US977081A - Electric street-indicating sign. - Google Patents

Description

J. W. ELLIS. ELECTRIC STREET INDIGATING SIGN. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. '1, 1909.

'Uivrrsn s ra ragsgr gan'r ornron.

JAMES W. ELLIS, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

ELECTRIC STREET-INDICATING SIGN.

T 0 all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, JAMES W. ELLIS, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Electric Street-Indicating Sign, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in electric signs, and particularly to street indicating signs; and the objects of my invention are: first, to provide an illuminated street indicating sign; second, to provide a street corner name indicating illuminated sign that also forms a good daylight street indicating sign, and, third, to provide a street indicating sign that is adapted to dis play two angularly arranged illuminated street names or letters or symbols, at the corners of intersecting streets. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1, is a perspective view of the improved sign. Fig. 2, is a horizontal sectional view thereof. And Fig. 3, is a vertical, longitudinal sectional view through one of the wings of the sign, showing particularly the manner of securing the lamp.

Similar letters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1, designates a right angle shaped hollow box or casing, the wings 9. and 3 of which are arranged relatively to each other to stand at angles parallel to the intersecting streets at the corners of which they are placed, and as streets intersect each other at various angles, it is essential that the wings of the sign be made especially to coincide with the intersecting angle of the streets on which they are placed. The casing 1, may be made of any suitable material, but is preferably made of metal, such as galvanized iron. This casing is formed with a back 5, a top 6, and a bottom 7 The front side of each angular portion of the casing is preferably formed of a glass plate 4, or some other transparent material, but may be made of other material, such as sheet metal, in which case the sign is formed by cutting openings in the said metal, of the outline of the desired letters or figures, through which the light within shows and displays the sign letters or the sign design or figure in illuminated lines. These front plates 4 are secured in slideways S and 9, which are formed by bending the upper and lower front edges Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 7, 1909.

Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

Serial No. 516,474.

of each arm of the casing to form flanges 10, adjacent to which angle plates 11 are secured, the said plates being slid between the flanges 10 and the angle plates 11, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. These side frames may be made wide enough to form a display frame around the glass or other transparent letter or design displaying material, that will follow the outline of the letter and thus form a display letter that can be plainly seen in the day time, and that forms at night an illuminated sign. The slideways 8 and 9 intersect each other at the vertex of their angles, at which points entrances 13 are provided, which permits the glass fronts to be inserted in the slideways one at a time without interfering with each other.

At the apex of the casing, I place an electric lamp 14, and I use only this one lamp in the sign. This lamp is connected to a lamp holding socket 15, that is preferably secured to the top end of the box in such a manner that the lamp depends from the socket. The body of this socket rests on the top of the casing, and its threaded socket shell 16 projects through an aperture in the top of the casing to receive it. A cap 17 is screwed upon the shell 16 and clamps the socket to the top of the casing. Non-conducting washers are placed between the sockets and casing, and also between the cap and easing, as shown in Fig. 3. In order to protect the socket from the elements, I place a housing 18 over it, and secure it to the top of the casing in any suitablemanner, such as by screws or by soldering. Apertures 19 are formed in the sides of this housing to permit circuit wires to be connected to the lamp socket.

As only one electric lamp is used, the form of the box should be such as to diffuse the light of this one lamp so that the letters or other sign matter on the front face of the box adjacent to its opposite end portions will reflect the light of the lamp tosatisfactorily illuminate these letters. I preferably carry out this feature of my invention in the following manner: From the apex portion of the sign casing back of the lamp, I extend reflecting plates 20, of any suitable material, in opposite directions to the opposite ends of the wings of the said casing, at a converging angle that will bring the outer end of the reflecting plates close to the sign plate 1, which brings the whole length of the reflectors in the path of the light of the lamp, and permits the light reflecting plates to illuminate the letters of the sign that are farthest from the lamp substantially as brightly as those nearest to the lamp. These reflecting plates may form the back of the box, and their inner surfaces may be provided with any suitable light reflecting material. Or separate reflecting plates may be placed within the box and be secured in an angular position in it that will reflect the light of the lamp outward against the sign letter plates. I preferably illustrate the sign casing provided with removable reflecting plates, and my invention contemplates the employment of any kind of a reflecting plate desired.

The improved sign is adapted to be secured to the corners of buildings and to posts in any suitable manner, but preferably by strap clips 21, which are secured to its rear side at one of their ends and extend be yond the box and are arranged to be secured by nails or bolts to the building, or to posts erected at the corners of the streets to receive them, or to telegraph or telephone poles.

My invention is simple and provides a practical illuminated street sign for the night time, and a good readable clear sign for the day time.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. An illuminated street corner sign, comprising a box, consisting of two wing portions extending from an apex portion, a removable letter display plate arranged on each of the wing portions of said box, a lamp within said box at its apex, and light deflecting surfaces in each wing portion of said box arranged to deflect the light of said lamp to illuminate the said sign letters.

2. An electric street sign, comprising a box provided with two winged letter displayin sides provided with display plates adapted to display the name of intersecting streets in the day time, and to display illuminated names of streets in the night time, a lamp in said box at the intersection of said wing portions, and a deflecting plate in each wing portion diverging from the apex portion of said box toward said display plates, and adapted to deflect the light of said lamps along the whole length of said display plates.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES ELLIS. lVitnesses G. SARGENT ELLIOTT, ADELLA W. FowLE.

Images