US2170985A - Sign composing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 29, 1939. Q. BURAS 2,170,935

SIGN GOMPOSING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 26, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 I I I I I iijiiltiliitiiif I III I I I 2 I 73 $17 Inventor 45 lg fizz/317$ Bards Attorneys Au za, v193,9. BUR S .2,1 7o,9ssf

SIGN COMPOSING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 26, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 6 Attorneys Aug.29, 1939. Q. BuRAs 2, 7 5

SIGN COMPOSING APPARATUS 7 Filed Aug. 26, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 A iiorneys Patented Aug. 29, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,170,985 SIGN oo-MPosmo APPARATUS V Quinton Bums, Birmingham, Ala. Application August 26, 1938, Serial No. 227,013

3 Glairns.

My invention relates generally to means for mechanically composing lettered signs, and particularly to an arrangement of this character which operates automatically to set up the desired lettering or sign upon the successive operation of selective letter releasing means, and an important object of my invention is to provide a simple and efficient arrangement of this character which greatly facilitates the setting up of lettered signs and saves considerable time and expense of producing the same.

Other important objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from a reading of the .following description taken in connection with the drawings, wherein for purposes of illustration I haveshown a preferred embodiment of my invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a general front elevational view of apparatus in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail of the slug releasing mechanism.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary tional view of the slug receiving and disposing mechanism which operates automatically upon the depositing of a slug therein.

Figure 4 is a front .elevational view of a sign support. Figure 5 is a'front elevational view of another 'form of sign support.

Figure 6 is a perspective of sign support.

view of another type Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 7 5 generally designates a magazine holding vertical rows 6 of slugs I, each row containing a number of slugs of the same letter and the rows being arranged in side by side relation. Below the magazine 5 is the guide casing 6' which mounts the keyboard 8 which is composed of vertically spaced horizontal'rows of keys 9 which have the letter I!) thereon corresponding to the particular row of slugs in the magazine 5 which are to be selectively released to fall into the chute I l which 7 has a tapered lower end portion l2 which terminates in a chute l3.

Referring now to Figure 2 of the drawings, each individual row 6 is duplex in character, involving as it does front 'and back slotted guides l4 and [5, respectively, and an extra slotted guide l6 opposed to the middle guide to hold extra slugs. The slugs 1 are disposed between the guides! and I5 while spare slugs 'l' are'disposed between theguides l5 and 16. The guides are flat tubes conforming in width to the slugs 1 and I, and defined'by front and back plates 11 and I8, respectively, which are spaced by the respective guides l4, l5 and 16. The guide I has a projection l9 above its lower end which is in the nature of a bracket and this has a reduced elevashank 28 on which is circumposed an expanding spring 2! which operates between the projection 19 and the upper part of the tiltable arm which is generally designated 22 and through which the shank projects at its upper end. Another 5 projection 23below the projection l9 has a shank 24 on which is circumposed a spring 25 which operates between the projection 23 and a washer 26 which is slidable on the shank 24 and works against the inner side of the swingable arm 22, a nut 21 being fitted on the outer end of the shank 24 to engage against the outer side of the arm 22. Another projection 28 on the guide 14 and below the projection 23 has a standard 29 thereon which is provided with an adjustable bolt 30 which has a. stop head 3| thereon for engagement by the arm 22, and the projection 28 is traversed by a pivot 32 which traverses the side members of the arm 22 which straddle the projection 28, thereby the arm 22 is fulcrumed on the pivot 32 and supported by the projection 28. The side member 33 of the arm 22 projects downwardly and in between the arms of a bifurcation 34 in which position it is pivoted by means of a pivot device 35, and depends below the slidable stop 36 where a cable 3'! is attached to the lower end of the side member'33 and is trained over a pulley '38 and connected to the intermediate portion of the downwardly swingable key 9 which is pivoted as indicated by the numeral 39 on the keyboard 8 in some suitable manner, so that whenever the key 9 is depressed the lower end of the arm 22 will be swung toward the left in Figure 2 and slidably withdraw the stop 36 from under the lowermostone of the slugs 1, the stop 36 being mounted in an opening 40 formed in the guide l4, the arm 22 being restored to original position after release of the key 9 by the springs 2| and 25. A hand operated stop 4| is slidably mounted in an opening 42 in the guide I6 and is normally held in closed position by a spring 43 so as to releasably hold the spare slugs 1.

