US1628903A - Attention arrester - Google Patents

Description

2 shepts-shfeet 1 J. H. NORTHROP ATTEmfIoN ARRESTER Filed April 12. 1923 Rl--" ing..

? L Qok Med Rail

Cross Dangerous Mayv 17, `1927.

Ma a l y J. H. NoRTHRoP 1628903 ATTENTION ARRESTER Filed April 12. 1923 2 sheets-sheet 2 'll-; il@ s And@ Ja zzz es Il. )Yorz rop.

Patented May 17,1927.

y vNITE-Dl STATES JAMES H. NoR'rHRor, or SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA.

ATTENTION ARRESTER.

Application -led April l2, 1923. -Serial No. 631,570.

An objectof this invention is to provide means for arresting attention a'nd .attracting it to advertisements or the like. To that end I `provide a sign board having display inattei thereon at different levels and provide means whereby attractive objects are made to move along adjacent such 'matter so that the public will be attracted to look at the objects and bethus impelled to note the display matter.

Another object isto provide a sign board with novel moving 'lights specially adapted to attract the attention; and the device may be used with or without a gong rung interf' mittently to aid in attracting attention, and

maybe used as a danger signal. .j

An object 1s to provide? a novel, simple and attractive sign board tor stores, oices,

amusements and other places.

it feature ofthe invention is the combination and arrangement in a 'sign board of a sloping runway, rolling devices as light-reflecting balls or spherical reflectors adapted to roll down such runway, and meansl to automatically return such devices to thetop of the runway.

Another feat-ure is the arrangement Where by such devices cause an intermittent illumination of the sign. f Y' Y An object isrto provide a pleasing intermittently illuminated sign that is distinctive-from and more agreeable than the flashing lights heretofore known to me.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention may appear from the' accompanying drawings, the subjoined detaileddescription and the appended claims. .j

Yi'he accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. s

Figure 1 isvafron-t view of a sign board constructed in accordance with this inven-` tion; concealedfparts being indicated l'in broken lines.

Fig. 2 isa side elevation ofthe boardl as shown in Fig. 1; and with electric motor in place, and a battery connected thereto; said battery being diagrammatically shown, and the return way and column of spherical reflectors being shown inbreken lines.

Fig. Sis an enlarged fragmental section on line w3, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4t is an'enlarged fragmental sectionl on line Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmental' section on line x5, Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmental sectional front View of the board with a light runway provided'with lights that travel in ellipt-ical arcs in addition to moving over the runways.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentalsection on line m7, Fig. 6. i

Fig. 8 is a view of the piston yoke in position tolift one of' the signal lights. j

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic View of the sign board installed at a railroad crossing to give warning of approaching vcars or trains.

The sign board l comprises-a rframe 2 in which there is arranged a yplate for back ground 3 and has a runway` 4' for light diffusing-.bodies or other rolling objects thatv maybe spherical reflectors 5 as shownin Figs. 1 5 or the electric globe appliance 6 shown 1n Figs. 6-9. The objects may or-may not be transparent and are preferably of a light reflecting character. v

The runway 4 has its upperand lower ends eoV 7,-'8 respectively connectedto the upper f and vlower ends of an elevator Way 9, and

the runway vconsists of reversely inclined limbs connected Vbyrbends 10, so that refiectors 5` entering the runway at 7 will cross and i'ecross a plane Yof vision paralleling the plane of the plate 3 in a zig-zag course from top to bottom; and the lightf-romy the lamp tors; and on account of' a continual change of position relativeto the lamp 10 the beams f.

of such light' reflected from' such reflectors ywill be correspondingly changed in direction* and. thereby attractvattention-to the plate 3 onl the face of which can be arranged, printed, written, or other'l matter, as forl instance words as shown at a in Fig. 1.

