Changeable Message Sign Removable Cassette

Abstract

A changeable message advertising sign formed of a vertically arranged frame having a removable box-like cassette mounted within the bottom of the frame. A pair of elongated rollers around which the opposite ends of a long, scroll-like flexible sheet bearing messages are wound, are normally arranged side by side within the cassette for storage, handling and shipping the cassette, rollers and sheet as one unit separate from the remaining sign structure. When the cassette is mounted within the sign frame, one roller is removed from the cassette and mounted at the upper end of the sign frame to expose a portion of the sheet between the rollers. The rollers are rotated to wind the sheet from one to the other and vice-versa to thereby expose different portions of the sheet to view. The cassette, rollers and sheet unit may be removed from the sign frame and interchanged with other similar units.

Description

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

The invention herein relates to improvements in a changeable message sign of the type having messages imprinted upon a long, scroll-like sheet which is wound between a pair of rollers for exposing portions of the sheet for viewing the various messages imprinted thereon. In such type signs, a particular message bearing scroll may be used for some period of time and then replaced with a new one, bearing different messages. Thus, various problems arise in connection with handling, storing, shipping and protecting the various scrolls used from time to time in a single sign and also in providing simplified means for replacing one scroll for another.

By way of example, a sign of the character involved here may be on the order of several feet in size vertically and horizontally and be of a type which is more or less permanently positioned in a place for viewing, such as in an airport, building lobby or the like, with replacement scrolls brought to the sign for replacement at the display site.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The invention herein contemplates the provision of a box-like cassette within which a pair of elongated rollers are normally mounted side by side, with an elongated scroll-like advertising sheet having its opposite ends wound around the pair of rollers so that the cassette, rollers and scroll form a single unit for shipping, storing and handling, as well as protecting the scroll. The cassette may then be removably mounted within the sign structure which is provided with means for supporting one of the rollers, removed from the cassette, above the other which remains within the cassette for thereby exposing a portion of the sheet between the rollers. Rotation of the rollers in one direction or the other successfully exposes various portions of the scroll to view. Thus, the cassette, roller and scroll form a unit which may be easily loaded within a sign structure and conversely, easily removed therefrom for replacement with a similar unit for thereby changing the advertising message bearing scroll.

One object of this invention is to provide a means for simply and easily handling and loading and unloading a message bearing sign scroll within a sign, particularly requiring very little manual labor or adjustment or servicing. In addition, the complete structure is relatively inexpensive as is necessary where large numbers of such signs are contemplated.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent upon reading the following description, of which the attached drawings form a part.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective illustration of a sign of the type contemplated herein.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing the cover removed from the sign structure.

FIG. 3 is a front, elevational view of the sign structure, and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken in the direction of arrows 4--4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken in the direction of arrows 5--5 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the cassette being removed from the remaining sign structure.

FIG. 7 illustrates the cassette frame, per se.

FIG. 8 illustrates the cassette loaded with the rollers and scroll-like sheet for handling or shipping.

FIG. 9 illustrates the rollers being removed from the cassette frame during the steps of mounting within the sign structure.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged, fragmentary view, partially in cross-section, of one end of a roller, and

FIG. 11 is a similar view of the opposite end of the same roller.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates the changeable message sign 10 which may be on the order of roughly 3 feet in width, 21/2 feet in height and about a foot in depth. The size is not particularly significant. However, it can be seen that this type of sign is particularly adapted for use or positioning in a relatively small square footage area and may be rested upon any convenient support.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2-6, the sign is formed of a basic frame structure 11, such as a box-like shape, arranged on one side or in the vertical plane, with a horizontal top member 12, a bottom member 13 and a pair of vertical side members 14 and 15 all joined together to form a rigid structure.

An inner side member 16 extends from top to bottom, spaced a short distance from the side member 15.

Suitable legs 15 may be fastened to the bottom member 13 for supporting the structure. A box-like cover 18 is arranged to drop vertically down over and to cover the frame structure, with the box having a window opening 19, which may be covered by a glass sheet 20 through which the message on the sign may be viewed.

