CA2160612A1 - Display device - Google Patents

Abstract

A display device for mounting on an elongate member, such as a safety bar on a ski chair-lift, has a core portion for carrying display material and a shell portion receivable about the core portion. The core portion has an elongate tubular body with a radially inner surface for engaging the elongate member, and a radially outer surface which provides a greater display surface for the display material than does the elongate member.
The shell portion has a hollow tubular body with an outside surface for shielding the display material, and an inside surface for securing the core portion and display material on the elongate member. The display device also has sealing means for impeding moisture migration from the ambient to the display material, and locking means for resisting rotation of the device about the elongate member.

Description

2160~12 TEMFileNo. 106.1 ~Cm.E: DISPLAY DEVICE
s FTF.T T~ I)F T~TF INvFNTTON
The present invention relates to devices for displaying visual inf~rin~ n, such as a-lv~- L;~ , notices or other signage, on tubular or elongate members.

l~A~KC'rR()l~ OF TTIF INVFNTTON
~ Isual inforrn~if.n is conventionally displayed on generally flat surfaces, be it a large outdoor billboard, a poster hung from a ceiling in a grocery store, or a logo mounted on an office wall.
In contrast, elongate tubular surfaces, such as bars or tubing used for handrails in buses and subway cars, are usually dismissed as being unsuitable for carrying display material for many possible reasons, for example the available display area is too small for any meanirlgful display; it is difficult to mount and remove the display material from such bars, especially if adhesives are used; the display material is susceptible to being damaged 20 (by vandals or the weather) if not shielded properly; and, the display material may pose a danger to a user which grasps the bar, such as from paper cuts if the material's edges delaminate from the bar.
Many highly desirable display or advertising locations are therefore overlooked.One such location is the chair-lift at ski resorts. A skier is usually seated in a chair-lift for 25 several minutes as it ascends the mountain. For safety reason3, resorts require that a safety bar (which is typically pivotally hinged at both ends to the chair-lift's frame) be lowered to protect the chair-lift's occupants from falling forward out of the lift. While waiting to reach the end of the lift line, the skier has little to do but to stare over the safety bar at the ~;UIlUUlldill~:~. The safety bar is therefore a prime location for a resort to display 30 1 l ullloliull~l material, safety messages, and the like.
Sûlutions to some ûf the problems noted above have been proposed in the prior art, such as in U.S. patent 5,430,974 (Hering) and U.S. patent 2,918,741 (Welter), but ~ 2~6~2 they are adapted to very specific uses. The tubular sleeve in Hering can be used to cover the free end of an amm on a tumstile, but is not suited for bars lacking such a free end; and Welter discloses a grocery cart handle cover specifically suited for mounting over two small diameter wires. Neither Hering nor Welter are suitable for use on the safety bar of a 5 ski lift, for example.
What is desrred therefore is a display device which overcomes the limitations ofthese other prior devices. Preferably the device should be mountable at any desired location on an elongate member such as a bar or tube, and should provide a greater display area than the member on which it is being mounted. Further, the device should have a core to carry the display material and to elevate it away from the elongate member, and a shell to shield the core and display material and to secure the core and display material to the elongate member. Both the core and shell should be capable of being mounted and dismounted quickly for easy I c~ ,clll~lL of display material.
15 SUl~fARY ( )F T~ ~NVFI~TT()N
In one aspect the invention provides:
A display device comprising:
(a) a core portion, mountable on an elongate member, for carrying display material; and, (b) a shell portion, receivable about said core portion, for shielding said display material and for securing said core portion and display material onto said elongate member.
In another aspect the invention provides:
A display device for a safety bar of a ski chair-lift comprising:
(a) a core portion having an elongate tubular body with a radially inner surfacefor engaging the safety bar and a radially outer surface for carrying display material, wherein said outer surface provides a greater display surface for saiddisplay material than does said safety bar;
(b) a shell portion having a hollow tubular body with an outside surface and an inside surface for securing the core portion and display material on the safety bar;
(c) sealing means for impeding moisture migration from the ambient to the display material; and ~ 21~0612 (d) locking means for resisting rotation of the shell poriion about the safety bar.
In yet another aspect the invention provides:
A method of displaying display material on an elongate member comprising:
(a) inserting a core portion for carrying the display material about said elongate member;
(b) inserting a shell portion over said core portion; and (c) securing said shell portion onto said elongate member.
10 ~F.~(~RTPTTnN OF T~F. nR ~WlN('TC
Fmho~im~antc of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the au~ ;.lg drawings, wherein:
Figure I is a perspective view of a display device on an elongate member showingone embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 2 is an exploded view of the display device in Fig. I showing top and bottom sectiorls of a shell portion detached from the elongate member;
