US1565285A - Movable signboard - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 15, 1925- 1.565.285

M. C. MERKER MOVABLE SIGNBOARD Filed'MarCh 20, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet l @am 6a 2 w Dec. 15, 1925. 1,565,285

M. c. MERKER MOVABLE S IGNBOARD Filed March 2o, 1923 2 sheets-snaai 2 /a gluucnfoz allume i Patented Dec. 15, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT oF'FlcE. f

MONTE C. MERKER, OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO MERKER, ELLIS,

KRAMER COMPANY, 0F READING, PENNSYLVANIA, A COPARTNERSHIP COM- POSED OF MONTE C. MERKER, HARRY G. ELLIS, AND PAUL A. KRAMER. i

MOTTABLE SIGNIBOARD.

Application led March 20, 1923. Serial No. 626,363.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, MONTE C. MERKER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Reading, county of Berks, Pennsylvania., have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Movable Signboards, of which the following is a-specification.

My invention relates to sign boards. The ordinary sign board is stationary and only one side of the same is available for the display of signs. Such stationary sign boards are always seen from the same angles and in course of time fail to attract attention. boards also require considerable space for their support thus making it necessaryyto purchase or rent land upon which to erect the same. My invention aims to provide or rotatable about a substantially vertical axis and so constructed that it will be caused to move by the force of the wind and change its position from time to time, which tends to attract attention. As such a board may have one side or the other exposed to view both sides are available for signs thus doubling the available area of the sign board as compared with a stationary sign board of the same length. A further object of my invention is to provide a construction in which after the sign board is displaced to a limited extent from its original position it will be automatically returned to such position thus providing a construction in which the sign will normally remain in substantially the same positionunless considerable force is applied thereto. A still further object is to provide a construction in which the sign board is capable of rotating in one direction by application of a certain amount of force but in which considerably greater resistance is offered to rotation of the same in the opposite direction, the construction however being so arranged as to permit rotation in the last mentioned direction when suiicient force is applied. A still further object of the inventionis to provide a support for the sign board which will require little space and which will not materially interfere with the tilling of the soil about the same. An additional object is to provide a sign-board so constructed that signs may be easily inserted As usually constructed such sign my preferred form of construction certain parts appearing in elevation.

F1gure 2 is a transverse vertical section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, parts being broken away.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3 3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a vertical section of a slightly modified form of construction, certain parts 1n this figure also appearing in elevation. Figure 5 isa horizontal section on the line 5-15 of Figure 4, and a sign board mounted so as to be movable Figure 6 is a vertical section on the line 6-.-6 of Figure 4.

Referring to the drawings in detail and particularly to Figs. l, 2 and 3, the numeral 10 indicates a post or pedestal for supporting the sign board, this pedestal preferably being mounted upon a concrete foundation 11. I prefer to support the signon a single pedestal so that it will require only. a small amount of space on which to erect the same and will not .interfere to board. With a construction of this kind' therefore it is unnecessary to purchase or rent a considerable tract of land on which to erect a sign.

In the preferred form of my device illustrated in said Fi s. 1, 2 and 3, the sign board is made'up of a suitable rectangular frame 12 which preferably includes upper and lower members 13 and 14 provided respectively with spaced grooves 13, 13" and 14, 14j for receiving the signs 15 and 16. Preferably the parts are so arranged that the signs may be inserted by slipping the same into the frame from one end thereof. Since the sign board is movable so that different sides may be presented to view at different times, both sides may be utilized for the display of signs thus doubling the capacity of the sign board. Also by making the signs removable, they may be painted or prepared in a shop and later inserted by unsisl Tos

skilled workmen into the sign boards, thus v to afford further means for rigidly securingv range pipes or rods. 17 beneath the frame 12 which pi es are threaded into or otherwise secure to a supporting member 18. Connected to the outer ends of the pipes 17 are pipes or rods 19 which extend upwardly through the frame 12 and at their upper ends receive nuts 20 by which the frame is rigidly attached to the (pipes 17. -Another pipe or rod 21 is secure to the member 18 and extends upwardly through the middle of the frame and is provided with a nut 22 the frame to the supporting member 18. In this form of my construction the pedestal 10 is provided atv its upper end with an extension 10, these parts being secured together by means of a coupling 23 'or in any other desired manner. Between the portions 10 and 10a of the fpedestal I provide a bearing member 24 or a purpose hereinafter described. It is of course apparent that the parts 10 and 10 of the pedestal may,'if desired, be made integral and that the bearing member may be formed as a web or partition in such pedestal. Secured to the member 18 and extending downwardly there-l from is a pivot member 25,' this member being rotatably arranged in the upper end of the pedestal and yhaving its lower end resting on the bearing member 24. An annular space 25a is formed between the pivot member and the adjacent wall of the pedestal `which is adapted to receive a suitable lubricant. It will thus be seenthat the bearing member 211 acts as a means for supporting the entire sign board and that the board may be rotated on this bearing.

