US2141344A - Sign - Google Patents

Description

y 27,'1938.v DBCRD I 2,141,344

SIGN

Filed Feb. 23, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor:

l Don B. Card,

Attorney.

D. B. ARD 2,141,344

SIGN

Filed Feb. 25, 19:7 2 vsheets-sheet 2 F9.17 11119.18 FigJQ Inventor.-

28 y Don B. Card, FigJG A @mam Attorney Patented Dec. 27, 1938 l UNITED sTATEs PATENT oFFicE 11 Claims.

My 'invention relates to signs of the type ywherein revolving members are employed `to produce certain illusory effects.

v The principal object of my invention is to proi vide a new medium for the exploitation of the artist characterized by dynamic and three-dimensional aspects.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will'be apparent in the following discourse wherein the signicance of the reference numerals in the Vaccompanying drawings, suggestive details of construction and operationfof signs fembodying my invention, and the particular advantages thereof are explained,

Figure 1 is a group of twenty-six characters intended to represent'therespective letters of the alphabet in usual sequence.l

Figure 2 represents a4 complete .sign in eleva'- tion.

Figure 3 represents a'view of the top of the sign shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 represents al certain optical effect of the sign in operation.

Figure 5 is a/ diagram illustrative of va manner i of using the optical effect shown inFigure 4.'-

Figure 6 is a diagram illustrative of a variant treatment 'of the effect shown in Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a diagram illustrative of the variation of density of brilliant-tube gas elements under' operating conditions.

Figure 8 representsa View in elevation-vof av Figure 11 represents the legend element of a' sign made from neon-tube elements.

Figure 12 represents the optical effect of the sign shown in Figure 11 in operation.

' Figure 13 represents the optical effect of a signponstructed to display superimposed words or characters.

Figure 14 is a diagram illustrative of a certain form of the topy view of a sign producing the effect shown in Figure 13. K

Figure 15 is a .diagram illustrative of the form of the top viewof a sign shown in several aspects in the Figures 16, 17, 18, and 19.

The characters chosen for. this luseas illustrated in Figure 1 wererdesigned with two ends in View, namely, such'analogy to the Roman letters as would render them easily legibleand symmetry of form about a median vertical axis. The

characters are plane guresor at least fiat fashioned forms having .lateral aspects oflines and similar obverse and reverse aspects as suggested in Figure 1.

These characters, when rotated, present identical forms to all points of the entire azimuth insofar as the human eye may detect, thus rendering them legible fromA any point of the horizony from which aclear View may be-had.

Figure 2 shows a sign displaying the word EAT, the separate characters of which; are mounted on the median vertical axes, orA the axes of symmetry-thereof, upon a shaft l the lower end of which is attached to a motor 2 to provide for rotation -of thel sign.- The topmost surface kof the upper letter is shown at Bin Figure 3. A

When this sign is in operation, that is in rapid rotation, the'characters present the appearance suggested in Figure 4. The more nearly central portions of -the'letter appear to-be of more solid color and substance than do the extremities as 4,5,.6, and 1, due to the variant lengths of time the-several portions are exhibitedto view. This is illustrated in Figure 10. A portion remote from the center of rotation as 8 and of the thickness indicated would present an extremity -as 9 atfthe full radial dimension thereof only during itspassage through the relatively small arc of the magnitude a while a portion located on the line 1: would be presented at approximately the same position during its passage through a relatively greater-arc of the magnitude b.

Since angular magnitudesv in this instance are measuresof time, the more nearly central portions will remain in View for a longer time than those morey remotely positioned and the latter will present a more or less diaphanous aspect if the characters are made of uniform color. The, degree of transparency of the extremities as related to the central portions may be effected in several ways. f

If the characters be made thicker as at I0 this' shading will be lessabrupt as indicated by the relative angular magnitudes Ac and d. Also, the shading may be compensated by constructing letters with -radial surfaces as at H when the angular magnitudes le will he identical for all portions.

The artist may take advantage of these effects to accentuate or modify color and shade effects to produce striking artistic balances of shade and form in three dimensions. For example, the diaphanous portionsmay be increased in size as suggested in Figure 5, or the same may be colored in deeper or brighter hue as suggested in Figure 8.

In Figure 6 is shown a manner of modifying the form of the letter O made in a single shade'of color. In'Figure 7 Vthe effects of rapid rotation upon neon tubing are shown. Here the gas is compressed toward the extremities I2 and I3 and rareled at I4, I5, and I6, due to the centrifugal forces involved. The effects of the varying clensities of the gas and the consequent modification v of electrical conductivity may be availed of to produce novel effects; Y Y

My invention is not alone applicable to fashioned letter-forms but has corresponding application to painted signs in which a single surface may be used or a plurality thereof in angularly 1 spaced relationship as illustrated by the Figures 15 to 19, in which identical markings identically positioned with referenceV to axis of rotation mayl be used, or in which identical or complementary markingsmay be used to achieve certain mechanical or illusory advantages. Y

In Figure 11 a continuous neon tube extends upwardly from the terminus I'I along the course indicated with dots through the tube,l and downwardly through the course indicated by the plain Y schemes for the exploitation Vof the artist.

