US3656248A

US3656248A - Display apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3656248A
Application number: US37760A
Authority: US
Inventors: Otto H Echter
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1969-06-18
Filing date: 1970-05-15
Publication date: 1972-04-18
Anticipated expiration: 1989-04-18
Also published as: FR2056266A5; DE2030140B2; DE2030140C3; IE33166B1; DE2030140A1; GB1274614A

Abstract

A visual display device having at least two pairs of spaced opposed rollers. One pair of rollers is mounted horizontally in a vertical plane. The other pair of rollers is mounted vertically in the same plane. Each pair of rollers is provided with a plurality of tapes on which visual indicia are carried. The tapes of the horizontal rollers are interwoven with the tape of the vertical rollers. Drive means is also provided to rotate the rollers and move the tapes to make the indicia periodically visible and invisible.

Description

1151 3,656,248 [451 Apr. 18, 1972 United States Patent Echter [54] DISPLAYAPPARATUS 1,037,423 4/1953 [72] Inventor: Otto H. Echter, Apt. 1509, Plienin- 2332 *"$F 718,742 11/1954 GreatBritain........................ May 15,1970

[22] Filed:

Primary Examiner-Robert W. Michell Assistant Examiner-Richard Carter Attorney-Kurt Kelman Appl. No.: 37,760

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data June 18, 1969 Ireland....................................

.836/69 ABSTRACT A visual display device having at least two airs of s aced o posed rollers. One pair of rollers is mounte ztl horizoiitally in a 35 G vertical plane. The other pair of rollers is mounted vertically 273/155 in the same plane. Each pair of rollers is provided with a plurality of tapes on which visual indicia are carried. The tapes of m wt 8 .e S l m C .1 MR IF 1 oo 5 l.

the horizontal rollers are interwoven with the tape of the vertical rollers. Drive means is also provided to rotate the rollers and move the tapes to make the indicia periodically visible and invisible.

s T. N m MM CS E mm e e m H N U m B 770,585 9/1904 lkemori..................................35/76X 3,235,262 2/1966 FrankL...................................35/76X 12 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 573,641 3/1924 France...................................273/l55 PATENTEDAPR 18 1922 SHEET 2 [IF 7 Inventor 0110 H-EZRTER AGE/Yr PATENTEDAPR 18 m2 sum 3 OF 7 Inventor ou'o EH'rER AGENT PATENTED PRWBYE 3,656,248

' SHEET u [1F 7 lnvenlor OTTO HaECH-TGR PKTENTEDAPR 18 m2 SHEET 5 OF 7 01W 1-. Ewen Mew PATENTEDAPR 18 I972 SHEET 8 [IF 7 I nvenlor 0 W0 (62m AGENT PATENTEDAPR 18 1912 SHEET 7 [IF 7 lrwenlor OTTO H. FCHTER y AGENT of printed, photographic, or other visual indicia. It is also an object of this invention to provide an animated or moving display in which the material viewed may be selectively moved from one portion of the display to another or replaced entirely with other material. Additionally, it is also desired to provide a visual display device which provides a pleasing, colorful, and

attractive appearance.

\ 1 According to the invention, there is provided a display apparatus comprising a frame member which supports and houses at least two pairs of spaced apart rollers, one pair of rollers being horizontally mounted in a vertical plane and the second pair of rollers being vertically mounted in the same vertical plane. A plurality of endless tapes or ribbons, adapted to carry or support material to be displayed, are secured around each pair of spaced apart rollers. The tapes or ribbons mounted around the horizontally mounted rollers are interwoven with the tapes or ribbons mounted around the vertically mounted rollers. Automatic drive means is operatively connected to the two pairs of rollers whereby, on actuation of the drive means, each pair of rollers is rotated to make the matter carried by the tapes periodically visible and periodically invisible to a viewer. Preferably, the axes of the rollers are substantially identical in length and define the sides of a square. Co-operating bevel gears may be provided at the ends of the two adjoining rollers, one from each pair of rollers, to connect with a drive means for'rotation in unison of the driven rollers.

