Sign Assembly Structure

Signs for advertising and instructional display purposes are in general complex in construction and lack lockup tightness and structural integrity.

The gist of this invention lies in a signpost comprising a square tube with T-section sidewalls having grooved webs extending midway up the interior of the same, one web of which is slotted through the tubular sidewall partway from the top of the post down for engaging and interlocking with a flange on the sign panel having a mating slot extending partway up from the bottom thereof. A locking key bent from a rectangular strip of sheet metal engages at its middle a slot in the top of the panel flange extending partway down from the top thereof and at each of its ends engages the grooves in the webs on adjacent T-section sidewalls of the post. A square cap inserts depending lugs in the four corners of the top of the post between the webs thereof for mounting on and closing off the same.

FIG. 1 shows a fragmentary perspective view of a sign incorporating the extruded signpost of this invention;

FIG. 2 shows a fragmentary exploded view of the parts of the sign assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a top cross-sectional view of the signpost of FIG. 1 adapted for a single-flanged display panel;

FIG. 4 shows the same as for FIG. 3 but adapted for a double-flanged display panel;

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the key for locking up the sign;

FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of the lugged base of the closure cap for the post; and

FIG. 7 shows a fragmentary cross-section of the sign assembly taken along line 7--7 of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 1, the signpost lockup comprises rectangular display panels 10 and 12 having flanges 14 and 16 (not shown) extending vertically along opposed sides thereof between and in interlocking relationship with downward slots 26 and 28 (not shown) of the sidewalls of signposts 18 and 20, respectively, and having caps 22 and 24 inserting in the tops of the same for final closure.

Referring to the exploded view of FIG. 2 and the cross-section of FIG. 4, posts 18 and 20 have webs 19a and 19b and 21a and 21b, and 23a and 23b and 25a and 25b extending midway down the interior of their respective sidewalls, and rectangular flange members 14a, 14b, 16a and 16b mounting on opposite sides of display panels 10 and 12 and extending therealong for a distance which is somewhat greater than the downward extension of slots 26 and 28 in the posts 18 and 20. Webs 23a and 23b and 25a and 25b in posts 18 and 20 have through-slots 26 and 28 for the support of flanges 14 and 16 on the sidewalls of posts 18 and 20, and bottomed grooves 27 (not shown) and 29, respectively, milled partway down the same midway through the sidewalls of each post 18 and 20 from the top thereof for stabilizing flanges 14 and 16 upon insertion through the sidewalls of posts 18 and 20.

Bottom flange lockups 29 and 31, as shown in FIG. 2, comprise upward slots 30 and 34 and 33 and 35 (not shown) in flanges 14 and 16, respectively, having widths slightly greater than the sidewall thickness of the posts 18 and 20 at the bottom of the grooves in the webs 23b and 25b thereof, which upward slots slidingly mate with the bottom of downward slots 26 and 28 in the posts 18 and 20.

Top lockups 37 and 39, as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, comprise downward slots 38 and 40 and 42 and 44 in flanges 14 and 16, respectively, also having widths slightly greater than the sidewall thickness of the posts 18 and 20 at the bottom of the grooves in the webs 23b and 25b thereof.

Lockup keys 46 and 48, as shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, are made of bent rectangular sheet metal strips 59 having a thickness slightly less than the width of downward slots 38 and 40 and 42 and 44 in flanges 14 and 16 and the width of the grooves in webs 21a and 21b, respectively, and comprise a crosshead member 52, opposed diagonal leg members 54 and 56 connected at their conjugate ends each to an opposite side of crosshead 52 and opposed feet members 58 and 60 connected at their respective conjugate ends each to the other ends of legs 54 and 56, and lying in the same plane as crosshead member 52. Crosshead 52 slidingly inserts in downward slots 38 and 40, and 42 and 44 in flanges 14 and 16 and feet 58 and 60 slidingly insert in grooves in webs 21a and 21b, respectively.

Lockup stabilizers 60 and 62, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, comprise bottomed grooves 27 and 29 which are milled in webs 23a and 25a, having widths slightly greater than the thickness of flanges 14a and 14b and 16a and 16b, respectively. Flanges 14a and 14b and 16a and 16b slidingly insert in milled grooves 27 and 29 upon insertion of the flanges through slots 26 and 28 in the sidewalls of posts 18 and 20 for stabilizing the same.

Caps 22 and 24, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 6, are molded of plastic and comprise a top 60 having a flat bottom and four lugs 62 which depend from the bottom thereof and have intersecting vertical sides 64 which define a square of slightly larger dimension than the inside dimension of the square tubular post and are relieved so as not to interfere with the webs 21a and 21b on the sidewalls thereof or the key 46 in its locking installation therein.

Each post having previously been set in concrete at the site at the proper distance apart and proper relative orientation one to the other, in the assembly of the sign as shown in FIG. 2, a subassembly 64 of panels 10 and 12 placed back-to-back with their flanges 14a and 14b and 16a and 16b in face-to-face contact is inserted down in slots 26 and 28 in posts 18 and 20, respectively, engaging the bottom flange lockups 29 and 31. Lockup keys 46 and 48 are then inserted in top lockups 37 and 39. Caps 22 and 24 are then jambed into the top of posts 18 and 20 for final closure.

A single panel display, as shown in FIG. 3, is supported and stabilized as a flange 11 in a bottomed groove 33 in the web 25a through a slot 31 in the sidewall of post 20 with a key 48 in the same manner as the double panel display.

It will be understood that details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the following claims.