Pin screen

Abstract

A pin screen includes a plate having a plurality of closely spaced small apertures. The plate is supported in a substantially horizontally fixed position, and each of the apertures defined therein are adapted to receive a pin in a substantially vertical orientation. The heads of the pins are larger than the diameters of the apertures to assure that the pins do not fall through the apertures. The pins are vertically movable relative to the horizontal plate between a lower position in which the bottom of the pin heads abut against the upper surface of the plate, and an upper position in which the top of the pin heads abut against the lower surface of a transparent sheet of material spaced at a predetermined distance above the apertured plate. The pins may also be moved such that the pin heads are intermediate the lower apertured plate and the upper transparent sheet. Light rays impinging upon the pin heads positioned at varying attitudes relative to the apertured plate, or upon the moving pin heads, provide the appearance of visually animated action and dynamically changing displays. The pin screen may also be vertically housed so that the pins are horizontally oriented and held in position by frictional engagement with at least one vertical apertured plate. In the vertical embodiments of the pin screen, a contoured three-dimensional image is created by the selective horizontal displacement of pins relative to the vertical apertured plate, and the displaced pins remain in their image-creating position until intentionally displaced to a different position.