US3750314A

US3750314A - Sign holder and assembly

Info

Publication number: US3750314A
Application number: US00142664A
Authority: US
Inventors: J Crawford
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1971-05-12
Filing date: 1971-05-12
Publication date: 1973-08-07
Anticipated expiration: 1990-08-07

Abstract

A sign holder and sign assembly is disclosed which includes an elongated member having along one side outwardly opening sign receiving and retaining channel means and along the opposite side provided with a mounting surface for abutting either a support on which the sign is to be mounted or a corresponding surface of an identical holder whereby a pair of signs may be secured together in end-to-end relation, and in which there are a pair of strap engaging surfaces disposed beyond opposite ends of the channel means whereby the holder may be strapped to a support, and in which a fastener receiving aperture extends through the holder intermediate opposite ends for securing the holder either to a support or to an identical holder. The construction of the holder permits a series of signs to be mounted one above the other and disposed in relatively rotated positions such that the signs may be read from different angles of approach.

Description

o w 111; United States aten 1 [1 1 3,7,M @rawford [4 1 Aug. 7, W73

[ SIGN HOLDER AND ASSEMBLY [76] Inventor: John C. Crawford, 15485 Nehls, [57] ABSTRACT East Detroit Mlch' 48021 A sign holder and sign assembly is disclosed which in- [22] Filed: May 12, 1971 eludes an elongated member having along one side outwardly opening sign receiving and retaining channel [21] Appl' 142664 means and along the opposite side provided with a mounting surface for abutting either a support on [52] Cl. 40/125 H, 40/145 1R, 248/475 which the sign is to be mounted or a corresponding sur- [51] Int. Cl. 609E 7/20 face of an identical holder whereby a pair of signs may [5 8] Field of Search 40/145, 125 H; be secured together in end-to-end relation, and in 248/475 which there are a pair of strap engaging surfaces disposed beyond opposite ends of the channel means [56] References Cited whereby the holder may be strapped to a support, and UNITE S S PATENTS in which a fastener receiving aperture extends through 3 218 746 11/1965 Hawkins 40,145 R the holder intermediate opposite ends for securing the 2:383:88 8/1945 40,145 R holder either to a support or to an identical holder. The 1,6033 10/1926 Bren et a1." 40/145 R construction of the holder permits a series of signs to 2,622,357 12/1952 Sprung 40/145 R be mounted n bove the other and disposed in rela- Primary Examiner-Robert W. Michell Assistant Examiner-John F. Pitrelli Attorney-Burton and Parker tively rotated positions such that the signs may be read from different angles of approach.

1 Claim, 12 Drawing Figures l I l 20 68 86 PAIENTED 1 3, 750, 3 1 4 sum 1 nr 2 INVENTOR JO/l/V C 664 WFOKD ATTORNEYS PATENIEDAus H975 SHEET 2 0F 2 F I 6. l2

INVENTOR Joy/v c? own/Pom BY 6 e a m P a mi 8 J 0H I 4. {II m WE F I a 4 m m o 4 a 0 G m ATTORNEYS SIGN HOLDER AND ASSEMBLY FIELD OF INVENTION This invention relates to holders for signs, and is particularly adapted for supporting conventional traffic Signs and the like made of sheet metal or other relatively thin panel-like material. The holder may be supported either on the side of a post or pole or at the top thereof and is so constructed that by juxtaposing holders, a series of signs may be supported in end-to-end stacked relation and disposed at various relative angular positions so that they may be read at different angles of approach.

PRIOR ART AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION For many years Highway Departments have found it necessary to provide a great variety of fixtures, holders, fasteners and the like in order to mount traffic signs, which complicates inventory and maintains high costs. In a typical Highway Department, as many as 14 separate parts are required for mounting traffic signs on poles and posts. As a consequence, there has existed for a number of years the need for a more universal sign holder were the number of separate parts could be drastically reduced so that the inventory and cost of sign holders could be reduced.

l have provided a sign holder which will allow mount ing on a variety of supports in present use such as poles and posts either tubular, solid or channel-shaped, and which will also allow the support of one or more signs in a simple and effective fashion and at a low cost. According to my invention, conventional street signals may be mounted on any of the conventional type supports utilizing but three different major parts, namely the sign holder itself and adaptors for either the upper end of a tubular post or an adaptor for a channel type post. Conventional fasteners such as bolts and straps, which are readily available items, are of course also required.

