US1937138A - Means for and method of illumination - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 28, 1933. R. E. BARCLAY MEANS FOR AND METHOD OF ILLUMINATION Filed April 20, 1931 5750627252: Z .13. (Zara w gx Patented Nov. 28, 1933 ulrao T STATES mauve FOR AND mrrnon or" mpmmrron Robert E. Barclay, Chicago, 111., assignor to Federal Electric Company, Chi

ration of New York mo, 111-, a co m- Application April 20, 1931. derial No. 531,382

6 Claims. (01. Mil-10.1)

My invention relates in general to the art of illumination and has more particular reference to the production of artistic, eye-arresting lighting effects which are especially well adapted for advertising and display purposes and which also have application as an architectural adjunct for the embellishment and decoration of building structures.

One of the important objects of my present invention is to provide a cheap and easily constructed, eilicient and attractive display device embodying the gas filled electrical discharge illuminating elements of the'type exemplified by Neon Tubes, said device being arranged to pro- ,duce kaleidoscopic or shifting light effects of a character capable of attracting attention and, if properly controlled, produces pleasing artistic efiects to thereby render the device particularly useful in advertising and for ornamenting building structures and in many other ways.

Another object is to provide a device embodying discharge arc illumination and arranged to produce shifting kaleidoscopic lighting effects in many colors.

Another object resides in the improved details of construction of the apparatus for accomplishing the foregoing results and including the novel means of mounting, in circuit, luminous elements of the discharge are type; the manner of, producing traveling light eflects by mounting luminous elements of the type described in a traveling frame; and .the manner of providing high tension electric power in the shifting frame for the purpose of operating the luminous elements.

Among the numerous other objects of my present invention is to provide apparatus for and method of creating polychromatic shifting light effects; to provide a cascade of light whereby to create the illusion of falling water; to utilize discharge are illumination in creating kaleidoscopic eiiects; to produce novel lighting effects by the use of shifting luminous discharge are elements; to use discharge are illumination in conjunction with prismatic lenses to produce novel lighting eiiects; and to provide an apparatus including a turntable for shiftably mounting discharge are illuminating elements in order to accomplish my purpose, the turn table being constructed to carry attransformer so that power to operate the dis-' charge are elements may be supplied through slip rings or otherwise to the turntable at low voltage, it being understood that under ordinary circumstances discharge arc illumination is accomplished at high voltage which cannot readily be supplied to a turning device.

These and numerous other objects and advantages will be understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing discloses a practical operable device embodying my invention.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a kaleido scope, including the turntable, embodying my present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view partially in sec-- 05 tion along the line 2-2 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the turntable:j

Figure 4 is an enlarged section through the end of a luminescent element employed in the device of my present invention;

Figures 5 and 6 are sectional views illustrating types of lenses which may be employed, in conjunction with the traveling discharge arc elements carried in the turntable, to create novel lighting effects.

To illustrate my invention, I have shown on the drawing shiftable support means 11 for illuminating elements, preferably of the discharge are type such as the neon or other gas filled tubes 13. My invention, however, is not necessarily limited to the specific luminescent element disclosed. The support means 11 preferably comprises a rotatably mounted tm-ntable driven by any suitable motive device or primermover such as the illustrated electric motor 15.

The drive means is preferably provided with a suitable speed control (not shown), and reduction gears 19 also are or may beemployed between the motor and turntable so that the latter may be operated within a suitable or desired speed range by a standard motor.

The turntable comprises a frame provided with means, comprising spaced clips 27, adapted to receive and retain the ferruled ends 29 01 neon tubes or other luminescent elements. I wish to call attention, at this time, to the novel manner of mounting the luminescent elements in the frame. The frame in the illustrated apparatus comprises an upper and a lower disc 31 and 33 in the edges of which the clips 27 are arranged so that the elements 13 are held, at their upper and lower ends respectively, to the edges of the upper and lower discs. The discs also are mounted in spaced relation on an axle 35 through which the turntable is driven by the motor. The 105 clips 27 may be of any common or suitable form such as is commonly employed in supporting the ferruled ends of fuses, and the ends of the luminescent elements 13 are provided with cupshaped ferrules 30 as indicated in Figure 4 of 110 ance with a pre-determined scheme and the low-.

the drawing. The ends of each element 13 are sealed in a manner well known in the art and provided with an electrode 32 which is preferably supported and spaced from the inner walls of the tube by a collar, by means of glass beads as is well known in the art. A connector 36 extends from the electrode 32 outwardly through the sealed end of the tube forming the luminescent element and passes through a perforation in the bottom of the cup-shaped ferrule 30. The ferrule engages and embraces the sealed end of the tube and'is held in place by, means of suitable cement 38 and by the fact that the connector 36 is sealed to the ferrule as at 40.

Both ends of the element are or may be provided with ferrules in the described manner so that the entire unit may be mounted in its supporting clips with a minimum of effort. I am not aware that it has ever been proposed to mount luminescent elements in this manner in fuse clips; however, I believe the advantage of so mounting the luminescent elements will be clearly apparent.

