US1862375A - Interchangeable letter sign - Google Patents

Description

June 7, 1932- w. H. TROSTEL 1,862,375

' INTERCHANGEABLE LETTER SIGN Filed March 14, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 X7 15 I jwawr 772116 uiz arzfiddfdl t I I June 7, 1932. Q w TRQSTEL 1,862,375

INTERCHANGEABLE LETTER S IGN Filed March 14, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 7, 1932 UNITE STTES INTERCHANGEABLE LETTER, SIGN Application filed March 14, 1931.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in interchangeable letter signs, and has for its object to so construct a sign of this description that the letters making up the words thereon may be quickly and easily changed so as to change the sign to any wording desired and a further object of the invention is to so construct the sign that provi sion will be made for the use of larger or 19 smaller letters and also that the lettering may be arranged lengthwise of the sign or crosswise thereof; and a still further object of the invention is to provide for the ready removal and interchangeability of the spacing strips.

With these and other ends in View, this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then specifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same, I will describe its construction in detail, referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective of one form of my improved sign looking at the face thereof.

Fig. 2 is a back View of the frame and the spacing strip and lettering being omitted.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmental perspective of a portion of the frame of the sign illustrating the manner of positioning and holding the spacing strips.

Fig. 3a is a detail perspective of a portion of the locking strip.

Fig. 4c is an enlarged section on the line fr-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a detail View of one of the holder spacing strips.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, of one of the end holder strips.

Fig. 7 is an end View of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is an end view of Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a perspective of one of the attaching bars.

Fig. 10 is a face View of a slightly modified form of the sign.

Fig. 11 is a section on the line 1111 of Fig. 10.

Serial No. 522,650.

Fig. 12' represents the sign made in the triangular form.

In carrying out my invention as embodied in Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive, 15 represents a frame made of any suitable material preferably wood and having formed in the rails thereof the retaining notches 16, these notches being on the back of the frame so that the front surface of the rails remain unbroken, 17 represents a series of holder spacing strips so which are shown as formed from thin sheet metal so bent as to provide a body 18 and wings 19 and this body is adapted to receive one end of the attaching bars 20 so that when one of these attaching bars has been 63 forced into each end of the body the free ends of said attaching bars may be readily placed within certain of the notches 16 thus positioning the spacing strip and when the proper number of these spacing strips have been thus positioned they are securely held in place by a locking strip 21 being inserted in the narrow slot 22 as clearly shown in Fig. 8; one of these strips being used on each side of the frame to hold both ends of the spacing strips in posi- 5 tion, and each one of these locking strips has an upturned end 23 for passing into notch 24 leading from its slot thus facilitating the removal of the locking strips.

25 represents one Of the end holding strips 30 which has a shank 26 adapted to be inserted behind the frame bead or in one of the slots 22 and this strip also has a wing 27 corresponding to the wings 19 of the spacing strips so that when an end holding strip is inserted in opposite rails of the frame parallel with the spacing strips 17 a length of transparent material 28 such as celluloid may be slid beneath the wings of two of the strips 17 or between the wing of one of said strips and the Wing of one of the end strips 25 as clearly shown in Fig. 4E, and when thus positioned these lengths of celluloid will provide a convexed transparent background against which the letters 29 of the sign may be placed. The letters 29 for the sign are superimposed or otherwise placed upon the transparent section 28 which are of sufieient lengths for their ends to be inserted beneath the wings 19, or 19 and 27 thereby causing said sections to lie snugly against the convened surfaces of the lengths of celluloid 28. The insertion of the letter sections may either be effected by springing their ends beneath the wings or by inserting their ends beneath the wings at the open ends of the holding strips and sliding them si-dewise of the frame to the proper positions.

WVhere a frame is longer than it is wide as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, so as to carry a greater number of spacing strips, one set in one direction than when set at right angles thereto, notches 16 are formed in the four rails of the frames thus permitting the utilization of the frame for forming a sign higher than it is Wide Or wider than it is high and giving a greater number of lines for the words of the sign or a less number of lines of greater length as will be readily understood.

In Figs. 10 and 11, I have shown a slightly modified form of my sign in which the frame 30 is a flat sheet of material such as metal or composition board and in this construction the frame is cut out so as to leave the ribs 31 extending crosswise thereof and upon these ribs are placed the end holder spacing strips 25 clearly shown in Fig. 11, so that the transparent lengths of celluloid 28 may be placed and held in position and the sections 29 containing the letters positioned thereon. This construction of sign facilitates the ma ring of the sign in various shapes as for instance triangular such a triangular sign being shown in Fig. 12, but it is to be understood that other than rectangular signs may be produced where a notch wood frame is used.

In practice a sign made in accordance with my improvements permits the ready changing of the wording thereof and provides for illumination by placing it in front of a source of light or by placing a light behind the sign and where the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is utilized the width of the celluloid strip 28 and consequently the letters mounted thereon may be varied in width by placing the holder spacing strips in different pair of the notches 16 to leave a greater distance between these holder spacing strips and this is of great convenience in making up the lettering of a sign since it permits the use of words of relatively large letters and also the use of relatively small letters in the same sign and while this is not so when the form of signs shown in Figs. 10 and 11 is used, this last named form of sign is highly advantageous where a number of thin fiat signs are needed since it is exceedingly simple in construction and may be manufactured at a small cost and is especially adapted for shipping since a number of these signs may be piled on top of each other, and will occupy but little space.

Of course, I do not wish to be limited to the exact details of construction herein illustrated and described as these may be varied within the limits of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful is 1. An interchangeable letter sign comprising a frame; the rails of which have notches formed therein; attaching bars; the ends of which are adapted to fit within said notches; wing holder strips carrying said bars, means for securing the bars within the notches.

2. An interchangeable letter sign comprising a frame; having notches and grooves formed in the four rails thereof; end holder strips for securement in said grooves; holder spacing strips carrying attaching bars for insertion in said notches; locking strips adapted to be inserted in certain of said grooves for preventing the displacement of the spacing strips.

3. In an interchangeable letter sign a frame; having notches and slots in its rails, end holder strips for insertion of certain of said grooves, spacing strips, attaching bars carried by said spacing strips, the free end of said bars adapted to fit within said notches; locking strips for insertion in certain of the slots and means for removing said locking strips from the slots.

4. In a sign of the character described, a holder spacing strip formed from sheet metal fashioned to provide a body and wings, said wings being V-shaped in cross section, as shown.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature.

VVILLI HERBERT TROSTEL.

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