US3707790A

US3707790A - Illuminated display device

Info

Publication number: US3707790A
Application number: US00024284A
Authority: US
Inventors: M Jaffe
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-03-31
Filing date: 1970-03-31
Publication date: 1973-01-02
Anticipated expiration: 1990-01-02

Abstract

A display device comprising a rotatably driven member and discs rotatably mounted thereon with illuminating means of different colors secured in desired patterns on said discs whereby selective energization of said member and said illuminating means results in varying displays.

Description

atent n91 Jaffe, Jr.

States 1541 ILLUMINATED DISPLAY DEVICE [76] inventor: Morris D. Jafle, Jr., 300 Alameda Circle, San Antonio, Tex. 75212 [22] Filed: March 31, 1970 [21] Appl. No; 24,284

[52] US. Cl ..40/34, 240/10.1, 40/1130 G [51] Int. Cl. ..G09i 13/30 [58] Field of Search ...40/34, 130 G, 130 L; 240/10.l

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,960,618 5/1934 Compare ..240/10.1 1,803,596 5/1931 Craig ..240/10.1 UX 2,252,347 8/1941 Luthy ..240/10.1 X 2,155,618 4/1939 Roberts ..40/130G 1,853,284 4/1932 Prosser ..40/130 G X 51 Jan.2,1973

1,836,905 12/1931 Craig ..40/1 30 G 1,905,378 4/1933 Gechter "40/130 G UX FORElGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 392,055 5/1933 Great Britain ..40/1 30 G Primary Examiner-Robert W. Michell Assistant Examiner-Richard Carter Att0rney-J0hn C. Stahl [5 7 ABSTRACT A display device comprising a rotatably driven member and discs rotatably mounted thereon with illuminating means of different colors secured in desired patterns on said discs whereby selective energization of said member and said illuminating means results in varying displays.

7 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTED A SHEET 1 0F 4 54 FIG. 2

MORRIS D. JAFFE, JR.

INVENTOR.

BY%--C,M

ATTORNEY FIG. 3

SHEET 2 BF 4 PATENTED M 1% INVENTOR.

AT TORN EY MORRIS D. JAFFE, JR.

PATENTEDJANZ ms SHEET 3 BF 4 FIG. 5

MORRIS D. JAFFE, JR

INVENTOR.

BY W Q, N

ATTORNEY PATENTEDJ/Wz 1915 3.707, 790

sneer u or 4 MORRIS s D. JAFFE JR.

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY ILLUMINATED DISPLAY DEVICE The subject invention relates to an illuminated display device and more particularly to such a device which produces varying colored displays.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of an illuminated display device which automatically changes the pattern of the display at fixed intervals of time.

Another object is the provision of an illuminated display device including a rotatably driven member with spaced and rotatable discs mounted thereon, each of said discs including a plurality of illuminating means of different colors wherein selective energization of said member and said illuminating means produce varying displays.

A still further object is the provision of such a device wherein said illuminating means are irregular in shape and arranged in desired patterns on each of said discs to produce more varied displays.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art as the disclosure is made in the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying sheets of drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the preferred embodiment of illuminated display device of the subject invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, enlarged, side elevational view, partly broken away and partly in section, of the drive means of the subject invention with the rotatable member extending vertically.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, enlarged, side elevational view, partly broken away and partly in section of another embodiment of the invention showing the rotatable member extending vertically.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, front elevational view showing the medial portion of the rotatable disc of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the switching means utilized in the practice of the subject invention.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown in FIGS. 1-3 a preferred embodiment of the illuminated display device of the subject invention. Display device 20 consists, in general, of rotatably driven member 21 with rotatable discs 22-23 mounted forwardly thereof in spaced relationship. As will hereinafter be described, member 21 may be rectangular or circular in elevation and is mounted forwardly of supporting surface 24 which is conventionally secured in housing 25 of desired configuration, size and composition.

Member 21 of desired dimensions and

discs

22,23 of desired diameters are preferably of electrically insulating composition. As best seen in FIG. 3 of the drawings, longitudinally extending, hollow shaft 26 passes forwardly through bore 27 in supporting surface 24 and carries washer 28 and cylindrical spacer 29 of desired length. Bore 30 in member 21 accommodates the said shaft with collar 31 secured thereto as by means of set screw 32 or the like. It is understood that member 21 is fixedly secured to shaft 26 as by longitudinally extending screws 33 which thread into collar 31 and member 21, respectively, or in any conventional manner.