The clips on the upper disc are connected together by conductors 37 and the clips on the lower disc are connected by conductors 39 in accorder clips are connected with a transformer 41, which is supported in the turntable and moves therewith so that when the elements are'arranged between the upper and lower clips all may receive power from the transformer. In the device illustrated, the clips and connecting conductors are arrangedso that the elements 13 form a seriescircuit between the high voltage terminals of the transformer. v i

Power-is supplied to the low voltage terminals of the'transformerth-rough slip' rings 43 which preferably comprise concentric annular strips mounted on the lower disc of the turntable, the rings being held in place by studs 44, preferably formed integral with the rings at one end,-which project through perforations in the disc and are threaded at their upper ends to receive nuts 46. Obviously any suitable expedient may be employed for mounting the rings in the frame 11.

' The low voltage terminals of the transformer are connected each to the upper end of the stud of one of the rings by means of conductors 45 as shown in Figure 5 and fingers 47 are suitably mounted to contact each a ring as the turntable revolves. Thefingers 47 are preferably connected by power leads 49 and through suitable switching apparatus including a disconnecting switch 51 and the fuses' 53, to the power source, 21.

The fuses 53, the switch 51 and the apparatus for controlling the motor '15 are or may be conveniently mounted on a'control panel 54, which is or may be carried in a frame located at any desired control point either near to or at a distance from the device 11. x

I am not aware that it has ever been proposed to shiftably mount luminescent elements of the discharge are type in order to produce novel lighting effects. I find that, by shiftably mounting the luminescent elements, novel visual effects are produced in the units particularly if shifted laterally at high speed and one phase of my invention consists of shiftably mounting the luminescent elements. However, I am able to create startlingly new and eye-arresting effects by shifting the discharge arc illuminating elements behind a preferably prismatic lens 55, which forms a screen on which the luminescent element appears to the observer as a distorted image comprising a wavering streak of light. The lens is preferably arranged in the form of a plate of substantial weight, one side of which is grooved or fluted as is well known in the art.

In Figures '5 and 6, I have illustrated in crosssection, portions of prismatic lenses suitable for use in the device of my present invention for the purpose of producing the above mentioned kaleidoscopic effects.

I mount the lens or lenses (sin'ce obviously any number of lenses may be used) 55 in a suitable support frame 57 arranged to support the lens or lenses in front of the shifting elements 13. I do not, of course, intend to limit this aspect of my invention to the particular lens employed or the particular arrangement of the lens or to the specific means illustrated for causing the elements to shift their position behind the lens, it being possible to vary the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts without avoiding the scope of my present invention. I am, however, able to produce a visual effect closely simulating a cascade of tumbling water by ar ranging the prisms of the lens diagonally preferably at an angle of 45 as illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawing. The effect is rendered especially beautiful by employing light elements 13 of many different colors.

The ever-changing kaleidoscopic light effects which I am thus able to produce include effects which are not only beautiful but which are eyearresting and attention-gaining in the extreme, and this fact renders my invention of particular utility as a beacon for air-ports and analogous purposes.

As each element 13 travels laterally across and behind the diagonally arranged prismatic'lens, a zigzag discontinuous streak of light, the several parts of which are indicated in dotted lines at 59 in Figure 1 of the drawing, travels across the 115 screen 55. As it travels across the screen, the several parts of the discontinuous image 59 appear to move downwardly. This effect is created because the prisms, of which the screen or lenses 55 are formed, are arranged diagonally.

If a large number of luminescent elements 13 are arranged in the frameand the same is rotated at a rapid rate, a rapid succession of variously colored images 59 will travel across the screen and produce a visual effect closely resembling a 125 cascade of water.

I propose to use this effect not only in advertising and display signs but also on building structures and it is possible, by multiplying the number and size of screens and elements 13 employed 130 in the assembly, to entirely cover large areas with a colorful ever-changing kaleidoscopic stream of colors.

It is thought that the invention and numerous of its attendant advantages will be fully under- 135 stood from the foregoing description and it is obvious that numerous changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention or sacrificing any of its of light and in spaced relationship from said source of light and means for establishing relative movement between the lens and the light source so that the light source moves in a direction with respect to the lens intersecting the prisms thereof at an angle other than a right angle.

2. An illuminating device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the lens is stationary and comprises 4. An illuminating device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the lens comprises prisms extending in one direction and the elongated streak of light is moved relatively with respect to the lens in a direction intersecting the prisms at an angle of approximately 45 degrees.

5.An illuminating device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the lens comprises prisms extending at an angle of substantially 45 degrees with respect to the vertical and the source of light extends vertically and is shifted laterally and horizontally behind the lens.

6. An illuminating device comprisingan elongated tubular electrical discharge lamp, a lens comprising elongated prisms, means for mounting the lens between the observer and the tubular lamp and in spaced relationship with said lamp and means for relatively moving the lens and the tubular lamp in such a way that the prisms of the former make other than a right angle with the tubular lamp.

ROBERTE. BARCLAY.

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