US2012614A - Sign element and method of constructing the same - Google Patents

Description

7, 1935. E. K. MADAN 2,012,614

SIGN ELEMENT AND METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING THE SAME Filed July 11, 1954 INVENTOR fan/44a /K A4404 ATTORN EY Patented Aug. 27, 1935 umrEoffsTArss PATIENT Jme:

2,012,614 I h I SIGN ELEMENT ANDMETHOD 0F 1 CONSTRUCTING THE SAME V Edward K. 'Madan,Maplewood, N. J., assignor to- Samuel Slut sky, New York, NY. 'j Applicatio'n July '11, 1934,'Ser ialNo. 734,581 a 1i; Claims; (01. 409125) This invention relates to the, production of signs and various other types of displays for use in display or advertising purposes "and'to take the place'of conventionalilluminated signs and particularly such signs known as the neon signs; and theobject of .the invention is to provide a sign element which is composed; of celluloid or other translucent material of any desired color or combinations of colors, :and amounting member cut to conform with the outline of the sign element and to receivesuch sign element, the mounting member being of an opaque material whereby an artificial or other light disposed upon the rear face of the mounting member will illuminate; that part, of the sign element or ele-' ments arranged thereon to give the effect of a neon or similar sign; a furtherobjectbeing to provide each sign element with an, extending flange or body portion providing means'for securing the opaque mounting orbackground in connection 'therewith'or, to receive opaque members within the boundaries of the sign element; and with these and other objects in view, the in- 'vention consists in a sign of the class;and;for

the purpose specified, which is made in accordance with the method herein more fully described and claimed. it i The 'invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawing forms a part, in which the separate parts of the improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each which: V

Fig. 1 is a face view of a mounting member showing one sign elementcoupled therewith with part of the construction broken away. i Fig. 2 is a partial section on the line"2-2 of Fig.1.

Fig. 3 is a detail View of a mounting memt n;

dicating the step of a sign element.

Fig. 4 is a view showing a number of signelements arranged on a mounting member; and, f I

Fig.5 is aface view of a part of a frame showing a number of sign elements arranged therein.

For the purpose of illustrating-a simple method of carrying my invention into-effect, I haveshown oneor more sign elements made according to my invention in the form of the letters of the alphabet, butit will be understood at thisltim'e that cutting the same to receive 'my invention is not limited to sign elements of any particular shape or contour nor inthe use of any particular number of'such 'elementson or in connection with a' suitable mounting member. In theconstruc'tion shown'in Figs. -1' and 2,

of the views, and in.

I have indicatedat' Ill a mounting member which is in the 'form of a hea'vysheet of canvas orother fibrousmaterial colored to give first a'n opaque appearance and secondly, a desired colored background suitable for and consistent with the com plete display in 'thes'ign to be produced; I Y In Fig. 3 of the drawing,"I have shown the method of shaping the mounting Rmember It by. die-or otherwise cuttingthe letter B of the alphabet therefrom-along the dotted'lines indicated at H, forming the peripheral contounof the letter Band along the lines 'I la to form the inner field pieces l2 of the letter} The cut line lliforms an opening llb in the member ID of the peripheral contour of the letterB. At I3, I have shown the letterB formed from a sheet of celluloid or similar semi-flexible material, the sheet being pressed outwardly to form a large beadedoutline Mof said letterwith recesses I5 therein closed: by the wall portions a upon which the field pieces I 2 are secured to render the recesses l5 opaque in the resultant sign. I Extending from the peripheral walls of the beaded portions and in alinement with the walls l5a are outwardly projecting flanges it which overlie and rest upon the rearface of the mount ingmember ID andto which the mounting memsecured in position by a suitable adhesiveJfThe peripheral edges of'the flanges l6 are parallel or substantially parallel to the edge of the sign ele ment proper, thus maintaining'the contour of the element as viewed from 'the rear of' the mounting I a member.

