US3362093A

US3362093A - Advertising or decorative sign for representing images

Info

Publication number: US3362093A
Application number: US485197A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joselevich Eduardo Jaime
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1965-09-07
Filing date: 1965-09-07
Publication date: 1968-01-09
Anticipated expiration: 1985-01-09

Description

Jar 1. 9, 1968 E. J. JOSELEVICH 3,

ADVERTISING OR DECORATIVE SIGN FOR REPRESENTING IMAGES Filed Sept. 7, 1965- 2 Sheets-Shem 1 ATTORNEYS Jan. 9, 1968 EJJ. JOSELEVICH ADVERTISING OR DECORATIVE SIGN FOR REPRESENTING IMAGES 2 Sheets-Sheet 13 Filed Sept. '7, 1965 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,362,058 ADVERTISING 0R DECORATIVE SIGN FOR REPRESENTING IMAGES Eduardo Jaime Joselevich, 1744 Coronel Diaz St., Buenos Aires, Argentina Filed Sept. 7, 1965, Ser. No. 485,197 Claims. (Cl. 4028) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to an advertising or decorative sign for representing images formed of a plurality of plate-like members removably mounted on a supporting frame. The plate-like members have different degrees of translucency so that by suitably combining them, an image may be achieved.

Specification The present invention relates to an advertising or decorative sign for representing images, and more particularly it refers to such a sign consisting of a plurality of hollow plate supporting frames which are provided with hook means to hang them on a box frame provided with light reflecting means, so that it becomes easy to change the hollow plate supporting frames hanging on said box frame and thereby to change the images of the sign.

One feature of the invention resides in that each hollow plate supporting frame is divided into a plurality of cells over which plate-like plastic members may be removably mounted, which define a module and the combination of these plate-like plastic members enables to compose a substantially unlimited variety of images. Since these plate-like plastic members are readily interchangeable, the formation of the images may be produced in accordance with a predetermined schedule. The plate-like plastic members have different degrees of translucency, so that by combining them in a suitable manner, the images are achieved, since different zones with different density of translucency will define different portions of the image. It is preferred that the plate-like plastic members or modules have all the same outer contour, so that a simple Way of mounting of said plate-like plastic members over said cells can be readily obtained, at the same time as the front surface, or 1n other words, the surface visible to the spectator, of the combination of all the plate-like plastic members, defines a substantially continuous surface.

The plate-like plastic members are preferably manufactured of thermoplastic material, to facilitate the molding thereof, although any other material which provides similar features, particularly as to the translucency and resiliency, may be used and therefore the expression plate-like plastic member should not be interpreted in a limitative way.

From the translucency viewpoint, the plate-like plastic members are divided into four series, the first of which is a series of translucid members, the second is a series of opaque members, the third is a series of translucid members having an opening and the fourth is a series of opaque members having an opening; these third and fourth series are to be combined either with a first type of translucid inserts or a second type of opaque inserts, both built preferablyof resilient plastic material which are to be mounted on said second or third series of plate-like members to cover said openings, thereby achieving several degrees of luminosity.

More particularly, the present invention consists in an advertising or decorative sign for representing images, comprising at least one hollow plate supporting frame divided into cells, a plurality of plate-like plastic members mountable over said cells and defining a substantially continuous front surface on said frame, each plate-like member having a resilient skirt for mounting said platelike member over said cells, said plate-like members comprising a first series of translucid members, a second series of opaque members, a third series of translucid members having an opening and a fourth series of opaque members having an opening, a first type of translucid resilient plastic inserts and a second type of opaque resilient plastic inserts removably mountable on said fourth and third series of members to cover said openings.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that one feature of the present invention is to provide an advertising or decorative sign which has a rather low manufacturing cost and enables to produce a great variety of compositions for producing images and upon changing the modules allows to readily achieve different images. Since these modules are suitably classified, it will be easy to organize a scheduling center and instruct different mounting centers, for instance in different cities as to the way of organizing the modules without requiring specially trained operators to perform the work.

In order to facilitate the comprehension of the present invention, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a lay-out of a portion of a sign, as seen from the front surface, illustrating a human eye.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view, partially in section, showing the constitutive features of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a detail in top plan view, partially in crosssection, showing the way of assembling a longitudinal girder with a linking post.

