US3089271A - Apparatus for skywriting - Google Patents

Description

y 14, 1963 (5., R. COPELAND 3,089,271-

APPARATUS FOR SKYWRITING Filed Dec. 23, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 14, 1963 G. R. COPELAND APPARATUS FOR SKYWRITING 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 23, 1960 d .W Z Z 6 Z 3 d W 6 May 14, 1963 G. R. COPELAND APPARATUS FOR SKYWRITING 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec. 25, 1960 Gbrdozaf (oefazzri May 14, 1963 G. R. COPELAND 3,0 7

- APPARATUS FOR SKYWRITING Filed Dec. 23, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 HHHH W 'I HH II n n H 11 1,, DI LIIJ ILI l 1 Illlll minim g m l H "i ll Gordon/Z United States Patent 3,089,271 APRARATUS FOR SKYWRITING Gordon R. Copeland, Park Ridge, 11]., assignor to Dorothy B. Copeland, Park Ridge, 111. Filed Dec. 23, 1960, Ser. No. 78,151 8 Claims. (Cl. 40-213) This invention relates to the art of so-called skywriting, more especially, having for an object to provide an apparatus and method for and of effecting in the firrnament the formation and visual presentation of intelligence, delineation and/ or combinations thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus operable within or from an airplane or other type offiight effecting and sustaining vehicle whereby advertisements (word, design and/or symbol) line drawings or pictures, messages, news and other intelligible and kindred embodiments may be rapidly and effectively formed and presented in the sky for reading and viewing, particularly, from below.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a skywriting apparatus of the character above stated which, by reason of its novel construction, will produce beneficial, new and unexpected advantages and results, including the capacity to form and present, for viewing, in the firmament substantially any type of copy, design, drawing, intelligence, picture or symbol capable of being produced by scanning lines, or combinations thereof, in but a fraction of the time heretofore required by now existing apparatus and methods, even where such presentations capable of being effected thereby.

More specifically, an object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for and a method of forming an aerial sign which is composed of incremental puffs or trails of smoke (vapor) emitted at properly pretimed intervals from a manifold line containing smoke producing material and automatically operated discharge or release valves; the manifold line and all equipment required for the formation of the sign being carried by an aircraft flying a level and straight course at a predetermined speed in the sky in a single pass, and capable of rapidly drawing, printing, writing or depicting preprepared pattern guided visual matter in the air by means of so-called skywriting in a substantially vertical instead of a horizontal plane without regard to the style of drawing, printing or writing insolong as such can be effected by line smoke formations.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for presenting viewable matters in the air or sky, including letters, numerals, symbols, line drawings or layouts, etc., by the forming of smoke or vapor trails therein, these in accordance with preprepared patterns, using, in some instances, a chemical material (a liquid or combinations of liquids) having an affinity for moisture which when discharged into the air and supplied with moisture will produce a visible vapor or smoke, the discharge of said material being effected in pattern precontrolled pulsings emitted from automatically operated valves carried by and communicating with a manifold which in turn is carried by and depends or otherwise extends from a moving aircraft.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus, as above noted, having the valved chemical matter carrying and discharging manifold so constructed that said matter is supplied thereby to the automatically controlled and operated discharge valves at a constantly uniform and equalized pressure therethroughout, hence, assuring its discharge from all of the valves into the air at an overall even or uniform pressure and in consequence, assuring an accurate forming of the smoke or vapor trail pulsings in faithful accordance with a particu- Patented May 14, 1963 ICC lar control pattern whereby to visually reproduce the same in the air or sky.

A further object of the invention resides in providing to the manifold line, means whereby it can be selectively adjusted, moved or shifted to different slanting (oblique) positions relatively to the carrying aircraft in order to obtain better and more convenient readability or visibility of its firmament effected presentations for observers directly or substantially directly therebelow.

The foregoing, as well as other objects, advantages and meritorious teachings of my invention, will be in part obvious and in part pointed out in the following described disclosure thereof, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, it being understood that the form of the invention presented herein is precise and What is now considered to be the better mode of embodying its principles, but that other and further modifications and changes may be made in specific embodiment without departing from its essential features.

