US2281343A - Advertising signboard construction - Google Patents

Description

April 28, 19452. D v, WALKER i 2,281,343

ADVERTISING SIGNBOARD CONSTRUCTION I Filed Jan. 16. 1941 Il v5 /z f ml j iii. v

A'rroRE'Y Patented Apr. 28, i942 UNTE STATES PATENT @ENCE 2 Claims.

My invention relates to an advertising signboard construction, and more particularly to an outdoor type generally referred to as a billboard.

Signboards have been utilized by painting thereon or pasting thereto advertising illustrations and slogans. Most signboards are more or less unsightly, so much so that in many communities legislation has been enacted prohibiting their use.

One object of my invention is to provide an advertising signboard of pleasing conguration and having aesthetic appeal.

Another object of my invention is to provide a signboard for advertising articles of merchandise, including clothes, in a novel, picturesque, and pleasing manner.

A further object of my invention is to provide a novel signboard for advertising articles of merchandise in which use is made of enlarged photographic representations of the articles to be advertised.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a signboard in which the representations of the articles of merchandise being advertised are spaced from a background and so lighted that a third dimensional effect is achieved.

Other and further objects of my invention will appear from the following description.

In the accompanying drawing which forms part of the instant specication and is to be read in conjunction therewith, and in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the various views;

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a signboard showing one embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the signboard shown in Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is an end View with parts in section of the signbcard shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a rear view of the gure mounting.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view on a large scale, taken on the line 5 5, Fig. 1.

In general my invention contemplates an outdoor advertising signboard construction in which a faithful reproduction of the article of merchandise being advertised is made and mounted, and so lighted to achieve relief in an appropriate setting.

My invention is particularly adapted to advertising clothes, shown worn on models, and for purposes of illustration but not by way of limitation, I will describe my invention with respect to a signboard for advertising clothes.

Let us assume that it is desired to advertise an evening gown.

The evening sown is worn by a professional model and an appropriate photograph of the model wearing the gown is made.

The negative of the model is enlarged to any desirable size, usually larger than life size. The enlarged photograph is represented in Fig. 5 by the reference numeral I. It is mounted on a heavy board 2 and is tinted in natural colors to produce a reproduction of the gown, and bestowing to the model a life-like effect. The gure is then cut out. A stop I is secured to the mounting board 2, by means of screws 8.

Referring to Fig. 5, bolts 4 clamp mounting blocks 5 and spacer member 6 to the stop 1. The screws 9 secure the mounting blocks 5 to the member 3 of the signboard proper. The member 3 is the background panel against which the photographic enlargement is displayed and from which it is spaced. The background member 3 is of substantial thickness so that its surface I0, upon which the background is painted, will be spaced from the surface II of the signboard panel I2.

The background member 3 may be mounted in the panel I2 in any suitable manner. The panel I2 of the signboard is supported upon a base member I3. The front portion of the base member is provided with a shadow board I4, behind which incandescent, neon, or fluorescent lighting means i5 is positioned.

After the gure is mounted on the board, it is sealed with a transparent, weather-proof, coating I 6. This coating may be transparent nitrocellulose lacquer, or any other suitable transparent `coating material, such as varnish or the like. The coating material, it will be noted, is applied on the back as well as the front to keep the figure from warping.

If beach clothes, for example, are being advertised, an appropriate beach scene will be painted upon the background panel I, and a gure wearing a bathing suit is mounted in spaced relation from the background. The stop 'I is so mounted that it cannot be seen from the front of the signboard. Appropriate lettering, preferably of neon tubing Il, is mounted on the surface II of the main panel I2.

The arrangement is such that when assembled, the photographic enlargement I, spaced from the surface I0, will throw a shadow I8 upon the scenic background, giving the effect of relief to the figure. The thickness of the panel 3 is such that the footlight I5 will throw a shadow I9 of the panel 3 upon the surface Il of the signboard proper.

The eiect achieved is to provide an outdoor display in which the merchandise is accurately shown to the public in a manner having a third dimensional effect. All the advantages attendant upon displaying an article in relief, and the exhibiting of clothes being worn by models, are achieved by my construction.

It will be understood that certain features and sub-combinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and sub-combinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of my claims. It is further obvious that various changes may be made in details Within the scope of my claims Without departing from the spirit of my invention. It is, therefore, to be understood that my invention is not to be limited to the specific details shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. An advertising signboard construction including in combination a base member, a vertical background member secured thereto forming a primary area, self-illuminated advertising indicia mounted on said primary area, a second vertical member of different geometrical shape than said first vertical member, said 'second' vertical member being mounted upon said rst vertical member and having a second background area disposed in a plane spaced from the plane of said rst area, a third vertical member having the form of a graphic representation oi merchandise to be advertised, means for mounting said third vertical member in spaced relation with said second background area, and means for footlighting and silhouetting said graphic representation of merchandise against the second background area and simultaneously casting diiued light over the primary background area.

2. An advertising signboard construction including in combination a base member, vertical primary and secondary background areas mounted in conjunction with the base member, self-illuminating indicia on the primary background area, a third vertical member having the form of a graphic representation of merchandise to be advertised mounted in front of and in spaced relation With said secondary background area, light means arranged in front of said background areas to simultaneously concentrate light on the third member casting the shadow of said third member upon the secondary background area and causing it to be silhouetted in relief, and causing a diiused light to be projected over the primary background area.

DAVID V. WALKER.

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