US1934418A - Optical projection - Google Patents

Description

NOV. 7, GAUTH|ER OPTICAL PROJECTION Filed Jan. 21, 1930 20 Evy-Z 1 E m]umnmum mmlull "W" Hi l u q u mum WN mulling I 1 U \\m n- II I j |lllllllllllilllll| "MINIMUM Attorney Patented Nov. 7, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application January 21,

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for projecting advertising matter into space.

The primary object of the invention is .to proj ect a display sign into space by the use of a single light beam, the matter being discernable by a person distant from the apparatus by looking head on into the light beam without causing eye strain to the observer.

Another object is to provide a sign projecting apparatus which includes an arc lamp having a dispersion lens mounted therein forward of which I mount a transparent heat resisting plate having indicia painted thereon with a heat resisting paint so that the various colors may be incorporated in the projected sign without causing undue glare.

With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in a certain novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, the essential features of which are hereinafter fully described, are particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a view illustrating my invention in use.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View through the projecting apparatus.

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the same.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters, the numeral 10 designates my sign projecting apparatus in its entirety which includes a lamp housing 11 mounted upon a support 12, the latter being provided with a forked end to which the lamp housing may be pivoted at diametrically opposite points and held in adjusted position by screw nuts 13. Extending into the lamp housing 11 from opposite sides and terminating in spaced relation to each other are carbon sticks 14 which provide an are light within the housing and which constitute the source of light for the projection of the sign to be hereinafter described. A concave reflector 15 is mounted adjacent the rear wall of the lamp housing, while the front end of the housing is flared outwardly as at 16. Mounted in the front of the lamp housing adjacent the flared portion 16 is a lens 1'7 which has such relation to the source of light that it produces dispersion of the light rays and is therefore, in this instance a dispersion or magnifying lens while mounted in the flared portion 16 forward of the dispersion lens 17 is a glass plate 18 which is preferably of a heat resisting type. The outer face or surface of the plate 18 has advertising indicia 19 painted thereon, which indicia may be of varied colors contrasting with the coating 21 provided on the transparent plate 18. This coating, being translucent, deadens the glare of the are light within the housing. The paint used for forming the particular sign or indicia to be projected is of a heat resisting variety so as not 1930. Serial No. 422,368

to be affected by the heat produced by the light beam projected through the plate and the heat caused by the carbon electrodes 14. It might be here stated that the thickness of the paint as applied to the plate 18 regulates the length of the light beam as it will be understood that the degree of transparency of the plate 18 may be determined by the thickness of the paint thereon, and that consequently the beam may be projected a further distance if the paint is relatively thin than in cases where the paint is applied thick. By thus positioning the transparent plate with the legend or sign or indicia 19 painted thereon relatively close to the magnify lens 17, I obtain many new and highly advantageous results. For example, the sign 19 is greatly magnified, and a pedestrain coming into the beam projected from the sign projecting apparatus 10 sees a greatly magnified image of the projected sign.

In Figure 1 of the drawing I have shown one use of the projecting apparatus wherein the same is mounted on top of a building structure and the lamp housing 11 adjusted so as to project a light beam downward towards the street or sidewalk to enable pedestrains to View the projected sign. In use, the rays of light from the carbon electrodes or arcs is reflected forward by the reflector 15 through the dispersion lens 17 and then through the glass plate 18 where the light rays of the beam 20 pick up the image of the painted indicia upon the said plate 18, whereby a person or observer looking head on into the light beam may discern the varied colored matter or indicia projected. It will, therefore, be seen that I have provided a display sign which may be projected into space without the use of a screen or background and which will be found inexpensive for installation and upkeep. The plate 18 may be removably mounted in the lamp housingso that different sign plates may be interchangeably associated with the apparatus.

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

1. The herein described method of display advertising which consists in projecting predetermined advertising matter in different colors in a light beam, the projected image of the advertising matter being visable to the eye of an observer looking head on into the light beam.

2. The method of projecting a greatly magnified legend which consists in reflecting light through a magnifying lens and then through a translucent plate mounted immediately in front of the lens on which the legend is painted, to cause a beam of light containing the legend to be projected from the translucent plate, whereby a person looking head on into the projected light beam sees the greatly magnified legend.

ALFRED GAUTHIER.

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