US3152414A - Display devices - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 13, 1964 F. 6. JORDAN 3,152,414

DISPLAY DEVICES Filed Dec. 28, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR FRANK 6. JORDAN Oct. 13, 1964 I F. (3. JORDAN 3,152,414

DISPLAY DEVICES Filed Dec. 28, 1962 2 sheets sheet 2 INVENTOR. FRANK 6. JORDAN BY E. 6- 6g D J- x g @fltty.

United States Patent 3,152,414 DISPLAY DEVICES Frank G. Jordan, 3943 Diver-say Ave, Chicago, ill. Filed Dec. 28, 1962, Ser. No. 248,066 1 Claim. (Cl. 40-34) This invention relates to improvements in display devices and is more particularly concerned with an animated display device of a character that represents a very realistic display of, for example, playing dice being intermittently thrown and coming to rest at irregular intervals for predetermined periods of time.

Known prior devices embodying structures intended to generate observer interest fail to impart the appearance of realism owing primarily to certain structural characteristics which tend to prevent or retard the spontaneity of uncertainty as to the precise position in which the dice come to rest following successive operations.

In the present disclosure there is provided a pair of rotatable members each having loosely mounted thereon, for free rotation or spinning, a plurality of spinners each have a representation, such as for example that of a die. Novel means is provided to cause the rotatable members to be positively rotated for predetermined periods of time at predetermined intervals and wherein, during such rotation, the spinners spin about their mountings. The drive means is rendered inoperative at predetermined intervals during which time the momentum of the rotatable members causes said members and the spinners thereon to rotate freely before coming to rest. The device also includes novel means to control operation of the drive means.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a novel display device of the character referred to.

Another object is to provide novel drive means for operating the device.

Another object is to provide novel means to incrementally start and stop the drive means.

Another object is to provide an intermittently driven device of a character having free spinning elements arranged on a rotatable member and novel means to insure that the members and elements come to rest in predetermined locations.

Another object is to provide a display device of the character described which is wholly self contained, is not expensive to construct or operater, is highly efiicient and satisfactory in operation, very pleasing to observe and which is realistic.

The structure and means by which the above noted and other objects and advantages of the invention are attained will be described in the following specification, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, showing a preferred illustrative embodiment of the invention, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the display device.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the device with the top wall of its housing broken away, showing the rotatable members in idle disengaged condition.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged front elevational view of one of the spinners, showing its mounting pin in section.

FIG. 4 is a rear elevational View of one of the rotatable members as viewed substantially along line 44 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged detail plan view of the drive means, showing the parts in driving positions.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary front elevational view, on a reduced scale, of the drive means as viewed substantially along line 66 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a detail sectional view of the switch control mechanism, taken substantially on line 7-7 of FIG. 2.

Referring to the accompanying drawings illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the display device, and particularly to FIG. 1, the device preferably is enclosed in a housing ll including a front wall 12 having a pair of circular openings therein in each of which is located a rotatable member in the form of discs 13, 13a, each mounting a plurality of spinners 14 on their front faces. The spinners M- are preferably alike and each may be representative of an ornamental display of any selected character. Preferably, and for purposes of this disclosure, each spinner (best shown in FIG. 3) is constructed of thin sheet material such as metal, and each may have the configuration and bear the imprint of a representation of three faces of a die. Each spinner has a centrally located triangular hole 15 through which a mounting pin 16 of a size smaller than said hole extends. It should be apparent at this time that when a spinner comes to rest, after having been spun in a manner and by means to be presently described, the pin 16 will seat in an apex of the triangular hole. As shown the hole is so related to the display that a representation of one face of the die will always be uppermost when the spinner is at rest.

The disc 13 is mounted firmly on a shaft 17 journalled for free rotation in a bracket 18. The shaft also mounts firmly a flywheel 19 having a friction band or tread 21 on its perimeter.

The disc 13:; is mounted firmly on a shaft 22 journalled for free rotation in a bracket 23. A flywheel 24 is keyed onto the shaft 22 and a light compression spring 25 interposed between said flywheel and one leg of bracket 23 normally urges said flywheel into substantially the position shown in FIG. 2. This flywheel has a chamfered peripheral edge 26. The flywheel 19 and the flywheel 24 are of substantially the same diameter and are of a size as to allow their peripheral margins to overlap one another slightly for a purpose to be explained presently.

