US919816A

US919816A - Changeable-letter sign.

Info

Publication number: US919816A
Application number: US43449808A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph P Bryan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1908-05-23
Filing date: 1908-05-23
Publication date: 1909-04-27
Anticipated expiration: 1926-04-27

Description

J. P. BRYAN. GHANGEABLE LETTER SIGN. APPLIOATION FILED MAY 23, 1908.

919,816. I i Patented Apr. 27, 1909.

J E awwentoi 4 Jose /L P, Br an witness f U TED STATES PATENT OFFICE- JOSEPH P. BRYAN, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

OEANGEABLE-LETTER SIGN. I

Specification of Letters Patent;

. Application filed Kay 23, 1908. Serial No. 434,498.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH P. BRY'AN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Changeable-Letter Signs, of w 'ch the followmg is a specification.

My invention relates to signs and'particu-' larly to those signs wherein removable letters are used to form words, such letters being printed upon cards and inserted within the frame of the sign, the separate cards being changeable or replaceable by others,'so that the reading matter of the sign may be changed or altered at will.

The object of my invention is to provide a sign composed of sections supported one from another, these sections being adapted to receive letter-cards on both sides of a central background; one wherein the lettercards, are

thoroughly protected from dust, dampness and the entrance of water; and one in which the letters may be arranged before inserting them into the Sign and may be put in place without chance of the letters becoming displaced.

The invention consists in the arrangement of parts and details of construction as particularly set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1, is a front view of my invention. Fig. 2, is an enlarged transverse section of one of the letter-carrying panels. the

' p from its frame.

Fig. 1, shows a sign composed of two sections, .one section being suspended from the other. Each section consists of the upper and

lower framing strips

2, 2, designed to hold a line of letters between them. Each strip 2, is longitudinally recessed on its inside edge as shown in Fig. 2, for the reception of the letter-holding anel 4.

The bottom of t e recess on its margin is cut out more deeply than themiddle of the recess bottom for the reception of the

glass facing pieces

3, 3. Between these two panes of glass a letter panel is slidably held. The

relatively deep grooves made for the glass pieces 3,. 3, thoroughly prevents the entrance of water into the space between the glasses. As the glasses-3, do not have tobe removed, they may fit very tightly into the framlng these binding the backing 4.

Fig. 3, is a perspective view of. acking or letter-carrying panel removed strips, or the grooves may be'filled with water tight material. i

The letter panel is shown in Fig. 3. It comprises a backing'piece4, of paper, cardboard, sheet metal or the like, which not only supports but forms a background for Patented April 27', 1909.

the letters, and a binding strip of metal 5,

s 5, one on each edge of ing are.firmly engaged, yet they may yield slightly for the insertion, from one end, of

letter-cards 6, between the turned over edge- 5", .and the backing piece 4, or between the interlocking fold 5, and the backing strip. It is also to be noted that while the turned over portions of the strip are easily ralsed from the backing piece when the panel is withdrawn from the frame, yet these turnedover folds are held somewhat compressed against the edges of the letter-cards when the panel is in place between the glasses 2?, 3. Thus the letters are heldsecurely 1n position, not liable to be shifted by any incllnatlon of the panel nor tobe otherwise accidentally moved. A further function performed by the opposed folds on either edge of the backing strip, is to; hold the panes of glass away from the letter-cards, so that 1n shdlng the panel into place between the strips 2, of the frame,'the etters will not become displaced through friction between the mslde surface of the glass and the face of the letter-cards.

This is of primary importance in signs of this character. The letters are liable to be displaced by accidental contact, and 1n signs in which the letters are covered with glass,

there is difliculty in sliding the letters in place without displacing them. Both these objections are obviated by my constructlon and as a consequence the advertisin matter.

of my Sign ma be arranged to muc better advantage an with a neatness not posslble in other constructions of this character.

There maybe as man sections of the sign as desired, each section being used for a line.

I have shown two sections with rods 7, 7, strips recessed on their inside edges, two

passing through the ends of the framing i separated transparent facing pieces sup' strips 2, and clamping these strips together. It is of course, understood that the rods are to be arranged with stops 8, for the support of the section, and that these stops may be removable, so that the framing strips may,

be taken apart if desired. I do not Wis however, to limit myself to this method of attaching the framing strips, or the separate panels to each other.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A display device of the character described consisting of sections supported from each other, each section comprising longitudinal framing strips recessed on their inside edges, two separated transparent facing pieces supportedin said recesses of the framing strips, a backing iece removably held between said facing pieces, and letter-cards adapted to be held on said backing piece.

2. A display device of the character described consisting of longitudinal framing strips recessed on their inside edges, two separated transparent facing pieces supported in said recesses, a backing piece removably held between said facing pieces, said backing piece having on each edge an inwardly projecting )ortion and a lettercard adapted to be held etween said backing piece and said turned over portion.

3. A display device of the character described consisting of longitudinal framing ported in said recesses and a backing piece removably held between said facing pieces, said backing piece having on each edge a binding stri which projects inward over the margin of the backing iece and is adapted to hold a letter-card tietween it and the backing piece, said binding strips contacting with the-inner sides of the facing pieces.

4. A display device of the character described consisting of longitudinal framing strips recessed on their inside edgeshaving two longitudinal separated grooves extending from the bottom of said recess, transparent facing pieces fitting in said grooves and a backing piece removably supported between said facing pieces within the recesses of the framing strips, the upper and lower edges of said backing piece being bent over upon itself, and a binding strip, one edge of which projects 11 under said turned over portion of the bac ing piece, said strip being then bent around and over the edge of the backing piece and down upon the side thereof, thus forming guides on both sides of the backing piece for the reception of letter-cards.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH P. BRYAN.

lVitnesses:

R. H. KRENKEL, E. Po'i'rs.