Sign or display device

Claim 2

A movable indicia signal or sign including: a translucent viewing screen having smooth front and rear sides; a plurality of elongate side by side optical magnifying members each having a complete full circular shape in cross-section disposed contiguous to the rear side of said screen; an object member having indicia consisting solely of rectilinear lines thereon disposed to be positioned longitudinally linearly tangentially contiguous to said magnifying members on the side thereof opposite the rear side of said viewing screen, said rectilinear lines being of varying predetermined lengths and being arrayed on said object member in predetermined spaced parallel positions to register with corresponding ones of said magnifying members in said longitudinally extending tangential contiguous manner to produce an image of each such line the length of the line and the full diametrical width of the magnifying member to which it is contiguous to produce the images of each of said rectilinear lines on said viewing screen in segments forming a desired complete figure or image display on said viewing screen when all such images of the lines are displayed on said viewing screen; and means for illuminating said indicia to produce said images forming said display through said screen.

Claim 3

A movable indicia signal or sign of the character set forth in claim 1 wherein: said rectilinear lines of said indicia are arrayed in parallel spaced sets and said object member is movable with respect to said magnifying members to move predetermined ones of said sets of lines of said indicia into longitudinal contiguous registry with said magnifying members to produce a varying display through said viewing screen.

Claim 4

A device of the character set forth in claim 2 wherein said object member is movable with respect to said magnifying members and said viewing screen in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axes of said elongate magnifying members to produce a plurality of images displayed through said viewing screen.

Claim 5

A device of the character set forth in claim 1 wherein said viewing screen is cylindrical and said elongate side by side magnifying members are mounted longitudinally tangentially contiguous to the inner surface of said viewing screen and said object member is arcuate to conform substantially to the curvature of said translucent viewing screen and said array of magnifying members and is movable in an arcuate path adjacent said magnifying members to move to register said rectilinear line indicia on said object member in longitudinally extending tangential contiguous relationship with said magnifying means in a predetermined desired manner to produce a desired display in magnified form through said cylindrical viewing screen.

Claim 6

A device of the character set forth in claim 4 wherein said object member is cylindrical in form and has a plurality of sets of said rectilinear line indicia disposed thereon arranged to register with said magnifying members in said longitudinal tangential contiguous relationship to produce a desired display in varied form through said viewing screen as said object member is rotated about its longitudinal axis.

Claim 7

A device of the character set forth in claim 5 wherein the cylindrical inner object member is removable and replaceable without disturbing the viewing screen and magnifying members to provide a different array of indicia to vary the images produced.

Claim 8

A device of the character set forth in claim 1 wherein said magnifying members are glass rods.

Claim 9

A device of the character set forth in claim 1 wherein the magnifying members are plastic rods.

Claim 10

A device of the character set forth in claim 1 wherein the object member comprises an elongate film and said rectilinear lines of said indicia are arrayed thereon in predetermined relationship and movable transversely with respect to the longitudinal axes of said magnifying members to produce a desired series of images on said viewing screen.

Claim 11

A device of the character set forth in claim 9 wherein a plurality of film strips having rectilinear line indicia arrayed thereon are disposed in side by side relationship adjacent said magnifying members for simultaneously producing a plurality of images on the viewing screen.