The reflectors 5 are pushed upward and out j. of Vthe pa-ssage) by means otl a piston-11 that is connected by rod12, with'an eccentric pin 13 on the spur Wheel 14 that is mounted on a spindle' 15 secured int-he frame 2; land the wheel Mis `driven by apinion 16 that is connected by a worm drive 17 withthe shaft 17 of' almotor 18A which can'be driven by any desired means as from a source of electrical power such as the battery 19 .that is con' nected to the motor by wiring 20,l 21 in'which lamp 10 and a 'sic-n.23 that is adapted to engage the under side of reiiectors'v and lift them above a dog24 that is pivoted on a piny25 in a recess 2G in the wall of the passage 9 and frame 2 so as to allow the reflectors to pass up, and to prevent them' from returning.

ril`he tree end of the dog is normally held in the way 9 by a spring so that when the piston is in its lowest position the' dog will support the reflectors above it until another reflector is forced upward by the piston. f g

From the dog 24 upwards the passage 9 is filled `with reflectors so that each ltime the piston iorcespne upward the top one in the' upr ht passage or way 9will be forced outward onto the runway 4 at 7 trom .whichl point itwill travel downward by gravity to again enter the passages 9 at 8.

Freier-.ably about nine ot the reflectors 5 are kept outin the runwayA 4'; although a greater or .less number may be used, -as desired. p

ln the appliance shown in Figs. G-9 cylindrical rollers 28 arel substituted for the reflectors 5 and these rollers carry the lampsv to easily` overcome anyv` balancing" of' the lamps and cause the rollersto more down the inclined runway; 4. y f

The rollers 28 and associated parts are adaptedl and 4arranged to be raised through the passage 9 substantially in like manneras are the reflectors except that ,the conn struction ot the passage-9 is; arranged to conform to the coinliination ot rollers 28 and'y the parts connected thereto; and also'. the

piston l1 sofconstructed that .its i''orlr arins will.I engage opposite ends of the 4rollers 2S as illustrated in F ig; 8 soas to lift them above the dog 24; and in doingfso discharge the upper rollcr'i-n'to therunway 4 at 7.

As each roller 2S rolls down the runway` 4, the lamps 29,y 30 revolve describingcourses that attract the observer to determine the" unusual light movement. l

rlChe lamps 29,301are in circuit with the battery 19 by the wires 20, 2l that can be connected directly with contact strips 33, 34laid-in thebottorn of Ythe runway 4 as shown, in F 6 and T or connected thereto ;.v

as diagrarnmatically illustrated in Fig. 9

in which the sign board is vassociated with a railroad crossing.

As illustratedl in Fig. 7, with parts in circuit, current will pass through vwire to contact strip 33 then through'the lamps 29,

i fore not shown or describedin'detaillY through a wire 35 in the flber portion 36 of the roller 28 to the metal'- @hub '37j that rolls `on the contact strip: 34, 'and'A back to baiiery over the wire 2l.

ilhen the sign board is used in connection with a railroad crossing as illustrated in 9* thewire 2O is provided with open switches 22, 22 that are positioned on 0pposite. sides oi'fa railcrossing 88; and a sufficient distance theref'ronr to give. timely warning tof persons V"cressing thef'tr'aclr V29; and these switches arey opened andclose'd by` trains passing over tlie"trac'k.` V"The 'meansl for openingand closinggthese 'switchesaiel old and are well unclerstoodand?are there?V l TlWhenV either of theswi'tch'esA a're thrown into circuit, `the rgiotor 18y `will'loeifactuated intermittently to forc'e'therollers 28 out'on# to the runway 4 where their lamps; 29;y 30' will be lighted 'to illuminate the tace ofthe plate 3; and-to tr'avelin'a course that-will' attract attention to' the markings printed or written on the plate." i i Y gt desired also-agong 40 can be connected' in the circuit as vshown'i'n F ig. `'9 or directly o ierated by action ottheniotor l8as `illustrated--in Figs. 152,4 Y i As seen therein'the'back walls of passage 9 and trame are slotted` at' 4l, and wrist pin is extendedtherethroughand'connects"V thek piston il with the rod l2 aridithis pin esl is extended through a slot'43 in theY end' of the striker arm that is pivoted at "'in'` posi-tion for its' spring end 46' to. strike the gong 40 each time the piston ll descends to its lowest positionf i I ln operation-theactuation of the piston ll on each upward stroke, forces a spherical reflector out onto the upper vend of 'theA runway-into the rays of light thatare directed by a lamp onto Vthe Vboard'from1wli'ere it'and' others followingl descend in a zig-zfagfeoufrse o the face of' thefboard to thelowerend;

vand by their inovement'andreii'ectedlight therefrom aswell as the action ofthe gong,v

