US2161927A - Scintillating sign - Google Patents

Description

June 13 1939. w M ILVANI SCINTILLATING SIGN Filed May 7, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 1939- W. G. M ILVANIE 2 1 27 SCINTILLATING SIGN Filed May '7, 1958 2 Sheds-Sheet 2 (I Zlace Gflqlrani Patented June 13, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to a scintillating sign. An object of the invention is the provision of a sign formed of words or figures with either the word or the figure being made of sections of re- 5 flecting surfaces upon which light rays are projected with either the reflecting surfaces being agitated or the light rays being moved in such a manner that the same effect would be produced from the reflecting surfaces.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a sign containing letters for advertisements or figures of various kinds may be employed either singly or in connection with words, the letters or figures being formed of a plurality of reflecting surfaces which may be oscillated uniformly or in an irregular manner so that when light rays are projected onto the reflecting surfaces an observer will get the effect of a scintillating or sparkling sign.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a sign in which the display elements are formed of a plurality of rockable mirrors upon which light rays are directed so that a scintillating effect of the projected light will be had.

This invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description, in vieW of the accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification; nevertheless, it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the disclosure, being susceptible of such changes and modifications as define no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation partly in section of a sign constructed in accordance with the principles of my invention,

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the device with the base of the housing removed,

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view inelevation showing part of the operating mechanism for oscillating the mirrors of the sign,

Figure 5 is a vertical section of one of the mirrors forming the sign showing the irregular rear surface,

Figure 6 is a front view in elevation of the reflecting surface disclosed in Fig. 5,

Figures 7 and 8 show, respectively, modified forms of the rear surfaces of the reflecting members, 7

Figure 9 is a view in perspective of a modified form of the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I0

designates generally a housing in which the operating mechanism for oscillating reflecting surfaces is contained. A cover H is secured in any approved manner to the top of the housing to protect the mechanism against the elements. The bottom l2 of the housing provides a support for the sign for any suitable position of said sign. The housing may be made of any shape and the shape will depend upon the particular conditions met with where variations in the design will require changes.

An electric motor I3 is located within the housing [0 and is supported by the floor l2 and is secured in any suitable manner to said base member. A pulley I4 is connected to a drive shaft l5 of the motor and this pulley by means of a belt l6 drives a second pulley ll secured to a shaft I8 which is mounted in bearings I9 supported from the top H of the. housing H].

A pitman has one end pivotally mounted on an eccentric pin 2| secured to the side face of the pulley IT. The opposite end of the pitman is pivotally connected at 22 with a rockable lever 23 rigidly connected with a rod 24 at its central point.

A pair of reciprocating links 25 and 26 are located within the housing In. Link 25 is pivotally connected at 21 with one end of the lever 23 While the adjacent end of the link 26 is pivotally connected at 28 with the opposite end of said lever.

A plurality of levers 3!! have their outer ends pivotally connected at 3| with the link 25. A plu- 'rality of alternately disposed levers 32 have their outer ends pivotally connected at 33 to the link 26. The last-mentioned series of levers extends diametrically opposite to the levers 3i! and are alternately disposed with respect to the levers 30.

A plurality of rods, designated by the numerals 35 to 40, inclusive, are vertically mounted and have their lower ends rigidly connected with the inner ends of the adjacently disposed levers 30. A plurality of rods 4| to 45, inclusive, are alternately disposed with respect to the rods 35 and 40, inclusive, and are respectively connected with the inner ends of the adjacently disposed levers 32. Thus it will be seen that when the lever 23 is rocked the links 25 and 26 will be reciprocated in opposite directions so that the levers 33 as well as the levers 32 will be rocked, but the lastmentioned levers will be rocked in opposite directions to the rocking of the levers 33 whereby the rods 35 to 40, inclusive, will be rocked in an opposite direction to the rocking of the rods 4| to 45, inclusive.