Other objects, and advantages and meritorious features will become apparent from the following description and drawings wherein:

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES FIG. 1 is a side elevation of my holder supporting a sign strapped to a post;

FIG. 2 shows a pair of signs disposed in stacked relation at a 90 relative angular position such as might be used at a street intersection;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the holder;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the holder of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an end view of the holder shown in FIG. 4 and illustrating the holder mounted on a channelshaped post;

FIG. 6 shows the capability of angularly displacing a pair of holders to a small angular displacement;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view through a pair of holders showing them connecting a pair of signs; v

, FIG. 8 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view showing one of the holders mounted on a pipe support adaptor;

FIG. 9 is a top view of the adaptor of FIG. 8 with the holder removed for clarity; and

FIGS. 10, 11 and 12 are respectively side, front and top views of another adaptor.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, the holder comprises an elongated member 20 having along one side outwardly opening channel means 22 and along the opposite side a planar mounting surface 24 disposed perpendicular to the channel. Projecting beyond opposite ends of the channel are

ears

26 and 28 having strap engaging convex surfaces 30 and shoulders 32 for prevening strap slippage off the ears. Intermediate opposite ends of the member 20 is an aperture 34 which opens through the bottom 36 of the channel 22 and the mounting surface 24 for receiving a fastener as hereinafter explained. A sign 5-1 to be mounted has a marginal edge received in the channel 22 and bottomed against the bottom 36, and set

screws

38 and 40 extending through one wall of the channel secure the sign therein. Bands or

straps

42 and 44 encircling a sign post 46 and overlying the ears or

projections

26 and 28 serve to secure the holder and in turn the sign on the post as shown in FIG. I, with the surface 24 of the holder abutting the post.

The holder may be formed as a casting of any suitable non-corrosive material such as aluminum, reinforced plastic or the like of adequate structural strength. The set screws 33 and 40 are threaded into tapped bores in the side wall 48 of the channel to engage the margin of the sign and urge it against the inner face of the opposite wall 50 of the channel. The

portions

52 and 54 of the side wall 48 through which the set screws extend, and those portions 52' and 54' of the opposite side wall, are thicker than those portions 56 and 58 of the channel intermediate them to provide added strength at the points of greatest stress. The elongated member midway of its length is widened out as at 60 and the channel walls are correspondingly spaced farther apart as at 62 and 64 to provide a fastener receiving counterbore 66 through which a bolt fastener 68 and its head may be received so that the shank of the bolt may be received through the aperture 34 as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. The bottom 70 of the counterbore lies below the bottom 36 of the channel so that the head of the bolt will not interfere with the margin of the sign received in the channel and seated against the bottom 36. The diameter of the counterbore 66 is sufiicient to allow reception of a socket wrench therein to engage the head of the bolt.

To mount a sign 8-2 on the upper end of a post or pipe 72 as shown in FIG. 2, a cup-like adaptor 74 is provided as shown in greater detail in FIGS. 8 and 9. The cup is sized to telescope over the end of the pipe and is provided with set screws 74 for engaging the pipe and locking the cup thereon. The cup is provided with a through aperture 74 on the axis thereof for receiving the bolt 68 to secure the holder to the cup as shown in FIG. 6.

In order to lock the holder on the cup against relative rotation therebetween, the mounting surface of the holder and the bottom surface of the cup are provided with detent means comprising corresponding patterns of pin receiving sockets arranged in uniform circumaxial relation around the

respective apertures

34 and 78. In the cup the sockets are shown in FIG. 9 at 40 and in the mounting surface of the holder are shown at 62 in FIG. 6'. Each socket may be slightly tapered. A pair of

tapered pins

84 and 86 are provided which are received in pairs of aligned sockets. Preferably for purposes of uniformity, one pin is driven into one socket in the cup and another into a socket in the holder and cups and holders are inventoried for future use in such condition, the tapers on the pins and sockets cooperating to prevent accidental dislodgement.

