US3263357A - Sign molding - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 2, 1966 R. L. CARLETON 3,263,357

S I GN MOLDING Original Filed June 21, 1961 22 2 as; W H/ 244 I g 2.54

INVENTOR.

AT RNEK United States Patent 0 3,263,357 SIGN MOLDENG Richard L. Carleton, Raytown, Mo., assignor to Butler Manufacturing Company, Kansas City, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Continuation of abandoned application Ser. No. 118,678, lune 21, 1961. This application Jan. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 432,048

1 Claim. (Cl. 40-125) This is a continuation of application Serial No. 118,678 filed June 21, 1961, entitled, Sign Molding, now abancloned.

This invention relates to moldings for outdoor signs and refers more particularly to an all purpose molding of simple construction adapted to be easily applied to and removed from an outdoor sign.

The instant structure or construction is adapted to be used with many types of outdoor signs including those shown in application Serial No. 99,201, file-d March 29, 1961, now Patent Number 3,160,974., inventor Richard L. Carleton, Poster Panel, and U.S. Patent 2,901,849, inventor R. B. Callison, issued September 1, 1959, for Advertising Panel.

An object of the invention is to provide an attractive molding or border trim for a signboard structure.

Another object of the invention is to provide a molding for a sign structure or sign panel system which is not bolted directly to the sign or the panels thereof and thus does not require the usual mounting hardware, but, instead, envelops the panel face, receiving the necessary support from the panel sections thereof, whereby to provide greatly enhanced ease, quickness and cheapness of installation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a molding or border trim for a sign structure of the type made up of individual panels mounted either horizontally or vertically, wherein the border trim itself aids in maintenance of coplanar relationship of the panels relative to one another and also aids in maintaining the integrity of the sign structure, as well as providing a convenient decorative means of attractive appearance.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sign molding or border trim which may be employed upon signs of a particular desired size without necessarily increasing the height and width of the sign proper.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sign molding or border trim which is of extremely simple construction, relatively cheap to manufacture, handy and cheap to ship, easy to apply and remove, and which adheres closely and ruggedly to the sign although permitting easy removal and application.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sign molding which requires only one form of side molding and one form of top and bot-torn molding whereby side sections are interchangeable and upper and lower likewise.

Other and further objects of the invention will appear in the course of the following description thereof.

In the drawings, which form a part of the instant specificationand are to be read in conjunction therewith, an embodiment of the invention is shown and, in the various views, like numerals are employed to indicate like parts.

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a typical panel sign construction with the inventive molding or border trim emplaced thereon,

FIG. 2 is a view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view of the corner engagement of the side and upper or lower molding portions of the subject sign construction prior to application.

FIG. 4 is an assembled view of the construction of FIG. 3 taken from the lower right-hand portion of that view and looking upwardly to the left.

The subject molding is shown mounted on a panel system of the type shown in the application of Richard L. Carleton, supra. The entire panel system will not be redescribed in detail and its structure is incorporated by reference herein to avoid such re-description. However, certain generalized characteristics will be repeated for convenience.

A plurality of horizontally mountable panels, generally designated 10, 11 and 12 are provided, the panels being mountable on stringers or channel posts 13 (FIG. 2). Such horizontal panels are of a length greater than the distance between the stringers or posts. The number of posts or stringers employed in an installation depends largely upon the length of the panels employed in the total advertising sign structure. Except in the case of extremely long panel members or in the case of signs contemplating very high windl-oad, a pair of posts or stringers is sufficient. The number of horizontal panel members employed in an installation may be varied, but three is typical.

