Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~.;257~75
CHANGEA~LE DISPLAY SIGN
DESCRIPTION
Technical Field of Invention
This invention relates to changeable signs,
such as signs which are used in banks or identifying
to the clients of the bank various current investment
offerings, and the annual interes-t rates and annual
effective yields provided thereby. However, the
broader aspects of the invention apply to other types
of changeable signs.
. .
~257~7S
Prior Art
The B. F. Goodrich Company has developed a
fle~ible magnetic sheet material which can be directly
printed upon, or which sometimes carries a pressure
sensitive adhesive coating to which a transparent
cover sheet is secured. Sign-forming indicia can be
printed upon the front of this magnetic sheet material
or the rear of the transparent cover sheet indicia
Eorming a sign. These sign-forming magnetic sheet
materials have sometimes been attached to the metal
sides of truck bodies. Bank interest signs have been
formed from these magnetic sheet materials into
individual sign component pieces each forming a
numeric digit attached to a metal support surface
adjacent to other similarly attached numeric pieces to
form an interest rate number. However, these bank
interest signs left much to be desired from the
standpoint of sign attractiveness and flexibility.
Thus, in the different portions of these signs, the
sign component pieces forming the same pro~ected from
the general plane of the rest of the sign. Also~
because the edges of the individual sign component
pieces projecting from the sign were readily visible
and accessible, it was not uncommon Eor unwanted
visitors to the bank to grasp the exposed edges of the
sign component pieces and rearrange them to the great
consternation of the owners of the bank and their
regular customers.
This magnetic sheet material made by the
B. F. Goodrich company comes in a standard dark brown
color. If the user desired a different background
color, he either applied the desired background color
upon the face of the magnetic sheet material ana then
overprinted indicia characters of a contrasting color
thereon, or he applied a cover layer over the magnetic
3~25~qL7S
sheet material and applied the background color and
contrasting indicia over the front face of the cover
layer. Such a sign was unattractive to the obsexver
since the different levels of ink thicknesses were
visible on the front face of the sign. Also, unruly
visitors to the bank sometimes scratched off portions
of the printed front face of the sign.
Another disadvantage of the signs heretofore
made from the magnetic sheet material is that surface
imperfections commonly found thereon, like small
depressions or undulations thereof, were visible on
the front face of the sign whether or not a printed
cover layer was applied thereto. Where a cover layer
was applied to the magnetic sheet material, it was so
thin that the cover layer followed the surface
imperfections of the magnetic sheet material and so
did not mask the same.
A changeable sign containing a large number
of sign component pieces placed in close abutment to
cover a large mounting area is disclosed in German
Patent No. 2,847,590. It appears that the confronting
edges of these sign component pieces are transverse to
the planes of the front face thereof. Especially
because of the practical limitations of manufacturing
tolerances, it would be extremely difficult if not
practically impossible to maintain an even vertical
and horizontal alignment of alpha-numeric characters
on a sign made with these component pieces. Also,
once these component pieces are assembled, if
individual pieces are to be changed, it would be
difficult to fit a new piece into the space left by
the removal of an individual piece.
As will appear, the method of the invention
is used to mass produce at low cost completely unique
changeable component sign pieces which can be easily
assembled together in precise horizontal and vertical
~ 5 7~ 7~
alignment and wherein any piece can be removed and
easily replaced by another similar piece.
As will appear, the features of the present
invention overcome the disadvantages of the changeable
signs just described, and provide a completely uni~ue
changeable sign and low cost method of making the same
so that the sign when viewed at normal viewing
distance therefrom appears to be an unchangeable sign
printed on a single sheet of material, presenting one
continuous front surface, without the imperfections of
the prior art changeable signs just described.
.~ ~ 5 7~75
Summary of the Invention
_
In accordance with one of the features of
the present invention, the changeable sign preferably
comprises a magnet attracting support wall
encompassing the area of the desired sign and having
on either one or both sides thereof an initially
exposed sign component-receiving surface to which
individual sign component pieces can be secured by
magnetic attraction. The entire exposed area of this
magnetic attracting wall surface which is to contain
sign~forming indicia ~ c~o~ered with thin, flexible
sign -component pieces preferably having a backing made
of said thin, flexible magnetic material, some of
these pieces supply only blank (i.e. preferably
background supplying) spaces to the sign and others
supply numeric or alphabet characters and the
immediate background thereof. When all of the sign
component pieces have been applied to the sign-forming
support surface, the entire sign viewed from a short
distance therefrom appears as a single sheet of
material having one continuous printed front surface,
even though, in reality, the front surface is made up
of different types of individual sign component pieces
to be described. The framing of the sign preferably
covers the exposed edges of the outermost sign
component pieces of the design.