The present invention also provides a construction which gives a maximum of six viewing surfaces, such display apparatus comprising a frame member which supports and houses two sets of four rollers of which all the four rollers of each set are mutually parallel and co-terminous and whose axes define a rectangle when viewed in end elevation and a third set of four rollers of which all the rollers are mutually parallel and co-terminous and whose axes are perpendicular to the axes of the other two sets of four rollers and define a rectangle when viewed in cross-section, the axes of the twelve rollers defining a cube, and a set of tapes arranged to straddle the firstset of four rollers, a set of tapes arranged to straddle the second set of four rollers and a third set of tapes arranged to straddle the third set of four rollers, and drive means associated with each set of four rollers and adapted to rotate the rollers and thereby effect movement of the three sets of tapes relative to each other.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of preferred embodiments thereof given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a display apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the display apparatus with its covering frame removed;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 with the tapes removed;

FIG. 4 is an underneath view of the tape drive means;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the drive means;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a modified means of mounting a tape;

FIG. 7 is a front view similar to FIG. 3 of a second embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 8 is a front view of a third embodiment of the invention utilising twelve rollers.

Referring to FIGS. 1-3 of the drawing, a frame member 1 is mounted on legs 2 and completely encloses the operative parts of the display apparatus. One viewing window 3 is provided showing a plurality of interwoven endless tapes 4 of flexible transparent plastics material or similar flexible ribbon, which change position relative to each other periodically to change the subject matter on the tapes 4 which is displayed to a viewer.

One set of endless tapes 4 are movable side-by-side around a pair of opposed spaced apart rollers 5aand 5b whose axes are horizontally mounted in a vertical plane and a second set of endless tapes 4 are movable side-by-side around a pair of spaced

apart rollers

6a and 6b whose axes are vertically mounted in said vertical plane, the tapes 4 which are movable around the horizontally mounted rollers being interwoven with the vertically mounted tapes 4 so that the specific subject matter displayed on the tapes 4 is periodically visible and periodically invisible to a viewer.

As seen in FIG. 2 the axes of the four

rollers

5a, 5b, 6a and 6b are identical in length and substantially define the sides of a square. Each roller is divided into four roller sections to facilitate carrying a tape 4 on each section. The

rollers

50, 5b, 6a and 6b are all mounted in bearings 10 and supported in position by brackets 11 which are bolted through the holes 12 in conventional manner to the interior of the frame member 1.

Rollers

5a and 6a are provided at their adjacent ends with cooperating gear wheels 7 and 8 respectively which are connected to the output shaft 9 of an intermittent electric drive mechanism which will be described hereinafter in detail.

The

drive rollers

5a and 6a are provided with a sprocket wheel having teeth 13, FIG. 3, while the

idler rollers

5b and 6b have rims 14 defining each roller section. The tapes 4 have reinforced perforated edge portions preferably along both sides although perforations along one edge is also satisfactory. The perforations 15 co-operate with the sprocket teeth 13 for accurate mounting of the tapes 4 on the rollers and for movement of the tapes 4 under the influence of the rotation of the

rollers

5a and 6a, the rims 14 on the

idler rollers

5b and 6b maintain the tapes in a correct position and in register for ease of interwoven movement and do not unduly constrain the correct direction movement of the tapes 4 since the tapes 4 merely have frictional engagement with the

rollers

5b and 6b.

The endless tapes 4 have self-sealing ends and are provided with a number of pockets 16, of which only a few are shown in FIG. 2. In the present embodiment, ten pockets per tape are preferred, the pockets being adapted to accomodate for display purposes printer matter, photographs or flexible merchandise for example ladies stockings. The indicia may be carried by other means, if desired, as by gluing the same on the tape or by printing it directly on the tape itself. An opening 17 to pocket 16 is provided on that edge: of the pocket which will form the trailing edge of the pocket when the tape is in use. The width of the tapes as indicated by the dimensionfA in FIG. 2 depends upon the length of the roller section on the

rollers

5a, 5b, 6a and 6b. The height of a tape pocket as defined by the dimension B shown in FIG. 2 is equal to the length of the circumference of the

rollers

5a, 5b, 6a and 6b whereby one revolution of the

rollers

5a and 6a under the action of the electric drive means serves to move the tapes one tape pocket width to cover the material displayed immediately prior to the tape movement and bring into view another arrangement of display material.