The outwardly pressed 'beaded portions i l of I 'the'sign element give the representationiof a tube upon the outer surface of the mounting member,

7 and in the use of the sign element; thep-lacement or a light rearwardly of the mounting member it will operateto illuminate the beaded portions 14 'of the sign element to produce a very attractive sign or display, and one which willrepresent or imitate the conventional neon signs; it being understood that the translucent sign element may be of any desired color and the color may be solid through the element, --or in constructing-the sign elementfrom celluloid or other sheets-of varie elements may be of contrasting colors to give con trasting ornamental eifects on the complete sign or display. I p

In this connection, the element l3a in Fig. 4 mounted in connection with a backing We may be red in color whereas the sign element l3b,

namely, the letter A of the alphabet may be blue; 7 green, yellow or another color contrasting tpjthat' of the color employed in the letter B,,,,Fig. 4'rep-j resents a partial view of what may be a continuous sign having any number of letters to spell'fout a word or anumber of words and the entire sign' may be contained in a suitable casing' havingai source of light supply for purposes of, illumination. In Fig. 5 of the drawing,,I have indicated at H thebutlineof a frame, but in this frame the same is subdivided by partition strips {lainto a series of display openings lib, He, in which separate backings lob, 100 are arranged. The strips l'laserve to cover the abutting side edges of the backings Hib, 100 to form a neat and finished appearance on the front facefof the sign. In this construction, each backing Mb, I00 has a sign element (30,1341, which in the construction shown are the letters B and Arespectively.

, With this typeof construction, an interchangeable sign may be made, such for example as the signs of theatres where the head lines or advertis ingsubject is changed from time to time. With this type of construction, by having an adequate supply of the respective letters of the alphabet, the signs may be readily changed from time to time.

tional manner, thelatter being; preferable inmost cases, andit isimportant that :the size, of the boundary wall of the openingformedtherein be equal to or possibly slightly lessthanthe boundary of'the display element so that said'element will fit snugly therein, thus producingsharp and clean cut boundary edges to, the, displayelements when in connection with the backing member.

In using sheetspf relatively rigid material as mounting .memberspsuch forexample as card board, sheet metal and the like, thebpenings formed therein will be made tofreely receivethe signelements;

My improved device lends itself for use in con nection with thexskirt or fiangeportions of canopies or awnings, the lettering or other advertis, 'ing matter'bein'g visiblein the day time as with other sign elements, and being illuminated at night by the reflection of light from a store window or the'like,

While I am aware of the factthat celluloid has beenprod-uced for the production of illuminated signs by reason of the-translucency ofthe material,-the distinctive'feature of my invention resides in preforming armount-ingrnember tothe contour of a display element formed from;celluloid or, other material, and to so .shape the dis- .play element-as to adap'tits mounting miconnection with the cut 1011,17 portiongof, the-mounting member to provide in the resulting product a substantially unitary construction which will adapt itself to the manufacture of very economical signs and displays having unlimited uses.

While the letters of the alphabet alone are indicated for illustrative purposes, my invention is not limited in this respect as sign elements of any shape, form or contour may be employed to produce various types and kinds of displays or advertising members, and various changes in and modifications of the construction herein described may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of myinvention or sacrificing its advantages.

Having fully described my invention, what I fclain ias new desire to secure by Letters Patentfis': l

1. Afflat flexible sign comprising an opaque sheetofflexible fabric provided with spaced apart cut-'out'o'p'enings, each forming a letter and the letter-forming openings coacting to form a word, a. pluralityl ofseparate independent coverings, one for each cut-out opening, each covering comprising'an integral, semi-flexible celluloid character of relatively light weight, havingan att ch: ing flange outlining the same and secured to the rear side of the'fabric'sheet about its respective opening and having a thin, translucent, character-forming,'hollow, half-tube portion projecting from the plane of the securingflange, fitting in its associated cut-out opening and projecting forwardly beyond the front side of the fabric sheet, said sign having a relatively high degree of flexibility in the portions thereof between the characters and being semi-flexible in the portions formed by thecharacters and the word formed by the] characters being visible from the front side of the sign and at'a sharp angle-to the plane of the sign both by light reflected from the front side of the'characters and by light transmitted through the sides of the translucent, hollow, halftube portions which project through the flexible fabric;

2. A flexible sign comprising a sheet of canvas pressed, letter forming character of flexible sheet celluloid with a portion thereof being translucent, U-shapedin cross section and projecting through *its associated opening, so as to be visible from the outer side of the sign, and the portions of the canvas between the coverings being flexible to form hinge joints between the word characters.