Figure 3 is a plan view of the bottom shell portion shown in Fig. 2:
Figure 4 is an elevated side view of the bottom shell portion of Fig. 3;
Figure S is a plan view of the top shell portion shown in Fig. 2;
Flgure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3; and Figures 7, 8 and 9 show alternate ClllbOl~ of attachment means of the invention;
nF..~13RTT'TTtlN ()F pRFTiFRRT~n F.Ml~O~TMF.NTS
Reference is ~rst made to Figures 1 to 6 (but primarily to Figs. I and 2) which show a preferred embodiment of a display device 20.
In Fig. 1 the display device 20 is shown mounted on a tubular elongate member 22having a If)ngiT~ axis 24. The member 22 may be any cylindrical surface on whichone wishes to mount a display such as an au~Li~c.ll.,.-L, decal, notice, message or amy 30 other visual inforn~a~it\n As will become apparent later, the member 22 may be one which has no free ends or is obstructed at both ends, namely obstacles on the member 22 prevent another hollow tubular item of slightly larger inside diameter from being merely slid on or 2~0~2 offan end of the member 22. An example of such obstructed members are the safety bars of ski chair-lifts which are usually hinged at opposite ends to the main frarne of chair-lif~s.
Hence, the ;Illr~ r portion ofthe safety bar illlul~lidL~I~ in front of a seated skier is obstructed at both ends by these hinges. Other examples of a member 22 obstructed at 5 both ends are the horizontal elongate handles of fire escape doors commonly ell-,UUll~ d irl most high-rise buildirlgs, and the vertical floor-to-ceiling handrails in buses and subway cars. The member 22 may also be one which is only obstructed at one end and is Ull~ b~LIu.,lcd at the opposite end, such as a fence post. The member 22 may also be non-circular in cross-section, such as a square or rectangular shaped tube. For illustrative 10 purposes and ease of reference, the member æ will be referred to as a bar or safety bar 22, such as one found on a ski chair-lift.
The display device 20 has a core portion 30 for carrying display material 26, and a shell portion 40 which is receivable about the core portion 30 and the display material 26.
As illustrated in Fig. 2, the core 30 has an elongate tubular body with a radially irlner 15 surface 32 for engaging the bar 22, and a radially outer surface 34 for carfying the display material 26. The irlner arld outer surfaces 32, 34 are spaced. a radial distance T, which denotes the "thickness" of the core's body. In this ~ lf~ the thickness T is uniform about the ~ ,u~l~f~,l cl,~,e of the core 30, but it will be appreciated that the thickness T may be irregular in alternate ~ od;~ Lb.
20 Ideally the irmer surface 32 of the core 30 is shaped and fl; " .~ ;. ,"r rl to fit snugly onto the bar 22. However, since the diameter of the bar 22 may vary (for example, the safety bars on different chair-lifts are not necessarily the same), the diameter of the inner surface 32 is preferably made large enough to ft more than one size of bar, and so the core 30 might fit rather loosely on a smaller diarneter bar. The fit should not be so loose as 25 to adversely impact the pclrul~ of the display device 20.
The core 30 is preferably made of a flexible and ,u~ lc~ble material, such as foam rubber, so that the core 30 is mountable on the bar 22 via a single lf)n~ rlin~l cut or sht 36 through the core body. The core 30 may therefore be mounted directly onto the bar æ at a desired display location, regardless whether the bar 22 is ob$ructed at one or 30 both ends. Although there may be more than one slit provided, thereby splitting the core bo~ ' bto~everdpalts,a~ i5p~--~edsothat~;ody3~isoneintet al 211~0612 and so that the e;a5ticity of the body 30 causes it to c u~ y close about the bar 22 upon mounting.
The display material 26 is preferably carried on a sheet which is insertable onto the outer surface 34 for easy removal and ~cpla~c~l~c~ with sheets having other displays. If 5 desired, some adhesive may be placed between the sheet 26 and the core to help retain the sheet on the outer surface 34 when mounting the display on the bar 22. It will be appreciated that the display material may also be integral with the outer surface 34. For inst~mce, the material may be laminated or printed directly onto the core 30. A change of display material would therefore require l~ldCc~ of the core 30 or the insertion of 10 another sheet of display material over the existing core.
The shell portion 40 shields the display material 26 and the core 30 from hazardous conditions, be they weather related or vandalism, and secures them onto the bar 22. The shell 40 has a hollow tubular body with tapered end walls 41 and 42, a rounded inside surface 43, and a ~,oll~olld...~ rounded outside surface 44 exposed to the ambient. It is 15 noted that the shell's entire outside surface 44 is smooth and rounded, and is free of sharp edges or ~lvLlubdl~ which might harm or injure someone. Where required, the shell 40, and in particular tne end walls 41, 42, may have small apertures (not shown) for venting moisture from within the display device to the ambient.
The shell 40 is divided Inn~if~ y into top and bottom sections 40a and 40b (as 20 viewed in Fig.2) for mounting onto the bar 22 regardless whether the bar is obstructed at one or both ends. In this embodiment the sections 40a and 40b are reversed rnirror images of themselves - i.e. both sections are identical, except that bottom section 40b is rotated 180 degrees about the l~ ".l:. ' axis 24 relative to top section 40a (for example, ...' edge 45 of bottom section 40b ~ ~olld~ to lfmejfll(lin~l edge 451 of top 25 section 40a furthest from the viewer in Fig.2). Although it will be appreciated that both sections of the shell 40 need not be identical, having identical halves provides", ",r~..""..,~ and assembly efficiencies, ~SOllv~,lh~ S and cost savings. For ease of reference, only bottom section 40b is described in detail. Primed numerals are used to identify like elements on top section 40a in Figures 1, 2 and S.
