US2291957A - Luminous sign - Google Patents

Description

Aug 4, 1942- F. GANTNER ETAL 2,291,957

LUMINoUs SIGN I Filed June s, 1939 2 sheets-sheet 1 KbQSQ l 1 I a n i l tube by capacitive means.

' external electrodes Yii desired. It is not been known that the use Patented Aug. 4, 1942 UNITED' STATES PATENT oEEicE l amuillsmsmu i u i and Ernst Sorter,

Vienna-Modling, Germany London, England appuaunnrune 9, 1939, serial No. zisss In Germany June 16, 1938 'z claims. (ci. ire-122) the particular representadiier considerably in size.

- According to the invention the luminous repre-A sentation is combined by directly connecting in parallel a number of tubes, each forming a part. e. g., a letter of the representation desired and in which by capacitive means electric fields are using either individual com-- if the tubes to be used produced extending substantially transversely to the tube wail. 1

In these tubes the current is passed transversely through 'the' vapor, or gas-niled space of the tubes, thereby dispensing with-the necessity of applying a different' voltage for-,each different length of tube, as fo case ofthose known luminous t be appliances in instance in the which tubes are used, having their electrodes arranged at the ends ofthe tube so as .to create a-current passing lengthwise through each tube.

Since in the casevof the tubes according to the invention, the same voltage can be used for tubes of very die'rent lengths, such tubes can be directly connected in'parallel without resulting in undesired differences of the illuminating effect of the individual tu Y i It is already known, to operate a luminous using external electrodes in such a manner that opposite to the contact points of the electrodes with the tube -of the tube at some distance said bracket supporting a frame cross-section. On

Electrodes are used with tend lengthwise of the -tube and face each other. One or both of these electrodes may be arranged so as to touch the tube wall either on the outside or insider-or may be embedded in the material of the tube wall or may be situated outside therefrom. In view of the parallel connection of the tubes, as provided by the invention, tage to arrange one or both electrodes outside the tube wall or to have because thenthe wall a desirable 'manner as a ance.

Several embodimentsy of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 represents an elevation partly in secof each'tube acts itself in kind of a series-resisttion of a sign board,

Figures 3-5 show transverse sections through luminous' tubes, each figure representing another arrangement of the electrodes, a

Figure 6 is atransverse section through a further modiiled form of a tube and Figure 'I illustrates view an arrangement shown in Figure 6 is used.

According'to Figures 1 and 2, a bracket 2 is fixed on a casing l which isv open in front, the

3 of U-shaped and its electrodes,

metal rails I, '5 which are electrically insulated from one another. A secondipair of such metal rails 8,11 is arranged lower down in the 'casing l in a similar manner to the rails l, 5. The two pairs of rails l, 5 and 6,v 1 are connectedup in parallel to one another' and may be connected up through a plug and socket connection! to a wall a glow discharge corresponding to the shape of these electrodes is produced in the interior of the tube. In this case the whole luminous representation is effected by one single tube, the

the. object oi this known arrangement, to combine ently shaped tubes for the formation of one luminous representation and it. has not hitherto of transverse. currents oners a particularly convenient way of connecting in parallel any number of tubes of various lengths. These tubes may even be of an exceptionally small size.

of which may be exchanged,

a plurality of dier- -l -frequency is not shown source of high frequency Il.

frequency generators in the art, e. g. in-

constructions of such high are known to those skilled duction coils or transmitters and any of these known high frequency generators. can `lbe employed.

Finally, lower down stillinthe casing l a third f pair of conductor rails I2,- i3 is'fltted which may be constructed and mounted in the same manner.

as the conductor rails 4, i and i, 1'. vThe rails I2, i3, however, are shown in the form of two comparatively thick wires. in order to illustrate that various structural forms of thepairs of coii-y each tube which ex.

it is of particular advan them embedded therein,v

the frame I are xed twol The source of high in detail, since variousl I like and is provided on by the length of ductors are invention.

