US2586504A

US2586504A - Sign

Info

Publication number: US2586504A
Application number: US150997A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph B Benge
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1950-03-21
Filing date: 1950-03-21
Publication date: 1952-02-19
Anticipated expiration: 1969-02-19

Description

Feb. 19, 1952 J. B. BENGE SIGN Filed March 21, 1950 |||||l|Hf J M?? BYOS? Patented Feb. 19, 1952 UNITED STATES TENT ()FFICE 3 Claims. 1

The invention relates to signs such as are used for advertising or other similar purposes.

In signs of this character, one which carries an illustration of a human being draws the attention of the passing public to a high degree. This is particularly true where the face of the human being is clearly illustrated so that the'eyes appear to be looking directly at the persons viewing the sign. In the case of a sign where such illustration is on a plane surface, such appearance is normally obtained to any substantial extent only when the person viewing the illustration stands in a certain position relative to the illustration, namely, squarely in front of the Sign.

The general object of the invention is, therefore, to provide a novel sign carrying an illustration of a face in which the eyes appear to a marked degree to follow a person viewing it as he moves along in front of the sign in a direction generally parallel thereto.

Another object is to provide a sign of the foregoing character, in which such phenomenon is attained by simple structural means which can be easily attached to the sign and does not add materially to the cost thereof.

A further object is to provide a sign of the foregoing character, which is capable of use either indoors or outdoors, and which does not require any especial illumination other than what is ordinarily provided, and in fact requires v no artificial illumination when placed where daylight is sufficient for the display of an ordinary sign.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a sign embodying the features of the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a part of the sign showing the portion including the eyes of the face illustrated on the sign, the sign being viewed directly from the front thereof.

Fig. 3 is a view of the same portion of the sign illustrated in Fig. 2, but showing its appearance when viewed from a position to the left of the position directly in front of the face.

Fig. 4 is another view of the same portion of the sign as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, but illustrating it as it appears when viewed from a position to the right of the position directly in front of the sign.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal-section taken substantially on the line 55 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings, I have shown in Fig. l a sign 2 I0 having a plane front surface on which a face, indicated generally at H, is illustrated. The

plane surface of the sign may also carry any desired printed matter or other illustration. As shown in the drawing, the sign is carried in a frame mounted on a base, but such mounting. of course, is not essential to the invention and any form of mounting and support for the sign may be employed.

The face I I is shown as facing directly forward from the plane surface of the sign, although, if desired, it may be illustrated as turned slightly toward one side or t e other, provided the eyes of the face appear to be looking straight forward. The dark'parts of the eyes, which include the pupils, are indicated at l2 and are preferably sharply contrasted in color with the surrounding whites of the eyes to give the dark parts an intensity attracting the attention of passers-by.

The means for simulating the frames of a pair of glasses are here illustrated as having a rather substantial construction characteristic of shellrimmed glasses commonly worn by many people and preferably of a dark color providing a contrast in shade or color with the illustration of the face back of the frame simulating nfeans. Thus, the frame simulating means comprises lens portions [3, a connecting bridge portion 14 and side bow portions l5. It is understood, of course, that each lens portion l3 has no actual lens therein but is merely provided with an aperture ofcustomary size through which the eyes of the face H may be viewed. The frame means is adapted to be positioned relative to the face If so that it appears to occupy a normal relation thereto, with the bridge portion l4 appearing to fit over the nose of the face and the side bows l5 appearing to extend over the ears of the face. Since-the face is illustrated on the plane surface of the sign and the lens portions l3 are spaced forwardly therefrom, the side bows [5 provide convenient means for securing and holding the frame means in place. Thus, the side bows l5, as illustrated in Fig. 5, are relatively short and need only project rearwardly from the lens portions l3 a distance equal to the spacing of the latter from the face. In the present instance, the side bows l5 are shown as extending through small slots l6 provided in the sign l0 and are bent over at the back surface of the sign, as indicated at H, to secure the frame simulating means in place. Riveting of the bent portions I! or any other suitable means may be employed, as desired, to secure these portions to the sign, and

the rear ends of the side bows l5 could, of course, be secured to the front surface of the sign rather than to the rear surface, and thus eliminate the necessity for the slots I6.