The hollow body of the shell 40 is divided into a central cavity 46 for housing the core 30, and first and second side cavities 48 and 49 on either side of the central cavity 46.
Since the core 30 is .l;..,~,lc,.."..l to elevate or push the display material 26 against the ~ 21fiO612 shell 40, the core and display materiai frictionaily engage the inside surface 43 of the centrai cavity 46 which deters the core and display material 26 from moving relative to the sheii 40. The outer surface 34 of the core 30 and the inside surface 43 of the sheii should be sized to siightly compress the display material 26 when the top and bottom sections 5 40a, 40b of the shell are secured together, but not so much that the display material 26 is damaged or distorted. It will be understood that the sizing of the core's thickness T
relative to the radiai opening formed by the centrai cavity 46 will depend on several factors, including the ~ ,JalbiliLy ofthe core's material amd the thickness ofthe display sheet 26 (assuming a separate sheet is used, as mentioned earlier). For instance, there may 10 be iittle contact between the core material and the shell if the display 26 is made of a very thick cardboard or foam and the core material is relatively stiff In the preferred llclllll.. .11, the core's foam rubber is relatively cu~ alble and the display is on a thin sheet 26. Hence, it is desirabie that the outer surface 34 of the core have a slightly larger diameter than the inside surface 43 of the centrai cavity 46 to achieve the above noted 15 U~ l,Vltaa;~ andfrictionairl~
In the preferred r~ udilllt;u~, the side cavities 48 and 49 are mirror images of each other. Since both cavities have like features, then for brevity and clarity oniy the features of the first side cavity 48 need be described in detail. The side cavity 48 is separated from the centrai cavity 46 by a partition 50 having a slot 51 for receiving the bar 22. A wail 52 20 further divides the side cavity 48 into inner chamber 54 and outer chamber 56. The dividing wail 52 aiso has a slot 53 for receiving the bar 22. Likewise, the end wall 42 of the bottom sheil section 40b has a slot 58 for receiving the bar 22. The slots 51, 53 and 58, and their uuu~ Jal La in the second side cavity 49 and the top section 40a, permit the sheli sections to be joined together and mounted on the bar 22 These slots should fit as 25 tightly as possible around the bar 22 for maximum illL~Irtl~ with any moisture or dirt migration aiong the bar 22 from the ambient to the centrai cavity 46.
The inner charnber 54 adjacent the centrai cavity 48 is configured to receive and house an o-ring 60. The o-ring is an annuiar body of elastomeric material with a radiaily irmer surface 62 for frictionaily engaging the bar 22, and a radiaiiy outer surface 64 for 30 frictionaiiy engaging the inside surface 43 of the shell chamber 54. A slit 66 through the body is provided for inserting the o-ring 60 onto the bar 22, like the slit 36 on the core 30.
The o-ring 60 is .l;"~ ..lfd for a tight fit within the chamber 54, namely, the diameter of 21~12 the o-ring's outer surface 62 is preferably the same as or marginally larger than the diameter of the inner chamber's inside surface 43 to provide a frictional fit between the shell 40 and the o-ring 60. Likewise, the o-ring 60 should fit snugly on the bar 22 to optimize fiictional rl~ gr~ between the o-ring and bar. The fit should not be so tight S as to prevent both shell sections from properly mating about the bar 22, yet should be tight enough so that the chamber 54 squeezes the o-ring to maximize the above noted frictional The o-rings on each side of the core 3 0 effectively lock or clamp the shell 40 in a desired orientation and resist further movement of the display device 20 on the bar, be it twisting about the bar or sliding along the bar. Suitable results have been obtained 10 using an elastomeric material such as urethane rubber with a specified durometer value of 60, with the actual durometer value falling m the range between 50 and 70 The rubber may be custom extruded or die cut from sheet material for a uniform fit about the inner chamber 54 to avoid differential squeezing about the ~ ul-lrel ~I-ce of the o-ring.
It will be appreciated that the o-rmg 60 also impedes moisture and dirt from 15 migrating firom the ambient to the central cavity 46 through the side cavity 48. To further impede moisture or dirt which may find its way into the central cavity from reaching the display material 26, the core material preferably has water-repellent qualities. Water repellency is particularly important in cold rllvilO~ r,llL~, such as in ski areas, since water's expansion upon fireezing can crack and severely damage a structure The top and bottom sections 40a and 40b of the shell are attached together on the bar 30 using an attachment hl 1 ~ showrl in Fig. 2. A recessed aperture 701 in the top section 40a is aligmed with another hole 72 in the bottom section 40b, and a self threading fastener or screw 74 is passed through the aperture 701 and is threaded into the hole 72 to clamp and secure both sections together on the bar 22. The aperture 701 25 provides free passage for the screw 74, whereas the hole 72 is of a smaller diameter than the screw 74 to provide the noted threading and clamping action. Four sets of this aperture/hole/screw all~l~,.,,...,.l~ are located on the shell 40 as shown. Suitable results have been achieved by locating the holes and apertures adjacent the partitions 70. This location not only places the screws 74 by the o-rings 60, where the greatest clamping 30 forces are required, but the structure of the partitions helps distribute the clamping force about the shell. It will be appreciated that by recessing the aperture 701, the screw's head is kept from protruding above the shell's smooth outside surface 44. Possible alternate attachment all~lgCll~ i are shown in Figures 7, 8 and 9, although they are not preferred.
