US2795068A - Signs - Google Patents

Description

June 11, 1957 n... G. STANDARD 2,795,068

sIGNs Filed April 20, 1953 I -lllllllllllllllililllll Lou/s G. SMA/04H0, J4 A JNVENToR.

ATTORNEY.

United States Patent ice 2,795,068 'Si-Gus Louis G. Standard, Los Angeles, Calif. Applicaties April zo, rass, senat Ne. stam 1 claim. (cl. t0-'126) The present invention .relates to signs generally, and more particularly to a type of sign which lis animated, and wherein certain portions of the sign appear to move. Thus, a bottle may form a portion of the sign, the bottle having liquid pouring therefrom into a drinking glass, with bubbles in the liquid floating to the 'surface thereof.

The present sign of the invention is adapted for many purposes, and may be of any size desired, such as for placement on counters or outdoor use, and elsewhere.

An object of the invention is to provide a sign wherein intended animation or movement has a more realistic appearance to the onlooker. The average animated sign repeats a given sequence Within a short period of time, with the result that the sign loses its attractiveness and interest. The present invention is so designed as to overcome any monotony in the animation, to the end that the sign attracts attention, due to the realistic appearance of the animation.

A further object is an animated sign wherein the sign elements appear to sparkle.

Another object is the provision of an animated sign which is inexpensive in cost of manufacture, and generally superior to animated signs now known to the inventor.

In the drawings: p

Figure l is a front elevation of a sign incorporating the invention,

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, i

Figure 3 is a sectional View on the line 3 3 of Figure 2, and,

Figure 4 is an elevation of one member of the animated sign.

Referring now with particularity to the drawing, I have shown, by way of illustration, a sign 1 which may be of the outdoor Variety, but in the present instance, is adapted for placement on a counter. The sign may take any configuration desired to enhance its ornamental appearance, and in the present instance, has a framing 2 for the advertising surface 3. Ends of the framing may be ornamented by posts, as shown at 4, which join with a base 5, which base, together with other elements, will hold the sign a certain distance above a supporting surface. Rearward of the sign is a casing 6. This casing has slanting or diver-ging side walls 7 and 8, a rear wall 9, a base 10, and a cover 11. The side walls 7 and 8 are flanged at 12 and 13 so as to t within the contines of the framing 2, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The rear wall 9 i's provided with a depending strut 14, which acts as a rear support for the sign, it' being noted that the depth of the strut is the same as the depth of the base 5. The surface 3 may be of a glass-like or plastic material having opaque portions and light transmitting portions, which may be transparent or translucent. By way of example, the advertising surface 3 has light transmitting portions 1S, these portions indicating the numeral 58. At 16, I have provided a tipped `drinking glass for receiving a liquid, the liquid pouring into said glass from a bottle 17. The bottle may be hat or halt-round and Ptented June v1l, 1957 secured to the framing in vthe position vshown in F while the drinking glass 16 is preferably half-round and secured across the training and arpvortio'n(ofl A sing lsi'liifaeir 3. From the mouth of the bottle to `th` f the drinking glass, there arevftran'spa ht portions l18 separated by opaque Otion's which, lvfvheit the transparent v'portions aife mated, as will be pointed out, give the 'appef V-ce .of lliquid flwiiig iiit the driiiking glass :from 'the bottle. p

Y Re'arward di lthe ydrinkingfglfas's l16 andl spac'e'dly se,- cured te the inner ysurface df the aavertis'ihg sffvcens is a plate 19, provided w'th'prfratiois 20. sfshovi'ii in Figure l, these perforation'sfliefwithin the confin`e' `the transverse area of the drinking glass and notfout'side the vmargins of said drinking glas' 4 .l H

A conicavleieilect'oi" 21 is .positioned within v"the easing so 'that 'any light withinr said casing will ybeV directed toward the advertising surface. Light is afforded by means of a bulb 22 carried by socket 23, the socket being supported by the base 10, and surrounding the bulb 22 is an annular member 24. Member 24 has a top portion 2S provided with a pivot 26, there being an elongated rod 27 having a pointed end positioned in said pivot, with the opposite end of the rod secured to the base 10. The cap or cover 25 is provided with a series of segmental inclined wings 28 whereby heat from the bulb 22 will cause the annulus 24 to rotate. The surface of the annulus 24 is provided with transparent portions 29 of reversed curve appearance and extending from the top to the bottom of the annulus. The intervening spaces may be translucent or opaque and when the annulus revolves, the bulb 22 being energized, light streaks will travel progressively across the rear surface of the advertising surface 3.

The operation, uses and advantages of the invention just described, are as follows:

The inventor is aware that it is old to provide some medium, ysuch as the annulus 24, having transparent portions adapted to produce light streaks across an advertising surface or other surface. However, such an arrangement does not always give the animation desired for a sign, nor does the movement of a liquid, `such as the pouring of a liquid from a bottle, as illustrated, appear natural to the onlooker. The inventor has discovered that the provision ofl the perforated plate 19 spaced from the rear surface of the advertising surface 3, together with the revoluble annulus 24, produces a surprising elect, and one that is realistic. The streaks of light passed through the reverse curved portions 29 of the annulus strike the perforated plate and pass light therethrough in a sweeping motion and the perforations cause bubbles to appear within the drinking glass 16, which bubbles travel very rapidly from the bottom of the drinking glass to the top thereof, while at the same time, the streaks of light passing through the transparent areas 18, show liquid flowing steadily into the drinking glass with the bubbles rising through the liquid to the top of the drinking glass.

The arrangement for any advertising matter which may appear on the surface 3 is, of course, optional, or as illustrated by the portions 15 representing the large numeral 58, and the streaks of light from the annulus will pass thereover for the purpose of calling attention to such matter without necessarily producing any movement in such advertisement, other than movement of Ithe light. By providing transparent portions or holes in that portion of the advertising surface 3, such as shown at 15, the streaks of light give a sparkle to the advertising matter. This effect is enhanced by the reflector 21 which picks up the light streaks from all positions of the annulus 24 and directs the light toward the advertising surface 3. It is apparent, however, that the advertising matter might be caused to travel, if so desired, although primarily, the

, 3` i intent of this invention is to show movement in some object, such as in the drinking vglass and bottle. The provision of a half-round drinking glass, which is semitransparent or translucenadds to the effect.

In an animated sign construction, a plane advertising surface having a plurality of spaced transparentportions surrounded by opaque portions, certain of which'transparent portions are to be animated, a light source positioned laterally of the center of said surface, a stationary uniformly perforated plate of a size only a small fraction of the area of the advertising surface and located generally in front of one area to be animated, said plate be ing spaced'from the rear surface of said advertising surfaceto allow the light source to pass dots of light to those portions which are to be animated and the area of saidperforations conforming to a portion only of the area ofthe outline of said one of said transparent portions, `a smoothly curved concave reector extending from one side margin of the advertising surface to the other side margin, so spaced that the light source is offset with respect to the focus of the curve and rotating means between the reector and the rear surface of the advertising surface for passing streaks of light through said means directly from said light source and by reflection progressively through the perforations of said plate to animate said one light transmitting portion, the light reilected by the concave reflector passing through other transparent portions of the advertising surface spaced from said perforated plate whereby the latter portions are lighted but are not otherwise animated.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 888,569 Zarella May 26, 1908 1,382,227 Pyper June 21, 1921 1,703,761 Berry Feb. 26, 1929 1,921,570 Johnson Aug. 8, 1933 1,935,557 Hoag Nov. 14, 1933 2,069,103 Bestler Jan. 26, 1937

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