US2443510A - Color-pattern generating device - Google Patents

Description

June 15, 1948. MCCALLUM COLOR-PATTERN GENERATING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 2'7, 1946 Jade/ 28 07 -Ro cr/aZ/m June 15, 1948.

Filed NOV. 27, 1946 R. A. M CALLUM COLOR-PATTERN GENERATING DEVICE Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 15, 1948 Robert A. McCallurn, Clarendon 'liflills; :Ill.; "aIs-' signor to AI M ICIncorporated, ,Chicago, 111., a

"The present invention relates to color-pattern generating machines-for producing variegat'ed rotating color patterns. V q

Color wheels are used in connection with 'devices and displays for-arresting and attracting the attention of the .public.

Color-pattern generators of the prior art generally comprise a fluorescent tube lamp, a rotating transparent barrel on which various colors are painted, a separate mounting on which the barrel is rotatably secured, a speed reducer, a driving. motor and a mounting for the lamp. Such. generators. suffer. from. .three maj or; limitations: .First, .separatemountings must be provided for the barrel and the lamp, with resulting complexity in the arrangement of the parts; second, the lamp and barrel are so arranged that the barrel must be removed from its mounting before a lamp can be replaced; third, the tube leads are brought out through apertures in the top and bottom members of the rotating barrel, thereby presenting an unsightly appearance and creating all the hazards attendant on proximity of flexible leads to moving parts.

An object of the present invention is to provide a color-pattern generating machine or color wheel which has such arrangement that the lamp may be easily removed or replaced.

Another object of the invention is to provide a very simple, inexpensive, easily assembled and installed color wheel.

A further object of the invention is to provide a color wheel which requires only one mounting for both the tube and the barrel.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a color wheel having no exposed flexible electrical leads and no complicated arrangements for bringing the leads out from the lamp to the power supply.

Other advantages and capabilities of the invention will become apparent as the following description of the accompanying drawings, in which there is disclosed one illustrative embodiment of the invention, proceeds.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a preferred form of color wheel in accordance with the invention, certain parts being broken away to show the barrel interior;

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the top end member of the barrel;

Fig. 3. is a top view of the novel color wheel provided in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 4 is a front view showing the interior construction in detail; and

corporation ofMichigan 5 Application November 27, 1946, Serial No. 712,626

2 Claims; (01. 240 10.1)

Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the Fig. 1 color wheel.

As clearly shown in Fig. 1,5 therei areprovided in accordance with the inventions-a mounting H for detachably holding a fluorescent lamp l2, a transparent cylinder [3 rotatably and concentrically mounted on the lamp, on whichcylinder one or more colors are painted or dyed, and afriction drive [4."

The outstanding advantages 'of the construction provided in accordance with the invention are as follows: First,only one mounting is required and the separate-barrel mounting is dispensed with; second, lamp replacement ,or barrel replacement isreadily an'd'quickly accomplished; third, electrical leads are not brought out in proximity to moving parts; fourth, the novel construction is very cheap.

Specifically, mounting I l consists of a vertically extending member 22, an upper tube supporting bracket 23, including a socket 51 and a lower tube supporting bracket 24 including a socket 56. Members 22, 23, 24, 55, 56 essentially comprise a standard fluorescent tube mounting and further description thereof is deemed unnecessary. Secured to an upstanding side 25 of lower member 24 by spacers 26, 21 and screws 28, 29, 30 and 3! is a mounting 32 for driving motor 33. Motor 33 may be of any suitable type such as a clock motor. The motor has a shaft 34 which projects through an aperture in side 25 and frictionally abuts the bottom member 35 which is rigidly secured to and carries barrel I3, whereby the rotation of shaft 34 causes the barrel to rotate about lamp l2. Secured to the other or top end of the barrel is a top member 36.

Member 36 has a concentric aperture 31 formed with integral downwardly projecting tongues 38, 39, 4d and 4|, the free ends of which tongues rotatably embrace tube l2. Similarly, barrel end member 35 is formed with a central aperture 43 and integral upwardly projecting tongues 44, 45, 46 and 41, the latter tongues also rotatably embracing tube l2. By these expedients the barrel is rotatably mounted on the tube l2 itself and the necessity for a separate barrel mounting is disposed with.

Various colors indicated at 48, 49, 50, 5|, 52 and '53 are painted on or dyed in the barrel, which barrel may be made of any suitable material, preferably a transparent plastic material. Members 35 and 36 are suitably apertured as indicated at 51 and 58 to provide for circulation of air within the interior of the barrel and removal of heat generated by lamp I 2.

The color wheel is set up for operation by slidlably placing the subassembly of members I3, 35, 36 on tube l2 and then inserting the tube in the mounting 24, 22, 23, in the usual manner. Upon starting of motor 33 barrel l3 rotates and produces variable pleasing and attractive color eff ects as the light shines through the various color patterns in succession. Shaft 34 not only causes the barrel to rotate but also restrains it against downward motion. The leads are brought out through the members 23 and 24 and thus the problem of bringing them out through the ends of the barrel is avoided.

While there has been shown. and described what is at present considered'to be the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will beobvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and substitutions of equivalents may bemade without departing from the true scope of the invention and it is accordingly intended in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within-the true and proper scope of the'invention.

Having thus described my'invention, I claim:

1. A color pattern generatingrdevice for producing variegated rotating color patterns from an electriclighting source, comprising a vertically extending member having an upper tube supporting bracket'including an electrical socket, and a lower tube'supporting bracket including a mating socket; a fluorescent lamp tube extending between the upper and lowersockets, and a color wheel consisting of a translucent colored sleeve of substantially greater diameter than the fluoresce'nt lamp tube and substantially co-extensiv e therewith, said colored sleeve being rotatably mounted on the fluorescent lamp tube by a pair of identical but oppositely disposed fittings, each having a flange surrounding and closely engaging one end of the colored sleeve, and an aperture closely surrounding the fluorescent lamp; together with a driving motor having a shaft extending under the edge of the lower fitting of the color wheel whereby the entire weight of the color Wheel is supported on the motor driving shaft, whereby frictional engagement between the lower fitting and the shaft will rotate the color wheel about the lamp.

2. A color pattern generator according to claim 1, wherein each of the end fittings of the color wheel engage the surface of the fluorescent lamp only by the free ends of a plurality of projecting tongues; and wherein the end fittings are addii tionally perforated so that air heated within the color wheel may flow outwardly through the upper fitting to admit cool air through the lower fitting and effect continuous circulation of air through the wheel to dissipate the heat of the lamps by convection.

ROBERT A. MoCALLUM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references file of this patent:

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