US1993836A - Display device - Google Patents

Description

- March12,1935.

S. C. GILL. ET AL.

DISPLAY DEVICE Filed Aug. 11, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1.

il I] Vin 70 415:

, W Arrow/5r March 12, 1935. s. c. GILL ET AL DISPLAY DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fild Aug. 11, 1934 March 12, 1935. s. c. GILL ET AL 1,993,836

' DISPLAY DEVICE Filed Aug. 11, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig. 4.

II] ll llllllll'll Patented Mar. 12, 1935 WT D -Es r DISPLAY DEVICE Sydney Charles Gill and Sydney Dallaway,

London, England Application August '11,.1934,Jse"ria1 No. 739.499

In Great Britain April 6, 1933 j .10 Claims. (01. 272-43) This invention relates to display devices, more I particularly to display devices employing thewell known Peppers ghost illusion.

, According. to the present invention an opaque member' forming about a quarter of a sphere is mounted for rotation substantially about its geometrical centre, which at the same time -forms its sole point of I support. The; memberv may be formed or a hollow semi-sphere, which, when made of metal, has substantially one half thereof removed, whilst, when made of transparent material, has substantially one half thereof renclered opaque. In the hollowmemberis preferably mounted a lamp forilluminating purposes; the heatoi this lamp serving to rotate the'member.: When using themember with a transparent screen inclined to the horizontal, the geometrical centre of the member is preferably located directlyabove the upper edge of the screen so that, on rotation of the member above the screen there is a gradual change from dark to light'or vice versa on opposite sides of the screen so. that objects located on opposite sides of the screen appear, when viewed in the screen, as merging one into the other.

' The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying" drawings, wherein:- Fig. 1 shows. a front elevation of a displaydevice,'the front door being omitted.

I Fig.2 shows a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3'show's a sectional-plan, and .Fig'. 4 shows a sectional elevation of. a portion 0131a: slightly modified form of the device;

As-shoTwn'in Figs'. I to 3, a'transparent screen l, preierahlycomposed of tinted glass layers, such asc'anti-dazzle. glass sold bn the market under the registered: trade-mark Triplex, is mounted So'asto heinclined forwardly at an angle of about 45%?inacasiiig; 2. f

.Centrally above the. upper edge of the screen 1 iszarranged; a rotary hollow member formed of a circular base plate 4- from which depends a semisphericali bowl 3. ()ne half." ofv this bowl 3 is transparent'fwhilst the other half is opaque. The same result may be 'obtainedby omitting one: half 5 ot' the' bowl-3 as shown. At the-centre of the base plate.v is providedta. cup-shaped bearing. 6 which engages with a pivot 7 attached to a sup; port 8. carried on the upper edgeof the screen I or'by a cross; piece secured to'the casing and. ex-- tending just above the upper edgeof the inclined screen and parallel thereto. The support may, however, be secured position many other suits-'- able' manner. The pivotahcf bearing 6 iorm the-sole support-for the bowl 3- and are's'o 841 the bowl takes upits absolutelycentral position above the upper edge o' f'the screen.

I The base plate 4,o f--the bowl 's pr ierably made of light metal, such as aluminium, and is provided with blades or vanes 19, which .are cut therefrom, forthe purpose oi its rotation as hereinafter describes. I Thebowlmay'be made of glass or othertransparent material, one half thereof being made opaque. .The -bowlmay, however, consist only of half a semi-sphere, which is opaque, and is-preierably-madeof light metal, suclras aluminium. In order to avoid undesired reflection, the opaque portion is-preferably providedinside atgla "and outside at 3b with amatt blackcoatingg:

The bearing support .8 eritends into the bottom of the bowl 3 through an opening 11in the latter and preferably. consists-of oneor more loops, to

which there are secured-the pivot land asocket 12 for an incandescentelectric-lamp.13. The leads liior this lamp extend to the; support 8 :and its carrier 15, 01; when the latter is hollow,

a drop of lead, serve to balance the coating or the bowl member when this is formed as half' of a senile-sphere." I

Above the upperedge of the screen 1, there is mounted; a vertical plate 16', preferably black- .ened on both sides as indicated at 16a and 16b,

of which the lower edge extends parallel with theupperedge of the screen 1 and abuts against this;- The plate-l6 may be of any suitable material such-as cardboard, metal or wood. This plate 16 extendsaupwardly-to about the level of the base plate; )4 and is provided with asemicircular cut-outportion 17 to receive the bowl 3. A' slightclearance is left between the cut-out portion 17 and the loowl'ii to permit of free movementor the latter. .A small circular orsemicircular disc 18 is also secured horizontally in the cut-out portion 1'? "adjacent the opening 11 in the bowl 3 so as to .prevent'light from the lamp l3 from: passing through the opening ll in the bowl 3.

