US978130A - Advertising device. - Google Patents

Description

T. H. BARRON. ADVERTISING- DEVICE. APPLICATION nun APR. 1, 1901.

978, 1 30. Patented Dec. 13, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

33 5g. 3. f7 65' I I a; w

I e 1 I I I I I f) T. H. BARRON. ADVERTISING DEVICE. APPLICATION nun APR. 1, 1907.

Patented Dec.13,1910.

2 BHEBTHHEET 2.

THOMAS H. BARRON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

. ADVERTISING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters ]?a.tent. Patented Dec; 13, 1910.

Application filed. April 1, 1907. Serial No. 365,724.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. BARRON, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful I nprovements in Advertising Devices, of whlch the following is a s ecification.

This invention re ates generally to advertising devices, and more particularly to means for continuously advancing in an 1rregular and endless path, a series of incandescent electric lamps without interruption in the supply of the feed-current.

I am aware that such lamps have been mounted upon rigid bodies, such as a wheel or other revolving element, and the current supplied from a stationary source. This invention, however, has in view a carriage for the lamps which is not rigid but which may be made to conform to the deviations of an irregular path.

The general object of the invention is to present a novel form of movement of a plurality of lights, of the same or different colors, for the purpose of attracting and holding the attention of individuals.

My invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 shows in partly sectional elevation the front or entrance of a building, such as used as an amusement resort, showing the construction, purpose and application of one form of my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the lamp-carrier and lamps as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the lower part of Fig. 1, the wiring and connections being shown diagrammatically; Fig. 4 shows in elevation at different application of my invention; Fig. 5 is a central, horizontal section, and Fig. (5 a transverse cross-section, thereof.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and first to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, numeral 11 re fers to a door or entrance frame which for the purposes of this description is shown of arched form. This frame is so mounted in the front or wall of the building as to provide a correspondingly-shaped slot or groove 12 around the exterior thereof. This groove provides a passage which is made endless through the connecting channel 13 in the floor or sidewalk 14. At each lower corner of the frame 11 are the rollers 15 and 16, journaled in suitable bearings, the roller 16 having an elongated axle 17 upon which is fixed the pulley 18, driven from any suitable source of power by the belt 19 or in any other desired manner.

Corresponding in configuration to the arched portion of the groove 12, and correspondingly-positioned within the frame or behind the front thereof is the strip 20, which approximates in width the width of the flexible belt employed, as hereinafter described, and provides a track or guide upon which said belt may slide. This belt 21 may be made from any suitable or usual material, such as canvas or leather, and is mounted in endless form upon said track 20 and around the rollers 16 and 15. It will be apparent that when in this position the plane ofthe exterior face of said belt will correspond substantially with the plane of the interior edge of the groove 12.

Upon the exterior face of the belt 21, transversely disposed at preferably equal distances from each other, are suitably secured a plurality of preferably wooden bars or braces 22 22, and to the end of each brace 22 contiguous to the groove 12, is suitably fixed an electric lamp socket 23. These strips and sockets are so positioned and adjl'lsted that when the ordinary electric incandescent lamps 241 are mounted in said sockets, at least the major portion of each lamp-bulb projects through the groove 12.

For the purpose of supplying electric energy to the lamps, I construct the roller 15 of two parts separated by a suitable insulation 25, one of said parts (as, for example, the part 2(5) being in electrical contact with the shaft or axle 27 and the other part 28 being mounted upon but insulated from said axle. The current may be supplied from any suitable source of electric energy, one of the feed-wires 29 being in electrical contact with the axle 27 and the other wire 30 terminating in a brush or spring-pressed contact 31, continuously pressing against the roller-part 28.

On the interior face of the belt 21, and suitably insulated therefrom, are the parallel and longitudinally disposed conductor- strips 32 and 33, preferably of copper on account of the high degree of conductivity of this metal, the strip 32, as said belt advances, being held by. tension of the latter continuously againstthe insulated roller-part 28, and the strip 33 being in similar continuous electric contactwith the roller-part 26. I

I have shown the lamps 24 mounted in series, although it will be obvious that any other desired form or wiring and mountlng may be employed, with the terminal 34 permanently connected to the strip 34 and the terminal 35 similarly connected to the strip 32..

The cross-rods or braces 22 may, if desired, each be provided with small anti-frio tion rollers 36, 36, to reduce friction as the belt 21 is carried over the arched track 20, and to support the belt in the channel 13 and prevent sagging which might be sufiicient to permit contact between the lamp-bulbs and the bottom-wall of the channel.

It will be apparent, of course, that where the construction of the building will permit, the groove 12 may terminate at each end in an aperture in the fioor, beneath which the belt will be carried without necessity for the provision of the channel 13.

It will be seen that I have provided an endless flexible carrier, which may be driven by rotation of the pulley or roller 16, and which carries the series of firmly mounted and relatively positioned electric lamps in a circuit which is always closed, irrespective of the position or movement of the carrier. This carrier may be advanced at a moderate rate of speed with the lamps continuously glowing. With the carrier concealed, the lights will be continuously in view during their upward movement, movement over the arch and subsequent downward movement, at the end of which they will pass into the channel 18 or under the floor and remain out of sight until they reappear at the other side of the entrance.

It will be apparent that my invention may be applied with equal success to an ordinary advertising sign, as indicated in Fig. 4, wherein is shown the provision of a similar groove 87 surrounding the lettered portion of the frame, which has rollers or pulleys suitably mounted at each corner thereof. One thereof (as, for instance, the pulley or roller 38) is similarly provided with a driving-pulley 45. The arrangement of the con ducting- strips 47 and 48 upon the belt 39, and the mounting of the lamps on the braces or bars 46, is precisely the same as shown in the previously-described form of my invention. In Fig. 5, however, I have shown a slightly diiferent form of electrial connection, the roller parts 40 and 41 being,in-'

sulated from each other and from the axle 42, the current being supplied to each through the contact- brushes 43 and 44 respectively.

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

1. The combination of a flexible carrier mounted to travel in an endless path, a source of electric energy and an electric circuit, a part of said circuit being mounted upon and movable with said carrier and including a plurality of electric lamps mounted upon said carrier, and a part of said circuit being stationary and in continuous electrical con tact with the movable part of said circuit, means for continuously advancing said carrier, and a suitable casing inclosing all of said parts except the luminous bulbs of said lamps which alone project from said casing.

2. The combination, with an electric circuit, of an endless belt carrying conductors in said circuit, a series of electric lamps fixed upon said belt and in said circuit through said conductors, suitable contacts connected to a source of electric energy and continuously in circuit with said conductors, means for advancing said belt, and a suit able casing inclosing all of said parts except the luminous bulbs of said lamps which alone project from said casing.

3. The combination, with an electric circuit, of an endless belt carrying conductors in said circuit, a series of electric lamps mounted upon and projecting edgewise in said belt and in said circuit through said conductors, suitable contacts connected to a source of electric energy and continuously in circuit with said conductors, means for advancing said belt, and a suitable casing inclosing all of said parts except the luminous bulbs of said lamps which alone project from said casing.

In testimony of the foregoing, I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS H. BARRON.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH DUNN, JOHN E. JUDGE.

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