US2191353A - Illuminated sign for removable letters - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 20, 1940. I PQBLQCKI 2,191,353

ILLUMINATED SIGN FOR REMOVABLE LETTERS Filed Aug. 15, 1937 IN NTOR iii - be equivalent to the claims. v

Throughout thespecification the same reference characters'have been used to] indicate the tion of a sign incorporating theinvention; w i

v Figure 2 is a transverse verticalsection taken.

pa an Feb. 20, 1940 ILLUMINA'IED SIGN FOItQ-R EM VA E l .LETTEBS Ber nard 3.. Poblocki Milwaukee, Wis. Application August 19.2.7 .;,S fia .N 158,829.

5 Claims: (0 114 #132) Thisinvention relate-s to anilluminated sign and more particularly to a sign in which the distime to tinieby removing and replacing individ ualletters.

.An object of the invention is to' provide a sign including a frame for the display of a plurality of line's'of advertising material one. above the other, in an improved form, and especially for adequate illumination of the displayed legends at a reduced operating cost.

Theinvention consists of the construction and combination of parts as herein illustrated, described and claimed; and in such modifications of the structure illustrated and described as may same parts, and in the drawing: 7 1

Figure 1 is a partial front view, partly in sec- I approximately along the line 22 of-Fig. 1.

The frame of the sign includes a box-like strucvi.

true generally denoted by the numeral H]. which provides a rear wall "H and a top wall l2; "In its vertical extension the frame provides for several units, such. as l4, l5, l6 extended lengthwiseof the frame and disposed one above the other, each of the units provided for display of a horizontal row. of letters, some of the letters of each of the rows being shown at Ma, 15a, and lEa. Each of the units comprises similar means for'holding-and illuminating the associated letters, which will therefore be described indetail only'for the unit l4. .v v

The unit M provides at the front a channeled frame member extended lengthwiseof the frame.

at the upper front portion of the unit as at Mb,

and a ledge, such as He, similarly extended at the. front bottom portion of theunit, the channel and ledge operating to retain a glass'plate Md against which. the letters Ma are retained. Each of the; letters provides top lugs such aside and bottom lugs such as 151, the top lugs being received di- ,.-rectly in the upper channel. [Ab and the lower lugs being received behind a removable. bar orstrip l lh which is retained in ,position by lugs such as. l4ji. ,fixed' with the framelfl and spaced at suitable intervals along the front of the ledge Me. When the stripv Mh' is moved upwardly to disengage the lugs I42 the strip may be removed, and the letters I la-may then be removed. .by

drawing the bottom portion outwardly andmoving the letterdownwardly suflicientlyto disene a -w h letters'may'painter? chan eably replaced for changing the exposed,

legend by reversing the process; 3 o

v For the illumination of the letters Ma there is provided, behind the glass plate Md, a row of '53 electric light bulbs; such as M7.- There'isalso provided a. reflector is, The. reflector extending throughout the longitudinal length of the unit 54,1 and is of such form and disposition asto in:

:te'rcept the light rays whicl'rotherwise -.would m -travelrearwardly, and. to reflect such-rays forward 'as wella's upward and downward to-sorne extent, within: apath approximately defined. by the extension of the dotted lines Mm, Mn, whereby a portion of the light from the bulbs M-j which 15 wouldaotherwise travel toward the rear oftthe frame is deflected, inpart to illuminate the'letter Md fr'omthe rear, and in part to similarly f illuminate similar letters such as l5a of an adjacent unit 15; and in part, for the bottom unit an M, so thatlightmay shine. downwardly through v a glass plate Ilfor downward-illumination. It Will be understood-of course, that the letters and the bottom glass plate H are furtherilluminated by theli'ght 'receive'd'directly from the bulbs- M171 The-spacing ofthe bulbs I47 to the rear of. the plate M and-the longitudinal spacingofthebulbs one from the other, taken together with thev posi t ionand form of the reflector Mk is'such as to provide a maximum of illumination for the'letr 3Q ters l with a minimum expenditure of light and current. In pra'cticefit has been found that the 'rearward spacing of the bulbs 147", the'hor'i'zonw tal spacing thereof, and the forward position :of the reflector Mk, 'as herein shown, is of such im'-' 35' portance that the current, required for proper illumination of the sign. letters may be: reduced as much as 50%,, as compared with previous. sign letter illumination. g y q It will be noted. that the units providing-. -the-" different, reflectors Mk are verticallyspaced, the reflectors having closely adjacent horizontal edges and standing considerably to; the rear of the front glass transparencies Md; Also the trough-like reflector surfaces substantially coincide with the surface of a cylinder-having'its axis materially behind the, transparency and; the light bulbs Mi are considerably to the. rear 'ofjsuch axis andlrelatively closely adjacentzto; the; reflectors. These various features contribute to providing a 5 maximum of illumination with a minimum of current, as pointed out in the paragraph preceding and, in' addition, effecta substantially uniform intensity of illumination as visible rrcm in'front of the sign,,w ithout localized intensity. Y

such as might otherwise be caused; for example, by the use of spaced light bulbs as the source of the illumination, or by the use of curved reflector surfaces.