For purposes of convenience only, disc 22 which is rotatably mounted forwardly of and in proximity to one end or circumference of member 21 will be described in detail; it is understood that disc 23 secured to the opposite end of the said member is of similar construction. Pin 34 (see FIG. 2) or the like includes shank 35 which passes forwardly through longitudinally extending bore 36 in proximity to one end of member 21; shank 35 carries'cylindrical spacer 37 of desired length and preferably of electrically insulating composition and bushing 38 of reduced diameter. Bushing 38 is press fitted or otherwise fixedly secured in axial bore 39 in disc 22 and carries washers 40-41 on each side of disc 22. Collar 42 is secured to the foremost end of pin 34 as by radially extending set screw 43 which is adjusted to bear against shank 35 of the said pin.

l-Ienceforth throughout the specification and claims the term illuminating means is used in a generic sense and includes gaseous tubes, incandescent or glow lamps of various types and colors, arranged in any regular or irregular pattern, and electrically connected in either series or parallel on a selected disc.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3 of the drawings, the illuminating means comprise irregularly shaped neon tubes 44-45 which are secured in any desired pattern on the foremost surface of disc 22 as by wires 46 or the like which are passed through bores 47 in the said disc, partially around selected portions of said tubes, and said wires twisted.

Tubes

44,45 terminate at each end in electrical leads 48-49 50-51, respectively; leads 49,50 connect while leads 48 and 51 are passed rearwardly through bores 52-53 in disc 22.

Concentric, electrically conductive rings 54-55 are conventionally secured to the rear surface of disc 22; lead 51 is electrically connected to ring 55 while lead 48 is connected to ring 54. Contacts 56-57 such as are well known in the art are secured to member 21 and the free ends adjusted to make electrical contact with the

respective rings

54,55. More specifically, threaded member 58 is passed through bore 59 in member 21 inwardly of bore 36; one end of said threaded member is secured to contact 56 by means of nut 60 while one end of wire 61 is electrically connected to and secured to the opposite end of said threaded member by means of nut 62. Contact 57 is electrically connected to one end of wire 63 in like manner.

Wires

61,63 are then passed forwardly through bore 64 in proximity to collar 31 and thence rearwardly and completely through hollow shaft 26 as will hereinafter be described.

Weight 65 is secured in recess 66 (see FIG. 2) provided in the foremost surface of disc 22

intermediate rings

54,55; to minimize the possibility of

short circuiting rings

54,55 such weight preferably does not extend completely through the said disc.

As viewed in FIG. 6 of the drawings, shaft 26 extends rearwardly of supporting surface 24. U-shaped bracket 67 comprising spaced and parallel legs 68-69 and intermediate web 70 includes aligned bores 71 in

legs

68,69 which accommodate bushing 72 through which shaft 26 is journaled. Leg 68 of the said bracket is conventionally secured to the rear side of supporting surface 24 while washer 73 is carried by bushing 72 intermediate the opposite leg 69 and pulley 74. Transversely extending screws 75 are passed rearwardly through pulley 74 into collar 76 which is carried on shaft 26; radially extending set screw 77 in collar 76 is adjusted to bear against shaft 26 fixedly securing the pulley and collar to the shaft. Belt 78 passes around pulley 74 and member 21 is driven by drive motor 121 (see FIG. 6) from approximately fifty to three hundred revolutions per minute dependent primarily upon the diameter of the member.

Longitudinally spaced and transversely extending recesses 79 in collar 76 accommodate conductor rings 80-81 which are secured therein in a conventional manner. The remote end of wire 61 heretofore mentioned is passed through an angularly extending bore 82 which surfaces in the rearmost end of collar 76 and the end of said wire electrically connected to ring 81; in like manner, wire 63 passes through angularly extending bore 83 in the said collar and the end connected to ring 80.

Bracket 84 or the like conventionally connects to the rear side of supporting surface 24; spaced contacts 85-86 are secured in proximity to the rearmost end of the said bracket in such a manner that contact 85 bears against ring 80 and contact 86 abuts ring 81. Wires 87-88 connecting at one end to

contacts

85,86, respectively, provide current through the circuitry heretofore described to

tubes

44,45.

It is understood that neon tubes 44',45 of regular or irregular shape are secured to disc 23 and electrical connections made thereto in the manner heretofore described. Furthermore, although each of

neon tubes

44,45, 44,45 or other illuminating means preferably produce the primary colors, various shades may be provided by painting selected portions of said tubes or using sections of tubing of different compositions whereby more than one color is produced by a single tube or the like.

There is shown in FIG. 4 another embodiment of the subject invention wherein the electrical connections are primarily made rearwardly of member 21. More specifically, hollow shaft 26 heretofore described passes through bore 27 in supporting surface 24 and carries washer 89 and collar 90 fixedly secured to the said shaft as by means of radially extending set screw 91. The said shaft passes through bore 30 in member 21 with collar 31 secured thereon by means of set screw 32. Transversely extending screws 33 thread into collar 31 and member 21 fixedly securing member 21 to shaft 26.

