AU783787B2

AU783787B2 - Improvements relating to signs

Info

Publication number: AU783787B2
Application number: AU48879/02A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Gary John Edwards
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-06-21
Filing date: 2002-06-21
Publication date: 2005-12-08
Anticipated expiration: 2022-06-21
Also published as: AU4887902A

Description

52966 HKS:ZS P/00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Invention Title: Address for Service: GARY JOHN EDWARDS GARY JOHN EDWARDS IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO SIGNS COLLISON CO. 117 King William Street, Adelaide, S.A. 5000 in the following statement The invention is described TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates to signs of a type in which there is a base and flexible rods extending from the base to an uppermost earth sign support.

An object of this invention is to provide a support for a sign which can be manufactured economically and in use be elegant in appearance or at the least to offer the public a useful alternative.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION In one form of this invention there is proposed a support arrangement for a sign comprising a base, and a flexible rod, the base being adapted to be in a ground supported position and to provide an interlock with a lowermost transverse member interengaging with a lowermost end of a sign, a support for a lower end of the rod, and an uppermost end of the rod interengaging with a transverse member interengaging with an uppermost part of the sign.

In preference, the rod is comprised of at least two separable portions.

In preference, the base is comprised of two members which are separable one from the other and which in a sign supporting position include two interlocking parts.

One of the advantages of having two separable portions of which the base is comprised is that these then can be disassembled for ease of transport.

In preference, the two separable members forming the base are each of elongate proportions and are joined at a rearwardmost central apex position when in a sign supporting position, and two forwardmost parts of the respective parts of the base respectively interengage with the transverse bar interengaging with a lowermost part of the sign.

3 In preference, the respective parts of the base have at the rearwardmost apex end each a cylindrical shape which interengage so that together they provide in alignment, a common cylindrical shape through which the rod can pass and whereby the respective ends of the parts of the base will be held together.

In preference, the rod is comprised of three separable parts where there is a cylindrical joining member into which respective ends of rod portions are located.

The orientation of the cylindrical shape into which a base of the rod is located is such that an otherwise straight rod will be caused to bend from a predominantly vertical orientation at a lowermost end to a forwardly slanting orientation at an uppermost end where it interengages with a socket secured to the uppermost transverse bar.

In a further preferred form, the invention can be said to reside in a support arrangement in combination with a sign comprising a base, the base being comprised of two parts, a first of the parts extending from a forward position beneath one side of a sign to a position rearward of and centrally positioned with respect to the sign being supported, and a second of the parts extending from a forward position beneath and to an opposite side of the sign to a position rearward of and centrally positioned with respect to the sign being supported, the rod being comprised of a plurality of separable elements where each element is held to provide a common alignment of the elements to provide a composite rod, where an uppermost end of the composite rod is positioned within a socket secured to a transverse rod extending through an uppermost sleeve of the sign, the material of the rod being at least substantially reinforced plastics material, and a lower end of the composite rod having an interlocking relationship with both parts of the base so as to effect a joining of these at the location rearwardly of and centrally positioned with respect to the sign being supported, and each of the parts being interlocked at a respective location at a bottom end or beneath the sign by having a rod extending through a sleeve forming a bottom portion of the sign.

4 While this support arrangement is described in combination with a sign, the support arrangement has significant advantage simply as a kit of parts which can be assembled in the first instance simply to provide for support of a sign or erected so as to be connected to a sign.

The type of sign considered is a sheet of material of typically pliable paper, plastic or paper or some combination of these and having appropriate markings on a surface.

A first advantage of the arrangement described is that the two parts of the base can be very easily disassembled and both being elongate elements can fit together in a very small package.

In combination, both the separable elements of the rod and transverse bars or rods can likewise fit within a very compact package for either storage or for transport to where the support arrangement is to be used.

Further, however, by using the arrangement described, the support can be compactly located and generally be located fairly closely behind an erected sign.

In practice, if each of the base parts is made from a heavy material such as steel bar so that, for instance, they have generally an inverted T-shape cross section, then this provides both a reasonably substantially distributed base which, however, is also stiff and is also able to follow a shape which might be said to be generally an equilateral triangle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a better understanding of this invention it will now be described with relation to a preferred embodiment which shall be described with the assistance of drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a support arrangement in an erected form; Figure 2 illustrates the parts of the base, showing how these interlock; Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the base in greater detail; Figure 4 is a further view of the base; Figure 5 shows the key hole slot at the front of the base; Figure. 6 shows the transverse bar connecting with the base; and Figure. 7 shows the connection at a top of the rod.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Referring in detail to the drawings, the support arrangement 1 includes a base 2 which is comprised of two parts, these being shown as a left hand part 3 and a right hand part 4.

