US3643362A

US3643362A - Sign display device

Info

Publication number: US3643362A
Application number: US883160A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert H Hackett; Charles D Hartmann; Brady M Elias
Original assignee: I D L Inc
Current assignee: Kraft Heinz Foods Co; I D L Inc
Priority date: 1969-12-08
Filing date: 1969-12-08
Publication date: 1972-02-22
Anticipated expiration: 1989-02-22

Abstract

A signlike display device is disclosed having a substantially flat backup board member, a frame about and enclosing the outer peripheral edge portions of the board member, and support assemblies at each end of the frame in the form of a pair of members, each having an upright leg and a horizontally outwardly projecting foot and being removably and adjustably secured to vertical end members of the frame and adaptable for different heights of support and for different spacing of members. The frame, of integral construction, has an outer, reinforced part of hollow boxlike section and an inner part of dual channellike section whose back portion is adapted to slidably closely receive edge portions of the board and whose forward open mouth portion is adapted to bypass the board and to removably receive mounting means in the form of clamping elements for positioning paperlike sheets of advertising material on wide side faces of the board member.

Description

, a l lllhlle @iihlihd Paieit [151 modems llllaelretll ell all, li ehm 22, W72

[54] Sllldhl hllsmihll HIEWMIE 2,941,324 6/1960 Waxgiser ..40/156 [72] inventors: lilohelrt llll. llliaehett, Oakmorlt; fihllllrlles lil 2? g Hartman, Pittsburgh; BMW M mm, earmann tt l f P anne e w o a Primary Examiner-Robert W. Michell [731 Assignees: llJiML. incorporated, Pittsburgh, Pa. by A i a ExaminerRichard Carter Said H 'U- lillfiillw N Y, Attorney-Green,McCallisterdrMill-er sburgh, Pa. by said Hartman and said Elias [57] ABSTRACT {221 Fi1ed= W9 A signlike display device is disclosed having a substantially flat {21] Appl No: gmmfl backup board member, a frame about and enclosing the outer peripheral edge portions of the board member, and support assemblies at each end of the frame in the form of a pair of U5. CH. s Jim/156, embers ach having an leg and a horizontally out. [51] iilZllJCil ..G9ti1/ll2 wardly Pmjecting foot and being removably and adjustably [58] iFllelldl off Search ..40/l25 F, 125 G, 125 H, 156, secured to Vertical end members of the frame and adaptable /157 158 B; 248/452; 211/ 24/81 PC for different heights of support and for different spacing of members. The frame, of integral construction, has an outer, [56] mam-mm (MM reinforced part of hollow boxlike section and an inner part of UNITED STATES PATENTS dual channellike section whose back portion is adapted to slldably closely receive edge portions of the board and whose 2,979,842 4/1961 De Rldder "40/156 for ard p n outh portion is adapted to bypass the board 2,963,173 12/1960 Barnes H X and to removably receive mounting; means in the form of 2,533,778 12/1950 Eckhardt 40/ F X clamping elements for positioning paperlike sheets of advertis- 3423366 1/1969 40/156 X ing material on wide side faces of the board member. 1,607,465 11/1926 Kirk et al...... ..40/l56 2,633,653 4/1953 Angus et al. ..40/l56 15 Claims, 9 lDhrav/illllg llilgllllres l w L L25 5 /6 A 2 2" /C{ //Z k/Jc SIGN DISPLAY DEVICE This invention relates to an improved display or signboard device that is adaptable to be used in an upright position for displaying advertising material on one or both of its opposite wide side faces. The invention particularly applies to a device having a rectangular enclosing frame whose advertising material is readily replaced from time to time by simple opera tions. The device may be used in supermarkets to rest upon a top shelf portion of a conventional merchandise-carrying gondola.

There has been a need in the advertising art for a display device which will have the advantages of an outdoor billboard without its attendant disadvantages and that will meet factors as to requisite upright supported strength and stability, of best usage of available space, and of ease of change of advertising material.

It has thus been an object of the invention to devise a new and improved form of display device that is adaptable to different desired sizes of displays and will meet the problem involved in the art;

Another object has been to provide an improved display device that is particularly adaptable to use within a store and at a position and location wherein it will be easily seen but will take a minimum of useful space and utilize otherwise wasted space;

Another object of the invention has been to meet the factors involved and to provide a device that will be relatively inexpensive to manufacture and maintain, and that will be relatively easy to service from the standpoint of periodic change of its advertising material;

A further object of the invention has been to devise a display device that is adaptable to various locations and usages and that as employed will support paperlike advertising sheets in a flat, unwrinkled condition and will enable different advertising sheets to be substituted from time to time as desired with relative case;

These and other objects of the invention will appear to those skilled in the art from the illustrated embodiments shown in the drawings.