Longitudinally spaced and transversely extending recesses 92 in collar 90 accommodate conductor rings 93-94. In such embodiment, wire 61 passes through a bore (not shown) in shaft 26 and thence through a communicating bore 95 in collar 90 and the end electrically connects to ring 93. In like manner, wire 63 passes through a bore (not shown) in shaft 26 and communicating bore 96 in collar 90 and the end soldered or otherwise electrically connected to ring 94.

Contacts 97-98 are secured to member 21 by means of bracket 99 and are adjusted to make electrical contact with

rings

93,94, respectively. Wires 100-101 connect respectively to contacts 97,98 and the corresponding connections on disc 22.

Still referring to FIG. 4 of the drawings, there is shown another embodiment of the invention whereby disc 22 is rotatably mounted on member 21 and electrical connections made to the illuminating means carried thereon. More specifically, longitudinally extending hollow shaft 102 of electrically conductive composition is press fitted or otherwise fixedly secured in bore 36 in proximity to one end of said member with collar 103 carried by the said shaft rearwardly of member 21 and secured thereto by means of radially extending set screw 104 or the like. Cylindrical spacer 105 of desired length is carried by shaft 102 forwardly of member 21 and is fixedly secured thereto by means of set screw 106. Bushing 38 is press fitted into or otherwise fixedly secured in axial bore 39 in disc 22 and carries washers 40-41 on each side of disc 22. Collar 42 is secured to the foremost end of shaft 102 as by radially extending set screw 43 which is adjusted to bear thereagainst.

Longitudinally extending conductive rod 107 of greater length than shaft 102 includes an electrically insulating covering 108 and is carried in the bore 'of shaft 102. Shaped conductor 109 is secured at one end to the rear side of member 21 and the remote end of wire 101 connected thereto. Connector 109 is bent outwardly to clear collar 103, said connector terminates in a closed loop 110 (see FIG. 5) which encircles and makes electrical contact with rod 107. Spring connector 111 such as is well known in the art is secured to member 21 inwardly of bore 36 and the free end adapted to bear against collar 103; the remote end of wire 100 makes electrical contact with the said connector 1 11.

As best seen in FIG. 5, connector 112, similar to connector 109, is secured to the foremost side of disc 22 and makes electrical contact with rod 107; it is understood that lead 51 on neon tube 45, for example, connects thereto. Spring connector 113, similar to connector 111, is adapted to bear against collar 42 and is remotely connected to lead 48 of neon tube 44.

There is shown in FIG. 6 of the drawings a schematic diagram of the switching means secured in housing 25 rearwardly of supporting surface 24 whereby member 21 is driven and the illuminating means on

discs

22,23 selectively energized. A ll0-volt alternating current is applied through switch 114 and fuse 115 to cycling, motor 116 such as is well known in the art. Ganged switches 117-119 or the like each include a rotor l17'-119', respectively, which are synchronously driven by shaft of cycling motor 116.

It is to be understood that switch 117 electrically connects to drive motor 121, switch 118 connects to

tubes

44,45 and switch 119 connects to tubes 44',45'. Furthermore, the fixed terminals l-12 on switches 117-119 may be electrically connected in any desired combination. In order to illustrate the operation of such switching means, fixed terminals 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 on switch 117 connect to a first electric supply line. Rotor 117 of said switch connects to one terminal of drive motor 121 and the second terminal of said motor connects to the second electric supply line. Capacitor 122 connects across drive motor 121; when capacitor 122 is shorted out, drive motor 121 runs at its designated r.p.m.; when capacitor 122 is in the circuit, drive motor 121 runs at a substantially lesser r.p.m. It is evident that when rotor 117' makes contact with

open terminals

2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12, drive motor 121 is not energized.

Selected fixed terminals on switch 118, namely,

terminals

1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10 and 11, and selected terminals on switch 119, namely,

terminals

2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10 and 11, connect to said second electric supply line. Rotor 118 on switch 118 connects to a first primary terminal of high voltage transformer 123 while rotor 119' on switch 119 connects to a second primary terminal of high voltage transformer 124. The second primary terminal of transformer 123 and the first primary terminal of transformer 124 connect to said first supply line. When rotors l18'-119' make electrical contact with any of the selected connected terminals on switches 118,119 current is applied to the corresponding primary windings of transformers 123,124 and

tubes

44,45, 44',45' on

discs

22,23 are energized. For example, when rotor 117' contacts terminal 1 on switch 117, rotor 118' of switch 118 contacts terminal 1, and rotor 119' of switch 119 contacts terminal 7, not only is member 21 rotatably driven but

tubes

44,45,44 and 45 are energized. The pattern produced by display device 20 is a blending of the colors produced by the several energized illuminating means.

