US1869066A - Changeable sign - Google Patents

Description

July 26, 1932. E. v'oN DER LiPPE-LlPsKl 1,869,065

CHANGEABLE SIGN Filed March 22. 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 EZQL'Q von a@ Lip/ge Lziw@ July 26, 1932- E. voN DER LIPPE-LlPsKl 1,869,056

CHANGE-ABLE SIGN Filed March 22,

1930 2 Sheets-Sheet gmc/nto abbi/m4.

Patented July 216, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT oFF-ICE CHANGEABLE SIGN Appiication mea March 22, 1930. seriai- 110.438,073.

My invention is an improvement in signboards, and relates more especially to the type of changeable sign exhibitors in which the signs, pictures, or other indicia are changed by means lof rotatable bars or units having media faces which are successively brought to coplanar position 'at the front of the sign or picture, such as illustrated and :described in my application for patent filed October -1'0 24, 1929, Serial No. 402,282.

The primary objectof this invention is to provide an arrangement of the signboard whereby the changeable signs may be protected from severe weather to prevent ice or sleet collecting on the bars and interfering with the operation thereof. Y

. With this principal object in view I contemplate an arrangement for shifting the frame carrying the changeable sign exhibitor 2'0 from the front of the signboard and protecting it by a door orshield movable into position in front of the sign, the shifting of the sign and protector therefor being operated automatically by suitable mechanism controlled by a clock.

My invention further contemplates protecting a sign of this character against the formation of sleet or ice on the rotatable bars by means of the lights employed in lighting the sign, so that in moderately cold weather ice and sleet will be prevented from Vcollecting on the bars and in severely cold weather the protecting doors may be closed automatically during certain periodsof the night and early hours of the morning. p v

My invention therefore consists in providing a signboard having changeable sign eX- hibitors mounted in movable frames with movable doors adapted to be operated auto- 10 matically to protect the sign from ice and sleet during certain periods, and in the construction of the signboard whereby the signs are enclosed in a casing supplied witha moderate heat to insure the operation of the rotatable bars in cold weather; all as hereinafter fully described and more specifically set forth in the appended claims.

' In the drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of a signboard constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 i's a transverse sectional view showing the arrangement of the doors with respect to the frames carrying the changeable signs.

`Fig."3 is an enlarged view illustrating the tracks from which the doors are hung.

Fig. l is a detail sectional view showing the l) means for supporting and operating the main doors.

Fig' is a similar view of the hangers supporting the sectional doors.

Fig. 6 is a plan view showing the rack barsV for operating the sectional doors, and

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view through the casing in the rear of the front thereof, the doors being closed.

In carrying out my invention the signs and means for protecting the same are enclosed in a casing or housing preferably rectangular in shape and comprising a back or rear Wall 1() with end walls 11 11 and spaced apart partitions 12 12 connected to a front 13, the latter having a central opening 14 through which the main sign is exhibited and smaller openings 15 15 at opposite sides for exhibiting additional signs.

The several signs are of the type having rotatable bars 16 supported in frames which also carry the mechanism for turning said bars, the frame 17 for the main sign being located in a compartment 17a between the partitions 12 and movable rearwardly therein for which purpose said frame is supported on tracks 1'8 on the floor of the housing, while the frames 20 20 carrying the auxiliary signs are stationary in the compartments 21 21 at opposite sides of the central compartment.

For protecting the main sign which is slidable in the central compartment from exposed position at the front of the casing to housed-position at'the rear of said compartment two sliding doors 22 22 are provided, said doors being normally located in the compartments 21 and slidable into the compartment 17a in front of the main movable signV when the latter is shifted-to the porting rollers 26 journaled in brackets 27 attached to the upper end of the doors, said brackets being formed With a rack 28 With Which a pinion 29 engages for opening and closing the doors, said pinion being operated by shaft 42 in any suitable manner, as by mechanism in housing 43 which may be controlled by a clock for operating the doors to open and close them at predetermined intervals. As Will be noted by Fig. 2 the doors meet at the center of the compartment 17 in front of the sign when the latter is moved to housed position, so that said doors Will be located in front of the sign to protect the same, this position of the sign and doors being indicated in dotted lines. This arrangement provides for protecting the main changeable sign against the formation of sleet or ice on the rotatable bars, suitable mechanism being provided for first shifting the sign to the rear of the compartment in the housing and then operating the pinions located at the partitions 12 to slide said doors so that they Will meet at the centerof the compartment and close the same in front of the main sign.

