GB2100044A - Sign board - Google Patents

Abstract

A property advertising sign adapted to be mounted on a post 42 comprises a main board 12 held by a frame 14, 16, 18 & 20 made up from two board-holding extrusions (28) and two clamping extrusions (26). Opposite edge portions of a main display board 12 are held between limbs (30) of the board-holding extrusions, and limbs (32) of the clamping extrusions fit over the limbs of the board-holding extrusions at each inside corner of the frame. The extrusions are secured together by fastenings 34 at each corner of the frame. Each extrusion comprises an outer potion (36) of dovetail form for mounting any of the extrusions in a dovetail slot 38 in a mounting piece 40. Each outer portion (36) provides a channel (44) providing a slideway to receive a cylindrical edge bar (46) of a slip 24 bearing detailed information about the property. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Sign boards This invention is concerned with improvements in or relating to sign boards, especially property advertising signs, and arose from a consideration of the needs of estate agents in advertising properties which they are handling.

It is customary for signs advertising properties as, for example, "for sale" or "to let" to comprise a large board which displays in a prominent manner the name of the estate agent handling the property. To keep down costs, it is desirable that such a board can be used several times over, for different properties, and accordingly will usually have on it little or no detailed information relating to a particular property.

Sometimes, however, an agent will want to mention features of detail in the sign, for example "Freehoid" or "Gas Central Heating", and this is usually done by means of individual small slips secured adjacent the main board, each slip displaying a separate piece of information.

Whilst such slips can on the whole bear standard inscriptions, and so might be expected to be reusable many times at little cost, the cost and inconvenience which arises from loss of them, or irrepairable damage to them, as a result of vandalism is substantial. The slips are usually simply nailed to a wooden post supporting the main board, and are accordingly very exposed to attack and can be damaged very easily.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a sign board, which may be a property advertising sign, comprising a slip mounted in a manner which gives greater protection against vandalism than has been usual hitherto.

The invention provides in one of its aspects a sign board comprising slip-supporting means providing a slip-retaining slideway along which a slip can be moved to a required position.

Most conveniently the slip-supporting means may be in the form of a frame by means of which a main board is mounted, and in the case of a generally rectangular frame each of the four arms of the frame may, for maximum versatility, provide a slideway.

The slideway may provide a slot of suitable cross-section, the slip comprising a rail portion of a suitably corresponding cross-section which can be inserted into the slot from one end, with one end stop removed. Alternatively, the slip might be shaped to embrace a slideway in the form of a rail along which the slip can slide.

There now follows a description, to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, of a property advertising sign which illustrates the invention by way of example.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is schematic perspective view of the sign alongside a post bearing a mounting piece; and Figure 2 shows end views of four extruded plastics components of the sign.

The sign comprises a slip-supporting frame 10 of a generally oblong rectangular form and constructed from components moulded of a plastics material having good weathering properties. A main board 12 of the sign is held by the frame, with the frame bordering the board, the board displaying matter which advertises the business of an estate agent who is handling a property in association with which the sign is to be displayed.

Each of the four arms 14, 16,18 and 20 of the frame provides a slip-retaining slideway 22 for mounting one or more slips 24. The slips can bear detailed information relating to the property, suitable ready-printed slips being selected, for use in advertising a particular property, from a stock of printed slips.

The provision of a slideway 22 in each of the four arms of the frame enables slips to be mounted above and below the main board 12 in whichever orientation ("portrait" or "landscape") the frame is employed.

Four main components from which the frame 10 is made up consist of two clamping extensions 26 (Figure 2) and two board-holding extrusions 28, the former two extrusions 26 providing the top and bottom arms 14 and 18 of the frame (as seen in Figure 1) and the latter two extrusions 28 providing the side arms 16 and 20. Inner portions of the two board-holding extrusions 28 comprise two parallel limbs 30 which are spaced apart by a distance substantially equal to, but not less than, the thickness of the board 12. Inner portions of the two clamping extrusions 26 comprise two parallel limbs 32 which are spaced apart by a distance substantially equal to, but not less than, the total width of the two limbs 30 of a board-holding extrusion.In the assembled frame opposite edge portions of the board 12 are held firmly between the limbs 30 of the two board-holding extrusions 28, and the limbs 32 of the clamping extrusions 26 fit over the limbs 30 of the other extrusions 28 at each inside corner of the frame; at each corner of the frame, end portions of the limbs 32 of the clamping extrusion are seated in slots 33 in the board-holding extrusion. The extrusions are secured together by suitable fastenings 34 extending through all four limbs 30 and 32 at each inside corner.

Outer portions 36 of the four extrusions 26 and 28 are of dovetail form for mounting any one of the four arms of the frame in a similar dovetail slot 38 in a mounting piece 40. The mounting piece 40, which also is a plastics extrusion (see Figure 2), is secured to a post 42 and one arm of the frame slotted into the slot 38. A stop (not shown) prevents the frame falling right through the slot 38.

The outer portions 36 also provide the slipretaining slideways 22, there being a channel 44 in each of the extrusions 26 and 28. The channel 44 is shaped to receive a rail in the form of a cylindrical edge bar 46 of a slip 24, the slip otherwise being in the form of a flat plate (see Figure 2); the bar of a slip is retained in the channel 44 by means of opposed lips 48 which partially cover the channel, the slip projecting from the channel between the lips.