' is inherent.

Such a use is illustrated in Figure 13 where two` words worked in different color havebeen disposed in two intersecting perpendicular surfaces as shown in Figure 14 which represents the top of a sign bearing the Words OILV and GAS Y as shown in Figure 13; the word "oil being disposed in the member I8 and the word gas being disposed in the member' I9. At certain portions as ZIJ in Figure 13 the two colors will blend while in other portions the colors retain the same tint as at 2| and 22.V Y"

In the sign illustrated in Figures 15 to19, two pieces of sheet metal Vare joined to form-four surfaces indicated in Figure V15 at 23, 211, 25, and 2E, which will appear to any beholder in the order of the reference numerals designating the same.v Each of these surfaces is separately shown in the Figures 16 to 19 respectively.

The optical effect produced in thisV sign is characterized by motion of some of theV characters. The large dots as 2l appear to be emerging from the position of the dot 28 in Figure 16 and traveling in pairs in opposite directions outwardlyV to the respective positions 29 and 30 and thenceY upwardly along both sides of the sign tothe respective positions 3l and 32, and finally to move inwardly to Vthe position 33'from whence they disappear. This is accomplished by phasing the positions of the dots as is well understood. 'Y

In any sign of the kind employing plane reflecting surfaces, another valuable characteristicV proceeding from extraneous sources as 3G, 35, 3S, and 37, are traced tothe respectiveV destinations the eye of an observerV with butV slightly reduced brilliance. Since .the sign rotates, these reflected rays will sweep the horizon and thus fafford an enhanced degree of illumination and Ahence ,visiwhichY said frame rotates.

In Figure 9 the courses of light rays composed of the asymmetric letters of the Roman alphabet associated withV the respective reverse forms thereof in symmetrical .arrangement and the symmetric letters lof the Roman alphabet.

2. A sign comprising, symmetrical substantially fiat characters selected from the general forms composed Vof the asymmetric letters of the Roman alphabet associated with the respective reverse forms thereof in symmetrical arrangement Yand the symmetric letters of the Roman alphabet wherein the axes of symmetry of said characters are coincident with the'axis of rotation in a revolving sign. Y 3. A sign comprising, symmetrical substantially fiat characters composed of the obverse and reverse forms of VRoman lettering conjoined in symmetrical arrangement, and power means to support and rotate said characters about the axes of symmetry thereofywherein the said characters are finished in hues Vof varying color values graded from the axes of symmetry outwardly.

4. A sign comprising, symmetrical substantially fiat characters composed of the obverse and reverse forms of Roman lettering conjoined in symmetrical arrangement, and power means to support'and rotate said characters about the axes of symmetry thereof, wherein the said characters are finished in huesv of Varying color values graded from the axes of symmetryoutwardly and the dimensions of the said characters are proportional to distances thereof from the axes of rotation.

5. A sign comprising, symmetrical substantially iiat characters composed of the obverse and reverse forms of Roman lettering conjoined in symmetrical arrangement, and power means to support and rotate said characters about theY axes Yof symmetry thereof, wherein the said characters Vmetrical characters.

'7. AV sign comprising, motor means, an openY frame rotatablyconnected to said motor means disposed-remotely from theV axis `of rotation thereof, and symmetrical characters supported within said frame and'alig'ned with the axes of YVsymmetry thereof coincident with the axis about 8. A signcomprising, symmetrical substantially flatV characters made of luminous tube elements in forms composed fof the obverse and re- "verse forms of Roman lettering conjoined in symthereof at S8, 39, d8, and 4I wheretheyv will strikeVY l metrical arrangement. Y

. 9. A sign comprisinga plurality, of groups of f fragmentarycharacters disposed in a plurality gether presenting when whirling the forms of symmetrical characters composed of the obverse and reverse forms of Roman letters conjoined in symmetrical arrangement.

10. A sign comprising, a plurality of groups of characters composed of the symmetric Roman letters in combination with characters formed of the asymmetric Roman letters arranged in symmetrical pairs consisting of the obverse and re- Verse forms thereof disposed in a plurality of planes mounted to rotate upon a single axis to display a plurality of superimposed Words or characters.

11. A sign comprising, a plurality of devices or markings disposed in a plurality of planes mounted to rotate upon a single axis, wherein the said devices or markings 'are disposed in phased relationship upon the several planes to present when whirling the appearance of movement of the said devices or markings.

DON B. CARD.

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