Since the confronting edges of the various
sign component pieces described are in immediate
contiguous relationship, it does not appear even to
one viewing the sign closely, where the margins of the
individual sign component pieces are barely ~isible,
that they can be removed from the sign at any point
where desired. However, the thin, flexible sign
component pieces of the invention are individually
removable, such as by use of a suction cup, or by a
thin blade removal tool which can be readily wedged
5'7~75
between adjacent sign component pieces. To enable
this tool to readily peel a corner portion of a sign
component piece from the suppoxt wall surface and,
more importantly, to enable the various pieces to be
easily and neatly interfitted into or removed from the
sign in accordance with another feature of the
invention at least one and preferably two of the
marginal edges of each piece (the top and right side)
are identically undercut, as by beveling the same, and
two of the other corresponding edges (i.e. the left
and bottom side) of each piece are oppositely
undercut. This beveling can be readily unexpectedly
made to close tolerances by a scissors cut which
constitutes one method aspect of the invention. This
enables the pieces to be readily closely interfitted
in precise vertical and horizontal alignment and to be
separated with ease. This is not practically possible
with square cut edges which could not be practically
made with small enough tolerances to be easily
interfitted or separated if forced tightly together,
as they must to present a continuous appearing sign
surface.
In accordance with another feature of the
invention, in a bank interest sign, the sign
preferably includes row and column header strip pieces
having complete word-forming indicia identifying the
nature oE the sign information contained in various
horizontal information bands and vertical column
portions thereof. There may also be provided a main
header strip piece to be placed at the top of the sign
to identify the institution involved and the type of
information contained on the sign. These header strip
pieces contain information which are changed, if at
all, only occasionally.
Another type of sign component piece
utilized in khe bank sign embodiment of the invention
.. ....... ..
~25~75
is a relatively narrow piece which conta:ins a numeric
digit, decimal point, percent sign, or the like, which
is changed or re-pos.itioned frequently~ The decimal
point piece is the narrowest piece, and the numeric
and percent sign pieces are wider and pre~erably of
identical size. Many such pieces are supplied each
user for frequent change of interest rate information
in the various information bands of the sign. These
sign component pieces and associated row heade.r strip
pieces preferably extend the identical full height of
a standard sized information band of the sign. There
is also provided narrow blank spacer sign component - -
pieces of at least two different widths to give a
choice of indicia separation distances. Blank spacer
strips preferably extending the full length of an
information band are distributed throughout the sign
and separate successive information bands of the sign
to provide parallel top and bottom edges along which
the indicia-containing component pieces are aligned to
assure good horizontal alignment of the sign
information.
Another type of changeable sign component
piece preerably provided are relatively narrow and
short sign component pieces containing month and day
indicia to identify the term of the particular
interest rate involved. Such pieces may, for example,
be half the height of an information band of the sign
and be positioned one above the other so as together
occupy the height of a single information band of the
sign .
In accordance with another feature of the
invention, to give the sign the attractive appearance
of a printed one sheet sign, the background color of
all of the sign component pieces described is made
identical. The background color is preferably a dark
~S7~7~
color which best masks the juncture line of the
pieces.
In order for the sign of the kind described
to be most easily assembled, and to provide a sign of
maximum attractiveness, it is highly desirable that
all of the numeric information contained in the
~arious bands of the sign line up perfectly in a
vertical direction. When an information band of the
sign consists of a large number of individual sigD
component pieces, it can be readily appreciated that
unless the corresponding numeric, decimal point,
percent sign, etc. pieces have substantially identical
widths, it will be diEficult to get the desired
precise vertical alignment thereof in the various
information bands of the sign since dimensional errors
are cumulative. It is believed that no one has
heretofore considered making a sign of the type
described where near perfect vertical and horizontal
alignment is achieved since it is not an easy matter
to make the individual sign component pieces to almost
the same size ti.e. to tolerances of .005"). The
various aspects of the method invention to be later
described makes this readily possible at low cost.
This unique method will be described in the
specification to follow.
In accordance wi-th still another feature of
the present invention, each of the sign component
pieces described comprises a flexible translucent
cover layer laminated over a flexible magnetic backing
layer~ In the most preferred form of the invention,
each of the sign component pieces has a translucent
cover layer of such thickness that any imperfections
in the surface of the magnetic backing layer will not
be transferred to the front face of the cover layer
thereof. A .010" thick polycarbonate cover layer
provides this advantage. Before the cover layer is
.: .. ,: .,
f
. .
~ 7q~75
- 9 - 69179-8
laminated to the backirlg .Layer, the inner face thereo-f is photo
silk screened printed wi-th ink to form the desired numeric,
alphabet, or other indicia and then the appropriate background
color is silk screen printed. Thus, the printed indicia is not
exposed -to the outside o-f the sign where it can be worn away or
damaged.
