US1725997A - Sign - Google Patents

Description

W. E. PRICE Aug. 27, 1929.

SIGN

Filed 000. 5, 1925 mvENToR I wmf/5 Pm A'rroRNEY Patented Aug. 27, 1929.

UNITED STATES man? PATENT oFFICE.

WILLIAM E. PRICE, OF WHITE FLAINS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO AURORA BEACON CORPORATION, OF NEIN YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SIGN.

Application led ctober 3, 192.5. Serial N'o. 60,159.

This invention relates to display signs. An object of the invention is the provision of a sign of the character described having display or legendary matter thereon of novel construction adapted to produce a highlyl artistic and attractive visual eli'ect, by means and arrangement of parts capable .ofbeing provided at a comparatively low cost and yet resulting in highly practical and ethcient surface for the purposes described.

Y A further object of the invention is to provide a method for producingsaid improved sign which shall be capable of being very easily and cheaply carried out.

Other objects of thisinvention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out. v

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which `will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of application-will be indicated in the following claims. f

In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown one of the various possible illustrative embodiments of this invention,

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a sign embodyingthe invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on line 2 2 in Fig..1;

l Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on line 3 3fin Fig. 1 showing the interior construction;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view taken on line 4 4 inFig. 3 showingthe construction of the fabric forming the lettering;

Fig. 5'isa front elevational view of a signhaving a modified form of sign plate embodying the invention;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on line 6 6 in Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail view taken on line 7 7 in Fig. 6.

notes on electrically illuminated sign having a legend plate 11 embodying the invention. Said sign is seenv to comprise a casing 1,2 constructed in any well known manner to house an electric lighting fitting 13 and lamps 14, the latter `being adaptedto connect with a suitable power source (not shown) through conductor wires 15 for lighting the interior of the casing.

The legend plate 11 forms an enclosing a fire resistant.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 10 deside of the casing, and preferably is made demountable to permit interchanging plates and the reversing thereof when the sign is constructed to be selectively used either suspended as shown in Fig. 1, or reversed and supported below as shown in Fig. 5.

The construction of the legend plate will now be described. In the form shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, a sheet 11a of metal,

fibre, composition or other suitable material is made of the proper size and shape to serve as the side wall of the casing 12, said material preferably being formed into a relatively stiff backing member. l

A desired legend 11b of plain or intricate configuration in the form of letters, symbols or ornamentation is outlined or stencilled lon said sheet andsaid legend cut out in any well known manner. A strip 11c of fiexible fabric such .as textile fabric, paper, or other like material which is trans-- lucent or may be made so, is applied to the rear side of the sheet 11, and portions 11d of said-strip are drawnthrough the cutout lportions of the back member to project beyond the front side thereof, thus forming a raised or embossed protuberance. For artistic effect, the projecting or intaglio surfaces 11d of said protuberances are preferably left uneven and irregular to simulate rough cut stone. To secure the strip 11c and intaglio surface 11d in a fixed position, a suitable adhesive such as sodium silicate, shellac, varnish, lacquer, or other like sub-v stance is employed and preferably applied to both sides of the strip. Thus the strip l1C may be china silk, coated with sodium silicate S, the latter then also serving as Shellac, varnish, or lacquer L mayy preferably be used in place of the sodium silicate as an adhesive and coating where the sign is exposed to moisture. (See Fig. 7 To water-proof the strip a sodium silicate-coated strip, a surface coating, of shellac, varnish, or lacquer L may be provided, as shown in Fig. 4.

