=High Speed Flashers.=—Machines of this type are used for giving what is generally known as _high speed effects_, such as fountains, water, steam, smoke and fire effects, whirling borders, revolving wheels and work of a similar nature.
[Illustration: FIG. 1,019.—Dull's high speed flasher. It is mounted on a slate base 12 inches wide, the length being governed by the size of the machine. Motion is given to the rotary switches through worm and belt gearing. Iron cams are used, the current being taken therefrom by six-leaf brushes, provided with stiffeners. The wiring for the machine is simple; 4 c.p. lamps can be run on one wire. A border or ornament containing 160 lamps requires 12 wires between the sign and flasher. The flasher is made in 4 switch sizes only, viz.: No. 4, 8, 12, 16, etc. This is due to the fact that there are three parts of light to one of darkness.]
=Lightning Flashers.=—These machines are for giving the appearance of a streak of lightning going across a display. There is very little expense attached to their operation, because not more than two-thirds of the lamps are turned on at one time, and this number for only about one-sixth of the time, as compared with the sign burning steadily.
Lightning strokes can be utilized in various ways, either alone or with other advertising pieces. Alone they can be placed along a cornice, across the front of a building, up and down the corners leading to a doorway, etc. They can be used in the center of a sign with letters above and below. In this case, it is best to alternate the stroke with the letters, that is, flash the wording on and then off. As soon as it goes out, the stroke flies across in the darkness, then the wording comes up again, say six times a minute.
[Illustration: FIG. 1,020—Wiring diagram for flags. These may be wired for high speed flashers by gradually increasing the lamp centers between the vertical rows from the flag staff to the end.]
[Illustration: FIG. 1,021.—Diagram showing method of wiring for high speed effects on single lines. This wiring diagram would be carried out the same in the case of a travelling border, whether it be straight or otherwise. In the case of a fountain, begin numbering each stream at the bottom and carry out the same scheme to the end of that stream. When several streams are parallel, all the lamps may be connected in a row the same as though they were an individual lamp. Care should be taken not to get more than twenty No. 1 lamps on a circuit. Among the effects that may be obtained are a revolving wheel, a column of flame, and a straight travelling border with part of the No. 1 lamps from each effect to the same No. 1 wire, carry it back to any No. 1 switch on the machine, and the effect will come out right. For instance, in a flame effect with sixteen No. 1 lamps, four No. 1 lamps could be taken in the straight border, and put on the same wire, and the effect would come out right. The spacings for high speed effects vary, according to the size of the sign. Travelling borders around an ordinary sign 3 x 10 feet should have their lamps spaced about six inches apart. In a fountain fifteen feet high, the lamps should be spaced about nine inches apart.]