When the selected slugs l are released by operating the keys 9 the slugs fall into the chute H and slide and fall to the receiver l3 shown in Figure 3 of the drawings. In conjunction with .and at one side of this receiver I3 is placed a frame which is generically designated '45 and which'may comprise that form shown in Figure 3 or any of those shown in Figures 4, 5 and v6 essentially comprising upper and lower longitudinally slotted members 46 and 41, the form constituting, when filled up as desired with the proper slugs l, a part of the sign to be constructed or composed. The'lower member 41 is aligned with the lower horizontal. member 49 which is spaced below the lower end of the receiver 13 and is provided with ball-bearings 5U facilitating movement of the slugs l as dropped from the v receiver 13, to a position between the members mounted on a bracket which is an extension of the horizontal member 49. The energization' of the magnets 54 attracts the head 56 of a T- shaped armature 51 which is supported by means generally designated 58 in connection with the magnets and the result of this is that the lower end of the standard portion of the armature engages the oifset part of an arm 59 which is'pivoted as indicated by the numeral 60011 a horizontal portion 6| of the bracket 55, so as to swing the depending cam portion 62 in a right hand direction: The arm 62 is slidably engaged with a pin 63 on the left hand end of the slide 64 which is mounted in projections 65, 66 on the member 49 so as to press the slide 134 in a right hand direction. The inner side of the slide 64 has a block 6'1 thereon which directly engagesthe adjacent end of the slug 1 as the slug falls upon the member 49 and the member 5| and pushes the slug to the right as shown in Figure 3, to the position occupied by the slug E in Figure 3 of the drawings. The immediately following slug coming into the position formerly occupied by the slug E is then operated upon by the head 61, so

that in the end the desired number of selected slugs are positioned in the frame or holder 45 and the sign thereby composed. A spring 68 stretched between the head 51 and the projection retracts the slide 64 and repositions the arm 62 and the armature 51 when the circuit is broken by release of the tiltable member 5|. A stop pin 69 is arranged onthe slide 64 to engagethe projection 65 to limit outward retraction of the slide 64. a V

Referring now to Figure 4 of the drawings, there is therein shown a frame 5511 which comprises a stand 16 suitable-for resting on a'counter or in a display case or other place on which is disposed the frame d5a whichis in the form of a frame composed of upper and lower members 46a and'fiia constructed as the members 36 and .41 in Figure 3 of the. drawings joined at one end by the connector 1i and at the opposite end by thev removable connector 12 which is removably held in place by a peg 13 engaging an opening in one end of themember 12 and a removable peg 14 in the member 36a for engaging an opening in the upper end of the member 12, whereby to retain the selected slugs. 1 in the frame thus defined.

Referring now' to Figure 5 there is therein shown a frame 451) which is similar in all respect to the frame 55a except that two rows of slugs are provided for by the interpositioning of the divider 15.

Referring now to Figure 6, wherein is shown an endless belt type of frame support, thiscomprises upper and. lower rollers 16 and 11 over which are trained endless belts 78 and 19 and a sprocket chain 30 over sprocket formations at the adjacent ends of the rollers, one of the rollers being provided with an operating crank 8|. Any suitable supporting means for the rollers (not shown) is provided so that the device will be in the nature of a bulletin board, upper slotted rails 46c, lower slotted rails #10 and intermediate rails being provided on the belts for quick alignment with the receiver mechanism, so that signs may be made up quickly on the wrong side 0f the exhibitor 45c and the crank 8| turned not only in placing the pairs of rails for reception of the slugs 1 but also for exhibiting the resultant signs as in a show-window or other place where the same is to be viewed. 7

Although I have shown and described herein preferred embodinients'of my invention, it is to be definitely understood that I do not desire to limit the application of the invention thereto, and

any change or changes may be made in the structure and arrangement of the parts, within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the subioined claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

. 1 1. A sign'composing device comprising a maga- Izine involving guides, tiers of lettered slugs slidably supported by the guides, movable stop means engaging thelowermost slug, key 'means operatively connected to said stop means for releasing the lowermost slug,a chute receiving relation to the released slug, tion to the chute, said receiver comprising a frame consisting of spaced rails, said frame being' supported at one sideiof thelower'end of said re:- ceiver, reciprocable means on said receiver for engaging' and moving .ays'lug dropped throughsaid receiver" to' a position {between said rails; and

means to yieldably hold the slug just movedfrom leaving the position until pushed by similar moving of a succeeding slug.

2. A sign composing device comp-rising'a magazine involving guides, tiers of lettered slugs slidably supported by the guides, movable, stop means engaging the lowermost/slug", key means operatively connected to said stop: means. for releasing the lowermost slug, a chute in receiving relation to the released slug, a receiver in receiving relation to the chute; said receiver comprising ,a frame consisting of spa'cedrailsgsaid frame being supported at one, side of the lower end of said receiver, reciprocabiermeans' on saidfreceiver'ffm engaging and moving a slug'dropped through said receiver to a position between said rails, said ireciprooable means comprising a slide having a head engageable with the dropped slug,' 'nor'mally open switch means whichthe slug operates as the slug falls to: position to enter said frame, electrical means conditioned for operation by the closing of said switch means, said electrical means being operatively connected to said slide; whereby the slug is pushed into position between said railsas said electricalmeans is operated.

3. In a sign composinggdevice; a receiver :for receiving slugs, a'frame ,consistingof spaced rails, saidframe being'suppo-rted at one side of the lower end of said receiver,'recipro cable means on said receiver for engaging and m'oving a slug droppedthroug-h saidreceiver to a position between said rails, said frame comprisingth i men;- tioned spaced -rai1s,'a stationary connector be:

a receiver in receiving rela-

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