The intermittent electric drive mechanism is illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 and comprises an electric motor 20 the output shaft of which is operatively connected to a reduction gearbox 21, a chain drive 22 from the gearbox output to an idler disc 23 mounted on the drive shaft 9 to the

rollers

5a and 6a,

drive discs

24 and 25 fixedly mounted upon the said drive shaft 9 adjacent the idler disc 23 and adapted by means of shaped projections 26 to engage rigid projection members 27 provided on the chain drive 22, the projection members 27 being spaced apart a distance equal to the circumferential distance apart of the shaped projections 26 on the

discs

24 and 25 whereby rotation of the drive shaft 9 and hence the

rollers

5a and 6a is obtained only during that period when the projection members 27 engage the shaped projections 26 of the

drive discs

24 and 25.

It will be appreciated that when the leading projection member 27 engages shaped projections 26, the

drive discs

24 and 25 are rotated one-half a revolution and as the projection member 27 disengages the said shaped projections 26, the second projection member 27 is in position to repeat the procedure and ensure the completion of the one revolution of the

drive discs

24 and 25. One revolution of the

drive discs

24 and 25 causes a revolution of the drive shaft 9 and hence a revolution of the

rollers

5a and 6a. Since a tape pocket width is equal to the length of the circumference of the

rollers

5a and 6a, the revolution of the rollers causes the tapes to move one tape pocket in distance. When the projection members 27 and the shaped projections 26 of the

dirve discs

24 and 25 are not in engagement there is a dwell period when the

rollers

5a and 6a and hence tapes 4 are stationary which affords a viewer time to absorb the material displayed on the tape sections which are at that time visible.

In certain instances it is desired to provide means which will allow of the utilization of tapes 4 which are of a length greater than that which may be simply mounted about a pair of spaced apart rollers. In FIG. 6 there is illustrated suitable tape carrying means which may be employed for such a purpose. The endless tape 4 passes around the

rollers

60 and 6b but in addition is fed from roller 6a in a secondary roller system comprising, roller 28 to a roller 29 at the extremity of an extension boom 30, to roller 31 and roller 32 where it is fed to a roller 6b and across the viewing surface to roller 6a. The secondary intermediary rollers may readily be supported within the frame member 1 in conventional manner, as for example the mounting of roller 31 upon a support arm 33 fixed to a bracket 11.

If the tape carrying means is not required on a particular occasion for the reason that the tapes to be used are suitable in length for mounting only around the rollers, the extension boom 30 may be retracted by pivoting the extension boom 30 about the point 34 and securing it in a stowed position in engagement with the clip 35.

In addition to the utilisation of the display apparatus to show such material as printed matter, photographs and certain light and flexible merchandise, the display apparatus may also be utilized as a kalidoscope. This embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 7 of the drawing and the construction of the display apparatus is in general terms very similar to that already described with particular reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawing. The major difference in construction resides in the fact that the roller sections of each

roller

5a, 5b, 6a and 6b is of a different diameter, so that the speed of movement of the individual tapes relative to each other is substantially different. A continuous drive is required in this case, so that the output from the gear box 21 is directly connected by the chain drive 22 to a gear 36 fixedly mounted on the drive shaft 9. The tapes 4 utilized in this embodiment are endless strips of colored translucent flexible plastics material, the eight tapes used all being of a different color. Fluorescent tubes 37 are mounted behind the tapes on the brackets 11.

The color tapes each revolving at a different speed and interwoven along the viewing surface have an infinite number of color combinations and patterns and the fluorescent lighting playing on the ever changing color combination and pattern gives a most striking visual impact.