In the drawings,

FIG. I is a front side view in elevation of a device constructed in accordance with the invention, showing it in a non mal upright displaying position;

FIG. 2 is an end view on the scale of and of the device shown in FIG. I;

FIG. 3 is an additional end view on the scale of FIG. 2 illustrating how a pair of leg members may be given an increased spaced relation for better stability of support or to adapt it to the width of an available positioning shelf or horizontal member;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal fragmental section on an enlarged scale, taken across an end portion of the device and illustrating one fon'n of removable mounting means for sheetlike advertising material;

FIG. 5 is a view on the scale of and similar to FIG. 4 but illustrating a modified form of mounting means;

FIG. 6 is a greatly reduced end view in elevation illustrating a typical gondola, such as used in a supermarket, with a device of the invention positioned on its upper shelf;

FIG. 6A is a fragmental view in elevation on the scale of FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrating a slightly modified leg construction and utilization;

FIG. 7 is an isometric view in elevation on the scale of FIG. a showing details of the construction of one of a pair of similar wedgelike clamping or fastening elements of the mounting means illustrated in such figure;

And FIG. 8 is an isometric view in elevation on the scale of FIG. 5 illustrating details of the construction of a clamping or fastening element of the mounting means shown in such figure,

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 6 of the drawings, sign display device It) is shown in an upright position on a suitable support, as to extend along an upper shelf 9a of a conventional supermarket gondola 9. The device I0 is shown provided with a board member III that may be of a suitable material, such as pressed fiberboard or composition board, such as sold as Masonite or Upsom board, and will have a substantially flat or planar construction from the standpoint: of its opposed wide side faces. Relatively narrow peripheral edge portions of the board member II are, as shown in FIGS. I, I and 5, provided with a continuous enclosing frame I5 of a suitable material; an extruded aluminum frame has been found to be highly satisfactory. The frame has an outer part to of substantially closed rectangular or boxlike, continuous, reinforcing section, and an inner part 117 that is integral therewith and of dual channellike section. With particular reference to FIG. 4i, the outer boxlike part 16 has a pair of forwardly inwardly declining opposite sidewall portions Ida that terminate in a planar connecting portion lltib. The connecting portion Mb serves as a base of a valley or back channel portion 17c of the part 17 within which the outer peripheral edges of the board member 111 have a somewhat closely adjacent sliding fit. A front open mouth portion 17a of enlarged channel section surmounts the portion of lesser width or section and is integrally connected thereto by a pair of outwardly extending portions I711.

In FIGS. 4 and 5 there are disclosed two forms of mounting means which, in the case of FIG. 4i, is represented by a pair of resilient, wedge-shaped elements 20 that are used as an assembled opposed pair to clamp down upon, and removably securely hold an advertising sheet, such as of paper 112, in position within the open mouth portion 171:. Each element 20 may be of rubber or resilient resin construction and has, as shown in FIG. 7, a longitudinal planar inner face 20a that is adapted to abut and clamp-engage against the outer edge portion of the sheet of material I2 to hold it in an unwrinkled, secure, flat position against an adjacent wide sidie face of the board member 1111. Each element 20 also has an outwardly forwardly inclined face 20b that is opposed to the face 20a and that is connected at its forward end to a second, more abruptly outwardly inclined face of shorter extent 20d. A planar front face 200 is, at one end, connected to the inner face 2th: and at its other end to the face 20d to define a gripping foot portion that extends outwardly of the open mouth portion I7a. A wedging fit of each element 20 is, as illustrated in FIG. 4, attained between the forward edge of the mouth portion 17a and the inclined face 20b and a manual grip for the element 20 is provided by its outwardly projecting foot portion.

FIGS. 5 and 8 illustrate a unitary form of fastening, clipping or clamping element 25 which may desirably be of flexible metal construction or of a suitable flexible or resilient resin construction. Each element 25 has a pair of opposed planar legs 26 that are connected in a spaced-apart relation by a back, planar, connecting portion 27 to form a channel section that fits within the valley portion or back channel section 1170 and about the inner peripheral edge portions of the board member Ill. Preferably, each element 25 has a somewhat close fit in its mounted position of FIG. 5, so that it will frictionally stay or remain in a given position along the board member 1111. FIG. I shows the spaced mounted relation of

representative elements

20 and 25.

