US2019501A - Display apparatus - Google Patents

Description

' Nov. 5, 1935. w. F. MOORE DISPLAY APPARATUS Filed Aqgf 28. 1954 j INVENTOR.

William [Hoor ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 5, 1935 UNITED- STATES PATENT QFFEQE DISPLAY APPARATUS William F. Moore, Plainfield, N. J.

Application August 28, 1934, Serial No. 741,800

11 Claims.

This invention relates to display devices, and especially to advertising devices, more particularly to advertising displays, of the type known as sky-signs and adapted to be illuminated by flood-lights or other lighting means at night, although this does not constitute an essential feature of the invention, and I contemplate the utilization of my improvements in any field for which they are adapted by their nature, as for example, in game apparatus, and for other uses which will be readily apparent from my disclosure.

The general object of the invention is to provide a display device embodying an upright circular track formed preferably in the inner peripheral wall of a drum-like structure which encloses a considerable number of loosely assembled discs or counters which are all free .to rearrange themselves, throughout the central cavity of the drum, in a series of rearrangements only limited in number by the total number of permutations and combinations of the counters relatively to each other and each relatively to each and all of the others.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device revoluble around the axis of the drum and comprising a series of devices, projecting into the drum, and spaced from the track and from each other, in suitable relative positions to engage serially those counters which at any time occupy a position contiguous to the lower reach of the circular track in the drum, and to cause peripheral travel of the counters thus engaged around the track, elevating them progressively to a region where they are free to tumble, under the force of gravity, into the loosely assembled quantity of the counters at all times occupying the drums central cavity, and there to form indiscriminately an indefinite'number of rearrangements.

The above and other features of the invention are illustrated and described fully in the accompanying drawing and specification, and are pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a display apparatus in the construction of' which my in-' In the now-preferred embodiment of the invention selected for illustration and description, the part designated by the reference character H is a track element of circular form, shown as constituted by the inner peripheral wall of a 5 drum-like member I2 mounted on a base or supporting structure I3, of any suitable material, size and shape, and which in the instance illustrated is intended to represent anadvertising display sign of the sky type, designed to be mounted on the roof of a building, or other suitable elevated structure I t, Where it can be illuminated by flood-lights IE or by any suitable lighting means adapted to reveal clearly the interior of the drum and its associated parts.

As to size, the track H may, for such a purpose, be ten feet or more in diameter, and the supporting structure may be of adequately sturdy construction, with a front mask N5 of sheet metal, in which is formed a circular front opening I! through which the interior of the drum is clearly visible. This front opening may be protected against the weather, dust, etc., by a closure 18, preferably of removable character, as for example a sheet or curtain of transparent material, which serves as the front head of the drum, sliding between the front mask l6 and the forward rim I 9 of the drum, with a close fit that may of itself be sufficient to hold the closure in place, as the drum 12 in the instance illustrated 3 is stationary, although this is not an essential feature of the invention.

In pursuance of the invention the central cavity of the drum is provided with several discs or counters 2E3, assembled under the force of gravity, to assume positions in a row contiguous to the lower reach 2! of the track H, those occupying that position being designated, for the sake of convenience, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, etc., while the remaining counters have similar alphabetical designations.

These designations are illustrative merely and not limitative, and the counters which also is a designation adapted merely for the sake of brevity, may carry any other designation, symbol, legend or device, and may be of any suitable quantity, material, size, shape and color, according to the intended nature of the display.

In further pursuance of the invention, I provide means to be engaged serially with the counters along the bottom reach of the. track and to cause progressive movement thereof in the direction of the arrow, along the track, elevating them successively to a height where they are free to tumble down into the central cavity 22 of the drum, which is preferably open across its entire inner extent, to permit the tumbling counters to rearrange themselves indiscriminately in relative positions of the greatest possible variety. In fact, such rearrangements are only limited in number by all possible permutations and combinations of the total number of units contained in the drum, a convenient number being, say, twelve counters, which permits, as is well known, an extraordinary great number of such rearrangements.