As member 21 starts to rotate,

discs

22,23 may rotate on their respective shafts, however, such rotation is checked with an increase in speed of the said member thereby controlling the pattern of the display.

Terminal 2 of switch 117 is open, accordingly, when rotor 117' contacts the said terminal the drive motor 121 is not energized but member 21 continues to rotate at a gradually diminishing rate; at such time weights 65 in

discs

22,23 cause the said discs to rotate on their shafts which breaks up the pattern of the display. Furthermore, when rotor 118' contacts terminal 2 on switch 118

tubes

44,45 on disc 22 are energized;

tubes

44,45 on disc 23 are not energized, however, since terminal 8 on switch 119 is open.

Drive motor 121 is again energized when rotor 117' contacts terminal 3 on switch 117 whereby member 21 is again rotatably driven;

tubes

44,45 are not energized when rotor 118' contacts open terminal 3, however, when rotor 119 contacts terminal 9 on switch 119

tubes

44,45 on disc 23 are energized.

It is evident that the respective terminals on switches 117-119 may be so connected that member 21 is rotatably driven while the illuminating means on either or both of the said

discs

22,23 are energized; in like manner, current may be applied to the illuminating means on either or both of the said discs while member 21 is free wheeling.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing disclosure relates to only preferred embodiments of the invention and that it is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the examples of the invention herein chosen for the purposes of the disclosure which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An illuminated display device comprising a rotatable member,

means to drive said member in the range of fifty to three hundred revolutions per minute,

first and second discs rotatably mounted on said rotatable member, colored illuminating means secured to each of said first and second discs, first switching means connected to said illuminating means on said first disc,

second switching means connected to said illuminatin mea son said second disc thir swltc mg means electrically connected to said drive means,

said first, second and third switching means each comprising a rotor and a plurality of terminals wherein selected terminals are connected together whereby varying displays are produced upon rotation of said member and selective energization of said illuminating means on at least one of said discs.

2. The invention of claim 1 including means to vary the rate of rotation of said member.

3. The invention of claim 1 including cycling and driving means connected to the rotors of each of said switching means.

4. The invention of claim 1 further including electrically conductive means on each of said first and second discs, and coacting means on said member to electrically connect said first and second switching means with said plurality of illuminating means on each of said first and second discs respectively.

5. An illuminated display device comprising a rotatable member,

first and second discs rotatably mounted on said arm,

a plurality of electrically connected illuminating means secured to said first and second discs respectively, first and second concentric, electrically conductive rings on each of said first and second discs,.

first and second switching means connected to said plurality of illuminating means on said first and second discs respectively,

a motor connected to said member to drive the same,

third switching means electrically connecting to said drive means to selectively energize the same,

said first, second and third switching means each comprising a rotor and a plurality of terminals wherein selected terminals connected together,

cycling means connecting to said rotors of said first,

second and third switching means whereby said rotors electrically contact selected terminals on said first, second and third switching means respectively and energize said illuminating means whereby varying patterns are produced.

6. The invention of claim 5 wherein said rotors of said first, second and third switching means are driven in synchronization.

7. The invention of claim 5 including means to vary the rate of rotation of said member.

are

Claims

1. An illuminated display device comprising a rotatable member, means to drive said member in the range of fifty to three hundred revolutions per minute, first and second discs rotatably mounted on said rotatable member, colored illuminating means secured to each of said first and second discs, first switching means connected to said illuminating means on said first disc, second switching means connected to said illuminating means on said second disc, third switching means electrically connected to said drive means, said first, second and third switching means each comprising a rotor and a plurality of terminals wherein selected terminals are connected together whereby varying displays are produced upon rotation of said member and selective energization of said illuminating means on at least one of said discs.

5. An illuminated display device comprising a rotatable member, first and second discs rotatably mounted on said arm, a plurality of electrically connected illuminating means secured to said first and second discs respectively, first and second concentric, electrically conductive rings on each of said first and second discs, first and second switching means connected to said plurality of illuminating means on said first and second discs respectively, a motor connected to said member to drive the same, third switching means electrically connecting to said drive means to selectively energize the same, said first, second and third switching means each comprising a rotor and a plurality of terminals wherein selected terminals are connected together, cycling means connecting to said rotors of said first, second and third switching means whereby said rotors electrically contact selected terminals on said first, second and third switching means respectively and energize said illuminating means whereby varying patterns are produced.