Claim 12

A movable indicia signal or sign including: a translucent viewing screen having smooth front and rear surfaces; a plurality of elongate uniformly sized side by side cylindrical optical magnifying members of uniform full circular cross-section secured in parallel longitudinal tangential array with respect to each other contiguous the rear surface of said viewing screen, an object member having a configuration conforming to that of the viewing screen and having indicia consisting solely of a plurality of parallel spaced rectilinear lines of predetermined lengths thereon arrayed in a predetermined plurality of parallel intermeshed sets in each of which sets the lines of said set are spaced to correspond to the spacing of the longitudinal axes of said side by side cylindrical optical magnifying members and disposed to be moved to position said lines of said set to register with corresponding ones of said magnifying members in said longitudinally tanGentially contiguous manner to said magnifying members on the side thereof opposite said viewing screen to produce an image of each of said lines of said set the length of said line and the full diametrical width of the magnifying member to which it is contiguous to produce an image of each such line of said set on said viewing screen in segments forming a desired complete figure or picture display on said viewing screen when all such segments are displayed on said screen, said object member being movable with respect to said magnifying members to move said sets of parallel lines of said indicia at right angles to the longitudinal axes of said magnifying members to dispose sequential sets of said spaced rectilinear lines sequentially in longitudinal tangential contiguous registry with said magnifying members to produce a plurality of sequential images forming varying sequential figures or pictures on said viewing screen; and means for illuminating said object member to produce said images on said screen.

Claim 13

A movable indicia signal or sign including: a translucent viewing screen having smooth front and rear surfaces; a plurality of elongate uniformly sized side by side cylindrical optical magnifying members of uniform full circular cross-section secured in parallel longitudinal tangential array with respect to each other contiguous the rear surface of said viewing screen, an object member having a configuration conforming to that of the viewing screen and having indicia consisting solely of a plurality of parallel spaced rectilinear lines of predetermined lengths thereon arrayed in a predetermined plurality of parallel intermeshed sets in each of which sets the lines of said set are spaced to correspond to the spacing of the longitudinal axes of said side by side cylindrical optical magnifying members and disposed to be moved to position said lines of said set to register with corresponding ones of said magnifying members in said longitudinally tanGentially contiguous manner to said magnifying members on the side thereof opposite said viewing screen to produce an image of each of said lines of said set the length of said line and the full diametrical width of the magnifying member to which it is contiguous to produce an image of each such line of said set on said viewing screen in segments forming a desired complete figure or picture display on said viewing screen when all such segments are displayed on said screen, said object member being movable with respect to said magnifying members to move said sets of parallel lines of said indicia at right angles to the longitudinal axes of said magnifying members to dispose sequential sets of said spaced rectilinear lines sequentially in longitudinal tangential contiguous registry with said magnifying members to produce a plurality of sequential images forming varying sequential figures or pictures on said viewing screen; and means for illuminating said object member to produce said images on said screen.

Claim 14

A movable indicia signal or sign including: a plurality of elongate side by side optical magnifying members each having a complete full circular cross-sectional configuration disposed in side by side parallel longitudinally contiguous array; an object member having indicia consisting solely of parallel rectilinear lines thereon disposed adjacent said magnifying members on one side thereof; said rectilinear lines being arrayed on said object member in predetermined parallel laterally spaced positions corresponding to the spacing of the longitudinal axes of said magnifying members and disposed to be moved with said object member at right angles to said longitudinal axes of said magnifying members to positions in which said lines are disposed to register with predetermined ones of said magnifying members in a longitudinally extending tangential contiguous manner to produce an image of each of said lines the length of said lines and the full diametrical width of the magnifying member with which it is incontiguous registry to produce a desired display of such images on the side of said array of magnifying members opposite said object member; and means for illuminating said indicia to produce said display.

Claim 15

A movable indicia signal or sign including: a plurality of elongate side by side optical magnifying members each having a complete full circular cross-sectional configuration disposed in side by side parallel longitudinally contiguous array; an object member having indicia consisting solely of parallel rectilinear lines thereon disposed adjacent said magnifying members on one side thereof; said rectilinear lines being arrayed on said object member in predetermined parallel laterally spaced positions corresponding to the spacing of the longitudinal axes of said magnifying members and disposed to be moved with said object member at right angles to said longitudinal axes of said magnifying members to positions in which said lines are disposed to register with predetermined ones of said magnifying members in a longitudinally extending tangential contiguous manner to produce an image of each of said lines the length of said lines and the full diametrical width of the magnifying member with which it is incontiguous registry to produce a desired display of such images on the side of said array of magnifying members opposite said object member; and means for illuminating said indicia to produce said display.