AU635489B1

AU635489B1 - Support for sign board

Info

Publication number: AU635489B1
Application number: AU3199293A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Pasquale Anthony De; Nick Puopolo
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-01-25
Filing date: 1993-01-25
Publication date: 1993-03-18
Anticipated expiration: 2013-01-25

Description

P/00/012 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 3 5 4 8 9 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A PETTY PATENT

ORIGINAL

r Invention Title: "DISPLAY MEANS" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us:- -2- This invention relates to improvements in display means and more particularly in means for supporting sign boards, placards, advertising panels or the like especially out of doors.

At present, advertising of real estate for sale usually includes erection of signs on or near the property in question. Typically a star picket approximately 1.6 metres long is driven into the ground and the sign board is bolted or otherwise affixed to the upper portion of the star picket or to support means provided at the upper portion of the picket star. Alternatively a plurality of timber stakes may be driven into the ground and the sign board mounted to these. Signs such as these are not easily transportable because of the length of the picket or stakes, the sign o0000 boards are not protected from the weather, the sign boards can relatively readily become detached from the uprights and can fly free from their position, the picket or stakes can become loose and either tilt over or fall over. The picket or stakes are not height adjustable and have to be driven into the ground with a hammer Soe or hammer-like object requiring considerable force. Further, extraction from the ground can often be difficult, requiring considerable effort, and may result in breakage of a timber stake or bending of a star picket. Such signs do not display a professional image when the evidence of deterioration is apparent. Sign boards which become detached from the uprights can fly free in high winds and thus may pose a danger to surrounding objects and/or people.

It is one of the objects of the present to address and substantially alleviate, if not overcome, the aforesaid disadvantages.

-3- According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a support for a sign board, advertising panel, placard or the like including a height adjustable pole including at least two members capable of being telescoped, optionally in an infinitely adjustable manner, said pole adapted at a first end to facilitate insertion thereof into the ground and provided with means at the second end to receive and releasably secure at least one sign board, advertising panel, placard or the like.

Preferably said height adjustable pole includes two members which are in a sliding fit relationship, the male member being provided with hammer-like means capable of impacting on impact-receiving means provided to the female member whereby insertion of said first end into the ground is facilitated. The hammer-like means may comprise a hardened steel plug fixed to the end of the male member that is received in the female member or said end of the male S member may be comprised of hardened steel.

Preferably said pole is also provided at its first end with means such as .l4* at least one pointed star picket portion or screw-threaded spike to facilitate insertion into the ground.

Preferably means are also provided towards said first end to stabilise the post when inserted into the ground such means may include flanges fixed to that part of the pole that is inserted into the ground.

The adjusting of the telescoping may be achieved by using one or more socket screws passing through the wall of the female member and being capable of being tightened against the male member in an abutting relationship so as to -4constrain the male member from movement relative to the female member.

Alternatively, a socket screw may engage registering holes in walls of both the female member and male member to hold the members in a preselected configuration.

Preferably the said members are separable to permit easy transport.

Preferably the sign receiving means includes a frame provided with means to receive and release of the secure at least one item of signage. Preferably said receiving means are channels defined by generally U-shaped panels disposed round part or all of said frame. The dimensions of such channels should be such as to provide a relatively tight squeeze fit for this signage, thereby restraining the signage from moving with respect to the frame. The sign receiving means can be of any desired shape and need not be limited to rectilinear or "two dimensional" geometries. For instance the frame may be annular or may define the outline of a cube. The sign receiving means may be releasably secured to or at the second .o*Q end of the pole, depending on commercial requirements.

Components of the support may be constructed from any suitable materials including steel, aluminium, wood or plastic. The said members may have any suitable profile including circular cross-section or box cross-section.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood and readily put into practical effect, preferred non-limitative embodiments of the support will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a front elevational view (partly in phantom) of a support according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevational view (partly in phantom) of the embodiment of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view of along line A-A of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a front elevational view (partly in phantom) of a variation of the embodiment of Fig. 1 demonstrating the operation of a variation of a sign receiving means; Fig. 5 is a front elevational view (partly in phantom) of a second embodiment of the invention; Fig. 6 is a front elevational view (partly in phantom) of a third embodiment of the invention; Fig.7 is a front elevational view (partly in phantom) of a fourth embodiment of the invention.

S.1* In Fig. 1, the numeral 10 generally designates a support according to the invention. Numeral 12 designates a telescoping pole including male tubular member 14 which fits slidingly within female tubular member 16. A button head socket screw 18 passing through the wall of female tubular member 16 and operated by an Allen key drive can be tightened against the wall of male tubular member 14 to hold male tubular member 14 in place so that the pole attains a desired height. A rectangular plate 20 is fixed across the lower end of female tubular member 16. A portion 24 of star picket is fixed to the remote face of plate -6- 24. Star picket portion 24 terminates in a shaped point 26 to assist insertion into the ground. Support flanges 22 are fixed to the remote face of plate 20 and to star picket portion 24. Plate 20 effectively seals off the lower end of female tubular member 16 providing a surface which may be struck by the lower end of male tubular member 14 which terminates in a plug 28 composed of hardened steel and which acts as a built-in hammer, male tubular member 14 being of greater length than female tubular member 16. The upper end of the pole, formed by the upper end of male tubular member 14, is attached to a sign receiving means indicated generally by the numeral 30 comprising a rectangular frame 32, preferably of metal, Saround the upper and vertical sides of which are disposed generally U-shaped panels 34 defining channels 36. The channels 36 are so sized as to provide a relatively tight squeeze fit for signage 38. The panels are fastened to the frame by screws, rivets, spotwelds or similar fastening techniques. In the present eCC embodiment there are two channels, one either side of the steel frame. This permits a double sided sign. A locator bar 40 is situated on the lower edge of the frame 32 to assist in holding the signage in position.