The invention affords material advantages and improvements over the heretofore known and/or practiced methods of skywriting in that by and with its usage, substantially any type of copy, design, intelligence, picture, and/or combinations thereof, that can be produced by line drawings or formations, can be reproduced in the air or firmament. Moreover, such reproductions can be effected in periods of time much less than those required for like sky written reproductions by prevalent methods. Consequently, a sign, picture or symbol, or combinations thereof, having visual acuity in the air or firmament can be elfected rapidly enough to be observed and/or read in its entirety rather than requiring an objectionable length of time for it to be completed or spelled out. Also, this rapid reproduction in the air or firmarnent, permits display thereof in its entirety, rather than fragmental or partial display, as by dissipation or partial dissipation such as occurs and is objectionably experienced "with said prevalent methods.

The method and the apparatus for practicing the invention also permit substantially unlimited changeability of reproduction copy, without the necessity of making major adjustments or modifications, while an airplane carrying the apparatus is in flight. Thereby, an original copy can be repeated, or several different copies can be reproduced in the firmament during a single flight of the airplane.

Furthermore, because the sky written reproduction is effected in a near or substantially vertical plane, instead of a horizontal plane, as is the present practice, a greatly improved observation or viewing from below and at a distance, is assured.

As heretofore stated, my invention includes, in addition to the method for accomplishing the skywriting technique, apparatus for its carrying out or performance. The apparatus shown and described may, of course, be modified in certain respects, though as herein presented, it is capable of effective and satisfactory functioning.

Considered in its broad aspect, said apparatus, portable in an aircraft or other flight attaining and sustaining vehicle, includes (1) a preferably electrically operated multivalve manifold or boom which can be extended below or from the aircraft; a motor driven drum or means for storing the manifold within the aircraft and for paying-out the same therefrom, and such plumbing as is required to pass a smoke or vapor producing chemical or matter from the aircraft source of supply or storage to the drum or means, thence, to the manifold;

(2) a terminating weight connected to the manifold having an aerodynamic envelope and means for stabilizing its motion with respect to an airstream, plus means for rendering the same dirigible to the extent that the carrying envelope will have the ability, through controls, to cause the manifold to be slanted or deflected either to the left or right of its normal vertical axis by shifting ofits lower end, whereby to improve viewability of produced skywriting' from below, and,

(3) a photo scanning means, i.e., a photoelectric readout device which scans a moving tape, cooperatively associated therewith, and sends out an electrical open signal to the appropriate valve or valves of the manifold on the basis of imprinted, inscribed or punched data appearing on the tape, whereby controlled incremental puffs or trails of smoke or vapor will be emitted by said valve or valves.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a view showing a sky written sign effected by the usage of my invention, the aircraft carrying the producing apparatus being shown in association therewith.

FIGURE 2 is a detail in perspective showing increments or puffs of smoke as emitted from the skywriting manifold or boom, illustrating the steps of expansion thereof until they merge into a homogeneous body.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary side elevation, partly in longitudinal section, showing a portion of the apparatus carrying aircraft, the skywriting manifold or boom and the'dirigible weight, of aerodynamic design, connected to and carried by the lower end of the manifold.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail in longitudinal section of a port-ion of the skywri-ting manifold showing the smoke or vapor producing chemical carrying hose, one of the pressure equalizing cylinders fixedly secured thereto, an eleotromagnetically actuated ejection valve and nozzle, and the flexible form retaining envelope encasing the assembly.

FIGURE 5 is a transverse section taken on the line 5-5 of FIGURE 4, looking in the direction in which the arrows point.

FIGURE 6 is a like section taken on the line 66 of FIGURE 4, looking in the direction in which the arrows points.

FIGURE 7 is a similar sectional view taken on the line 77 of FIGURE 4, looking in the direction in which the arrows point.

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view through the fuselage of the apparatus carrying aircraft showing the positioning and mounting of the manifold winding or receiving drum therein.

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged fragmental vertical section through the fuselage of the aircraft showing the manifold receiving and winding drum in elevation together with the manifold level laying means and the smoke or vapor producing chemical storage and plumbing.

FIGURE 10 is a detail in perspective of the photoelectric scanning device, showing the relationship of the photoelectric cell housings, the light source housing and the copy carrying sheet or tape in scanning relation thereto.

FIGURE '11 is an enlarged and fragmentary horizontal section taken on the line 11-11 of FIGURE 12, looking in the direction in which the arrows point.

