US1488236A - Sign - Google Patents

Description

March 25 192% 2 Skeeter-Sheety l D.' F. DUCK snm Filed April 412 H Hrw SIGN Filed Abril 12 1922 2 SweS-Sheet 2 Patented `hrlar. 2id, 1924.

USTED srA'rx-:s

.namur F. Duck, or enfonce, ILLINOIS.

' sIGN.

Appunti@ mea April 1e, i922. serial no. 551,@77.

.electric 1i hted lfor either indoor or- -outdoor dlsplay, andfone of the objects is to provide a construction b whichthe si may l'be inexpensively prouced and at 't e same time `ssess attractive characteristics. Another object is to provide a mounting for the individual sign letters by means of whichy they may be readily assembled with and behind a glass panevfor'rendering' the sign imv `waterproof and at the same time unproving.

1 Other contributory objects appearance. ds

. I- accoinplish vmy objects by the conetrucfA Y 23 tion illustrated in the accompanying draw` in in` whichl y lgure 1 is a front view of the assembled igure 2 is a sectional view onthelline $0 2,-2, Figure 1.

vFigggure 3 is a plan 'sectional view.v l 'Figlre 4 is a diagramxnatlcll v view svhqw Ii t eprinciple upon .whichthe ullar y li" ting efectlinmy signj'isiobtaine. l a gr i 5, .is a active viewlooking Lfrcmgtli: rearj'side'lhf lal.hiiouwriting; frame em-l bod f g one featurehfthevfinventionzrv comp eteindivi ualy etter..` y .4

46" lgurebis a' erspectivevlew of the face plate-oonepf t esign letters, and'.

Figure s isjapmpectiveyiwofthebeak plate(V belonging to the face`` plate of Figlure'r u Like. numerals denote like parts through- .fout theseveral views. t

' to the form illustrated in the drawings, t ere is a main casing or external housing,which may be'of various construe'- tions 4 i d lighting elements. In theform illuscomprises two front 'lates 1 a bot- 2 ytop lplate 8 an end plates 4. ontplates come apparent as the description ppp..

its purpose being to housethe lettersv ave rectangular-openings 6 approximately co-extensive with vthesign as a whole for exposing the letters. Located within the casing and distributed lin convenient positions within it are lamp sockets 8 for the electric lamps 10. Channels 12 and 13 are arranged on the `lower and u per edges of the opening 6 for receiving an `re taining the lowery and up er edges f` the mounting frames 14, one o which isshown in perspective in F1' re 5. These 'mounting framesrare iiat pieces of sheet metal in the form of a hollow rectangle and when a full complement is in place the sign will be j completely closed'at the front exce t for the central openings ofthe frames, which in practice will be closed by the letters themselves). The .mounting frames are detachably supported in the casing, the lower edge resting in the lower channel 12v and the `upper edge 4being retained in the upper channel 13. The upper channel is /suficiently extended vertically to. ernn't the insertion of the frames, which wi be shifted upward and then ermitted to descend into the lower channe 12. These mounting frames are also provided with channels for supportingthe etters and the glass panes f (when the latter are used). Saidchannels are shown on a large scalegin Figure 5,.the

'lower .channel 16 supporting the ower edlge 0f the'face" plate 18 of'theletter and t e upper channel retaining the u per edge thereof.- It isdesirable toprovi e vertical Hanges 2O on'the mounting frames lfor 're- A.vel'iting Alateral displacement of `the ace plates ofthe letters pro er. The faceVH latel ofJ eac individual letter is a -rectangu ar piece of sheetfmetal havin an' opening 22 '-1n' ,ther form of the letter.. Spaced behind this front plate in the, plane paralle'lztol it, is`a back plate 24i which is lusuall imperforate'- and is of the same size and's ape` astlie .opening 22l in the -front plate 18-in fact, according to the preferred method of manufacture, the back plate consiste of the'punching removed from the frontlate by the die or other tool used in manu-v .acture This principleis well illustrated in Figures 7 and 8, Figure 8 showing the material removed from the plate 'illustrated vin Figure'7. 'The back late is held in fixed position by any suitab e means, for example, the spacing 'studs 26.