In accordance with an aspect of the invention there is
provided a changeable sign comprising: a support wall for
changeable sign components, said support wall having on at least
one side thereof an initially exposed sign component-receiving
surface, said sign component-receiving surface being adapted to
receive, removably attached thereto, a plurality of thin, flat,
rectangular, flexible sign component pieces that can be arranged
in close edge-to-edge confronting relation and in contiguous rows
so as to fill an entire sign-forming area of the sign and so that
the sign component pieces from a distance appear to form a single
sheet sign having one continuous flat surface; said sign component
pieces being of two basic types, one type being indicia-containing
sign component pieces having visible from the front faces thereof
at least one numeric digit, symbol, or alphabet character indicia
so as to form alone or with other adjacent sign component piece,
numbers, words, or the like, and the o-ther type including blank
spacer component strips which may fit between adjacen-t rows of
indicia-containing sign component pieces, said strips when in
place extending substan-tially the Eull length of said rows, the
sign component pieces in each row when in place encompassing the
same vertical height to present spaced, parallel horizontal edges
. . .
~25~L75i
- 9a - 69179-~
at the top and bottom of each row, and said blank spacer strips
also when in place presentiny spaced, parallel horizontal edges at
the top and bo-ttom -thereof confronting the edges of other sign
component pieces.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention there
is provided a changeable sign comprising: a support wall for
changeable sign components, said support wall having on at least
one side thereof an initially exposed sign component~receiving
surface; said sign component-receiving surface being adapted to
receive removably attached thereto, a plurality of thin, flat,
rectangular, flexible sign component pieces -that can be arranged
in close edge-to-edge confronting relation and in contiguous rows
so as to fill an entire sign-forming area of the sign and so that
the sign component pieces from a distance appear to -form a single
sheet sign having one continuous flat surface; said sign component
pieces being of two basic types, one type being indicia-containing
sign component pieces having visible from the front faces thereof
at least one numeric digit, symbol, or alphabet character indicia
so as to form alone or with other adjacent sign component piece,
numbers, words, or the like, and the other type including blank
spacer component strips which may fit between adjacen-t rows of
indicia-containing sign component pieces, the sign component
pieces in each row, when in place, encompassing the same vertical
height to present spaced, parallel horizontal edges at the top and
bottom of each row, and each of said blank spacer strips, when in
place, presenting spaced, parallel horizontal edges at the top and
bottom thereof extending at least a substantial proportion of the
;7~7S
- 9b - 6917~-8
length of each row whic'n edges confront the edges of the adjacent
sign component pieces above and below the same.
In accordance with an aspect of the invention -there is
provided a changeabl.e sign comprising: a support wall for
changeable sign components, said support wall having on at least
one side thereof an initially exposed sign component-receiving
surface; said sign component-receiving surface being adapted to
receive, removably attached there-to, a plurality of thin, flat,
rectangular, flexible sign component pieces that can be arranged
in close contiguous rows so as to fill an entire sign-forming
area of the sign and so that the sign component pieces from a
distance appear to form a single shee-t sign having one con-tinuous
flat surface, each sign component piece having a width less than
that of a single row and having on the top and right side of the
piece beveled edges of a given inclination and the bottom and
left side of the piece having edges oppositely beveled to the
edges of said top and righ-t side so that adjacen-t confronting
edges of adjacent component pieces above, below and to said side
thereof may interf.it, and any sign component piece having the
wid-th of a single row having top and bottom edges with -the same
beveled edges as the top and bottom edges of said sign component
pieces, having a width less than the length of a row, whereby
adjacent edges of the inner fitting sign component pieces when in
place have complementary interfitting beveled edges.
D
, ,
~257475
- 9c - 69179-8
In accordance with another aspect of che invention there
ls provided a method of making a changeable sign kit -to contain
relatively infrequent].y-to be changed portions -to constitute row
heading information describing frequently-to-be changed numerical
data to be positioned in vertically spaced horizontal bands
extending across the sign to the right of such heading
information, said method comprising the steps of: imprinting on a
face of a thin, flexible, rectangular translucent cover sheet
successive horizontal bands of heading indicia, said heading
indicia being precisely positioned with respect to two
intersec-ting reference margins of the shee-t and sharing common cut
lines, so that severing said sheet along three or more successive
cut lines completely separates two or more bands of such heading
indicia from the sheet to form two or more of the row header
strips of the exac-t desired vertical extent; lamina-ting said cover
sheet to a thin, flexible at-tachment backing sheet capable of
adhering -the subsequently-to-be severed row header strips to a
sign componen-t piece support surface to form a thin, flexible,
laminate matrix; imprinting respectively on one or more thin,
flexible, rectangular translucent cover sheets successive
horizontal bands of repeating numeric digits 0-9 on portions of
the sign precisely positioned with respect -to two intersecting
. reference margins of the sheet and sharing common cut lines so
that severing said shee-t along -three or more successive cut lines
completely separates two or more bands of such numeric digits of
the exact desired vertical extent; laminating each of said one or
... . .