The progressive actuation above described may be accomplished. by any suitable means, and as the now-preferred form of such actuating means, I have shown an upright disc 23, or rotor, constituting the rear head of the drum and provided with a series of horizontal pegs or posts 24, spaced a suitable distance from the track, and at preferably uniform intervals from each other, so as to leave room for easy entrance of one of the counter discs 20 between each two adjacent pegs of the series, as, for example, the counters A, B, C, D, E, F, L, etc., along the lower reach of the track and the adjoining upright portion 25 of the track, along which the counters are being elevated progressively by rotary movement of the disc 23 in operating the apparatus, the pegs 24 being thus revolved around the axis of the rotor.

Such rotation of the disc 23 may be accomplished by any convenient means, and I have shown for this purpose, a shaft 26, journalled at 21 in bearings carried by the supporting structure I 3 tive rotation between the shaft and disc 3|, and

which is biased into frictional driving engagement with the annulus by a coil spring 33, surrounding the shaft and held up to its work by a collar 34 which may be adjusted on the shaft to regulate the compressive tension of the spring.

The disc 3| has peripheral teeth 35 and forms part of a chain of gears including a gear or pinion 36 on a motor shaft 31, driven by a motor 38.

Suitable means may be provided to control the operation of the motor, as for example, a switch 39 interposed in the electric circuit 40.

As a further desirable provision for control of the operation of the mechanism by which the counters 20 are moved progressively into tumbling position, I have illustrated one convenient form of automatic means for effecting an intermittent stoppage of the disc 23 at predetermined intervals.

For this purpose, the smaller disc 29 on shaft 26 is notched at diametrically opposite points of its periphery, as at 4|, 42, and a detent or pawl 43 is pivoted at 44 upon the sup-porting structure 45, being biased toward the notched periphery of 1 disc 29 by its own weight, or by a spring, any desirable form of equivalent stop-member being suitably employed. (See Fig. 3.)

When the detent drops into either of the notches 4| 42, the rotation of the post-carrying disc 23 is arrested until a finger 46 on the other friction disc 3| is brought into position to raise the detent, and thus permit resumption of rotation of disc 23 under the cooperating frictional action of the friction annulus 30 between the smaller discs 29 and 3|.

The space 41 within the annulus 30 may be filled with grease or other lubricating paste so that the drag on the shaft may not be too great during the stops of the rotor, which occur twice during each complete turn of the rotor, or at any other desired interval, according to the number and position of the peripheral notches, 4|, 42.

At time of stoppage, it may be desirable to draw the attention of observers to particular counters in a selected position, which may, for example, be at the bottom reach of the track, and for that purpose I have illustrated a frame 48 with a plurality of adjacent sight apertures 49, 53, adapted to frame and call attention to the counters at that region, C and D in the instance shown.

Obviously, there may be any desired modification of the position, shape and size of such a frame, and in general the apparatus is susceptible of considerable modifications without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The apparatus is likewise adapted for use in many and diverse applications. For example, it may be embodied in a set of suitable size to be placed upon a table, and used by a group of persons, playing a game.

The controlling switch for the motor may in such cases be equipped with several sets 5| of wires each including a push button 52 for convenient manipulation by one of the players, permitting each player to exercise control of the stopping of the rotor, and where suitable arrangements are made, the stoppage may serve as a test of comparative skill of the individual players in determining the counters which are to appear in the frame above described. I

I have observed an interesting and unpredictable property which characterizes the central member of a group of counters, tumbling in the manner above described, viz., that such a member as that occupying the position K tends to stay in that position longer than the others, for example, the counter M which is shown in two positions, one indicated by broken lines, directly above the counter K, and another position, indicated by full lines, to which that counter rolls promptly on its way to the later position in contact with the track, like that of the counter L.

This introduces a variable in the operation of the system that is of obvious interest from a display standpoint, and also when the apparatus is used as a game.

