Tufbend U-Lamps

How to Design and Construct Sign Lighting Using Voltarc^{^Ž} Tufbend U-Lamps
Lauretano Sign Corp, Bristol CT, United Bank Installed August 87, 5' x 36' x 12" wall mounted, flexible face, completely shop made

Installing Tufbend U-Lamps in Your Sign.
U-Lamps are installed using Voltarc mounting hardware, shop-fabricated hardware or a combination of these. This section describes the two Voltarc Systems, one for double-faced signs and one for single-faced signs and letters, and offers design guides for shop-fabricated hardware when in-house production is more economical. Note: All Voltarc mounting hardware is listed by Underwriters laboratories.	This stabilizing brace, available on lamps 60" or longer, remains on the lamp when it is installed in the sign.

Standard Mount for double-faced signs
fig.1
INSERT THE ROD through two large base and bridge holes. Align small hole near end of rod with two small holes on sloping sides of bridge. INSERT THE LOCKING COTTER PIN furnished with the rod through both small bridge holes and the small hole near the end of the rod. Spread the pin legs. INSERT LAMP ENDS IN SOCKETS. Make sure that the lamp bases seat properly. PULL HOOK CLEAR OF THE LAMP BEND. Use two fingers under hook crossbar. Do not exert thumb pressure on the lamp. Tilt lamp into hook. RELEASE HOOK ONTO LAMP. Do not let it snap onto lamp. Release it gently. VOLTARC rods and bases are designed to provide correct tension. See Fig. 5.
WIRE THE LAMP IN PLACE as shown for positive retention during sign shipment.

Tombstone Mount for Single-faced signs & letters

Fig. 2.


Table 1.
Lamp Size	"D"	Lamp Size	"D"
FTU6-24T12/HO	1 3/4"
FTU6-36T12/HO	7 3/4"	FTU9-36T12/HO	7 1/8"
FTU6-48T12/HO	13 3/4"	FTU9-48T12/HO	13 1/8"
FTU6-60T12/HO	19 3/4"	FTU9-60T12/HO	19 1/8"
FTU6-72T12/HO	25 3/4"	FTU9-72T12/HO	25 1/8"
FTU6-84T12/HO	31 3/4"	FTU9-84T12/HO	31 1/8"
FTU6-96T12/HO	37 3/4"	FTU9-96T12/HO	37 7/8"
FTU6-120T12/HO	48 1/4"	FTU9-120T12/HO	47 5/8"

Table 1.

TOMBSTONE MOUNTS MAKE IT EASY to light large letters and single-faced signs by positioning U-Lamps parallel to the mounting surface. The Tombstone mount consists of a Tombstone Base which is furnished complete with lampholders. Also required are a Rod Bracket and a rod.

ATTACH BASE to back of sign or letter. Wire sockets and attach closure plates, if used.
ATTACH ROD BRACKET along lamp centerline. The distance "D" from the base varies with lamp size. See Fig. 1 and Table 1.
INSERT 4 1/2" ROD through the large holes in the bracket.
INSERT THE LOCKING COTTER PIN furnished with the rod through the hole near the end of the rod. Spread the pin legs
TO INSTALL THE LAMP. Follow steps 6-9 as with standard mount.

NOTE: A ballast can be mounted between lamp legs on all but the shortest lamps.

Shop-Fabricated Mounts

It may be economical to employ shop fabricated or extruded raceways and utilized VOLTARC rods when signs are produced in quantity.

THE RODS SHOULD BE POSITIONED so that the hook crossbar is extended out 7/8" from the supporting tube with t he lamp in place. This positioning is automatically correct when VOLTARC bases are used. (See Fig. 5.) Rod support holes should be .635" in diameter for the most rigid construction. The rod nominal diameter is .625".

FOR SINGLE-FACED SIGNS, shop-made raceways can be used with the VOLTARC Rod Bracket and 4 1/2" rod shown in the section above on Tomb-stone Mount. The lamp centerline should be about 2 1/2" from the back of the sign to match the elevation provided by the rod and bracket. No direct connection between the raceway and the bracket is needed, when proper spacing is maintained.