~25~75
- 9d - 69179-8
more latter cover sheets to a thin flexible backing sheet capable
of adhering -the subsequently-to-be severed numeric digits to said
sign component piece support sur:Eace, to form one or more thin,
flexible, laminated matrices, and severing said laminated matrices
first along said cut lines to form strips of such heading inidicia
and numerlc digits and then cut-ting said strips, where necessary,
transversely of the s-trips to form -the individual row header
strips, and individual relatively narrow numeric digit sign
component pieces.
In accordance with an aspec-t of the invention there is
provided a method of making component sign pieces -to constitute
numerical data to be positioned in ver-tically spaced horizon-tal
bands ex-tending across -the sign, said me-thod comprising the steps
of: imprinting respec-tively on at least one thin, flexible, rec-
tangular translucent cover sheets successive horizontal bands of
repeating numeric digits 0-9, said numeric digits being precisely
positioned with respect to two intersecting reference margins of
the sheet and sharing common cut reference lines, so that severing
said sheet along three or more successive cut lines completely
separates two or more bands of such numeric digits of the exact
desired vertical extent; laminating each of said one or more cover
sheets to a thin flexible backing sheet capable of adhering the
subsequently-to-be severed numeric digi-ts to said sign component
piece suppor-t surface, to form one or more -thin, flexible,
laminated matrices' and severing said laminated matrices first
along said cut reference lines to form strips of such numeric
digits and then cutting said strips, where necessary, transversely
1~
~2~ 5
- 9e - 69179-8
of the strips to :Eorm inclividual relatively narrow numeric digit
sign component pieces.
In accordance with another aspect of the inven-tion there
is provided a method of making a plurality oE thin, flat,
rectangular, flexible sign component pieces to be arranged on a
flat backing surface in close horizontal and vertical relationship
so as to fill an entire slgn-forming area of the sign and so that
the sign component pieces from a distance appear to form a single
sheet sign having one continuous fla-t surface; said method
comprising -the steps of: imprinting on a face of a thin,
flexible, rectangular sheet bands of indicia sharing common cut
lines so that severing said sheet along three or more successive
cut lines completely separates -two or more bands of such indicia
rom the sheet; and severing said cover sheet Eirst along said cut
lines to form strips o-f such indicia and then cutting said strips,
where necessary, transversely of the strips -to form the individual
sign componen-t pieces, said severing opera-tions forming
complementary bevelled edges a-t the confronting edges of the sign
component pieces separated along the same cut lines.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention there
is provided a me-thod of making a plurality of thin, flat,
rectangular, flexible, sign component pieces to be arranged on a
flat backing surface in close horizontal and vertical relationship
so as to fill an entire sign-forming area of the sign and so that
-the sign component pieces from a distance appear to form a single
I~ .
., ,
g~25~
- 9f - 69179-8
sheet sign haviny one continuous flat surface, said method
comprising the steps of: providing a thin, flexible sheet with
sign--Eorming indicia arranged in parallel bands therealong, said
bands sharing common cut reference lines so that severing said
sheet along three or more successive cut lines completely
separates two or more bands of such indicia from the sheet, and
severing said cover sheet first along said cut reference lines to
form strips of such indicia, and then cutting said strips, where
necessary, transversely oE the s-trips to form the individual sign
component pieces, said severing opera-tions forming complementary
bevelled edges at -the confronting edges of the sign component
pieces separated along -the same cut re-ference lines.
Other advantages and features of the invention will
become apparent upon making reference -to the speciEication and
claims -to follow.
Description of Drawings
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a pedestal- type sign
constructed in accordance with the presen-t invention;
Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through
the upper left hand corner of the sign shown in Fig. l, taken
along section lines 2-2;
Fig. 3 is a view of -the portion of the sign shown in
Fig. 2, with the movable upper cover strip of the fxame raised and
pivoted to expose a slot for receiving a sign component piece
support wall having sign components construc-ted and arranged in
accordance with the present invention;
~L257~7~;
- 9g ~ 69179-8
Fig. ~ is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional
view through the portion of the sign shown in Fig. 3, taken along
section line 4-~ therein;
Fig. 5 is a front elevational view of -the sign component
piece support wall and the sign component pieces supported thereon
for the sign shown in Fig. l, with the frame portions of the sign
removed from the figure;
Fi~. 6A is a greatly enlarged fragmentary vertical
sectional view through the support wall and sign component pieces
supported thereon, as seen along section line 6A-6A in Fig. 5;
~'~570~75
Fig D 6B is a fragmentary horizontal
sectional view through the same section of the sign
referred to, as seen along section line 6B-6B in Fig.