A series of sections of reflecting surfaces which may be mirrors or any other equivalent medium are rigidly connected to the outer projecting ends of the rods 24, 35 to 40, inclusive and 4| to 45, inclusive, and these sections of the reflecting surfaces are so constructed that they will form words, sentences, or figures or a combination of words and figures as an adverti sement or display sign either within a, build- 7 ing or exteriorly of said building. Thereflecting surfaces, generally designated by the numeral 50, are so designed in Fig. 1 that they spell the word Frocks or any other word or group of words j may be employed. It will also be noted in this I instance that each word has sections 5| and 52' as shown in the letter F which are rocked by difierent shafts 24 and 35 but in this instance ,,the two shafts are rocked in the same direction sothat the reflecting members 5| and 52 are also rocked in the same direction. However, the members 53 and 54 forming the letter T. are carried bythe shafts 4i and'36. so that these reflecting members are rocked in opposite directions and this is also true of the remaining groups or pairs of reflecting surfaces. While only two pairs of shafts are illustrated in the drawings for rocking two sections of aletter it will be appreciated that any number of the sections may be employed to form a letter with each section being rocked by a difierent shaft and any combination of synchronous rocking or opposed rocking movement may be employed for the various reflecting surfaces forming a letter. 7

In order to produce a scintillating efiect not only through the rocking of the mirrors synchronously in the same direction or in opposite directions the rear or backs of the reflecting surfaces are corrugated as shown in Figs. 5 to 8,

inclusive, and these corrugations may be of different forms. V r In Figs. 5 and 6 the vertical section of the refleeting surface gives the appearance of a saw upstanding ridges 60.

In Fig. '8 the member BI is provided with convex surfaces 62 and spaced grooves 63; The entire rear surfaces in Figs. '7. and 8 are both covered witha reflecting medium of a well known type.

Located. along on e longitudinal edge of the housing It! is a channel-shaped reflector 65 in which is placed an elongated lamp 56. This lamp may be of the .well known filament type or it maybe a neon lamp. 1 I A plug 10 is adapted to be connected with the usual socket or housecurrent and to-thisis con- 65' nected a wire ll running to the motor [3. 'Wires [2 and 13 extend from theplug 10 to a rheostat, generally designated by the numeral 1.4,;while wires 15 and 16 extend from the rheostat to the neon lamp 66. The element 14 controls the volt age of the current through the lamp 66 and also to the motor l3 where the motor is of small capac ity and the member 14 may be disregarded where i the sign is of suflicient sizethat the house current will operate the motor l3. and cause illumination of the lamp 66.

In Figure 9 is shown a modified form of the invention in which lamps are oscillated or agitated together with reflectors 8! for projecting scintillating light rays on a sign as shown. in Fig. 1 in which the letters are made up of fragmentary pieces of reflecting surfaces.

Each of the reflecting members 81 is carried by ahead ,82 which has a pintle 83 mounted in a block-84;, =;.,'I'he blocks 84 are carried by a base member 85.'

I The head 82, located at one extreme end of the base member 85, is connected to a yoke 81 formed on a reciprocating rod 88. This rod is vreciprocated in any approved manner and more particularly in the manner shown in Fig. '2. The other series of levers 89 is pivotally connected at 90 with the rod 88 so that all of. the reflectors 8i and the bulbs 8!] are rocked in unison. 0n the other hand alternate arms 59 7 directions, a link located upon each side of the group or rods and connected to the free ends of said levers, means oscillating said links for rocking the rods, and means projecting light rays on the reflecting members.

2. A scintillating sign comprising a base, spaced rockable rods projecting upwardly from said base;

a plurality of reflecting members secured to the free ends of the rods, a lever rigidly secured to each rod, alternate levers projecting in opposite directions from the other levers, a link having pivotal connections with the'free ends of the lastm'entioned levers, a second link having pivotally connection with the free ends of the other levers, means for reciprocating the links alternately in opposite directions, and means projecting light rays on the reflecting members.

3; A scintillating sign comprising a base, a

plurality'of spaced rockable supporting means mounted on the base, a plurality of reflecting members arranged to form indicia and connected to'the supporting means, means for rocking said supporting means, -means. projecting light rays on the reflecting members, and means included in the rockingjme'ans for causing alternate supporting means to'be moved in anJop-posite direetion to that ofthe other supporting means.

4. A 'scintillating' sign comprising a base, a plurality of reflecting members arranged on. said base tofo'rm-indicia, means projecting light rays on said members, and means for rocking certain of the reflecting members: in. one direction while rocking the remaining. reflecting members in the opposite direction.

'5. A scintillating sign comprising a base, a plurality of reflecting members arranged to form indicia, means for projecting light rays on said members, means for moving the projecting means to cause the light rays to strike the reflecting members at :various. angles of incidence.

' WALLACE G. McILVANIE.

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