Патент USA US2024409

Dec. 17, 1935.>
2,024,409
R. WILDE
ELEcTRic SIGN
"
22
2. 2
2,024,409
Patented Dec.' 17, 1935
UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE
2,024,409
ELECTRIC SIGN
Rudolf Wilde, Villa Park, Ill.
Application November 22, 1934, Serial No. '754,199
2 Claims. (Cl. 40-130)
'Ifhis invention relates to improvements in elec
tric signs.
One object of the invention is to provide a sign
preferably of the neon type, comprising change
able sections provided with suitable contacts for
establishing the circuit through the sign as the
sections are assembled in the desired relation.
Neon signs are known which are formed in sec
- tions, each carrying a letter, but in forming a com
10 plete sign of the selected letters-it is necessary to
connect the terminals of the letters by means of
conductors as the sections are placed in position.
Other types of neon signs are used each letter
section of which is provided with an individual
15 transformer. This construction, of course, is
' expensive where the signs frequently are to be al
tered, as a theater sign, for example, since it is
‘ necessary to have the complete alphabet of letters
and of course several sections bearing the more
20 frequently occurring letters.
By the present improvements, individual trans
formers for each letter are not required. nor is it
necessary to connect manually the terminals of
each letter when a. sign is altered. On the con
25 trary, it is merely necessary to place the sections
in position in the frame and improved contacts
carried by the sections automatically establish the
circuit through the entire sign. The alteration
of a sign of the improved type is therefore a rela
30 tively simple matter.
A further object of the invention relates to im
provements in the construction of contact mem
bers which establish the circuit through successive
sections.
Other objects of the invention relate to various
35
features of construction and arrangement of
parts which will be apparent from a consideration
of the following specification and accompanying
drawing, wherein:
40
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a sign embodying
the present improvements.
then downwardly to form a longitudinal channel
I2.
The upper edge I3 of the lower horizontal '
member of the frame is bent inwardly and then
upwardly to form a iiange I4.
4
The panels or sections indicated by the numeral 5
I5 may be formed of sheet metal having inwardly
directed stiffenìng flanges I6 on their vertical
edges which terminate short of the upper and
lower ends. In inserting a section in the frame the
upper edge of the section is ñrst inserted in the 10
channel I2 and the inner end swung into engage
ment with the flange I4, the lower edge of the sec
tion having a complementary channel formed
therein for receiving the flange I4, as shown in
Figure 3.
15
To remove a section it is ñrst raised slightly to
clear the flange I4, and then lowered until the up
per end clears the edge II of the upper frame
member and then pulled outwardly.
The frame I0 shown in Figure 1 is shown pro- 20
vided with six sections I5. The end sections carry
no letters.
The sections which carry the letters
have openings I'I formed therein for receiving
terminals of the neon tubes of which the letters
are formed. These terminals may be of any suit- 25
able construction. The letters are shown as being
supported by conventional clips I8 in spaced re
lation with reference to the forward face of the
sections I5.
The ends of the glass tubes of which the letters 30
are formed are provided with any 'suitable ter
minals |811, which are passedthrough the open
ings I'I'into contact with spring resisted ter
minals I9 carried by the insulating housings 20.
The housings shown in the ñgures are of conven- 35
tional construction and form no part per se
of the present improvements.
Each of the sections I5 is provided with a pair
of insulating posts 2| each disposed adjacent a
margin of the sections. The posts 2| are secured 40
to the sections I5 by means of bolts 22 o'r the
Figure 2 is an enlarged broken rear elevation of ' like. The posts 2I are provided with rectangular
openings 23 therein for receiving resilient con
tact members 24 which in the form shown are
provided with spring-like convolutions 25. The 4,5
45 of Figure 1.
inner end of each contact member preferably is
Figure 4 is a section taken on line 4_4 of Fig
provided with an opening for receiving a bolt 26
ure 1.
Figure 5 -is a side elevation of one of the contact having a square shoulder 21 and which extends to
the inner face of the post and is secured in
posts.
position by a nut 28.
50
Figure 6 is a detail of a contact member.
_
50
A short conductor 29 is secured at one end of
In the drawing, I il is a frame which supports the
the bolt 26 by a nut 3D and extends into contact
individual sections or panels which carry the let
ters forming the sign. The frame I0 may be made with the spring resisted terminal of the terminal
of sheet metal and has the edge II of the upper housing 20. The posts 2I as shown in Figures
horizontal member folded back upon itself and 1 and 2, are uniformly positioned on the backs 55
certain of the letter sections of the sign.
Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3-3
55
fr
2
2,024,409
of the respective sections l5 whereby when the
sections are in position in the frame I0, the posts
will be in alignment.
The posts are also po‘si
tioned adjacent the vertical edges of the sections
whereby the contact members 24 project slightly
laterally of said vertical edges.