5;
Fig. 7 is a fragmentary very greatly
enlarged sectional view through one of the sign
component pieces referred to showing the different
layers making up each sign component piece, and the
coatings applied to these layers;
Fig. 8 is a view of one of the sign
component pieces;
Fig. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of
a portion of the bank interest sign of Fig. 1 as the
sign component piece is being removed therefrom;
Fig. 10 is an exploded view of a numeral
letter form sheet and a sheet of pressure sensitive-
coated magnetized material with a pull-off cover sheet
over the adhesive thereof, which sheets are laminated
together to form a letter form matrix to be cut into
smaller sign component pieces to be used with the sign
of the present invention;
Fig. 11 is a fragmentary perspective view of
a trirnmed letter form matrix formed from another
letter form sheet laminated to a magnetized backing
like that shown in Fig. 10 and from which numeral,
percentage sign and decimal point sign component
pieces are cut for use in the sign of the present
inven-tion;
Fig. 12 is a broken away fragmentary
perspective view of a portion oE the matrix of Fig. 11
showing the various layers and coatings making up the
same;
Fig. 13 is a fragmentary perspective view of
a letter form matrix formed from a month letter forrn
sheet laminated to a magnetized backing like that
7~7S
11
shown in Fig. 10 and from which month-indicating sign
component pieces for use in the present invention;
Fig. 14 is a fragmentary view of a letter
form matrix formed from a letter form sheet ~hich is
laminated to a magnetized backing like that shown in
Fig. 10 and from which date-indicating sign component
pieces are cut for use in the present invention;
Fig. 15 is a fragmentary perspective view of
a matrix formed from a blank, spacer sign component
piece-forming sheet laminated to a magnetized backing
like that shown in Fig. 10, and from which sheet the
various spacer-sign component pieces are cut for use
in the present invention;
Fig. 16 is a view of any of the matrices of
Figs. 11, 13, 14 and 15 as viewed from the backing
sheet side of the matrix and before the same has been
trimmed;
Fig. 17 is a perspective view of a sheet
support platform of a shearing device, to which one of
the sign component-forming magnetic matrices described
is placed in making a first trim cut along a side
reference edge thereof, the side and top reference
edges thereof being positioned respectively against a
backstop and a side guide thereshown;
Fig. 18 is a view of the shearing device
shown in Fig. 17 where the matrix shown in Fig. 15 has
been rotated 90 degrees and placed so that the top
reference edge of the matrix is placed against the
backstop shown in Fig. 17;
Fig. 19 shows a different shearing device
designed for cutting individual numeral, letter,
percent sign or spacer pieces from a strip severed
from a matrix thereof, there being two sections of the
shearing device illustrated to show how pieces of
different widths are cut using two different
S7~7
12
separately adjustable backstops and common shearing
blades;
Fig. 20 is a front view of a letter form
matrix from which all of the header strips in Figs. 1
and 5 are formed and after it is trimmed, and shows in
dashed lines the various lines along which this matrix
is cut to form the various sign component pieces
involved; and
Fig. 21 is a sectional view through the
support table of any of the shearing devices shown in
Figs. 17-19 and illustrate the movable and stationary
cutting blades, backstop and holddown bar of the
shearing devices involved.
Description of Exemplary Embodiment
of the Invention Shown in the Drawings
Referring now to Fig. 1, there is shown a
sign 2 for use in a bank or other savings institution
for identifying the different types of investment
certificates and the annual rates and annual yields
applicable through the s-tated month and date. The
sign includes a support frame 4 which can have any
desired construction. ~s illustrated, it has side
strips 4a-4a connected at the bottom thereof by a
bottom frame strip 4b and at the top by a swingable
cover strip 4c which is pivotable as sho~n in Fig. 3
to expose a vertical track or slot 5. The slot 5
slidably receives a vertical metal sign component
support wall 7 adapted to carry on one or both faces
thereof sign component pieces 9 and 11 formed of
narrow pieces or elongated strips to be described,
each including a magnetizing backing layer which
magnetically adheres the same to the support wall 7.
After the support wall 7, is dropped into the slot 5
~5~7~i
where it comes to rPst upon the bottom frame strip 4b~
the cover strip 4c is pivoted back into place to close
off the slot 5. The ends of the strip 4c illustrated
have secured thereto angle members 8-~ having
horizontally extending legs 8a-8a welded or otherwise
secured to the cover strip and depending legs ~b-8b
each having a vertical slot 8c therein to receive a
pivot and guide pin 10 projecting inwardly from the
upper end of the adiacent side frame strip 4a. The
cover strip 4c is thusly slidable and pivotable with
respect on the pins 10-10 between a lowered position
where the strip 4c is contiguous to the upper ends of --
the side frame strips ~a, and an elevated position
shown in Fig. 3 which exposes the guide slot 5 as
described. ~he present invention deals primarily with
the shapes, constructions, and arrangements of the
sign component pieces which form a unique sign having
one or two sign-forming face thereof, each of which
appears from ordinary viewing distance to have a
continuous, flat surface having printed indicia
thereon. It should be understood that the sign
component pieces 9 and 11 occupy an entire desired
sign-forming area on one or both faces of the support
wall 7, which area may encompass the entire vertical
extent of the Eace of the support wall involved, as in
the illustrated sign, or a partial portion of the
height thereof, in which event -the bottom portion of
the sign-forming portion of the support wall 7 would
be closed by a magnetized metal bar or the like, which
extends along the bottom margin of the bottommost sign
component pieces.
