US2863242A

US2863242A - Display signs

Info

Publication number: US2863242A
Application number: US705849A
Authority: US
Inventors: Britton Ralph Steven
Original assignee: INCO IND Manufacturing CORP
Current assignee: INCO IND Manufacturing CORP; INCO INDUSTRIES MANUFACTURING CORP
Priority date: 1957-12-30
Filing date: 1957-12-30
Publication date: 1958-12-09
Anticipated expiration: 1975-12-09

Description

R. S. BRITTON DISLAY SIGNS Dec. 9`, 1958 Filed Dec. 30, 1957 42 Flam INVENTOR. -Al Ph STEVE/V 3K/NON SPECIAL ATTORNEY.'

United States Patent DISPLAY SIGNS RalphV Steven Britton, New York, N. Y., assigner to Inco Industries Manufacturing Corp., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December V30, 1957, Serial No. 705,849

7 Claims. (Cl. t0-140) so asto enableanydesired arrangement of such members ,to be connected together Withoutthe need for` external orauxiliary means.

A further object of the present invention is to provide interchangeable elements fora displaysign having self- `contained sign supportingmeans that are automatically masked from view in response `to attachment of` each such member with the next adjacent member, whereby the sign may be supported upon any stationary object Withsuch supportingmea-ns -hidden from view.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide novel supporting means for stacking pre-arranged j rows of. display sign members together so as toprovide a composite sign that has self-contained means for supporting engagement with a stationary member of substantially` any type. i

A more specific object of the present invention isto provide a display sign that is built of detachable and interchangeable elements which may be secured together with a complete absence of any external or auxiliary linking devices, suchthat the completed-sign is completely devoid of any such additional elements that might otherwise detract from the attractiveness and beauty thereof.

Another objectof this invention is to provide a sign in which pins or rails function as an easel to support the sign at varying angles and the heads of the pins or rail are so meshed by the sign elements that they are invisible from the front, and locked in place.

All of the foregoing and still further objects andadvantages of this inventionwill become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a sign made in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational View of one of the standard members forming the sign shown in Fig. l.

Fig. 2a is a cross-sectional view taken alo-ng line 2a-2a of Fig. 2.

Fig. 3 is a rear perspective view of the member shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a rear elevational View of an auxiliary member.

Fig. 4a is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along due-.4a of Fig. 4.

l ire Fig. 5 is a rear elevational view of an end member of the sign shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5a is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along line 5a5a of Fig. 5.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional View of certain parts of the sign shown in Fig. l and an associated support connected thereto.

Fig. 7 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along line 7 7 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 8 is a perspective View of a bridge ,member forming another part of the present invention.

Fig. 9 is a rear elevational view of a plurality of standard members connected in stacked relationship by means of the bridge member shown in Fig. 8.

Fig. l0 is a perspective View ofa inodied form .of adapter used to stackdissimilar sign members together.

Fig. 1l is a perspective View of a stacked arrangement embodyingthe adapter shown in Fig. 1.1.

Fig. l2 is `a transverse `cross-sectional view taken along line` 2-l2of Fig. `l1.

Referring now to the drawing and more particularly to Figs. l to 3 thereof, a display sign 20 made-in accordance with the present invention is shown to be partially made up of standard sign members 22 that are more clearly illustrated in Figs. 2, 2a, ,and 3. Each such standard member 22fincludes a face plate 23 `and` a laterally outwardly extending L-shaped side extension 25. A forwardly extending leg 26 of the side extension ZS'is `provided with spaced countersunlr bores 27 thatextend` perpendicularly therethrough to therear face '29.; The rear face is providedwith a pairioflaterally spaced apart and parallel pockets 30V which are of j substantially `the same size and shape as the leg 26;; Thus,whenia pair of these standard .elements 22` are connected togetherin the manner shown in Figs. l and 8, the rearwardly extending leg 26 of one such member forms a male connecting element that is frictionally received within the outermost female pockettl of the next adjacentmemben The thickness of the other legofthe L-shaped side extension 25' is accommodated within the recessed .end wall El so as to provide a Hush t engagement on both the front and rear sides of the` connected elements.

In Figs. 4 and 4a of the drawing, auxiliary sign members 33 are shown to include a face plate 34 and a similar L-shaped side extension 36 that has `a rearwardly extending leg 37. A plurality of countersunk bores 38 also extend rearwardly through the 'leg 37 for purposes :hereinafter described. The rear face of each auxiliary element ,33 is provided with a single leg` receiving `pocket d1 and a recessed end wall 42 for accommodating the male fastening elements of the next adjacentsign .rnen1ber.`

ln Figs. 5 and 5a of the drawing, a still further modified form of sign member 45 in the form of any endior finishing element is shown to include a face plate 47, a single pocket i3 in therear side thereof, and a recessed end wall 49. These members 45 are primarily intended to form a cap orl mask for a laterally outwardly projecting L-shaped side extension of the member atthe end'ofieach row` of connected sign units. As such, it has no side-extension and merely has a single `pocket `iti'for receiving suchfleg of the next adjacent sign member, as shown in Fig. l.

