US935713A

US935713A - Sign.

Info

Publication number: US935713A
Application number: US49127809A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lew Leroy Walrath
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1909-04-21
Filing date: 1909-04-21
Publication date: 1909-10-05
Anticipated expiration: 1926-10-05

Description

L. L. WALRATH.

SIGN. APPLICATION FILED APB.21,1909.

Patented Oct. 5, 1909.

UNITED era LEW LEROY wALnA'rn, or SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA.

SIGN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Get. 5, 1999.

Application filed April @1, 1909. Serial No. 491,278.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Law LEROY VALRATH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sacramento, in the county of Sacramento and State of California, have invented a new and useful Sign, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in signs.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of signs, and to provide a simple and exceedingly inexpensive sign, designed to be employed as a su.b stitute for painted, stenciled or similar signs, and adapted to be quickly changed without destroying the letters, numbers, or other characters employed in the make-up of the sign.

Vith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing :-Figure l is an elevation of a sign, constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view of one end of the sign. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the same. Fig. 4t is an elevation of one of the sign strips. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view, illustrating the manner of applying the sign strips to the supporting member. Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of a portion of the supporting member, showing a plurality of attaching devices. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view, illustrating a modification of the invention in which metallic clips are employed for securing the sign strips to the supporting member. Fig. 8 is a similar view showing another modification of the invention in \vhichthe sign strips are secured to the supporting member by elastic bands.

Like numerals of reference designate oorresponding parts in all the figures of the drawing.

1 designates a longitudinally disposed supporting member. desi ned to be constructed of pasteboard, sheet metal, or any other suitable material and secured at its ends by paper fasteners 2, or other suitable means to a background, which may consist of a plurality of separate pieces 3 and a of different colors for rendering the sign ornamental and attractive. Any desired background may be employed, and the supporting strip, if desired, may be secured directly to a wall, window, box, or other support, and while 1 have illustrated in the accompanying drawing a sign, composed of one word and consisting of a single row of characters, it will be readily understood that any number of rows containing any desired number of words, figures, characters and the like may be used for advertising or other purposes.

The letters or other characters of the sign are formed by a plurality of sign strips 5, constructed of paper, cloth, tinfoil, or any other suitable material and bearing a plurality of letters (3, or other sign characters and foldable to expose and display one or more of such characters, and also to provide an inner attaching portion 7, which is secured to the supporting member by fastening devices 8, consisting of paper clips extending transversely across the front of the supporting strip and between the inner and outer portions of the sign strips, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawing. The paper fastening devices or clips may be supplied with gummed terminals, or the back of the supporting member may be gummed, if desired. The folded sign strips are arranged successively in overlapped relation, each succeeding one partially covering the preceding one and concealing the unused part of the outer portion so as to expose only the desired character or characters thereof, and to confine the terminal of the said outer portion. The sign strip is folded at a point adjacent to the front of the letter or other character to be exposed, and the inner portion is then secured to the supporting member. This is continued until the sign is completed. The terminal of the outer portion of the last sign strip is folded exteriorly of the strip to conccal the unused letters and is secured by the paper "fastener, which attaches the supporting member 1 to the background. hen it is desired to change the sign, the paper clips or fastening devices 8 are out along one of the side edges of the supporting member, which frees the inner set or series of sign strips. The sign strips may then be refolded to expose other characters and may be applied to the supporting member by fresh paper clips, the old or used ones being previously removed. The background may be provided with a suitable hanger 9, or the sign may be attached in any other desired manner.

Instead of employing paper fastening devices or clips, metallic clips 10 may be used, as illustrated in Fig. 7 of the drawing, the terminal 11 being bent downward or inward against the back of the supporting member to secure the sign strips to the same. The metallic clips are adapted to be bent out of engagement with the supporting member when the sign is to be changed.

As illustrated in Fig. 8 of the drawing, elastic bands 12 of rubber may be conveniently employed for securing the sign strips to the supporting member, and any other attaching means, which will enable the sign strips to be removed uninjured, may be em ployed for securing such strips to the supporting member.

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

1. A changeable sign including a supporting member, a'plurality of flexible sign strips provided with a series of sign characters and foldable to expose one or more of the same and to provide an inner attaching portion, said strips being successively arranged in overlapped relation to conceal the unused characters of the outer portions of the strips, and means for securing the inner attaching portions to the supporting member.

2. A changeable sign including a supporting member, a plurality of flexible sign strips provided with a series of sign characters and foldable to expose one or more of the same and to provide an inner attaching portion, said strips being successively arranged in overlapped relation to conceal the unused characters of the outer portions of the strips, and clips extending across the front of the attaching member and between the inner and outer portions of the sign strips and securing the latter to the said member.

3. A changeable sign including a supporting member, a plurality of flexible sign strips provided with a series of sign characters and foldable to expose one or more of the same and to provide an inner attaching portion, said strips being successively arranged in overlapped relation to conceal the unused characters of the outer portions of the strips, and paper clips extending across the front of the attaching member and between the inner and outer portions of the sign strips and having their terminals secured to the back of the supporting member.

a A changeable sign including a supporting member, a plurality of flexible sign strips provided with a series of sign characters and foldable to expose one or more of the same and to provide an inner attaching portion, said strips being successively arranged in overlapped relation to conceal the unused characters of the outer portions of the strips, and paper clips extending across the front of the attaching member and between the inner and outer portions of the sign strips and having their terminals coated with adhesive material and secured to the back of the support; ing member.

A changeable sign including a background, a supporting member secured at spaced points to the background, a plurality of sign strips provided with sets of sign characters and foldable to expose one or more of such characters and to provide an inner attaching portion, said strips being arranged successively in overlapped relation, and means for securing the inner attaching portions of the sign strips to the supporting member.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LEIV LEROY IVALRA'II-I.

\Vitnesses Atuxis B. CIIAPIN, Josnrrr PEEL.