FIGURE 12 is a section taken on the line 1212 of FIGURE 11, looking in the direction in which the arrows point, and,

FIGURE 13 is an enlarged detail showing the construction and/ or design of the slide guiding head of one of the photoelectric cell containers.

Referring in detail to the accompanying drawings wherein I have shown the aforesaid form of my invention, the numeral 1 indicates, generally, an airplane having sufiicient load area and lift efficiency, employed to carry and practice the same, though it will be understood that other types of aircraft (flight efiecting and sustaining vehicles) may be substituted therefor, such as condi-' tions or preference may dictate.

Suitable flooring Z is provided within the airplane fuselage and at a suitable point thereon, receives and fixedly supports vertical pillars or standards 3 having bearings 3' on their upper ends rotatably supporting a drum 4 transversely of the fuselage area, as shown in FIGURES 8 and 9 of the drawings. One end portion of the shaft 5 supporting the drum is hollow, opening into and without it and has an outward extension 5' provided on its free end with one element of a slip fitting 6, While the inner portion thereof communicates with an outlet way 7 in an end portion of the drum periphery, for a purpose hereinafter described.

The periphery of the drum 4 is formed throughout its width with a spirally laid groove or way 8 beginning adjacent the outlet way 7, the length of which substantially coincides with that of the apparatus manifold 13, also hereinafter described, whereby to wholly receive the same.

Rotary motion is transmitted to the drum from an electric motor 9 by means of a belt 10 engaged with and about pulleys 1 1 and 12 mounted, respectively, on the motor and drum shaft.

To guide the manifold or boom 13 onto and effect its spiral winding in a single layer about and along the drum 4 in the spiral way 8, a screw-threaded shaft 14, parallel to the drumperiphery and driven from the motor 9 through gearing 15, is journalled in appropriate bearings 16. Relatively spaced guide roller carrying bracket arms 17 having internally screw-threaded sleeves are threadedly engaged with the shaft and have the manifold threaded therebetween (see FIGURE 9). Thus, with collective rotation of the drum and the shaft, the guide rollers will traverse the width of the drum in parallelism thereto and direct or guide said manifold onto or from the drum.

Other and fixedly mounted relatively spaced guide rollers 18 are positioned on the fuselage bottom below the floor positioned rollers and on the opposite sides of an opening in said bottom whereby the manifold 13 will be satisfactorily guided during its paying-out from or winding-in onto the drum 4.

The manifold or boom 13 is of a single length (two hundred feet more or less) and includes in its assembly or construction, a flexible conduit or hose 19, a plurality or series of relatively equi-spaced cylinders 20 fixedly secured to the conduit throughout its length and comrnunicable therewith, flexible electrical cables 21 comprising relatively insulated conductors or wiring, and a flexible form retaining envelope or casing 22 of suitable aerodynamic design receiving and housing the hose, cylinders and cables. If required, flexible steel cables 23* may be received and anchored within the envelope throughout its length for improving its tensile strength.

The hose 19, of desired cross-sectional area, shape and length, is preferably positioned adjacent the normally leading edge of the envelope 22, while the equi-spaced cylinders 20 are positioned rearwardly thereof in fixed juxtaposed relation, as shown in FIGURE 4 of the drawings.

Said cylinders are of complemental construction and form, each consisting of a form sustaining though flexible compartmented body. The normally upper compartment communicates with the hose 19 by way of a sleeve 24 therein, one end of which is flared, at 24, to provide a valve seat arranged within the cylinder. A coniform valve 25 is engageable on the seat under urge or pressure exerted thereon by a coiled spring 26, the tension of which is selectively adjustable or variable by a coaxially disposed screw 26' threadedly engaged in and through the outer wall of the cylinder with its outer end kerfed and exposed to facilitate its screw adjustment.

The cylinder lower compartment, of less area than the upper, receives an outwardly and laterally discharging valved jet nozzle 27 whose inner end opens into and communicates with the lower end of the upper compartment chamber. Suitable electromagnetic operating means 28 are received and retained within the compartment and are connected to the nozzle valve for automatically actuating the same to open and/or closed positions, it being noted in this connection that whereas the jet nozzle discharges outwardly of and from the envelope, it preferably, does not protrude therefrom, for obvious reasons.