On the upperpend of the pedestal I se- Y cure a cam member 26 in any suitable manner. Preferably this member is bolted to a plug 27 threaded into the upper end of the' extension 10 of the pedestal and held by a set screw 27a. rlhe cam member 26 is substantially circular and surrounds the -pivot member 25 heretofore mentioned. The cam member 26 on its upper face is provided with a plurality ofinclined `or cam surfaces 30 and also with a plurality of other inclined or cam surfaces 31, the latter of which are inclined'to the horizontal at a greater angle than the surfaces 30. The lower portion of the member 18 is shaped to form a cam member 32 for co-operating with the cam member 26, or if desired this cam member 32 may be formed separate from the member 18 and secured thereto. lower` face the cam member 32 is provided with a series of inclined surfaces 30a and 31EL which correspond respectively with the inclined surfaces 30 and 31 of the cam member 26. In short the two cam members 26 On its y and 32 are provided with complementary cam or inclined surfaces which are adapted to fit and cooperate with each other the high portions of the member 26 being adapted to t into the low portions or depressions of the member 32 and vice versa. An upwardly extending iane 28 on member 26 serves to'retain oil in t e member 26 so that the cam surfaces are always thoroughly lubricated."

From the foregoing it will be seen that the sign board is mounted for pivotal movement about a vertical axis which correspends to the axis of the pivot member 25 and the rod or bar 21. The axis about which the frame of the sign board is movable is preferably arranged somewhat nearer one end Aof the sign board than the other, the purpose of this arrangementbeing to avoid the tendency of the sign board to rotate in the wind. By making one end shorter than the vother the wind will serve to hold the short end of the board in the direction' from which the wind is blowing after the manner of a weather vane. In order to minimize the force of the wind against the edge of the sign board facing the same such edge is provided with a triangular or beveled piece 35 which is secured to the frame so that one ange of such piece will be held toward the win With a construction of the kind described -it will be understood that the sign will normally be held in a certain position by vthe cam surfaces on the members 26 and 32. The action of the wind against the sign board will tend to cause rotation of the same about its vertical axis but such action will be resisted more or less by the cam surfaces onv the members 26 and 32. As the wind acts in one direction upon the board it will cause the surfaces 30 and 30a of the cam members to slide over each other a certain distance vbut the tendency will be for the board to return to its original position as the forcey of the wind decreases. Thus the board will be kept-in a more or less constant motion by the action of the wind. In case the wind blows in a direction tending to cause the cam surfaces 31 and 31a to contact, greater resistance will be offered against lrotation but while these surfaces offer considerable resistance they are such as to yield incase sufficient force is applied thereto. It will of course be understood that if the sign board is rotated sufficiently to cause the up er cam surfaces 30a to pass entirely over t e lower cam surfaces 30 the board will tend to rotate still `further in the same direction due to the action of the cam surfaces 31 and 31a and it will take a new position at an angle to its former position. But if the board does not rotate a suiiicient distance to cause the upper cam surfaces 30 to pass entirely over the corresponding lower cam surfaces then the board will tend to return to its original position. Thus as above stated the board is kept moving back and forth more or less which causes it to attract more attention than it would if it were stationary. Furthermore, if, due to the action of the wind, the sign board is rotated so as to point in different directions at different times this difference in appearance and location of the boardl only serves to take up new positions or attract attention and since both sides of the board are provided with signs it is immaterial which side is exposed to observation.

In Figure 4 I have shown a somewhat modifiedform of construction. In this form the 4upper cam member 32L is secured directly to the frame 12a and the lower cam member 26a is rigidly mounted on the upper end of the edestal 10. In this form of device also a ar or rod 36 is rigidly secured to the member 26a or to the upper end of the pedestal 10 which rod or bar extends upwardly through the frame 12El and forms vthe pivot or axisabout which the frame may rotate. The inclined surfaces on the upper and lower members 32a and 26a in this form of device are the same as those on the members 32 and 26 previously described.

