US3313056A

US3313056A - Illuminated sign

Info

Publication number: US3313056A
Application number: US410884A
Authority: US
Inventors: Britt W Williams; Lemual W Williams
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1964-11-13
Filing date: 1964-11-13
Publication date: 1967-04-11
Anticipated expiration: 1984-04-11

Description

April 11, 1957 B. w. WILLIAMS ETAL 3,313,056

ILLUMINATED SIGN 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 13, 1964 Briff W W/YI/bms Lemua/ W Williams INVENTORS April 11, 1967 a. w. WILLIAMS ETA-L 3,313,056

' ILLUMINATED sum Filed Nov. 13, 1964 i 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 2

8m!!! BARREL Brill M. Williams Lemual W Williams INVENTORS BY @y 405:

w w mm United States Patent Ofifice 3,313,856 Patented Apr. 11, 1967 3,313,056 RLUMINATED SIGN Britt W. Williams, 1450 Oakhurst Ave. 32208, and Lemuel W. Williams, 4037 Nolan St. 32205, both of Jacksonville, Fla.

Filed Nov. 13, 1964, Ser. No. 410,884 13 Claims. (Cl. 40--77) This invention relates to a novel and useful illuminated sign and more specifically to an advertising display apparatus for displaying numerous types of printed advertising material.

The illuminated sign of the instant invention is generally cylindrical in configuration and is adapted to be supported in an upright position in order that persons may view the advertising material by moving about the sign. In addition, the illuminated sign includes a transparent upright tubular member in which a drum or rotor is rotatably mounted for rotation about an upstanding axis and means is provided for yieldably urging rotation of the drum in one direction relative to the transparent tubular member whereby a sheet of printed material may be attached to the drum through a vertical slot formed in one wall portion of the tubular member and automatically wound about the drum until the free end of the sheet of advertising material also passes through the slot and may be secured to the rotor or drum. Suitable means may be provided for limiting rotation of the drum to one revolution of the latter relative to the cylindrical member in order. that suitable spring clips mounted on the rotor may be utilized to retain the sheet of advertising material on the rotor. However, inasmuch as the sign is provided with a rotor upon which the advertising material is adapted to be supported for viewing, the rotor may be readily motorized so as to provide a continuously rotating or oscillating advertising sign.

In the form of the illuminated sign illustrated and described herein wherein the rotor is adapted to be limited to only full rotation relative to the transparent tubular member in which it is disposed, the advertising material mounted on the rotor will be in the form of classified advertisement and the illuminated sign may therefore be readily utilized in any location wherein it might be desirable to display classified advertisements.

The main object of this invention is to provide'an illuminated sign which will be capable of displaying various types of advertisements in an attractive manner.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a novel illuminated sign including means by which the classified advertisements supported thereby are illuminated from the back side of the material on which the advertisements are printed.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide an illuminated sign constructed in a manner whereby the advertisements displayed thereby may be readily changed with a minimum amount of effort.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide an illuminated sign construction in accordance with the preceding objects which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively troublefree in operation.

These together vn'th other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the illuminated sign of the instant invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged vertical section view taken substantially on the plane indicated by the section line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary further enlarged horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 33 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of one upper marginal edge portion of the illuminated sign illustrating some of the more specific structural features thereof.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings the numeral 10 generally designates the illuminated sign of the instant invention. The sign 10 includes an upright tubular support post 12 whose lower end may be supported in any convenient manner from a suitable support surface.

The support post 12 includes a support fitting 14 including a cylindrical portion 16 telescoped over and secured to a lower portion of the support post 12 in any convenient manner and an annular flange portion 18 which projects radially outwardly from the upper end of the cylindrical portion 16. A generally circular'support member 20 provided with a central opening 22 is disposed on the support post 12 with the latter received through the opening 22. The support member 20 rests on the annular flange portion 18 and has its outer peripheral portion supported from the post 12 by means of curved brace mem bers 24. The support member 20 includes an upwardly opening circular groove 26 which is formed in its upper surface 28 and the lower end of a transparent and generally cylindrical tubular member 30 is seated in the groove 26.

The upper end of the support post 12 includes a generally circular top plate 32 and a generally convex circular top 34 is secured over the top plate 32 and to the upper end of the tubular member 30 by means of clips 36 and fasteners 38.

The top 34 includes an outer marginal portion defining an outwardly projecting circumferential flange 40 which is turned in and under as at 42 to form a reinforcing flange. In addition, the outer peripheral portion of the support member 20 defines a circumferential outwardly projecting flange 44 whose upper surface 46 defines a writing ledge.

A rotor generally referred to by the reference numeral 48 is disposed within the tubular member 30 and includes support post 12. Additionally, the lowerring 52 includes upper and

lower rings

50 and 52. The ring 50 includes a hub portion 54 from which it is supported by means of generally radial spokes 56 and the hub portion 54 rotatably receives the corresponding upper end portion of the a hub portion 58 from which it is supported by means of :a plurality of generally radial spokes 60 and it may be seen from FIGURE 20f the drawings that the hub portion 58 is also rotatably disposed on the support post 12. Further, a thrust bearing 62 is disposed between confronting surfaces of the support member 20 and the hubportion 58. I

A plurality of axially extending and circumferentially spaced support members 64 are secured between the spokes 56 and the spokes 60 and interconnect the

rings

50 and 52 for simultaneous rotation relative to the support post 12.