Thus in Figures 1 and 2 it will be seen that
the resilient contacts 24 will be in abutting rela
tion when the sections are assembled in the
10 frame, whereby the current will flow in series
through the individual letters of the sign.
By the construction described individual sec
tions can readily be removed from the frame for
rearrangement in spelling another word or words.
Where the particular word of a sign contains
fewer letters than are required for ñlling the
frame blank sections may be employed. The
blank sections are constructed the same as the
previously described sections, but have no letters
and are provided with a conductor 3| which ex
tends from one of the contact posts 2| directly
across to the other.
It is preferred tol provide the rear portion of the
frame with contact posts 32 which are similar to
25 contact posts 2l and are so disposed as to make
electrical connections with the adjacent contacts
carried by the end panels whether they be blank
sections, as shown in Figure 1, or character sec
tions. The contacts 32 are connected by con
30 ductors 33, 34 with the secondary of the trans
former 35 which supplies current to the sign.
If desired,` the posts 32 may be omitted and
the ends of the conductors 33 and 34 connectedl
to the appropriate contact members o'f the re
35 spective sections, such as for example, the left
hand contact of the section carrying the letter
“S” of Figure 1, and the right hand contact of
the section carrying the letter “N ”. However, the
use of the posts 32 is preferred wherever feasible
40 since the alteration of a sign is facilitated in that
there are then no separate conductors to be con
nected by the workmen.
As shown in Figure 6, each of the contact mem
bers 24 preferably is provided with a relatively
45 ñat outer face, the >edges of which are rounded.
The spring convolutìons 25 may be formed in
tegral with the member 24 and preferably are
formed of a flat strip of resilient conducting ma
terial. The general shape of the entire contact
50 is rectangular in cross section, and being posi
tioned in a rectangular opening 23 cannot turn
when the nut 23 is turned on or oiî, as will be
seen.
In assembling the individual sections of the
55 sign shown in Figure 1, one of the' end sections
can Iñrst be inserted and the remaining sections
successively placed in position.
The rounded
co'rners of the slightly projecting contacts 24 en
able one of each abutting pair to slide over the
60 other in placing a section in position and force
each to recede slightly into the respective open
ings 23 and exert pressure one against the other
to fo'rm a suitable electrical connection.
It will be understood that signs having a great
65 er number of letters can be constructed in ac
cordance with the principle of the present irn
provements and that the removal of the sections
in rearranging the same to form a different word
or words will require but a few minutes, and with
out the necessity of the workmen ñrst detaching
conductors extending from one terminal of a
letter to another, and then re-establishing the 5
connections as the letters are placed in reas
sembled position.
Where the combined length of the glass tubes
is such that two or more words can be served by
the same transformer, the words can be spaced 10
by a blank section such as either of the end sec
tions illustrated in Figure 1.
While I have shown and described an embodi
ment of my improvements for the purpose of il
lustration, I do not wish to be restricted specif- 15
ically thereto except as so limited by the ap
pended claims.
I claim:
1. An electric sign comprising a frame and a
plurality of removable character sections adapted 20
to be inserted into ñnal position in said frame
and removed therefrom in a direction at right
angles to the face of the frame, illuminatable
characters on the forward faces of said sections,
a pair of rearwardly extending insulating contact 25
posts uniformly disposed on the rear surface of
each of said sections adjacent opposite margins
thereof, said posts having recesses therein, and
resilient contacts mounted in said recesses and
electrically connected to the character on the 30
respective section, said contacts having ends pro
jecting from said posts and beyond said section
margins and having rounded edges whereby the
same can be moved inwardly of said recesses by
pressure exerted on said ends at right angles to 35
the direction of movement thereof by contacts
of an adjacent section during insertion of the
latter in the frame whereby any section can be
inserted in final position in the frame or re
moved therefrom in a direction at right angles 40
to the face of the frame independently of the ad
jacent section or sections.
2. An electric sign comprising a frame and a
plurality o‘f removable character sections adapted
to be inserted into iînal position in said frame and 45
removed therefrom in a direction at right angles
to the face of the frame, illuminatable characters
on the forward faces of said sections, a pair of
rearwardly extending insulating contact posts
uniformly disposed on the rear surface of each 50
of said sections adjacent opposite margins there
of, and resilient contacts carried by said posts
and electrically connected to the character on
the respective sections, said contacts each having -
a smooth portion projecting beyond the respec- 55
tive section margins and so shaped that the same
can be moved inwardly by pressure exerted on
said portions at right angles to the direction of
movement thereof by similar cooperating con- 60
tacts of adjacent sections during insertion of the
latter in the frame whereby any section can be
inserted in ñnal position in the frame or removed
therefrom in a direction at right angles to the
face o'f the frame independently of the adjacent 65
section or sections.
RUDOLF WILDE.