Portable Sign

Abstract

A portable sign, designed for easy transportation by mounting it on a wheel trailer, and comprising a rigid frame provided with adjustable, extensible legs, attached at opposite ends thereof, whereby to brace said sign and maintain it in selected position without removing it from said trailer.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to portable signs and is particularly concerned with large, outdoor signs of the type used in connection with special events and occasions, business openings, and similar affairs.

Hitherto, large, temporary signs have in many cases been awkward to transport and position and, in some cases, have been unstable when erected.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide large, temporary signs which are readily portable, may be easily and quickly positioned for use, and are stable when so positioned.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a portable sign which is easily transported and which can be conveniently and quickly braced for use at any desired location. The sign per se may vary widely in construction, but the means for bracing it comprises a pair of extensible, telescopic legs pivotally secured to the sign at each end thereof and adapted to be swung outwardly and adjusted to firmly support the sign by contact at their lower ends with a supporting surface such as the ground or a pavement. Bracing members adapted to hold the extensible legs in adjusted angular position are also provided. The construction makes it feasible to mount the sign on a trailer or other vehicle for convenience in transportation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a portable sign according to the present invention and the trailer on which it is mounted and transported;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the sign and trailer illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the sign and trailer illustrated in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detail view, taken on line 4--4 of FIG. 3 and partly in section, of the means for positioning and bracing the supporting legs of the sign.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As shown in the accompanying drawings, the sign, which according to the present invention comprises the sign proper, comprehensively designated 11, and supporting means therefor, is mounted on the chassis of a trailer 13 for ease in transportation. The sign 11, which will be dealt with more extensively hereinafter, comprises top and bottom frame members 15 and 17, respectively, and spaced, opposing, upright frame members 19 and 21, respectively. The frame members are firmly joined at their ends, preferably by welding, so that the sign frame, as illustrated, is rectangular in shape.

The terms "upper", "lower", "top", "bottom", "left", "right", "above", "below", "front", "back", and similar terms of position and/or direction as used hereinafter refer to the illustration in FIG. 1 but are used only for convenience in description and reference. Such terms should not be so construed as to imply a necessary positioning of the structure or portions thereof or to limit the scope of this invention.

As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, the sign 11 is provided at each end with depending pedestals 23 and 25, respectively. The pedestals are firmly welded or bolted to the frame of the sign 11 and are rigidly secured, for example by welding, between a pair of spaced angle braces 27. The latter are welded or otherwise fixedly secured on the upper faces of the left and right end cross-members 29 and 31 of the chassis of trailer 13. When so mounted the sign 11 is held rigidly in a generally upright position and may be readily transported on the trailer 13 to the desired location for use.

The trailer 13 comprises a chassis formed of the end cross-members 29 and 31, front and back side members 33 and 35, respectively, and a cross bracing member 37 intermediate the ends. The several parts thereof are assembled in a rigid structure, preferably by welding, and are supported by wheels 41 rotatably mounted on an axle 43 that is carried by the chassis of the trailer 13 approximately midway of the length of the latter. Extending outwardly from the front end of the trailer 13 and connected thereto is a towing bar 45 which carries an adjustable leveling post 47. It should be understood that the trailer per se is no part of the present invention and that details of the structure of the trailer may vary greatly as desired except as hereinafter noted.

To stabilize the sign 13 when it is positioned for use and prevent it from being easily overturned, adjustable braces are provided therefor. Such braces, as seen most clearly in FIGS. 3 and 4, comprise at each end of the sign 11 a pair of elongated, leg members 49. Each leg member is pivotally attached, as by a stud or bolt 51, to the end frame member of the sign at a point thereon preferably above the center of gravity of the sign. The leg members 49 are telescopic, each one comprising a pair of slidably related inner and outer elements 53 and 55, respectively. The inner elements 53 may be rods or tubes slidable within tubes 55 that are adapted to be extended to contact a supporting surface such as the ground or a pavement. The diameter and cross-sectional shape of the elements 53 and 55 are not critical but the elements should be of such size and cross-section as to resist bending and provide satisfactory bracing for the sign. Suitable means, such as set screws 57 mounted in the elements 55, are provided to maintain the elements 53 and 55 in adjusted relative positions.

Adjacent each corner of the chassis of the trailer 13, on the side faces of the end cross members 29 and 31 thereof there are provided sleeve sections 59. These are suitably mounted, for example by welding, on said cross members and are adapted to slidably receive for horizontal motion elongated bracing members 61. The latter, which are preferably tubular, are adapted to be projected outwardly from the trailer chassis to contact the extended leg members 55 when the sign is positioned for use and can be held in adjusted extended or retracted position in the sleeve sections 59 by suitable means such as set screws 63 engaged in the sleeve sections.