The shell 40 also has guides to help a user properly mate both top and bottom sections 40a, 40b together. Referring to Figures 2, 3 and 6, the periphery of the shell S section 40b has a tongue 80 on lnneiflltiinql edge 45 and a CU-lC~ Jlld;ll~ groove 82 on the opposite Inn~ifll~linql edge 47 (which is obstructed from view in Fig. 2). The tongue and groove extend along the entire periphery bounding the central cavity 46 and the inner chamber 54, and a part of the outer chamber 56 When the shell sections are properly mated, the tongue and groove overlap one another. In this embodiment, the tongue and 10 groove ~ ,rlrl...l also performs a sealing function by impeding water and dirt from migrating across the shell's periphery and into the central cavity 46. Hence, although the tongue and groove need not be continuous as shown for mating purposes and may have gaps along their lengths, this is not preferred for sealing purposes Also provided at selected locations along the periphery of the shell are projections 15 84 and c<~ *,olldillg ledges 86. The projections 84 of one shell section approach the ledges of the other shell section to help hold the periphery in place during assembly of the shell. The projections and ledges serve other functions as well: the projections 84 help prevent the core body 30 from extending onto the lnnei~l-iinq~ edges 45, 47 and being pinched by the periphery during assembly; and, as shown in Fig. 6 the bases of the 20 projections and ledges (i.e. the lowermost junctions of the projections and ledges with the inside surface 43 of the shell) define a boundary or perimeter in which to fit the display sheet 26.
In the preferred c...bo 1;1I1.,I.L, the entire shell is made of a transparent material so as not to obstruct the view of any part of the display 26. Good results have been achieved 25 using durable and shatter-resistant plastics, such as LEXAN`rM If desired, the shell material may be colour tinted, or it may be opaque over non-display locations, such as the side cavities 48, 49.
It may now be appreciated that a desirable feature of the device 20 is the addeddisplay surface area provided by the core 30, as opposed to the surface area available on 30 the face of the bar 22. The display area on the outer surface 34 will vary depending on the thickness T of the core 30 (and more specifically the outer surface's diameter) and the size of the shell portion 40. In the preferred C~lbOd;~ , the thickness T is about the same as 21~fil2 the radius of the bar 22, thus the ~,u~ lre~ of the outer surface 34 is ~ Lely double that of the bar 22, providing twice the display space of the bar 22. Hence, where previously it may not have been feasible to display ads or notices on the bar 22 (because of its small diameter, the difficulty of retaining the material on the bar, etc.), the present 5 mvention now provides a viable means of doing so It may now also be appreciated how display material may be mounted onto the bar 22 using the preferred eulbodu~ of the present invention. First the core 30 is inserted onto the bar 22 at a desired display location. O-rings 60 are inserted onto the bar 22 on each side of the core 30. E the display material is on a sheet 26, then the sheet is placed 10 onto the core m a desired orientation for viewing; and rf the display is integral with the core, the core should be rotated to the desired orientation. Alternately, the display sheet 26 may be inserted mto place into one or both shell portions as illustrated in Fig. 6. The shell portions 40a and 40b are then inserted over the core 30 and the o-rings 60, and are clamped together and to the bar usmg the four screws 74. The reverse procedure is used 15 to change the display material, except that the core and o-rings need not be removed from the bar.
The above description is intended in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense and variations to the specific ~ and materials described may be apparent to skilled persons m adapting the preseffl invention to specific d~)~' Such variations 20 are intended to form part of the present invention insofar as they are within the spirit and scope of the claims below. For instance, satisfactory results may also be achieved by hinging the shell halves along one edge rather than having two separate halves. Another variation may be the inclusion of lugs on the inside surface 43 of the shell to achieve a mechanical interlock (m addition to or instead of the frictional rl~ ) between the 25 shell and both the core and the o-ring. Yet another variation may be the le~ld~ lL of the o-ring 60 with a urethane rubber or other suitable compound along the bar engaging surfaces of one or more of the slots 51, 53 and 58 to achieve the locking and sealing effects discussed earlier. Another variation may also be the printing of the display material directly on the shell portion and omitting the core portion, but this is not desirable because 30 lq~ of the display material would require . epld~elll~,.ll of the shell. Also, omission of the core would remove any support the core may provide to the shell above the central cavity.
g

