Sign Support

Abstract

A pole-mounted sign support in which an L-shaped channel is secured to a pole along one leg and a sign is supported along the other horizontal leg with means along one leg for supporting a sign to a pole and means along the horizontal leg for supporting a sign thereon.

Parent Case Text

This application is a continuation-in-part of copending application Ser. No. 749,124, filed July 31, 1968 now abandoned.

Description

BACKGROUND, BRIEF SUMMARY, AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

Various types of sign supports are utilized in which the members are welded together to provide the requisite strength and one of the legs may be secured to a post or pole. Usually an angle bracket or other suitable reinforcing member is required in order to support the load from the horizontally extending cantilever portion of the sign support. Sign supports for relatively small signs used to identify business locations, including banks, identification for types of credit cards acceptable in establishments, and general information signs including those for traffic along highways, are nonuniform and unattractive although quite costly to fabricate.

The sign support of this invention provides a sturdy L-shaped channel member having a vertical leg for engaging a pole in a horizontal sign-supporting leg.

An object of this invention is to provide a unitary sign support in the form of a channel with means for supporting one leg of an L-shaped channel to a post or pole and means depending from the other leg that extends horizontally from the support for supporting a sign for swinging movement.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a sign support that may be installed and removed readily by unskilled labor in a minimum period of time.

Other objectives of this invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the sign support of this invention secured to a circular pole illustrating a suspended sign in outline form only;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial fragmentary view of a portion only of the horizontal sign-supporting leg with an intermediate portion removed;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of a modified embodiment of the sign support of the invention secured to a pole;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial fragmentary view of a portion of the horizontal sign-supporting leg of the embodiment of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the modified embodiment of the invention with the L-shaped sign support secured to a pole in an inverted position; and

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 7--7 of FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the drawing and particularly to FIG. 1, there is shown an L-shaped sign support 10 in the form of a channel configuration in which there is a web 11 and opposed sidewalls 12 and 13 which form a U-shaped cross section. An integral vertical leg 14 of the sign support extends upwardly to engage the cylindrical post or pole 15 whose diameter may vary considerably but the terminal edges 16 of the sidewalls 12 and 13 will provide the engagement linearly along elements of the cylindrical post 15. A horizontally extending leg 17, preferably longer than the vertical leg 14, is integrally formed with the vertical leg through the turned angle or radiused bend 18 with the leg extending at right angles to the vertical leg 14. The cantilever extending leg 17 has at its terminal end a closure cap 19 that is frictionally secured to the terminal end 20 of the horizontal leg 17. A pair of vertically spaced sign-supporting strap-receiving clamping guides 21 and 22 are integrally formed in the web 11 of the vertical leg 14 by suitably lancing the metal to form a strap guide which will cooperatively receive for sliding movement therein the adjustable and releasable clamping straps 23 and 24 which straps will encircle the pole 15. Clamping strap tightening screws 25 and 26 on the clamping straps 23 and 24, of conventional construction, may be tightened when the side is positioned at the desired elevation in order to support frictionally the vertical leg 14 of the sign support in position on the pole 15. The series of slots 27 in the straps 23 and 24 are of conventional construction and are employed in various types of hose clamps for engagement with the tightening screws to retain the straps 23 and 24 in position on the post 15.

A pair of spaced-apart depending sign-supporting tabs 28 and 29 are lanced from the web 11 of the horizontal leg 17 leaving the apertures 30 in the web 11 when the tabs are perpendicular to the web 11 with the distance between the tabs 28 and 29 depending upon the overall length of the sign to be supported.

Preferably a brass or other suitable grommet 31 is secured to the depending end 32 of the tabs 28 or 29 about the hook-receiving aperture 33 formed therein. An S-shaped hook 34 is threaded through the tab opening 33 and the depending end 35 of the hook 34 cooperatively receives thereon the opening 36 is sign 37. Sign 37 may swing freely from the horizontal leg 17 of the sign support.

