US2171462A - Advertising and display sign - Google Patents

Description

ug- 29, 1939- Lw. A. c'. TROLLOPE ET A1. 2,171,462

ADVERTISING AND DISPLAY SIGN ug- 29, 1939- -w. A. c. TRoLLoPE ET AL 2,171,452 ADVERTISING AND DISPLAY SIGN Filed March 13, 1939 2 Sheets-Shea?I 2 Patented Aug. 29, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ADVERTISING AND DISPLAY SIGN Application March 13, 1939, Serial No. 261,586 In Australia, March 8l, 1938 8 Claims.

This invention refers to an improved advertising and display sign.

More particularly stated the invention has reference to an advertising sign of the type wherein moving letters, signs, symbols or the like are caused to travel successively and in selected predetermined sequence before the eye of the observer in attractive fashion.

Some advertising and display signs of such type which are customarily employed are comparatively complicated and expensive to manufacture largely by reason of the fact that the said moving letters, signs, symbols or the like are of inflexible character and consequently special mechanical provision has to be made to ensure continuity of their movement around inner ends of the casing, that is to say around ends of their endless carrying band or bands or the like.

In some advertising signs of the type before referred to it has been proposed to make use of an endless belt which is transparent where the advertising message is formed thereon and opaque on the remainder of the belt so that light may pass through the letters, numerals or illustrations that constitute the advertising message but not through the remainder of the belt. In such signs however it is necessary to replace the advertising belt with another one adapted to convey a different message when a different advertising message isrequired to be shown.

Again, an advertising device of the type mentioned has been proposed wherein is projected a continuously changed message by the passage of light through a band, parts of which band are translucent and parts of which are opaque, such device being characterized by the feature that the band consists of a plurality of separate interchangeable and detachable display sign elements, each consisting of a piece of flexible material 40 having attachment means at opposite edges to brackets supported in special relationship upon a pair of carrier members, such as chains,

According to the present invention there is utilized a plurality of separate interchangeable and detachable display sign elements, as letters, symbols or the like, each of which is wholly flexible and fully shaped and formed for example of rubber as soft spongy rubber.

An object of the present invention is to provide an advertising device or display sign of the type hereinbefore set forth but which is especially cheap in construction and attractive and economical in operation and which is characterised by the fact that letters, signs, symbols or the like which are utilized in it are all of very flexible character as of soft spongy rubber for example and are thus very readily adapted in simple manner to follow the synchronous movements of endless ilexible bands between and by which are carried the said letters, signs, symbols or the like around and within the casing of the device and each of which flexible bands has formed through it two rows of perforations, one said row of perforations being adapted to be engaged by the teeth of toothed Wheels which are adapted to carry the said band around and the other said row of perforations being adapted todetachably receive in very convenient manner clip members associated with the said letters, signs, symbols or the like.

Means are provided, associated with a device according to the invention, whereby the tension of the said endless flexible bands may be readily adjusted.

Associated with a device according to the invention are illuminating means such as electric glow lamps and/or neon tubes or the like and means as frosted glass plates or the like may be employed whereby an uniform dispersion of light is secured.

Means to prevent sagging of the lower one of the said endless flexible bands, due to bearing down upon it of part of the weight of the said letters, signs, or symbols carried around, may also be associated with a device according to the invention.

Other features of construction will appear in the following description of one exemplary form of the invention as illustrated by the accompanying sheet of drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views which are as follows:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an advertising or display sign according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional elevational view taken on the plane 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional plan View taken on the plane 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional elevational view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a cross sectional elevational view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a detail perspective view of parts of clip securing means for a letter, sign, symbol or the like.

Figure 7 is an elevational part sectional view of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a detail perspective view of parts of another form of clip securing means for a letter, sign, symbol or the like.

Referring to the said drawings, a suitable casing built up as of metal panellings and of substantially rectangular configuration is formed by the framing I!) which has a flanged bottom plate II and vertical end walls I2 which latter may have louvred openings I3.