In order that electrical energy can be selectively supplied to the electromagnetic valve operating means, conductors 29 are extended from the cable 21 within and extending throughout the length of the envelope 22 and are connected thereto.

A terminating weight device 30 having an envelope of aerodynamic design is connected to the free and, at times, lower end of the manifold, serving to retain it as nearly perpendicular as is practical, when extended. Airfoils 31 and paravanes 32 are provided to the device and function, respectively, to stabilize its motion with respect to an airstream and to effect a controlled slanting or obliquiug thereof either to the left or the right from its extended substantially vertical position whereby to improve the viewability of produced skywriting from below. Selective operation of the paravanes, it will be understood, will be effected from within the equipped aircraft by suitable controls (not shown), such for example as the standard type of Servo controls.

The photoelectric readout or scanning unit of the invention comprises a housing 33 of rectangular form, the upstanding walls of which are intermediately inwardly shouldered, as at 33, while the bottom and top thereof are open. A cap-like flat or plane support 34, of shape and size as will permit its snug though removable engagement over the inwardly offset upper portions of the housing walls, is positioned over the open upper end of the housing, as shown in FIGURE 12 of the drawings, and has a plurality of equi-spaced relatively parallel ways 35, of corresponding lengths, formed in and transversely thereof. An in-line series of vertically disposed containers 36, each housing a photoelectric cell (not shown) are received and movably supported by the caplike support. The number of containers and cells corresponds to the number of cylinders 20 and electromagnetically operated jet nozzles 27 of the manifold. To effect such support, each container has a vertically positioned screw-threaded shank 37 fixedly and centrally connected to its upper end, immovably receiving a ribbed nut 38 thereon. Following prepositioning or adjustment of the ribbed nut on their shanks, the upper extended portionsof the shanks are individually engaged through the ways 35, as shown in FIGURE 13, and relatively slidably adjusted and arranged in the manner shown in FIGURE 11 of the drawings. Thereupon, lock washers 39* and knurled lock nuts 40 are turned onto the extended upper ends of the shanks, positively locking their respective photoelectric cell containers 36 in a particularly effected line relationing and against turning movement.

Electrical conductors, indicated by the numeral 41, are connected to the terminals of each container held photoelectric cell, extending to a suitable source of electrical energy (not shown) and to the electrical conductors passed through the manifold electric cables 21 to the individual electromagnetic operating means 28 for the jet nozzles 27.

As a light source for the photoelectric means of the scanning unit, a plurality of linear electric lamps 42 v(fiorescent or other) and electrical energy supplied contact brackets therefor are mounted in a tray-like receptacle 43 received in the lower portion of the housing 33 below said scanning means and the shouldered portion 33 of the housing.

A translucent or transparent shelf 44 is received and horizontally supported in channelled strips 45 secured to the walls of the housing below its shouldered portion 33' spaced from the lower ends of the photoelectric scanners,

permitting the passage of a copy or layout supplied pattern sheet 46 between it and said scanners. The sheet is 6 horizontally movable or slideable through channelled guide strips 46' fixed to the end walls of the housing in spaced cooperative relation to the lower ends of the scanners. Rollers 47, mounted in housing wall attached brackets 47' flatly engage and direct the sheet in such movement.

The copy or pattern sheet 46, it should be noted, is as wide as the photoelectric scanning unit will receptively permit. It can be of any desired length and is fed or moved through the unit by means of relatively juxtaposed and suitable supported driver rolls 48, one of which is connected to and rotated by a likewise supported electric motor 49, and between which the pattern sheet is threaded and frictionally engaged. Spools 50 are employed .to receive the sheet and to assure its effective passage to and by the scanning unit, being appropriately rotatably supported in aligned relation to the feed rollers 47. Thus, as the copy or pattern sheet passes between the light source (lamps 42) and the photoelectric cells, from one spool 50 to the other, as shown in FIGURE 10 of the drawings, the copy thereon interrupts the light entering said cells. Thereby, the various individual electrical circuits including the photoelectric cells and the electro- .magnetically operated valved jet nozzles 27 are responsively activated with resultant opening and closing of the latter.

