Back to results
US 4,616,222 AGranted
Display sign element with anti-bounce limit stop
AssigneeTime-O-Matic, Inc.
InventorKeith S. Wood
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
AssigneeTime-O-Matic, Inc.
InventorKeith S. Wood
Estimating the term…
In a display sign including a plurality of rotatable display elements to be flipped between opposite extreme display positions, a bidirectional limit stop for stopping the motion of said display elements at said extreme positions is configured in the form of a bidirectional pendulum. The limit stop is preferably formed by an oversize sleeve coaxially disposed with respect to and depending from a smooth-surface horizontally disposed support member. The rotatable display element is preferably generally planar and configured to strike the opposite sides of the outer surface of the pendulum-forming sleeve along a line passing below the point of support thereof. The resulting pivoting and rotating movement of the pendulum serves to absorb a substantial portion of the angular kinetic energy of the rotating display element, thereby suppressing rebound. A resilient element configured in the form of an O-ring annularly disposed around the outer surface of the hanging sleeve serves to absorb an additional portion of the shock, the sleeve contact-point advancing about the support member with each impulse so as to rotatingly present a fresh portion of the O-ring for impact, thereby spreading wear around the entire O-ring.
In a display sign including a plurality of rotatable display units to be flipped between opposite extreme display positions, each said unit being rotatably mounted for rotation in either direction about an axis of rotation by cyclic actuating means, each said unit having associated therewith a display element having contrasting appearing surfaces on opposite sides thereof to present one or the other of said contrasting surfaces to view and having associate therewith limit stop means for terminating at said extreme positions the rotation thereof induced by said actuating means, the improvement comprising pivot-forming means associated with said limit stop means and a display element motion-arresting member pivotally movable about said pivot-forming means and configured to hang therebelow as a pendulum, said arresting member being disposed so that a portion of said rotatable display unit strikes said arresting member during a terminal portion of rotational movement from one of said extreme positions to the other to transfer at least a portion of the angular kinetic energy of said display unit to said arresting member as a pendulum pivoting motion so as to assist in termination the movement of said display unit at said extreme positions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.