US1004585A - Illuminated sign. - Google Patents

Description

H.' MULHo-LLAND-L o. G. WEST.. ILLUIYIINATED SIGN.l APPLICATION PIILBD AUG. 15. 1910.

l -Patented Oct. 3, 1,911.

the impression that each UNITED STATES PTENT GFFICE.

'IUGH MULHOLLAND, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., AND CHARLESG. WEST, OF GREENWICH, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNORS,. BY MES-NE ASSIGNMENTS. T0 MULTICOLOR ELECTRIC SIGN CO., OF NEW YOEK, N. Y.

ILLUMINATED SIGN.

Patented Oct. 3, V1911.

Application'led August 15, 1910. Serial No. 577,236.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HUGH MULi-ioLLAisn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, and CHARLES G. lViis'r, a citizen of they United States, and a resident of Greenwich, in the county of Fairiield and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and Improved Illuminated Sign, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certainV improvements in illuminating signs, and more particularly to that type of sign in which the letters, figures, designs, or other advertising matter, is displayed in the form of an arrangement of bulbs secured to the front wall l of a casing', said bulbs being transparent, and the casing being interiorly illuminated. In signs of this character, the bulbs may resemble incandescent electric-light bulbs, and the interior of the casing may be illuminated by electricity, gas, or in any other suitable manner. The light shining through the bulbs from the interior lof the casing gives of the bulbs is an electric light. c

Our invent-ion relates particularly to the construction of these bulbs, and the object of the' invention is to so construct the bulbs that they may appear of any desired color,

and-the color of any bulb may be readily and quickly changed in changing the sign.

In carrying out our invention, we employ a colored transparent disk or plate in connection with each bulb, and so support these disks or lates that the light must shine through tihem .to the bulbs. These color disks may be easily removed and.replaced by disksof other colors.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawingsA forming a part of this specification, in. which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in ,all the views, andin Which- Figure'l is a front view of a simple form of sign, invention', Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsection therethrough; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through one .form of bulb; Fig. 4 isa longitudinal section disk 18 ofA` gelatin or constructed in accordance with ourv through a second forml of bulb; and Fig. 5 is a detail of the fastening means of the bulb shown in Fig. 4.

Our improved construction may be used in connection with various forms of electric signs, and the bulbs may be arranged to form letters, numerals, igures,or any suitable designs. have illustrated in the accompanying drawings a casing having a front wall 10 spaced from a rear wall y11, to leave an interior chamber or compartment 12. The front w'aLl series of apertures,' '4

10 is provided with a and within each aperture,l there is secured a bulb 13, which in the particular form illustrated somewhat resemblesin shape and size an incandescent.` electric light bulb. IVithin the casing is illuminating means, which in the form illustrated comprises electric lights 1-l,although As a simple foi-m of sign, -we

any suitable form of it is, ot course, understood that we do not wish to be limited in ally Way of illumination.

In Fig. 3,- there is illgstrated a formof to this' form Y bulb embodying our invention andon a larger scale than Figs. 1 and 9.. This bulb 13 is formed of glass, and at its rear end presents a shoulder `15 for engagement with the front surface of the wall 10 on the side. The bulb has a threaded neck 16, adapted to extend through an aperture-in the wall 10, andopposite to the exterior shoulder 15 is an interior shoulder 17 within the neck. Seated upon this interior shoulder 17 f is aany other suitable trans arent material which is capable of carrying a color, so that the light which shines from the interior of thecasing through the bulb will assume the color of the disk. For holding the disk in place, and also for modifying the light rays, we employ a lens 19, seating against the surface' of the disk 1 8 and fitting within the neck 16. Itis not at all essential that this member 19 be a lens, although, by forming it asa lens,

the brilliancy ofthe-bulb may be increased.` surface of the member 19 juriously affected byl heat the chamber 12.

transmit the light rays, -but it serves also as a non-conducting pro-V tector to protect the disk 18 from. being in- For lfiolding this member 19 in position and at the same time holding the bulb in posi-'- tion, there is employed a collar 20, threaded tothe exterior of the neck and engaging with the surface of the Wall l opposite to the shoulder 15. Thiscollar has an inwardly-directed liange 21 for engaging With lthe surface of the member 19 to press the 'i latter toward the shoulder 17.

The specific forni of the bulb may be varied Without in any Way departing from the spirit of our invention. As illustrated in Fig. 3, the outer end of the bulb is formed U of increased thickness so as to constitute a -bullS-eye22, and the bulb is formed somewhat elliptical. -The bulb may be of any forni desired. i

In' Fig. 4,'there Ais illustrated a second Jform which nur invention may assume. In this form, the bulb lbis of slightly different shape, but presents an outwardly extending shoulder 22 for engagement with the surface of the Wall-.10. Extending from this shoullder. is aneck 23, Which instead ofbeing threaded, may have a plurality of bayonet slots 24, as illustrated yindetail in Fig. 5. 'This neck 23 extends .through the opening the Wall 10 of the sign, and at its inner end itis attached to a member 25, which serves to retain the bulb in place, and also serves to support a color disk. As shown,

y.this ,member 25 is of glass, land includes a pocket may be closed on three sides and open on the tourt-li, and is-adapted to receive a 'color disk .30 of transparent gelatin, celluloid or 'other suitable material.

Variousot-her forms Within the scope of the appended. clainis might be devised for carrying out our invention Without in any way-'departing from the spirit thereof.

.Having thus describedourinvention, We

y Patent:

claim as new and desire to secureby Letters l. .A sign having a'n apertured Wall, a 4bulb closing'the aperture therein, a transparent color-disk extending across the bulb, and a transparent retainer for said disk.

2. A. sign having an aperturedV Wall, a

bulb clesingthe aperture therein, a transparent color-disk extending across the bulb, and a transparent Wall closing the yend of the bulb andret-aining said color-disk in position.

3. A sign'rlia-ving an apertured Wall, a bulb closing the aperture the-rein, and having a cylindrical, exteriorly-threaded neck, a transparent colored disk extending across the bulb at the threaded neck, and a collar encircling said neckand having engagement with said disk and with said Wall to hold said disk to said bulb, andto hold said bulb in position in seid wall.

el. A sign having an apertured Wall, a bulb closing the aperture 'l iei'eiii,'and havingan eXterierly-threaded neck, a transparent colored disk extending across the bulb at the threaded neck, a. transparent non-heat-conducting sheet covering said disk and serving to protect and support the latter, and a collar threaded to said neck and having a flange for engagement with one surface' of the Wall to retain the bulb in position and a. flange for engagementWit-h said transparent sheet for retaining the latter in position. c

5. A sign having an apertured Wall, a bulb closing the aperture therein, and having a threaded neck and al collar encircling said threaded neck, and in engagement with the Wall, a transparent closure for the inner end of said bulb, and a flange on said collar for retaining said closure in position.

In testimony whereof We have signed our naines to this specilication in the presence of tW-o subscribing' Witnesses'. t

HUGH MULHOLLAND. CHARLES G. WEST. lVitnessesr JAMES LESLIE Pinks, ALFRED STEEKLER, J r.

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