AIn operation, the letters propercomprislthe back of the mounting,`frame, and after -vent rain, snow or dust from, entering the housing through the letter openings 22. In case such a pane is used itis inserted by first passin the upper edge :under the upper channe 17 and then lifting it high enough to clear the upperedge of the channel 16, after which 1 t is permitted to descend into channel 16'to be supported by 1t, It occupies a position in close contact with this is inserted, the letter proper is inserted behind it in` the same mannenA The weather is prevented from entering at the sides by the marginal flanges 20. Aftery the letter and pane (if used) are inserted into the mounting frame the letter isl insertedV into the main housingl in a similar manner, the. mounting frame vbeing first moved upward with its upper edge within the upper channel 13, afterwhich it is lowered into the lower channel 12 where it remains.

A sign constructed upon this principleespecially where the back plate is an imperforate letter of the same size and shape as the space in the front plate-gives a lighting effect that is both peculiar and attractive. Thel fact is that the marginal p01'- `tions of the back plate are more highly illuminated than the inner portions or reavsonsy which will become apparent from a studyof Figure 4. Let us take four parallel beams of light w, gw@ emanating from Within vthe housing. It'will be Jseen that the first three of these'beams are .reflected from the inner side of the front plate 18 to the front side of theback yplate 24. Thefourth, a, will issue directly out through the letter opening and hence will not bereilected. The

result' is that thef'marginal portions of the lback 'plate .receive greaterillumination than the inner portions. The result is that the i eye of the observer receives theimpression Yfront plate, but the that4 the back plate is dished with the concave surfacefacing outward. This 'effect maybe enhanced by somewhat dishing the back plate by the same die which removes it from the front plate, but the greater the degree of curvature, the greater will be the expense of producing lthe dies, and a flat surfaced die is less expensive; consequently I am able to obtain this attractive lighting effect at a minimum of expense. Further-` more not only is the same metal employed for'the back plate that is removed from'the curved eect is producedeven though theifront plate is flat.

" It -Will be understood that the beams lw, y,

z are not necessarily-direct rays. They may be vrays-ofdilused or reflectedy light, as the interior of the. housingis preferably white and there will be much diused light within the housing; but the rays indicated are typical and will answer for' the purpose lof analysis.

Another advantage of my' construction is the ease with `which the letters may be interchanged, and the fact that the sign may be rendered ,weatherproof .'without changing its construction. In other words, if it is desired yto p roduce a sign ata minimum of expense the glass plates28 may beremoved,

opening and 'of the same Isize as said open-A ing, whereby the second plate may, ifde' sired, consist of the material removed from the front plate to make the letter opening.

2. A sign having a letterconsisting of a front plate of sheet'metal and a back plate spaced behind it and arranged in a parallel plane with it, the-'front plate having an v Y opening conforming to the letter and -the' back plate being/ of a stantially equal to the size and shape of the opening in the front vplate and registering with said opening. E

SpA sign having a housing,

a letter behind it and arranged in a parallel'plane size and shapel sub- :,100 mounted therein, andconsisting of a front plate of sheetfmetal, and a backplate spacedy with it, the," front plate havinganopening I of the shape of the letter, and the back plate `bein of a'size and shape substantially equal to t e size land shape of the opening in the front plate, and registering ywith said opening-,and means within the housing behind the plane of the backv plate for illuminatin the si n. l i

4. sign avin'ga housing open at the frontA and provided with marginal channels on the inside at the upper and lower edges offthe'openi'ng and signv letters removably mounted in the casing, each. letter consisting ofv a front plate of sheet metal having an opening of the size and shape/of the.'

letter anda back "plate secured behindthe front plate in parallel relationI thereto, and

consisting of an imperforate sheet of metal of the opening, a. mounting frame having a rectangular opening and adapted to be no 1eee retained in and supported by said channels, said mounting frame having marginal ebannels at the upper and lower edges of the opening, anda letter consistin plate and a back plate arrange spaced planes, the back form of a letter and the of a front in parallel, plate being in the front plate having an opening of the same size and shape as theletter, the front plate of the letter being. adapted to be retained in and supported by the channels in 'the mounting frame.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

DANIEL F. DUCK.

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