Smoke or vapor producing material such as titanium tetrachloride (TiCl employed for forming the skywriting characters or figures, is stored in tanks 51 suitably arranged and supported within the aircraft fuselage 1 and is maintained under pressure by pressurized dry air in tanks 52 also arranged and supported within the aircraft fuselage and connected to the first mentioned tanks by valved conduits 53. The tanks 51 intercommunicate and one thereof has a valved outflow pipe 54 connected thereto, the outer end of which is provided with a slip fitting .6 companionate to and joinable with the hereinbefore described drum shaft equipped slip fitting 6. In consequence, it will be seen that as and when required, TiCl or other vapor producing material will be supplied to the hose 19 of the manifold 13.

In order that electrical connections will be made between the photoelectric scanning unit and the electric wiring to and including the electromagnetically operated jet valves within the cables 21 carried by the manifold 13, following its lowering to a skywriting position, a quick disconnect plug 55, suitably electrically connected by wiring 56 to the photoelectric cells of the scanning unit, is plugged into a companionate fitting 55' and is disconnected therefrom before the manifold is raised or rewound on the drum 4.

In practicing the method and operation of the apparatus embodying my invention, it is preferable, but not necessary, that a copy or pattern sheet 46 depicting, illustrating or bearing that which is to be sky written be first produced. The sheet can be made from translucent paper, translucent or transparent plastic, etc. The copy preparation (intelligence, designs, drawings or symbols and/or combina-tions thereof) is done on the sheet with an opaque or semi opaque material, as for example, ink. With completion, the copy sheet is preferably wound on one of the spools 50'.

Assuming that an apparatus equipped aircraft, including smoke or vapor producing material, is airborne, the copy provided spool 50 is properly positioned with relation to the photoelectric scanning unit with a receiving spool 50 also properly positioned to receive the sheet as it passes from said unit.

The drum 4 is now rotated in a direction to pay-out the manifold 13 to its full and extended length below the aircraft. When so paid-out, the manifold, because of its flexibility, weight and the wind resistance it encounters passing through the air, will assume or take a curvature substantially like that shown in FIGURE 1 of the drawings. Therefore, to assure and effect vertical presentation of the later-1y produced increments or trails of smoke in the sky, the individual photoelectric cell containers 36 are moved to and adjusted in their respective transverse Ways 35 in the support 34 to relative positions where they will conform to the'curvature of the manifold. In consequence, the top and upper of said laterly jet nozzle produced smoke trails will precede the lower ones to such an extent that when the lower ones are effected by the lower jet nozzles on the curved manifold, all thereof will be vertical. Of course, when this curvature adjustment has been established or matched as between the manifold and the adjusted containers 36, it will remain constant for all other and subsequently sky written signs, irrespective of their compositions. Also, further enhancement of the sky written signs and their viewability from below will be eifected by causing the manifold to be shifted either to the left or right of the aircraft by operating the servo control therein to adjust the paravanes 32 on the envelope of the weight device 30 to positions whereby said manifold will be slanted or obliqued to or at an angle to its normal vertical axis, i.e., 30 or 40 from the vertical.

With the manifold 13 and aerodynamic weight member 30 in extended positions below the aircraft ready for pattern controlled ejection of the TiCl from its nozzles 27, electrical connection is made between the fittings 5555' electrically interconnecting the nozzles, via the electrical wiring in the manifold contained cables 21 and the conductors 56 with the photoelectric cells individually housed in the containers 36. TiCL, is supplied to the manifold hose 19 from the now opened supply 51 under air pressure from the tanks 52 and passes therefrom into the equi-spaced cylinders 20 by the previously spring pressure adjusted supply regulating valves 25. Thereby, the pressure of the smoke producing material is maintained relatively constant and substantially uniform within said cylinders, from the top to the bottom of the manifold, each of which has a head of compressible air, indicated at 57, trapped in its upper end (see FIGURE 4 of the drawings).

The photoelectric cells of the scanning unit are now energized and the prepared copy or pattern carrying sheet is fed or passed by the driver rolls 48 between said cells and the light source 42, rolling from one spool 50 onto the other, as shown in FIGURE of the drawings. Thus, as the scanning unit accepts the copy carrying sheet, the opaque or semi-opaque layout of the to be sky written display thereon will interrupt the light entering the cells. In so doing, these efiected changes of light intensity detected by the cells will cause the sending of electrical open signals to the electromagnetic operating means 28 whereby to open the appropriate valves and cause the responsive jet nozzles to emit increments or puffs of smoke producing material into the air on the basis of the copy or pattern carrying sheet and effect its production in the firmament, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings and indicated at 58. In this connection, it will be borne in mind that the number of photoelectric cells in the scanning unit equal the number of electromagnetically operated valve jet nozzles and, of course, equal the number of increments, pufis or trails 58 that will make up the smoke written sky display or presentation.