FIG. 4 is a similar view as FIG. 3 of the same members, but after the girder has been linked to the post.

FIG. 5 is a cross-section of one type of the plate-like plastic member.

FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-section of the combination of several hollow plate supporting frames with the pertinent box frames to which they are hooked.

FIG. 7 is a detail in perspective view of one embodiment of the hook means associated with the box frame and hollow plate supporting frame.

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal section showing likewise the hook means referred to in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a somewhat schematic perspective view of a supporting frame-work for the boX frame.

FIG. 10 is a detail in side elevation of the head portion of a girder.

The advertising or decorative signs are usually to be placed on suitable advertising spaces, such as on the roofs of houses, on which a stationary framework 10 is mounted, having a plurality of parallelly spaced horizontal beams 11 on which a stationary box frame 12 (FIGS. 6 and 7) is to be mounted. The box frame 12 consists of a plurality of vertical parallel light reflector casings having a rear wall 13 fixed to said beams 11, such as by bolts 14 (FIG. 8) and a pair of divergent side walls 15. Each side wall 15 ends in a hook supporting wall 16, forming with the pertinent sidewall 15 an obtuse angle in such a way that each hook supporting Wall 16 defines a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane defined by the beams 11.

Thus, two adjacent light reflector casings, have one hook supporting wall 16 backed up to the adjacent hook supporting wall 16 of the next light reflector casing which are suitably linked together, such as by screws 17, as clearly shown in FIG. 7 and thereby defining the box frame 12. Screws 17 each further support a hook supporting member 18, to which reference will be made later on.

Conveniently, one of the side walls 15 of each light refiector casing is provided with a door 19 giving access to the interior of the light reflector casing and more particularly to the light source which in this embodiment consists of fluorescent-tubular members 20 supported by brackets 21 which are accessible through said doors 19 in order to be able, if this should become necessary, to replace the fluorescent-tubular members 20.

The tubular members 2%) are substantially vertically arranged, so that in combination with the light reflector casings, practically no shadows will be produced, as will be later better understood, on the advertising or decorative sign in spite of the existence of the longitudinal girders 22 and linking posts 24 defining the hollow plate supporting frames 23 (FIG. 2), to be now describe-d.

Each hollow plate supporting frame 23 is of the honeycomb type and comprises a plurality of parallely spaced horizontal girders 22 linked together by parallely spaced vertical linking posts 24, thereby defining a plurality of square shaped cells 25. Usually, both the girders 22 as well as the posts 24 are aluminium extruded members. To obtain the honeycomb structure, the girders 22 which have a head portion 26 (FIG. connected to the main body portion 27 through recessed portions 28 are provided with a series of spaced apart cut-out portions 29 (FIG. 3) into which the linking posts 24 are housed and thereafter the portions 30 of the head portion 26 adjacent said outout portions 29 are bent, by means of a cutting blow, to clamp the linking posts 24 to the girders 22, as shown in FIG. 4. Due to the blows adjacent the portions 30, pertinent recesses 31 are formed. Thus, the honeycomb structure is achieved and since both the head portions 26 of the girders 22 as well as the posts 24 are of polygonal shape, in this particular instance of hexagonal shape, in cross-section, the cells 25 provide by means of the head portions 26 and posts 24 suitable anchoring means for the plate-like

plastic members

32, 33, 34 and 35, to which reference will be made later on.

The honeycomb structure of the hollow plate supporting frame 23 is closed by end members 36 to define an actual frame and which may be defined as a bisected or as half girder 22 in that the outer surfaces of each of the end members 36 is a plane surface, while the rest is of similar contour to girder 22, as clearly shown in FIG. 2. Thus, the ends 24 of the posts 24 (FIG. 2) are in abutting relationship with the pertinent end members 36 and these end members 36 define together with the pertinent posts 24 and girders 22 likewise similar cells as are formed in the middle portion of the hollow plate supporting frame 23 by the girders 22, posts 24. Since it is not practical to build hollow plate supporting frames 23 of the full size to cover the entire front surface defined by the stationary framework 10 (FIG. 9), these supporting frames 23, in view of their end members 36, may be arranged one adjacent the other, as schematically indicated in FIG. 2, where on top of the frame 23 the frame 23' may be arranged and on the right hand side, as seen in FIG. 2, the frame 23" may be arranged to define a complete unit of assembled

frames

23, 23', 23", etc. Each vertical end member 36 is provided with a hook member 37 projecting rearwardly out of the vertical end members 36, as clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 8, whereby each frame 23 may be hooked onto the pertinent hook supporting member 18.

