System for fastening interchangeable advertisements to a supporting strip

An advertisement fastening system for a display device wherein a supporting strip is wound and unwound between two parallel rollers. Each edge of the advertisement is fitted with a number of fastening labels, each comprising two adhesive elements which are bonded respectively to the advertisement and the supporting strip, and are fixed permanently to a strip of elastic material. The adhesive elements are carried on two faces of two spaced portions of the elastic strip which also comprises a free portion for constantly tensioning the advertisement and enabling it to move in relation to the supporting strip when this is wound and unwound between the rollers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a system for fastening interchangeable 
advertisements to a supporting strip wound and unwound between at least 
two parallel rollers. 
Various types of devices are known for displaying a series of 
advertisements in a display window, e.g. a transparent window with back 
lighting. On one known device, the advertisements are joined into a strip 
which is fed back and forth on rollers for selecting and displaying a 
given advertisement. 
A major drawback of this type of device is that, to change one or more of 
the advertisements, the entire strip must be dismantled and the 
advertisements formed into a new strip, which operation involves 
considerable downtime during which the device, if used commercially for 
several advertisers with different display schedules, is substantially 
unusable. 
On another known device, the strip is fed along an endless path defined by 
a series of parallel guide rollers about which the strip is wound and fed 
in one direction only, and a removable fastening system is provided for 
fastening the advertisements in interchangeable manner to the strip. 
The fastening system comprises a strip of adhesive material placed on, and 
perpendicular to the traveling direction of, the supporting strip at the 
required location of the leading edge of the advertisement. Due to the 
difference in the winding diameter of the advertisement and the underlying 
supporting strip, however, the advertisement, as it travels over the 
rollers, slides in relation to the supporting strip, for which reason, the 
trailing edge of the advertisement is left unfastened to enable it to 
slide freely in relation to the supporting strip. 
Such a system, however, is unsuitable for display devices wherein the 
supporting strip is wound and unwound between two rollers rotating in both 
directions. In this case in fact, while moving freely in relation to the 
supporting strip as this travels in one direction, the free edge of the 
advertisement cannot be fed forward when the supporting strip is inverted, 
which would require feeding the free edge forward in relation to the 
supporting strip and inserting it inside the turn of the supporting strip 
on the roller. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is an object of the present invention to provide a system for fastening 
advertisements removably to a supporting strip, designed to overcome the 
aforementioned drawbacks typically associated with known systems, and 
which is extremely straightforward and reliable, even when applied to 
supporting strips traveling in both directions. 
According to the present invention, there is provided a system for 
fastening interchangeable advertisements to a supporting strip wound and 
unwound between at least two parallel rollers; said rollers being 
rotatable for selecting the advertisement for display in a display window; 
and each advertisement comprising two edges substantially perpendicular to 
the traveling direction of said supporting strip; characterized by the 
fact that each advertisement is fastened to said supporting strip by 
removable fastening means located at each said edge; and each said 
fastening means enabling elastic displacement of the respective edge in 
relation to said supporting strip and in said direction. 
More specifically, each fastening means comprises at least two adhesive 
elements affixed removably to the advertisement and the supporting strip; 
said adhesive elements being connected by a third element yieldable 
elastically in said direction. 
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the adhesive 
elements are fixed to and located on two opposite faces of an elastic 
strip.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
Number 10 in FIG. 1 indicates a commercial device for displaying 
advertisements 11 in a display window 12, e.g. lighted internally, 
according to the requirements of different advertisers. 
More specifically, device 10 comprises a box 13 which may be opened for 
enabling access to the inside, and which presents a transparent front wall 
constituting window 12. Box 13 houses a frame 14, two sides of which, e.g. 
the two vertical sides, are fitted with two rollers 16 and 17, the 
respective axes of which are horizontal and hence parallel to each other. 
Advertisements 11 are substantially transparent and fitted removably to a 
supporting strip 18 made of transparent, nonstretch laminated plastic 
material, e.g. 0.1-0.2 mm thick Mylar (registered trade mark). For 
advertisements 11 of less than 2 m in width, 0.17 mm thick laminated 
material may be used. 
Supporting strip 18 is fitted at both ends to rollers 16 and 17 in any 
known manner, and is wound and unwound between rollers 16 and 17 which are 
rotatable both ways for selecting a given advertisement 11 for display in 
window 12, while at the same time maintaining a substantially constant 
tension of supporting strip 18. 