As stated above, signs according to the present invention may be readily and conveniently transported and set up for use. In the drawings the sign is depicted in stationary, display position with the trailer leveled by positioning of the post 47 and the telescopic leg members 49 extended. It will be seen that the bracing members 61 are essentially in the same vertical planes as the leg members 49 and the former may be adjusted in the sleeve sections 59 to contact and brace the latter. The outer ends of the members 61 are preferably beveled to permit greater contact with the leg members and chains 65 are provided at such outer ends for securing the leg members 49 and bracing members 61 together. The chains 65 are preferably attached to the members 61 by suitable means such as pins or rivets.

When the sign is being transported the legs 49 are telescoped by raising the outer elements 55 and the latter are secured in retracted position by the set screws 57. The legs then will occupy a substantially vertical position. The bracing members 61 are also preferably secured in retracted position.

When the sign has arrived at the point of use it can be easily positioned. After leveling the trailer longitudinally by adjustment of the leveling post 47 the set screws 57 are loosened and the outer elements 55 of the legs 49 are pulled out to contact the supporting surface at the desired points. The set screws 57 are then retightened to hold the elements 55 in place on the elements 53. Because of the adjustability of the legs, stable positioning can be obtained even where the ground surface is very uneven. The bracing members 61 are then extended to firmly contact the extended legs and the chains 65 are passed around the latter with the free chain ends being suitably secured to the members 61. Thus the sign is supported by an A-frame bracing structure at both ends and is very stable.

The sign proper is susceptible of wide variation. The frame formed by the members 15, 17, 19 and 21 can, by employing suitable mounting means (not shown), be used to hold large sheets or panels 69 of material such as plastic, metal, glass, wood, fiberboard and the like on which one or more suitable legends are applied. Alternatively, the said frame may carry a inner grill (not shown) to which relatively small plates or panels may be attached. Such plates may, where desired, bear characters or legends or portions thereof. Also, if desired, transluscent materials as sheets or plates may be used, these being spaced apart so that they may be back lighted by suitable lighting means (not shown) provided between them. It will be evident from the foregoing that the legends on opposite sides of the sign may be the same or different and that, if desired, when transparent panels are employed on opposite sides objects may be displayed between them. It will also be obvious that still other variations in the sign proper, including the shape thereof, may be made if desired.

The numerals 71 designate lights of any suitable construction which may be employed with the sign of the present invention, if desired. Such lights and any other lights desired in or on the sign can be supplied with electric current from a suitable source of electricity (not shown), such as a battery or generator carried on or in the vehicle, or the sign may be supplied with current from an external source through a suitable cable (not shown). Sound equipment may also be provided if desired.

The frame of the sign and the bracing and supporting members therefor as well as the chassis of the trailer are preferably formed of metal but can be made of other materials of suitable strength and durability. It will also be evident that signs according to the present invention can be mounted on self-propelled wheel vehicles as well as other types of vehicles such, for example, as sleighs. Indeed, with a suitable underframe such signs can be used without any vehicle supporting them while still retaining certain important features of the invention.

It will be understood that many other details of construction of the present invention are subject to variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, it is intended that this application shall not be considered as limited to the precise construction shown and described herein but shall be construed as broadly as permitted by the appended claims.

Claims

I claim:

1. A portable sign comprising a frame, said frame having spaced, opposing, upright end members, a sign panel with indicia thereon connected to said upright members each of said upright members being rigidly supported by an elongated, horizontal, member extending substantially normal to said frame, said horizontal members being rigidly joined together by members normal thereto to form a platform, which comprise at least a portion of a wheel vehicle chassis, a pair of leg members independently and pivotally mounted at their upper ends on each of said end members and adapted to swing, independently, outwardly from said frame, said leg members being independently adjustably and telescopically extensible whereby to brace said sign in an upright position, and separate bracing means for each of said leg members, each of said bracing means being independently and adjustably carried by one of said horizontal members and being adapted for removable attachment to one of said leg members.

2. A portable sign as defined in claim 1 in which said bracing means comprises elongated members adapted to engage and be removably secured to said leg members adjacent the lower ends of said leg members when the latter are extended.

3. A portable sign as defined in claim 2 in which said leg members and elongated members are independently adjustable.