It may some times be desirable to insert the signs 15a, 16L into the frame from the lower edge thereof instead of from one end as previously stated and in order `that this may be done I provide the lower edge of the frame 12il in this form of device with pivoted retaining members 37 hinged at their lower edge. These retaining members, it will be understood, may be swung downwardly into substantially vertical position and the signs, either as a whole on in sections, then slipped upwardly into the frame. After the signs are thus inserted into the frame the retaining members 37 may be swung upwardly into the position shown in Fig. 6 in which osition they are adapted to bear against t e signs in the frame and securely hold the same. .Any suitable means may of course be provided for holding such retaining members after they have been swung upwardly. If desired, additional means maybe provided for retaining signs in the frame and in Figure 4 I have shown a wire 38 attached at one end to substantially the central portion of the frame and having a loop at the other end which is adapted to hook over a cam lever 39 mounted on a lug 40 secured to the other end of the frame. By hooking the loop of .the wire over such cam lever and then forcing the lever into the position shown in Figure 4 the Wire is drawn taut across the face of the sign in the frame and holds the same securely in position.

It is of course apparent that various modications may be made in the details of construction heretofore described and it is not to be understood that 'the invention is limited to such details except as required by. the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

A movable sign board comprising a frame mounted to move about a vertical axis intermediate its ends, said axis being located nearer to one end than the other of said frame, vwhereby rotation of the frame by the wind is revented, means for yieldingly holding saidp frame in an original position, means tending to cause said frame to return to its original position after it is displaced therefrom, and means for yieldingly holding said framev in a new position at an angle to its original' position after the same has been displaced a predetermined degree from its original position.

2. A movable sign board comprising a frame, a support on which said frame is mounted for rotation about a substantially vertical. axis, means for yieldingly holding said frame in a plurality of positions at an angle to each other, said means comprising a stationary member secured to said support and a movable member secured to and rotatable with said frame, said stationary member having a cam surface provided with a plurality of high and low portions and said movable member having a projection adapted to slide over said cam surface and rest in any one of the low portions thereof.

3. A movable sign board comprising a frame, a support on which said frame is mounted for rotation about-a substantially vertical axis, means for yieldingly holding said frame in a plurality of positions at an angle to each other, said means comprising a stationary member secured to said support and a movable member secured to and rotatable with said frame, said stationary member having a cam surface provided with a plurality of high and low portions and said movable member also having a cam surface provided-with a plurality of high and low portions adapted to cooperate with the high and low portions on said stationary member.

4. A movable sign board comprising a frame, a support on which said frame is mounted for rotation about a substantially vertical axis, means for yieldingly holding said frame in a plurality of positions at an angle to each other, said means comprising a member secured to said support and a member secured to said frame, one of said members having a cam surface provided with a plurality of high and low portions and the other member having a part adapted to slide over said cam surface and rest in any one of said low portions of said cam surface.

A movable sign board comprising a frame, a support on which said frame is mounted for rotation about a substantially vertical axis, means for yieldngly holding said frame in an initial position and for moving it into a new position at an angle to its initial position after it has been rofated a predetermined degree from its initial position, said means comprising two members, one of which is secured to said support and the other to said frame, one of said members having a surface provided with a plurality of depressions each provided with inclined sides and the other member having a projection adapted to slide over said surface and rest in any one of said depressions.

6. A movable sign board including a frame, means for supporting the same for movement about a substantially vertical axis, said means comprising a hollow pedestal having a bearing surface therein below the upper end thereof, a pivot member secured to said frame and extending downwardly into said pedestal and resting on said bearing surface, a member secured to said pedestal and having on its upper face a plurality of high and low surfaces, a member secured to said frame and having on its lower face a plurality of high and low surfaces for cooperation with said first named surfaces upon rotation of said frame about its axis.

7. A movable sign board including a frame means for supporting the same for pivotal movement about a substantially vertical axis, a fixed cam member arranged concentrically with said axis, a second cam member also arranged concentrically with said axis and secured' to said frame, each of said cam members having a plurality of inclined surfaces ada ted to cooperate when said frame is rotate in one wayv about its axis, and also having a lurality of inclined surfaces of greater lnclination than said first named surfaces adapted to cooperate when said frame is rotated the other way about its axis.

8. A movable sign board, means for supporting the same for movement about a substantially vertical axis, a fixed cam member surrounding said axis and having a plurality of high and low surfaces on its upper face, ya second member ri idly ysecured beneath the lower edge of said board,

said last named member having a plurality ofhigh and low surfaces on the lower face thereof arranged to cooperate with the surfaces on said first named member, each of said members being in the form of a hollow cylinder, whereby a s ace is formed within said members for t e reception of lubricant.

9. A movable sign board, means for supporting the same for movement about a substantially vertical axis, a fixed member surrounding said axis and having an upwardly projecting flange provided on its upper face with a plurality of high and low cam surfaces, a second member rigidly secured to said board and having a downwardly projecting flange provided on its lower face with a plurality of high and low cam surfaces adapted to cooperate with the first named cam surfaces, said flanges being spaced from said axis whereby a space is formed within said members for the reception of lubricant.

lnV testimony whereof l hereunto affix my signature. 'f

MONTE C. MERKER.

Images