In the modification shown in FIGS. 3-7, tabs 40 and 41 are lanced from the web 11 of horizontally extending leg 17. The tabs 40 and 41 are rolled into generally circular configurations, as shown by FIGS. 4, 5 and 7, leaving apertures 43 and 44. Sleeves or bearings 46 encircle a substantial portion of the rolled tabs 40 and 41 for supporting straps 45, as shown. While the bearings 46 may be constructed of any suitable material, preferably they are formed of nylon to preclude metal-to-metal contact since the straps are permitted to pivot or swing about rolled tabs 40 and 41. The straps 45 are of generally U-shaped configuration having depending portions passing through openings 43 and 44 for supporting a sign 37. A conventional fastener 47 extends through openings, not shown, provided in the strap-depending portions and through opening 36 provided in sign 37 for securing the sign to the sign support 10'.

With the modified embodiment of the sign support 10', the horizontal and vertical legs 14, 17 may be mounted upon posts 15 as shown by FIGS. 3 and 5 wherein the channel side walls 12 and 13 limit swinging movement of the straps 45 and sign 37, or the horizontal and vertical legs 14, 17 may be mounted upon the posts 15 in an inverted manner as shown by FIGS. 6 and 7. The modified support 10' may be readily and conveniently mounted in either position for supporting a sign by merely repositioning the straps 45 on the bearings 46 and tabs 40, 41 as shown by FIG. 5 or by FIG. 7. In this manner the degree of swinging movement of the straps 45 and sign 37 can be controlled, and the elevational of the sign may be varied without shifting the support 10' vertically of the post 15.

In one preferred embodiment, the spacing between sidewalls 12 and 13 is approximately 11/4 inches with the length of the sidewall being 1 inch. The vertical leg is 12 inches in length and the horizontal leg is 27 inches in length.

The integral construction of the sign support 10 or 10' obviates the necessity for spotwelding the tabs and the clamping guides as well as obviates the necessity for mitering the vertical leg to the horizontal leg thereby providing a unitary structure which requires a minimum of fabrication and assembly as well as minimum maintenance for installation and repairs.

Claims

I claim:

1. A sign support for mounting on a pole comprising: an L-shaped open channel member having opposed spaced sidewalls and a web interconnecting said sidewalls, said channel having a vertical pole-engaging leg and a horizontal sign-supporting leg, said vertical leg having vertically spaced strap-receiving clamping guides formed on said interconnecting web, means spaced horizontally on said interconnecting web depending beneath said horizontal leg interconnecting web for directly pivotably supporting a sign beneath said horizontal leg interconnecting web, said horizontally spaced means depending from said web including tabs integral with said web, and sign-supporting members pivotably mounted on said tabs.

2. A sign support as defined in claim 1, wherein said horizontally spaced means extend from said web and are positioned substantially between said sidewalls.

3. A sign support for mounting on a pole comprising: an L-shaped open channel member having opposed spaced sidewalls and a web interconnecting said sidewalls, said channel having vertical pole-engaging leg and a horizontal sign-supporting leg, said vertical leg having vertically spaced strap-receiving clamping guides formed on said interconnecting web, and means spaced horizontally on said interconnecting web depending beneath said horizontal leg interconnecting web for directly pivotably supporting a sign beneath said horizontal leg-interconnecting web, said horizontally means depending from said web including tabs integral therewith and depending between said sidewalls, each of said tabs having an opening therein adjacent the terminal end.

4. A sign support for mounting on a pole comprising: an L-shaped open channel member having opposed spaced sidewalls and a web interconnecting said sidewalls, said channel having a vertical pole-engaging leg and a horizontal sign-supporting leg, said vertical leg having vertically spaced strap-receiving clamping guides formed on said interconnecting web, and means spaced horizontally on said interconnecting web depending beneath said horizontal leg-interconnecting web for directly pivotably supporting a sign beneath said horizontal leg-interconnecting web, said horizontal leg spaced means depending from said web including tabs integral therewith, a sign-supporting strap depending from each tab and mounted for displacement relative thereto, and means for releasably securing said strap to a sign.

5. A sign support as defined in claim 4, each of said tabs being of generally circular configuration for pivotably supporting said sign-supporting straps.

6. A sign support as defined in claim 4, wherein said sign-supporting straps are positioned below said side walls and pivotably mounted on said interconnecting web tabs.