By arranging a pair of holders in back-to-back relation as shown at 20' and 20 in FIGS. 2 and 7, signs S-2 and S-3 may be mounted one atop the other in end-tend stacked relation. I have found that a sign assembly of as many as four signs may be thus arranged, though only a two sign assembly is shown in FIG. 2. The bottom sign S-2 may be mounted as shown in FIG. 8, and affixed to its upper margin is the holder 20' of the construction heretofore described. Holder 20" is placed back-to-back on the holder 20' and the

pins

84 and 88, one previously mounted in holder 20' and the other in holder 20" enter the opposed socket to lock the holders against relative angular displacement. By inserting the pins initially in the same socket in each holder, and by providing 12 sockets 82 to 30 angular spacing, the holders may be adjusted to 30 increments of angular displacement, to accommodate various angles of observation of the signs. The sign 5-3 is of course mounted in the holder 20". In practice the holders 20' and 20" are first placed back-to-back at their desired angular displacement, if any, with the pin of one entering the socket of the other. The bolt 68 is then inserted through the aligned apertures and tightened. The cup 74 is then secured to the holder 20 and a bolt 68 tightened to lock them together. The cup is mounted on the post, the signs inserted in the channels and the set screws tightened to lock the entire assembly together.

In FIG. 5, I have shown a simple side mounting for the holder on an upright channel post 88. This post is sometimes used in lieu of the post 46 of FIG. 1. The holder is locked on the channel by a bolt 90 whose head is seated on the bottom 70 of the counterbore and whose shank extends through an aperture in the bottom of the channel post 88 with a nut 92 threaded on the shank. To prevent rotation of the holder on the channel post, I provide two pair of sockets at each end of the member 20, the outermost at each end being indicated at 94 and 94 and the innermost at 96 and 96'. These sockets are preferably tapered and in sockets 94 and 96' are received tapered pins 98. The pins are spaced apart to enter the channel of the post 88 as shown in FIG. 5 and prevent rotation of the holder. The pins 98 may be initially driven into each holder as above described and the holders inventoried in this condition. As shown in FIG. 6, if the sockets 96 and 96' are disposed slightly closer than the sockets 94 and 94', the pins will interfit in the sockets even though the holders are angularly adjusted to only a 30 displacement as shown in FIG. 6. When the holders are placed back-toback in alignment as shown in FIG. 7 all pins 98 will enter corresponding sockets as shown in FIG. 7.

The

pins

84, 86 and 98 have been referred to as separate elements, but if desired may be cast integrally with the holders at the time of manufacture if such is preferred.

In FIGS. 10, 11 and 12, I have shown another form of adaptor for mounting on a channel-shaped post which is shown in phantom outline in FIGS. 11 and 12 at P. The adaptor comprises a mounting platform 100 of disc shape supported on a three-sided bracket having a bottom wall 102 and two

side walls

104 and 106. An aperture 108 is located centrally of the platform 100 for receiving a bolt similar to the bolt 68 of FIG. 8. Another aperture 110 and a slot 112 extends through the bottom wall 102 for bolting the adaptor into the upper end of the channel-shaped post P. The holder is mounted on the adaptor similar to the arrangement shown in FIG. 8.

What is claimed is:

I. A sign assembly comprising, in combination:

a plurality of self-supporting single sign panels arranged in juxtaposed edge-to-edge relation,

pairs of channel-shaped sign holders arranged in abutting back-to-back relation with each other having a channel extending along its centerline and embracing one of the juxtaposed edges of the sign panels,

means releasably extending laterally through the channel-shaped signal holders to engage a sign panel and lock it in the holder,

apertures in the holders opening in alignment through the abutting backs of the holders and opening outwardly into the channels beneath the edges of the sign panels received therein,

said apertues having tool-receiving counterbore portions extending from the open edge of each channel through the depth of the channel and terminating spaced beneath the edge of a sign received in the channel,

and fastener means for securing the holders together in adjusted relative angularly displaced relation, said fastener means extending through said aligned apertures and wholly concealed within the channel-shaped holders and disposed wholly between the juxtaposed edges of the signs and having a head portion disposed within the counterbore beneath the end of a sign.

Claims

1. A sign assembly comprising, in combination: a plurality of self-supPorting single sign panels arranged in juxtaposed edge-to-edge relation, pairs of channel-shaped sign holders arranged in abutting backto-back relation with each holder having a channel extending along its centerline and embracing one of the juxtaposed edges of the sign panels, means releasably extending laterally through the channel-shaped sign holders to engage a sign panel and lock it in the holder, apertures in the holders opening in alignment through the abutting backs of the holders and opening outwardly into the channels beneath the edges of the sign panels received therein, said apertues having tool-receiving counterbore portions extending from the open edge of each channel through the depth of the channel and terminating spaced beneath the edge of a sign received in the channel, and fastener means for securing the holders together in adjusted relative angularly displaced relation, said fastener means extending through said aligned apertures and wholly concealed within the channel-shaped holders and disposed wholly between the juxtaposed edges of the signs and having a head portion disposed within the counterbore beneath the end of a sign.