US981646A - Electromagnetic display apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

w. A. HARVEY; ELEGTBOMAGNBTIG DISPLAY APPARATUS.

Arruonxox run an 13. 1906;

I V Patented Jan 17,1911.

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: 1 4 PatentedJan. 17,1911.

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IZZY-4 Inventor W. A. HARVEY. snno'rnomannm DISPLAY APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED MAY 13. 1905.

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' witnesses.- (or I Patented Ja11117,1911.

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ELECTROMEGNETIC DIElPLAY AlPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

lFatented J 1'2, E911 Application filed May 13, 180-5. Aerial No. 269,323.

To all whom it may. concern:

Be it known that I, -F /Eni ma A. HARVEY, a citizen of the United States, residing in Scranton, in't'he count-y of Laclrawanua and device to be goods,

wares or merchandise or for attracting at tention for advertising purposes and particularly to an apparatus embodying in its structure, a plane or other diaphragm either horizontal, inclined or vertical upon or against which an articleor a receptacle for goods may be placed or upon which it may be made to move in a manner to progress over the diaphragm in any desired path or in a manner to merely change its positions without progressing or to execute both said movements or a combination thereof; these ends being attained by the construction, arrangement, setting or manipulation of suit able electromagnetic means maintained in fixed or traveling relation to the opposite side of the diaphragm and having means for maintaining interrupting ch nging polarity or otherwise determining 1e magnetism thereof so as to correspondingly afi'cct the article on the surface of the diaphragm.

My invention will be fully understood upon reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figures 1 and 2 are a Vertical transverse section andv a plan view with a part ot the diaphragm broken away showing one embodiment of my invention suitable for introduction into a store window or other similar place. Figs. 3 and a are views corresponding to Figs. 1 and 2 showing collectors for supplying constant and interrupted current to the magnet, and a switch with mechanical means for intermittently shifting the same whereby the current supply to the magnet is constant or intermittent at different portions of the revolution of the electromagnetic device; Fig. 5 is a detail view of a means for controlling the movement of an illuminated object and at the same time ill-.- ducing therein, a current that will cause the illumination; Fig. 6 is a detail view of means for increasing the area of the magnetic field of the device for inducing motion. in the object to be controlled; Figs. 7, 8'and 9 are schematic views of electric circuits,

commutators and controlling switches whereby the phases or magnetic conditions in the electromagnetic controlling devices are determined.

The fundamental idea of to have objects move or travel on r surface without having the means which causes their movement or travel apparent to the observer thereby arresting the attention' by exciting the curiosity. In Figs. 1 and 2, I have shown a rectangular floor or phragm 1 upon which are placed the articles whose movements it is desired to control, such as, for instance, a wheeled receptacle 2, for merchandise, or an article of merchandisc 3 of a form that is adapted to roll or move,such, forinstance, a spool of cotton, a cigar or other object. Beneath the floor provided by the diaphragm 1 is a rotary support mounted upon a vertical axle 5 and receiving motion through a pulley 6 and belt 7 from electric motor 8. The rotating support l is provided with electromagnets 9, which, to bring them into closer cont-rolling relation with the article on the surface, are made to work in the rooves or channels 10. To subject the receptacle or other object to the influence of the magnets, it is provided with an armature l1, and in order that the course or direction of the Object may be determined by keeping the axis of its wheels or the axis upon which it rolls normal to the line of travel, both oles of the magnets are presented in attractive relation to said armature and in a position to causc'thc armature and through it the articlc which it controls, by remaining in .parallelism with the poles, to assume the posi' tion which insures the proper direction in the travel of the object. In the form shown in Fig. l, the magnets and the armaturcs are all in a position radial tothe shaft 5 on which the rotary support is mounted. The magnets 9 are energized by acurrcnt received through brushes 12 and rings 13.

With relations established as above demy invention is diascribed between the electromagnetic device move a certain distance and pennittediorest, and thereafter moved again. In orderfir senses to accomplish this last named result, the collecting rings and brushes may be increased in number as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 wherein an additional ring 13 is provided and is'intended to be constructed, as illustrated in Fig. 8, broken so as to interrupt the current.-

A switch 14 having two arms with three contact points will supply a constant current to the magnets when on two of the contacts and an intermittent current when moved onto the other two contacts. A cam 15, Figs. 3 and/l, operating through a rod 16 maybe arranged to shift the switch intermittently so as to render still more complex the mo- 1 tionsof the object on the s :face and thus further excite the curiosity of the observer. As shown in Fig. 7, a switch 14 may be utilized for simply reversing the current through the magnets 9 which will produce.

20 still another result where the object on-the surface carries a permanent magnet with its own polarity so that when the polarity of the magnets 9 is changed, the permanent 1 magnet on the surface will be caused to r o- J tate to bring poles of opposite sign into posiv tion over the poles of themagnet 9. By repeating this reversing motion, the turning ,motion of the object onthesurface may be ,continued at will and the object thus caused it ,to rotate onits vertical axis as well as travel, 'thus giving opportunity to further vary the nature of the object on the surface and per- Init its being made in the form of a figure imitating a livin creature or creatures 'hich can be madh to waltz as well as to progress; By utilizing the system offrings and switches shown in Fig. 9, the reversing as Well, as the intermittent effect may be combined so that the current is intermittent 40 in Whichever directionit flows.

15 represents a stopping and starting switch having a suitable rhe'ostat for con.- trolling the operation of the device.

While I have shown the path of travel to be circular in'Figs. 1 and 2, it is to be understood that I do not limitmy invention to any specific path of travel for the electrically controlled. device.

According to Fig' 5, the object to be' '50 moved over the surface may. be sprovided' with an electric lamp' 1?, current for which is supplied from the secondary coil 18 preferably mounted on a non-conducting as "Well as non-magnetic base 18 and havmg traction armature 11 under the influence of co primary coil 19 is alternating; the circuit up the object.

While I have illustrated several applications of my invention, I desire it understood that I do not limit myself to these specific uses as itis obvious that the objects could be made to move not only over a hori-' zontal surface as shown but over an inclined surface or even a vertical surface, such, for instance, as a vertical cylinder, the object being made to travel in any path assumed by the magnet 9, but this belng' in turn deter- .mined at will by suitable mechanical means.

I also desire it understood that the motion 8 imparted to the objects may be greatly varied by utilizing the repelling efi'ect of the magnet on a permanent magnet which has like poles presented to the controlling magnet as well as the attractive force ofthe controllin magnet exerted on unlike poles of the obyect to be controlled or upon a soft iron armature.

Having thus described my invention, what I. claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat- 99 ent is: 4

1. Thecombination of a diaphragmhaving a surface. over which an object may be moved, and an electro -magn.etic means mounted on the side of the diaphragm opposite to said surface and having means for controlling its polarity.

2. In an electromagnetic device of the character described, the combination of the diaphragm, the electrically controlled ,dev-ice thereon, the controlling electro-magnet beneath the diaphragm, means for traversing said magnet and means for reversing the polarity of said magnet.

3'.'In an electro-magnetic device of the character described, the combination of the diaphragm, an object adapted to move over the surface of said diaphragm, and carrying a magnetic part having a definite polarity, and an electro-magnet located on the other side of said diaphragm 'and having means for causing it to travel and also for chang ing its polarity.

The foregoing specification signed at Scranton, I'Pennsylvania, this ninth day of 115 May, 1905.

' WILLTiAM-A. HARVEY. Inpresenee of- C. A. Barrnnnnne, H. J. BLAOKWOOD.

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