US818724A - Illuminated sign. - Google Patents

Description

No. 818.724. PATENTED APR. 24,1906

0. L. WILLIAMS.

ILLUMINATED SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED 001216 1905.

2 SHBETS-SHEET 1.

Attorneys No. 818,724. PATENTED APR. 24, 1906. O. L. WILLIAMS.

ILLUMINATED SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED OOT,1G. 1005v 2 SHEETS- SHEET 2 Wjmzass s; 672072662, [/VVENTOR.

CHARLES LANGDON WILLIAMS, or PARKEnSBUno, WEST VIRGINIA.

ILLUMINATED SIGN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 24, 1906.

Application filed October 16, 1905. Serial No. 283,021.

I To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES LANGDON WIL- LIAMS, a citizen of the United- States, residin at Parkersburg, in the county of Wood and State of West Virginia, have invented a new and useful Illuminated Sign, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to illuminated signs, and has for its object to provide an improved letter or symbol which may be as conveniently read during the day as at night when the symbol is illuminated.

A further object of the invention is to give the symbol a shaded effect and also to have the same appear in relief and intaglio.

A still further object of the invention is to have the symbol appear in outline when illu-.

Ininated and to provide for illuminating the face of the symbol in a position to have the same appear in outline.

\Vith these and other objects in view the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be herein after more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, propor ,tion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure l is a fragmentary perspective view of an illuminated sign pro vided with one of the symbols of the present invention. Fig. '2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the symbol in relief. Fig. 3 is a similar view of the symbol intaglio. Fig. 4 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of a symbol and its back-plate separated. Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view illustrating the construction of the symbol.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawings.

The present device includes an opaque back plate or body A and a symbol designated in general B. The back-plate is provided with an opening 1 in the form of the symbol to be carried by the plate. In the present instance it is the letter L. The symbol proper is made up of an opaque body 4, preferably of plate metal, in the form of the letter L, which is provided around its edges with flanges 6. To the'inner face of the opaque body 4 there is secured a flange 6, which is spaced from and in substantial parallelism with the flange 6, so as to form an edge seat or recess 5 for the reception of the adjacent edge of a translucent glass plate 3. It will here be noted that the flanges 6 and 6 are set at an an le of about forty-five degrees to the body of the symbol 4, whereby the translucent plates 3 are also set at an angle to the body, so as to give a shaded effect to the letter. Where the ends of adjacent translucent plates abut they are embraced between an angle-strip 6", said strip being integral with or suitably secured to the body 4say by being soldered or brazed thereto. For the purpose of connecting the letter or symbol to the back-plate in alinement with the opening therein the other edge of each translucent plate is received between a pair of angle-strips, the members 7 and 8 of which snugly embrace the plate, while their other members 7 and 8 lie'flat against one another in substantial parallelism with the body 4 and are soldered or otherwise connected, the member 7 being placed flat against and secured rigidly to the back A at the outer side of the opening therein. It will here be noted that the members 7 and 8 form i a groove or seat 2, in which one edge of the adjacent translucent plate 3 is received.

It will of course be understood that the edges of the translucent plates are cemented or otherwise rigidly secured within the seats 2 and 5, so as to form a water-tight joint.

At each internal angle between abutted translucent platcs3 there is an angle-strip 6", corresponding to the outer angle-strip 6 betweenwhich the plates are cemented or otherwise secured, so as to brace the structure and render the same rigid.

It will here be explained that each letter or symbol is formed upon a separate back A, and this back is connected to the open front of a frame or box 9 by means of inturned flanges 10 provided at each of the upright edges of the plate and adapted to embrace suitable brackets or projections 11, provided u on the top and bottom front edge portions of the box or frame 9, there of course being a similar inturned flange at thc'top of the back 1, so as to han upon the upper brackets or projections, and thereby removably support the symbol upon the front of the box. Any suitable illuminating means may be employed-such, for instance, as electric lamps 12, carried within the box-so as to have the li ht therefrom seen through the translucent plates 3, and thereby produce a letter or symunderstood that the blank the bolhin outline when the sign is illuminated at rom the foregoing description it will be body 4 of the letter or symbol is plainly discernible in the daylight, and the plates 3 give a shaded eifect thereto, it of course being necessary to have body of the symbol and the translucent plates appear in contrasting colors-say, for instance, redfor the bod of the symbol and white for} the plates.

When the body of the symbol is projected in front of the back member A, as in Fig. 2, the symbol appears in relief or cameo, and when the body of the symbol is in rear of the back A, as in Fig. 3, said symbol appears intaglio or sunken. The form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2 when illuminated produces an outline symbol, by reason of the fact that. the light from within the box or frame 9 shines through the translucent plates 3 only, the body of the symbol being blank or dark. When the embodiment shown in Fig; 3 is illuminated, the symbol of course alppears in outline, and. in addition thereto t e light which passes through the translucent edge plates also shines upon the body of the symbol, and thereby discloses the body of the symbol, as well as the outline thereof. Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is- 1. A symbol for illuminated signs comprising an opaque body, and translucent ed e plates set at an angle to the body, the b0 y and the plates bein in contrasting colors, to produce a shaded e ect.

2. A symbol for illuminated signs comprisg a back having an opening therein, an opaque symbol-body disposed opposite the opening at one side of the back, and translucent edge plates extending between the edge of the body and the edges of the opening, the symbol-body and'plates being in contrasting colors to give a shaded effect to the symbol.

3. A symbol for illuminated signs comprisinga back having an opemng therein in the shape of a symbol, a seat extending around opening, an opaque symbolthe edge47 of the body posed opposite the opening at one sideof the back and provided With a peripheral seat, and translucent plates set at an angle to the body with their edges received within the seat of the body and the seat of the back, the body and plates being in contrasting colors.

4. In an illuminated sign, the combination of a field having an opening therein in the shape of a symbol, an opaque symbol-body disposed opposite the opening at one side of the field and smaller than the opening, and translucent edge plates extending between the edges of the symbol and the edges of the opening and inclined across the opening, the symbol-body and the plates being in contrasting colors.

5. A'symbol for illuminated signs comprising a back having an opening therein in the shape of a symbol and provided with seats around the ed es of the opening, an opaque symbol-body isposed opposite the opening at one side of the back and provided with peripheral edge seats, translucent plates set at an angle to the body With their ed es received within the seats of the body an the back, and angle-bars connectingthe abutted ends of adjacent translucent plates, the symbol-body and the plates being in contrasting colors.

6. A symbol for illuminated signs comprising an opaque back-plate having edge por tions bent across the back of the p ate to form attaching flanges and there being an opening formed in the plate and 'havin the shape of the symbol to be exhibite an o aque symbol-body of the same shape and oi less size than theopening, and translucent edge plates extending between the edges of the opening and the edges of the symbol and inclined across the opening, the symbol-body and the plates being in contrasting colors and the plates forming a connection between the symbol-body and the back-plate.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed mysignature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES LANG'DON WILLIAMS.

Witnesses:

J. F. PARTRIDGE, W. H. TERRY.

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