US943246A - Electrically-illuminated sign. - Google Patents

Description

J. H. GOEHST. ELEOTRIGALLY ILLUMINATED SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 11 Patented Dec. 14, 1909.

777097301 dbrz gae/z @724V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. GOEI-IST, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO FEDERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

ELEGTRICALLY-ILLUMINATED SIGN.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. GoEHsr, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrically-Illuminated Signs; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact clescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numerals of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in electrically illuminated signs and has for its object to provide a light but rigid bracket of simple and economical construction which is supported upon the sign and is adapted to support at its outer end a lamp, the light from whichis cast and reflected upon the body of the sign.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings illustrating this invention:Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a sign embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal crosssectional view of my improved bracket, taken upon line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 4 is a detail cross-sectional view, taken upon line 44 of Fig. 3.

In the drawings illustrating this invention, the same is shown as applied to a sign such as is shown and described in my prior United States Letters Patent No. 690,649 of January 7 th, 1902, and which is herein only briefly described. As shown in the said drawings, (Figs. 1 and 2) 5 designates the main body of the sign which is rectangular in shape and upon which is displayed the subject-matter of the sign.

6 designates a tubular frame comprising side pieces 7 7 which are overlapped at their inner margins to form a rabbet or groove 8 which receives the margin of the sign body and are bent radially outwardly at their outer margins and secured together by bolts.

10, 10 designate the lamp sockets which are supported in the tubular frame in the manner shown and described in my prior United States Letters Patent No. 744,330 of November 17, 1908, and in which are secured incandescent lamps 11, 11. Conductors are secured to clips 12, 12 projecting from either Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 11, 1909.

Patented Dec. 14, 1909.

Serial No. 501,478.

side of the sockets and extend from socket to socket in the usual manner.

The sign is suspended from a tubular bracket 13 through which the current supply wires may be led to the sign.

As shown in the drawings, there is secured to the supporting frame of the sign a bracket member comprising an arm 20 which projects outwardly from, and above the face of, the sign. When the sign faces both ways, as in the case illustrated, this arm may be duplicated as shown, there being provided two oppositely disposed bracket arms 20 and 21. Said arm is tubular in form and is composed of upper and lower sections 22 and 23 which are bent into shape and secured together either by brazing or soldering. The margins of said sections are bent laterally to form hollow flanges 24, 24, forming reinforcing ribs or flanges for stiffening the arms, and the sections are extended laterally as they approach the body of the sign to form a wide base for attachment thereto. As shown in the drawings, the lower section 23 is provided at the body of the sign with a downwardly projecting web or base adapted for attachment to the sign and said section 23 is concave or dished upwardly to form with the upper section 22 an arch construction which strengthens the said arm and affords suflicient clearance between the bracket arm and the lamp 11 located directly therebeneath to enable such a lamp to be easily removed when it is desired to replace it with a new one.

Located at the outer end of the bracket arm is a lamp 19 which is arranged in a vertical position, said lamp being supported in a downwardly opening lamp socket 25. Said socket is preferably of porcelain and is supported upon a horizontally extending plate 26 secured to the inner face of the lower arm section 23 and extending outwardly therefrom. Secured to the outer end of the bracket arm and depending therefrom is a reflector 27 which opens toward the body of the sign and is adapted to reflect the light from the lamp 19 upon the subject-matter of the sign body. Current conductors for the lamp on the bracket arm are led from the sockets of the lamps 11, 11 through an opening in the tubular frame and through the hollow portion of the arm to said lamp 19.

When the device is used in connection with the double faced sign and the two arms 20 and 21 are employed, said arms will be identical in construction and will be joined together at their inner ends by means of a cap which is adapted to be supported upon the sign frame. As shown in the drawings, said cap comprises a horizontal top member and two vertically arranged side members 31, 31 which extend downwardly along the sides of the tubular frame and to which the inner ends of the arms 20 and 21 are secured. The horizontal member is provided with a centrally located, longitudinally extending rabbet which fits over the projecting margins of the tubular frame. Said horizontal member is also provided with an opening in alinement with the opening in the tubular frame through which the current conductors pass. The inner ends of the upper sections of the bracket arms are connected by means of a brace bar 32 which is secured by screws or rivets to said upper sections.