The channels and ledges such as [412, 140 are maintained in proper position in the frame by the means of braces such as 3, 19, but these are of narrow extent longitudinally and of such spacing as not to interfere with the distribution of the illumination.

Itwill be understood that frame members such as He and Mb extend from end to end of the box or casing I0 and are suitably secured to theend portions of the casing. The spaced-members l8 and I9 are secured to the members such as l4c, Mb by any suitable means. Where the members such as Mb are intermediate between two units such as I 4 and [5, the same member provides a ledge for the letters retained in front of the up per unit, and a channel for. the letters retained adjacent the lower unit, as shown by'thej combined ledge and channel member between the lower unit l4 and the adjacent unit I5.

The structure of the ledge Me is such that any water collecting against the front face of the glass plate id, as from rain etc.; cannot enter the interior of the frame H] but passes outward- 1y, through the space ldp underneath the strip 14h.

What is claimed is:

1 An illuminating frame for a plurality of vertically spaced horizontal rows of individually removable sign letters, including a plurality of vertically spaced units respectively for thedifferent rows, each of said units comprising a front portion providing vertically spaced upper and lower horizontal grooves, a vertical backing sheet of transparent material retained by said grooves at the rear thereof, said upper and lower grooves ing bulbs spaced in front of each of the reflectors,

the reflectors-each being curved on a horizontal axis and positioned sufficiently to the rear of the illuminated sheets to effect reflection both to the letters of the associated unit and to the letters of an adjacent unit, said frame being interiorly open to permit suchreflection.

2. An illuminating frame fora plurality of vertically spaced horizontal rows of individually removable sign letters, including for each row a frame portion providing at the front thereof vertically spaced horizontally extended upper and lower groove portions respectively for retaining upper'and lower letter portions in various horizontal positions of the letter within the groove, the front portion of each of said lower grooves comprising a removable letter retaining strip or bar', said frame providing upwardly extended lug or 'r'etainer portions behind which said strip-or bar may be vertically displaced for removal, whereby letters within the grooves may be removed frontwardly.

3. An illuminating frame for a plurality of vertically spaced horizontal rows of individually removable sign letters, including for each row a frame portion providing at the front thereof vertically spaced horizontally extended upper and lower groove portions respectively for retaining upper and lower letter portions in various horizontal positions of the letter within the groove, the front portion of each of the lower grooves, being removably fixed in position whereby letters within the grooves may be removable frontwardly upon removal of said front groove portion, said frame providing for each row of letters a horizontally extended reflector curved on a horizontal axis and spaced rearwardly of the letters within the grooves sufficiently to reflect some of the light from a source in front of the reflector to the row of letters associatedltherewith and some to an adjacent row.

4. In an illuminated sign including a frame and transparent closing means for the front thereof, the combination of supporting means for retaining a plurality ofsign letters in horizontally and vertically spaced relationship adjacently outside said transparent front closing means, a plurality of reflector units extended in parallel relationship rearwardlyof said transparent front closing means and together providing a substantially continuous reflector surface at a substantial spacing behind said transparent front closing means, said reflector units individually comprising curved troughs opening forwardly in the direction of said transparent front closing means and forming portions substantially corresponding to the surface of a horizontal cylinder having its axis materially to the rear of said transparent front closing means, and a plurality of illuminating bulbs adjacent each of said troughs and spaced apart in the direction of the trough extension, saidbulbs being between the reflector trough and the transparent front closing means.

5. In an illu'minatedsign including a frame and transparent closing means for thefront thereof, the combination of supporting means for retaining a plurality of sign letters in horizontally and vertically spaced relationship adjacently outside said transparent front closing means, a plurality ofreflector units extended in parallel relationship rearwardly of said transparent front and forming portions each substantially corre spending to'the surface of a cylinder, having its 1 axis materially to the rear of said transparent front closing means, and a plurality of illuminating bulbs infrontof each of said reflector troughs,

and spaced apart in the direction of the trough extension, said bulbs being closely adjacent to the reflector trough and relatively rearwardly e ote from thetransparent front closing means.

' BERNARD B. YPOBLOCKI.

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