US2539152A

US2539152A - Sign letter and support therefor

Info

Publication number: US2539152A
Application number: US61581A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frank P Mitten
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1948-11-23
Filing date: 1948-11-23
Publication date: 1951-01-23
Anticipated expiration: 1968-01-23

Description

Jan. 23, 1951 MITTEN 2,539,152

SIGN LETTER AND SUPPORT THEREFOR Filed Nov. 23, 1948 ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 23, 1951 'UNITED STATES PATENT OFICE SIGN LETTER AND SUPPORT THEREFOR Frank P. Mitten, Redlands, Calif.

Application November 23, 1948, Serial No. 61,581

2 Claims. 1

My invention relates to display signs or the like composed of letters or figures which are removably and interchangeably supported upon a base to advantageously mount them for display purposes.

An object of the invention is to provide as one element a grooved supporting member or base and as another element characters or figures of novel and attractive construction provided with case projections removably and slidably engageable in the groove of the supporting member in either vertical or rearwardly tilted positions to create an attractive advertising display medium.

The character or figure, such as letters of the alphabet used to spell a word or name when assembled in juxtaposition on the supporting memher, are formed with a bottom lug which fits the groove in said member and is offset from the plane of the face of the letter to permit the bottom of the letter to rest on the base to give it a more firm support and hide the lug thus creating the illusion that the letter is merely resting on the support.

The characters or figures may be molded of plastic material as set forth in my co-pending application Serial No. 61,582, filed November 23, 1948, except that the mold cavity is formed with an extension portion in which the holding lug is formed integral with the character or figure in the molding thereof.

To these and other ends my invention comprises further improvements and advantages as will be further described in the accompanying specification, the novel features thereof being set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a front elevation of a sign character and its supporting member or base embodying my invention, the character being mounted in a vertical position.

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a front elevation showing another embodiment of the invention in which the character is supported in a rearwardly tilted or inclined position, and

Figure 4 is an end elevation of the parts as shown in Fig. 3.

In carrying out my invention as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, there is provided an elongated supporting member or base if] formed of wood or other suitable material and of rectangular or other desired cross section. In the top of this member there is a groove H extending lengthwise thereof intermediate its front and rear edges l2 and I3.

The characters or figures l5 are molded of plastic material such as a ypsum composition, or other suitable material which hardens on standing. Such characters are formed with walls of uniform thickness which are smooth, provided with convex short radius corner edges at the front as indicated at I6, and a marginal recess I! at the rear corner edges to form a shallow central portion 58 of reduced thickness equidistantly located between the opposite side walls and narrower than the normal wall thickness of the body of the character. Recess ll avoids a sharp jagged or ragged edge and the formation of thin fin-like projections at such point, and also enhances the attractive appearance of the character thereby producing a smooth uniform wall having both sides even and parallel.

In addition the character is formed with an elongated horizontal base portion I9 at its bottom. This is a rectilinear lug in alinement with the character vertically and rectangular in cross section but of reduced thickness and offset rearwardly from the front face 29 of the character as indicated at 2|, thus forming an underlying shoulder 22 at the bottom of the character Hi. The rear face of the lug I9 is in the same plane as the back face 23 of the character and in length corresponds to the width of the character, as will be seen in Fig. 1, so that successive characters mounted in the groove of the base will be uniformly or properly spaced when arranged to form a word or name. Also, portions I9 are formed to fit the groove so as to firmly support the characters in upright positions with the shoulder overhang 22 at the front extending over the top 14 of the base H1 sufficiently in front of the groove II to obscure from view the lug lying in the groove.

In forming the base extension or portion i9, it is molded with the character, preferably in a rubber mold, so as to be integral therewith. The recess or cavity of the rubber mold is made with an extension corresponding to the size and shape of the base portion I9, but less deep, being shallower in depth by the difference between the thickness of the character body l5 and the base portion 19 as defined by the depth of the shoulder 22. Thus the cavity extension of the mold is shallower in depth at one end corresponding to the right angular formation formed by the shoulder 22, while also permitting easy removal of the character and its base portion from the mold by distorting or stretching the rubber material of the mold to enlarge the mold cavity to separate the character therefrom.

In Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawing a modification 3 is shown in which, while the character 15 and its lug l9 are the same, the supporting member or base l0 is provided with a rearwardly inclined top surface having a rearwardly inclined groove ll disposing its front and rear walls as well as its bottom wall on a rearward incline so that when the base extensions or lugs 19 of the letters or figures [5 are engaged therein, they will lean or tilt backwardly throwing them into perspective thereby producing an attractive display for use in such places as on counters or in show cases where the advertising material is placed below the normal line of vision.

I claim:

1. A sign comprising a supporting member having in the top thereof a longitudinal groove of uniform width throughout its length and depth, said member having a fiat top surface adjacent and at a right angle to the front wall of the groove, one or more sign characters each having a body portion thicker than the width of said groove and a bottom lug portion thinner than said body portion, said lug portion removably fitting in said groove, the rear face of said lug being in the same plane as the back face of the body portion of said character and the front face of said lug being offset rearwardly from the front face of said body portion of said character, thereby allowing the front bottom portion of the sign character to overlap said fiat top surface of the supporting member in front of the groove, thus hiding the lug portion and causing said character to appear to be resting upon said flat top surface of the supporting member.

2. A sign character for use in making signs by mounting one or more characters in a supporting members of the type having inits top a longitudinal groove of uniform width throughout its length and depth and having a flat top surface adjacent and at a right angle to the front wall of the groove, said sign character having a body portion thicker than the width of said groove and a bottom lug portion thinner than said body portion, said lug portion being adapted to removably fit in said groove, the rear face of said lug being in the same plane as the back face of the body portion of said character and the front face of said lug being offset rearwardly from the front face of said body portion of said character, thereby allowing the front bottom portion of the sign character to overlap said fiat top surface of the supporting member in front of the groove, thus hiding the lug portion and causing said character to appear to be resting upon said flat top surface of the supporting member.

FRANK P. MITTEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,912,852 Lobel June 6, 1933 2,024,893 Stringer Dec. 17, 1935 2,037,670 Wilson Apr. 14, 1936 2,135,859 Swanson Nov. 8, 1938 2,145,999 Weil Feb. '7, 1939 2,276,114 Sture Mar. 10, 1942