US642819A - Apparatus for producing spectacular effects. - Google Patents

Description

I No. 642,8!9.

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING SPECTACULAR EFFECTS.

(No Model.)

Patented Feb. 6, I900. W. FREEZE.

(Application filed July 26, 1899.)

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UNiTnn STATES PATENT FFICE.

WVILLIAM FREEZE, OF NENV YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING SPECTACULAR EFFECTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 642,819, dated February 6, 1900.

Application filed July 26, 1899.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM FREEZE, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, city of New York, county and State of New York, have invented acertain newand useful Improvement in Devices for Producing Spectacular Effects, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide for the purpose of theatrical performances means for flashing miniature incandescent electric lamps carried by devices designed to be rotated and balanced upon pivots in various combinations to produce various effects.

In carrying my invention into effect I arrange miniature incandescent electric lamps in any effective manner upon the device to be rotated, and these lamps are electrically connected to contact-plates, one of which is preferably arranged to form a center for a pivot-rod. This pivot-rod is preferably of metal and forms one side of the circuit. The circuit to the other contact-plate is completed by a light flexible contact-spring of good conductivity. In such performances it is usual to rotate the device by hand, by placing it directly upon the pivot-rod and imparting a rapid rotary movement thereto, or the device may be tossed upward and engaged by the pivot-rod as it descends, a rotary movement being imparted to the device as it is tossed upward, or the device may be placed upon the pivot-rod and slightly rotated and the rate of rotation increased by impartinga rapid circular oscillating motion to the pivotrod, as is well understood. In either case the device provided with incandescent electric lamps must be capable of being readily placed upon or removed from the pivot-rod, and the arrangement and construction of the rotating device and pivot-rod must notmaterially increase the Weight and friction. When a group of such devices is employed, the friction at the moving contact parts must not materially retard rotation, since it is essential that the speed of rotation of the first and last device set in motion must not vary perceptibly. Otherwise the display will not be eifective.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a plan viewillustrating myinvention applied Serial No. 725 ,143. (No model.)

to a tambourine, and Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line w an of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, A and B indicate, respectively, the rim and head of an ordinary tambourine.

0 show miniature incandescent electric lamps mounted in suitable sockets attached to the inner side of head B, or they may be attached to the inner side of the rim. These lamps are preferably connected in series between a contact-plate D and a light contactspring E, secured to opposite sides of a disk F, of insulating material, which is secured to the inner side of the tambourine-head in any suitable manner. The circuit connections are from plateD by insulated wire 1 to lampsocket 0, wire 2 to socket 0, wire 3 tosocket c and wire 4 to spring-contact E.

Disk F and the tambourine-head are perforated in the center, and over the perforations plate D is provided with a depression 01 to form a pivot-center adapted to receive the pivot-rod G, on which the tambourine is designed to be rapidly rotated. The pivot-center is preferably within the tambourine and as near as practicable to the center of gravity in order to properly balance the tambourine. This rod is connected to one side of a battery or electric-light circuit, and on this rod is an insulated magnetic collar H, with which flexible contact-spring E is adapted to make contact. To collar H is attached an insulated conductor H, which is connected to the other side of a battery or electric-light circuit.

In practice a number of tambourines are rotated upon a set of pivots G, mechanically connected together and of varying lengths to form a pyramid or other combination of rotating tambourines, and the conductors G and H are connected bya pair of conductors to a suitable attachment-plug or other form of connecting device, said pair of conductors and connecting device being concealed by the clothing of the performer. The connecting device is so carried that a connection may be readily made with terminals arranged on a chair, table, or on the floor or other suitable or convenient place without being observed by the audience. In practice the tambourines are first set in motion,,and

then the performer makes the connection with the circuit, and at the desired time the performer or other person closes a concealed switch or switches, whereupon magnetic collars H attract the contact-springs E, whereby the circuits to the lamps are all closed at once or in sets, thus producinga pleasing effect. The lamps may be of different colors and arranged to be flashed, by means of switches,in one color and in combinations of colors.

It will be understood that the particular arrangement of the lamps and contact-plates may be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention, and it will also be understood that my invention is not limited in its application to tambourines, since it is evident that this arrangement may be applied to any other device or devices rotated singly or in numbers upon one or more pivots to produce spectacular effects, the rotary movement being imparted to said devices by hand in any of the ways above referred to or any other way by hand as distinguished from devices rotated by belts, gear-wheels, or other mechanical means.

What I claim is 1. In apparatus of the character herein described for producing spectacular effects, the combination of a device adapted to be rotated by hand, electric lamps mounted thereon, two contacts carried thereby, one of said contacts constituting a pivot-center, a pivotrod for said device making electrical contact with said pivot-center, and an insulated contact for making traveling contact with the other contact on the rotating device, substantially as set forth.

2. In apparatus of the character herein described for producing spectacular effects, the combination of a device adapted to be rotated by hand, electric lamps mounted thereon, a central contact-plate carried by said de vice and forming a pivot-center, a pivot-rod for said device making electrical contact with said plate, a flexible contact carried by said device, and an insulated contact-collar on said pivot-rod with which said flexible contact engages, substantially as set forth.

3. In apparatus of the character herein described for producing spectacular effects, the combination of a device adapted to be rotated by hand, electric lamps mounted there on, a central contact-plate carried by said device and forming a pivot-center, a pivot-rod for said device making electrical contact with said plate, a flexible contact carried by said device, and an insulated magnetic contactcollar on said pivot-rod with which said' flexible contact engages, substantially as set forth.

4. In apparatus of the character herein described for producing spectacular effects, the combination of a device adapted to be rotated by hand, electric lamps mounted thereon, a contact-plate carried by a ring of insulating material secured to said device, said plate having a depression to form a pivotcenter, a contact-spring mounted upon the opposite side of said insulating-ring, a pivotrod for said device making electrical contact with said plate, and an insulated contact-collar on said pivot-rod with which said contactspring engages, substantially as set forth.

5. In apparatus of the character herein described for producing spectacular effects, the combination of a tambourine adapted to be rotated by hand, electric lamps mounted thereon, two contacts carried thereby, one of said contacts constituting a pivot-center, a pivot-rod for said tambourine making electrical contact with said pivot-center, and an insulated contact for making traveling contact with the other contactou the tambourine, substantially as set forth.

6. In apparatus of the character herein described for producing spectacular effects, the combination of a tambourine adapted to be rotated by hand, electric lamps mounted thereon, a contact-plate carried by a ring of insulating material secured to said tambourine, said plate having a depression to form a pivot-center, a contact-spring mounted upon the opposite side of said insulating-ring, a pivot-rod for said device making electrical contact with said plate, and an insulated contact-collar on said pivot-rod with which said contact-spring engages, substantially as set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 22d day of July, 1899.

WVILLIAM' FREEZE.

\Vitnesses:

JNo. R. TAYLOR, ARCHIBALD G.

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