Electric sign

An electric sign is arranged to afford a readily observable visual indication of the condition of an establishment such as a retail establishment having an entrance door provided with a lock and wherein the sign includes a visual device for indicating a condition of the establishment such as "closed" or "open" together with a switch for energizing the visual device, and a control mechanism actuated in coordination with locking and unlocking of the establishment door for selectively controlling the control mechanism for energizing the visual device.

BACKGROUND ART 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,688,425 discloses a sign having a number of compartments 
each adapted to afford a visual indication and which are responsive to 
control means. 
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
According to this invention in one form, an electric sign for a business or 
other establishment is provided with several compartments each conveying 
different information and wherein some of the compartments are energized 
and deenergized in coordination with locking and unlocking of the 
establishment door.

BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
As is apparent from both FIGS. 1 and 2, a sign formed according to this 
invention and designated generally by the letter "S" comprises a frame "F" 
which includes three compartments designated "S1", "S2", and "S3". 
Compartments "S1" and "S2" are separated by a petition "P1" while 
compartments "S2" and "S3" are separated by partition "P2". All of the 
compartments are covered by a front transparent element which could be 
formed of glass or other translucent material and which is designated at 
T.M. 
The compartments "S1", "S2" and "S3" shown schematically are energized by 
any suitable means such for example as by flourescent lamps or by a series 
of incandescent lamp bulbs arranged within each of the three compartments. 
Sign indicia is of any suitable type such as by different degrees of 
shading for the background and for the sign data. 
The indicia displayed continually by compartment "S2" is due to the fact 
that its lamps are constantly energized from a source of electric energy 
indicated by the numeral 1 through lines 2 and 3, 4 and 5 to groud "G". If 
desired the compartment S2 may be eliminated for certain applications of 
the invention as is obvious. 
In accordance with a feature of this invention, the "open" indication by 
compartment "S1" and the closed indication by compartment "S3" are 
controlled in accordance with the lock schematically represented at 6 and 
having a moveable plunger 7. A contact 8 is pivotally mounted at 9 so that 
movement toward the left of lock plunger 7 into a locked condition of the 
door "D" engages contact 8 and causes that contact to swing into 
engagement with the fixed contact 10 and by so doing to establish a 
circuit from source 1 through conductors 2 and 11 and the incandescent 
lamps disposed within compartment "S3", through conductor 12, contacts 10 
and 8 and conductor 5 to ground "G" thus to indicate a "closed" condition 
of the establishment. 
When the door is unlocked by appropriate manipulation of lock 6, the 
plunger 7 is moved toward the right and movable contact 8 under the action 
of compression spring 13 swings into engagement with fixed contact 14. By 
this means a circuit is established from the source 1 through lines 2 and 
15 and through the lamps disposed within compartment "S1" through line 16, 
contacts 14 and 8 and conductor 5 to the ground "G" and thus to afford an 
"open" or unlocked condition of the door "D" and of the establishment. 
The hours during which the establishment is open or other suitable 
information may be displayed by compartment "S2". As is apparent from FIG. 
1, compartment "S2" is always energized and is arranged to provide a 
visual indication of the indicia thereon irrespective of whether the 
"open" sign of compartment "S1" or the "closed" sign of compartment "S3" 
is energized. 
The switch shown in FIG. 3 is magnetically operated and includes a 
permanent magnet M1 fixed in position adjacent plunger 7 and a permanent 
magnet M2 mounted on contact 8awhich is biased toward fixed contacts 9 and 
10 by spring 13a. As shown plunger 7 isolates the magnets M1 and M2 from 
each and the circuit is established between terminals 9 and 10 to energize 
sign S3 to indicate "closed" condition of the establishment and locked 
condition of plunger 7. When plunger 7 is moved to the right as indicated 
by dotted lines 7a to unlock door D magnet M1 causes magnet M2 and contact 
8a to move upward against the bias of spring 13a to cause contact 8a to 
engage terminals 9a and 14 thereby to complete a circuit through condutors 
5 and 16 and to energize sign S1 to indicate an "open" condition of the 
establishment. 
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
This invention is especially well suited for use in conjunction with retail 
establishments such as barber shops, gift shops and other retail or 
wholesale outlets as is obvious. The invention is particularly well suited 
for use in establishments located in large shopping centers where large 
parking lots are provided and where it may be very inconvenient for a 
prospective customer to determine whether a certain establishment is open 
or not if there is no readily observable indicating means.