Claims (41)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A display device comprising:
(a) a core portion, mountable on an elongate member, for carrying display material; and, (b) a shell portion, receivable about said core portion, for shielding said display material and for securing said core portion and display material onto said elongate member.

2. The display device of claim 1 wherein:
(a) the core portion comprises an elongate tubular body having a radially outer surface for carrying said display material and a radially inner surface for engaging said elongate member; and (b) the shell portion comprises a hollow tubular body having an outside surface and an inside surface for engaging at least some of said outer surface of the core portion to retain said display material in a desired orientation.

3. The display device of claim 2 further comprising sealing means for impeding moisture migration from the ambient to said display material.

4. The display device of claim 3 further comprising locking means for resisting rotation of said display device about said elongate member.

5. The display device of claim 4 wherein said hollow tubular body of the shell portion has a central cavity for housing the core portion, and first and second opposite side cavities.

6. The display device of claim 5 wherein the locking means comprises an annular body of elastomeric material, said annular body having a radially outer surface for engaging said inside surface of the shell portion, and a radially inner surface for engaging said elongate member.

7. The display device of claim 6 wherein said annular body has at least one longitudinal slit therethrough for inserting said annular body onto said elongate member.

8. The display device of claim 7 wherein at least one of said annular bodies is located in each of said first and second side cavities.

9. The display device of claim 8 wherein each of said first and second side cavities has inner and outer chambers, and wherein each of said inner chambers is located adjacent said central cavity and houses said annular body.

10. The display device of claim 9 wherein the diameter of said radially outer surface of the annular body is larger than the diameter of said inside surface of the inner chamber of said shell portion to provide a frictional fit between the shell portion and the annular body, and between the annular body and the elongate member when said display device ismounted on said elongate member.

11. The display device of claim 10 wherein said elastomeric material has a durometer value of between 50 and 70.

12. The display device of claim 10 wherein said elastomeric material is a urethane rubber.

13. The display device of claim 5 wherein said shell portion is divided longitudinally into two sections, and wherein said sections are held together by attachment means.

