US3120069A - Increment assembly sheet sign - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 4, 1964 H. c. PFAFF, JR., ETAL 3,120,069

INCREMENT ASSEMBLY SHEET SIGN Original Filed April 25, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 iNVENTORS H C. PFAFF JR.

R. W. 5 IVE R BY 2 Z ATTORNEY Feb. 4, 1964 H. c. PFAFF, JR., ETAL 3,120,069

INCREMENT ASSEMBLY SHEET SIGN Original Filed April 25, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 VIIIIIIIII I'IIIIIII INVENTORS H. C. PFAFF, JR. R. W. SIVER %a17 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,120,669 INCREMENT ASSEMBLY SHEET SIGN Henry C. Pfatf, Jr., Summit, and Richard W. Sivcr,

Manasquan, N..I., assignors to Traffic and Street Sign Company, Newark, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Original application Apr. 25, 1958, Ser. No. 731,022, now

Patent No. 2,942,366, dated June 28, 1960. Divided and this application May 19, 1960, Ser. No. 39,719

2 Claims. (Cl. 40-125) This invention relates to a sign device of such structural features that it may be readily fabricated of aluminum or other metal sheets to provide an unobstructed planar display face particularly well adapted for highway uses. The sign of this invention may be fabricated of parts manufactured as standard units adapted to be assembled in increment multiples at the site of installation to conform to the requirements of the installation and, when so assembled, provide an inherently rigid, permanent sign structure of highly practical and neat appearance, well adapted to withstand the elements including extreme wind loads.

The sign of the invention presents a display face of the combined surface areas of panels of which it is formed, with no hardware or protuberances on the display face. Individual panels, assembled to form the sign, are provided at their opposite or rear faces with means for securing them together in aligned relation.

Pursuant to this invention, the panels are provided, on the face obverse to the display face, with clips designed to engage a frame secured to supporting posts in an arrangement such that the frame may be positioned in initial approximately correct position on the post and thereafter adjusted to final position with the frame supported by and readily movable on the post, facilitating final assembly operations; likewise the panel clips may be positioned in initial approximately correct position on the frame and thereafter adjusted to final position while supported and slidable on the frame.

Examples of practical devices embodying the invention are described below and in the accompanying drawings; the invention is not limited thereto, but covers all other forms coming within the scope or purview of the disclosure herein.

This application is a division of our application filed April 25, 1958, Serial No. 731,022, now Patent No. 2,942,366, dated June 28, 1960.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken at line 11 of FIG. 6 and 11 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the panel obverse from the display face thereof, showing a clip embodying the invention secured thereto and engaging the rail of a frame,

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of a sign consisting of a plurality of panels and a plurality of support posts therefor, embodying the invention,

FIG. 4 is a partly fragmentary rear elevational view of a sign embodying the invention, consisting of two panels secured to a supporting post,

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational View taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 3, I

FIG. 6 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken at line 66 of FIG. 4,

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical sectional view taken at line 77 of FIG. 4,

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken at line 88 of FIG. 4, and

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a frame bracket to be secured to the supporting post and to be engaged by the frame for mounting the frame on the supporting post.

Similar reference characters indicate similar parts ice throughout the several views. As shown in the drawings, the device of this invention comprises a sign 15 (FIG. 4) having an assembly sheet panel portion 16 consisting of a plurality of panels 17, 18 adapted to be secured by clips 27 of the invention to a frame 19 which, in turn, may be secured to a post 20 of a ground or overhead support. Other panels such as 21, 22 (FIG. 3) intermediate panels 23, 24 may be added as required for building the sign to the panel increment desired, and said panels and frame 19 secured to post 20 by a socket bracket 47 (FIG. 9) having a base portion 48, to be secured to the supporting post 20 as by U-bolts 40, and a throat portion 49 offset rearwardly of the post 20 when the bracket is secured thereto (FIG. 5), the throat portion 49 and post 20 thus defining a recess or socket to receive the rail 34 of frame 19 and support it on ledge 50 of the bracket. The panels are proportioned to provide a sign of the desired longitudinal and vertical dimensions.

The parts of the sign are transported in knock-down form, unpacked at the site of installation, and the panels, with the clips 27 secured to their faces obverse their display faces, hooked over the rails 34, 35 of the frame 19 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 4) in initially approximately correct position. This places the weight of the panels 17, 18 on the frame 19 which, in turn, is supported on the bracket 47. The parts are thus initially assembled and may then be readily adjusted and set to accurate, final position.