In the case of signs for banks identifying
the interest rates for various types of investment
certificates, as shown best in Fig. 1, the sign 2 of
the invention generally has a main upper information
band Bl identifying the subject matter thereof, namely
~s~
14
"Current Investment Offerings" of the bank or other
institution involved. This area of the sign is formPd
by a main header strip 9a which, like the other sign
component pieces, is a thin, flat, rectangular and
flexible piece with a magnetized backing adhering the
same to the face of the support wall 7~ The side and
top margins of the strip 9a adjacent to a portion of
the frame are preferably covered over thereby so that
the edges thereof are not exposed.
The sign 2 also has numerous other
horizontally extending information bands or areas
containing various kinds of information. Thus, - -
immediately below the main information band Bl is a
column information band B2, which may contain the
words "Thru" as shown in Fig. 5, identifying a month
and date column of the sign, and "Annual Rate" and
"Annual Yield" indicia identifying the sub]ect matter
of the two vertically aligned columns of numbers
appearing in various horizontally extending interest
rate bands B3. The column information band B2 may be
formed from a single horizontally elongated thin,
flexible sign component strip 9b constructed like the
row header strip 9a and other sign component pieces to
be described hereafter.
The interest rate bands B3 contain at the
left hand portion thereof a region extending only a
fraction of the full width of the sign and formed from
a row header strip 9c which identifies the type of
investment offering or certificate involved. As best
shown in Fig. 5, to the right of row header strip 9c
is a pair of vertically spaced month and date
indicating sign component pieces lla and llb. These
sign component pieces lla and llb are shown as being
of identical size, each occupying one half of tha
height of the interest rate band B3 involved. All of
the interest rate bands B3 are shown as having
~5'~7~
identical height to form a sign of maximum
attractiveness and neatness.
Immediately contiguous to the right of the
month and date sign component pieces lla and llb is a
narrow, blank, spacer-forming sîgn component piece
llc. Each interest rate band B3 has an identical sign
component piece to the piece llc shown. To minimize
the number of different size pieces to be used, it is
preferred to have two basic types of narrow spacer
sign component pieces, namely the narrowest spacer
piece llc just described and one twice the width
thereof, namely the spacer sign component piece llc'
shown at the end of the interest rate band B3 in Fig.
5. ~ similar spacer sign component piece llc' is
placed between the two sets of interest rate
information identified previously, in the "Annual
Rate" and the "Annual Yield" columns of the sign.
To the right of the narrow spacer sign
component piece llc and the next spacer piece llc' are
a series of numeral and decimal sign component pieces,
the numeral pieces being identified by reference
numeral lld and the decimal sign component piece being
identified by reference numeral lle. Finally, each of
the interest rate bands B3 of the sign will have a
percent sign component piece llf following each multi-
digit number in the interest rate and interest yield
columns of the sign. Each of the sign component
pieces lla, llb, llc, llc', lld, lle and 11~ are
individually removable from the sign in a manner to be
described.
To minimize the cost of fabrication of the
sign component pieces and to simplify the manufacture
thereof in a manner to be described, all of the row
header strips 9c at the beginning of each interest
rate band B3 preferably will be of identical width and
height and all of the spacer, numeric, decimal point
~2 5~
16
and percentage sign component pieces except the month
and date pieces lla and llb, preferably will have
identical heights. Except for the decimal sign
component pieces lle, which have an identical width to
the narrow spacer sign component pieces llc, the other
small sign component pieces, namely the numeric,
percentage spacer, month and date sign component
pieces lld, lle, llcl, lla and llb preferably will
have identical widths.
In order to provide a sign which has a
maximum informatîon band spacing flexibility, it is
most advantageous to horizontally elongated sign
çomponent spacer strips 9d each of which are a
fraction of the height of the interest rate bands B3.
The strips 9d will generally separate the interest
rate information bands B3 formed by the row header
strips and the small sign component pieces just
described. These strips present parallel top ànd
bottom aligning edges for the sign component pieces
above and below the same so that good horizontal
alignment of the indicia-containing sign component
pieces is achieved.
At the very bottom of the indicia-carrying
portion of the sign, there may be provided a
horizontally elongated sign component strip 9e which
can be a blank strip or a strip containing additional
information which the bank or other financial
institution desires to communicate to its customers.
As previously indicated, each of the sign
component pieces described has an identical thickness
and construction to be described, which enables the
pieces to be placed in immediate contiguous
relationship to the adjacent sign component piece to
the right, left, above or below the same, so that from
a few feet away the front surface of the sign appears
to be a continuous surface of a printed sheet of
~:~S7~
17
material. Also, their construction permits an easy
sign change by removing individual pieces with ease
and replacing them easily with other similarly sized
pieces. A sign of this type could not be made as a
practical matter unless the pieces could be
economically fabricated to precise tolerances and
related in a manner such that they can be readily
peeled one piece at a time from th~ surface of the
support wall 7. Fig. 9 shows the manner in which an
individual sign component piece can be removed from
the support wall 7, such as by the use of a suction
cup or a thin blade edge tool which- is pushed into the
space adjacent sign component pieces. Because of the
undercut shape of the sides of these pieces,
preferably formed by bevelling the edges thereof in a
scissors edge shear cutting operation, the tool can
then be twisted to bring the tool blade edge behind
the magnetic backing of the piece involved, where a
forward pull on the tool flexes the edge portion of
the sign component piece forwardly from the support
wall.
Referring now more particularly to Fig. 7,
each of the sign component pieces comprises a
relatively thin magnetic backing layer 20 which
includes a main body portion 20a advantageously coated
with a pressure sensitive adhesive 20b. The main body
portion 20a of the magnetic backing layer 20, which
preferably has a consistency of flexible rubber, can
be a product like this manufactured by the B. F.
Goodrich company as previously indicated. For
example, the body portion 20a of the magnetic backing
layer 20 may have a thickness of about .020".
Each sign component piece also preferably
has a cover layer 22 having a main translucent body
portion 22a, which may be a .010" thick polycarbonate,
or other similar material, sold under the name Lexan
~2 ~ 5
18
and manufactured by General Electric Company. The
main body portion 22a of the translucent cover layer
has photo screened printed on the inner face thereof a
first indicia-forming coating 22b on th~ inner face
thereof, and a silk screen printed background color-
forming coating 22c thereover. ~ cover layer o this
thickness does not follow the depressions and
undulations in the outer surface of the magnetic
backing layer 20, as could be the case if the main
body portion 22a were a fraction of this thickness.
As previously indicated, of importance to
permit the individual sign component pieces to be
readily peeled from the support wall 7 is the fact
that the confronting surfaces of the adjacent sign
component pieces are beveled as shown by the bevelling
16 in Figs. 6A and 6B. This bevel is automatically
formed when conventional shear-type devices commonly
used to shear through metal sheets are used to shear
through the laminated sheets now to be described, from
which the sign component pieces are made.
Fig. 12 shows the rear of a laminated letter
from matrix from which the various sign component
pieces 9 and 11 described are preferably formed. Each
matrix comprises a cover layer sheet 22a' of
polycarbonate or the like having the thickness of the
main body portion 22a of the front cover layer 22 of
each sign component piece to be cut therefrom. The
sheet 22a' is laminated to the pressure sensitive
coating 20b of a magnetic backing layer sheet 20a',
from which is formed the main body portion 20a of the
magnetic backing layer 20 of each sign component piece
to be cut therefrom.
The cover layer sheet 22a' is made to a
precise dimension, with the top marginal edge 22a'-1
and the left marginal edge 22a'-2 as viewed from the
front of the sheet being reference edges thereof from
, .
S7~1~5
lg
which the various indicia printed on the sheet is
precisely located so that after a trim cut of, for
example, 3/4" is made the corresponding top and left
margins of the various indicia-containing areas
thereof are identically spaced. The magnetic backing
layer sheet 20a' is covered by a protective sheet 21
which protects the pressure sensitive adhesive coating
20b. When this protective sheet is removed~ a cover
layer sheet 22a' is laminated to the coating 20b of
the magnetic backing layer sheet 20a' to form a
laminated letter form matrix 23. The backing layer
sheet 20a' of each matrix is somewhat smaller than the -
associated cover layer sheet 22a' thereof so that it
is located within the margins of the cover layer
sheet, as shown best in Fig. 16. The cover layer
sheet 22a' of each matrix preferably is made oversized
before it is applied to the shearing devices to be
described, so that initially the trim cuts are made
along cut lines spaced from the reference edges 22a'-1
and 22a'-2 and falling within the margins of the
backing layer sheet 20a' ~see Fig. 20 showing such a
trimmed matrix 23). These trimming operations are
shown in Figs. 17 and 18.