-will attract attention tothe matter on"thevl sign lxard.l

I claim LA; sign board comprising av plate adaptedv tohave printed matterthereongfa runway across saidaplate; 'flight reflect-ing balls operable in said runway 5 inea'nstor p continuously moving the'lightreflecting balls along i saidrunway; f and means` lfor 'ill'uini-f nating. the inoyiiig-objectsto attractfattention to saidboard. 'f 2. A sign= board comprisingV a plate adapted to have printed matter thereon; a runway on-saidl plateg'means :tor continu ously and automatically passing balls over' said runway,` and means' for illuminating said balls as they pass over said runway.

3; A 'signf board comprising a plate adapted to have written or printedvniatter".

fifi

thereon; a zig-zag runway in said plate;

flight reflecting balls onto said runway; and

means for directing light on the balls as the same pass over said runway, so` that the reflected light from said balls will attract attention to said board.

4. A sign board comprising a plate adapted to have written or printed matter thereon; a downwardly inclined Zig-Za run-` way, said runway having upper and ower ends; rolling reflectors operableon said runway; means for intermittently forcing said rolling reflector onto the upper end of said runway; means for directing light onto said reflectors as they pass downward` over runway; and an elevator passage way' connecting the lower with the upper end. of said runway. Y

5. A sign board comprising a frame; a plate in said frame; a runway in said plate; saidY runway having upper and lower ends;

an 'elevator Apassage connecting the lower.

with the upper end of said runway; rolling reflectors operable on said runway;'means for intermittently forcing said rolling reflectors upward through said passage and out on the upper end of said runway; andv means for illuminating said reflectors as they pass downward over said runway.

6. A sign board comprising a lframe; a plate in said frame; a Zig-zag downwardly inclined runway in said plate said runway having upper and lower ends; a passage in said frame that connects the lower `withthe Vupper end of said runway; spherical rellec- 7. A sign board comprising .a frame; a

plate in said frame; a Zig-Zag downwardly inclined run-way insaid plate said runway having upper and lower ends; a passage in saidvk said frame that connects the lower with the upper end of said runway; spherical reflectors in said passa-ge; a piston for intermittently forcing said reflectors out onto the upper end of said runway; a. lamp for illuminating said reflectors as'they passv downward over said'runway; and a motor for actuating said piston. y

8. A sign board comprising a frame; a

lplate in said frame; a zig-zag vdownwardly inclined'l runway in said plate said runway having upper and lower ends; a passage in said frame that connects the lower with the upper end of said runway; a column of spherical reflectors in said passage; means for supporting thereflectors in said passage so that tlie'topmost ball is adjacent to the upper end-of-said runway; a piston for inn termittently actuating said column of reflectors to force the top one'jout onto the upper end of said runway at each upward thrust of said piston; a lamp for illuminating said reflectors as theypassover said runway; and a motor for actuating said piston.`

9'. A sign board comprisingv a vplate have ingV an inclined zig-zag runway formed therein; spherical reflectingl elements adapted to run in said runway; lighting means for illu* minating saidV reflecting elements vduring downward movement in said runway; andV means to automatically and continuously move the reflecting elements from the lower to the upper end of the way.

10. A sign board comprising a plate provided with advertising matter; an inclined runway in saidplate adjacent the advertising matter; light reflecting elements adapted to movev down the way; means to automatically and continuously move said light reflecting elements from the lower'to the upper end of the way, and means for illuminating said elements during their downward inove ment in the way.

In testimon'ywhereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California.7 this 2nd day of April, 1923. i

: JAMES H. NORTHROP.

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