Fig. 4 illustrates a structural feature which may be used to advantage when it is desired to have the symbols on the counters appear in more or less upright position, regardless of their position with relation to each other.

As shown in Fig. 4, the counter 20a is of cupshape and is provided with a face disc 54, mounted pivotally upon a central post 55, to which it is secured loosely, as by a cap-screw 56. The disc has on its rear surface a small weight 51, which biases the disc toward an upright position, the effect being to cause a somewhat oscillatory movement of the disc as the counter rolls around from position to position. Thus the symbol on the face of the disc, while always easily legible, has a tendency to swing to and fro sufficiently to attract attention.

I claim:-

1. In an apparatus of the class described a support, an upright track member mounted on said support and embodying an inwardly directed annular track surrounding a drum-like chamber, several counters assembled loosely in said chamber and free to assumethereinanindefiniteseries of different positions relatively to each other in an upright plane, a series of members projecting within said drum, spaced at intervals from each other around said track and at a predetermined distance therefrom, said members being adapted to be revolved around the axis of the drum in a path near said track to engage successively these counters occupying at any time positions upon the lower reach of said track and to cause the latter counters to progress upward around the track to an upper reach from which the counters are free to fall by gravity into the central cavity of the drum, said cavity being substantially uninterrupted throughout its area to permit free, indiscriminate rearrangements of said counters in the maximum possible number of relative combinations therebetween at said lower reach of the track.

2. An apparatus combining the elements set forth and cooperating as in claim 1 and further characterized by an opening in said drum to permit said operations to be visualized in their entirety, and observed clearly from a distance.

3. An apparatus combining the elements set forth and cooperating as in claim 1 and further characterized by a front closure for said drum, apertured to permit said operations to be visualized in their entirety, and observed clearly from a distance.

4. An apparatus combining the elements set forth and cooperating as in claim 1 andfurther characterized by a removable transparent front closure for said drum, and means to illuminate the interior of said drum, and the faces of said counters.

5. An apparatus of the c1ass described combining the elements set forth and cooperating as in claim 1 and further characterized by having said projecting members formed upon a rotor mounted to rotate independently of said track, and means to drive said rotor.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1 in which said revoluble members are carried by a disc mounted upon a shaft journalled in bearings carried by the supporting structure and provided with a friction disc fixed upon said shaft; a sleeve mounted upon, and rotatable relatively to said friction disc and adapted to drive said disc frictionally; means to rotate said sleeve; and means to arrest said friction disc at predetermined times, while permitting continued rotation of said actuating sleeve and its associated parts relatively to said friction disc and shaft.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1 and further characterized by the provision of a rotor to support and actuate said projecting members; a pair of discs co-operating frictionally to drive said rotor; a motor to drive said friction discs, and means to control the operation of said motor.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1 and further characterized by the provision of a rotor to support and actuate said projecting members; a pair of discs co-operating frictionally to drive said rotor; a motor to drive said friction discs, and means to permit manual control of the operation of said motor.

9. A rotatable, revoluble counter for an apparatus of the class described, said counter comprising a discoidal member having mounted thereon rotatably a display part provided with a weight adapted to bias said part to a predetermined upright position regardless of the varying positions of rotation and revolution assumed by said discoidal member.

10. A rotatable, revoluble counter for an apparatus of the class described, said counter comprising a cup-shaped member having mounted axially therein a rotatable part provided with means adapted to bias said part to a predetermined angular rotative position relatively to said cup-shaped member regardless of the varying positions of rotation and revolution assumed by said cup-shaped member.

11. In an apparatus of the class described, a multiplicity of rotatable and revoluble counters and means to cause said counters to assume varying positions of rotation and revolution relatively to each other, certain of said counters being characterized by face discs mounted rotatably upon said counters and adapted to carry display matter, said rotatable face discs having means to bias said discs to predetermined rotative positions relatively to other discs during changes in the positions of revolution of said counters about a common axis of revolution.

WILLIAM F. MOORE.

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