US2499874A

US2499874A - Folding flag and staff therefor

Info

Publication number: US2499874A
Application number: US45046A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jack W Peterson
Original assignee: ELMER N JACOBS; JACK W PETERSON JR; KENNETH MEDFORD
Current assignee: ELMER N JACOBS; JACK W PETERSON JR; KENNETH MEDFORD
Priority date: 1948-08-19
Filing date: 1948-08-19
Publication date: 1950-03-07
Anticipated expiration: 1967-03-07

Description

March 7, 1950 u. w. PETERSON FOLDING FLAG- AND STAFF THERFFOR Filed Aug. l19, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Jack. W. Peterson March 7, 1950 J. w. PETERSON FOLDING FLAG AND STAFF THFREFOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 19, 1948 Fig. 5.

R. m nw M 0M A mw. I P ma w. wn .u M W m f Patented Mar. 7, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOLDING FLAG AND STAFF THEREFOR Application August 19, 1948, Serial No. 45,046

1 Claim. l

My invention relates to improvements in folding flags and staffs for the same.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a signal flag with a staff for planting in the ground in road construction work, along the right of way of railroads, or on the highway for general signalling purposes, and which is especially designed for rolling up the flag, housing the same in a part of the stai and shortening the staff all so as to arrange the flag and staff in a small compact bundle for easy carrying with the lag protected against damage. y.

Another object is to provide for displaying the flag so that it is always completely visible and will not become torn or raveled by whipping in strong breezes.

4Still another object is to provide a flag and staff in which the above objectives are attained and which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and Well adapted to withstand rough and prolonged use.

Other and subordinate objects, within the purview of my invention, together with the precise nature of my improvements will be readily understood when the succeeding description and claim are read with reference to the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of my invention in a preferred embodiment thereof with the ag unrolled and unfolded;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view in longitudinal section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 and drawn to a larger scale;

Figure 3 is a view in perspective of the ag housing section of the flag staif with the ilag rolled up and folded therein, and also drawn to a larger scale;

Figure 4 is a view in longitudinal section of the same, partly in side elevation;

Figure 5 is a View in transverse section taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 4 and drawn to a still larger scale;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary View in side elevation with the flag unrolled and unfolded;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary view in perspective of the flag housing section of the ilag stall;

Figure 8 is a detailed view in section of the Ilag taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 6 and drawn to a larger scale.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, according to my invention, as illustrated, a flag staff I is provided comprising a hollow, cylindrical, flag housing section 2 of any suitable metal having closed upper and

lower ends

3, 4 and a substantially smaller diameter rod section 5 with a sharp pointed anchoring end 5 for driving into the ground, or the like, to arrange the staff I in upright position. The other end of the rod section 5 is threaded, as at l, for turning into a nut 8 suitably fixed, as by welding 8', in the lower end portion of the flag housing 2 in alignment with an axial hole 5l in the lower end I of said section 2 through which said rod section may be inserted for turning into said nut for detachably connecting said

sections

2, 5 together. A longitudinal slot IQ is provided in the flag housing section 2 which terminates short of the ends of said section a distance suitable for a'purpose presently clear. The rod section 5 is dimensioned, in cross section, to pass through said slot I0 into the flag housing section 2 and is longer than the slot I0 to be retained in the nag housing section 2 by the end portions of said flag housing section. The rod section 5 is of a length such that one end thereof may be entered into the ag housing section 2 by inserting said end through said slot IG and then manipulating the rod section 5 endwise and laterally to pass the other end through said slot into said section 2. Thus the iiag staif I may be shortened and the rod section 5 stored in the iiag housing section 2.

A flag supporting, metal, arm II, in the form of a flat bar is pivoted at one end thereof in the flag housing section 2 adjacent the upper end of the slot I0 by means of a cross bushing I2 on said arm II rotatable on a diametrical pivot pin I3 xed in said section 2 in any suitable manner. The flag supporting arm II is of a length to be swung through the slot IIl into the flag housing section 2, into folded position, and is adapted to swing out of said section 2 by way of said slot I0 to extend at a right angle to said section 2 into unfolded position.