Referring now more` specifically to'Figs. 6 and 7` of the drawing, it wiil be noted that attaching elements in the form of pins '50 may be extended rearwardly through either the upper or

lower countersunk bores

27, 38, of the standard and

auxiliary members

22, 33, respectively, in order to formaneaselor base for supporting acomplete sign at any` desired angle on any desiredsurface 51. The `countersunk bores accommodate the heads of the pins or other similar fastening means, while-the overlapping face `plateof the next adjacent sign member masks such pins and countersunk bores, whereby such fastening and attaching means are locked in place and are completely hidden from View. lf desired, other types of hangers,rpedestals, or-securement means may be extended through the countersunk bores for similar purposes, and for supporting such sign on any desired stationary member. f

It is also possible to stack rows of such signs in vertically spaced relationship by means of an auxiliary bridge bar S2.V This bar has a central cutout 53 that will accommodate the webs of vertically stacked sign members 22 formed by the adjacent pockets 30, as shown in Fig. 9, whereby the formed spaced legs 55, 56 are frictionally receivable within such pockets 30.' These legs 55, 56 are of substantially the same size and shape as the

legs

26, 37 of the laterally outwardly extending L-shaped side extensions of the standard and

auxiliary members

22, 33, whereby they may be received within the innermost such pockets while the outermost pockets are used to receive the legs of the next adjacent sign members in each row.

With further reference now to Figs. to 12 of the drawing, an adapter 57 is shown which can effectively secure dissimilar rows or dissimilar sign members together. For example, any dissimilar sign member 58 having a horizontal web 59 that may be supported upon the top of any of the aforementioned standard or auxiliary members may be positioned in the manner shown in Fig. 1l with the face plate 60 extending forwardly in the same direction as the face plates of the regular sign members. An L-shaped plate 63 having one leg of substantially the same size and shape as the male leg 26 of the standard member 22 is receivable within one of the pockets 30 of any standard member. The other leg of the L-shaped plate 63 extends upwardly and across the adjacent webs as the top and bottom of the main 'and dissimilar members, while a transversely extending plate 64 that overlies both legs of the L-shaped plate `is receivable within the pocket 61 of the dissimilar member and engageable with the top surface of the web 59 of the dissimilar member. It will thus be recognized that this adapter frictionally secures such parts together Vso that substantially any type of sign may be fabricated from these prepared and detachably interchangeable units.

By furnishing a kit of various numbers of these sign lmembers, bridges, and adapter units, substantially any type of sign may be readily fabricated for display and advertising purposes. The finished sign may be supported upon any desired stationary object through the use of the self-contained and masked countersunk bores by using pins 50 or other suitable hangers. When so displayed, the signs present a completely finished and tailored appearance, are of unique design, and of particularly neat construction.

While this invention has been described with particular reference to the construction shown in the drawing, it is to be understood that such is not to be construed as imparting limitations upon the invention, which is best defined by the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A display sign comprising a plurality of discrete interchangeable members detachably connected together in a row in side by side relationship, each of said members having a front face andrearwardly disposed complementary male and female portions, the male portions of each one of said members being releasably frictionally engageable with the complementary female portion of the next adjacent member, at least one of said male fastening portions having a headed pin extended therethrough for securing said sign upon a stationary object, and said female portion of the member next adjacent to said one male fastening portion overlying the front of and masking the head of said securing means.

Vplurality of interchangeable intermediate members, a

2. A display sign as set forth in claim l, wherein said male portion each comprises a laterally offset bar spaced rearwardly from said front face, and each said female portion comprises a rearwardly opening pocket of a shape similar to the shape of said bar.

3. A display sign as set forth in claim 2, further including means for stacking a plurality of said rows comprising a bridge in the form of a bar having a central cutout defining a pair of similar discrete legs, said bar extending transversely of said rows, and each of said legs substantially corresponding in size and shape to said female pockets of said members, and said legs being releasably and frictionally engaged within transversely aligned ones of said female pockets of said members in said stacked rows.

4. A display sign as set forth in claim 2, further including means for securing a dissimilar sign member having a longitudinal rearwardly facing ledge carried upon said row of members comprising an adapter in the form of a pair of intersecting plates, one of said plates being of substantially L-shape and the other of said plates being of substantially rectangular shape, said other plate being perpendicularly connected to a ledge of said L-shaped plate and being spaced from and overi lying the other leg of said L-shaped plate, said other leg of said L-shaped plate being of substantially the same size and shape as and frictionally engaged within said female pocket of one of said members in said row, and said other rectangular plate overlying and frictionally engaging said ledge of said dissimilar sign member.

5. A display sign comprising a plurality of discrete interchangeable elements, each of said elements having self-contained male and female fastening portions for connection t o complementary portions of an adjacent similar element, removable headed pins for supporting said sign, said pins extending rearwardly from said male fastening portions, said female fastening portions overlying and concealing the heads of said pins.

6. A display sign as set forth in claim 5, wherein said male fastening portions are releasably frictionally received within a complementary female portion of the next adjacent member.

7. A font of sign indicia members adapted for detachable interconnection in a row in side-by-side relationship to form a display sign, said font comprising a plurality of auxiliary members, and a plurality of terminal members, each of all of said members having a front face, the front faces of at least the intermediate members bearing indicia, and each of all of the members having means for interengaging with an adjacent member, said means on all but the terminal members having a vertically disposed tongue or tennon extending forwardly from the back of said member in parallel spaced relation to one side edge. of said member, each of all of said members having a vertical recess adjacent the other side edge of and extending toward the front of said member and each of said tongues being releasably frictionally engageable with the recess of an adjacent member, said tongues each having at least one bore extending transversely therethrough, a headed pin extending rearwardly through at least one of said bores, its head being concealed and secured in place by the overlying portion of the next adjacent and interfitting member, all of said members being of uniform thickness throughout, and said pins extending rearwardly beyond the back surface of said members to serve selectively as an easel for supporting the display sign in backwardly tilted relation or as means to secure the sign to a vertical support.

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 722,533 Great Britain Jan. 26, 1955