US3648334A - Clip for attaching sign to a staff - Google Patents

Abstract

A spring clip for use on an automobile radio antenna, or any like staff, to hold a card, tag or sign for identification of the vehicle or for various types of price tagging or small displays. The clip has two generally rectilinear legs joined by a loop which can accommodate the ball tip of an aerial, or the like, and the legs are slotted for lateral gripping of the staff. A prong on one leg is provided to engage the card or sign and prevent downward slippage while the unrelieved edges of this slot in this leg provide an effective gripping action when pressing the card against the staff, even tending to effect slight local deformation, and thus assuring against tilting of the card.

Description

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Swallm Mali, 1, 11972 [54] CLIPF'OR ATTACHING SIGN TU A 1,213,644 1/1917 Holcomb ..24/81 PH UX STAFF 2,636,240 4/1953 Pokomy ..24/259 RC 3,427,695 2 1969 Cowan ..24 259 PC [72] Inventor: Calvin D. Swalm, 4138 Cass Street, San I 92109 Primary Examiner-Donald A. Grifi'in [22] Filed: July 2, 1970 Attorney-Knox & Knox [21] Appl. No.: 51,782 [57] ABSTRACT A spring clip for use on an automobile radio antenna, or any ((511. like staff, to hold a card, tag or sign for identification of the vehicle or for various yp of price gg g or small [58] held 2:7 m; gg g The clip has two generally rectilinear legs joined by a loop BB 255 259 k 259 ZSSP 5 R PH which can accommodate the ball tip of an aerial, or the like, 259 RC and the legs are slotted for lateral gripping of the staff. A prong on one leg is provided to engage the card or sign and 56] Reierences Cited prevent downward slippage while the unrelieved edges of this slot in this leg provide an effective gripping action when UNITED STATES PATENTS pressing the card against the staff, even tending to effect slight local deformation, and thus assuring against tilting of the card. 1,744,196 1/1930 Ames 3,021,581 2/1962 Cook et al ..24/73 B 4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEMAR 1 a ma IN VENTOR.

CALVIN D. SWALM CLIP FOR ATTACHING SIGN TO A STAFF BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION With the advent of huge parking areas, especially those associated with multi-entrance buildings, many people experience at least occasional difficulty in locating their automobiles. Flowers and other items have been attached to aerials for identification purposes but the means for physical attachment has ordinarily been rudimentary, improvised and sometimes inadequate. In a broader field of use, certain pennants and the like are pinned or similarly attached or formed with a sleeve portion to accept a shaft, but virtually nothing is generally available for mounting signs and cards on small diameter staffs as, for example, price tags and, the like in stores. In this latter connection the card, sign or tag, is sometimes merely impaled on the support and therefore not firmly held in place. In other prior art examples certain alligator and like clamps have been used but these are unhandy and unsightly when not in use. There is, therefore, a need for an economical and effective device to attach cards, signs and tags to aerials and other staff or staff-like members, a device which is simple to use and which is not obtrusive when not in use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The instant invention has been developed in answer to this need and, as claimed, comprises a spring clip with parallel legs jointed by an integral loop at the top. Each leg is slotted, and one to grip the aerial or other staff directly and the other to grip and press a card-like element against the staff. A prong on the last mentioned leg is adapted to engage the card-like element to hold the same more firmly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. l is a perspective view of the clip;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevation view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the clip mounted on a vehicle antenna;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a front elevation view, on a reduced scale, showing an emergency sign held by the clip; and

FIG. 6 is a similar view of an alternative use of the clip.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The clip is constructed from an elongated strap of resilient sheet material folded and returned on itself to define two legs 10 and 12 joined by an integral spring loop 14. The legs are transversely flat and straight throughout the major length thereof and the loop 14 is dimensioned to accept the ball tip 16 of the aerial 18 which is illustrated in the drawing to exemplify a staff upon which the clip will be placed when in use. The loop has an opening 20 to accept a part of the ball tip T6 for auxiliary stabilization of the clip.

The principal stabilizing means is achieved by the slot 22 in the leg 10 which receives a lateral portion of the staff or aerial 118. When installed on such staff or aerial without any card or the like being inserted therein, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the leg 12, with its slot 24 also directly engages the aerial or staff.

When a card-like element 26, illustrated as a distress sign in FIG. 5, is inserted between the leg 12 and the aerial or staff the edges of the slot 24, being unrelieved, grip the card element 26 and the spring action of the clip results in a positive localized pressure on the card element 26 against the aerial 18,

even tending to effect a minor bending of the card element for further assurance of secure holding action. To prevent the card element from creeping downward under the force of gravity an inturned prong is struck from the leg 12 at the lower end of the slot 24. This prong may engage under the lower edge of the card element or may bite into the same when located intermediate the height of the card element.

For ease in attachment of the clip and in insertion of a card element both legs 10 and 112 are terminally outwardly turned as at 30 and 32.

The modes of use of this invention will be obvious from the foregoing it being only necessary to point out that the term card element as used herein should be considered as generic to various cards, signs such as the emergency sign in FIG. 5 or the price tag form indicated in FIG. 6, depending on the environment wherein the invention is used. Obviously the staff upon which the clip is placed need not have a ball tip 16 as in the use of the item in stores to hold price tags.

The card 26 is preferably notched at the top as shown at 34 to accept the loop 14 and this structure further insures against tipping of the card from the proper position.

I claim:

I. A clip for attaching a card to a supporting staff, comprismg:

an elongated strap of resilient material having only one return bend defining a single pair only of generally flat parallel depending legs joined at the top by an integral spring loop;

as least one of said legs having a longitudinal slot to accept a lateral portion of a supporting staff and thereby align the clip with said staff;

whereby a card may be inserted and held between the other of said legs and the staff.

2. A clip according to claim I wherein said other one of said legs has a supported card-engaging inturned prong to contact and hold a lower edge portion of a card firmly, particularly against slipping downward.

3. A clip according to claim 1 wherein said other one of said legs has a slot similar to said slot with unrelieved edges to grip the card against the staff.

4. A clip according to claim ll wherein said loop has an opening therein, at the extremity thereof remote from said legs, to receive a portion of a ball tip on said staff, whereby the clip is adapted for use on a ball-tipped radio aerial.

Claims (4)

1. A clip for attaching a card to a supporting staff, comprising: an elongated strap of resilient material having only one return bend defining a single pair only of generally flat parallel depending legs joined at the top by an integral spring loop; as least one of said legs having a longitudinal slot to accept a lateral portion of a supporting staff and thereby align the clip with said staff; whereby a card may be inserted and held between the other of said legs and the staff.

2. A clip according to claim 1 wherein said other one of said legs has a supported card-engaging inturned prong to contact and hold a lower edge portion of a card firmly, particularly against slipping downward.

3. A clip according to claim 1 wherein said other one of said legs has a slot similar to said slot with unrelieved edges to grip the card against the staff.

4. A clip according to claim 1 wherein said loop has an opening therein, at the extremity thereof remote from said legs, to receive a portion of a ball tip on said staff, whereby the clip is adapted for use on a ball-tipped radio aerial.

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