CONTINUOUS WIRING CHANNELS can be made by using shop=fabricated hat sections to connect VOLTARC bases. Choose the length according to the spacing between adjacent bases. Allow a 2 3/4" by 1 1/4" cross section. See Fig. 1. Where connecting hat sections are used, VOLTARC closure plates are not needed.

U-Lamp Spacing

TUFBEND U-Lamps do not have to be installed with uniform spacing between lamps to achieve uniform sign face illumination. For normal painted sign faces, and most rigid plastic faces the maximum recommended spacing shown on the table 2 below will provide excellent uniformity of illumination.

As you can see on the table below, for signs with flexible film faces, lamp spacing is greater than with plastic face signs, thus the same sign can be lit with fewer FTU-lamps.

To achieve balanced lighting in signs 12 inches deep or more, space FTU-Lamps further apart to create a diffused, even effect. In narrower signs space FTU-Lamps closer together to eliminate "hot spots" or dead gaps.

As with all fluorescent lamps, care should be taken in in handling TUFBEND U-Lamps to avoid breakage. Because of the potential for breakage in signs during transportation, an additional cost is incurred if lamps have to be installed once the sign has been erected. By following the procedures outlined below you can ship signs with TUFBEND U-Lamps in place with confidence.

Table 2.

		Lamp Center to Sign Face Distance
		Rigid Plastic Faces				Flexible Film Faces
Spacing	Lamp Designation	4"	6"	8"	10"	6"	8"	10"	12"
Lamp Centerline	FTU6	12"	16	20	24	17	22	28	34
Lamp Centerline	FTU9	NR²	21	25	29	22	28	34	40
Max. Leg to leg (between adjacent Lamps)	FTU6	6"	10	14	18	11	16	22	28
Max. Leg to leg (between adjacent Lamps)	FTU9	NR²	12	16	20	13	19	25	31
Minimum Leg to Leg	FTU6	6"	8	10	12	8.5	11	14	17
Minimum Leg to Leg	FTU9	NR²	10.5	12.5	14.5	11	14	17	20

²Not Recommended

Table 2.

Fig. 3

Typical FTU-Lamp Spacing in Single Face Sign

Example: FTU9 Lamps with flexible face: 10" lamp to sign face distance.
*Tombstone bases are connected with shop-made channels to form a raceway.

Table 3

TUFBEND U-LAMPS SPECIFICATIONS
Lamp Designations	Stabilizing Brace	Nominal Bent Lgth	Actual Bent Lgth to Socket (Dim A)	Lamp Watts	Rated Life (Hours)	Lumens Cool White	Base	Rod*	Shipping Weight lbs. (6 Pack)
FTU9-36T12/HO	-	18"	15 13/16"	48	9.000	2.750	FTU9/HO	FTU36	6
FTU9-48T12/HO	-	24"	21 13/16"	60	12.000	4.000	FTU9/HO	FTU48	8
FTU9-60T12/HO	o	30"	27 13/16"	75	12.000	5.125	FTU9/HO	FTU60	10
FTU9-72T12/HO	o	36"	36 13/16"	87	12.000	6.125	FTU9/HO	FTU72	12
FTU9-84T12/HO	o	42"	39 13/16"	100	12.000	7.400	FTU9/HO	FTU84	13
FTU9-96T12/HO	o	48"	45 13/16"	112	12.000	8.750	FTU9/HO	FTU96	15
FTU9-120T12/HO	o	60"	56 13/16"	132	12.000	10.650	FTU9-120/HO	FTU120	18
FTU6-24T12/HO	-	12"	10 1/2"	36	9.000	1.600	FTU6/HO	FTU24	4
FTU6-36T12/HO	-	18"	16 1/2"	48	9.000	2.750	FTU6/HO	FTU36	5
FTU6-48T12/HO	-	24"	22 1/2"	60	12.000	4.000	FTU6/HO	FTU48	7
FTU6-60T12/HO	o	30"	28 1/2"	75	12.000	5.125	FTU6/HO	FTU60	9
FTU6-72T12/HO	o	36"	34 1/2"	87	12.000	6.125	FTU6/HO	FTU72	11
FTU6-84T12/HO	o	42"	40 1/2"	100	12.000	7.400	FTU6/HO	FTU84	12
FTU6-96T12/HO	o	48"	46 1/2"	112	12.000	8.750	FTU6/HO	FTU96	14
FTU6-120T12/HO	o	60"	57"	132	12.000	10.650	FTU6-120/HO	FTU120	16

All dimensions are nominal; dimension "A: has a tolerance of ą18"

* See information on FTU lamp mounting data.
o Lamp comes with stabilizing brace.

Table 3.

How to Handle, Transport and Install Tufbend U-Lamps

When signs with lamps in place are likely to be treated roughly during shipment or when the sign may be installed under extreme conditions involving heavy vibration, rods or lamps should be restrained. This protection should be undertaken to prevent "whipping" (Fig. 4) and the possibility of lamps striking sign faces or structural elements. The longer the lamp and rod, the more important this becomes.

A structural member or specially provided support can carry a bracket to restrain whip. A "U"-bracket formed from 3/4" wide aluminum strip can be pop-riveted to a structural angle and the rod in turn is pop-riveted into place in the bend of the "U". (See Fig. 5.)

Another option is to stretch wire across the lamps, just touching them, about 8" from the bends. Rods are tied to the stretched wire with lighter-gauged tie wire. Hook openings should face stretched wire so its forced tends to keep lamps in the hooks.

Figure 4 & 5
(Fig. 4)	(Fig. 5)
Lamp Retention in Mount
When very rough treatment of the sign can occur, it is desirable to positively retain U-Lamps in their mounts so they cannot jump out under heavy jolts. (Fig. 5) Install cotter pin in rod hole as shown. Run the wire through the eye of the pin, and twist around the ends of the hook. cut and discard wire at first relamping. This prevents the spring in the rod from compressing under a jolt and releasing the lamp. Hole and cotter pin are provided with all rods.

How to Store and Transport
Tufbend U-Lamps to the Job Site

TUFBEND U-Lamps are packed 6 per shipping carton in boxes carefully designed to minimize breakage during shipping and transportation to the job site.
The patented integral stabilizing brace employed in lamps FTU-60 or longer, further reduces the likelihood of breakage.
TRUCK STORAGE OF TUFBEND U-Lamps is best handled simply by leaving lamps in their shipping cartons. Safe, well organized truck storage can be achieved with a shop-built sheet metal storage box with plywood dividers. A bill of Materials listing the original components designed into the sign, should be kept on file. When the sign requires relamping, a check of the file will show which TUFBEND U-Lamps were originally used.
INSTALLING TUFBEND U-Lamps. Pull the hood clear of the lamp bend by using two fingers under the crossbar of the hook. Avoid exerting thumb pressure on the lamp. Lower the hook gently onto the lamp. Do not snap into place.

Applications

When It Makes Sense to Use Tufbend U-Lamps

You can achieve uniform illumination across all dimensions of the sign and reduce overall manufacturing costs.

	You need fewer Tufbend U-Lamps than straight lamps to light the sign, providing you with a material and labor cost savings
	Access to the sign for servicing is easier with only one raceway
	You can light large letters and irregular shapes easily; i.e., large channel letters, ovals, circles, etc.

A Tufbend U-Lamp can provide uniform illumination for any non-rectangular or odd-shaped sign, regardless of configuration.

	No lighting gaps
	No shadows
	Shadowless light in curved areas
	Backlit Awnings - Tufbend U-Lamps provide uniform illumination with no dead spots at the end of the awning

RECTANGLES

figure7bdiagram.tif (1068128 bytes)

U-Lamps will give shadowless lighting in curve areas and can be used in combination with straight lamps.