A slip can be introduced into any one of the three exposed slideways 22 of the frame 10 mounted on the post 42. To prevent unauthorised removal of inserted slips, plastics rivets (not shown) can be set in the open ends of the channels 44 as necessary.

CLAIMS (Filed on 8June 1982) 1. A sign board comprising slip-supporting means providing a slip-retaining slideway along which a slip can be moved to a required position.

2. A sign board according to claim 1 in which the slideway provides a slip-retaining slot into which a rail portion of a slip can be inserted from one end.

3. A sign board according to either of claims 1 and 2 in which the slip-retaining slideway is provided by a frame by means of which a main display board is mounted.

4. A sign board according to claim 3 in which the frame is generally rectangular and each of the four arms of the frame provides a siip-retaining slideway.

5. A sign board according to any one of claims 1 to 4 comprising a generally rectangular frame by means of which a main display board is mounted, the frame being made up from four main components consisting of two board-holding components and two clamping components providing the four arms of the frame, inner portions of the two board-holding components comprising two limbs which are spaced apart by a distance substantially equal to, but not less than, the thickness of the main board, and inner portions of the two clamping components comprising two limbs which are spaced apart by a distance substantially equal to, but not less than, the total width ofthetwo limbs of the board-holding components, opposite edge portions of the main board being held between the limbs of the two board-holding components and the limbs of the clamping components fitting overthe limbs of the board-holding components at each inside corner of the frame.

6. A sign board according to claim 5 in which at each inside corner of the frame end portions of the limbs of the clamping components are seated in slots ofthe board-holding components.

7. A sign board according to either of claims 5 and 6 in which the four components are secured together by means of fastenings extending through all four limbs at each inside corner.

8. A sign board according to any one of claims 5, 6 and 7 in which outer portions of the four components are of dovetail form for mounting of any one of the four arms of the frame in a similar dovetail slot in a mounting piece.

9. A sign board comprising one or more slips mounted in the slideway or one or more of the slideways.

10. A sign board comprising a generally rectan gularframe by means of which a main display board is mounted, the frame being made up from four main componentsconsiting of two board-holding components and two clamping components providing the four arms of the frame, inner portions of the two board-holding components comprising two limbs which are spaced apart by a distance substantially equal to, but not less than, the thickness of the main board, and inner portions of the two clamping components comprising two limbs which are spaced apart by a distance substantially equal to, but not less than, the total width of the two limbs of the board-holding components, opposite edge portiions of the main board being held between the limbs of the two board-holding components and the limbs of the clamping components fitting over the limbs of the board-holding components at each inside corner of the frame.

11. A sign board constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

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

Claims (11)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. in the open ends of the channels 44 as necessary. CLAIMS (Filed on 8June 1982)

1. A sign board comprising slip-supporting means providing a slip-retaining slideway along which a slip can be moved to a required position.

2. A sign board according to claim 1 in which the slideway provides a slip-retaining slot into which a rail portion of a slip can be inserted from one end.

3. A sign board according to either of claims 1 and 2 in which the slip-retaining slideway is provided by a frame by means of which a main display board is mounted.

4. A sign board according to claim 3 in which the frame is generally rectangular and each of the four arms of the frame provides a siip-retaining slideway.

5. A sign board according to any one of claims 1 to 4 comprising a generally rectangular frame by means of which a main display board is mounted, the frame being made up from four main components consisting of two board-holding components and two clamping components providing the four arms of the frame, inner portions of the two board-holding components comprising two limbs which are spaced apart by a distance substantially equal to, but not less than, the thickness of the main board, and inner portions of the two clamping components comprising two limbs which are spaced apart by a distance substantially equal to, but not less than, the total width ofthetwo limbs of the board-holding components, opposite edge portions of the main board being held between the limbs of the two board-holding components and the limbs of the clamping components fitting overthe limbs of the board-holding components at each inside corner of the frame.

6. A sign board according to claim 5 in which at each inside corner of the frame end portions of the limbs of the clamping components are seated in slots ofthe board-holding components.

7. A sign board according to either of claims 5 and 6 in which the four components are secured together by means of fastenings extending through all four limbs at each inside corner.

8. A sign board according to any one of claims 5, 6 and 7 in which outer portions of the four components are of dovetail form for mounting of any one of the four arms of the frame in a similar dovetail slot in a mounting piece.

9. A sign board comprising one or more slips mounted in the slideway or one or more of the slideways.

10. A sign board comprising a generally rectan gularframe by means of which a main display board is mounted, the frame being made up from four main componentsconsiting of two board-holding components and two clamping components providing the four arms of the frame, inner portions of the two board-holding components comprising two limbs which are spaced apart by a distance substantially equal to, but not less than, the thickness of the main board, and inner portions of the two clamping components comprising two limbs which are spaced apart by a distance substantially equal to, but not less than, the total width of the two limbs of the board-holding components, opposite edge portiions of the main board being held between the limbs of the two board-holding components and the limbs of the clamping components fitting over the limbs of the board-holding components at each inside corner of the frame.

11. A sign board constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.