The arrangement of the Z rails 34, 35 of the frame 19 provides a further convenient means for rapidly engaging the panels and rails and posts and thus mounting the parts initially at the point of installation without waiting for final alignment of parts, final alignment being attained while the parts of the sign are essentially assembled, thus greatly facilitating installation in the field. The signs of the present invention are especially adapted for use as highway signs; the features of initial assembly pending final adjustment and alignment at the point of installation is highly important.

The clips 27 are welded or otherwise secured to the rear faces of the panels at 28 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 5) with the C-shaped portions 55 of said clips (FIG. 2) downwardly opening for receiving the upper flanges 56 of the Z-rails 34, 35 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 4). The panels (with the clips 27 assembled on the obverse faces thereof at the plant or bolted thereto at point of installation) may be positioned over upper flanges 56 of the Z- rails 34, 35 and thus initially assembled in approximately correct position prior to final alignment of the parts, the lower flanges 57 of the rails of frame 19 (FIG. 5) being readily inserted between the throat 49 of the socket bracket 4'7 and post 20. Then the final alignment of the parts may be achieved by aligning the apertures 59 (FIG. 5) in the Z- rails 34, 35 with the apertures 58 in the brackets 47 and passing latch means such as bolts 44 therethrough; the parts are readily aligned as all of the weight of thepanels and attachments rests on the ledge 50 of the bracket 47, the parts being, prior to their final alignment as mentioned above, sufficiently interengaged to facilitate completion of the job rapidly and without requiring the exertion of any substantial force or use of special tools or techniques.

FIG. 1 illustrates a form of clip 27 wherein the rear leg 60 of the C-sh aped downwardly opening portion 55 thereof is offset from and secured to end portions 61, 61' fixed to the panel as at 28 as above noted. Leg 60, in line with the end of the other leg 62 of the-h-, inverted U- or C-shape'd portion completed by web 55 of clip 27 is provided with a protuberance 63 which is offset and spaced from the protuberance 60' on leg "60 a greater distance than the thickness of the flange 56 of rail 34. Thus a downwardly-opening slot is provided to receive said flange 56. The clips 27 of this invention are designed to withstand wind and other loading factors with safety by forming the clip of the desired horizontal length (L-FIG. 2) and by securing the clips to the panels to support the desired stress of the panels. The clips 27 are secured to the panels in two or more horizontal rows so that the upper flanges 56 of Z- rails 34, 35 may be received in the C-shaped downwardly opening portions 55 of the clips 27 which engage and make contact with flanges 56 at 64 (FIG. 1) to support the weight of the panels; at the same time, the clips 27 may, by threading bolts or set screws 29 in protuberances or thickened parts 63 of legs 62 of the clips 27, engage and make contact with the legs 60 of clips 27 or with extended bosses or raised portions 60' of legs 60. The axis of each screw 29 is offset upward, as illustrated, with respect to the opposing raised portion 60' to facilitate release from the supporting member 34, as will be described.

As above stated, the sign fabricated in accordance with the invention comprises panels 17, 18, assembled in edgewise relation, with no hardware or protuberances on the front face 51 (FIG. of the sign defined by the combined surface areas of the panels of which the sign is formed, so that said entire face area 51 may be utilized for display purposes.

The clips 27 (FIG. 2) for securing the panels together in edgewise abutting relation are welded thereto as at 28 or bolted or otherwise secured thereto and disposed at predetermined spaced points of each panel so as to align when the panels are disposed in edgewise aligned abutment. Said clips 27 (FIG. 4) are adapted to engage a frame 19 (in turn secured to the post 20) by means such as bolts 29 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 5) engaging the clips and frame. Complementary edgewise means may be provided on the panels (FIGS. 8 and 4) such as an elongated strip 30 welded to one panel as at 31 (FIG. 8) and one or more fingers 32 (FIGS. 1 and 4) secured to the other panel as at 33 and offset to receive the strip 30, to thereby align the panels edgewise.

