip may be in a daylight stroke 56 of a greater width than this transparent window, if desired, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The central portion of the sign is also bordered or enclosed by a relatively narrow or. translucent border 4| which is illuminated by the tube 55 following the stroke of the border, and in the present instance is dark red, although it may be of any other color. Thus the design, letters, or that is the characters,

may be of one or more translucent strokes without the clear strip and uniformly illuminated by the luminous tube which follows the stroke or strokes, that is extends longitudinallyof the stroke for its full length and is located immediateiy back of it. The body of star 5'! is also dark red while the letter T, indicated at 58, is.

green. This merely shows that difierent colors may be used as desired.

In the sign of Figs. 9 and there is no design outside of the words. In this sign the upper and lower panel portions 59 are translucent and red in color while the central band or the background 63 is white and opaque. The daylight stroke 6| may be of any color contrasting with this background, that shown being blue. Within the strokes of these letters, the same as in the form of Fig. 1, are the transparent strips or windows 35 with the glass tube 62 back of them as in the first form. V

The tubes may be arranged in various ways and also the tubes may of themselves be luminous, as where they are filled with the rare gases becoming luminous by passage of electric current, or the tube may be illuminated indirectly from other directly illuminated tubes. In either case substantially the same effect is secured particularly in daylight appearance, although for night appearance the tube indirectly illuminated may not be quite as bright as the directly illuminated tube.

Thus, for example, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the directly illuminated tube may be located directly back of the transparent strip or panel 35. This arrangement is used particularly where the design is such that it is difierent from opposite sides. In other words it will be evident that the word Texaco would have to be reversed on the other or rear panel 2! of the sign and therefore a luminous tube is used for each word. In the case of the star,. however which appears the same from both sides of the sign, either one or two tubes may be used as desired. In Fig. 1'7 a single tube 39 is shown in the center 'of thesign so'as to be visible through the transparent outline strip of the star, or there may be a luminous tube 39 for each outline on the panels as shown in Fig. 8. Another arrangement for such a design may be that shown in Figs. 5 and 6 where two non-luminous tubes 63 may be positioned immediately back of and in alignment with the transparent outline 63 of the star with a similarly shaped central tube 35 between them, this central tube containing rare gas and being luminous so that it illuminates the two tubes 53. In this View the outline of the design is shown as having the daylight stroke 55 contrasting with the backgrounds 5'! and 33 of greater width than the transparent strip 54, but in Fig. '7 the daylight strip 56 is omitted so that only the clear strip 5 1 is used for the outline of the design within the backgrounds 51 and 35.

If it is desired to have an extra wide transparent strip or window 35 or 34 there may be two or more glass tubes 36 back of it as shown in Fig. l6,these tubes being either luminous or illuminated from other tubes and being placed side by' side so that together they, are substantially the same width as the clear strip orwindow 35 and 54.

In the signofFigs. 9 and 10 as the panels 59 are translucent they are illuminated by separate tubes 51. Theremay be in these panels small designs such as the words 68, 59. These letters have the strokes iii contrasting with the background 59 for daylight visibility thesame as for the larger letters indicated at 33, and they also have transparent strips or panels '5! in'these strokes the same as the larger letters. Also 10- 1 cated back of these transparent windows or strips are glass tubes 12 which may be luminous or illu- -,minated from other tubes as desired. As shown they are short tubes one for each letter and are not luminous but are illuminated by the tube 61 forthe panels 59 and the tubes 62 for the large letters at the center of the sign.

This new type of sign besides having an improved visibility and effect for both daylight and nighttime as indicated above, can be made much thinner so as to beof greater compactness, and the tubes are all protected by being enclosed within the sign instead of being on the outside as in the old type of sign. When they were on the outside the sign gave a different efiect when viewed from different on the outside the handling to prevent mounting. This new pleted and sealed up before it leaves the factory, and with ordinary handling the tubes are not likely to be injured, therefore, barring accident, should operate for years without service. As the transformer is not mounted in the sign it can be mounted on an extension of the arm 29 on the other side of post 30 from the sign. Thus the transformer can be used as a counterweight for the sign permitting the use of lighter mounting construction. v

It will be evident the main features of the invention are the improved arrangement and -com-. bination of the properly formed luminous or illuminated tubes with the properly prepared sign' faces or panels whereby I secure theimproved daylight and night effect as above described. The

angles, and also as the tubes were sign required very careful V breakage in shipping and; type of sign can be com-' panels are made up to size and shape as desired. The design display matter may consist of letters, figures, characters, diagrams, etc. in colors as desired both for daylight and night showing. This display matter on the panels includes the transparent or clear section or strip in the center of the opaque or translucent stroke contrasting with the background for improved daylight visibility, and this transparent strip being of substantially the same width as the diameter of the tube. Thus when the luminous or illuminated tubing is secured in place either on or directly in back of the transparent portion when the tube is illuminated at night it is shown with a clear and sharp outline thereby eliminating halation or tendency to blur which is a serious objection of the present type of neon sign. The tubing therefore stands out sharply and in its true color in this new sign and can be read easily at much greater distances. This tube in back of this transparent strip in the center of the strokes gives a very distinct and. added attraction for daylight sign efiect due to the crystal or silver-like appearance of the glass tubing; as'it reflects external light rays through the transparent portions.

Where it is desired to have a subdued effect or a different shadingfor the nighttime showing of certain portions of the sign, this effect can be obtained by forming these portions translucent in the proper color instead of transparent. 7

These signs have the advantage of lower first or manufacturing cost over the old type of signs of the same size due to the fact that they require less material of various kinds, such as tubing, electrodes, electrode housings, metal, wire and accessories, and less labor in bending the tubing and building and assembling the sign. They also have less installation cost as it is of much less weight and therefore does not require as heavy a pole and hanging bar or other hanging equipment. They also have less operating cost as they require less footage of tubing to accomplish the same or a better result therefore requiring less electrical current to operate it. There is also less service cost as the tubing, electrodes, etc. are enclosed within the sign whereby they are protected. 7

Having thus set forth the tion, what I claim is:

1. In an electric sign, a plane glass plate having character strokes thereon contrasting with a background to give daylight visibility with a clear strip of the glass within said strokes extending longitudinally thereof and of less width than the stroke, and a luminous glass tube immediately back of the glass following and in alignment with the clear strip so as to be visible therethrough and of a width equal to at least substantially the width of the strip.

2. In an electric sign, a plane glass plate having a character stroke including a clear strip through the glass and a portion contrasting with a background for daylight visibility, and a luminous tube immediately to the rear of the strip of a width equal to at least substantially the width of the strip and in alignment therewith so as to be visible from the front of the plate.

3. In an electric sign, a plane glass plate having a character stroke contrasting with a background for daylight visibility, a luminous tube immediately to the back of the glass plate following the character stroke, and a clear strip through the glass of the character stroke following the tube and of a width not substantially greater than that of said tube so that said tube is visible from the front of the plate.

4. In an electric sign, a plane glass plate, a character thereon including a portion contrasting with a background for daylight visibility and a clear strip through the glass, and a luminous tube immediately to the rear of the strip and in alignment therewith so as to be visible through the strip from the front of the plate, and said clear strip of a width not substantially greater than said tube.

nature of my inven- IRVING V. MANSELL.

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