US3258232A

US3258232A - Sign holder

Info

Publication number: US3258232A
Application number: US363127A
Authority: US
Inventors: Nestegard Sander Charles
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1964-04-28
Filing date: 1964-04-28
Publication date: 1966-06-28
Anticipated expiration: 1983-06-28

Description

Elune 28, 1966 s. c. NESTEGARD SIGNAL HOLDER Filed April 28, 1964 kmm mm T QN INVENTOR. SANDER CHARLES NESTEGARD United States Patent O 3,258,232 SIGN HLDER Sander Charles Nestegard, St. Paul, Minn., assignor to Elaine A. Nestegard, Wahasha, Minn. Filed Apr. 28, 1964, Ser. No. 363,127 6 Claims. (Cl. 248-33) This invention has relation to means for holding a sign or card for display; and more particularly to such means comprising a rigid structure provided with a pair of parallel slots, and open at one end for the reception of a resilient, stiff `and flexible card. The position of the Slo-ts with reference .to each other is such that the card must be bowed to slip into slots; and when released the card will straighten or substantially so as to be firmly held and bound in the holder by its own resilience and the nonplanar configuration of the walls defining each slot into which the card is held.

Commonly employed methods of securing signs or cards are `by piercing as with a nail, adhesion, or pinching. The first two methods generally secure signs in such a way that they are destroyed when it is attempted to remove them. The third method also often requires sufficient force to hold the signs so that it is difficult to remove them.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for holding signs in such a way ythat they may be inserted and removed from the holder without the application of excessive force and in such a way as not to damage the signs.

Another object of this invention is to provide van inexpensive and easily movable sign holder.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a sign holder that may be attached to or placed on a great variety of surfaces.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first form of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view ofthe sign holder of FIG. l Iwith a card or sign held Itherein;

FIG. 2a is an enlarged detail plan View of one end of the holder shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 in FIG. l;

lFIG. 4 is a perspective view of the sign holder of FIG. l and 4disclosing an alternative means for mounting or supporting it;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a sign holder made according to a second form of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a .top plan view of the holder of FIG. 5 with a card held therein; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a sign holder of a type similar to that shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, 'but for supporting a sign or card with respect to a cylindrical column or the like.

Referring to FIGS. l, 2, 2a and 3 of the drawings and the numerals of reference thereon, a first form .of sign holder 10 consists of a base member 11 and a pair of

ears

12, 12 extending generally perpendicularly outwardly therefrom. Into these ears, a pair of

slots

13, 13 have been cut. As .best seen in FIG. 2, these slots are parallel with each other but lie in different planes. Each slot 13 is defined yby a pair of parallel

planar wall surfaces

13a and 13b angularly related to the plane of the ears `12. The `

surfaces

13a and 13b of one slot 13 are non-planar or angularly related to the

wall surfaces

13a and 13b of the other slot 13 and the planes of the wall surfaces of one slot converge with the planes of .the Wall surfaces of the other slot at a point therebetween but offset from a plane through both slots.

A sign or other card 14 of stiff, flexible, resilient matelCe `rial is bent so that spaced portions of the card are substantially aligned with the planes of the

wall surfaces

13a and 13b of the slots. These` por-tions of the card are then inserted in the slots and the card is released. Its natural resilience will cause it .to take the substantially planar position as seen in FIG. 2, where it will `be held and bound in place 'by its relationship to diagonally opposite edges ofthe

wall surfaces

13a and 13b of the slots. The width of the slots `13, in relation to the plane through both slots, is quite narrow compared with their Width in relation to the plane of the Wall surfaces of the slots (see FIGURE 3) and their width in relation to the plane through both s-lots in less than the thickness of the card 14. For this purpose, a card 14 `made of seven ply .tag board has been found to be satisfactory.

In FIG. 3 a supporting foot layer 15 of magnetic strip material is disclosed as integral -with the base member 11. Such a strip sold by B. F. Goodrich under .the trademark Koroseal is excellent for this purpose. This strip will afiix the holder and its attached card to any magnetizable material such .as 15 whether this material is in `a horizontal, vertical or other plane.

