US3107648A

US3107648A - Display device

Info

Publication number: US3107648A
Application number: US134208A
Authority: US
Inventors: Milton A Lundstrom
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-08-28
Filing date: 1961-08-28
Publication date: 1963-10-22
Anticipated expiration: 1980-10-22

Description

Oct. 22, 1963 Filed Aug. 28, 1961 United States Patent ice 3,107,648 DISPLAY DEVICE Milton A. Lundstrom, 715 6th Ave., Rockford, Ill. Filed Aug. 28, 1961, Ser. No. 134,208 1 Claim. (Cl. 116-173) This invention relates to a display device and more particularly to a display device which is adapted for temporary mounting on the radio antenna of an automobile. It is an object of the invention to provide an improved device of such character.

It is common practice to display on automobiles such things as flags, school pennants, campaign slogans and identification of various tourist attractions visited by the occupants of the automobile. conventionally such displays are in the form of stickers applied to windows or bumpers, or in the form of cloth flags, bunting, or streamers tied or otherwise secured to bumpers or doorposts. Such display devices have various disadvantages including difficulty of attachment, difficulty of removal, obstruction of the drivers or the passengers vision, high cost, lack of visibility from various directions.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved display device for an automobile which is visible from all directions.

It is still another object of the invention to provide an improved display device which is easily attached to and removed from an automobile.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved display device arranged for temporary mounting on the radio antenna of an automobile so constructed as to have no ill effects on the antenna.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved display device for temporary mounting on the radio antenna of an automobile, which device effectively resists destruction. due to whipping in the strong wind caused by high speed movement of the automobile and so constructed that practically no whipping action occurs even at high speeds.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved display device having various of the characteristics referred to above while being attractive in appearance, durable, inexpensive to manufacture and light in weight.

The invention, together with further objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a display device illustrating one embodiment of the invention and shown in association with an automobile antenna;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the display device and a portion of the radio antenna of FIG. 1 taken from the front such that rippling of the display device may be more readily observed;

FIG. 3 is a full face view of a display device illustrating still another embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a full face view of a display device illustrating still another embodiment of the invention.

The display device of the present invention consists primarily of a fiat sheet 11, preferably of a synthetic plastic such as vinyl, mylar, or light weight metals such as aluminum, an important requirement being that the material be light in weight so as to minimize the load on the antenna. On both sides of the material any desired wording and/or pictorial display may be printed, this being accomplished in a manner suitable to the particular material employed for the base sheet 11. Since the particular form of display as well as the means for printing or otherwise applying the desired material on the surfaces of the base sheet 11 may be in accordance with common practice, and since they do not constitute, in themselves,

3 ,107,648 Patented Oct. 22 1963 a feature of the present invention, they are not described in further detail herein.

Arranged along one edge 11a of the sheet 11 is a row of perforations 12 of such size that an automobile radio antenna 13 may be freely received therein in the manner illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. More specifically, the radio antenna 13 is woven in alternating directions through the various openings 12.

In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention the size of the openings 12 and the spacing therebetween is such that a substantial rippling of the edge 11a is effected by virtue of the weaving of the radio antenna 13 therethrough, all as best seen in FIG. 2. These ripples extend away from the edge 11a, toward the left in FIGS. 1 and 2, but became less pronounced and ultimately substantially disappear. Note the substantial rippling effect in the marginal strip between the row of perforations and the leading edge 11a,

Preferably, the depth of the rippling and the length of sheet 11 in a horizontal direction is such that a substantial rippling extends over half the length of the sheet, or over half way to the free edge of the sheet. It has been found that under these conditions the sheet 11 effectively resists destruction due to whipping in the strong wind caused by high speed movement of the automobile.

The corrugations of the pennant appear to provide opposing air channels or streams on either side of the pennant which tend to stabilize the pennant whereby the wind currents act as an aid to stabilization rather than as a destructive force.

Destructive whipping of the display device is further deterred by making the generally quadrilateral sheet 11 of such configuration that the two edges of the sheet adjacent the edge 11a taper generally toward each other such that the fourth or free edge is substantially shorter than the edge 11a.

It is preferable that the display device ride on the antenna 13 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 1, the perforations 12 may be made of such size that they will snugly receive the lowermost section or portion of the radio antenna to give maximum stability at high speeds.

FIG. 3 illustrated another embodiment of the invention wherein a sheet W1 of synthetic plastic material is provided, this being identical to the sheet 11 of FIGS. 1 and 2 with the exception that perforations 22 therein are of larger diameter than the perforations 12 in the sheet 11. A tube 25 of synthetic plastic material is woven through the apertures 22 in the same manner as the antenna 13 of FIGS. 1 and 2. With the sheet 21 and the tube 25 assembled in this manner, the tube 25 may be slid over the upper end of the radio antenna 13, the lower end of the tube engaging a suitable annular shoulder of the antenna or engaging the mount of the antenna as at 20.

In FIG. 4 a further embodiment of the invention is illustrated wherein a sheet 31 of synthetic plastic material is assembled with a tube 35 extending through apertures 32 in the sheet. The two edges of the sheet 31 adjacent its leading edge 31a are tapered in a stepped pattern as shown. This particular configuration is recommended where the display device is to simulate a flag, such as the American flag, since this particular configuration gives the impression of a flag which is rippling in the wind.

The various embodiments of the invention shown in the drawings and described above may now be seen to be easily attached to and removed from an automobile.

The provision of openings which are little larger than the radio antenna and which are spaced only a short distance apart causes deep rippling of the leading edge of the device. Shaping of the device such that the rippling extends over half way to the trailing or free edge of the device results in effective resistance to whipping in the wind and appears to provide air currents which etiect stabilization against whipping. For this purpose, the plastic material must be relatively still in view of its two principal dimensions. More particularly, it should be sufficiently rigid that its ends sag only slightly when supported in a horizontal plane at its center. Where the term relatively stiff is employed herein it is to be construed as having this general meaning.

It will be apparent that the display device will line up readily with the direction of relative air flow, with the free edge trailing and with the edge adjacent the antenna leading, even with the automobile traveling at relatively low speed. It will also be apparent that the device is very simple in construction and inexpensive to manufacture.

While there has been described what are at present considered to be the preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be understood that further modifications may be made therein, and it is intended to cover in the appended claim all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

A flag like device for mounting on an automobile rodtype antenna comprising a hollow support tube for placement about said antenna, and a light weight sheet of sufiicient stifiness to maintain its shape when supported along an edge thereof, said sheet having a leading edge and a trailing end and said sheet having three or more perforations arranged in a row parallel to and spaced inwardly an appreciable amount, from said leading edge thus defining a marginal strip between said row of perforations and said leading edge, the size and spacing of said perforations and the size and shape of said sheet being such that the weaving of said tube through said perforations results in a pronounced sinusoidal ripple in said leading edge and in said strip which gradually decreases in amplitude as said ripples approach said trailing end whereby when said leading edge is subjected to a Wind current it cuts said current to distribute the Wind forces to either side of said sheet along a path formed by said ripples such that turbulence and flapping in said display are substantially eliminated.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS