US3605303A

US3605303A - Sign construction

Info

Publication number: US3605303A
Application number: US794027*A
Authority: US
Inventors: James R Reichow
Original assignee: Cornelius Co
Current assignee: Cornelius Co
Priority date: 1969-01-27
Filing date: 1969-01-27
Publication date: 1971-09-20
Anticipated expiration: 1988-09-20

Abstract

A SIGH INCLUDES A CASING AND BEZEL SURROUNDING ONE SIDE THEREOF, THERE BEING A MANUALLY REMOVABLE MESSAGE PANEL DISPOSED BETWEEN THE BEZEL AND THE CASING, A SECOND MESSAGE PANEL PROJECTING FROM THE CASING AND BOTH MESSAGE PANELS BEING ILLUMINATED FROM A LAMP THEREIN, AND A PAIR OF PIN-AND-HOLE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE BEZEL AND THE CASING.

Description

Sgpt. 20, 1971 J. R. REICHOW SIGN CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 27. 1969 INVENTOR. JAMES R lea/ovary TTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,605,303 SIGN CONSTRUCTION James R. Reichow, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor to The Cornelius Company, Anoka, Minn. Filed Jan. 27, 1969, Ser. No. 794,027 Int. Cl. G09f 7/08 US. Cl. 40--63R 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A sign includes a casing and a bezel surrounding one side thereof, there being a manually removable message panel disposed between the bezel and the casing, a second message panel projecting from the casing and both message panels being illuminated from a lamp therein, and a pair of pin-and-hole connections between the bezel and the casing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention pertains to the construction of a sign, and more particularly to one having a manually removable message panel.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A message panel is retained between a bezel and a casing of a sign, the message panel having a horizontal flange which supports the message panel and by which horizontal flange, when used as a handle, the message panel can be readily removed or inserted. Preferably, pin-and-hole connections are provided between the bezel and the casing to facilitate assembly and disassembly therebetween.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a sign construction which can be readily assembled.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a sign construction wherein the message panel or panels can be manually changed readily without use of any tool.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a sign having a readily changeable message panel of such construction that the manner or method of changing a message panel will not be readily apparent to a person unfamiliar with the sign construction.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a sign construction wherein components are assembled together at final assembly and are so held by virtue of the configuration of the components.

Many other advantages, features and additional objects of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheet of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

On the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a sign provided in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the sign construction of FIG. 1, the same being shown partially in cross section taken at line II-II of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken at line III-III of FIG. 2.

As shown on the drawings:

The principles of the present invention are particularly useful when embodied in a preferred form of sign construction or sign, generally indicated by the numeral on the drawing. The sign 10 includes a casing 11, a bezel Patented Sept. 20, 1971 "ice 12, a number of message panels 13, a lamp 14, and a second or further message panel 15.

The casing 11 is a sheet metal box or container which is closed at its ends 16, 17, at its bottom 18, at its back 19, and has a slotted top 20 through which the second message panel 15 projects. At its front side, the casing 11 is open. If desired, a number of supporting feet 21 are secured to the casing 11.

The open front side of the casing 11 is encircled by the bezel 12. The bezel 12 has an upper flange 22, a lower flange 23 and a pair of horizontally spaced

vertical flanges

24, 25. The upper flange 22 is directed downwardly and is spaced horizontally forwardly from the front side 26 of the casing 11. The lower flange 23 is directed upwardly and is similarly spaced horizontally forwardly from the forward or open side 26 of the casing 11. Both the upper flange 22 and the lower flange 23 are set back from the forward plane 27 of the bezel 12.

The message panel 13 is disposed within the bezel 12 between the casing 11 and the upper and

lower bezel flanges

22, 23. More specifically, the message panel 13 is disposed between the upper and

lower bezel flanges

22, 23 which are in front of such message panel -13, and the vertically spaced

bezel flanges

24, 25 which are disposed at the rear side of the message panel 13 for engagement with the rear side of the message panel 13 at opposite ends of such panel 13. The message panel 13 has a horizontal flange 28 "which projects away from the casing 11 to a plane which is substantially flush with the forward plane 27 of the bezel 12. The horizontal flange 28 has a lower side which rests on the upper edge of the lower bezel flange 23 and thus overhangs that lower flange 23 in a forward direction beyond such bezel flange 23. The message panel flange 28 extends horizontally as shown in FIG. 1 coextensively with the horizontal length of the message panel 13. Thus, its forward face engages directly with the rear of the upper and