The shearing device Sl shown in Figs~ 17 and
18 has a table 26 upon which the laminated matrix 23
is placed, with the cover layer sheet 22a' Eace down
upon the table 26 and with an edge thereof against an
adjustable backstop 30. The matrix 23 is placed on
table 26 so that the cover layer sheet 22a' is face
down because, otherwise, the magnetized backing layer
sheet 20a' could not be readily moved into position
when the table is made of a magnetic field attracting
metal like steel, since then the matrix would be
difficul-t to move into position against the backstop
30. In the first trim cut shown in Fig. 17, the
matrix 23 is fed so that the reference side edge 22a'-
~2s7~a75
2 abuts against the backstop 30 of the device and sothat the reference edge 22a'-1 extends along the
straight inner edge of a guide strip ~8 extending at
right angles to the backstop 30. This trim cut, for
example, could be a 3/4" trim cut. In the second trim
cut shown in Fig. 18, the top reference edge 22a'-1 is
pushed against the backstop 30 and a similar (3/4")
trim cut is made. The resulting matrix is shown in
Fig. 20 for a cover letter form matrix madP for the
header strips. The trimmed matrix is then ready for
shearing along horizontal or row cut lines Ll and
vertical or column-cut lines L2 as shown in dashed
lines in Figures 10, 11, 13, 14, 15 and 20.
After the two trim cuts are made on a letter
form matrix, the matrix is then ready for severance
first along the various horizontal cut lines Ll which
for most of the sign component pieces are spaced an
interest rate band width apart (e.g. 1-3/4") to form
strips from the matrix involved. A shearing device
~or shearing device section) is provided for each
different sign component piece dimension. Once a
backstop position of a shearing device is fixed
precisely, it can remain in such position. Next, the
various strips formed from the matrix are cut
transversely along transverse cut lines L2 spaced
apart a distance e~ual to the width of the desired
sign component piece involved. For numeral, month,
date, percentage and wider spacer sign component
piec~s, the cut lines L2 are closely spaced (e.g. 3/4"
apart).
In the case of the decimal point sign
component pieces lle and the narrow spacer pieces llc,
these are applied to a shearing device precisely
adjusted to cut the desired widths, such as 3/8". The
month and date sign component pieces lla and llb have
~2~7~7~i
the same widths of the numeral sign component pieces,
such as 3/~" but half the height thereof ~3.g. 7/8").
Fig. 19 illustrates a shearing device S2
having two adjustable backstops 3n ' and 30" which are
adapted respectively to form cuts along cut lines L2-
L2 spaced apart respectively 3/8" and 3/4" necessary
for cutting the decimal, spacer, numeral and
percentage sign component pieces in the example of the
invention now being described.
Fig. 15 shows the matrix 23 from which
spacer pieces are formed and thus contains no indicia,
although it has the same background color as in the
indicia-carrying sign component pieces. (The
preferred background color of all sign component
pieces is a dark color like black, contrasting to a
light indicia color, like white, because the dark
background color blends best with the normally
relatively dark lines appearing at the juncture of
ad~acent sign component pieces because of shade
effects or the dark (brown) color of the magnetic
backing layer which appear at the sides of these
pieces) The cut lines Ll and L2 formed on this
matrix for forming the various spacer pieces of course
will follow cut lines required for spacer strips 9d
extending the full sign width and the narrow 3/8" and
3/4" spacer pieces llc and llc' previously described.
Fig. 20 shows a trimmed matrix from which
all of the header strips previously described and
formed by shearing along the various cut llnes Ll and
L2 thereof.
A customer for a particular sign will
receive a kit containing a desired number of sign
component pieces comprising spacer and header strips
and the smaller blank spacer pieces, and pieces having
numbers, decimal points, percentage signs, date and
month indicia thereon.
57~75
. 22
Fig. 21 shows a typical. shearing device
useable for devices Sl and S2. It includes the table
26, a stationary bottom knife edge 32, an upper
movable shearing blade 34 which acts like a scissors
blade, and a hollow bar 36. A backstop 3~ is
supported for adjustment in any well known way for
movement in the direction of the arrow 30~
Both the structural and method aspects of
the invention described cooperate to produce a unique
sign system. Utilizing separate shearing devices or
shearing device sections w.ith individual precisely
adjustable backstop for 'he different cutting --
distances required, precisely dimensioned thin,
flexible, bevelled sign componen~ pieces are formed
which, when closely interfitted together, form
perfectly aligned rows and columns of numbers heading
indicia, which give the appearance that the sign has a
continuous outer face, while permitting the easy
removal of the individual thin flexible sign component
pieces from the support wall 7 involved~ Also, since
the silk screen printing of the background and indicia
is on the inner faces of the translucent cover layer
of the sign component pieces, the indicia involved is
protected from damage and wear.
It should be understood that numerous
modifications may be made in the preferred embodiment
of the invention just described without deviating from
the broader aspects of the invention.