For enabling troublefree commercial operation according to advertisers' 
requirements, advertisements 11 are fitted in interchangeable manner to 
supporting strip 18. According to the present invention, the system 
whereby advertisements 11 are fitted to supporting strip 18 comprises 
removable fastening means indicated as a whole by 22, 32 (FIGS. 2 and 7), 
arranged along edges 19 and 21 of each advertisement 11, perpendicular to 
the traveling direction of supporting strip 18, and which provide for 
enabling elastic displacement of the corresponding edge 19, 21 in relation 
to supporting strip 18 and in said direction. 
Fastening means 22, 32 (FIGS. 4 and 9) comprise a yieldable element 26 
having two spaced portions 27 with an adhesive layer 25, 35 of strongly 
adhesive, high-temperature-resistant material. Yieldable element 26 is in 
the form of a rectangular strip of elastomeric material having a stretch 
coefficient of at least 100% and preferably ranging between 600 and 800%. 
Portions 27 are separated by a freely stretchable portion 28; and strip 26 
is made from transparent latex, and presents a section with a width of at 
least 5 mm and preferably of 2 to 3 cm, and a thickness of 0.1 to 0.3 mm. 
Portion 28 is of such a length as to ensure at least 4 mm stretch. 
According to a first embodiment of the present invention, each fastening 
means 22 (FIG. 2) is represented by an assembly and may be of two 
different types. One type 22' provides for fastening edge 19 or 21 of an 
isolated or end advertisement 11 to supporting strip 18; while the other 
type 22" provides for simultaneously fastening two edges 19 and 21 of two 
successive advertisements 11 to supporting strip 18. More specifically, 
each fastening assembly 22' and 22" comprises at least two adhesive 
elements 23 and 24 fitted to strip 26 and affixable respectively to 
advertisement 11 and supporting strip 18. 
Elements 23 and 24 are in the form of a laminated portion of transparent 
plastic material, and may preferably be made of the same laminated 
material, possibly dulled, as supporting strip 18. One surface of each 
portion 23 and 24 presents adhesive layer 25 (FIG. 6), the free surface of 
which may present a cover film adhering only slightly to layer 25 and 
which may be removed easily prior to use of assembly 22. 
In particular, layer 25 may consist of "Brand 853" two-sided adhesive tape 
produced by 3M. Laminated portions 23 and 24 are bonded or welded 
permanently to portions 27 (FIGS. 4-6) of strip 26 using, for example, a 
spot 29 of cyanoacrylate adhesive, or preferably using "Super Attak" 
adhesive marketed by Loctite Italia S.p.A. 
Advertisements 11 (FIG. 2) are normally fitted to supporting strip 18 
sequentially in the traveling direction of strip 18, in which case they 
may be separated by a given distance "d" which may be reduced to a few 
centimeters. In FIGS. 2, 3 and 5, the dotted line indicates the separating 
line between to successive advertisements. Assembly 22' (FIG. 4) for 
fastening edge 19 or 21 of an end advertisement 11 to supporting strip 18 
comprises two identical, e.g. trapezoidal-shaped, laminated portions 23 
and 24. 
Assembly 22" (FIG. 5) for fastening the adjacent edges 19 and 21 of 
intermediate advertisements 11 comprises two preferably trapezoidal-shaped 
laminated portions 23 which are bonded to edges 19 and 21 of two 
consecutive advertisements 11; and a rectangular portion 24 which is 
bonded to supporting strip 18; in which case, elastic strip 26 presents 
three portions 27 bonded to laminated portions 23 and 24, and two freely 
stretchable portions 28. 
Assemblies 22' and 22" (FIG. 2) are substantially equally spaced along each 
edge 19 and 21 of advertisement 11 at a distance "L" of preferably 10 to 
30 cm, and are arranged along the two edges 19 and 21 of each 
advertisement 11 so as to be aligned parallel to the traveling direction 
of supporting strip 18. 
In the FIG. 3 variation, advertisement 11 is of considerable width and, for 
practical reasons, is divided into longitudinal strips 11', each of which 
is therefore fastened removably using assemblies 22' and 22" as in FIG. 2, 
but taking care to ensure the lateral edges of strips 11' are joined 
accurately. 
In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 to 10, fastening means 32 are all in the 
form of one type of label for connecting edge 19 or 21 of advertisement 11 
to supporting strip 18, and which presents two identical adhesive end 
elements 33 (FIG. 9) and a third central adhesive element 34. Elements 33 
and 34 consist of a layer of two-sided adhesive tape 35, are bonded to 
opposite faces of portions 27 of strip 26, are separated by stretchable 
portion 28, and each present a protective cover film 36 of a material 
adhering only slightly to adhesive layer 35. 