Certain of the construction of the individual horizontal panel members is seen in FIG. 2. Each said panel typically comprises a horizontally elongated front sheet 14, each having a pair of rearwardly extending flanges 15 and 16 along the lower and upper opposite longitudinal edges thereof, respectively. Both of said flanges preferably have inturned lips 17 and 18 along the rearmost edges thereof. Preferably, the front sheets are continuous with the flanges but, if desired, the flanges and a tab may be separately formed and stapled or otherwise attached to front panels ofvaried materials tomeet varied sign adhesion problems. Each flange 15 and 16 preferably .has at least one longitudinally extending concave or convex corrugation forming an outwardly extending or inwardly projecting rib 15a or 16a at one edge of the panel. Complementary ribs or grooves must be formed at the opposing edge or flange of the adjacent panel (see FIG. 2). The complementary rib and groove construction in a plurality of panels provides means for interlocking adjacent panels in a common plane when they are positioned side by side. The corresponding ribs and grooves are preferably formed midway between the panel face 14 and the rear inturned lips 17 and 18. It should be noted that the corrugations are relatively deep when compared with the width of the flanges 15 and 16, taking on the form of a U having parallel legs. By providing thistype of construction, the interlocking of adjacent panels in a common plane is insured even though the panels may not, for some reason, closely' abut one another. In other Words, should the panels become slightly vertically separated, one from another, the panels will still remain locked together in a common plane by 'virtue of the deep corrugations and no play between the two in a direction normal to the faces thereof will be permitted.

In the construction shown, a plurality of essentially vertically extending panel stilfeners generally designated 19 are mounted on the rear face of panel faces 14 of the horizontally extending panels, spaced to oppose the vertical mounting means. Means (not shown) are provided on the panel stiffeners which are removably and vertically engageable and disengageable with portions of the vertical mounting means for removably mounting the panels on the vertical mounting means. The panel stiffeners preferably comprise formed metal sheets essentially U-shaped in cross section, the closed face 20 of the U or bottom thereof being positioned opposed to and away from the panel faces 14. The edges 21 are preferably outwardly turned to form a base for the panel stiffeners and lie flat against the rear face of the panel sheet 14. Stiffeners 19 are preferably of a length, when positioned at right angles to flanges 15 and 16 to extend substantially flange to flange on the backs of the panels 14 and preferably are of a thickness to just fit under inturned lips 17 and 18. Means are provided to removably fix the panel stiffeners to the panels.

It should be understood that any flat face sign member, made up of a plurality of panels, vertically or horizontally or otherwise oriented, or a single panel may employ the subject molding or border trim. All that is required is a continuous projecting edge of the sign which the molding may engage.

Referring to the sign molding comprising the instant invention, and more particularly FIGS. 2-4, inclusive, the molding comprises upper horizontal piece 22, lower horizontal piece 23 and two vertical pieces 24 and 25. Pieces or members 22 and 23 are identical in all respects whereby to be completely interchangeable, while the same is true of vertical members 24 and 25. The cross-sectional structure of each of the members 22-25, inclusive, is identical and will now be described.

The front face of the molding comprises an outwardly inclined panel face 26, preferably but not necessarily an outwardly peaked V-shaped portion 27 and an abutting flange 28 which, in assembled position on the panel, ap-

proaches the panel faces 14 approximately normal thereto.

The engaging portion of the molding comprises an edge flange or strip 29 preferably but not necessarily of greater depth than the depth of the rearward flanges 15 and 16 of the panel members connecting at its outer edge with member 26 and an inwardly turned rear face member or return flange 30. The entire molding member is constructed of metal of sufficient resiliency that the engaging portions 29 and 30 may be resiliently bent outwardly to engage the panel members and then snap back in thereover to the position of FIG. 2. The depth of member 28 is preferably greater than the excess of depth of member 29 over flanges 15 and 16. The excess depth of strip or flange 29 is of use if the member 30 must fit over any panel or support structures such as support tabs (not shown) on the stringers 13. The width of return flange 30 is so designed to be long enough to maintain contact with the back edge of the panel but short enough to slip over the panel easily as will be described.

The molding members 22-25, inclusive, are mitered at the ends thereof asshown at a and b of each number whereby to meet in engaging facing. The members 22 25, inclusive, are of such length that the mitered edges precisely contact when the members 29 abut the members 15 or 16 or the ends of the panel sheets in snug contacting engagement.