It is also possible to achieve a similar but less effective result utilising the display apparatus illustrated in FIG. 3 by installing the necessary fluorescent lighting and replacing the intermittent electric drive, by two individual electric drives to the

rollers

5a and 6a. The rotational speed of the horizontally mounted

rollers

5a and 5b is arranged to differ from the rotational speed of the vertically mounted

rollers

6a and 6b. In this manner the colored translucent tapes as they revolve will give a multicolor combination and pattern which will have the visual effect of being ever changing.

Where the display apparatus is to form the focus point of a display or is intended to be a major feature of a display it may be desired to have available more than two display surfaces. In such cases a display apparatus according to the invention and as illustrated in FIG. 8 may be used.

In this embodiment, two sets of endless flexible plastics tapes (not shown) are arranged to straddle respectively two sets of four rollers40 and 41. In each set of four rollers all the rollers are mutually parallel and coterminous and their axes define a rectangle, in this instance a square, when viewed in end elevation. Another set of endless flexible plastics tapes (not shown) are arranged to straddle a third set of four rollers 42, all the rollers being again mutually parallel and co-terminous with their axes perpendicular to the axes of the sets of

rollers

40 and 41 and defining a rectangle, in this instance a square, when viewed in cross-section. The axes of the three sets of

rollers

40, 41 and 42 define a cube. The sets of tapes are interwoven on their common viewing surfaces as described in the previous embodiments.

In this embodiment, the frame member is of necessity considerably larger than the frame member utilized in the other embodiments described and a viewing window is provided on each side wall, to give a total of four viewing windows. An intermittent drive mechanism 43 which is the same as previously described serves to drive three rollers and accordingly two such drive mechanisms are employed, which results in six drive rollers fitted with sprocket teeth and six idler rollers with fitted rims which operate in the same manner as previously described in relation to the embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 3.

Reference has been made to internal lighting in association with the use of the display apparatus as a kalidoscope. Internal and/or external lighting may be provided in all other applications of the display apparatus if desired, for example referring back to FIG. 1 of the drawing, fluorescent tubes 50 may to advantage be mounted around a translucent frame of the viewing window 3 along the interior of the frame member 1. Further taped speech and/or music may be provided to accompany movement of the tapes and to this end stereophonic speakers 51 and ancillary equipment are mounted on the interior of the frame member 1.

As mentioned at the outset, the present invention has particular application in the fields of advertising and education. It is envisaged that with minor modifications the invention has application in such different fields as, for example, amusement, recreation, route planning and/or indication and business management techniques.

What is claimed:

1. A display apparatus comprising a frame member, two pairs of spaced rollers mounted in said frame member, one of said pair of opposed rollers being horizontally mounted in a vertical plane and the other of said opposed pairs of rollers being vertically mounted in said vertical plane, a plurality of endless tapes secured in side-by-side relation around each pair of opposed rollers, each of said tapes being adapted to support material to be displayed, the tapes secured around the horizontally mounted rollers being interwoven with the tapes mounted around the vertically mounted rollers, and drive means operatively connected to at least one roller of each pair to rotate said interwoven tapes on said rollers to make the material displayed on said tapes periodically visible and invisible, each of said rollers having a number of individual roller sections corresponding to the number of side-by-side tapes mounted thereon, the diameters of the roller sections differing from each other to permit side-by-side tapes to move at different speeds when driven.

2. The display apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said drive means is an electric motor.

3. The display apparatus according to claim 2, in which the tape is provided with perforations along at least one edge thereof and in which each driven roller is provided with a number of sets of sprocket teeth which engage said perforations, the idler rollers being provided with corresponding rim members extending from the periphery thereof which engage the extreme edges of the tapes.

4. The display apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said drive means is an electric motor and includes means to drive one of the horizontally mounted rollers and one of the vertically mounted rollers, the second horizontally mounted rollers and the second vertically mounted roller being mounted on idler rollers.

5. The display apparatus according to claim 1, in which the axes of the four rollers are substantially identical in length and define the sides of a square and include cooperating gear wheels provided at the ends of each axis to operatively con-' nect the four rollers for rotation in unison.

6. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each tape is provided with perforations along at least one of its edge portion and wherein each roller is provided with a sprocket wheel adapted to engage said perforations.

7. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each tape is provided with a number of pockets adapted to accommodate visual indicia for display.

8. The display apparatus according to claim 7, in which each pocket has an opening on that edge of the pocket which will form the trailing edge of the pocket when the tape is rotated.

9. The display apparatus according to claim 1, including a secondary roller system associated with at least one of said pairs of opposed rollers, said secondary roller system comprising at least a pair of spaced rollers, having parallel axes, adapted to support said tapes in association with said one pair of rollers when said tapes are greater effective length than the distance between the rollers of said one pair.

10. The display apparatus according to claim 1, in which the frame member is provided with lighting means to illuminate the tapes.

11. A display apparatus comprising a frame member, two

sets of four rollers of which all of the four rollers of each set are mutually parallel and co-tenninous and whose axes define a rectangle when viewed in end elevation, a third set of four rollers of which all of the rollers are mutually parallel and coterminous and whose axes are perpendicular to the axes of the other two sets of four rollers and defining a rectangle when viewed in cross-section, the twelve rollers defining a cube, a plurality of interwoven tapes disposed on each of said sets of rollers, drive means to rotate at least one roller of each set of rollers and effect movement of said tapes relative to each other, said drive means comprising an electric motor having an output connected to a reduction gearbox, a chain drive from said gearbox, spaced chain drive projection members mounted on the chain drive, an idler disc operatively mounted to the chain drive, drive discs adjoining the idler disc and disposed to be engaged and driven by said spaced chain drive projection members whereby rotation of all of said pairs of rollers is obtained only during that period when the spaced chain drive projection members engage the drive discs.

12. The display apparatus according to claim 11, in which the tapes straddling the first set of rollers are inter-woven with the tapes straddling the second set of rollers over the two sides of the defined cube common to both sets of tapes, whereby upon actuation of the drive means to rotate each set of rollers matter displayed on the tapes is periodically visible and periodically invisible to a viewer.

Claims

1. A display apparatus comprising a frame member, two pairs of spaced rollers mounted in said frame member, one of said pair of opposed rollers being horizontally mounted in a vertical plane and the other of said opposed pairs of rollers being vertically mounted in said vertical plane, a plurality of endless tapes secured in side-by-side relation around each pair of opposed rollers, each of said tapes being adapted to support material to be displayed, the tapes secured around the horizontally mounted rollers being interwoven with the tapes mounted around the vertically mounted rollers, and drive means operatively connected to at least one roller of each pair to rotate said interwoven tapes on said rollers to make the material displayed on said tapes periodically visible and invisible, each of said rollers having a number of individual roller sections corresponding to the number of side-by-side tapes mounted thereon, the diameters of the roller sections differing from each other to permit sideby-side tapes to move at different speeds when driven.

5. The display apparatus according to claim 1, in which the axes of the four rollers are substantially identical in length and define the sides of a square and include cooperating gear wheels provided at the ends of each axis to operatively connect the four rollers for rotation in unison.

11. A display apparatus comprising a frame member, two sets of four rollers of which all of the four rollers of each set are mutually parallel and co-terminous and whose Axes define a rectangle when viewed in end elevation, a third set of four rollers of which all of the rollers are mutually parallel and co-terminous and whose axes are perpendicular to the axes of the other two sets of four rollers and defining a rectangle when viewed in cross-section, the twelve rollers defining a cube, a plurality of interwoven tapes disposed on each of said sets of rollers, drive means to rotate at least one roller of each set of rollers and effect movement of said tapes relative to each other, said drive means comprising an electric motor having an output connected to a reduction gearbox, a chain drive from said gearbox, spaced chain drive projection members mounted on the chain drive, an idler disc operatively mounted to the chain drive, drive discs adjoining the idler disc and disposed to be engaged and driven by said spaced chain drive projection members whereby rotation of all of said pairs of rollers is obtained only during that period when the spaced chain drive projection members engage the drive discs.