Vandal Guard Sheet

This invention relates generally to sign accessories. More specifically, it relates to protective sign shields.

It is generally well known that in recent years there is an increased activity by vandals to deface roadway and street signs particularly with spray can paints which are very difficult and troublesome to be cleaned off afterwards, so that many such signs are needed to be replaced. Due to ever increasing costs to manufacturer new signs and install the same, many municipalities find this situation serious as such costs contribute to tax increases to the communities. Accordingly, there is a want for overcoming this situation.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a vandal guard sheet for being placed against a front of such signs so to prevent the sign surface from becoming defaced.

Another object is to provide a vandal guard sheet which is made of clear plastic or vinyl so to be visible therethrough and which can be quickly and easily adhered to the sign so that spray paint is deposited upon the sheet instead upon the sign, and wherein the sheet thereafter is able to be readily peeled off and replaced by a fresh sheet.

Another object is to provide a vandal guard sheet which will additionally protect the sign from road tar and tree sap dripping thereon.

Still another object is to provide a vandal guard sheet which is adaptable for use on all types of road and highway signs including the new international traffic signs, the guard sheet being made up in sizes so to conform to the dimensions and shapes of the sign panels.

Other objects are to provide a vandal guard sheet which is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, rugged in construction, easy to use and efficient in operation.

These and other objects will be readily evident upon a study of the following specification and the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention showing a defaced guard sheet being removed so to be replaced by a fresh guard sheet.

FIG. 2 is a view of a fresh guard sheet shown along.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross section on line 3--3 of FIG. 2 and showing the guard sheet construction.

FIG. 4 is a modified design of the invention in which a frame is additionally fitted on the sign so to enclose the edges of the guard sheet and thus deter attempt by vandals to peel off the sheet.

FIG. 5 shows a modified design of the invention wherein several guard sheets are applied on the sign, each guard sheet also being imprinted with the sign symbols, so that whenever a top one is defaced, it is peeled off and other fresh sheet is exposed, thus eliminate need for the road service man to carry extra sheet supply.

FIG. 6 shows the structure of FIG. 5, with top sheet being peeled off.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 through 3 at this time, the reference numeral 10 represents a vandal guard sheet according to the present invention wherein there is a sheet of clear plastic or vinyl type material which has its entire one side coated with a clear adhesive 11 which is covered by a protective backing paper 12 that can be peeled off so to expose the adhesive at such time that the guard is intended to be installed upon a front face or side 13 of a roadway sign panel 14. The sheet 10 is made in a same size and shape of the sign so to completely protect the sign face 13 from scrawling 15 (made by vandals upon signs) but which by employment of sheet 10 thus deface the sheet instead of the sign face, so that after the sign information is excessively obliterated, a highway or street sign maintainance crew can quickly and easily simply peel off the defaced sheet 10a, as shown in FIG. 1 and replace it by a fresh sheet 10b, thereby eliminating the difficult or impossible chore of removing such defacing from the sign face 13.

In FIG. 4, a modified design of the above described invention 10 additionally includes a frame 16 that fits over the sign so to enclose the edges 17 of the sheet 10 thereby eliminating easy access by vandals to grasp the sheet edge and peel it off. The frame may be channel shaped cross sectionally all around except on its lower edge which has an open slot 18 so to receive the sign and sheet. Screws, not shown, may be used to then firmly secure the frame to the sign panel, so to discourage easy removal of the frame by vandals.

In FIG. 5, a modified design of the invention includes a sign information 19 being imprinted on the sheet 10 instead on the face 13 of the sign panel 14, so that a change of information can be quickly applied to a sign panel without need of changing the panel itself. Also this form of the invention permits several such sheets being installed at one time on a sign panel as shown by arrow 20, so that when an outermost sheet becomes defaced, it can be peeled off by a sign service man, as shown in FIG. 6, who does not need to carry an extra sheet supply.

Thus different forms of the invention are provided.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it is understood that such changes will be within the spirit and scope of the present invention, as is defined by the appended claims.