The prepared copy or pattern carrying sheet 46 may be rerun through the scanning unit to effect repeated reproduction of the sky written display, or said sheet may be provided with duplicates thereof for continuous or consecutive passing through the scanning unit. By the same token, the sheet may have a plurality of different layouts thereon whereby different smoke written or efiected displays may be reproduced in the sky from the equipped lane. P The nozzle ejected increments or puffs 58 of smoke producing material will expand and merge, following their ejection, and form homogeneous bodies, such as indicated at 59. Thus, the resulting transition will resemble that which is illustrated by FIGURE 1 of the drawings, wherein the numeral one is shown as consisting of a plurality of not yet merged smoke increments or puffs, and the numeral six is shown as being a solid or homogeneous body such as will be formed as and when said increments or puffs are expanded and merged.

Because a smoke constituted display or presentation effected by and with my invention will be written rapidly, dissipation of the fore part thereof, before it is completed, will be prevented. Therefore, a longer sign may be effected in its entirety without the need of an observer Waiting an objectionable length of time for it to be completed or spelled out-animus dissipation-as is the case with now prevalent forms or methods of skywriting. Also, it will be understood and appreciated that the data or layout provided to a copy or pattern carrying sheet, such as indicated at 46, may be in form of printing, script or hand writing prepared during the actual flight of an equipped aircraft, as when a message or the like should be transmitted by radio or other methods of communication to the equipped aircraft and then prepared, as above explained, for skywriting thereby.

In the practicing of my invention in arid areas, i.e., in air having a materially reduced moisture content, it may become necessary to supplement the increments, puffs or trails of the smoke producing material (TiCl ejected by the hereinbefore described jet nozzles with predetermined quantities of moisture in order to assure its rapid and effectual smoke conversion. To such end, it will be understood that the manifold 13 may be constructed to include a suitable form of liquid supplied hose appropriately valved to cooperate with the smoke producing jet nozzles.

With completion of a skywriting operation, such as above, it will be understood that the scanning unit is disconnected from the manifold drum 4 by disengaging the quick detachable electrical connection 55 from its companionate element 55' and, of course, discontinuing the supply of smoke producing mate-rial to the manifold hose 19. Concurrently, the scanning unit is rendered inoperative by breaking its connection with its source of electrical supply. Thereupon, the manifold winding drum is rotated in a direction to coil said manifold in a single layer therealong by the laying action of the guide rollers 17 moving over and along the screw-threaded shaft 14 which, along with the drum 4, is driven by the motor 9. Thereby, the weight member 30 will be juxtapositioned with relation to the underside of the aircraft fuselage.

To assure safety, the weight member 30 may be and preferably is provided with a suitable type of flasher signal light 60 having electrical energy supplied thereto from a suitable source (not shown).

I claim:

1. An apparatus for forming smoke constituted characters in the air including, amongst others, letters, numerals, pictures or symbols or combinations thereof, comprising a manifold carried by and extendible from a vehicle, a plurality of relatively longitudinally spaced valved discharge nozzles on and communicating with the manifold, electrically operated means for opening and closing the nozzle valves, and a plurality of relatively adjustable guide pattern scanning photoelectric cells individually connected to the individual electrically operated means for activating the same.

2. An apparatus for forming smoke constituted characters in the air including, amongst others, letters, numerals, pictures or symbols or combinations thereof, comprising a vehicle carried and extendible manifold, a plurality of valved discharge nozzles along and communicating with the manifold, first means for opening and closing the nozzle valves, a housing within the vehicle having a plurality of relatively parallel and transversely disposed ways formed in the top thereof, and a plurality of guide pattern scanning photoelectric cells individually supported Within the housing from the top thereof adjustable along said ways and connected to the [first means for activating the same.