1 In the ba'ek'l 9'of the casing, one or more objects 1921 are arranged. behind the screen liwhich arexadapted to be viewed through the screen and through an -alperture 20 ingthe: front of the casing 2. In the bottom 21 of the casing, in front of the screen 1, are also placed one or more objects 21a adapted to be viewed through the aperture by reflection in the screen.

In the front panel of the cabinet may be provided a second aperture 22, above the first 20, in which may be placed an inscription dealing with the objects in front of and behind the screen. This aperture is preferably arranged on the same level as the bowl 3.

Above the base plate 4 there may also be mounted an apertured plate 23 or a crossbar 23a, which at the centre is provided with a hollow boss or ring 24 extending in spaced relation around the bearing 6 so as to prevent this from beingdise. engaged from the pivot 7. The boss 24 and pivot 7 or bearing 6 may be made adjustable if desired.

In use the lamp 13 when illuminated sets up by reason of its heat a current of air which passes over the blades or vanes 10 and thus rotates the bowl 3. The air after passing the blades 10 passes upwardly through the apertures in the plate 23 above the base plate 4 or around the cross bar 23d and then out of the cabinet, which may be provided with a suitable cowl or chimney.

On the rotation of the bowl 3 the screen 1 is illuminated by the light passing through the transparent or open half of the bowl 3, the illumination on opposite sides of the-screen 1 being gradually cut off or increased so that when looking into the aperture 20 the articles in front of and behind the screen 1 appear gradually to merge one into the other, whilst the inscription in the aperture 22 gradually appears and disappears. r

For the purpose of levellingthe cabinet, it is preferably mounted onthree adjustable feet 25.

The second aperture 22 may' contain a sheet 22a of plain or frosted glass 3.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4 a rod 26 is detachably secured, as by screws 27, to the plate 16. The rod 26 carries the boss 24 and at its ends is provided with hooks or loops 28. Between these hooks or loops 28 extends an elastic'band 29 which when in the chain-dotted position raises the bowl" 3 whereby the bearing 6 is raised oif the pivot 7 and moves a cone 30 into a conical seat 31 in the boss 24. This arrangement is particularly suitable for preventing the bowl 3 from rocking during trans-- port.

In this construction two lamps 32 and 33 are 1. In a display apparatus the combination with a transparent screen inclined substantially at 45 to the horizontal, of an opaque member forming about a quarter of asphere, mounting means for said member, said member being mounted in said mounting means above said screen substantially about its geometrical centre; said geometrical centre being located vertically above the upper end of the screen and forming the sole point of support for said member, said member comprising a base of metal, a plurality of vanes in said base, and a body forming substantially a quarter of a sphere depending from said base, and a source of light located in said body, the arrangement being such that the heat from the source of light in passing between said vanes, said member is caused to rotate whereby the light from the source of light alternately illuminates opposite sides of the screen, the change in illumination of the opposite sides of the screen being effected gradually as a result of the rotation of the member.

2. In a display apparatus the combination with a casing, and a screen located at an angle of about 45 to the horizontal in said casing, of a supporting frame mounted in said casing, above said screen, a bearing element carried by said supporting frame, a semi-spherical member, a bearing'element carried by said semi-spherical memher, said bearing elements cooperating with one another and forming a centreof rotation for said member, said centre of rotation being substantially at the geometrical centre of said member and being located directly above the upper edge of said screen, said member having substantially one half thereof opaque and theremainder thereof transparent, a plurality of vanes located at the diametrical plane of said member, and a source of light located in said member.

3. A display apparatus of the character described comprising a casing, an inclined screen in said casing, a support carried by the upper end of said screen, a bearing element carried by said support, a hollow member, said member comprising a circular base and a semi-spherical bowl secured to said base, said bowl having one half thereof transparent and the remainder opaque, a bearing element on said base plate, said bearing element cooperating with the first mentioned bearing element and forming therewith a centre of rotation for the hollow member, said centre of rotation being located at the geometrical axis of the hollow member, a source of light mounted on said support and inside said hollow member, a

plurality of vanes on the said base, said'casing having a viewing aperture in the front thereof opposite said screen, a back on said casing, said back being adapted to receive an article to be viewed through said aperture and said screen, and a bottom in said casing, said bottom being adapted to receive an article to be viewed through said aperture by reflection in said screen.

