GB2247859A

GB2247859A - Sign

Info

Publication number: GB2247859A
Application number: GB9119464A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Jonathan Lundy
Original assignee: RINGWAY SIGNS Ltd
Current assignee: RINGWAY SIGNS Ltd
Priority date: 1990-09-14
Filing date: 1991-09-12
Publication date: 1992-03-18
Anticipated expiration: 2011-09-12
Also published as: GB9020125D0; GB2247859B; GB9119464D0

Abstract

A multi-layer flexible sign comprises a front layer (12) of fabric material having reflective beads to provide a front surface of high reflectivity, and a rear layer of plastics film (20) adhered to the rear surface of the front layer to provide water-resisting protection. Preferably there is a further protective plastics layer on the front surface, which is thin enough so as not to reduce significantly the reflectance. The composite material can be produced by adhesive lamination. <IMAGE>

Description

SIGN The present invention relates to signs, such as road traffic signs. It particularly relates to signs which are portable and can be folded or rolled for storage and transport. In another aspect it relates to flexible material for use in making such signs.

According to the invention in a first aspect, there is provided a sign comprising a flexible web having a reflective front surface bearing or intended to bear indicia, said web being of multi-layer construction, there being a front layer comprising fabric having reflective beads adhered thereto to provide high reflectivity; and a rear layer which is a plastics film which provides water-resisting protection to the rear face of the fabric. Preferably the web presents a grey appearance to the rear. The greyness is suitably provided by the plastics film being grey.

A suitable fabric is a white nylon/cotton woven material having a front surface to which glass microbeads have been attached. There may be a protective plastics layer on the front, suitably a thin acrylic surface layer. This is thin enough so as not to reduce significantly the reflectance. The rear face of such a fabric is rather rough, and therefore inclined to pick up and retain water and dirt. Such fabric is used for rendering clothing conspicuous. Thus strips of such material are sewn to jackets and other garments e.g. for use by workmen working on roads. Such a material is available from Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co., under the designation "3M Product 7960". This material has a white rear face.

We have found that such material can be converted to material very suitable for making signs in a simple step by adhesion to its rear of a thin layer of plastics, preferably grey plastics. The plastics material should, of course, be flexible, and polyvinyl chloride ("PVC") has been found to be very suitable. Thus in a second aspect the invention provides a method for providing such a sign comprising laminating a front layer of beaded fabric to a rear layer of plastics to provide a said flexible web. This may be effected by applying adhesive to the rear face of the beaded material and/or to a face of the plastics material, and urging the materials together to encourage bonding. Of course it would be possible to bond fabric to plastics material and subsequently to provide a front coating of reflective beads.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a schematic view showing the production of material useful in the present invention; Fig. 2 is a schematic view of a portion of such material; and Fig. 3 is a side view of a sign embodying the invention.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic production line in which a reel 10 of fabric (3M Product 7960) having a reflective front face 12 is unwound and passed through a gluing station 16 where an adhesive is applied to the rear face 14 by gluing apparatus, here schematically represented by a hopper 18. Downstream of the gluing station 16 there is a reel 20 of thin plastics film (suitably PVC, e.g. of thickness 20-100pm). The plastics film is unreeled and urged against the glued rear surface 14 of the fabric, by means of pinch rollers 22. The resulting multi-layer web can be re-reeled for subsequent use. Thus as shown in Fig. 2, a suitable portion is cut off. This has a reflective front face 24, and a grey rear face 26 provided by the plastics film 20. This seals the rear face of the fabric, protecting it against dirt and moisture as well as providing the desired grey appearance. The front surface 24 may have indicia applied, e.g. by silk-screen printing. To facilitate mounting of the sign, edge portions may be folded back and welded to define edge pockets 28, as shown in Fig. 3.

These can receive fixing bars 30, which may then be secured to a framework or other bracing means which may be of generally conventional kind.

Claims

1. A sign comprising a flexible web having a reflective front surface suitable for bearing indicia, said web being of multi-layer construction, there being a front layer comprising fabric having reflective beads adhered thereto to provide high reflectivity of the front surface; and a rear layer which is a plastics film for providing water-resisting protection to the rear face of the fabric.

2. A sign according to claim 1, wherein the plastics film is grey to provide a grey appearance to the rear of the sign.

3. A sign according to claim 1 or claim 2, where the web has a protective plastics layer on the front surface, said protective layer being thin enough so as not to reduce significantly the reflectance of the beaded fabric.

4. A sign according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said front fabric layer is a nylon/cotton woven material having glass micro-beads attached to the front surface thereof.

5. A sign according to any preceding claim, wherein said rear layer is polyvinyl chloride.

6. A sign substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings and a rear layer of plastics film, comprising steps of: applying glue to the rear surface of the front layer or the front surface of the rear layer; and gluing the rear layer to the rear surface of the front layer by rolling the two layers against each other.

7. A method for producing a sign according to any preceding claim comprising laminating a front layer of beaded fabric to a rear layer of plastics to provide a said flexible web.

8. A method according to claim 7 including a further step of cutting off a portion of said flexible web and providing it with edge pockets for the connection of fixing bars.

9. A method for producing a sign substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.