Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1258~78
This invention relates to a bracket and a removable
holder for the bracket.
More particularly the bracket is attached to a sheet or
the like which acts as a display field for indicia or a sign~
The invention has particular application when t~e sign is at
elevated or perilous heights above the ground and would other-
wise require ladders or other devices to remove or to insert
the display field into the sign.
Particularly, the invention relates to a bracket which
is attached to the display field, and a novel holder which is
attached to a boom, whereby the holder mates and latches into
the bracket on the display field and allows the holder to
latch itself onto the display field whereby the display field
may be transported between ground and the perilous height.
The invention therefore contemplates as an article of
manufacture a holder comprising;
(a) a str~ight piece defining;
(i) two slots each formed into the shape of an
elongated portion and a laterally extending portion
that communicates, on the one hand with the longi-
tudinal portion, and on the other hand with a
margin of the straight piece whereby to provide
sliding access for a pair of shafts each slidable
along one of the respective longitudinal portions
thereby to slidingly nest into the elongated
portion.
The invention also contemplates in combination with
indicia or display fields that are each mounted on a portable
or removable display surface, and a sign that is generally
disposed at an inconvenient elevation and adapted to removably
accept the display surfaces, and wherein a plurality of said
removable display surfaces are adapted to be removingly
attached to the sign in order to display the indicia or dis-
play fields, a transport mechanism for said display surfaces
comprising;
(a~ a bracket attached to each said display surface,
said bracket including a pair of protruding members,
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having a predetermined cross-section, and disposing at
their distal ends a cross-sectional dimension, greater
than that of the predetermined cross-section; and,
(b) the holder as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein
the slot has a minimum dimension greater than that of
the predetermined distance, but less than that of the
distal cross-sectional dimension.
The invention will now be described by way of example
and reference to the accompanying drawings in which.
Figure 1 is a perspective viaw of the invention, in
application.
Figure 2 is a perspective, of the clamp, and the remov-
able holder therefor showing its indexing and mating.
Figure 3 is a side view of figure 2.
Figure 4 is a plan view of the holder.
Figure 5 is a partial side view through the said bracket
according to the invention.
Referring to figure 1, an elevated sign 10 is mounted
above the ground upon a post 11 which, in the figure, can be
perceived to be at a height of 15 or more feet. The sign has
a surround 13 as its frame generally "U" shaped in cross-
section; thus, the U-shaped surround 13 has a flat bed 13'
extending into vertically disposed distal arms 13". In the
figure, the sign is shown with 3 removable panels 14 and 15;
14 displaying respectively the digits 4 and 1 and 15 displa-
ying the digit 7, being in the process of being placed into
the sign 10.
Referring to the cross-section figure 3, the "U" shaped
frame 13 surrounds the sign display region 17. The sign dis-
play region includes a hollow central portion 16 bounded by,about its perimeter, the "U" shaped, in cross-section, frame
13 and two translucent sheets 17', one on front, and one on
the obverse side to the sign since there is an inner support
structure 18 bolted or otherwise secured by convenient means
to the inner surface of the bed 13' of the surround as shown
in the figure. The distal arms 13", extend away from the bed
13' beyond the support structure 18, but are disposed away
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therefrom and from the surface of the sheet 18 a convenient
distance to thereby define between the sheets 17 and the bed
13' a pair of races 19; upper races 19', lower races 19".
Each of the removable panels 14 or lS are sized so that the
upper margin 21 of the panel, 14 or 15, can be slid into one
of the upper races 19 and the lower margin 22 thereof can them
be allowed to fall into and seat in the lower race 19' as
shown in figure 3. The display panels 14 and 15 stay in
place. That is the prior art.
According to the invention, each display panel is
affixed with a pair of studs 30 consisting of a shaft 31
extending from the front surface of the removable panel, into
a shouldered segment, or button 32. The shaft 31 extends
through the display sign into a pined region 32; the region 32
may in fact be a shouldered bolt or screw which has a stem
extending into the shaft 31. Any other convenient attachement
configuration may be used. In any event two of such studs 30
are mounted on each of the panels 14 or 15 and co-act as the
bracket 35 with a holder, 40, according to the invention.
Referring to figures 2, 3 and 4, the holder 40,
according to the invention, engages the bracket 35 (studs 30)
as will become apparent. The holder 40 consists of a straight
piece 41, one end of which bends at 42 into a second straight
piece 43 inclined to the first straight piece 41 at
approximately 18. Any convenient angulation is appropriate
and in some applications 90 is convenient. The second
straight piece 43 has means, as for instance apertures, not
shown, for attaching the second straight piece 43 to the end
o a boom 50. In the figures shown, the holder 40 is attached
as by bolts 53 which extend through the boom 50 and the second
straight piece 43 to secure the holder 40 onto one end of the
boom 50. A pair of symmetrically arranged slots 44 are
defined by the first straight piece 41 in the manner shown,
most clearly in figures 2 and 4. Each slot 44 may be defined
as comprising an elongated portion 45 (with forward and
rearward ends 46 and 47) defined by the straight piece 41 and
positioned in a direction coincident with the longitudinal
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-- 4
extent of the straight piece 41; and incorporating a laterally
extending open section 48 that communicates with the
longitudinal dinal section 45, on the one hand, at a point
further away from one end than from the other end, and wherein
the lateral slot 48 extends to a marginal edge 49 of the
straight piece 41. Each of the two slots 44 are formed
accordingly and are symmetrically arranged and spacially
disposed on the holder 50 that the lateral open sections 48
are distanced idential to the distance between shafts 31 of
the bracket 35.
In use, therefore, the lateral open sections 46 allow
for the passage of the shafts 31 into the longitudinal extent
45 of the holder 40; the boom 50 is then pushed upward,
whereupon, the shafts 31 slide down the open extent 45 to urge
against the bottom end 47 while the buttoms 32 overlay each
slot 45 in a manner shown in figure 2. The distance d between
the buttons 32 and the upper surface s of each of the panels
14 or 15 is slightly greater, by 1 or 2 mm, than the thickness
of the holder, which is preferred to be 0.18" (4.5 mm), and
hence the holder 40 firmly grips the removable panels 14 or
15. In this way the panels may be held firmly on the end of
the boom during transit to and from the sign 10. At the sign
10, the upper margin 21 of the panel is slid into the upper
race 19', the panel then placed in total juxtaposition against
the display surface 17' and allowed to fall so that the bottom
margin 22 of the display planel slices into and seats in
bottom race 19". The holder is removed from the bracket 35
and the display panel by changing the relative pitch of holder
vis a vis the panel, and with a downward and sideways motion
the shafts 31 slip out of the slots 44.
It will be apparent now that by reversing the aforesaid
procedure, any of the the three display panels may be
removed. (In the figures, particularly figure 1, for clarity,
panels 14 do not illustrate the bracket 35 mounted thereon.)
Those skilled in the art will now appreciate that
various modi~ications to the invention may be achieved without
departing from that as claimed.