Each cliplike element 25 also has a pair of opposed outwardly bent or angle-shaped central shoulder portions 26a that extend forwardly from the legs 26 and provide the element with a springlike flexibility or resiliency. Each portion 26a terminates at its forward end in an outwardly turned, front end clamping portion 26b which defines a line contact or wedging engagement with an associated sheet of advertising material 112, see FIG. 5.

FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show pairs or assemblies of angle-shaped upright supporting leg members 30 removably secured to the frame I5 adjacent opposite ends thereof to project downwardly therefrom for supporting or positioning the frame in a vertical upright relation. The leg members 30 are employed as opposed pairs at each end of the frame I5, with their leg portions 301: in a spaced relation with each other, and with their outwardly extending horizontal foot portions 30b in an oppositely extending relation with respect: to each other, as

reinforced by diagonal, cross-connecting portions 300. The legs 30 of each pair may, as shown, he of straplike metal construction and are adapted to be mounted on opposite sides of the outer part 16 of the frame 15 by means of vertically spaced, through-extending hole portions 16c and bolt and nut assemblies 31.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, see also the dot and dash line indication and the arrows at the top of the figure, the assemblies 31 may extend through any cooperating pair of holes 160 to provide the board member with a suitable viewing height and one which will have stability in its supported or mounted positioning. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the cooperating legs 30 of each pair may be secured in any suitable spaced relation with respect to each other by using shims 32 between them and the part 16 of the frame 15. In this manner, the feet 30b may be extended to the full width of the shelf or other means, such as 9a, on which the device 10 is to be positioned and may be given maximum stability for the spacing available. The mounting permits the legs 30 to be raised to a higher position of the full lines of F IG. 3 as compared to the lower position of the full lines of FIG. 2.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, a full width and length sheet of paperlike advertising material 12 is preferably positioned along each wide side face of the board member 11 in a flat backed-up position thereon. However, as illustrated in FIG. 1, small bulletinlike pieces or sheets of advertising or notification material, such as 12 or 12", may be used with either the elements 20 shown to the left of FIG. 1 or the elements 25 shown to the right of the same figure.

In FIG. 6A, a modified construction is illustrated that is particularly suited for use with a gondola 9' whose opposite upper shelves 9b and 90 extend from vertically spaced or staggered positions. To accommodate for this, the leg portions of upright support brackets or

leg members

35 and 35 are provided with spaced-

apart holes

35a and 35a therethrough of the same spacing as the holes 16c with respect to each other (for example, about 1 inch). As a result, the nut and bolt assemblies 31 may be used to secure the supporting members or brackets 35 and 35' in a staggered relation with respect to each other that substantially corresponds to the staggered relation of the shelves 9b and 9c. Each support member or bracket 35 and 35' has an outwardly or angularly projecting foot portion 36, that has at least one and that is shown provided with a pair of spaced-apart holes 36a therethrough.

The holes 36a may be employed for securing the

members

35 and 35 to an associated support shelf 9b or 90 by means of nut and bolt assemblies if the mounting is to be a more or less permanent one. The holes may also be employed with shims to bring the foot portion 36 into a fully plumb relation with an associated shelf 9b or 90, whether such foot portion is to be secured or is to merely have a standing positioning, such as shown, for example, in FIGS. 2 and 3. To compensate for any minor spacing between a foot portion 36 and its associated shelf, a shim piece or plug element 37 of a suitable material such as resin and of a requisite thickness or depth may be secured to extend downwardly an appropriate distance from the underside of the foot portion by means of a threaded screw 38 that extends through one of the holes 36a and into a threaded bore of the shim piece 37. In this manner, a more or less micrometer or close fitting type of adaptation of the feet 36 of each support bracket may be accomplished to support the frame and its board 10 in a nontilting upright position on the particular gondola involved.

We claim:

1. In an improved sign display device for removably mounting sheets of advertising material along opposite sides thereof, having a relatively flat board member provided with a pair of opposite wide side faces for removably receiving paperlike sheets of advertising material thereon, and having an enclosing substantially continuous frame along and mounted on outer peripheral edge portions of the board member; said frame being of relatively rigid metal construction and having a hollow outer peripheral part of closed-off cross section and an integral inwardly open inner peripheral part of dual-channel section, one channel section of said inner peripheral part being immediately integral with said outer part and having a backwardly open and centrally positioned valley portion of a width to slidably receive outer peripheral edge portions of the board member therein, the other channel section of said inner peripheral part being a backward integral continuation of said one channel section and having an open mouth portion that is open to said valley portion and that has an enlarged width to bypass adjacent portions of the board member into said valley portion, a plurality of removable mounting means adapted to extend within said open mouth portion and along the wide side faces of the board member as positioned within said frame, and said mounting means having a pair of angle-shaped clamping portions of flexible construction adapted for removable mounting within and to engage opposite inner side faces of said inner peripheral part and press against opposite sides of the board member for holding a sheet of paper on an associated wide side face of the board member.