Means are provided to connect the mitered edges of the portions of the mold sections as seen in FIG. 3. The inner connection is provided by a V-shaped strip 31 which is connected by metal screws 32 and 33 to the abutting edges and inner faces of the members 28 on the horizontal and vertical members which meet one another. Openings are provided through the said members 28 adjacent the mitered edges thereof to receive the said screws. The outboard connection takes place between the members29 at the mitered edges of vertical and horizontal members and comprises a tab 34 which is attached to either a vertical or a horizontal molding section along the mitered edge of the engaging portion 29, bent at right angles thereto and having a screw hole 35 therein. This is matched by a corresponding screw hole or borehole 36 in the connecting vertical or horizontal member. It is most emphatically preferred that the outer screw hole 36 be, in the horizontal panel arrangement as seen in FIG. 1, on the vertical members whereby the screws or bolts connecting through the screw holes 35 and 36 will pass into the hollow ends of the panels without having to abut the edges thereof. This may be seen on the left edge of the panel assembly in FIG. 1 with member 24 having two screw holes 36 therein. In the case of a vertical panel system (not shown) the screw holes would preferably be in the portions 29 of members 22 and 23 which would overlie the upper ends of the vertically mounted panels. The completed screw connection through the openings 36 and 35 is seen in FIG. 4 with screw 37 positioned therein.

Thus it is seen that a rigid mitered edge connection may be made between the vertical and horizontal molding sections without requiring any connection to the panel system. The molding construction is merely so sized as to closely fit therearound and by its engagement to itself provide a secure snug engagement, as well as an attractive appearance.

It should be noted that the members 31 are screwed onto the portions 28 of all of the sign members prior to assembly so that the entire rectangular mold frame is rigidly connected inwardly of the length thereof prior to assembly on the sign panel system. The screw connections through openings 36 and 35 are not made prior to application to the panel. The sign panel members 10, 11 and 12 having been already erected on ,the supports, the operators then lift the partly connected sign molding as a unit upwardly and emplace it on the panel assembly by snapping the engaging sections 29 and 30 over the panel end edges and side edges, that is, the upper edge of panel 10, the lower edge of panel 12 and the end edges of panels 10, 11 and 12. Once this action is taken, each corner may be snugged down and engaged at its outer portion by the screw connection through openings 35 and 36. To disassemble, the exact opposite procedure is taken, namely, the screw connections through openings 35 and 36 are released whereby. the entire sign molding may be lifted off to give access to the panels or their supports or to portions of the molding itself for repair or replacement of parts thereof.

From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all of the ends and objects hereinabove set forth together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the structure.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claim.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

In a sign construction including a panel portion having substantially parallel side edges and substantially parallel top and bottom edges, all of said panel portion edges free, said panel portion having front and rear faces, a molding structure including a pair of vertical side edge members and a pair of horizontal top and bottom edge members making up two sets of said members, the side edge members each comprising an elongate configured strip adapted to overlie in direct contact with and enclose one side edge of the sign panel and engage the panel portion resiliently on its front and rear faces, the top and bottom edge members each comprising an elongate configured strip adapted to overlie in direct contact with and enclose one of the top and bottom edges of the sign panel and engage the panel portion resiliently on its front and rear faces, the corners of the edge members mitered at their junctures, each edge member including a rear strip portion adapted to lie against the rear face of the sign panel, an edge portion adapted to lie against the sign panel edge, an outwardly angled facing portion adapted to overlie but not contact the panel face and an inwardly extending panel abutting portion, and means for connecting each of said molding side and top and bottom edge members to end abutting members of the other of the two sets of edge members, said edge portion is of greater width than the width of the edge it contacts, the means for end connections between end abutting molding sections are present in the inwardly extending panel abutting portion and panel edge contacting portions thereof the former 6 a L'strip fastened with respective legs of the L to the inwardly extending panel abutting portions and the latter a tab on one of the panel edge contacting portions fastened to an opposed panel edge contacting portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,742,667 1/1930 Purdy 40-125 1,850,180 3/1932 Pinney 40l52 X 2,593,195 4/1952 Rosenberg 40152 X 2,616,197 11/1952 Osburn 40-152 2,775,833 1/1957 Wishart 40125 2,804,952 9/1957 Nothdurft 40152 2,901,849 9/1959 Callison 40125 EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

HERBERT F. ROSS, Assistant Examiner.

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