Any of the aforementioned substances, when lapplied to the strip and dried is effective to stiflen the intaglio portions 11d for retaining them in their proper shape, `said portions then forming what is commonly termed an unbreakable structure which is highly efficient as a light diffusing medium because of its texture. f

For holding the unattached portion 11e of the backing sheet 11a incorporated in the legend against accidental displacement, boWed bridging arms 16 are provided for anchoring said portion 11e in alignment With the rear side of said sheet, said arms being made of transparent material or of relatively thin Wires Which can cast only an imperceptible shadow across the translucent legend. As is clearly shown in Fig. 3, the ends of said arms 16 are soldered or cemented to the rear side of said hacking sheet i 11a and the portions 11c in the Well-known manner. y

The interior of the backing sheet 1la is provided vvith a suitable light reflecting surface R, as for example White paint, or metallic foil, to increase the interior illumination of the sign. 'Io produce colored lighting effects, the lamps 14 may be colored and provided With automatic circuit-making and breaking means in the Well understood manner, or slide holding means 17 may be provided on the rear side of the plate 11 for removably holding a color slide 17a over the cut-out portions of the backing member 11a. The outer background surface of the plate 11 may be given any desired finish by painting, polishing, plating, engraving, or hammering to form a pebbled surface.

In Figs. 5 and 6 is shovvn a modified form of construction of plate 11. Here the outer back-ground surface is provided With a coating material 18 such as a textile fabric of velv-et, silk, or the like material. Said material is preferably secured to the plate by a suitable adhesive and the legend cut through prior to forming the intaglio portions as described above.

Itis apparent that the sign 10 is very practical since it can be easily, simply, and inexpensively fitted with legend plates incorporating styles of lettering to suit any individualistic taste and does not require expensive molding or other apparatus or equipment for its construction.

Furthermore, the sign 10 when illuminated has also been found to be efcient to a high degree being legible from a relatively large distance due to the fact that the rear side of the plate is smooth and even, is free from all projecting portions that might form shadows to obscure or blur the legend, and because the intaglio portions are formed of a translucent structure which is thin and highly effective as a light diffusion medium.

Where signs in which the display or legendary portions are made to stand up from the back-ground, the cost of manufacture has been considerably high, particularly Where display portions comprise intricate figures, symbols, or designs Which had first to be molded or otherwise formed and then applied to the body portion of the sign.

Briefly described, a dominant feature of this invention is the simple means and method for producing the raised effect accomplished as above described and whereby any complicated or intricate design may be artistically produced on the sign in a very cheap-and highly effective manner.

It Will'thus be seen that there is provided a device in Which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is Well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shovvn in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, I claim as new and ,desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. An article vof manufacture comprising a sign having a backing plate, said plate having portions cut therefrom to form a legend, a flexible, pliable material` drawn through said cut portions to project irregularly beyond the front surface of the plate to form an embossed pliable structure and means extending over said projected inate- I,

rial for retaining said retained structure in a set position, saidstructure being entirely translucent and adapted to serve as a diffusion medium for light illuminating the rear side of said plate.

2. An article of manufacture comprising a sign having an opaque backing plate, said plate having portions cut therefrom to form a legend, members projecting avvay from the plane of the plate for retaining uncut portions of saidV` plate in positions, a flexible material. drawn through said cut portions to form a protuberance on' the front surface of the plate, said members being formed of translucent material so as to be substantially non-shadow casting over said protuberance when said plate is illuminative and surface means for retaining said protuberance in a Set Shape. v

3. In a sign, a backing plate having perforated portions forming a legend, a iexible, pliable material extending along the rear surface of the plate, portions of said fabric loosely projecting through the perforations beyond the front surface of the plate to form a raised irregular structure, and an adhesive coating for securing said fabric to the plate, ysaid coating when dry serving to stiften and retain said raised structure in a set position. j

4. Ina sign, a backing plate having perforated and detached` portions forming a legend, al flexible material secured to the reary surface of the plate, portions of said fabric projecting through the perforations beyond the front surface of the plate to cut-out portions to form the legend as a protuberance on the front side of the plate, applying a film translucent coating to the said protuberance for stiffening and retaining same in shape, and anchoring the detached portions to the rear slide of the uncut portions of the plate, and surfacing the rear side of the uncut portions of the plate with 20 a light deflecting means.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

WILLIAM E. PRICE.

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