2. In an improved display device as defined in claim 1, said frame having vertical end members of the defined construction, an upright support assembly at each end of said frame, means removably securing each of said support assemblies to extend along said vertical end members of said frame, each of said support assemblies having a pair of opposed upright supporting members, each of said supporting members having an upwardly extending leg and an outwardly extending foot, one supporting member of each said pair being adapted to be positioned with its leg in a forward location with respect to one side of the associated vertical end member of said frame, the other supporting member being adapted to be positioned with its leg in a forward location with respect to the opposite side of the same associated vertical end member, and bolt and nut assemblies adapted to extend through the legs of each of said pair of supporting members and through cooperating portions of the associated vertical end member for vertically adjustably securing said pair to said frame.

3. In an improved display device as defined in claim 2, shim means cooperating with the legs of each said pair of supporting members and with the associated vertical end member to provide a suitably spaced relation between each said pair of opposed supporting members.

4. In a display device as defined in claim 1, a pair of angleshaped supporting legs removably secured to said frame adjacent opposite ends thereof and projecting downwardly therefrom for holding said frame in a vertical upright position, and each supporting leg of each of said pairs having means adjustably mounting it on said frame and in a vertically staggered relation with respect to the other leg of the same pair.

5. In a display device as defined in claim 4, each said supporting leg having an upwardly extending leg portion provided with spaced-apart holes therethrough through which said adjustable-mounting means is selectively adapted to extend and having a horizontally outwardly extending foot portion, shim means for said foot portion, and means cooperating with said foot portion for underposition-mounting said shim means thereon.

6. In a display device as defined in claim 5, said foot portion having at least one hole therethrough, said means cooperating with said foot portion being a threaded screw extending through the hole therein, said shim means having a threaded bore for removably mounting it on said screw, and shim means cooperating with the leg portions of each said pair of supporting legs and with said adjustable-mounting means for mounting said leg portions in a spaced-apart relation with respect to each other to face towards opposite sides of said frame.

7. In an improved display device as defined in claim 1, said mounting elements comprising a group of flexible springlike clips that extend from within said valley portion along the peripheral edge portions of said board member and within said open mouth portion along at least one wide side face of said board member, and each of said clips having at least one leg to engage the sheet of advertising material and hold it in a clamped relation against an adjacent wide side face of said board member.

b. In an improved display device as defined in claim 1, each of said mounting elements being of U-shaped construction to fit across the peripheral edge portions of said board member and extend along the opposite wide side faces thereof and outwardly through said open mouth portion of said frame for removably clamping a sheet of the advertising material adjacent outer edge portions thereof along each opposite wide side face of said board member.

9. In an improved display device as defined in claim 1, said mounting elements being in the form of a pair of resilient wedge-shaped angles, one of which is adapted to fit within said open mouth portion of said frame along one wide side face of said board member and the other of which is adapted to fit in a like manner within said open mouth portion along the opposite wide side face of said board member, whereby a sheet of advertising material may be removably clamped in position along each wide side face of said board member.

10. In an improved display device as defined in claim ll, each of said mounting elements being of a U-shaped, springlike construction and having a pair of spaced-apart leg portions and a cross-extending connecting portion, said connecting portion being adapted to be positioned to extend across peripheral edge portions of said board member, said leg portions being adapted to extend along said opposite wide side faces of said board member and out through said open mouth portion of said frame, each of said leg portions having an outwardly projecting central shoulder portion of angular shape to provide clamping flexibility, and each of said leg portions having a forward end of angular shape that extends towards the opposite leg portion of the pair to clamp-engage and hold sheets of advertising material on the wide side faces of said board member.

II. In an improved display device as defined in claim 1, said mounting elements being in cooperating pairs, each element of each pair being of wedge'shaped resilient construction and having a leg defined by a planar side face that is adapted to engage the sheet of advertising material and by an outwardly and forwardly projecting inclined opposed side face that extends from an inner end of said planar side face into engagement with a forward edge of said open mouth portion, each of said elements having a foot defined by a planar front face and by an inclined transversely extending side face that is connected at its back end to a front end of said firstmentioned inclined side face.