4. A display apparatus of the character described comprising a casing, an inclined screen in said casing, a support carried by the upper end of said screen, a bearing element carried by said support, a hollow, member, said member com prising a circular base and a semi-spherical bowl secured to said base, said bowl having one half thereof transparent and the remainder opaque, a bearing element on said base plate, said hearing element cooperating with the first mentioned bearing element and forming therewith a centre of rotation for the hollow member, said centre of rotation'being located at the geometrical axis of the hollow member, a source of light mounted on said support and inside said hollow member, a plurality of vanes on the said base, said casing having a viewing aperture in the front thereof opposite said screen, a back on said casing, said back being adapted to receive an article to be viewed through said aperture and said screen, and a bottom in said casing, said bottom being adapted to receive an article to be viewed through said aperture by reflection in said screen, said casing having a second aperture therein, said second aperture being located above the first mentionedaperture and on the same level as the hollow member.

5. A display apparatus of the character described comprising a casing, an inclined screen in said casing, a support carried by the upper end of said screen, a bearing element carried by scribed comprising a casing, an inclined screen in said casing, a support carried by the upper said support, a hollow member, said member comprising a circular base and a semi-spherical bowl secured to said base, said bowl having one half thereof transparent and the remainder opaque, a bearing element on said base plate, said bearing element cooperating with the first mentioned bearing element and forming therewith a centre of rotation for the hollow member, said centre of rotation being located at the geometrical axis of the hollow member, a source of light mounted on said support and inside said hollow member, a plurality of vanes on the said base, said casing having a viewing aperture in the front thereof opposite said screen, a back on said casing, said back being adapted to receive an article to be viewed through said aperture and said screen, and a bottom in said casing,said bottom being adapted to receive an article to be viewed through said aperture by reflection in said screen, a partition extending across the. casing above said screen, said partition having a cut out portion adapted to accommodate the hollow member with a slight clearance, a disc in said out out portion directly below the hollow member, a reflector inside said hollow member and above said source of light, and a second reflector inside said casing at the front thereof, said second reflector being adapted to reflect the light from saidlight source down the front of said screen.

6. A display apparatusof the character described comprising a casing, an inclined screen in said casing, a support carried by the upper end of said screen, a vertical pivot on said support, a hollow member, said member comprising a circular base and a semi-spherical bowl secured to said base, said bowl having one half thereof transparent and the remainder opaque, an inverted cup-shaped bearing on said base plate, said bearing and pivot forming the sole support for said hollow member and being so arranged that the hollow member is supportedand is capable of rotation about its geometrical centre, a source of light mounted on said support and inside said hollow member, a plurality of vanes on said base, said casing having a viewing aperture in the front thereof opposite said screen, a back on said casing, said back being adapted to receive an article to be viewed through said aperture and said screen, and a bottom in said casing, said bottom being adapted to receive an article to be viewed through said aperture by reflection in said screen.

'7. A display apparatus of the character deend of said screen, a bearing element carried by said support, a hollow member, said member comprising a circular base and a semi-spherical bowl secured to said base, said bowl having onev half thereof transparent and the remainder opaque, abearing element on said base plate, said bearing element cooperating with the first mentioned bearing element and forming therewith a centre of rotation for the hollow member, said centre of rotation being located at the geometrical axis of the hollow member, a source of light mounted on said support and inside said hollow member, a plurality of vanes on the said base, said casing having a viewing aperture in the front thereof opposite said screen, a back on said casing, said back being adapted to receive an article to be viewed through said aperture and said screen, and a bottom in said casing, said bottom being adapted to receive an article to be viewed through said aperture by reflection in said screen, a spider I at the top of the casing, a recessedboss at the centre of said spider, said'boss being normally spaced from the second mentioned bearing, attaching means in said casing, and aflexible band extending between said attaching means, said flexible band when attached to said attaching means being adapted to raise the hollow member so as to move the second bearing element away fromthefirst bearing element and into engagement with saidboss.

8.- A display' apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the member comprises a hollow semisphere of metal of which substantially one half thereof is removed.

9. A display device according to claim 2, wheretached portions, said portions being slightly bent to form vanes.

SYDNEY CHARLES GILL.

SYDNEY DALLAWAY. 7

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