A plurality of illuminating tubes are connected in parallel to each of the three pairs of conductors 4, 5; 6, 1 and I2, I3 respectively as shown. Each or the tubes is suitably shaped to form a possible without departing from the part of the desired illuminated display matter,l

sired part of the representation, having the shape of the letter Y in the example illustrated. The tube I5 is iilled with a rareed rare gas or the the outside of its walls 6 and I1, all the strips being connected up to one with conducting strips I IB and all the strips I1 another. The tubes may be provided with sock-` ets I8, the contacts I9 and 20 of which are connected up with the conducting stripsy I6 andv I1. If a socket I8 is pushed between the limbs of the carrier 3 then contact springs I 9' and 20'. connected to the contacts I9 and 20 bear against the conductor rails 4 and 5. If the source of high frequency with which the conductor rails 4 and 5 are connected is switched on, then the conducilluminated panel and comprising tubes the tor strips I6 and I1 carried by the tube Il act as the plates of a condenser and the tube lights up under the action of the condenser lle'ld formed transversely to the axis of the tube, a definite color of light being emitted by the tube corresponding to the gas filling. The color and intensity of the emitted light can be influenced by suitable choice of the gas pressure, the nature and the color of the material from which the tube wall is made (e. g. colored or fluorescent glass, certain artiiicial resins and the like), the wall thickness of the tubes, and by substances enclosed in the tube which promote the light emitted or vary the color of the light.

By applying suitable substances to the inner wall of the tube it is possible to reduce the ignition tension which can be of considerable importance for starting up the illumination.

The conducting strips I5 and I'II whichact as condenser electrodes extend substantially over the entire length of the illuminated character or other element, that is to say, in the casel of the example described, the letter Y. 'The most intensive light action voccurson the wall of the tube in the region of the electrodes I6, I1.

'I'he electrodes I6 and I1 may be constructed in various ways, for instance in the form of coatings applied to the tube wall consisting of a conv' ductive material mixed with a binder, for instance varnish. The electrodes may also be formed by spraying metal on the wall of the tube by the Schoop process or by applying tinfoil coatings, thin wires and 'so on.

In order to. obtain any desired inscription, a plurality of tubes are connected up lr parallel, as shown in Figure 1, to the same pair of conductors 4, 5; 6, 1 or I2, I3. In the rst line, by way oi' example, four tubes are used and in the second and third lines eight tubes each. 1The number of the tubes which may be employed is only limited the conductor rails I, 2 and con-v second electrode I1" length of which varies in some cases very considerably from one another. If for instance instead of the four letters comprising the word York it is desired to use or less letters, then thefour tubes shown would be removed and substituted by other tubes lnserted between the conductors I, 5.

Instead of tubes, as above described-,each bel ing provided with a socket for'connectngthem up to the source of current, they may be connected up in some other Way, for instance bymeans of terminals, suspension hooks, rings, brackets. contact pins or the like tted on .the rear of the tube. A method of connecting the tubes to a pair of current conductors by means of clips is shown in the lowermost part (third line of the illuminated panel) illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. 'I'he clips, one of which is connected with each electrode of the corresponding tube, are marked-2l and 22.

The condenser electrodes I6, I1 need not be arranged outside of the wall of the tube even though, as already mentioned, it is advantageous for them to be so arranged, but they may comprise conducting strips which are located on the inner wallof the tube (Fig. 3) or are embedded in the glass itself (Fig. 4). f

Under certain circumstances it may be of advantage to provide the tubes having the form of letters, written characters or the like with a reecting-coating I1' on the rear side in the manner shown in Figure 5, the said coating being capable of acting as one of the condenser coatings. The other condenser coating I5 may for example be formed by a Wire.

It is further not always necessary for the two condenser surfaces to be located directly on the wall of the tube but it may be advantageous in some cases to employ tubes as shown in Figures 6 and 7, in which only one of the condenser electrodes I6" is carried by the tube Wall, the of all the tubes is common and formed by a plate situated behind the tubes. The plate I1" is connected up by means of a wire 23 to one pole of the source of high frequency, while the other pole of the source of high frequency is connected up by means of the conductor 24 to a bus-bar 25 to which thesockets 26 of the illumina.. '1g tubes are clamped by means of clamping screws 21. The clamping screws are provided with slots 28 so that the tubes can be displaced easily lengthwise of the bar 25 and can also be readily lifted oi for the purpose of exchanging them.l In some cases also both condenser electrodes may be arranged separately iromthe tubes, e. g. in the form of two plates| located parallel to one another ,and between which the tubes are located.

