GB2250122A

GB2250122A - Rotary displays

Info

Publication number: GB2250122A
Application number: GB9021298A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Edward Maurice Pearce Butler
Original assignee: Powergraphic Displays Ltd
Current assignee: Powergraphic Displays Ltd
Priority date: 1990-10-01
Filing date: 1990-10-01
Publication date: 1992-05-27
Also published as: GB9021298D0

Abstract

A rotary display has a plurality of parallel vanes of triangular cross-section which are synchronously driven in a step-wise manner to provide three display surfaces. At least one vane 10 is provided on at least one of its individual faces 12 with means for receiving and displaying lettering or other display indicia. To this end the vane face is formed by opposed longitudinally-extending guide slots 20, 22 which are formed by lugs 21, 23 at the corners of the vane. <IMAGE>

Description

Title: Rotary Displavs This invention relates to a rotary display of the kind having a set of synchronously rotatable members whereby a plurality of display surfaces are successively presented.

Rotary displays of this kind are usually realised in the form of a set of parallel display members - vanes - of triangular cross-section each rotatable about its longitudinal axis. The vanes are aligned and driven together in 1200 steps to repeatedly display three successive display surfaces. Displays of this type are illustrated in patent specifications GB 2 134 301 and EP 0 249 396.

Heretofore rotary displays have been used to provide display surfaces for receiving poster-type display material. The poster or similar sheet is divided into strips fixed by adhesive to respective vanes. The present invention enables us to offer different forms of display based on the same basic structure.

For example, it may be desired to present readily changeable information in words/figures. There will be described hereinafter a rotary display of the type outlined above in which at least one vane has on at least one of its three surfaces means for detachably mounting to the vane a strip bearing information or, for example, individual thin plates carrying alpha-numeric characters or other indicia whereby desired words/figures forming an information-bearing message are shown.

According to one aspect of the present invention, in a rotary display having a set of synchronously rotatable display members providing a plurality of display surfaces at least one display member is provided with means for detachably mounting thereto one or more indicia-bearing items for display in at least one of its display positions.

It will be appreciated that the invention can be implemented in a wide variety of ways as regards the nature of the display. All the display member surface areas together forming one display surface can be provided with like means. A row of characters can be mounted to a given vane, or the indicia-bearing items can be mounted to show information over a group of adjacent vanes. Part of the total display surface can have vanes provided with the above-stated means to provide changeable information, with another part of the display having the conventional surface for receiving poster like material. It will also be appreciated that a vane could be provided with such means on more than one display surface so that the same display facility is afforded at more than one display position.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provide a display member for a rotary display of the kind having a set of synchronously rotatable display members providing a plurality of display surfaces, which display member comprises means for detachably mounting one or more indicia-bearing items for display in at least one of its display positions.- The mounting means may comprise a pair of grooves or slots. A convenient arrangement is a pair of opposed grooves or slots defined by lips projecting from the surface of the vane.

In yet another aspect of the invention, in a rotary display having a set of synchronously rotatable display members providing a plurality of display surfaces, at least one display member has detachably mounted thereto one or more indicia-bearing items for display in at least one of its display positions.

The arrangement of the display may have the variations discussed above. The indicia-bearing item or items are of a re-usable nature, as distinct from poster strips or the like. The detachable mounting may be by means such as already discussed or by an attractive force such as generated by a magnetic cooperation between the vane and the item in question.

The invention and its practice will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 shows a cross-section through a vane for a rotary display embodying the invention, and Fig. 2 shows a face view of the vane in accord with Fig. 1 to which indicia-bearing items are mounted.

Fig. 1 shows a vane 10 of triangular cross-section which is preferably adapted for mounting in a rotary display unit in the manner illustrated and described in above-mentioned specification EP 0 249 396. The vane is a hollow aluminium extrusion of triangular cross-section providing the usual three display surface areas 12, 14 and 16. However, in this instance only face 16 is the conventional plane surface for receiving a poster strip.

The other two surfaces are provided with means defining opposed slots into which indicia-bearing thin plates or strips may be slid. The vane 10 is rotatable in 1206 steps about axis B when mounted in a complete unit and is shown in one of its three display positions in which it is intended to form part of a vertical display surface for the complete unit as seen in the direction of arrow A.

The slots 20 and 22 run lengthwise of surface 12 on opposite sides of it and are defined between the planar surface 12 of the vane and projecting lips 21 and 23 respectively of the extrusion that extend parallel to and lengthwise of the vane on opposite sides of the surface 12. Similarly the surface 14 has lengthwise opposed slots 26 and 28 defined by lips 27 and 29. Lips 27 and 23 at the common corner are conveniently made as part of a single projection.

Consequently in two of its display positions, the vane 10 is adapted to receive in the slots an informationbearing strip or individual plate items bearing respective characters or indicia td make up the message for display. Fig. 2 is a face view of surface 12 showing vane 10 with two character-bearing plates 32 with upper and lower edge portions received in the slots. The plates are readily slid in and out from the end of the vane. These plates are of course re-usable to provide different messages and as many vanes as desired can be constructed like vane 10, each to carry an individual message or carry indicia that together form a message spread over several vanes.

Claims

1. A rotary display unit having a set of synchronously rotatable display members providing a plurality of display surfaces characterised by at least one display member being provided with means for detachably mounting thereto one or more indicia-bearing items for display in at least one of the display positions of said at least one member.

2. A rotary display unit as claimed in Claim 1 in which said mounting means comprises a pair of parallel slots or grooves extending lengthwise of said at least one display member.

3. A rotary display unit as claimed in Claim 2 in which said at least one display member comprises a lengthwise-extending planar surface and a pair of lengthwise-extending parallel lips projecting from said surface to define therewith a pair of opposed slots or grooves.

4. A rotary display unit as claimed in Claim 1, 2 or 3 in which the display members are each of essentially triangular cross-section to provide three display positions.

5. A display member for a rotary display of the kind having a set of synchronously rotatable members providing a plurality of display surfaces, the display member comprising means for detachably mounting one or more indicia-bearing items for display in at least one of its display positions.

6. A display member as claimed in Claim 5 in which said mounting means comprises a pair of parallel slots or grooves extending lengthwise of the display member.

7. A display member as claimed in Claim 6 comprising a lengthwise-extending planar surface and a pair of lengthwise-extending parallel lips projecting from said surface to define therewith a pair of opposed slots or grooves.

8. A display member as claimed in Claim 5, 6, 7 which is of essentially triangular cross-section to provide three display positions.

9. A rotary display unit having a set of synchronously rotatable display members providing a plurality of display surfaces characterised by at least one display member having detachably-mounted thereto one or more indicia-bearing items for display in at least one of its display positions.

10. A rotary display unit or a display member for such a unit, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.