If the size of the frame 23 requires it, between the two vertical end members 36 and preferably in front of an intermediate post 24, the main body portions 27 of the girders 22 have, in their rear portions vertically aligned recesses 38 in which a longitudinal hook supporting beam 39 is housed. The hook supporting beam 39 is provided with pairs of oppositely arranged hook members 37' (only one pair is shown) which can then likewise engage pertinent hook supporting members 18, as clearly shown in FIG. 7.

In FIG. 6 an arrangement of two adjacent hollow plate supporting frames is very schematically shown and identified by

reference numerals

23 and 23". Actually, only the plate-like plastic members here identified by reference numeral 32 are shown. Each frame covers two box frames 12 and thus hooks 37 are used on the pertinent end portions, while schematically indicated hooks 37 are used in the middle portion. It will be understood that it becomes extremely simple to replace one of these honeycomb hollow plate supporting frames by another one or the entire set, if the illustration is to be changed.

To produce the image four types of plate-like plastic members 32 to 35 (FIG. 2) are provided. Each type of plastic plate-like member comprises a main plate portion 40 (FIG. 5) defining a substantially square front zone and a continuous frame portion 50 and four skirt members 41, one corresponding to each side linked to said frame portion 50. The skirt portions 41 are not linked at the corners. Each skirt portion 41 ends in a hook-shaped foot 42 and has an intermediate weakened zone defining a hinge 43. More particularly, as shown on the right hand side of FIG. 5, due to the recessed portion 43, the foot portion 42 can be bent inwardly as shown in dotted lines and anchor by means of a snap action the plate-like plastic members into the recessed portions 28 and the posts 24, as best shown in FIG. 8, whereby the cells are covered. The structure of the skirt portions 41 is identical for the four types of plate-like plastic members 32 to 35. These plate-like plastic members are divided into a first series of translucid members 32, a second series of opaque members 33, a third series of translucid members 34 having in the middle portion an opening 44 (FIG. 2) and a fourth series of opaque members 35 having likewise an opening 44. The same reference numeral has been used for both openings inasumch as they are of the same type.

In addition, two types of disc-shaped inserts are pro vided, namely a first type of disc-shaped translucid insert 45 and a second type of disc-shaped opaque insert 46. Both inserts 45 and 46 are of resilient plastic material and have an annular recess 47, so that these inserts may be mounted to cover the pertinent openings, as clearly shown particularly in FIG. 5. It is advisable that the

cars

48, 49 defined by the annular recess 47 are of the same length, so that they cover an equal portion of the main plate portion 40, in order that the light, which will be protected onto the plate-like

plastic members

34 and 35, will have a constant equal capacity of illuminating the dilferent portions of the main plate portion 40 including in this event the insert 46. By suitably combining the four series of plate-like plastic members 32 to 35, any type of image can be achieved, such as the eye shown in FIG. 1, where some of the plate-like plastic members are identified by the pertinent reference numerals 32 to 35. If desired, different colours for the plate-like members 32 to 35 and inserts 45, 46 may be provided to achieve additional effects, as will be obvious to anybody skilled in the art.

A suitable size of each hollow plate supporting frame 23 is 990 mm. x 990 mm. and such a frame is adapted to support 18 x 18 plate-like plastic members.

Tests have shown that the light difiusion, in view of the fact that the tubular members 20 are arranged in such a way as to be in front of each cell and since they are vertical with regard to the main body portion 27 of the girders 22, hearing further in mind the light reflector casings, practically no shadows are generated and the sign is uniformly lluminated.

The expression opaque is to be interpreted as a relative qualification for the pertinent plate-like members and inserts with regard to those which are translucid.

