GB1601263A - Sign plates - Google Patents

Description

(54) SIGN PLATES (71) I' GEORGE METCALFE of 22 Ramone Park, Portadown, County Armagh, Northern Ireland, SYLVIA MAY BOULDEN of 1 Trelawney Road, Plympton, Plymouth, Devon and JOHN WILLIAM BROWNRIGG, of 66 Whiteford Road, Mannamead, Plymouth, Demon British subjects, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to sign-plates and sign-boards, particularly, but not exclusively, to vehicle number plates, on which a series of symbols are mounted to stand proud of the obverse surface thereof, the symbols representing numerals, letters or other digits. The surface on which the symbols are mounted may be reflective. This invention is concerned with sign-plates and sign-boards (hereinafter in the specification and claims referred to simply as "sign-plates") formed from supplies of blank base plates and supplies of symbols, each of which has two or more rewardly extending pins. Hereinafter in the specification and claims sign-plates described above will be referred to as "sign-plates of the type aforesaid".

Heretofore, some sign-plates are formed by providing a backing-plate with pre-drilled holes in a standard pattern and mounting the selected series of symbols on the backing plate by passing the pins of the symbols through corresponding holes and securing the pins at the rear of the backing-plate. In many cases, not all the holes are covered by the selected symbols and measures must be taken to blank-off the unmasked holes; for example, a face plate may be located between the backing-plate and each symbol. This is disadvantageous in that it adds to the cost of the signplate and to the time taken to assemble it.

In another form of sign-plate the backingplate has blind holes, this overcomes the need to mask those holes which are not used, but in order to use the selected holes it is first necessary to punch out the covering by means of a hollow punch and this again is a disadvantage in adding tothetimetakentoassemble a sing-plate.

An objeet of the present invention is to obviate or mitigate the aforesaid disadvantages.

According to the present invention, there is provided a sign-plate of the type aforesaid, in which the base-plate is provided with two similar, parallel elongate series of spaced blind holes opening out from the reverse face thereof and of such depth that the blanked ends thereof at the obverse face of the base plate were readily punctured by the pins of symbols being pressed thereagainst from the front of said obverse face and in which the symbols are appropriately positioned flush against said obverse face with the pins thereof projecting through the corresponding holes and the outer ends of the pins are secured at or to the reverse face of the plate.

Preferably, each said pin has a profiled shank, part of which is of greater cross-section than the hole and is temporarily deformable to pass through the hole then to reasume its original shape and abut against the reverse face of the base plate marginally around the hole Preferably, also the greater cross-section of the shank of each pin is provided by a bulbous or eonical enlargement thereof, the conical enlargement decreasing in cross-section towards the diameter of the pin at the outer end thereof.

Preferably also, the end of each of said pins is engaged by a press-on securing clip in alignment with the pertaining hole at the reverse face of the base plate.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a front view of a sign-plate according to the present invention, Figs. 2A, 2B and 2C show, respectively, horizontal cross-sectional views of a fragment of a base plate and a plan view of the symbol "I" and showing a top pin of the symbol located in alignment with, but a distance from the obverse face of the base plate masking a hole into which the pin is to be pushed, showing the top pin of the symbol in the hole having been pressed through the obverse face partially into the hole, and showing the top pin of the symbol fully engaged in the hole.

Referring to the drawings, a sign-plate of the type aforesaid is assembled from a base plate 10 of plastics material and of rectangular shape, vertically oriented on side when in use, and of dimensions, for example four and a half inches by twenty-one inches. A perippheral lip 13 bounds the reverse face of the base plate 10. Two similar elongate series of blind holes 11 are provided in the base plate 10. The series are parallel to each other and to the two longer sides of the plate 10, and are spaced apart, for example at two inch intervals. The holes 11 in each series are similarly spaced apart at, for example, one inch intervals: there are twenty-four holes 11 in each series. The holes 11 open out from the reverse face of the plate 10 and are of such depth that the blanked ends thereof at the obverse face of the plate 10 are readily puncturable by the pins of a symbol 14 being pressed thereagainst from the front of said obverse face.

The symbols 14 to be used with the base plate 10 above-described have rearwardly extending pins 15. The number of pins 15 on each symbol 14 depends on the shape of the symbol, for example letters such as an I or O have two pins spaced one above the other; E, M. K or W four pins spaced apart at the corners, or as near as possible to the corners, of an imaginary rectangle completed around the letter using the vertical strokes of the letters as the sides; and an A or F three pins spaced apart at the apices of an imaginary triangle completed round the letter using the inclined sides of the letter as the sides. The spacing between the pins is, for example one inch across the sumbol and, for example two inches lengthwise of the symbol. The pins 15 have each a profiled shank 16 the outer part 17 of which is of greater cross-section than the holes 11 but which is of a deformable plastics material whereby it can be temporarily deformed when passing through the holes 11 and then reassume its original shape to abut against the reverse face of the base plate 10 marginally around the holes 11 thereby to secure a symbol in position on the base plate 10. The greater cross-section of the shank 16 of a pin 15 is provided by a bulbous enlargement thereof. Alternatively, it may be provided by a conical enlargement thereof, the enlargement decreasing in diameter towards the diameter of the pin at the outer end thereof, and the bottom wall of the enlargement being for abutment with the reverse face of the base plate.

Each symbol 14 is fitted to the base plate 10 by the pins 15 being pressed through the obverse face into the holes 11 to engage with and be secured in said holes by the securing clips.