. 3. A sign comprising a sheet of canvas provided with an opening having a predetermined contour,

' an element, for covering said opening comprising an integral, semi-flexible 'member of relatively light weight, said member having an attaching portion secured to the canvas sheet, about its opening and having a hollow portion projecting from the plane of the attaching portion, and of a contour corresponding approximately to that of the opening, said hollow portion registering with said opening and projecting beyond one side of the canvas; sheet. 7 I

. 4, A sign comprising a body of semi-flexible fibrous material provided with an opening having a predetermined contour, an element for cover- ,ing said opening comprising a semi-flexible sheet fashioned to ,form a hollow portion conforming substantially with the contour of the opening in saidbodwsaid element having-attachmg portions at the periphery of the hollow portion, and means 1 securing the attaching portions of said elemen to said body about the opening therein.

5. A sign comprising a mounting body'of semiflexible material provided with an opening having a predetermined contour, an element for said opening comprising a semi-flexible sheet fashioned to form a hollow portion substantially conforming with the contour of the opening in said body, said element having attaching portions arranged upon said body about the opening therein, and said attaching portions being secured to said body by an adhesive and under applied heat and pressure.

6. A non-rigid sign including a relatively opaque flexible mounting member, a semi-flexible symbol forming unit having a hollow symbol element of translucent material projecting from the plane of said unit, said mounting member having an opening substantially corresponding in contour to the hollow symbol element of saidunit and registering therewith, with said member bordering the boundaryedges of the symbol element, and that part of said unit extending from the boundary edges of the symbol element extending onto j '8. An article of manufacture of the class de-,

scribed, comprising a mounting member of flexible material, a sign element composed of a sheet of semi-flexible material fashioned within boundary edges thereof to form an offset hollow symbol projecting to'one side of said sheet, said mounting member having a cut-out opening conforming and registering wtih the hollow symbol of said 5 element, means including a material set in the presence of heat securing the boundary edges of said element to adjacent portions of said mounting member about the periphery of said symbol, and said sign eleme'nt'including field pieces disposed inwardly of the boundaries thereof and of the same material as that of said mounting member.

class described, which consists in cutting from 9. The method of .manufacturing signs of the v asheet of fibrous material forming themounting member of a sign an opening conforming with the contour of ,a predetermined sign "symbol,- 1 shaping a sheet of semi-flexible material within the boundary edges thereof to form on one surface thereof aprojecting symbol of a contour, similar to that of the contour of the opening in said member, arranging said sheet upon said member to register the symbol with said opening with the boundaryv edges arranged'upon the member bordering said opening, and then securing the edges of the sheet and 'member together by an adhesive and under applied heat and pressure.

, 10. The method of manufacturing signs-of the class described which consists inv forming in a sheet of fibrous material constituting the mounting member of a sign, an opening conforming with the contour of a predetermined sign symbol, shaping a sheet of semi-flexible material within the-boundary edges thereof to form on one surface thereof a projecting symbol ofv a contour substantially similar to that of the contour of the opening in said member and with depressed portions within the boundaries of said symbol, arranging said sheet upon said member to register the symbol with said opening with the boundary edges arranged upon the member bordering said opening, securing the edges of the sheet and member together by an adhesive and under applied heat and pressure, cuttingfrom the mounting member'field pieces conforming with the outline of said, depressed portions and arranging said field pieces in and securing thesame to said depressed portions. I

11. A sign comprisingan opaque sheet of flexible' fabric provided with spaced apart cut-out openings, each having a predetermined contour,

a plurality of separate'elements, one for each.

opening, each element comprising anintegral,

semi-flexible celluloid member of relatively light- 7 weight, said member having an attaching flange outlining the same and secured to the rear side of the fabric sheet about its respective-opening.

and having a thin, translucent, hollow portion projecting from the ,plane of the securing flange and of a contour corresponding to that of its respective opening, said portion snuglylfittingin said opening and projecting forwardly beyond the front side of the fabric sheet. i

EDWARD K. MADAN.

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