Various effects can be obtained by varying the manner in which the condenser electrodes are constructed and arranged. For instance the electrodes may be made narrow and extend exactly in the vertical central plane of the tubes,

any other word having more prising a letter will be illuminated exactly' at the contours so that the letter will be particularly distinct to read. By making the metal coatings wider or narrower, the contour may be made to stand out more or less sharply while by interrupting the coatings, individual parts of the tubes may be prevented from lighting up.

With regard to the use of fluorescent glassv for the tube wall,'as above mentioned, such fluorescent properties may be utilized in a particularly favourable manner if at least one of the condenser electrodes is in immediate contact with the glass wall, since in this case| the glass itself is particularly strongly excited, which also holds good for the substances provided in the tube.

It may further be remarked that the tubes A need not comprise cylindrical tubular-elements but may be of any desired shape, as for instance the shape of a figure of an animal or the like.

Owing tothe fact that -each of the individualtubes excited by current flowing transversely through it is connected up in parallel to the current conductors, the tubes which are connected up in parallel for forming an illuminated representation may be illuminated at different successive intervals by a suitable switching mechanism, asingle tube or differently combined groups of tubes being capable of being illuminated at will without any special precaution being necessary in order to allow for differ` ent lengths of the tubes.

arranged exteriorly of the tube lling along linesv parallel to the contour lines of the sign char-l y acter, facing each other along substantially the whole length ofthe tube, said electrodes being the only electrodes of the tube so as to convey all the energy needed for starting and operating the tube when connected with a high frequency current source, each of the two electrodes consisting of at least onevmetallic conductor, the conductors belonging to one velectrode and. the

.conductors belonging to the other electrode respectively being interconnected on the tube itself.

2. Luminous tube according to claim 1, at least one of the electrodes being in the form of a wire.

3. A gasor vapor filled luminous tube comprising a. transparent envelope substantially in the shape of sign characters and two electrodes secured to the material of said envelope alongY lines parallel to the contour lines of the sign character, facing each other along substantially the whole length of the tube so as to convey all the energy needed for starting and operatingthe tube when connected with a high frequency current source, each of the two electrodes consisting of at least one metallic conductor, the conductors belonging to one electrode and the conductors belonging to the other electrode respectively being interconnected on the tube itself.

. 4. A gasor vapor filled luminous tube comprising a transparent envelope substantially in the shape of sign characters and two electrodes arranged exteriorly of the tube filling along lines parallel to the contour lines of the sign character, facing each other along substantially the whole length of the tube so as to convey all the energy needed for starting and operating the tube when connected with a high frequency current source, each of the two electrodes consisting of at least one metallic conductor, the conductors belonging to one electrode and the con ductors belonging to the other electrode respectively being interconnected on the tube itself, said metallic conductors being constituted by metallic lms applied to the outer surface of the envelope and integrated rwith the material of said envelope.

5. A gasor vapor filled luminous tubecomprising a transparent envelope substantially in the shape of signcharacters and two electrodes applied lengthwise to such envelope for establishing between them electric elds extending substantially transversely to the side walls of said 'envelope when said electrodes are con,-

' substantially the whole length of these contour source, a pair of conductor rails electrically connected with the two poles respectively of a high frequency current source, said electrodes extending parallel to the con-tour lines of the sign character for substantially the whole length of said contour lines, at least one of the electrodes being separated from the tube lling by at least a part of the thickness ofthe material of said ensource, a plurality of removable and interchangeable gasor vapor filled luminoustubes in the shape of sign characters each tube having a transparent envelope, two electrodes rmly applied to said envelope along lines parallel to the contour lines of the respective sign character fr spectively being interconnected on the tube itself.

7. In combination a high frequency current nected with said current source, a plurality of removable and interchangeable gasor vapor' same end of the tube for a sliding contact with said pair of conductor rails.

FERDINAND GANTNER. ERNST SORTER.

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