When the sign is viewed directly from the front thereof, as illustrated in Fig. 2, the dark parts l2 of the eyes will appear substantially centered within the lens portions 13. However, when viewed from a position to the left of the straight forward position, as illustrated in Fig. 3, the dark parts i 2 of the eyes will be seen through the left side of the opening in the lens portions 13 because of the forward spacing of the lens portions from the plane of the sign on which the eyes are illustrated. Similarly, when viewed by a person standing to the right of the straight forward position, as illustrated in Fig. 4, the dark parts l2 of the eyes will be seen through the right-hand portion of the opening in the lens portions I3.

With this arrangement, the dark part of the eyes will seem to follow a person as he walks past the sign, viewing it. Thus, assume that he approaches the sign from the right, he will see the dark parts of the eyes in the position shown in Fig. 4 and as he moves to a position directly in front of the sign, he will see the eyes in the position shown in Fig. 2, and as he continues his movement onward, he will thereafter see the eyes in the position shown in Fig. 3. The apparent movement of the dark parts of the eyes relative to the lens portions is will give the appearance of the eyes following the person as he passes by. This effect obviously enhances the ability of the sign to gain attention and thus increases its value as a sign. The structure of the sign is relatively simple, since no complicated punching or slotting of the sign is required. Only the small slots l6 which receive the rear ends of the side bow portions I5 are needed, and such slots it do not have to be accurately located, particularly with respect to the illustration of the face on the sign. Thus, if the illustration of the face is printed, there is no great care needed in obtaining proper register of such illustration with the slots "5. The frame simulating means, depending upon the size and character of the sign and its location, may be of varying materials, such as cardboard or sheet metal, colored as desired. The eyes of the face, and particularly the dark parts thereof, being on the same surface on which the rest of the face is illustrated, are illuminated equally with the entire face, so that no special lighting is required to have the dark parts of the eyes clearly visible through the frames. The sign thus readily gains the attention of passers-by with means which may be applied thereto at relatively small cost.

I claim:

1. A sign of the character described comprising a plane surface having thereon an illustra- 7 tion of a face with the dark parts of the eyes on said surface, and means simulating the frames only of a pair of eyeglasses mounted on said surface to avoid shading the eyes of the illustrated face and having lens-simulating portions spaced forwardly from said surface in substantially normal relation to the eyes of the illustrated face, the dark parts of the eyes being substantially in fixed central relation to said lens simulating portions whereby the dark parts of the eyes appear to follow a person viewing them through said portions and moving parallel to the sign.

2. A sign of the character described comprising a surface having thereon an illustration of a face with the dark parts of the eyes on said surface, and means simulating the frames only of a pair of eyeglasses to avoid shading the eyes of the illustrated face and having the side bow portions secured to said surface and holding the lens-simulating portions spaced forwardly from said surface in substantially normal relation to the eyes of the illustrated face, said surface and the dark parts of the eyes thereon being in fixed predetermined relation to said lens simulating portions whereby the dark parts of the eyes appear to follow a person viewing them through the lens-simulating portions as he moves past the sign.

3. A sign of the character described comprising a surface having thereon an illustration of a face with the dark parts of the eyes on said surface, and a frame structure simulating a, pair of eyeglasses and comprising lens-simulating portions contrasting in color with said illustration and side bow portions supporting said lenssimulating portions, said surface being in fixed relation to said frame structure with said side bow portions being secured to said surface and having a length perpendicular to said surface substantially equal to the normal spacing between a pair of eyeglasses and the eyes with the dark parts of the eyes in fixed predetermined relation to said lens simulating portions, whereby said lens-simulating portions appear to be positioned in normal relation to the eyes of the illustrated face and avoid shading the dark parts thereof.

JOSEPH B. BENGE.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 360,900 OBrien Apr. 12, 1887 616,022 Schild Dec. 13, 1898 1,138,737 Dunham May 11, 1915 1,427,428 Ames Aug. 29, 1922 2,399,121 Janson Apr. 23, 1946