Sign with animated effect

2,355,902

Filed April 10, 1941

C. T. BERG

SIGN WITH ANIMATED EFFECT

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Patented Aug. 15, 1S44

2,355,902

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,355,902

SIGN WITH ANIMATED EFFECT

Carlton T. Berg, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor to The Photoplating Company, Minneapolis, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota

Application April 10, 1941, Serial No. 387,806

Claims.

This invention relates to animated displays and particularly to a display device and method of obtaining animated effects by the combination of two or more designs composed of a multiplicity of elements so related that a slight change in the line of vision of an observer or a slight relative movement between the design-carrying members or a source of light disposed therebehind produces a marked animated effect on the resulting design produced.

More specifically, it is an object to provide a display or advertising device comprising two plates or sheets composed of transparent material each having on one face thereof a design preferably produced by photographic process of the well known half-tone type, said design-carrying sheets being disposed one in front of the other with the respective half-tone or other design elements being substantially aligned or very slightly disaligned and spaced apart by the thickness of the sheets or by other spacing means to produce varying animated effects as previously described.

A further object is the provision of a simple and novel method for obtaining animated effects from superimposed designs having alternate, relatively transparent and translucent minute portions or elements.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the various views, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a small sign embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view mostly in horizontal section of the device of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on a larger scale of the two design-carrying plates spaced apart in operative position;

Figs. 4 and 5 are plan views on a greatly enlarged scale of corner fragments of the two plates showing half-tone designs photographically formed thereon, and

Fig. 6 is a view partly in top elevation and partly in section showing a somewhat different form of the invention.

In the form of my display device shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, I provide a pair of similar transparent plates 7 and 8 which may be conveniently constructed of glass of sufficient thickness to have refractory qualities. On one face of each of the plates 7 and 8 I produce preferably, though not necessarily, by photographic process (Cl. 40—132) a half-tone design which, as shown, is made up of half-tone dots or spots of similar size defined by very translucent background elements. As shown, the central portions of each of the pre5 pared faces of the plates 7 and 8 is not covered with the design elements. This produces a more concentrated illumination at the central portion of the sign where the greater portion of the advertising characters appear. In preparing the 10 plates the entire face of each may be printed and thereafter the central portions etched out or partially etched away by vignette method to produce a fading effect from the outer portions of the plates toward the center. The design is applied 15 to the back of the front plate and to the back face of the rear plate.

I prefer to develop the photographic plates after they have been printed by depositing and gently rubbing thereover metallic pigment such 20 as bronze, silver or other minute metal particles in finely divided or pulverized state. Such particles adhere to the dots defining the highly translucent background elements, although it will, of course, be understood that if desired various pic25 torial designs may be printed on the plates from a prepared negative as well as from a prepared positive.

As shown, the two plates 7 and 8 have identical half-tone designs formed on the rear faces 30 thereof, although it will, of course, be understood that a wide variety of designs, pictorial or otherwise, may be utilized in many cases, a somewhat different design being formed on the rear plate than on the front plate. In the embodiment 33 shown the two plates are spaced a slight distance apart by suitable spacing strips 9. As shown, the design dots X of the two plates are substantially aligned perpendicularly of the faces of the plates. A wide variety of different design effects may be 40 obtained by varying the spaced relationship or spacing the plates in slightly non-parallel relationship. It will also be understood that in lieu of the photographically produced designs on the plates themselves, photographic films or trans45 lucent sheets having various designs formed thereon may be substituted and secured to the back faces of the plates 7 and 8.

As shown, the plates in spaced relationship are mounted in an ornamental metallic frame 10 50 which is detachably mounted in the sign frame and which has the base 11 and the two upstanding ornamental supports 12. A reflector casing 13 is secured to base 11 and is provided with ventilating louvers 13a in the rear thereof. An elec55 trie lamp bracket and socket |4 is secured to the

2,355,002 bottom 136 of the reflector casing, having mounted therein a conventional electric lamp or bulb

15. An electrical service cord 16 having the conventional plug I Sa extends through casing 13 and has the wires thereof electrically connected with the lamp socket in conventional manner.

When my sign constructed as herein described is viewed from a position directly in front of the display panel, the entire panel is illuminated by the light, the advertising material stands out most prominently, and a background design of relatively large dots appears. The dots are greatly magnified by the refractive properties of the glass and the spacing of the two plates with the design surfaces some distance apart and with the dots or elements of the designs preferably slightly out of alignment. If the observer changes his position very slightly, the background dot design appears to move and the dots appear in different shapes, sometimes square and sometimes in curved arrangement, depending upon the point of observation. The size of the elements of the design changes considerably through different positions of observation. Thus, with my structure a pleasing animation is obtained attracting the attention of an observer to the apparently moving background and, of course, the prominent advertising which appears on the panel.

It will, of course, be apparent that by mechanically producing a slight relative movement of the plates 7 and 8, marked animated effects may be obtained.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a somewhat different form of the invention embodying, however, the plates 7 and 3 constructed and arranged as in the form of the invention first described. The frame casing and general structure of the sign is similar to the form shown in Figs. 1 to 5, but a revoluble heat motor or flue 28 of a conventional type is provided within the casing 13 and surrounds the electric lamp. Flue 20 is mc-unted for pivotal movement around the lamp 15 and carries at its upper end a series of twisted, substantially radial vanes which cause the flue to revolve from the stack action produced by the heat from the lamp. A pair of transparent panels 21 are formed in the flue 20 extending longitudinally thereof. In this form of the invention, during the revolution of the flue 2Θ, light is directed from a variety of different reflecting surfaces of the casing 13, this direction of light producing a wide variety of animated effects on the background portion of the panel. In this form of the invention an observer without shifting his position of sight, views a widely varied movement 5 of background design elements.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have provided a simple but highly efficient method of obtaining animated effects by the combination of two or more designs. It will further 10 be seen that I have provided a novel, comparatively inexpensive and highly effective display device or sign providing a wide variety of animated effects.

It will be understood that with pictorial designs 15 on the rear faces of the plates of my device, moving effects of the pictured objects, faces, etc, can be obtained.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, ar2o rangement and proportions of the parts without departing from the scope of my invention.