US3638894A

US3638894A - Temporary sign brackets

Info

Publication number: US3638894A
Application number: US48406A
Authority: US
Inventors: Nicolas W Leutenegger
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-06-22
Filing date: 1970-06-22
Publication date: 1972-02-01
Anticipated expiration: 1989-02-01

Abstract

A sign bracket for temporarily hanging a sign board on a substantially upright post. The bracket has upper and lower panels that pivot about vertically spaced hinges having horizontally aligned axes. The upper and lower panels have recesses opening to one side for receiving and gripping the post.

Description

I United States Patent [:51 3,638 894 Leutenegger Feb. 1, 1972 [54] TEMPORARY SIGN BRACKETS 3,295,812 1/1967 Schneider ct a1. ..248/230 X [72] lnventor: Nicolas W. Leulenegger, 2334-l5th Ave., FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Monroe, WIS. 53566 212,073 3/1924 Great Britain ..248/246 [22] Filed: June 22, 1970 2] A LN 48,406 Primary Examiner-J.Franklin Foss 1 1 PP Attorney-Joseph 6. Werner, Theodore J. Long, John M.

Winter and James A. Kemmeter [52] U.S.Cl. ..248/22l, 40/125 1-1,211/110,

248/125, 248/230 [57] ABSTRACT t. .J I 0 i g l Search 248/221 230 fi ga A sign bracket for temporarily hanging a sign board on a subg' lazg'f stantially upright post. The bracket has upper and lower panels that pivot about vertically spaced hinges having [56] References Cited horizontally aligned axes. The upper and lower panels have recesses opening to one side for receiving and gripping the UNITED STATES PATENTS P 1,212,588 1/1917 Volhard ..248/230 2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures TEMPORARY SIGN BRACKETS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to sign brackets and more particularly to a temporary sign bracket that has two hinged end portions having recessed openings for receiving and gripping a sign post.

2. Description of the Prior Art Various types of temporary sign brackets have been invented in the past. One such device, shown in US. Pat. No. 437,480, shows a sign having open spring-retaining arms as brackets. A disadvantage of this kind of bracket is that it is rigidly attached to the sign. Whenever this kind of sign and bracket is not is use, it can not be compactly stored without first removing the bracket from the sign.

Another device, shown in US. Pat. No. 2,882,629, is a collapsible sign. The sign and its attaching means can be compactly stored when not in use. However, a disadvantage of this kind of sign is that it must be slipped over the top end of its support tube. The heighth at which the sign is displayed is then dependent on the length of the support tube.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Generally, my invention comprises a bracket for temporarily attaching a sign to a post at any heighth desired on the sign post. Another object is to provide a bracket that is collapsible so that, when not in use, the sign board and its still attached bracket can be compactly stored.

These objects are accomplished by my invention which is a bracket that has hinged panels with recesses that fit substantially around the periphery of a sign post. Opposing wedgelike forces create resistance to movement between the sign post and the edges of the recesses thereby maintaining the sign in its desired position on the sign post. These opposing forces are caused by the tendency of opposite sides of the recesses to twist against opposite sides of the post. Thus my temporary sign can be slipped around a sign post at any desired heighth and it will remain in place without the use of separate attaching or retaining means.

Other objects, features and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a sign board with the preferred embodiment of my bracket attached thereto and in an extended position for hanging the sign board onto a sign st. p FIG. 2 is a front elevation view showing my sign bracket detached from the sign board and folded in a overlapping position for compact storage.

FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of my bracket fully unfolded.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now more particularly to the drawings wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, a sign is generally shown at in FIG. 1. The sign comprises a sign board 11 with my temporary bracket 12 attached thereto.

Bracket 12 has a mounting panel 13 for fastening the bracket to sign board 11. Upper and

lower panels

14 and 15 are attached to mounting panel 13 by

hinges

16 and 17, respectively at the upper and

lower edges

33 and 34 of panel 13. In another embodiment, mounting panel 13 can be eliminated by fastening

hinges

16 and 17 and the

panels

14 and 15 directly to sign board 11.

Panels

14 and 15 have

recesses

18 and 19, respectively, formed therein and opening to

sides

20 and 21 thereof, which fit substantially around the periphery of the sign post shown as 22 in FIG. 1. Recesses 18 and 19 are substantially U-shaped and could be made to open to the

opposite sides

23 and 24 of

panels

14 and 15 if desired. It is not necessary that recesses 18 and 19 open on the same sides of panels 14 and I5, but they could open on opposite sides, i.e., recess 18 could open to side 20 of panel 14 and recess 19 could open to side 24 of panel 15; likewise the respective recesses could open to side 23 and side 21. Recesses l8 and 19 do not have to be substantially U- shaped, rather any shaped recess that can receive and substantially fit around and grip the sign post can be used, so long as the portions of the recess grip the sign post on substantially opposite sides of the post as shown by 25 and 26 which

sides

25 and 26 of post 22 are substantially the sides farthest away and nearest to, respectively, hinge 16. If desired the recesses could open to

sides

27 and 28 of

panels

14 and 15 so long as the recesses are shaped so as to grip the sign post 22 at substantially the sides nearest to and farthest away from the

hinges

16 and 17. In the

preferred embodiment edges

29 and 30 of

recesses

18 and 19, respectively, are serrated as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

