US1498889A - Sign - Google Patents

Description

June 24 J. W. SNELL SIGN Filed April 15. 1923 license plate Patented .lune 24, i924. ET

JOSEPH W. SHELL, 0F HILTON', ONTARIO, CANADA.

SIGN.

Application filed April 13, 1923. Serial No. 631,946.

To all whom t may concern.: l

Be it known that I, JOSEPH W. SNnLL, a citizen of the United States, Hamilton, in the Province of Ontario,

anada, have invented new and useful Improvements in Signs, ofv which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to metal signs, lsuch as are used yon automobiles, doorplates and the like, and consists in a sign structure composed of a supporting bar and separate letter or character members, which can be assembled on the supporting bar as desired and then be rigidly secured in place by a simple operation, so that there will be no danger of their rattling or becoming loose or displaced.

An object ofthe invention is to enable any desired word or set of numbers to be easily assembled to form a desired sign which, when completed, will be as solid and rigid as if made of one integral piece of metal.

Another object is to provide means for securing such a built-up sign to the license plate of an automobile, and to provide modified means for securing a plurality of such signs together to be used as an oflice or desk name-plate, and similar purposes.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a face view of an automobile or tag, with one Vof my improved letter signs secured to the top edge thereof.

Figure 2 is a vertical cross-section of the same on the line 2`2 of Figure l.

Figure 8 is a horizontal section on the line 3*?) of Figure 1.

AFigure 4 is a partial perspective view of the supporting member or bar.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the letter members.

Figure 6 is a similar view of an end member of the sign, and

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a modified form of clip for securing two of the signs to a sup-port. p In Figure 1, a license plate 1 of an ordinary type is shown, provided as usual with slots 2Vfor securing bolts. Above the plate 1, as shown, is mounted one of my adjustable letter or built-up signs 5, spelling the word Cleveland, for example, and secured to the plate 1 by means of two sheet-metal clips 3,

residing at formed as shown in Figure 2 and held to said plate by bolts 4, passed through slots 2 and holes or Slots 11 in the clips.

he supporting member of the sign is best illustrated in Figure 4. It consists of a sheet metal bar 6, having its longitudinal edges bent over and inward to form flanges 7 and provided with a central longitudinal groove forming a bulge 8 on the same side The width of said bulge it may extend entirely across the bar from one flange to the other, if desired.

The letter or character members are best illustrated in Figure 5, in which it will be seen that each of these members is a short sheet-metal plate 9, bearing `on its face the character, and having its upper and -lower edges bent over, inward and back to form flanges l0. The flanges 10 are so shaped that they can be slid over the flanges 7 of the bar 6 and enclose the' same, as shown in Figure 2, so that any desired combination of character members can be assembled on the bar or supporting member, which is cut to the required length, and then the thus loosely assembled sign is-completed by applying pressure, preferably by rolls, to flatten down the interengaged flanges, and simultaneously flatten out the bulge 8, which naturally forces the flanges of the bar apart and binds the character members to it, the securing being further completed by the flattening of the combined edges, so that the whole forms a rigid structure and there will be no danger of rattling. To complete the sign, en d pieces 12, see Figure 6, are or may be used, they being made similarly to` the character members, but being also provided with an end flange 13, in addition t0 the longitudinal flanges 14. The end piece, shown in Figure 6, has also an end tab' or lug l5, by which the sign can be attached to a support, as when the sign is used on a house or door, for example. Where the clips 3 are used, the end pieces need not have these tabs 15. The clip shown in Fig. 2 and in dotted lines in Fig. 1 is for holding one of the signs only, as when it is used in connection with an automobile license plate, while the clip shown in Fig. 7 is used when two (or more) of the built-up signs are vused together as a name-plate or the like. In this case, the ends of the clip 16 are bent over to form hooks 17 and 18 and the side .edges areleut out and slit as shown, the slit portions having their free ends bent over in opposite directionsto form hooks 18, one cooperating with the hooks 18 4at the top end and the other with the hooks or flange 17 at the bottom end. If desired a lug 19 is left at the top end -b which the assembled sign can be suspende Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A built-up sign, comprising a supporting bar member having its longitudinal edges bent over and a central longitudinal "bulge, individual character members having their edges bent over to' fit the ed es of` said bar, whereby pressure on said ulge and edges rigidly secures the parts together, and means to attach the sign to a support.

2. A si composed of a bar having a central longitudinal bulge, and separate character members having flanges to slidably fit the edges of said bar, said members being adapted to be rigidly secured together by flattening out said bulge.

3. A name sign for automobiles, consistin of individual 'character members slidab y assembled on a supporting bar, the latter having a centralv longitudinal bulge which', when flattened out, vrigidly secures said character members in place, and clips engaging the upper and lower edges of the sign and provided with means for attache ment to a license plate.

4. A built-up sign, consisting of a backing bar having top and Abottom flanges and a central bulge, character members having top and bottom flanges adapted to enclose said bar flanges and enable'said members to be assembled by sliding the character members on said bar, end members having similar anges to those of said character members and in addition each au end ilange to en Lacasse! close the ends of said bar, the Whole being made rigid by pressure ap lied to said bulge and to said interengaged anges, and means to secure the completed sign to a supporting structure.

5. A sign composed of a plurality of sheet metal members bearing symbols, the top and bottom edges of said members being bent or curled over and inward, and a supporting or backing bar for said assembled members having a central longitudinal bulge, the top and bottom edges of said bar being bent over so as to slidably t within the said edges of said members, whereby the sign can be made into a rigid structure by compressing the vsaid interengaged edges and simultaneously flattening said bulge.

6. A slgn comprising a back bar slightly curved transversely and having its longitudinal edges bent over, a plurality of character members having their edges bent over so as to slidably fit over said bar and be rigidly secured thereto by the folding down of the engaged edges, and clips for mounting the sign on a support, each clip consisting of a strip having means for engaging the longitudinal ed es of the sign.

7. A bul t-up sign, comprising two` supporting bars, a plurality of character members mounted on each bar and secured there to by folding over the engaged longitudinal vedges of said members and bar, and clips to hold said bars in rigid relation, each clip consisting of a strip of metal having its ends bent over to form hooks and its side edges cut out and slitted, the slit portions having their free ends bent over in opposite direc-y tions to form hooks cooperating respectively with said end hooks. I

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOSEPH W. SNELL.

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