US1864702A - Sign - Google Patents

Description

June 23, 1932- LErljlN (MAX) wEEsNER 1,864,702

SIGN

Filed March 1o, 1930 31a/vento@ L e/m (Max) Weesner 1, MQW

Patented June 28, 1932 PATENT OFFICE i LEHN (MAX) wEEsNEIt, or CINCINNATI, yoHIo SIGN A Application led March 10, 1930.' Serial No. 434,551.

This invention relates to improvements in non-illuminated signsand has for an object the provision of an outdoor raised glass letter'sign which provides a substantially perm fect simulation of the heretofore long used and well-known raised and gllded wood block letter signs but which eliminatesentirely the necessity for retouching or refinishing.

Another object is to provide a glass letter plate for this purpose which is comparatively inexpensive to make and which is free from glare or high-lights which usually characterizes raised glassletters.

Another obj ect is to provide a sign having ;a metallic base stencil sheet which may be simply and expeditiously mounted and framed to present the fiat plane surface usually found in the wood bacln'ng of the i raised wood block gilt letter signs.

These and other objects are attained by the means disclosed herein and described in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 shows one form of the sign of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. l.

Y Fig. 3 is a further enlarged fragmental view taken on line 3-,3 of Fig. 1'.

Y Fig. 4 shows in perspective a section of an elongated sign of modified structural detail.

Y In businesses of various classes it is cus-` for so many years as to no'w consider it a mark to the public. Certain chain stores also have a standard or uniform sign on every store in all citiesg- This particular type of sign. therefore is considered a valuable asset to the business and, regardless of the fact that these signs become weathered and require expensive repainting and regilding every year or two, their use is nevertheless continued. The present invention is directed to a sign which is practically a perfect simulation of this well-known raised and gilded wood block letter sign but which nevertheless is made up entirely of porcelain coated sheet metal and glass plates sothat it always retains the appearance of a newly decorated sign of the old type. In carrying out this `invention I have devised a transparent glass plate with thel individual letter or o character disposed thereon in relief and carrying on its reverse face the metallic paint or coating of the desired color`(e. g. gilt,

bronze, aluminum, etc.) in suc-hfashion as to presentthe characteristic appearance of the gilded raised wood letter. This characteristic appearance is notableV for the absence of the polished shiny appearance ordinarily found in glass or metal letters and presents a matte finish which avoids the mirror-like high-lights and glares. The gilded raised wood letter has always been considered highly advantageous because of its high visibility, without glare, regardless of the location of light source and angle of observation.` All of these advantageous characteristics are at- ;tgained in the glass sign letter of my inven- The glass plate 7 is of clear transparent glass andis of a size somewhat. greater than the areaof the stencil opening 8 in a metallic background 9. This provides a flange l0 land intermediate portions ll all disposed in a common plane sothat their top faces may abut the bottom face l2 of the stencil base 9. The art of forming raised glassletter plates of opal or translucent glass for use in illuminated signs is old and -wellunderstood The formation of the transparent letter plates of this invention is carried on similarly to the formation of other raised glass letter plates. In order to provide the same dull nish appearance which results from an application of gilt, aluminum, paint and the like to wooden surfaces, the inner face of the raised portion 13 of the plate 7 and a narrow margin extending onto the flange portions l() and 11 is aluminum, and silver paints and in fact all of those metallic coating substance-s commonly used to reproduce the appearance of metals. This coating is laid with or Without a preliminary transparent size 1l which would be applied directly to the glass. The gilding material is applied in a coating of suitable thickness .and in such manner-as to insure a matte or dull appearance when viewed from the. exterior face 16 of the glass plate. This is done in therase ofgilding materials by Working the gilt into the sizing material or onto the unsized inner face of the glass plate With the ends of the bristles of a brush. ln the event gold-leaf is used it is applied Without burnishing sothat slight irregularities and tiny creases, etc., may be visible from the outerfaceof the plate. v.Un top ofthe gilding material is applied a coating of paint `which most closely approximates thecolor of the gildingmaterial. lnthe use of goldbronze abacking coat of bright yellow-paint is used. 'Thisperforms the yprimary .function offixing the gold bronze or other gilding'material in position and also deepens the color appearance thereof. rl`he effect of this issuchthat when letters of the invention are mounted on a sign and are viewed'froma-short distance e. g. four feet or more the transparent- -glass is invisible and the expected mirror-like.high-lightsare absent. f verthisdecoration comprising the gilt lfand color paint 17 is applied a protactiveeoating 18 of' preferably neutral coloredWhite lead base sothat a decoration on the plate is thoroughly proofedV against moisture, and the elements. I ffdesired thek natural relative roughness due to `the graink and poresof the Wood may be. further` enhanced by molding an1occasional or continuous irregularity 19 on the inner. face ofthe glass at thetime of formingthe plates. A sign comprising letters made up in this fashion lcan scarecely be distinguished from a newly decorated raised Wood letter. The body of the sign may be made up as shown in Fig. 1, wherein the stencil plate or base 2.0l of sheet metal 'is first-*cut out with the ysuitable stencilforms and the integral flanges 21 turned at a suitable angle and againl turned at 22 to provide a mountingflange 28. The corners 2l are butt-Welded and the entire base is dipped or coated With a vitreous coating such as enamel or porcelain. @n the inner face are mounted suitable keepers 240 which cooperate ,with a resilient clip 25 for holding the glass letter plates 7 in position With the raised portion 13 protruding through the stencil slots and rendering them visible from the outer face of the sign. Letterssuch as A, B, R, O, etc., which have a loose center portion are provided lfor, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 by taking the cut out met-al plate 26 and attaching it to the glass plate 7 by means of the bolt or nut 27 extending through coinciding perforations in the metal plate and glass plate. The particular'formation of the mounting clip forms no part of this invention and it may take any of a number of forms. Obviously any suitable molding strip may be employed on the inner face of the base for holding the letter plates in position.