lower bezel flanges

22, 23. The message panel 13 has a lower marginal edge 29 which extends downwardly from the lower side of the horizontal panel flange 28, and such downward extent is for a distance which is less than the distance between the upper edge 30 of the message panel 13 and the lower adjacent side of the bezel 12 located thereabove. The material of the message panel 13 is plastic and is of a type which enables some light to pass therethrough, so that it has a translucent appearance. If translucent paint is used on such panel, the lettering thereon becomes illuminated by the lamp 14, and of course, the panel itself is thus illuminated by the lamp. By this construction, the message panel can be constructed as a plastic extrusion, cut to the desired length.

The second message panel 15 comprises transparent material such as plastic or glass and is secured to and projects from the casing 11, as best shown in FIG. 2.. To this end, the second message panel 15 is secured as by a screw to a mounting bracket secured to the casing 1 1. The lower edge of the second message panel 15 is polished and is directed within the casing so as to face the lamp 14 and to receive light therefrom, thereby to illuminate the message panel 15 from within. The lettering illustrated is normally provided on the rear side thereof as shown in FIG. 2 so as to be seen from the front with a polished appearance, whereby the lettering appears to be within the sign itself.

In order to removably secure the bezel 12 to the casing 11, as seen in FIG. 2, the bezel :12 is provided with a pin 31 which projects upwardly through an aperture in the lower side 18 of the casing '11. The pin 31 is first inserted, and then the bezel is rocked to the position shown. Thus, the pin 31 forms part of a pin-and-hole connection between the bezel 12 and the casing 11, such pinand-hole connection being at one side of the bezel. If

desired, that construction could be reversed so that the pin 31 would be carried by the casing 11 and project into a hole in the bezel 12.

A second pin-and-hole connection is provided between the bezel 12 and the casing .11 at the opposite side of the bezel 12, and such construction is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The bezel includes in this construction a central web or divider post 32 to which a spring blade 33 is rigidly secured as by a pin 34. The spring blade 33 can thus be flexed and has a hole that receives a pin 35 fixed to a bracket 36 secured to the underside of the top side of the casing 11. If desired, the pin could be carried by the spring blade 33 with the hole instead provided in the bracket 36. Further, if desired, the spring blade 33- could be made rigid so that it in eflect is equivalent to the rigid bracket 36 with the rigid bracket 36 being made of flexible material so that it in effect would be the spring blade 33. The spring blade 33 at the pin 35 is deflectible in the direction of the axis of such associated pin 35, which in FIG. 2 would be toward the viewer, and which in FIG. 3 would be to the right. The spring blade 33 has a cam surface 37 which facilitates assembly.

To assemble the device, the lamp 14 along with its

sockets

38, 39, a starter and a ballast (not shown) is mounted in the casing 11. If the second message panel 15 is employed, it would have been previously attached to the casing 11. Thereafter, the bezel 12 is disposed at the front side 26' of the casing 11 with the pin 31 entering the hole in the bottom 18 of the casing 11. The bezel 12 is then rocked at its upper side so that the cam surface 37 of the spring blade 33 engagesthe pin 35 to deflect the spring blade 33. As the rocking of the bezel 12 continues to the position illustrated, the pin 35 enters the opening in the spring blade 37 and the spring blade 33 pops or snaps to the position shown in FIG. 3, thereby securely holding the bezel 12 to the casing 11. Thereafter, each message panel 13 is grasped by its horizontal flange 28 and the upper marginal edge is inserted behind the upper bezel flange 22 and the message panel 13 is moved upwardly substantially as far as it can go. Since the clearance above the upper edge 30 is greater than the downwardly projecting extent at the lower edge 29, that lower edge 29 freely passes over the upper edge of the lower bezel flange 23, whereupon the message panel 13 is lowered to the position illustrated. These movements are reversed in order to replace the message panel with one having a different message. This type of sign having a series of message panels 13 is particularly useful in association with a multi-flavor beverage dispensing machine wherein the operator may, from time to time, wish to change the product that is associated or dispensed through any one of several valves. Thus, message panels 13 bearing different brand names may be freely substitituted or rearranged in accordance with the wishes of the operator. However, with this arrangement, when a person unfamiliar with the construction sees the sign '10 as shown in FIG. 1, such person would not necessarily be tempted to tamper with the message panels 13 since it is not readily apparent from seeing such sign 10 that the panels could be removed in as facile a manner as has been explained. Should it be desired to remove the bezel 112, manual access is readily had to the spring blade 33 when the adjacent message panel 13 has been removed.