The said vertical end walls I 2 rest upon the said bottom plate II and are connected to side panels I4 whichj latter are anchored in convenient manner to the vertically disposed members I5 which are rigidly secured to the said framings.

On each of two oppositely disposed sides of the casing and located between side panels I4 is a window opening I6 which if desired may be glazed as shown by glass windows Il indicated by dotted lines in Figure 4 of the drawings.

The ilanged top cover lfcompletes the casing for accommodation within it of theadvertising display and mechanism therefor.

The casing is of such character and so designed that ready access may behad to its interior for inspection or Vrepair purposes. Y

The top longitudinal members ofthe framing I6 are furnished with a pair of spaced bridging members I9- each of which has rigidly secured to it a vertically disposed tubular member 26. Said members 26 are adapted to form hangers whereby the device may be conveniently suspended from any suitable support or awning and said members also serve as conduits'for electrical lead wires 2I which pass into the casing.

Within one end of the casing is a pair (upper and lower) of bridging members 23 rigidly secured to the main framing and each furnishedV with a bearing 24, upper and lowerbearings 24 serving to support the vertical spindle 25 which has iixedly iitted to it a pair (upper and lower) of suitably spaced toothed wheels 26. On the said spindle 25 is also xedly fitted a gear wheel 21 which engages with a worm wheel28 secured to the driving shaft 29 of an electric motor 30 which latter is rigidly secured toI the bed member 3I which in turn is iirmly secured to the framing I0.

Within the other end of the casing isa pair (upper and lower) of bridging members 34 which latter are slidably tted to the main framing I0 and are each furnished with a bearing 33, upper and lower bearings 33 serving to support the vertical spindle 32 which has fixedly tted to it a pair (upper and lower) of suitably spaced toothed wheels 35 whose xed locations in regard to their height correspond with those of the beforementioned toothed Wheels 26.

An endless flexible steel band 36 having formed through it an endless row of perforations 31 is adapted to pass around and have its said Vperforations 37 engaged by teeth of the before-mentioned upper toothed wheels 26 and 35. 1

Another endless iiexible steel band'36 having formed through it an endlessrow ofperforations 3'I is adapted to pass around and have its'said perforations 3'I engaged by-teethV of the beforementioned lower toothed wheels 26tand 35.

Suitably afxed as by rivets 38 to each bridging member 34 isV avbolt 39 whose screwedV end is passed through an anchor member 46 which is rigidly secured to the main framing I 6. Each said bolt is tted with a nut 4I and by manipulation of said nuts and since the bridging members 34 are slidably tted Vit will be obviousl that tension of the said endless flexible steel bands may be readily adjusted according to' particular requirements. v

The said flexible steel orlike endless bands are adapted to move synchronously and continuously during operation of the device horizontally as from right to left when viewed from the front of the device by the observer, carrying around with them (detachably tted to and between them in manner to be now described) exible letters iigures or symbols as of rubber.

Each of the said flexible steel or like endless bands 36 has formed through it a second endless row of perforations 42 located as adjacently to its inner edgethat is to say in the case of the firstmentioned endless flexible steel band 36 adjacently to its lower edge and in the case of the second-mentioned endless flexible steel band 36 adjacently to its upper edge-and wholly flexible letters 43 formed as of soft spongy rubber are each furnished with upper and lower ilat spring steel clip elements 44 which latter are adapted to detachably engage in simple spring-clip fashion with selected ones of the perforations 42 in manner so that each one of the said letters 43 may substantially bridge portion of the gap which lies between the said endless ilexible steel bands 36, the said letters 43 being arranged in required predetermined progressive order to convey the desired message to the observer and being furthermore arranged in such manner as to ensure that each oneof them will be outlined to the observer in clear and well-dened manner.

In lieu of iiat spring steel clip elements 44 there may be used wire spring clip elements 45 as illustrated by Figure 8 of the drawings.

