US744331A - Electrically-illuminated sign. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED NOV. 17, 1903.

J. H. GOEHST. ELEGTRIGALLY ILLUMINATED SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 19, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

. T all whom it may concern.-

UNITED STATES Patented November 1'7, 1903 PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN I-I. GOEHST, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO FEDERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

ELECTRICALLY-ILLUMINATED SIGN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 744,831, dated November 17, 1903.

Application filed March 19, 1903.

Be it known that I, JOHN H. GOEHsT, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and use-- ful Improvements in Electrically-Illuminated Signs; and I do' hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

'This invention relates to improvements in electrieallyilluminated signs of that class in which the face of the sign is made of metal and serves to support incandescent lamps by which the sign is illuminated.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating niyinvention, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a sign embodying my invention, together with means for supporting or hanging the same. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section thereof, taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1.- Fig. 3 is a detail section taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail section taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary face View of a sign, showing spacing plates between the lampsupporting panels of the sign. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view showing the construction of the overlapping edges of two adjacent panels and an intermediate spacing-plate.

In its general construction the sign illus trated as embodying my invention consists of a frame A and a plurality of metal plates or panels B B, which are attached at their ends to the opposite side faces of two parallel members of the frame and form the opposite side faces of the sign, the said plates or panels constituting side walls, which form, with the marginal frame A, a box-like or hollow structure. The said frame corresponds in form with the margin of the sign and maybe made in any manner adapted to give suitable strength or rigiditythereto; As herein shown, said frame A consists of parallel top and bottom members a a andupright end members a a, which are made of metal and consist of bars of channel shape in ross. section ar- Serial No. 148,541. (No model.)

ranged with their marginal flanges directed inwardly. As illustrated and preferably constructed, the frame consists of a single channel-bar, which is bent into the form of an open frame, the flanges on the channel -bar forming opposite fiat faces on the side edges of the frame, to which the panels B B are secured. The said panels 13 B serve to support the incandescent electric lamps C C, the sockets C C of which are secured to said panels. 6c

Each panel is provided with lamps'adapted to form a letter, figure, or character, and the sign is provided with as many of such panels as there are letters or figures on the sign, together with such plates or blank panels as .may be necessary to form the spaces between words or figures. The lamp sockets extend through holes formed in the plates or panels and are secured thereto by means of screwrings 0, engaging screw-threads on the inner ends of the sockets, which project inside of the plates or panels, rubber packing rings or gaskets 0 being applied between the sockets and the plates or panels in the manner set forth in a separate application-for Letters Patent, Serial No. 107,103, filed by me May 12, 1902.

Each plate or panel will be made of proper width to contain a single letter, number, or character, and the panels will be secured to the frame A side by side, the top and bottom edges tom or horizontal members a a of said frame If the letters are to be spaced in the usual manner or at the usual distance apart, the panels will meet at their side edges and will overlap each other, so as to aiford close joints, as seen in Fig. 1 but if wider spaces are required between the letters intermediate narrower spacing-plates B will be interposed between the'panels B B, said plates B being made'of the same height as the panels and arranged Y t meet the same at their side edges, as seen in Fig. 5. At the ends of the sign like spacing-plates l3 may-be used to cover or fill the spaces between the end panels and the ends of the frame, it being usually desirable that the spaces between the end letters and the end margins of the sign should be at least as wide as the spaces between the letters and he upper and lower margins of the sign, so no of the panels being attached to the top and botthat there will be acontinuous border around the sign, between the letters and the outer edges of the sign.

'Any suitable attaching means may be employed for securing to the frame the edges of the plates B, B, and B the means for this purpose herein shown consisting of screws inserted through the plates and into the frame members, to which they are attached.

I11 order to insure tight joints between the margins of the plates and the frame, I' insert packing-strips D, of rubber or the like, between the said margins of the plates and the faces of the frame to which they are secured, said packing-strips serving to prevent water from entering the interior space of the sign.

Such packing-strips may also be placed between the meeting edges of adjacent panels when the sign is constructed as shown in Fig l or between the meeting edges of adjacent panels and plates when the sign is constructed as shown in Fig. 5; but they will not usually be necessary at these points because the fiat overlapping parts will in themselves rest so closely in cont-act as to sufficiently prevent entrance of rain at-tne side faces of the sign.

The panels 15 and plates 13 andwB' are shown as provided with olfset parts Z), I), and b at one of their side margins, such offset parts being arranged to overlap the meeting margins of the adjacent plates or panels and being raised above the level of the top and bottom margins of the panels and plates a distance equal to the thickness of said panels and plates, so that the said end margins will rest fiat against the side faces of the frame A when the overlapping margins are in contact with each other.

The panels B 13, to which the lamps forming the letters or numbers are attached, are shaped to form around the central parts thereof and between the said central parts and their top, bottom, and side margins oblique or angular bands'b which, being at an angle to the planes of the margins and central parts of the panels, serve to stiffen or give rigidity to the same, so that when said panels are made of sheet metal they will have no tendency to bend or buckle, but will remain flat and keep their shape. The desired stiffening effect may be afforded by bands 11 made of any one of various cross-sectional forms; but, as herein shown, the central parts of the panels are elevated above the marginal parts of the panels, and the bands 0 serve to connect said central raised portions with the said marginal parts.

It will of course be understood that the wiring of the severallamps on the sign will be located within the hollow interior thereof, and will thereby be protected from the weather. As shown in the drawings, supply and return wires extend along the sockets for each panel, and said wires are connected with cables E E, which extend through insulatingthlmbles e e, inserted in holes in the frame A.

other suitable support.

and otherconsiderations.