The bracket is preferably outlined in long symmetrical curves which give strength and beauty to the device and the reflectors thereon may be of any fanciful design to further increase the beauty of the device. Over the portion of the bracket arm which is joined to the tubular frame 6 there is superposed a fanciful cap 35 which adds to the strength and appearance of the construction.

It is obvious that a bracket made in accordance with this invention can be easily and cheaply manufactured and will form a strong and graceful construct-ion. Moreover, the use of such a bracket enables the owner of a sign to maintain a brilliantly illuminated sign at a much more reasonable rate than he could a sign illuminated to the same brilliancy by lamps arranged as are the lamps 11, 11 inasmuch as the light thrown upon the sign by the lamp 19 will be considerably greater than that cast thereupon by any one of the lamps 11. When only one of the supporting brackets is employed it will usually be located centrally of the sign body and if more than one they will be equally spaced upon the body of the sign. It is not necessary that the brackets besecured to the upper margin of the sign nor need they be perfectly horizontal with respect thereto as it is obvious that the desired effect can be obtained by various different arrangements and locations of said brackets.

I claim as my invention 1. In an illuminated sign, in combination with the body portion and the frame thereof, a lamp for illuminating said body portion, a bracket arm for said lamp comprising an upper and a lower section secured together to form a tube, said sections being bent at their margins to form laterally projecting stiffening ribs, and means for securing said bracket arm upon the frame of the sign.

2. In an illuminated sign, in combination with the body portion and the frame thereof, a lamp, a bracket arm for said lamp comprising an upper and a lower section secured together to form a tube, the margins of said sections being extended laterally to form reinforcing ribs and said arm being widened at its inner end to form a supporting base adapted to be secured to the frame of the sign.

3. In an illuminated sign, in combination with the body portion and the frame thereof, a lamp for illuminating said body portion, a bracket arm for said lamp comprising an upper and a lower section secured together to form a tube, and a downwardly projecting web upon the inner end of said lower section adapted to be secured to the supporting frame.

4. In an illuminated sign, in combination with the body portion and the frame therefor, a lamp for illuminating said body portion, a bracket arm for said lamp comprising an upper and a lower section secured together to form a tube, and a web upon the inner end of said lower section of the arm which is attached to the sign frame, and said lower section being concaved or dished upwardly on its lower face adjacent to its inner end.

5. In an illuminated sign, in combination with the body portion and the frame thereof, a lamp bracket comprising sections which are secured together to form a tube, said bracket being supported upon said sign frame, a horizontally extending plate at the outer end of said bracket arm, a downwardly opening lamp socket on the outer end of said plate, a lamp in said socket, and an inwardly opening reflector depending from the outer end of said bracket arm.

6. In an illuminated sign, in combination with the body portion and the frame there for, a bracket member comprising two horizontally extending arms, each arm comprising an upper and a lower section which are secured together to form a tube, a cap fitting over the upper portion of the sign frame to which the inner ends of said lower sections are secured, and a brace connecting the inner ends of said upper sections of the bracket arms.

7. In an illuminated sign, in combination with the body portion and the tubular frame therefor, a tubular bracket member, a cap therefor fitting over said tubular frame and provided with an opening in alinement with one opening through the tubular frame, a lamp supported at the outer end of said bracket member, and conductors extending from the interior of said tubular frame through the alined openings in said frame and cap and through said tubular bracket to said lamp.

8. In an illuminated sign, in combination with the body portion and the tubular frame provided with radially projecting margins, lamp supporting bracket arms, and a supporting cap for said bracket arms adapted to fit over the tubular frame, said cap comprising two vertical members to which said arms are attached, and a horizontal portion provided with a centrally located, longitudinally extending rabbet fitting over the radially extending margins of the tubular frame. I

9. A bracket member comprising two arms,

each composed of upper and lower sections secured together to form a tube, a connecting cap to which the inner ends of said lower sections are secured, a brace bar connecting the inner ends of said upper sections, and a cap superposed over the adjacent ends of said bracket arms.

In testimony, that I, claim the foregoing as my invention I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this 9th day of June A. D. 1909.

JOHN H. GOEHST. Witnesses CLARENCE E. MEI-ILHOPE, GEORGE R. VILKINS.

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