In a modification (not shown), the pins 15 have shanks of constant cross-section, and securing clips are provided to engage with the outer ends of the pins after the pins have been pressed through the holes, the clips securing the pins in position and the symbols to the base plate. Alternatively, the securing clips are embedded at the reverse face of the holes, or the clips are glued or welded to the reverse face in alignment with the holes, one clip to each hole.

The obverse face of the sign-plate is luminous which is achieved either by the addition of a luminous material into the mix of the plastics material, locating a luminous skin or cladding thereover secured thereto by adhesive, or by applying a luminous paint thereover.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. A sign-plate of the type aforesaid in which the base plate is provided with two similar, parallel elongate series of spaced blind holes opening out from the reverse face thereof and of such depth that the blanked ends thereof at the obverse face of the base plate were readily punctured by the pins of symbols being pressed thereagainst from the front of the said obverse face and in which the symbols are appropriately positioned flush against said obverse face with the pins thereof projecting through the corresponding holes and the outer ends of the pins are secured at or to the reverse face of the plate.

2. A sign-plate as claimed in Claim 1, in which each pin has a profiled shank, part of which is of greater cross-section than the hole and is temporarily deformable to pass through the hole then to reassume its original shape and abut against the reverse face of the base plate marginally around the hole.

3. A sign-plate as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the greater cross-section of the shank of each pin is provided by a bulbous or conical enlargment thereof, the conical enlargement decreasing in cross-section towards the diameter of the pin at the outer end thereof.

4. A sign-plate as claimed in Claim 1, in which the end of each of said pins is engaged by a press-on securing clip in alignment with the pertaining hole at the reverse face of the base plate.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (6)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. obverse face partially into the hole, and showing the top pin of the symbol fully engaged in the hole. Referring to the drawings, a sign-plate of the type aforesaid is assembled from a base plate 10 of plastics material and of rectangular shape, vertically oriented on side when in use, and of dimensions, for example four and a half inches by twenty-one inches. A perippheral lip 13 bounds the reverse face of the base plate 10. Two similar elongate series of blind holes 11 are provided in the base plate 10. The series are parallel to each other and to the two longer sides of the plate 10, and are spaced apart, for example at two inch intervals. The holes 11 in each series are similarly spaced apart at, for example, one inch intervals: there are twenty-four holes 11 in each series. The holes 11 open out from the reverse face of the plate 10 and are of such depth that the blanked ends thereof at the obverse face of the plate 10 are readily puncturable by the pins of a symbol 14 being pressed thereagainst from the front of said obverse face. The symbols 14 to be used with the base plate 10 above-described have rearwardly extending pins 15. The number of pins 15 on each symbol 14 depends on the shape of the symbol, for example letters such as an I or O have two pins spaced one above the other; E, M. K or W four pins spaced apart at the corners, or as near as possible to the corners, of an imaginary rectangle completed around the letter using the vertical strokes of the letters as the sides; and an A or F three pins spaced apart at the apices of an imaginary triangle completed round the letter using the inclined sides of the letter as the sides. The spacing between the pins is, for example one inch across the sumbol and, for example two inches lengthwise of the symbol. The pins 15 have each a profiled shank 16 the outer part 17 of which is of greater cross-section than the holes 11 but which is of a deformable plastics material whereby it can be temporarily deformed when passing through the holes 11 and then reassume its original shape to abut against the reverse face of the base plate 10 marginally around the holes 11 thereby to secure a symbol in position on the base plate 10. The greater cross-section of the shank 16 of a pin 15 is provided by a bulbous enlargement thereof. Alternatively, it may be provided by a conical enlargement thereof, the enlargement decreasing in diameter towards the diameter of the pin at the outer end thereof, and the bottom wall of the enlargement being for abutment with the reverse face of the base plate. Each symbol 14 is fitted to the base plate 10 by the pins 15 being pressed through the obverse face into the holes 11 to engage with and be secured in said holes by the securing clips. In a modification (not shown), the pins 15 have shanks of constant cross-section, and securing clips are provided to engage with the outer ends of the pins after the pins have been pressed through the holes, the clips securing the pins in position and the symbols to the base plate. Alternatively, the securing clips are embedded at the reverse face of the holes, or the clips are glued or welded to the reverse face in alignment with the holes, one clip to each hole. The obverse face of the sign-plate is luminous which is achieved either by the addition of a luminous material into the mix of the plastics material, locating a luminous skin or cladding thereover secured thereto by adhesive, or by applying a luminous paint thereover. WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A sign-plate of the type aforesaid in which the base plate is provided with two similar, parallel elongate series of spaced blind holes opening out from the reverse face thereof and of such depth that the blanked ends thereof at the obverse face of the base plate were readily punctured by the pins of symbols being pressed thereagainst from the front of the said obverse face and in which the symbols are appropriately positioned flush against said obverse face with the pins thereof projecting through the corresponding holes and the outer ends of the pins are secured at or to the reverse face of the plate.

2. A sign-plate as claimed in Claim 1, in which each pin has a profiled shank, part of which is of greater cross-section than the hole and is temporarily deformable to pass through the hole then to reassume its original shape and abut against the reverse face of the base plate marginally around the hole.

3. A sign-plate as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the greater cross-section of the shank of each pin is provided by a bulbous or conical enlargment thereof, the conical enlargement decreasing in cross-section towards the diameter of the pin at the outer end thereof.

4. A sign-plate as claimed in Claim 1, in which the end of each of said pins is engaged by a press-on securing clip in alignment with the pertaining hole at the reverse face of the base plate.

5. A sign-plate as claimed in any one of

the preceding claims, in which the obverse face of the sign-plate has a luminous cladding.

6. A sign-plate substantially as hereinbefore described, with refrence to the accompanying drawings.