When a sign embodying my invention is hung on a sign post, such as is shown in FIG. 1, the weight of the sign will tend to pull the sign away from the post and downwardly. This causes panel 14 to pivot upwardly, in'a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 1, about hinge 16 until the edge 29 of recess 18 grips the substantially

opposite sides

25 and 26 of post 22. There will be an inwardly and upwardly directed force where edge 29 is gripping the post at its side 25 and an opposite outwardly and downwardly directed force where the edge 29 is gripping the post at its side 26. These forces are represented by

arrows

31 and 32 respectively. It is these opposing forces that maintain the sign at its desired vertical position on the sign post by creating a resistance to any movement between the sign post and the edges of the recesses. The lower panel 15 has similar opposing forces, but its primary purpose is to hold the lower part of the sign board away from post 22, as the weight of the sign is primarily borne by upper panel 14 and hinge 16.

It can further be seen that because

panels

14 and 15 pivot about their respective hinges l6 and 17 a sign constructed according to my invention can be hung from any sized post so long as

recesses

18 and 19 are large enough to fit around the post. Whenever a post such as 22 is smaller than the

recesses

18 and 19,

panels

14 and 15 merely pivot more away from each other until the edges of the recesses grip the opposite sides of the post. I

The use of

serrated edges

29 and 30 is more effective when hanging a sign from a wooden post, but will likewise work when hanging a sign from a metal post. It is not, however, necessary that the

edges

29 and 30 of

recesses

18 and 19 be serrated in order for my invention to work.

When a sign constructed according to my invention is not in use, the bracket 12 can be folded substantially parallel the plane of sign board 11 while still attached to it, so that the sign 10 is substantially flat for compact storage. FIG. 2 shows bracket 12 thusly folded except that it is not attached to the sign board. Thus it can be seen that a sign mounted on a bracket constructed according to my invention is very desirable for such types of signs as NO PARKING or other temporary traffic control signs and similar purposes when the type notice used on a sign is one that is put into use only temporarily and in different places at different times. Such a sign can be readily put to use and hung on any vertical type post and when its use is no longer necessary can be readily taken down and folded for storage until the next use is needed.

It is understood that my invention is not confined to the particular construction and arrangement of parts herein illustrated and described, but embraces all such modified forms thereof as may come within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A sign bracket for temporarily hanging a sign board on a substantially upright post, comprising:

a. a substantially flat mounting panel for attachment to the sign board, said mounting panel having an upper and a lower edge,

b. upper and lower panels hingedly attached to the upper and lower edges, respectively, of said mounting panel for pivotable movement between an overlapping position substantially parallel to said mounting panel and an extended position transverse to said mounting panel for hanging the sign board, the distance between the upper and lower edges of said mounting panel being greater than the length of at least one of upper and lower panels. said upper and lower panels each having a recess formed therein and opening to one side thereof for receiving and gripping the post.

2. A sign to be temporarily hung on a substantially upright post, comprising in combination:

a. a substantially flat sign board,

b. an upper panel having a recess formed therein and opening to one side thereoffor receiving and gripping the post,

0. a lower panel having a recess formed therein and opening to one side thereof for receiving and gripping the post, and

(1. means hingedly attaching said upper and lower panels to said sign board for pivotal movement about vertically spaced horizontal axes from a storage position substantially parallel to the plane of said sign board to an extended position transverse to said sign board for hanging the sign board, the distance between said axes being greater than the length of at least one of said panels.

Claims

1. A sign bracket for temporarily hanging a sign board on a substantially upright post, comprising: a. a substantially flat mounting panel for attachment to the sign board, said mounting panel having an upper and a lower edge, b. upper and lower panels hingedly attached to the upper and lower edges, respectively, of said mounting panel for pivotable movement between an overlapping position substantially parallel to said mounting panel and an extended position transverse to said mounting panel for hanging the sign board, the distance between the upper and lower edges of said mounting panel being greater than the length of at least one of upper and lower panels, c. said upper and lower panels each having a recess formed therein and opening to one side thereof for receiving and gripping the post.

2. A sign to be temporarily hung on a substantially upright post, comprising in combination: a. a substantially flat sign board, b. an upper panel having a recess formed therein and opening to one side thereof for receiving and gripping the post, c. a lower panel having a recess formed therein and opening to one side thereof for receiving and gripping the post, and d. means hingedly attaching said upper and lower panels to said sign board for pivotal movement about vertically spaced horizontal axes from a storage position substantially parallel to the plane of said sign board to an extended position transverse to said sign board for hanging the sign board, the distance between said axes being greater than the length of at least one of said panels.