US2632970A - Vehicle advertising - Google Patents

Description

March 31, 1953 ADLER ET AL 2,632,970

VEHICLE ADVERTISING Filed July 11, 1951 T k l uuww FIG.4. 2,,

PIC-3.3. 25

INVENTORS ALBERT A.ADLER HAROLD J.GERBER MJM ATTRNEY Patented Mar. 31, 1953 VEHICLE ADVERTISING Albert A. Adler and Harold J. Gerber, Baltimore, Md.

Application July 11, 1951, Serial No. 236,138

2 Claims. (01. 40-129) This invention relates to advertising or animated publicity devices and more particularly to the display cards employed in public vehicles, usually located in panel spaces adjacent the ceiling or the sides thereof, in the line of sight of the passengers using the vehicles.

. The conventional display Card used in street cars and buses consists of a plain flat stiff cardboard sheet, printed with details of the subject being publicized on the side seen by the public. It is placed in panels having horizontal grooved members or channels strung longitudinally near the ceiling of the vehicle in which it is installed. In addition a flat spring of relatively small width is used to cover the joints between adjacent sheets and snapped vertically into the grooves of the members so as to positively hol them tightly within the panels. This is a simple method of retaining the cards 'in place and has proven successful after many years of experience and use. However the type of publicity usable by this method is limited since it consists of conventional printing and illustrations. This invention has been developed to employ the use of cumbrous articles in connection with printing and illustrations, and in doing so provides arrangements whereby the articles will be held securely in place in the panel spaces. No. change is made in the panel spaces and grooved members so that the invention can be used without involving additional expense and labor in connection with its use. The sheet or display card is used with it printing applied in the conventional way, but perforations or openings are made in it in which to insert a commercial article of general utility, that will attract the attention of passengers in its vicinity. In choosing the article, preference is made for those of such general value and information as to be usable by the average person. In this regard, animated articles like clocks, thermometers, humidity meters, moving pictures, are preferably used and are commonly available. It is however necessary to provide means for carrying the extra weight inherent in some of the articles and retaining them in the card so there will be positive employe in the moving buses and other types of public vehicles, even though the article has appreciable weight and size.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved article of display that will include operating commercial items, such as clocks, thermometers and the like as an additional feature of the publicity.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent as it is more fully disclosed.

For a better understanding of the invention and its objects reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which in conjunction with the following description illustrate a particular form of the invention by way of example, while the claims emphasize the scope of the invention.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view of a display card embodying this invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view through a clock housing and holding band used in this embodiment, and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the holding band.

Similar reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the drawings.

A display card ID of cardboard of similar material as commonly used for display is of rectangular contour, and slightly flexible. This flexibility is employed to enable the card to be bent to a slight curve and thereby permits its insertion in the grooves H in the conventional spaced longitudinal members or channels l2 installed commonly in buses. After the card is bent and so inserted, it is allowed to extend itself resiliently to a relatively straight position and bind itself in the channels so it cannot be moved again by vibration or without bending it. To bend it requires a reasonable amount of force. The force tending to bend it and cause it to fall out would be less with a smaller article than that induced by a heavy article such as a large clock, If and therefore the card could not be use by itself to hold such an article mounted on it.

Therefore to provide means for holding such an article, this inventtion includes a stiffer holding band it, insertable in the grooves in the same manner as the conventional spring strap i l used for holding the card in place and covering the joints between adjacent cards. The band it is bent similarly but requires considerable force to do so, so that when it is in place in the grooves l2 it is stiff, strong and resilient enough to hold considerable weight. A casing or shell E5, of

26 attached to the clock disc I1. .complete unit in the shell can be made comparacanopy contour with an opening l6 centrally located in it, to conform with a clock I! adapted to fit in it, is mounted on the face of the card l so the time may be observed on the clock. Screws l8 pass through the shell 15 and hold the clock rigidly and securely to it. A space is left in the shell for the placement of a small electric battery 19 for operating the clock works 21 continuously. The band I3 passes through rectangular slots 20 in the rear portion of the shell I to hold the latter in position. When the end portions of the band are snapped into the grooves I I they hold the clock and shell securely to the anel space 2| and ready for use. The card ID has a circular opening 22 in it at a predetermined location. p g

This opening is arranged to fit around the shell l5 at the rear so it will be clamped about it. The card I0 does not carry the weight of the clock and shell, except to a minor degree but serves as an integral background for the articles. However the clock structure is light. In addition the band has holes 23 in suitable places to permit the insertion of screws 25 therethrough and for fastening the band additionally to the wall of the panel space 2! and offering extra security to the retension of the articles in place selected after installation.

The card [0 has its special printing and illustration marked on it to suit the commodity advertised, so that such may be noticed after the clock I! attracts the attention of the observer. Thus the resulting attention is apt to be considerable more than those of cards not so conspicuously presented and without animation. It may be noted that the battery l9 although relatively small can be used to run a suitable clock accurately for about a year without replacement. It is held in the casing or shell 15 by a spring U-clamp Further the tively light, and therefore the danger of its becoming loosened from the panel space is reduced to a minimum. However the provision and use of the screws 25 serve to doubly insure the safety of the unit, against falling.

Other items as previously mentioned can be substituted for the clock, where it is desirable, and fitted to the shell that holds them. They offer material information which the average persons like to have and therefore give him a positive interest in the article, which in turn is 4 next directed to the announcements on the card H1. The advertising pull of such a display unit, can therefore be readily appreciated.

While but one general form of the invention is shown in the drawings and described in the speciflcations, it is-not desired to limit this application for patent to this particular form, as it is appreciated that other forms of construction could be made that would use the same principles and come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. The combination with the curved face of a portion of a vehicle and the spaced channels, extending lengthwise thereof, said channels having undercut grooves therein, of an advertising card having advertising matter on the face thereof, said card also having a circular opening therethrough intermediate the channels, a flat band vertically intersecting the opening and having its ends secured within the opposite grooves, said band closely following the curvature of the above mentioned curved face, a shell having spherical walls protruding through the aforesaid circular opening, said shell having oppositely disposed openings near the edge thereof adjacent the card and through which the flat band extends, whereby the shell is securely fastened to and carried by the said band, the shell also having a circular opening .at the end thereof removed from the card, an indicating device within the shell, said device having a dial face, and means for mounting said device on the shell so that the dial face will appear through the circular opening in the shell.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 including additional means for securing the band on the curved portion of the vehicle.

ALBERT A. ADLER. HAROLD J. GERBER.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 475,726 Foote May 23, 1892 884,822 Hume Apr. 14, 1908 1,182,952 Wilke May 16, 1916 2,337,517 Wotton Dec. 21, 1943

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