Other approved means my be used for detachably securing exible letters, signs, gures, symbols or the like to and between the said endless exible steel bands 36.

Interiorly of the casing and suitably located are illuminating means in the form of electrical discharge neon-lled tubes 46. Other known approved illuminating means may be utilized in lieu of or as well as the said tubes 46, as for example electric glow lamps may be employed.

In association with the said illuminating means may be any known suitable and approved electrical current transformer.

Located intermediately of each one of the said A endless flexible steel bands 36 and of the said illuminating tubes 46 is a vertically disposed sheet or plate 4'! which may be of glass or of Celluloid or of opalescent material and which may if desired be frosted or otherwise treated in known manner to secure an uniform dispersion through it of light rays so to bring about attractive results to the eye of the observer.

In order to prevent sagging of the lower one of the said endless flexible steel bands, 36, due to bearing down upon it of part of the weight of letters, signs, or symbols detachably fitted to it, bearing rollers or elements 48 (see Figure 2 of the drawings) are furnished for support beneath its lower edge of the said lower one of the said endless flexible steel bands 36.

In use, the required letters, signs, symbols or the like having been detachably fitted to and between the said endless flexible steel bands 36 and the said illuminating means 46 and electric motor 36 being in operation the vertical spindle 25 is rotated together with the toothed wheels 26 and the vertical spindle 32y and its fitted toothed wheels 35 being also rotated through the medium of the fitted endless flexible steel bands 36 the latter are caused to traverse slowly and synchronously together with the detachably tted letters, signs,

'symbols or the like andl so that the latter move slowly across the said window openings I6 to be clearly seen by the observer illuminated and outlined in well-defined manner.

Variable speed mechanism may if desired be employed in association with a device according to the invention.

In general, a device according to the invention is not limited to precise details of design or materials used in manufacture so long as the scope and spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims be not departed from. For? example, although an advertising and display sign having endless iiexible bands 36 horizontally disposed has been herein described the invention is equally applicable for use applied to an advertising and display sign wherein the said bands 36 are disposed vertically or slantwise.

I Similarly, iiexible letters as of thin metal may be employed.

What we do claim is: Y

1. An advertising and display sign comprising a casing, spaced flexible endless bands mounted for travel in the said casing, and advertising and display elements detachably secured to and movable with said bands, said elements being wholly flexible and fully shaped individually to represent letters and like symbols.

2. An advertising and display sign comprising a casing, rotatable members mounted in said casing, spaced flexible endless bands movably supported by said rotatable means and having a row of perforations therein, flexible advertising and display elements, and means on said elements detachably engageable in the perforations of said bands to retain the elements in position thereon.

3. An advertising and display sign as claimed in claim 2 characterized by the provision of means for adjusting the tension of said bands.

4. An advertising and display sign as claimed in claim 2 characterized by the provision of illuminating means disposed between the portions of the bands intermediate said rotatable means, and light diffusing means between the illuminating means and said portions of the bands.

5. An advertising and display sign as claimed in claim 2 characterized in that said casing includes a flanged bottom plate, vertical apertured end walls, side panels concealing the rotatable means and the adjacent portions of the bands and a ianged top, an observation opening being provided between the anged bottom plate and flanged top and the panels.

6. An advertising and display sign` as claimed in claim 2 characterized by the provision of means for adjusting the tension of the endless bands, said adjusting means including slidably mounted members arranged in the casing forming supports for certain of said rotatable means, and means for adjusting the position of said bearing means.

7. An advertsing and display sign as claimed in claim 2 characterized in that the securing means for said elements includes spring clips detachably engaged in the perforations oi the bands, the advertising and -display elements bridging the space between said bands.

8. An advertising and display sign as claimed in claim 2 characterized by the provision of means movably supporting the portion of one of the bands intermediate the rotatable means. WILLIAM ASHFORD CLAYTON TROLLOPE. LEONARD ELLIOTT MORLEY MCVICAR.

Images