US2651865A - Sign structure - Google Patents

Description

P 1953 J. A. HOWENSTINE 2,651,865

SIGN STRUCTURE Filed May 9, 1952 IN VEN TOR. c/A MES A HOWE/V5 T/NE Patented Sept. 15,- 1953 .sSIGNaSTRUQ'I-URE filamcs Ar-Howenstine, Lima, hio, assignor-to ZNconli roducts, Inc., Lima,'0hio,= a corporation gpplicatign lylay .9, 1952', Serial N 0. 286,955

:ThiS invention relatesto a sign; having-ahousing and an'illuminated'face plate and an'illuminatedring or halo surrounding the faceplate and to means for attaching suchf'illuminatedface plate and halo ring to thefisigrr housing.

An object of this inventionis to ,provide a ring which when"illuminated produces-a1 luminous ring or-halo around an "illuminated'iace plate of asign.

A further object of this" invention; -is;to; provide an improvedmeans for-lighting a" halo ring.

A further object of this inventicm-is-"to provide improved means of attaching arhalo ring and a face plate to the housing of a: sign.

A furtheroblfictofthis invention 'is to provide an improved means" for attaching the face plate of a sign to its housing, which is so constructed that said attaching means may readily release the face: platewhcmrequire'dfor servicing.

A further object of this invention is tqprovide a readily releasable spring biased fastening for a face plate of a sign.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will in part be apparent and will in part be obvious from the following detailed description, and the drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a view in front elevation showing a sign constructed in accordance with an embodiment of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in section taken along a line II--1'I in Fig, 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in front elevation showing the sign with the face plate thereof removed;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a spring clip-nut, which forms a part of the sign; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a rigid clip which forms a part of the sign.

In the following detailed description and the drawing, like reference characters indicate like parts.

As indicated in Fig. 2, the sign comprises a cup-shaped backing member or housing I0. Housing is formed of opaque material such as sheet metal or the like. The mouth of housing I0 is provided with an outwardly projecting border flange I 2 to which a halo ring l3 and a face plate 14 are attached.

Flange I2 is provided with radially spaced pairs of apertures l5 and I5. Apertures l5 and I5 receive bolts I 6 and I6, respectively, by means of which the halo ring and face plate are connected to the housing.

Each bolt l6 projects through an opening I! :2 inrthe halo ring an'dmcarrieswa spacersleeveWB and a rigid hookxis. Details (if-construction of h0'0k19.,are showrriniFigifi. Hook 19 includes a base portion2 provided" with a'threaded opening22. Opening ZZ-receives the threaded-end of bolt 5,. and when bolt l6*:is drawn tight, spacer sleeve 1 8 holds the halo ring against backing memberfiange- I 2 while the base" portion of hook l9 projects outwardly,v asshown in Fig. 2. At the ,endof base portion" 2 l, hook I9- is provided withxa-returnibend 23 which-engages an edge, of" the face plate. "The hook l9 forms both a nut forbolt l6 and a'olipfor' 'holding one-edge of'the' face plate.

Each of the bolts 1 6". projects through one of the" perforations 15" in -body member *flange' l 2 and' through anopeningMin-halo ring I3. Each bolt 16*is threadeddnto' an end of a-spring clip 26. Details of construction of =spring cli '25 are 'shownin F'igxi. SpringfiG-includes a coiled portion 2 I -in--which-"the threaded endof bolt I 6 is--received. The-coiled portion forms a-s rin nut-forbolt 16. "fine end-of the coiled -portion 21 is turned outwardly and then return bent, as indicated at 28, to form a spring biased hook. Each hook 28 engages the face plate at the side opposite one of the rigid clips l9. When it is desired to remove the face plate to make the interior of the sign accessible, spring biased hooks 28 are bent upwardly, as shown in Fig. 1, to release the upper edge of the face plate, whereupon the face plate may be removed from the sign.

The face plate is formed of suitable translucent material bearing appropriate indicia, as indicated at 29 in Fig. 1. The face plate may be of the type generally shown in my co-pending application Serial Number 254,481, filed November 2, 1951. The face plate may be formed of a methyl methacrylate resin. Indicia 29 are painted on the plate with an appropriate translucent paint.

The halo ring, as shown in Fig. 2, is a dished member having an aperture 3| in the central portion thereof. At the aperture, the dished member terminates in a face 32 which is perpendicular to a cone coaxial with the backing member and halo ring. Halo ring I3 is lighted by a circular lamp 33. As shown, lamp 33 is disposed in the cone already mentioned, so that face 32 receives light directly from lamp 33. As shown in Fig. 2, the lamp is supported on posts 33', which are attached to backing member [0. The lamp is attached to the posts by means of wires 33". The wires extend around hooks in the posts lamp in engagement with the posts. The lamp may be of the common fluorescent type and is lighted by an appropriate electrical circuit schematically indicated at 33" in Fig. 3. v The halo ring is formed of appropriate light piping transparent material, such as a clear methyl methacrylate'resin, so that the light received by face 32 is piped through the halo ring. The halo ring is provided with a peripheral flange 34 at its outer edge. Light is piped through the halo ring to the flange 34. The flange 34 terminates in a light-bleeding face 36. The lightbleeding face is forwardly facing and may be roughened so that light reaching face 36 illuminates face 36 to form a bright ring or halo surrounding the face plate. The lamp 33 illuminates both the face plate l4 and the light-bleeding face 36, and the sign is provided with both an illuminated face plate and an illuminated ring spaced from and surrounding the face plate, both of which areilluminated by the same lamp 33. The sign described above and illustrated in the drawing is subject to structural modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Having described my invention, what I clai as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A sign which comprises an opaque cupshaped housing having an outwardly projecting peripheral flange, a dishedv member of transparent light piping material secured by its base to said housing flange, said dished member having an aperture in the central portion thereof, the edge of said aperture being perpendicular to a cone coaxial with the housing and dished member, a light source in said cone so that said face receives light from said light source, a translucent face plate attached to the housing and to the dished member and overlying the aperture in the dished member to be illuminated by said light source, and a peripheral flange on the dished member terminating outboard of the face plate in a forwardly facing light-bleeding face to form an illuminated ring outboard of the face plate.

2. A sign which comprises a cup-shaped opaque housing having an outwardly projecting peripheral flange, a flat ring of transparent light-transmitting material overlying and attached to said flange, a lamp inside the housing, an annular integral flange on the inboard side of the ring, said inboard ring flange terminating in a light receiving face directed toward the lamp to receive illumination therefrom, an annular integral flange on the outboard side of the ring projecting outwardly and forwardly thereof, said last mentioned flange terminating in a forwardly facing light-bleeding face, and a transparent ,face plate overlying the mouth of the housing and the ring and attached thereto, the face plate being of lesser diameter than the last mentioned flange, whereby the face plate and the lightbleeding face are both illuminated by the lamp.

3. A sign in accordance with claim 2, characterized by the fact that the housing, ring and face plate are attached together by a plurality of clips spaced around the edge of the housing flange, each of said clips comprising a return bend engaging the face plate, at least one of the clips comprising a bolt projecting through openings in the housing flange and in the ring, and a helical spring mounted on the threaded end of the bolt, one end of the spring bearing on the ring to hold the ring against the flange of the housing, the other end of the spring projecting outwardly of the bolt and return bent to form a resilient clip for holding the edge of the face plate.

JAMES A. HOWNSTINE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number

Images