The dotted line shown in fig. 2 shows the background of window, which should pass immediately in back of large star, and front of grooved wheel, thereby concealing all other mechanism.
This design may be varied by removing the small stars and in their place substituting small swinging shelves.
Should these shelves be used instead of stars, almost any kind of articles (not too heavy or large) can be displayed, as could also slippers or shoes hung in the same manner. In fact, this contrivance can be used in many ways.
Now that the effect is all ready it becomes necessary to cause it to revolve and it is imperative to in some way reduce the speed of the motor.
A practical speed reducer is shown in fig. 4. It is made as follows:
Two cast iron side frames, between which I run a worm gear. Against this gear is run a worm. On the end of the worm shaft I have a pulley with two different sized grooves in the edge. To this pulley I run my motor belt, on the shaft which runs through the worm gear and is allowed to extend outside of frames. I fasten another pulley wheel with different size grooves in edge and by running my power belt from this wheel to my display I get whatever speed I desire, depending on which groove I run the belt from. I do not expect many window dressers will be able to construct these gears themselves, but any good machinist can make it and once secured it will always be ready for use, take up very little room in window and pay for itself many times over.
REVOLVING WHEEL.
Figs. 2 to 4 illustrate how to make a revolving wheel for showing goods. The stand is made of four pieces of 1 × 1½ pine, A, three feet high, and the top joined with cross pieces, B, of the same stock. Bore an inch hole for the wheel shaft on each side. The wheel is three and a half feet in diameter. Hooping will do for the rims, C, and these are nailed to wood spokes and the latter wired to a hub made from a block of wood, and bored out for the inch shaft on which the wheel is to turn. The wheel is strengthened by nailing on a second hoop at D. The whole affair should be covered with cloth, and swinging boxes attached to the rims, in which to put goods. The view 3 shows the width of the wheel and a wood grooved pulley fastened to the wheel shaft at F. Fig. 4 shows how to make the wheel turn about four times per minute. After the wheel and frame are set up in the window, make a stand of wood pieces, C C, and put a 2-inch diameter round piece of wood, H, in holes cut for same and arrange for turning by means of the crank, J. Put up a grooved wood pulley at L, and run a cord over this. One end of the cord is weighted with a few bricks, M. The pulley, K, is the same as pulley, F, in fig. 3. Another cord encircles this and also the round piece, H. The crank, J, is turned, and thirty or forty turns of the cord taken on the round piece H. Then the device is left alone, and the weight of the bricks steadily pulls on the cord, gradually unwinding it, causing the round piece, H, to turn and slowly revolve the big wheel. After an hour or so the cord is unwound and is rewound by turning the crank again.