' F ig. l sho-Ws structural details ofv a simplified construction wherein the stencil plate 9 has depending flanges 28 having perforations therein and border angles 29 comprising an inverted U-shaped portion 30 and an L-shaped portion 31 serve to hold the parts in position and provide a. very rigid sign base Which is free from waves or Warps. It Will be understood that the U-sha-ped portion() may have the free leg deeper thantlie leg orlliange 28 of plate 9 vso that the plate 9lmay be recessed from th-e top of the border 29. lt Will be understood that instead of providing perforar'- tions in theY flange 28 and the leg of the U- shaped member 30, spot-Welding may be resorted to with equal or superior-results.

V7What is claimed is:

1. A non-burned raised glass letter plate j simulating a giltV raised Wood letterjcomprising atransparent glass plate whaving a hollow character formed in .relief` there,on,..aV coating of unburnished gilding material on the inner face of the character' portion of the plate,vand a protective and positioningrcoating disposed over the gilding material;

2. As a nenr Yarticle of Amanufacture a Weatherproof: opaque raised glass lettersimulating raised Woodletters and comprising a rectangular transparent glassplate `having the desiredV character molded in relief thereon, a non-mirroring coat 0f.,gilding,ma terial applied to the concave surfaces of the plate and a protective and fixing coating over said coating of 'gilding material.

3. In a Weather proof non-illuminated sign simulating the .commonly used Araised Wood letter sign, the combinaton of an enameled metal'sheet having letter apertures stenvciled therethrough, transparent glass plates mounted on the reverse face of the sheet and having embossed letters. thereon extending through the apertures in the sheetya covering of non-mirroring and unburned. gilding material onv the rear face of the embossed Vportion. of said glass plates and an opaque protective coating disposed over the'gilding` material.

4. Ina raised glass letter sign the combination of a metal border angle strip having non-adj oining attaching flanges thereon, and a metal stencil base having a depending flange for attachment to one flange of the border angle strip, the remaining flange serving to mount the sign upona surface. Y

5. In a raised glass letter plate for nonilluminated signs the combination of aftrans- Vparent plate having a character molded in relief thereon, a coating of unburned andnonmirroring gilding material disposed on the reverse side of the relief portion of said plate, a coating of Color material over said gilding material and a Weatherprooiing coating over the color material.

6. In the production of a Weatherproong glass sign letter in simulation of a gilded Wood block letter the combination with a transparent glass plate having a letter formed in relief thereon, a coating of gilding material applied to the reverse face of the letter portion of said plate, a color coating serving as a backing for the gilding material and heightening the eeet of the gilding material Where the gilding material is sparse, and a heavy Weatherproofing coating Covering said last mentioned color coating.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 7th day of March,

LEI-IN (MAX) WEESNER.

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