Although various minor modifications might be suggested by those versed in the art, it should be understood that I wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon, all such embodiments as reasonably and properly come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A construction for a sign, comprising:

(a) a casing having a vertical side with an opening therein;

(b) a separate bezel secured to said casing and encircling said opening, said bezel additionally having an upper flange directed downwardly in horizontally 4- spaced relation to said side of said casing, and a lower flange directed upwardly in horizontally spaced relation to said side of said casing, and defining horizontal upper and lower channels between said side and said flanges; and (c) a message panel encircled by said bezel and having marginal portions disposed between said side of said casing and said flanges in said channels, said panel having a flange lying in a horizontal plane and projecting away from said side of said casing and engageable with the upper edge of said lower flange for resting thereon.

2. A construction for a sign according to claim 1, wherein said panel flange extends substantially coextensively with the horizontal length of said panel.

3. A construction for a sign according to claim 1, wherein said panel flange, in projecting away from said casing, extends to a plane substantially flush with said bezel at the bezels forward plane.

4. A construction for a sign according to claim 1, wherein said lower bezel flange is set back from the forward plane of said bezel, said panel flange projecting in overhanging relation forwardly beyond said lower bezel flange.

5. A construction for a sign according to claim 1, wherein the forward face of said message panel engages directly with the rear side of said bezel flanges.

6. A construction for a sign, comprising:

(a) a casing;

(b) a bezel;

(c) a pin-and-hole connection between said bezel and said casing at one side of said bezel, and at the opposite side of said bezel a further pin-and-hole connection between said bezel and said casing;

(d) a spring blade secured to one of said casing and said bezel and supporting part of one of said connections, said spring blade being deflectable in the direction of the axis of the pin of said one of said connections;

(e) said bezel having an upper flange directed downwardly in spaced relation to said casing, and a lower flange directed upwardly in spaced relation to said casing; and

(f) a message panel disposed within said bezel between said casing and said flanges, said panel having a horizontal flange projecting away from said casing and resting upon the upper edge of said lower flange.

7. A construction for a sign according to claim 6, wherein said spring blade is rigidly secured to said bezel remotely from said one of said connections.

8. A construction for a sign according to claim 7, wherein the hole of said one of said connections is in said spring blade.

9. A construction for a sign according to claim 6 in which said spring blade has the hole, and a cam surface engageable with the associated pin.

10. A construction for a sign, comprising:

(a) a casing;

(b) a bezel secured to said casing, said bezel having an upper flange directed downwardly in spaced relation to said casing, and a lower flange directed upwardly in spaced relation to said casing; and

(c) a message panel disposed within said bezel between said casing and said flanges, said panel having a horizontal flange projecting away from said casing and resting upon the upper edge of said lower bezel flange, the lower marginal edge of said message panel extending downwardly from the lower side of said panel flange by a distance which is less than the distance between the upper edge of said message panel and the lower side of the portion of said bezel lying thereabove.

l l. A construction for a sign, comprising:

(a) a casing;

(b) a bezel secured to said casing, said bezel having an upper flange directed downwardly in spaced re- Refere Cit d lation to said casing, and a lower flange directed up- UNITED STATES PATENTS wardly in spaced relation to said caslng;

(c) a message panel disposed within said bezel be- 3 5 11/1920 KofnlCker X tween said casing and said flanges, said panel having 5 81978 4/ 1936 Adler a horizontal flange projectingaway from said casing 2,156,257 5/1939 Adler 33BUX and resting upon the upper edge of said lower bezel 3,131,496 5/1964 PP flange; and

(d) said bezel having at least one vertical flange en- ROBERT MICHELL Pnmary Exammer gageable with the rear side of said message panel at 10 R. CARTER, Assistant Examiner one end thereof. 12. A construction for a sign according to claim 11, US. C1.X.R. wherein said bezel has a second vertical flange spaced 4() 132.(D) from said one vertical flange and engageable with the rear side of said message panel at the end opposite to said 15 one end thereof.