US993251A - Illuminating system for theatrical display. - Google Patents

Description

L. S. HOWARD. ILLUlxeubrATIhm` SYSTEM PoR THBATBIGAL DISPLAY.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.7, 1911. I

@@l a Patented May 23,1911,

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ILLUMINATING SYSTEM vro'n'r1-iJamaican DisrLAY.

Toiall 'whom 'it concern.'

Be it known'that I, Louis SAMUEL How- Ann, acitizen of the United States, anda residentof Wichita. in the county of Sedgwick and State of Kansas, have invented a new and Improved Illuminating System for Theatrical Display, of Whichthe following .is a full, clear, and exact description.A This invention relates t0 a new and 1m-v proved means whereby a theatrical performerLsuch as ai tight-rope Walker, vcan automatically cause a series of lights to,ap

4pear and disappear onvhis apparatus or clothing, in a manner corresponding to his movements. a l

An obye'ct of this' invention is -to provide an illuminating' system which vwill be simple and inexpensive,l and Which will be highly attractive and spectacular in its appearance.

,A further object of Ythis invention is to' provide a support, such as a tight-rope, on which a person is adapted to perform, having sections of electrical cont-acts so arranged that the movements of the performer will make and brealrconnections between lights placed on his clot-hing, person, or apparatus. y

' These and further objects, together with the construction and combination of parts,

Will be more tullywdcscribed hereinafter andparticula'rly set `forth in the claims.

. Reference is to be had to the accompanying-drawings forming a part of this specivnca-tion. in which 'similar characters of -ret- `erence indicate correspondingparts in all the views, Aand inivhicli-y Figure l isa side view in elevation; Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view ot the supportiing rope, partly in section to slioiv tho underlying-structure; and Fig. is a diagrammatic illustration showing the manner in which tlie'ciicuits are completed.

Referring moreparticularly tothe sep/arate parts of the invention as embodied in the form-shown in the drawings, ,l indicates a suitable support, Which may be eithera tight-ropefor a slack-rope, and on Which one or more,l exhibitors 2 mayperform. It will` be noted that this rope is of'a peculiar struc'- ture,.in'that it has 'a body portion 3, onv

which are provided conducting members 4tv and 5 vextending` from opposite Sides of asource of electricity, indicated diametrically in Fig. 1. These conducting members are so arranged as to have alternately-disposed exposed contacts, whereby the circuit may Specification of Letters ateiit. Patented :May 23, 1911 Application filed January 7, 1911. Serial No. 601,259.

complete the circuit, the exhibitor is proy vided with heel and toe contacts 8 and 9,' which are insulated from the body by'a nonconducting overshoe 10', and are connected either in series, or, preferably, in parallel by meansof Wires 11 and 12, with electric lights 13 arranged in suitable attractive positions on the exhibitors clothing, and also,

vif desired., on his person and apparatus.

The use of the device Will be'readily understood when takenin connection with. the

above description. As the exhibitor performs onthe ,rope l, in'moving back and forth, it eitherv foot at any time 'should bridge the space between two of the sections G and 7, so that it each ot" the contact tips on his foot should come in engagement With sections of opposite sign; the circuit would be completed through the source ot elec-v tricity, and the lights connected to the tipson, that particular foot, so tliatithey:wouldY be illuminated. As soon as the operator lifts his foot, so that both .of the tips are out of contact With the different sections, then the lights corresponding' to that particular, circuit Will be cut oill'.l It the foot should' bc entirely on one section, it can readily be seen that theilights will not be my invention, I'do not-wish to be limited to the specific details th'ereof, but desire' to be protected in various ohangeaalterations and modifications which may'come within the scope-of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention., I `i claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination with a rope having a vpair of wires spirally Wound in alternate sections so as to form exposed contacts, of a source of electricity connected to opposite sides of said Wires, a series of lights adapted to be carried by a performer, and means enf gaging said Wires so as to make and break the circuit through said lights and s aid source of electricity. A

2. The combination with a rope having a pair of wires spirally wound 1n alternate I sections so as to form exposed contacts, of a source ofl electricity connected to opposite sides of said Wires, a series of lights adapted to be carried by a erformer, andl plates carried by the feet o said exhibitor adapted to' engage said Wires, said plates'being connected electrically to said lights so as to make and break the circuit between said source of electricity and said lights.

3. The combination With a rope having a ypair ofwires spirally Wound 1n alternate sectionsso as to form exposed contacts, of a source of electricityconnccted to opposite sides of said Wires, a series of lights adapted to be carried by a performer, andheel and toe plates on each foot of vsaid performer,

connected electrically` to said lights and' adapted to make and break the circuit between said lights and said source of electricity.

v4. The combination vvith a rop-ehaving a pair of wires spirally Woundgm lalternate sections so as to form exposed contacts, of a 'f 5. The combination with a suspendedflexible rope, having contacts arranged thereon in sections, alternate sections beln connected to opposite sidesof a source o electricity, paraphernalia adapted '-to be carried by an exhibitor having apluralityjof electric lights, and contacts, electrically' connected tofsaid lights carried by said exhibitor, adapted to engage said sections so as to produ ce a complete: circuit through :said

source of electriclty and saidf lightsfwhenf` said separate contacts engage electrically opposite sections.

In testimonyv whereof I have signedmy name tothis Aspecification in the presence, of two subscribing witnesses.

. LOUIS SAMUE;J HOWARD Vitnesseetf' HAROLD SHEPPARD,

S. J. MCCABE.

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