3. An apparatus for forming smoke constituted characters in the air including, amongst others, letters, numerals, pictures or symbols or combinations thereof, comprising a manifold carried by and extendible from a veihicle, a plurality of spaced valved discharge nozzles along and communicating with the manifold, electrically operated means for opening and closing the nozzle valves, a housing within the vehicle having a guide pattern receiving way therethrough, and a plurality of guide pattern scanning photoelectric cells individually supported within the housing adjustable to different positions transversely of the same and in parallel relation cooperatively positioned with relation to said way, said cells being individually electrically connected to the individual electrically operated means for activating the same.

4. An apparatus for forming smoke constituted characters in the air including, amongst others, letters, numerals, pictures or symbols or combinations thereof, comprising a manifold carried by and extendible from a vehicle, an aerodynamically designed weight carried on the free end of said manifold, means on said weight for causing the same, when in motion, to be moved laterally whereby to slant said manifold at an angle to the perpendicular, a plurality of valved discharge nozzles along and communicating with the manifold, first means for opening and closing the nozzle valves, and photoelectric guide pattern scanning means cooperatively associated with said first means for operating the same.

5. An apparatus for forming smoke constituted characters in the air including, amongst others, letters, numerals, pictures or symbols or combinations thereof, comprising a manifold carried by and extendible from a vehicle, a plurality of chambered cylinders along and communicable with the manifold, pressure actuated adjustable valves within the cylinders controlling communication between the same and the manifold, valved discharged nozzles within each of the cylinders, means for opening and closing the nozzle valves, and photoelectric guide pattern scanning means cooperatively associated with said last mentioned means for activating the same.

6. An apparatus for forming smoke constituted characters in the air including, amongst others, letters, numerals, pictures or symbols or combinations thereof, comprising a manifold carried by and extendible from a vehicle, a plurality of chambered cylinders along and communicable with the manifold, pressure responsive and activated valve means within the cylinders controlling communication between the same and the manifold, valved discharge nozzles within and communicating with each of the cylinders, electrically operated means for opening and closing the nozzle valves, and a plurality of relatively adjustable guide pattern scanning photoelectric cells individually connected to the individual electrically operated means for activating the same.

7. An apparatus for forming smoke constituted characters in the air including, amongst others, letters, numerals, pictures or symbols or combinations thereof, comprising a manifold carried by and extendible from a vehicle, a plurality of chambered cylinders along and communicable with the manifold, pressure responsive valves controlling communication between the cylinders and the manifold, valved discharge nozzles on the communicating with the cylinders, electrically operated means within the cylinders for opening and closing the nozzle valves, a housing within the vehicle having a guide pattern receiving way therethrough, and a plurality of guide pattern scanning photoelectric cells individually and adjustably supported within said housing in cooperative relation to said way adjustable thereon in parallel relation and individually connected to the individual electrically operated means for activating the same.

8. In combination with a vehicle, a manifold extending therefrom, photoelectric scannnig means carried by the vehicle including a plurality of relatively independently adjustable photoelectric cells, a light source in cooperative relation thereto and spaced therefrom to provide a way therebetween, means for moving a sheet through the way, said sheet having copy matter thereon to be reproduced, a plurality of valved nozzles along and communicating with the manifold individually electrically connected to individual photoelectric cells and operable thereby, and means on the manifold for selectively changing the angular positioning thereof with relation to the vehicle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,716,794 Remey June 11, 1929 1,986,942 Remey Jan. 8, 1935 2,065,024 Remey Dec. 22, 1936

Claims (1)

1. AN APPARATUS FOR FORMING SMOKE CONSTITUTED CHARACTERS IN THE AIR INCLUDING, AMONGST OTHERS, LETTERS, NUMERALS, PICTURES OR SYMBOLS OR COMBINATIONS THEREOF, COMPRISING A MANIFOLD CARRIED BY AND EXTENDIBLE FROM A VEHICLE, A PLURALITY OF RELATIVELY LONGITUDINALLY SPACED VALVED DISCHARGE NOZZLES ON AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE MANIFOLD, ELECTRICALLY OPERATED MEANS FOR OPENING AND CLOSING THE NOZZLE VALVES, AND A PLURALITY OF RELATIVELY ADJUSTABLE GUIDE PATTERN SCANNING PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS INDIVIDUALLY CONNECTED TO THE INDIVIDUAL ELECTRICALLY OPERATED MEANS FOR ACTIVATING THE SAME.

Images