The flywheels l9 and 24, and of course discs 13 and 13a, connected therewith, are adapted to be rotated in unison when the device is in operation. For this purpose, an electric drive motor 27 is provided rearwardly of the flywheels i9, 24. This motor includes a driven shaft 28 and is of a type that has its shaft thrust in a forward direction while the motor is operating but which returns to its initial position when the motor is idle. The motor shaft 23 carries a friction roller 29 adapted, when the motor is operating as shown in FIG. 5, to engage peripheral edge 26 of flywheel 24 and urge said flywheel forwardly against the action of spring 25 into frictional engagement with peripheral friction band 21 on flywheel w. When the motor is idle, the parts return to their initial positions and the flywheels and their related discs rotate freely until stopped by loss of inertia.

It is proposed to cause intermittent operation of motor 27 and to this end a 60 cycle electric motor 30 is provided. This motor has on its shaft 31, an eccentric 32, best shown in FIG. 7, provided with a series of peripheral notches 33 and intermediate lands 34. A normally open microswitch 35, connected in the electric circuit to drive motor 27, is provided with an actuating arm 36 having a roller 37 engaged by lands 34 for opening said switch. It should be evident that during operation of motor 39, the eccentric is constantly driven to intermittently open and then close the circuit to drive motor 27. In the present disclosure, the lands 34 are of uniform length whereas the notches are of different lengths, although any other pattern of sequence may be utilized. As a consequence, drive motor 27 is operated intermittently for like periods of time and is idle for variable time periods. This manner of drive enhances the observer interest in the display as will now be made apparent.

When discs 13, 13a are rotated either positively or while free-wheeling, the spinners 14 thereon are spun about their mounting pins 16. This spinning is effected J by the arrangement of the spinners adjacent to the peripheral edge of their respective discs (FIG. 3) in such manner as to cause the corners 14a thereof to strike against respective fingers 38 on the front face of housing front wall 12 during disc rotation. The fingers 38 preferably are fabricated from fine stiif wire in the form of What is commonly termed a cat-whisker.

When rotation of discs 13, 1.3a ceases, the spinners will come to rest with a fiat face representation of each spinner disposed upwardly for realistic appearance and one spinner on each disc will be positioned vertically above the axis of its mounting disc. This positioning is accomplished by novel indexing means now to be described. The indexing means is alike with respect to each disc 13, 13a. As best shown in FIG. 4, it comprises a plurality of mutually spaced pins 41, in this instance one for each spinner, arranged above the disc axis and radially positioned to correspond to the positioning of the spinners. These pins are engaged by an escapement roller 42 carried on a flexible arm 43 secured preferably to the floor of the housing and provided with tension adjustment means in the form of a stop screw 44.

Additional selective stop means can be provided in the form of sets of permanent magnets 45, 46 circumferentially spaced about the periphery of discs 13, 13a. These magnets have their poles arranged so that magnets 45 of one set, which are carried on the discs, are attracted to one magnet 46a of the other set carried by the housing Wall and are repelled by magnets 46b and 46c of said other set.

Although applicant has described an exemplary embodiment of his display device in detail it should be apparent that the device depicted and described may embody a variety of modifications in its construction without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A display device comprising a pair of parallel shafts, rotatable members mounted firmly one on each shaft, a plurality of spinners mounted rotatably on the peripheral margin of each rotatable member, a fly wheel on each shaft, said fly wheels being normally disengaged one from the other, an electric motor including a driven shaft, means on said motor shaft for engaging the periphery of one of said fly Wheels during operation of the motor and for moving said fly wheels into peripheral engagement with each other whereby both rotatable member shafts are rotated, a normally open switch in the electric circuit to said motor, means to intermittently close said switch to intermittently operate the motor and start rotation of the rotatable member shafts, and means for engagement by the spinners for imparting rotation thereto during rotation of the rotatable members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 489,027 McDonald Jan. 3, 1893 636,508 Elckershott Nov. 7, 1899 1,749,444 Rae Mar. 3, 1930 2,215,054 Regan Sept. 17, 1940 2,334,440 Ragan Nov. 16, 1943 2,527,803 Fleak Oct. 31, 1950 3,034,790 Breitenstein May 15, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 11,602 Great Britain 1895 317,925 Italy May 28, 1934

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