US958837A - Illuminated sign. - Google Patents

Description

W. A. SHERWOOD & L. GARDNER.

ILLUMINATED SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 4, 1909.

Patented May 24, 1910.

mwml'mhl attozwu UNITED STATES PATENT UFFICE.

WARREN A. SHERWOOD AND EDWIN L. GARDNER, 0F LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

ILLUMINAIED SIGN.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WARREN A. SHER- wooi) and EDWIN L. GAR NER, citizens of the United States, residing at Lancaster, in the county of Lancaster and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Illuminated Signs; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to illuminated signs and has forits objects to provide a more evenly distributed light and easy means of access to the source of illumination. In the signs now in use no really convenient, quick, easy and simple means of access to the illuminant is provided. I'Ve accomplish these ends and others by the construction and combination of parts hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 represents a vertical section of a sign em bodying our invention; Fig. 2, a detail view of the triangular check; Fig. 3, a detail view of one of the T-irons; Fig. 4, a detail view of part of the bottom of the trough reflector, the catch and the head of the supporting rod; and Fig. 5 represents in detail sectional view the trough reflector in its lowest position, for easy access to the light, showing proximate parts.

A A designates the straight upwardly diverging reflectors secured at their upper edges to the sign case B. These reflectors may be covered with some enamel of any color or may be left uncovered, being of polished metal. They are brought together and fastened at their apex or they may be fastened in any suitable way. By arrang ing these straight reflectors in an upwardly diverging position the distance between the sides of the sign casing and the reflectors will be decreased in proportion to the in crease of the distance to the source of illumination, hence the light thrown on the sides or show faces of the sign casing at the farthest distance from the illuminant will be as that thrown on them at the nearest point to said illuminant.

The sides or show faces B of the sign case B are provided with holes D receiving bulls eye lenses D. These we do not claim in such use except as combined with the reflectors in the especial arrangement described.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 4, 1909.

Patented May 24, 1910. Serial No. 493,944.

The top plate E has flanges E E, provided with holes corresponding to holes 6 in the casing. Bolts 6 pass through said holes and fasten said flanges and top plate to the body of the casing.

The trough reflector I suspended below the reflectors A A and capable of being lowered for inspection and other purposes consists of a semi-circular or curved trough of metal polished or enameled on the inside and is provided with a series of holes H located in its horizontal longitudinal middle. A series of holes C formed in the longitudinal apex of the said reflectors is provided, said holes being internally screw-threaded and into said holes the upper ends 9 g of the supporting rods Gr are adapted to be turned. At the lower ends these supporting rods are provided with heads G which heads may pass through the holes H in the bottom of the trough reflector to be fastened outside the same, when in normal position by the catches I (see Fig. i) which are pivotally fastened at 2' to the trough reflector I and provided with notches I adapted to engage supporting rods G above the heads G and thereby prevent the trough from lowering to the position provided for easy access to the source of illumination (see Fig. until said catches I are turned out of engagement with the supporting rods G.

T-irons or brackets F are fastened to the inside of the sides of the casing 13. Their object is to act as a check to prevent the operator from inserting the trough reflector too far and also to hold brace rods K. To accomplish this last object they are formed of a sheet of metal of the correct width bent in the following manner; first a base flange 1 is formed, then a horizontal portion 2, then a vertical portion 3, then a horizontal portion 4 of the same height and parallel to the portion 2 is formed and then a base flange 5 is formed. During this operation portions are punched or cut out of the portion 3, leaving holes 3. These T-irons are then fastened to the sides of the sign, care being had to make the holes in the T-iron on one side correspond to the holes in the T-iron on the other side.

To the edges of the trough reflector I are fastened checks J consisting of two upwardly converging rods J J fixed at their upper ends to a ring J which is smaller in diameter than the diameter of the heads G and encircle the rods G. The downward movement of the trough reflector is checked and limited by the said head which the rings of the checks strike against and remain against in the lowest position of the trough reflector. The T-irons F similarly limit upward movement of the trough reflector I, being struck by its upper edge or rim. In the trough reflector are located and secured sources of illumination K, preferably an electric lamp but it may be anything that will give light.

The brace rods K are fitted at the ends into the holes 3 in the vertical portion 3 of the T-irons F and serve to brace and hold apart the bottoms of the two sides B of the casing B. These are found particularly use ful in large signs.

Various minor changes within the scope of the appended claims may be made in the construction and combination and arrangement of parts hereinbefore described without affecting our invention.

We do not claim in this application the special devices for checking and locking the trough reflector shown especially in Figs. 3 and 4, the subject matter thereof being sufliciently shown and claimed in our application #493,94-3; nor do we claim the hexagonal form of the trough as shown in the said application and mentioned in its claims; nor the special form of the side reflectors there shown; nor the double set of lights and reflectors with a single set of rods and other special features described and claimed in our application #495,199.

Having thus described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination of a sign case a trough reflector having a series of holes arranged along its middle longitudinal line, two inwardly converging reflectors connected at their apex and there provided with a series of internally threaded holes, corresponding to the said holes in the trough reflector, screw threaded supporting rods engaging the threads of said holes, in the apex of the reflectors, the heads being adapted to pass through said holes in the said trough reflector, catches adapted to be used in conjunction with these latter holes to lock said trough reflector in normal position and means for preventing the said trough reflector from being inserted too far into said sign casing.

2. A sign casing adapted to allow the transmission of light through its face, in combination with an inclined reflector arranged within said casing to direct light on said face, a curved perforated trough reflector arranged to reflect light on said inclined reflector, sources of light for said trough reflector, brace bars and supporting rods for the trough reflector, said rods being provided with enlarged parts, said enlarged parts being adapted to pass through the perforations in the trough reflector, means for engaging said rods and fastening said trough reflector in normal position, means for checking the outward movement of the trough reflector and means for checking the inward movement thereof.

3. In combination with a pair of inclined converging reflectors and a sign having opposite faces through which the light is thrown by said reflectors, a trough-shaped reflector arranged to throw light on both of said converging reflectors and inwardly and outwardly movable, means of illumination for said trough reflector movable therewith, a series of rods connected to said converging reflectors and extending through said trough reflector and a corresponding series of checking devices sliding on said rods with said trough and adapted to engage said rods at a certain point substantially as set forth.

l. In combination with a sign casing, a reflector within the same arranged to reflect light through the face thereof, a movable reflector also normally within said casing and arranged to reflect light on the reflector first mentioned, a source of light for throwing light on the movable reflector and supporting rods for the latter, said rods being adapted to allow the said movable reflector to be lowered out of the casing without separating from said rods.

5. In combination with a sign casing, a reflector within the same arranged to reflect light through the face thereof, a curved trough shaped movable reflector also normally within said casing and arranged to re flect light on the reflector first mentioned, a source of light for throwing light on the movable reflector, supporting rods for the latter said rods being adapted to allow the said movable reflector to be lowered out of the casing and means for checking the move ment of said movable reflector both in rising and descending substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

i VARREN A. SHERa VOOI). EDXVIN L. GARDNER. \Vitnesses J. O. NILLGOX, CHAS. E. LONG.

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