A catch I4 is provided for maintaining the flag supporting arm I I in unfolded position and which has the form of a flat bar hook pivoted at one end, as at I5, on the flag housing section 2 adjacent to the upper end of the slot III to be swung into aligned overlapping relation to said end of said slot and hooked under the ag supporting arm II. The catch lll frictionally engages the flag housing section 2 for swinging over the upper end of the slot I0 into friction locking engagement with said section to block swinging of the ag supporting arm I I out of said section 2 when said arm II is folded.

The ag I6 is rectangular and of any suitable fabric material with an upper edge hem I1 which is sleeved over the flag supporting arm Il and suitably secured thereto so that in the unfolded position of said arm I I the flag hangs pendent and clears the flag housing section 2 to prevent interference of the same with said section.

A metal flag stiiening strip of flat form is provided for the lower edge of the flag is in a lower edge hein I9 on said flag in which said strip is suitably secured. The stiening strip I8 forms a weight tending to hold the iiag I6 straight.

A flexible hook 2U for anchoring the lower edge of the ag I6 is provided and which extends from one end of the stiffening strip i8 to be hooked around the rod section 5 when the flag i6 is unfolded. The hook is of the snap fastener closing type.

Strips of luminous, adhesive tape 2 I, 22 are provided along the upper and lower edges ofthe flag I6 and similar strips 23 along the horizontal center thereof to render the flag visible at night.

A cross bar 24 is provided on the flag housing section 2- with apertured ends for securing said section by nails, or the like, not shown, in upright position to a wall, or the like, when it is desired to use the flag on a base instead of planted in the ground.

With the rod section 5 stored in the nag housing section 2, in the manner' described, the hook 2d may be disengaged from the rod section 5, the ag I8 rolled up around the flag supporting arm II, and the nag supporting arm II then swung into slightly raised position so that the catch I may be swung into releasing position relative to said arm. Then the flag supporting arm I l with the rolled up nag IB thereon may be swung into theflag housing section 2, all as shown in'Figures 4 and 5. Thus the flag IB may be folded with the flag supportingarm II with the rod section 5 stored in the manner described. With the nag I6 thus folded, the catch I4 may then be swung into aligned overlapping relation tothe upper endV of the slot l0 to confine the folded flag with the flag supporting arm II in the flag housing section 2. The manner in which the flag i6 and the flag supporting arm II may be unfolded, and the rod section 5 removed from the flag housing section will be obvious and requires no explanation. As shown in Figure 5, when the flag I6 and ag supporting arm II are folded into the flag housing section 2, said flag and arm confine the stored rod section 5 in said section 2 against accidentally falling out of the slot II).

The foregoing will, it. is believed, suice to impart a clear understanding `of my invention, without further explanation.

.Manifestly, the invention, as described, is susceptibleof ,modicatiorn Without departing from the inventive concept, and right is herein reserved to such modificationsV as fall within the scope of the appended claim.

Having described my invention, what is claimed as new is:

In a device of the class described, a nag staff including a hollow cylindrical section for housing a flag and having a longitudinal slot therein, a rod section detachably attached to one end of the cylindrical section for supporting the same and adapted when detached to `be inserted through said slot into the cylindrical section for storage therein, a flag, axflag supporting arm to which one edge of the flag is attached and about which said ag is adapted to be rolled, means swingably mounting said arm at one end in said cylindrical section for swingingv into and out lof `the same through said slot with the flag rolled thereon, said arm with the flag rolled thereon and when swung into said cylindrical section confining said rod section in the cylindrical section, and a catch on said cylindrical section swingable thereon to hold said arm in outswung suspended'position.

JACK W. PETERSON.

REFERENCES CITED `The followingreferences are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 319,851 Richardson June 9, 1885 421,784 Tallman Feb. 18, 1890 1,871,667 Dalton Aug, 16, 1932 2,447,075 Madsen Aug. 17, 1948