In FIG. 4 a simila-r sign holder 10 is illustrated. However, in this `form ofthe invention, a supporting foot plate 17 consists of a plate spot Welded onto the base 11. The ears and slots can ibe the same as in FIGS. l, 2, 2a and 3 and are similarly numbered. The underside of the foot plate 17 can be felt covered, and is most useful for supporting signs on horizontal, nonmetallic surfaces.

A second form of sign holder 20 of FIGS. 5 and 6 is perhaps more easily manufactured than that of FIGS. l, 2, 3 and 4 in which the slots have to be cut to lie in separate converging planes.

Slots

23, 23 of FIGS. 5 and 6 can be punched -or cut initially straight through

ears

22, 22 in perpendicular relation to those ears while the ears .are still fiat lwith ibase member 21, The

ears

22, 22 can then be bent to a position as seen in FIG. 6; thus positioning the wall surfaces of the slots in non-planar relationship so that a card 24 will be firmly held therein as described in connection with the first form of the invention. A magnetic strip foot layer 25 is provided for supporting the holder on metallic surfaces.

In FIG. 7 a sign holder 30 simi-lar to that shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is illustrated. However, in this form of the invention, the ibase member 31 is bent to fit a curved surface such as a support pillar 36in a retail store, for example. The base member 31 may be either rigid and -bent to -fit a predetermined shape, or flexible so that it may be adjusted to any of a variety of surfaces. The flexible .magnetic material Koroseal is ideally suited to serve as a magnetic supporting foot layer 3S for this form of the invention. The

ears

32, 32 and the

slots

33, 33 of FIG. 7 .are constructed in the same way as the slots and ears of FIGS. 5 and 6.

The magnetic foot layer 35 may .also be used to attach the sign holder to nonmagnetic surfaces. This is accomplished as shown in FIG. 7, by painting a magnetic material 50 on the supporting surface 51. This magnetic material may then 'be covered by a decorator paint 52, if it is so desired. The magnetic Afoot layer 35 on the sign holder will then attach firmly .to the painted surface.

What is claimed is:

1. A holder for supporting a fiat resilient card, said holder comprising .a -base member having spaced opposite end portions, an ear portion formed on said base member at each of said opposite end portions which are angularly related to saidl -base member, each said ear portion "being provided with a slot defined by two parallel wall portions, the lwall portions `of one slot lying in parallel planes different from the planes of the wall portions of the other slot but converging therewith, said wall portions having parallel edges and diagonally opposite edges of one slot deiining a narrow slot -through one ear portion parallel with the narrow slot deiined by diagonally opposite edges of the wall portions of the other slot such that a said card which is bowed out of its iiat shape may enter 4both of said slots simultaneously and will return to a substantially planar position and the diagonally opposite edges of each slot thus engage opposite sides of a said card to irmly hold a said. card.

2. A holder as described in claim 1 whe-rein said base member has a layer of magnetic material aliixed thereto and conforming yto the shape of said base membe-r.

3. A holder as described in claim 1 wherein said ear portions diverge from said base member and the Wall portions deiining the slot in each ear portion are normal to the plane of said ear portion.

4. A holder for supporting a at resilient card, said holder comprising Ia Ibase 4member and a pair of ears formed of sheet material and said base member having a curve formed therein between spaced opposite end portions, one said ear being `formed on said base member at each of said opposite end portions and diverging from said Ibase member, each said ear being provided -with a slot deined by two parallel wall portions which are normal to the plane of said ear, -the wall portions of one slot lying in parallel planes different from .the planes of the wall portions of the other slot but converging therewith, said wall portions having parallel edges with diagonally opposite edges of one slot dening a narrow slot ,through one ear parallel with lthe narrow slot defined -by diagonally opposite edges of the wall portions of the other slot such that a said card which is bowed out of its tiat shape may enter both of said slots simultaneously and will return to a substantially planar position andthe diagonally opposite edges of each slot thus engage opposite sides of a said card to firmly hold a said card.