In an embodiment such as above described the plate 20 acts as an impact-receiving component to facilitate the driving ofr' the star picket portion 24 into the ground, as a restraint on the depth of insertion into the ground, as a stabilizing means once the star picket portion 24 has been inserted fully into the ground, and as a lever means during the extraction of the star picket portion 24 from the ground when female tubular member 16 may be rocked from side to side -7to loose the star picket portion. Support flanges 22 serve to stabilize the pole when the star picket portion 24 is inserted into the ground and to strengthen the join between star picket portion 24 and plate 20. In the embodiment shown the sign receiving means 30 is fixed to the upper end of male tubular member 14. In such a situation the frame 32 can act as a handle for male tubular member 14 when it is used as a hammer to drive star picket portion 24 into the ground.

The embodiment may be erected in the following manner: With male tubular member 14 removed from female tubular member 16, the support may be readily transported to a desired location. Male tubular member 14 is then inserted into female tubular member 16 and hardened steel plug 28 is impacted on plate to drive start picket portion 24 into the ground. When the insertion into the ground has been completed signage is inserted into sign receiving means 30 and the height of the pole is set using the socket screw 18 to hold male tubular member 14 in position relative to female tubular member 16. As can be seen there is no need to carry round a sledge hammer to drive in the pole. The edges of the signage 38, which be one or more Corflu inserts, are protected from rain. This is a significant advantage as the edges of signage are vulnerable to moisture-induced deterioration. Because of the squeeze fit of the signage 38 in the channels 36 it is much less likely to fall out or be blown away.

In various modifications of the above described hereinafter, where integers or means are the same as previously or work substantially the same as previously like reference numerals generally will be used.

-8- In Fig. 4 a variation of operation of sign receiving means is shown. In this instance the signage is inserted from the top by opening the hinged top Ushaped panel 42, inserting the signage into one or both perimeter channels and then by closing the hinged top panel to provide a releasably secure fit for said signage. Arrow B indicates the directions of movement of top panel 42.

In Fig. 5 built-in hammer means are retained. However, the star picket at the lower end of the pole has been replaced by a screw-threaded spike 44 and plate 20' is circular rather than rectangular. The pole may be inserted into the ground by a combination of rotation and hammering. Two button head socket 'Q screws 18 and 18' are used to hold tubular member 14 in place at a desired height.

The sign receiving and securing means 30 is generally of the same type as in the first embodiment but is further adapted to receive one or more axles 46 for a S• spinning sign 48.

Fig. 6 depicts an embodiment of the invention in which the sign receiving means 30 indicated in schematic form only depends from a portion 50 of the upper tubular channel which is bent to an angle of 90° so that the sign S receiving means 30 can hang downwardly.

In Fig. 7 lower end of the pole 12' terminates in a pair of star picket portions. The pole may be inserted into the ground by use of hammer means as aforesaid. This embodiment permits the use of a larger sign. The sign receiving and securing means 30 is of the same type as shown in Fig. 1.

-9- It is believed that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the support without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the forms hereinbefore described being merely preferred embodiments.

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Claims

1. A support for a sign board, advertising panel, placard or the like including a height adjustable pole including at least two members capable of being telescoped, optionally in an infinitely adjustable manner, said pole adapted at a first end to facilitate insertion thereof into the ground and provided with means at the second end to receive and releasably secure at least one sign board, advertising nel, placard or the like.

2. A support as claimed in Claim 1 wherein two of said at least two members are in a sliding fit relationship, the male member being provided with S hammer-like means capable of impacting on impact receiving means provided to the female member.

3. A support as claimed in either Claim 1 or Claim 2 substantially S as hereinbefore described wif1 reference to any one of the drawings. D A T E D this 25th day of January 1993. '1 ANTHONY DE PASQUALE and NICK PUOPOLO By their Patent Attorneys: CALLINAN LAWRIE ABSTRACT A support (10) for a signboard including a telescoping pole (12) comprising a male tubular member (14) terminating at its lower end in a plug (28) and a female tubular member (16) across the lower end of which is fixed a rectangular plate (20) upon which plug (28) can impact. A star picket portion (24) terminating at its remote end in a point (26) is fixed to the underside of plate Support flanges (22) abut the underside of plate (20) and star picket portion (24). The movement of male tubular member (14) within female tubular member (16) can be restrained by button head socket screw The upper end of male tubular member (14) terminates in a sign receiving means (30) comprising a rectangular frame (32) round the upper and vertical sides of which are disposed U-shaped panels (34) thereby defining a plurality of channels (36) so size as to provide a squeeze fit for signage, and a locator bar (40) mounted on the lower edge of frame (32) to assist in holding signage in position. o