112. In a display device as defined in claim I, a pair of angleshaped supporting legs removably secured to said frame adjacent opposite ends thereof and projecting downwardly therefrom for holding said frame in a vertical upright position, and each of said pair of legs having bolt and nut assemblies and shim means for mounting them on an associated end portion of said frame and in a spaced-apart relation with respect to each other to face towards opposite sides of said frame.

13. In an improved display device as defined in claim ll, said mounting means comprising a pair of angle-shaped resilient wedge members for mounting in an opposed relation with respect to each other within the spacing between said forwardly open mouth portion and adjacent wide side faces of said board member.

M. In an improved display board as defined in claim ll, said mounting means comprising a group of Ill-shaped flexible clip elements each of which is mounted over an outer peripheral edge of and extends along opposite wide side faces of said board member within said frame, and each of said clip ele ments having a pair of angle-shaped legs that project forwardly along said board member and outside of said frame member to provide gripping means for flexing said element within said frame member for inserting and removing the sheets of advertising material from a positioning on said board.

15. In a display device as defined in claim M, each of said clip elements being of metal construction and having a rectangu ar back end connecting portion that fits over the peripheral edge portion of said board member within said backwardly positioned portion of said frame, has a forwardly projecting pair of outwardly bent knees within said forwardly open mouth portion, and has inwardly bent forward gripping portions to flexibly engage sheets of the advertising material on opposite wide side faces of said board member to hold the advertising material in a clamped relation thereon.

i =l= l:

Claims

4. In a display device as defined in claim 1, a pair of angle-shaped supporting legs removably secured to said frame adjacent opposite ends thereof and projecting downwardly therefrom for holding said frame in a vertical upright position, and each supporting leg of each of said pairs having means adjustably mounting it on said frame and in a vertically staggered relation with respect to the other leg of the same pair.

8. In an improved display device as defined in claim 1, each of said mounting elements being of U-shaped construction to fit across the peripheral edge portions of said board member and extend along the opposite wide side faces thereof and outwardly through said open mouth portion of said frame for removably clamping a sheet of the advertising material adjacent outer edge portions thereof along each opposite wide side face of said board member.

10. In an improved display device as defined in claim 1, each of said mounting elements being of a U-shaped, springlike construction and having a pair of spaced-apart leg portions and a cross-extending connecting portion, said connecting portion being adapted to be positioned to extend across peripheral edge portions of said board member, said leg portions being adapted to extend along said opposite wide side faces of said board member and out through said open mouth portion of said frame, each of said leg portions having an outwardly projecting central shoulder portion of angular shape to provide clamping flexibility, and each of said leg portions having a forward end of angular shape that extends towards the opposite leg portion of the pair to clamp-engage and hold sheets of advertising material on the wide side faces of said board member.

11. In an improved display device as defined in claim 1, said mounting elements being in cooperating pairs, each element of each pair being of wedge-shaped resilient construction and having a leg defined by a planar side face that is adapted to engage the sheet of advertising material and by an outwardly and forwardly projecting inclined opposed side face that extends from an inner end of said planar side face into engagement with a forward edge of said open mouth portion, each of said elements having a foot defined by a planar front face and by an inclined transversely extending side face that is connected at its back end to a front end of said first-mentioned inclined side face.

12. In a display device as defined in claim 1, a pair of angle-shaped supporting legs removably secured to said frame adjacent opposite ends thereof and projecting downwardly therefrom for holding said frame in a vertical upright position, and each of said pair of legs having bolt and nut assemblies and shim means for mounting them on an associated end portion of said frame and in a spaced-apart relation with respect to each other to face towards opposite sides of said frame.

13. In an improved display device as defined in claim 1, said mounting means comprising a pair of angle-shaped resilient wedge members for mounting in an opposed relation with respect to each other within the spacing between said forwardly open mouth portion and adjacent wide side faces of said board member.

14. In an improved display board as defined in claim 1, said mounting means comprising a group of U-shaped flexible clip elements each of which is mounted over an outer peripheral edge of and extends along opposite wide side faces of said board member within said frame, and each of said clip elements having a pair of angle-shaped legs that project forwardly along said board member and outside of said frame member to provide gripping means for flexing said element within said frame member for inserting and removing the sheets of advertising material from a positioning on said board.

15. In a display device as defined in claim 14, each of said clip elements being of metal construction and having a rectangular back end connecting portion that fits over the peripheral edge portion of said board member within said backwardly positioned portion of said frame, has a forwardly projecting pair of outwardly bent knees within said forwardly open mouth portion, and has inwardly bent forward gripping portions to flexibly engage sheets of the advertising material on opposite wide side faces of said board member to hold the advertising material in a clamped relation thereon.