I5. In combination, a iiat -resilient card `of at least seven ply tag board, a holder for supporting said card, said holder comprising a. base member having spaced opposite end portions, an ear porti-on formed on said base member at each of said opposite end portions which are angularly related to said base member, each said ear portion being provided with a slot defined by two parallel wall portions, the wall portions of one slot lying in parallel planes diterent from the planes of the wall portions of the other slot lbut converging therewith, said wall portions having parallel edges and diagonally opposite edges of one slot ldefining a narrow slot through one ear portion narrower than the thickness of said card and parallel with the narrow slot defined by diagonally opposite edges of the wall portions of the other slot such that said card when bowed out of its fla-t shape may enter both of said slots simultaneously and, returns to a substantially planar position .and having the diagonally opposite edges of each slot engaging opposite sides of said card to rmly hold said card in said holder.

6. A holder for supporting a flat resilient card, said holder being formed of thin sheet material and comprising a base portion having opposite end portions and an ear formed at each of said end portions, said ears extending away from a common side and normal to said base member, each said ear ybeing provided -with a diagonal slot defined by two parallel wall portions oblique vto the plane of said ears, the wa-ll portions of one diagonal slot in one ear lying in planes different from .the planes of the Wall portions of the other of said diagonal slots in the other ear :but converging therewith, said wall portions defining one said diagonal slot having parallel edges and diagonal-ly opposite edges of one diagonal slot defining a narrow slot affording a View perpendicularly through one ear, which narrow slot is parallel with a similar narrow slot defined by diagonally opposite edges of the wa-ll portions of ythe other said diagonal slot such that a said card which is bowed out of its flat shape may enter both of said diagonal slots simultaneously and will return to a substantially planar position and the diagonally opposite edges defining said narrow slots thus engage opposite sides of a said card to irmly hold a said card to said holder.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,681,586 8/1928 Kessler 248--33 2,448,137 8/1948 Cody 248-29 2,731,229 1/1956 Seitz 248-300 2,959,832 11/1960 Baermann 24-2011 2,977,082 3/1961 Harris 248-206 2,987,841 6/1961 Phillips 40-11 3,007,269 11/1961 Jump 40-125 3,023,929 3/1-962 Stein 221-47 3,079,724 3/1963 Harvel et al. 248-33 FOREIGN PATENTS 288,015 4/1928 Great Britain.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

I. H. LACHEEN, I. F. FOSS, Assistant Examiners.

Claims

1. A HOLDER FOR SUPPORTING A FLAT RESILIENT CARD, SAID HOLDER COMPRISING A BASE MEMBER HAVING SPACED OPPOSITE END PORTIONS, AN EAR PORTION FORMED ON SAID BASE MEMBER AT EACH OF SAID OPPOSITE END PORTIONS WHICH ARE ANGULARLY RELATED TO SAID BASE MEMBER, EACH SAID EAR PORTION BEING PROVIDED WITH A SLOT DEFINED BY TWO PARALLEL WALL PORTIONS, THE WALL PORTIONS OF ONE SLOT LYING IN PARALLEL PLANES DIFFERENT FROM THE PLANES OF THE WALL PORTIONS OF THE OTHER SLOT BUT CONVERGING THEREWITH, SAID WALL PORTIONS HAVING PARALLEL EDGES AND DIAGONALLY OPPOSITE EDGES OF ONE SLOT DEFINING A NARROW SLOT THROUGH ONE EAR PORTION PARALLEL WITH THE NARROW SLOT DEFINED BY DIAGONALLY OPPOSITE EDGES OF THE WALL PORTIONS OF THE OTHER SLOT SUCH THAT A SAID CARD WHICH IS BOWED OUT OF ITS FLAT SHAPE MAY ENTER BOTH OF SAID SLOTS SIMULTANEOUSLY AND WILL RETURN TO A SUBSTANTIALLY PLANAR POSITION AND THE DIAGONALLY OPPOSITE EDGES OF EACH SLOT THUS ENGAGE OPPOSITE SIDES OF A SAID CARD TO FIRMLY HOLD A SAID CARD.