Frame 19 may be formed of similar frame sections, each being secured to a panel and comprising Z-rails 34, 35 (FIG. 2) and means such as post stiffeners 36 welded or bolted to the rails 34, 35 as at 37 (FIG. 2) to permit assembly in field if desired. Suitable means may engage the frame and post to secure the frame to the post such as for example, U-bolts 40 (FIGS. 3, 5 and 6) positioned over the post 20 and secured to socket bracket 47 (FIGS. 6, 4 and 9).

In the sign of FIG. 3 a second post 20' is shown to which the panels are secured by the bolts 40 as above described in connection with FIG. 4. Panels of greater height than those of FIG. 4 may be provided with additional rails 35 as shown in FIG. 3, the other parts being substantially identical and being correspondingly numbered.

As noted above, the clip 27 locking device is designed to withstand varying wind and other loadings, depending on design with any reasonable factor of safety by selecting the desired length L (FIG. 2) for the clips from edge to edge and fastening them by riveting the clip end flanges 61, 61' to the panels 17, 18 or by welding at 28 (FIGS. 5 and 2) or other means, to support varying areas of sign panels 17, 18,.

The clips 27 are applied to the vertical sign sheet in two or more horizontal rows (FIGS. 4 and 3) so that the clip openings 55 (FIG. 2) can slip over and engage the upper flange 5 6 of the sign supporting structure. The clip 27 engages and makes contact with rail flange 56 at 64 (FIG. 1) to support the weight of the sign panels while at the same time the clip 27 engages and makes contact with rail flange 56 between the inner end of the set screw 29 and point 60' (FIG. 1).

Wind loads in direction B (FIG. 1) on the area of the front face 51 of sign 15 supported by clip 27 creates pressures and stresses which are distributed from panels 17, 18 and through clips 27 to points 60' and thence to flanges 56 of the rails (34, 35). At the same time, varying wind pressures may cause flexure or bending in sheets 18, 19 which rotating motion is transmitted through welds 28 or through riveted connections to the clips 27 which can move with respect to flange 56, at points 64 without transmitting the rotary motion to flange 56 and prevent excessive flexural stresses from rupturing connections 28 with the base portions 61, 61 during the useful life of the sign assembly.

Clip 27 is designed to provide a release feature which will free sign sheet 18 from the supporting structural member 56 in the event of impact of a vehicle or other object, particularly in direction B against the supporting structure, preventing or minimizing any damage to the sign sheets which may be immediately re-erected on other temporary or permanent sign supports. This release feature is incorporated in the design of clip 27 in the relative positioning of the point 60' and the set screw 29 as well as in the amount of material at point 52 which is controlled by selection of the tab length L (FIG. 2) to provide adequately for the lesser stresses due to wind while at the same time keeping the amount of material insufiicient to prevent bending or breaking at point 52 of the clip, where the upper flange 61 of the clip joins the C-portion 6=ll55-62 thereof, when subjected to the excess stresses due to impact. By virtue of the offsetting of the axis of the set screw 29 above the point 60, the di agonal distance between the inner end of said set screw and said point is greater than the distance between the vertical planes of said end and point.

This means that if the impact in direction B causes the sign sheet 18 to rotate clockwise, as viewed in FIG- URE 1, the top end of the flange 56 will slide along the web 55 of said clip 27 until it engages the part thereof. This effects a swinging of the clip 27 toward a position over the web of the Z-rail 34 and a withdrawing of said flange from the set screw 29 as it pivots about the point 66'. This movement loosens the clip 27 with respect to the rail 34 and effects a release of the engaged parts.

This same feature makes it possible to assemble the parts by inserting the flange 56 diagonally upward and to the left between the point 60' and the inner end of the set screw 29, even when the latter is in the normal retaining position illustrated in FIGURE 1. After insertion, the parts may be turned to the normal relation illustrated, effecting a corresponding tightening of the grip on the flange 56. The normal relation is maintained by thereafter connecting the posts 36 thereto or the clips 27 to the sign sheet 15.

The manner in which clip 27 engages flange 56 of support rail 34 is so designed as to facilitate easy erection by hanging the sign panels onto the upper flanges 56 after the supporting structural rails 34, 35 are erected and in place. This feature also provides for easy removal of the sign panels from the supporting structures 34, 35.

Set screws 29 are provided to secure the sign panels and clips 27 assembly from shifting position horizontally or vertically along the supporting structural members 34, 35 due to motion of vibration or other causes.