Forsupporting the sign rods F F are shown as inserted vertically through the upper and lower members of the frame and provided at their upper ends with eyes ff, by which they maybe engaged wit-hasuitable support, such as the horizontal tubular rod G, which is attached to and projects from a building or The cables E E are shown as extended from the thimbles c 6 through the tubular supporting-rod G, the same entering the outer end of the rod and projecting from the inner end thereof, where they may be connected with the wires of the supply system.

The sign illustrated is made alike on its two opposite faces, the same being adapted for use where both faces ofthe sign are visible or displayed to the public; but the invention will be equally embodied in a sign one side only of which is intended to be visible and which is provided with lamps on one of its side faces only.

In the construction of a sign made as described a frame is first made of rectangular form of proper width to receive the panels and of the length required, according to the number of letters to be placed on the sign Panels having the required letters are then selected and attached to the frame, spacing or filling plates being applied at the ends of the frame and between the panels as may be desired or preferred.

An important advantage of the construction described is that the separate panels,

provided with letters, numbers, and characters required for signwork, may be prepared in advance of orders, and when a sign is needed it becomes necessary merely to make a frame of the required size and to then select and apply the panels bearing the needed letters, figures, and characters.

I claim as my invention- 1. An electrically illuminated sign comprising arigid frame and a plurality of separate lamp-supporting panels permanently attached to the frame and connected at their meeting margins by means affording waterproof joints.-

2. An electrically-illuminated sign com-.

embracing a plurality of separate lamp-suprate lamp-sopp'o'rting panelsattached to the frame, said pancls'bcing offset at their meetin g-margins to a depth equal to the thickness of the panels.

their end margins against the side faces of two parallel members of the frame and are attached thereto, said panels being joined at their side margins by means providing water'- proof joints.

' 6. An electricallyilluminated sign com= prising a rigid frame, a plurality of separate lamp-supporting. panels attached at two of theirend margins to parallel menfloers of the frame and spacing or filling plates attached at their endmargins to the said parallel members of the frame and meeting the panels at the side margins of the latter in overlapped relation.

' 7. An electrically illuminated sign comprising a rigid frame, a plurality of separate lamp-supporting panels attached at their end margins to parallel members of the frame and spacing or filling plates at the ends of the sign attached to the said parallel members and to the end members of the frame, and meeting at their inner margins in overlapped relation the outer side margins of the outermost or end panels. y

8. An electrically-illuminated sign comprising a rigid frame, a plurality of separate lamp-supporting-panels attached at their end margins to parallel members of the frame,

attached to the said parallel members and to the end members of the frame and meeting at their inner margins in overlapped relation the outer side margins of the outermost or end panels, and spacing or filling plates interposed between the panels, and attached at their ends to said parallel members of the frame with their said margins meeting in overlapped relation the adjacent side margins of the adjacent panels. I

9. An electrically-illuminated sign comprising a rigid frame, and a plurality of sepa-. rate lamp-supporting panels attached at their end margins to the side faces of parallel members of the frame, said side faces being fiat and thepanels each having at one of its sides, an outwardly offset marginal part adapted to v overlap the adjacent side margin of an adjacent panelor plate.

10. An electrically-illuminated sign comprising a. rigid frame and a plurality of lamp-' supporting panels attached at their end margins to the opposite parallel members of the frame, said panels being each made of sheet metal and having a central part which is j oined to the side and end marginal parts of the panel by a continuous portion which surrounds said central part and is bent at an angle to the perprising a frame,

-ings to receiye lamp-sockets,

tions within and without the same to give stiffness to the panel, said central part of the panel being perforated to receive lamp-sockets.

11. An electrically-illuminated sign com: prising a rigid frame and a plurality of sheetmetal lamp-supporting panels permanently attached at their end margins to opposite, parallel meiiibers relation, each of said panels being apertured for the insertion ofa lamp socket or sockets,

and being provided with a lamp socket or sockets which is secured in-the aperture or apertures therein.

'12. Anelectrically-illuminated sign comprising a frame embracing channel-barsar ranged with their side flanges directed inwardly and a plurality of lamp-supporting panels on each side of said frame and overlapping at their end margins the said flanges, and means for fastening said panels to said flanges, said frame and attached panels con stituting an inclosure to receive the inner ends of lamp-sockets.

13. An electrically-illuminated sign comprising a frameembracing a continuous chan-' nel-bar bent to form an open or surrounding of the frame in overlapped frame with the flanges of the members directed inwardly and a plurality of lamp-supporting panels attached at their end margins to the flanges of opposite members of the frame and joined at their side margins by means affording waterproof joints. A

14:. An electrically-illuminated sign comprising a frame a plurality of lamp-supporting panels attached at their end margins to the side faces of opposite parallel members of the frame in overlapped relation and packing-strips interposed between the said end margins of the panels and the frame to form tight joints between said parts.

15L An I electrically illuminated sign coma plurality of sheet-metal lamp-supporting pancls'at each side'of said frame and attached at their ends to opposite frame members and provided withopensockets extending through said openings each comprising a tubular body made of insulating material and clamped on the panels, said frame being made of such width as to receive, without interference, sockets extending through said panels from both sides of the sign, there-' byeonstituting an inclosure into which the inner ends of the lamp-sockets are adapted to extend.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 9th day of March, A. D. 1903.-

JOHN 1-1. GOEIIST.

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