In Winter Weather the signs in the side compartments are heated by the lights 19 employed for lighting up said signs, the lights being located in the rear thereof on a rear partition 30, which may be extended forwardly at the end thereof opposite the partition 12 to provide a separate compartment for the sign. For protecting the signs against severly cold Weather sectional doors 31 are provided at opposite sides of the opening 15, the sections of said doors being each hung from a bracket 32 at the center thereof having a roller 33 traveling in a hanger 34 attached to the lovver end of a beam 35a, said hangers being curved as shown in Fig. 3 so that the sectional doors when opened Will be located at opposite sides of the compartment 21. These doors are operated by rack bars 35 and 36 pivotally connected to the sections of the doors Which meet at substantially the centerof the aforesaid opening 15, one of said rack bars being pivoted directly to the upper end of the door While the other is pivotedto a bracket 37 projecting from the inner side of the other door so that the pivoted ends of said rack bars Will be alongside each other. The rack bars are engagedcby pinions 38 and 39, Which turn in opposite directions and are operated by suitable mechanism in the housing 44 from Which extend shafts 40 and 41 to which the aforesaid pinions are attached, said rack bars exerting a pull on the sectional doors toward each other in closing the same and a push in opposite direction for opening the doors. As stated With reference to the slidable doors for protecting the main sign the pinions for opening and Yclosing the sectional doors are also operated by suitable mechanism Which may be controlled by a clock for closing these doors to protect the auxiliary signs dui-ing certain periods of the day or night.

I claim l. In a changeable sign exhibitor the combination with a housing having a central open-front compartment in which a sign is located and movable to the front and rear of said compartment, and compartments at opposite sides. of said central compartment, sliding doors for closing off said central compartment in front of the sign When it is moved to the rear of the compartment, said doors being normally housed in the compartments at the sides of the center compartment.

2. In a changeable sign exhibitor the combination With a housing having a central open-front compartment in which a sign is located and movable to the front and rear of said compartment, and compartments at opposite sides of said central compartment, sliding doors for closing off the central compartment in front of the sign when it is moved to the rear of the compartment, tracks and rollers supporting said doors for sliding movement, rack bars on the doors, and pinions engaging said rack bars for operating the doors into and out of the center compartment.

3. In a changeable sign exhibitor the combination with a housing having a central open-front compartment in which a sign is located and movable to the front and rear of said compartment, and compartments at opposite sides of said central compartment, sliding doors for closing off the central compartment in front of the sign when it is moved to the rear of the compartment, tracks and rollers supporting said doors for sliding movement, rack bars on the doors, and pinions engaging said rack bars for operating the doors into and out of the center compartment; together With sectional doors for closing the side compartments, and means for operating the last mentioned doors.

' 4. In a changeable sign exhibitor the combination With a housing having a central open-front compartment in Which a sign is located and movable to the front and rear of said compartment, and compartments at opposite sides of said central compartment, sliding doors for closing` o the central compartment in front of the sign when it is moved to the rear of the compartment, tracks and rollers supporting said doors for sliding movement, rack bars on the doors, and pinions engaging said rack bars for operating the doors into and out of the center compartment together With sectional sliding doors for closing the side compartments, curved tracks at opposite sides of said compartments for guiding the sliding doors in their movement to housed position, and means for operating said doors.

5. In a changeable sign exhibitor the combination with a housing having a central open-front compartment in which a sign is located and open-front side compartments, a sign movable to the front and rear of the center compartment, and sliding doors movable from the side compartments into position in front of the sign in the center comp artment When it is moved to the rear of said compartment together With sliding doors for closing the side compartments, curved tracks at opposite sides of said side compartments.

connecting With straight tracks at the front of the compartment, rac-k bars extending from the meeting ends of the sliding doors, and pinions engaging said rack bars for operating the doors.

ELAINE VON DER LIPPE-LIPSKI.

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