The use of welded connections 28 or countersunk rivets or other means eliminates unsightly appearance of projections on the front face 51 of the finished sign.

The structure of the invention above described provides means whereby readily available aluminum or other sheets, in various sizes, can be used in increments to construct signs of any desired size with resulting savings in the quantity of aluminum required.

The structural features and ease of assembling a sign using comparatively light weight aluminum sheets and locking clips 27 reduces the labor required in the fabrication, handling, erection and repair, resulting in considerable cost savings.

The locking clip 27 facilitates sign design and construction enabling utilization of durable aluminum or other materials which are preferred in use as they obviate the maintenance usually required to protect other materials from the ravages of the elements.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An increment assembly sheet sign to be secured to a post comprising a plurality of flat panels adapted to be positioned in edgewise abutment to define a planar sign display surface of the combined surface areas of said panels, a frame adapted to be secured to said post to thus secure the sign thereto, said frame including an elongated rail having an upstanding flange, clips each having a base secured to the rear face of a panel, each clip having a Web portion projecting rearwardly from said base and terminating in a downwardly-projecting flange forming a slot defined by said base, web and flange to receive said upstanding flange of said rail to initially position the panels on the frame, a protuberance formed on and projecting from said base restricting the open end portion of said slot, and a set screw threaded into the downwardly-projecting flange of each clip, thus connecting the panels to said rail, the axis of said screw being offset upwardly as compared with the protuberance, thereby allowing for release of the clips with respect to said upstanding flange upon rotation therebetween.

2. An increment assembly sheet sign to be secured to a post comprising a plurality of fiat panels adapted to be positioned in edgewise abutment to define a planar sign display surface of the combined surface areas of said panels, a frame adapted to be secured to said post to thus secure the sign thereto, said frame including an elongated rail having an upstanding flange, clips each having a base secured to the rear face of a panel, each clip having a web portion projecting rearwardly from said base and terminating in a downwardly projecting flange forming a slot defined by said base, web and flange to receive said upstanding flange of the rail, to initially position the panels on the frame, a protuberance formed on and projecting from said base restricting the open end portion of said slot, and means engaging said downwardly projecting flange of each clip and the upstanding flange of the rail, thus connecting the panels to the rail, the axis of said means being offset upwardly as compared with the protuberance, thereby allowing for release of the clips with respect to said upstanding flange upon rotation therebetween.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,886,900 Overholtz Nov. 8, 1932 2,118,135 Baldwin May 24, 1938 2,806,308 Curell Sept. 17, 1957 2,901,849 Callison Sept. 1, 1959 2,942,366 Pfaif et a1 June 28, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 565,715 Great Britain Nov. 23, 1944

Claims (1)

1. AN INCREMENT ASSEMBLY SHEET SIGN TO BE SECURED TO A POST COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF FLAT PANELS ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED IN EDGEWISE ABUTMENT TO DEFINE A PLANAR SIGN DISPLAY SURFACE OF THE COMBINED SURFACE AREAS OF SAID PANELS, A FRAME ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO SAID POST TO THUS SECURE THE SIGN THERETO, SAID FRAME INCLUDING AN ELONGATED RAIL HAVING AN UPSTANDING FLANGE, CLIPS EACH HAVING A BASE SECURED TO THE REAR FACE OF A PANEL, EACH CLIP HAVING A WEB PORTION PROJECTING REARWARDLY FROM SAID BASE AND TERMINATING IN A DOWNWARDLY-PROJECTING FLANGE FORMING A SLOT DEFINED BY SAID BASE, WEB AND FLANGE TO RECEIVE SAID UPSTANDING FLANGE OF SAID RAIL TO INITIALLY POSITION THE PANELS ON THE FRAME, A PROTUBERANCE FORMED ON AND PROJECTING FROM SAID BASE RESTRICTING THE OPEN END PORTION OF SAID SLOT, AND A SET SCREW THREADED INTO THE DOWNWARDLY-PROJECTING FLANGE OF EACH CLIP, THUS CONNECTING THE PANELS TO SAID RAIL, THE AXIS OF SAID SCREW BEING OFFSET UPWARDLY AS COMPARED WITH THE PROTUBERANCE, THEREBY ALLOWING FOR RELEASE OF THE CLIPS WITH RESPECT TO SAID UPSTANDING FLANGE UPON ROTATION THEREBETWEEN.

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