Removably mounted within the frame, such as by resting upon the bottom member is a box-like cassette 22 having end walls 23 and elongated side walls 24. Where desired, a bottom and removable top may also be provided for the cassette although these are not shown in the drawing.

Arranged within the cassette are a pair or elongated rollers 25 and 26 around which the opposite ends of an elongated, scroll-like flexible, cloth sign sheet 27 are wound. The sheet may be formed of a suitable plastic or natural cloth material and imprinted upon its surface are successive frames of advertising messages so that advancement of the sheet exposes a variety of messages, on a frame by frame basis.

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, each roller is formed of a hollow tube 28. One end of each tube is closed by a hollow plug 29 having a flange 30. Extending through the plug and the flange is a retractable pin 31, which may be moved in an axial direction relative to the tube. The pin has a reduced free end 32.

Arranged within the plug is a coil spring 33 surrounding the pin and abutting an enlargement 34 formed on the pin near the flange, with the opposite end of the spring abutting the bottom end of the plug. A hand grip or cross-pin 35 is provided for manually moving the pin in an axial direction.

The opposite ends of each of the two rollers, are provided with end plugs 36 having a fixed spindle 37 extending outwardly in an axial direction. The free end of the spindle is formed with a smaller, flattened end portion 38.

The end walls of the cassette are provided with holes, formed as three sets of aligned pairs of holes 39, 40 and 41, with the holes 41 being larger than the other two sets, namely of a size to receive the enlarged portions of the spindle and pin while the first two pairs of holes 39 and 40 are preferably of a size to receive only the smaller ends of the pins and spindles.

Al illustrated in FIG. 6, when it is desired to mount the advertising message sheet within the sign structure, the cover is removed. The cassette is brought to the sign with the rollers arranged within the cassette as shown in the drawing. Roller 25 is arranged with its pin and spindle respectively, mounted within holes 39 and roller 26 is mounted with its pin and spindles arranged within the aligned pair of holes 40. That is the normal shipping or handling position of the rollers within the cassette. The cassette is of a size to completely contain the rollers and the scroll whose ends are rolled around the rollers. FIG. 8 illustrates this shipping or handling arrangement.

As shown in FIG. 9, when the cassette is arranged adjacent the sign frame, the roller 25 is removed by retracting its spindle 31, that is, by manually grasping the cross pin 35 and moving the spindle inwardly against the spring pressure. Thus, the roller 25 is removed from the cassette, raised upwardly near the upper end of the sign frame where its pin 31 is engaged with a receptacle hole 42 formed in the vertical side member 14 of the frame 11.

The roller 26 is removed from the aligned holes 40 and replaced into the aligned holes 41, where its pin 31 extends outwardly of the cassette and wall and engages into a hole 43 in the vertical member 14. The spindle 37 of the roller 26, extending through the hole 41 is thus positioned so that its flattened, smaller end portion 38 engages into a suitable opening formed in a lower coupling 44 which comprises a conventional clutch-type pulley mounted within the space between the two frame side walls 15 and 16.

Similarly, the spindle of the roller 25 engages into a similar coupling-pulley 45 arranged near the upper end of the sign frame within the space between the two walls 15 and 16. The two pulleys are rotatably mounted upon either of the frame members 15 or 16, and are interconnected by a belt 46 which also engages with a motor driven pulley 47 coupled to a motor 48 mounted upon a rear cross-member 49 which extends between the vertical members 14 and 16. The same cross-member also carries a lamp 50 such as a fluorescent light for providing illumination behind the advertising scroll.

A pair of guide bars or rods 51 span the space between the walls 14 and 16 and the scroll contacts these bars for thus keeping the exposed portion of the scroll taut and flat for viewing.