Obviously, instead of providing square shaped platelike plastic members, any other suitable shape can be provided if the cells defined by the frame have a pertinent complementary shape.

Although one embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described in detail, it is to be expressly understood that the invention is not limited thereto. Various changes can be made in the design and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as the same will now be understood by those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. An advertising or decorative sign for representing images, comprising a plurality of hollow plate supporting frames, each hollow plate supporting frame comprising parallelly spaced apart girders, each having a main body portion and a head portion, said head portion having a polygonally-shaped cross section, and a plurality of parallelly spaced linking posts, said posts having polygonallyshaped cross sections and are fitted in said head portions of said girders to define therewith cells, said girders and linking posts having end portions, end members having an outer flat surface and an inner complementary surface to said head portions surrounding said end portions of said linking posts and girders, said outer flat surfaces of said end members of adacent hollow plate supporting frames being in facing relationship, whereby said plurality of hollow plate supporting frames define a surface of the sign, a plurality of plate-like plastic members mountable over said cells and defining a substantially continuous front surface on said frame, each plate-like member having a resilient skirt for mounting said plate-like member over said cells, said plate-like members comprising a first series of translucid members, a second series of opaque members, a third series of translucid members having an opening and a fourth series of opaque members having an opening, a first type of translucid resilient plastic inserts and a second type of opaque resilient plastic inserts removably mountable on said fourth and third series of members to cover said openings, hook members connected to said end members and projecting out of said hollow plate supporting frames in a direction opposite to said head portions, light reflector casings have light emitting means and complementary hook supporting members for receiving said hook members, said light emitting means being substantially transversely arranged with regard to said main body portions of said girders, said light emitting means being adapted to project light beams onto said plate-like plastic members.

2. An advertising or decorative sign for representing images, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said light reflector casings comprise a plurality of box frames defining refiectors and housing said light emitting means therein, said linking posts and said girders defining an angle of substantially 90 amongst themselves, said light emitting means being arranged parallel to said posts, said box frames having hook supporting walls parallel to said posts provided with said complementary hook supporting members, a stationary frame-work, said box frames being stationarily mounted on said stationary frame-work.

3. An advertising or decorative sign for representing images, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said main body portions of said girders in a zone intermediate said end members and aligned with said linking posts define at least one recess, a hook supporting beam mounted in said recess, additional hook members mounted on said hook supporting beam and projecting out of said hollow plate supporting frame in a direction opposite to said head portions, said box frames having additional complementary hook supporting members for said additional hook members.

4. An advertising or decorative sign for representing images, comprising a plurality of hollow plate supporting frames, each hollow plate supporting frame comprising parallelly spaced apart girders, each having a main body portion and a head portion, said head portion having a polygonally-shaped cross section, and a plurality of parallelly spaced linking posts, said posts having polygonallyshaped cross sections and are fitted in said head portions of said girders to define therewith cells, said girders and linking posts having end portions, end members having an outer flat surface and an inner complementary surface to said head portions surrounding said end portions of said linking posts and girders, said outer fiat surfaces of said end members of adacent hollow plate supporting frames being in facing relationship, whereby said plurality of hollow plate supporting frames define a surface of the sign, a plurality of plate-like plastic members mountable over said cells and defining a substantially continuous front surface on said frame, each plate-like member having a resilient skirt for mounting said platelike member over said cells, said plate-like members comprising a first series of translucid members, a second series of opaque members, a third series of translucid members having an opening and a fourth series of opaque members having an opening, a first type of translucid resilient plastic inserts and a second type of opaque resilient plastic inserts removably mountable on said fourth and third series of members to cover said openings.

5. The advertising or decorative sign for representing images as claimed in claim 4, comprising light reflector casings having light emitting means adjacent said main body portion of said girders of said hollow plate supporting frames, opposite said head portions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 664,222 12/1900 Krumiviede 40-130 1,064,897 6/1913 Gabet 40-28 C 1,778,778 10/1930 Voshardt 40-133 2,263,281 11/1941 Von Tadden 40-28 C 3,076,890 2/1963 Guth 4014-3 FOREIGN PATENTS 335,328 9/1930 Great Britain.

EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

W. J. C'ONTRERAS, Assistant Examiner.