These parts 3 and 4 are intended to be used together to form a triangular shape which provides for ground support.

Each part 3 and 4 is constructed from a lowermost horizontal portion 5 and a central web 6 thereby providing generally in cross section an inverted Tshape.

At a rear portion of each of the base parts 3 and 4, there is a socket 8, in the one case, and 8 in the other which, however, are located so that when the two parts 3 and 4 are together, they align to provide a common access for a socket for a lower part of rod 10 which then is both supported thereby and holds the two base parts 3 and 4 together.

A forward part of each of the base parts 3 and 4 shown at 11 in the one case and 12 in the other includes a key hole style aperture 20 into which a transverse bar 13 can be located and turned so as to be interlocked thereby and thereby be held with respect to the base 2.

6 The rod 10 is made from fibre reinforced plastics material and it is made from separable parts each of which are normally straight with each part having a length appropriate for fitting in a storage position with the base parts 3 and 4.

Accordingly there are three parts connected in each case by a socket 21 into which respective ends of each of the parts is inserted to be held thereby.

The rod 10 is held with respect to the lower socket so that when its upper end is pulled forwardly, it is under tension and will thereby provide at least an upward tension when connected to a socket 15 of a transverse bar 16 located within a sleeve 17 of a sign 18.

The sign 18 has, at a lower end, a sleeve 19 through which the bar 13 is positioned.

As can now be seen, there is provided a very elegant and effective support arrangement for a sign where the efficiency in the use of the parts allows for both cost savings while, at the same time, providing a very stable and elegant looking support for signs.

Claims

1. A support arrangement for a sign comprising a base, and a flexible rod, the base being adapted to be in a ground supported position and to provide an interlock with a lowermost transverse member interengaging with a lowermost end of a sign, a support for a lower end of the rod, and an uppermost end of the rod interengaging with a transverse member interengaging with an uppermost part of the sign.

2. A support arrangement as in claim 1 further characterized in that the rod is comprised of at least two separable portions.

3. A support arrangement as in claims 1 or 2 further characterized in that the base is comprised of two members which are separable one from the other and which in a sign supporting position include two interlocking parts.

4. A support arrangement as in any one of the preceding claims further characterized in that the two separable members forming the base are each of elongate proportions and are joined at a rearwardmost central apex position when in a sign supporting position, and two forwardmost parts of the respective parts of the base respectively interengage with the transverse bar interengaging with a lowermost part of the sign.

A support arrangement as in any one of the preceding claims further characterized in that the respective parts of the base have at the rearwardmost apex end each a cylindrical shape which interengage so that together they provide in alignment, a common cylindrical shape through which the rod can pass and whereby the respective ends of the parts of the base will be held together.

6. A support arrangement as in any one of the preceding claims further characterized in that the rod is comprised of three separable parts where there is a cylindrical joining member into which respective ends of rod portions are located.

7. A support arrangement as in any one of the preceding claims further characterized in that an orientation of the cylindrical shape into which a base of the rod is located is such that an otherwise straight rod will be caused to bend from a predominantly vertical orientation at a lowermost end to a forwardly slanting orientation at an uppermost end where it interengages with a socket secured to the uppermost transverse bar.

8. A support arrangement in combination with a sign comprising a base, the base being comprised of two parts, a first of the parts extending from a forward position beneath one side of a sign to a position rearward of and centrally positioned with respect to the sign being supported, and a second of the parts extending from a forward position beneath and to an opposite side of the sign to a position rearward of and centrally positioned with respect to the sign being supported, the rod being comprised of a plurality of separable elements where each element is held to provide a common alignment of the elements to provide a composite rod, where an uppermost end of the composite rod is positioned within a socket secured to a transverse rod extending through an uppermost sleeve of the sign, the material of the rod being at least substantially reinforced plastics material, and a lower end of the composite rod having an interlocking relationship with both parts of the base so as to effect a joining of these at the location rearwardly of and centrally positioned with respect to the sign being supported, and each of the parts being interlocked at a respective location at a bottom end or beneath the sign by having a rod extending through a sleeve forming a bottom portion of the sign.

9. A support arrangement as in any one of the preceding claims 1 through 8 further characterized in that each of the base parts is made from a heavy material such as steel bar with generally an inverted T-shape cross section.

A kit of parts which can be assembled for support of a sign or erected as in any one of the preceding claims. 9

11. A method of supporting a sign substantially as described in the specification with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying illustrations.

12. A support arrangement for a sign substantially as described in the specification with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying illustrations. Dated this 21 st day of June 2002 GARY JOHN EDWARDS By his Patent Attorneys COLLISON CO.