14. The display device of claim 13 wherein said sealing means comprises mating surfaces along at least a part of the periphery of each of said sections of the shell portion.

15. The display device of claim 14 wherein said mating surfaces are located adjacent said central cavity and adjacent at least a portion of said first and second side cavities.

16. The display device of claim 15 wherein said mating surfaces comprise a tongue and groove arrangement.

17. The display device of claim 14 wherein said sealing means further comprises an annular body of elastomeric material located in each of said first and second side cavities of the shell portion.

18. The display device of claim 13 wherein each of said two sections of the shell portion have guide means to aid a user in mating and retaining said sections in position about said core portion.

19 The display device of claim 18 wherein said guide means comprises a tongue and groove arrangement along at least a portion of the periphery of each of said two sections of the shell portion.

20. The display device of claim 13 wherein said attachment means comprises holes in one of said sections which align with corresponding apertures formed in the other of said sections, and self threading screws which are inserted through the apertures and are threaded into said holes to securely hold said sections together and on said elongate member.

21. The display device of claim 20 comprising at least four sets of said apertures and holes on said shell portion.

22. The display device of claim 20 wherein said apertures and holes are located adjacent said first and second side cavities of the shell portion.

23. The display device of claim 5 wherein the shell portion is made of a transparent material.

24. The display device of claim 2 wherein said core portion has at least one longitudinal for inserting the core portion onto said elongate member.

25. The display device of claim 24 wherein said core portion is of a compressible material, and wherein said radially outer surface of the core portion compresses the display material against said inside surface of the shell portion to provide a frictional fit between the core portion and the shell portion, and to resist rotation of the display material relative to the shell portion.

26. The display device of claim 25 wherein said compressible material is a foam rubber.

27. The display device of claim 3 wherein said sealing means comprises a core portion of water repellent material for impeding moisture migration from the ambient to said display material.

28 The display device of claim 27 wherein said water repellent material is a foam rubber.

29. The display device of claim 5 wherein said display material is integral with said core portion.

30. The display device of claim 5 wherein said display material is carried on a sheet inserted over said core portion.

31. The display device of claim 1 wherein said elongate member is generally cylindrical and is obstructed at both ends.

32. The display device of claim 31 wherein said elongate member is a safety bar of a ski chair-lift.

33. A display device for a safety bar of a ski chair-lift comprising:
(a) a core portion having an elongate tubular body with a radially inner surface for engaging the safety bar and a radially outer surface for carrying display material, wherein said outer surface provides a greater display surface for saiddisplay material than does said safety bar;
(b) a shell portion having a hollow tubular body with an outside surface and an inside surface for securing the core portion and display material on the safety bar;
(c) sealing means for impeding moisture migration from the ambient to the display material; and (d) locking means for resisting rotation of the shell portion about the safety bar.

34. The display device of claim 33 wherein the shell portion has:
(a) a central cavity for housing the core portion, wherein the core portion engages at least a portion of said inside surface of the central cavity of the shell portion to retain said display material in a desired orientation relative to the shell portion; and (b) first and second opposite side cavities adjacent the central cavity for housing the locking means.

35. The display device of claim 34 wherein the locking means comprises at least one annular body of an elastomeric material located in each of said first and second side cavities, each of said annular bodies having a radially outer surface for frictionally engaging the inside surface of the shell portion and a radially inner surface for frictionally engaging said safety bar.

36. The display device of claim 35 wherein said core portion is of a compressible water-repellent material, and wherein said core portion and each of said annular bodies of the locking means has a longitudinal slit therethrough for insertion onto the safety bar.

37. The display device of claim 36 wherein said hollow tubular body of the shellportion is divided longitudinally into two substantially identical halves for insertion over the core portion and about the safety bar, said halves being secured together byattachment means.

38. The display device of claim 37 wherein said sealing means comprises overlapping at least a part of the perimeter of said halves of the shell portion when said halves are secured together.

39. A method of displaying display material on an elongate member comprising:
(a) inserting a core portion for carrying the display material about said elongate member;
(b) inserting a shell portion over said core portion; and (c) securing said shell portion onto said elongate member.

40. The method of displaying of claim 39 further comprising inserting an annular body of elastomeric material on each side of the core portion, wherein said shell portion is then inserted over the core portion and said annular bodies.

41. The method of displaying of claim 40 further comprising inserting a sheet of display material onto said core portion after inserting said core portion onto said elongate member.