A pair of

electrical conductors

66 and 68 extend upwardly through the support post 12 and through a pair of grommets 70 secured through the post 12 between the

hub portions

54 and 58. The

electrical conductors

66 and 68 have one pair of corresponding end portions elec trically connected to a plurality of

fluorescent light assemblies

72 and 74 and the other pair of corresponding ends thereof (not shown) are adapted to be electrically connected to a suitable source of electrical potential (not shown).

A coil spring 76 is operatively connected between the support post 12 and one of the support or brace members 64 in a manner most clearly seen in FIGURE 3 of the drawings. The coil spring 76 yieldingly urges the rotor 48 in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 3 of the drawings and it may be seen that the tubular member 30 has an upstanding slot 78 formed in one wall portion thereof and also that a pair of

channel members

80 and 82 are secured to opposite side edge portions of the slot 78. A removable transparent slide panel 84 is supported between the

channel members

80 and 82 and from FIG- URE l of the drawings it may be seen that the support member is slotted as at 86 to enable the panel 84 to be slid downwardly past the support member 20 in order to open slot 78.

Each of the upper and

lower rings

50 and 52 includes a pair of

spring clips

88 and 90 and it may be seen that a sheet 92 of advertising material may have one end portion 94 secured to the

rings

50 and 52 by means of the spring clips 88. Then, the rotor 48 may be rotated so as to wind the sheet 92 on the

rings

50 and 52 until the free end of the sheet 92 is in position to be secured to the

rings

50 and 52 by means of the spring clips 90.

A suitable center ornamental post 96 may be secured to the top plate 32 and project upwardly through the top 34 and support suitable signs 98 thereon for attracting persons to the illuminated sign 10. The upper end of the tubular member 30 is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced vent openings 100 and suitable screening material 102 may be secured over the vent openings, 100.

As hereinbefore set forth although the coil spring 76 has been illustrated and described, it is to be noted that it may be eliminated in favor of an electric motor or the like designed to either oscillate the rotor 48 or continuously rotate the rotor 48 in one direction. Of course, suitable drive means would also have to be provided for drivingly connecting the. electric motor to the rotor 48.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. An illuminated sign comprising an upright transparent tubular member, a rotor in said tubular member journalled for rotation about an upright axis generally coinciding with the upright center axis of said tubular member, said tubular member including means defining an upstanding slot in one wall portion thereof horizontally aligned with said rotor, and means carried by said rotor for drawing a horizontally elongated flexible sheet through said slot, said means further adapted to secure one end of said horizontally elongated flexible sheet on said rotor for windingsaid sheet on said rotor and'also means adapted to secure the other end of said sheet to said rotor.

The gombina tion of claim 1 wherein said rotor includes a pair of upper and lower vertically spaced rings from which the last two mentioned means are supported.

3. The combination of claim 1 including a removable closure for said slot.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said tubular member includes means defining opposing channels extending along the opposite sides of said slot, said removable closure comprising a slide closure panel slidably supported between said channels.

5. The combination of claim 1 including means operatively connected between said rotor and said tubular member yieldably urging rotation of said rotor in one direction relative to said tubular member.

6. The combination of claim 1 including illumination means disposed in said rotor adapted to cast light through said sheet.

7. The combination of claim 1 wherein said tubular member is closed at its upper end.

8. The combination of claim 7 wherein said tubular member includes an outwardly projecting circumferential flange adjacent its upper end.

9. The combination of claim 1 wherein said tubular member includes an outwardly projecting circumferential flange adjacent its lower end.

10. The combination of claim 1 including an upright post from whose upper end portion said tubular member is concentrically supported.

11. An illuminated sign comprising a tubular member including at least some transparent portions, a rotor journalled in said tubular member for rotation about an axis extending longitudinally of said tubular member, said tubular member including means defining an elongated slot in and extending longitudinally of one wall portion thereof, said rotor including means adapted to secure one end of a flexible sheet to said rotor for winding of said sheet on said rotor upon its rotation relative to said tubular member, said rotor being positioned relative to said slot whereby said one end of said sheet may be threaded through said slot and secured to said rotor for Winding thereon upon rotation of said rotor with said sheet being drawn through said slot, and said rotor further including means adapted to secure the other end of said sheet to said rotor after said sheet has been wound thereon, the axis of said rotor being positioned relative to said transparent portion so as to position at least portions of said sheet in registry with said transparent portions of said tubular member.

12. The combination of claim 11 including a removable closure for said slot.

13. The combination of claim 11 including illumination means' supported from said rotor for casting light through at least a portion of said sheet in registry with said transparent portions of said tubular member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,100,853 11/1937 Jennings 4033 FOREIGN PATENTS 532,405 1/ 1941 Great Britain.

EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner. W. GRIEB, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. AN ILLUMINATED SIGN COMPRISING AN UPRIGHT TRANSPARENT TUBULAR MEMBER, A ROTOR IN SAID TUBULAR MEMBER JOURNALLED FOR ROTATION ABOUT AN UPRIGHT AXIS GENERALLY COINCIDING WITH THE UPRIGHT CENTER AXIS OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER, SAID TUBULAR MEMBER INCLUDING MEANS DEFINING AN UPSTANDING SLOT IN ONE WALL PORTION THEREOF HORIZONTALLY ALIGNED WITH SAID ROTOR, AND MEANS CARRIED BY SAID ROTOR FOR DRAWING A HORIZONTALLY ELONGATED FLEXIBLE SHEET