When the motor is operated, the two clutch-type pulleys 44 and 45 are driven by the belt 46 to rotate their respective rollers and thereupon cause the scroll to wind about one and unwind off the other. Conventional clutch-type pulleys, i.e. using an electrical coupling system within the clutch permit the two pulleys to rotate at different speed to compensate for the changing diameters of the scroll windings around the rollers. After the scroll has reached the point where it is almost unwound from one of the rollers, the motor is reversed for rewinding the scroll in the opposite direction. In that manner, successive portions of the scroll are exposed for viewing the advertising messages imprinted thereon.

Where it is desired to advance the scroll on an intermittent basis, that is on a frame by frame or stop and go basis, suitable sensing devices 52 may be mounted on the sign frame at the edges of the scroll for sensing some pre-established marks or contacts and by means of a suitable timing circuit (not shown) the scroll may be advanced until the sensing device senses the signalling mark or the like and causes the timing device to shut off the motor for a predetermined time, after which the motor is again turned on to advance the scroll to the next frame and ultimately to reverse the scroll to move in the opposite direction when all of the frames have been exposed.

As can be seen, with the cassette construction here, the cassette, with the pair of rollers and the scroll, can be carried to the sign, the sign cover easily pulled upwardly and away from the sign structure and the cassette mounted within the sign frame with the respective rolls in their upper and lower positions for movement by the pulleys. By means of moving the roller 26 from its original mounting holes 40 to the enlarged holes 41 through which the spindle and the pin extend, the pin 31 may engage into the hole 43 on the vertical wall 14 of the sign frame to thereby lock the cassette in place within the sign frame.

When it is desired to change signs, the cover is again removed, the upper roller 25 is removed from the hole 42 and pulley 45 and placed back into the cassette, that is, supported within the cassette and wall holes 39. Likewise, the roller 26 is disengaged from the frame hole 43 and the pulley 44 and moved into the support holes 40 in the end walls of the cassette. In that position, the cassette may now be handled as a unit with its rollers and scroll and replaced with a similar cassette having a scroll with different advertising messages.

When the scroll is properly mounted within the sign frame as described above, with the cover 18 arranged over the frame, the viewer of the sign simply sees an advertising message frame through the window 19, with the message either changing continuously or intermittently depending upon the operation of the motor.

Claims

Having fully described an operative embodiment of this invention, I now claim:

1. A changeable message sign comprising, in combination:

a vertically arranged sign frame formed of interconnected elongated vertical side members, a bottom member and a top member, an upper hole in each side member to receive and horizontally position an upper roller means therebetween beneath the top member, and a lower hole in each side member to receive and horizontally position a lower roller means therebetween above the base member, and a pair of coupling means, each associated with one of said holes in one vertical side member to receive a roller means therethrough to rotate the roller means;

an elongated horizontally arranged, open top cassette frame formed of interconnected end walls and opposed side walls;

said end walls of said cassette frame having a plurality of pairs of opposed aligned apertures therein with one of said pairs of apertures being larger than the other pairs of apertures;

first and second roller means having a long scroll like sheet with one end of the sheet fastened around one roller means and the opposite end of the sheet fastened around the other roller means;

each of said roller means being an elongated tube and having a spring loaded pin extending axially outwardly thereof at a first end and having a fixed spindle extending axially outwardly at a second end thereof; and

both said roller means with the sheet therebetween being normally releasably mounted in said cassette frame, each roller means having a first end and its second end respectively positioned in one of said other pairs of apertures for shipment of said sheet and roller means in cassette form;

whereby said cassette frame is insertable into said sign frame with said first roller means being removed from said cassette frame and releasably inserted in the upper holes in the side members of said sign frame and the second roller means removed from said cassette frame and releasably inserted in said pair of larger apertures in said cassette frame, with both ends of said second roller means each extending through one of said larger apertures in said cassette frame and into the lower holes in said vertical side member of said sign frame and said second end of each roller means engaging one of said coupling means; and

whereby a number of cassette frames, each with its first and second rollers and interconnected sheet, may be interchangeably mounted within the sign frame with the first roller manually removed from the cassette frame, raised about it, and releasably mounted at the upper portion of the sign frame for displaying messages and the like on said sheet and subsequently returned into the cassette frame apertures for storage.