More specifically, each label 32 may be formed from a continuous strip 37 
(FIG. 8) made of the same elastic material as strip 26. On the opposite 
faces of strip 37, a central band 38 and two bands 39 adjacent to the 
edges of strip 37 present adhesive layer 35 and cover film 36. For layer 
35 with cover film 36, 12 mm wide "Scotch 969" transfer adhesive tape 
produced by 3M may preferably be used. 
Each label 32 may be cut when needed off strip 37, by cutting off a portion 
of the required size and possibly premarked on film 36 as shown by the 
dotted lines in FIG. 8. Once label 32 is cut off, film 36 is removed 
easily from elements 33 and 34; central element 34 is bonded to supporting 
strip 18; and the two end elements 33 are bonded to edges 19 and 21 of two 
adjacent advertisements 11. In the case of labels 32 bonded to end 
advertisement 11, film 36 need not be removed from the unused element 33. 
Labels 32 provide for minimizing or eliminating gap "d" between one 
advertisement 11 and the next on supporting strip 18. Each advertisement 
11 in fact is fastened by labels 32 directly on supporting strip 18 and 
substantially equally spaced by distance "L". By virtue of elements 33, 34 
being located on the opposite faces of strip 26, most of label 32 is 
located beneath adjacent advertisements 11 and therefore substantially 
invisible. 
Both strip 26 and adhesive layer 35 are made of transparent material and 
therefore in no way affect viewing of the advertisement. Nevertheless, to 
render labels 32 totally invisible, provision may be made on supporting 
strip 18 for a dulled strip 40 (FIG. 7) which also serves to indicate the 
location of the adjacent edges of successive advertisements 11. 
Advertisements 11 are fastened using means 22 and 32 as follows. 
As advertisements 11 are normally fixed to the outer surface of supporting 
strip 18, they are wound on to rollers 16 and 17 (FIG. 1) outwards of the 
turns in supporting strip 18. Assemblies 22' and 22" or labels 32 (FIGS. 2 
and 7) are bonded to advertisements 11 and supporting strip 18 so that, 
when strip 18 is set flat, e.g. in display window 12, freely stretchable 
portion 28 (see also FIGS. 4, 5 and 10) is stretched slightly so as to 
slightly tension advertisement 11 on supporting strip 18. 
When supporting strip 18 is wound from the flat display position on to top 
roller 16 together with advertisement 11, the top edge 19 engages roller 
16, or the existing turns in strip 18, with substantially no slippage in 
relation to strip 18. As it is wound, however, advertisement 11, being on 
the outside of strip 18, presents a greater winding diameter and therefore 
slips gradually forward, i.e. upwards, in relation to strip 18. As a 
result, freely stretchable portion 28 of strip 26 fitted to edge 21 of 
advertisement 11 is gradually stretched to permit gradual displacement of 
edge 21. 
Similarly, when advertisement 11 is wound on to bottom roller 17, the 
bottom edge 21 undergoes no slippage in relation to strip 18; and this 
time it is the freely stretchable portion 28 of strip 26 fixed to edge 19 
which is stretched to permit displacement of edge 19 in relation to strip 
18. 
Consequently, when advertisements 11 are wound on to top roller 16, 
portions 28 of edge 21 are tensioned and those of edge 19 substantially 
relieved; whereas, when advertisements 11 are wound on to bottom roller 
17, portions 28 of edge 19 are tensioned and those of edge 21 relieved. 
When advertisement 11 is unwound off top roller 16 into the flat display 
position, portions 28 of strips 26 along edge 21 provide for pulling edge 
21 along supporting strip 18 and so eliminating any folds or creases in 
advertisement 11. Similarly, when advertisement 11 is unwound off bottom 
roller 17, portions 28 of strips 26 along edge 19 provide for tensioning 
and keeping advertisement 11 perfectly taut. 
The advantages of the fastening system according to the present invention 
will be clear from the foregoing description. In particular, it provides 
for troublefree replacement of advertisements 11, and for maintaining them 
perfectly taut as they are wound and unwound between rollers 16 and 17. 
Moreover, labels 32 may be produced easily from a web 37 of elastic 
material having bands 38 and 39 on the opposite faces, covered with 
commercial two-sided adhesive tape 35, 36. 
To those skilled in the art it will be clear that changes may be made to 
the fastening system as described and illustrated herein without, however, 
departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, 
advertisements 11 may be of any size; rollers 16 and 17 may be arranged 
vertically as opposed to horizontally; and advertisements 11 may be placed 
behind supporting strip 18 so that, as they are wound on to each roller 
16, 17, they slide backwards in relation to the traveling direction of 
strip 18. In which case, assemblies 22' and 22" or labels 32 are bonded to 
edges 19 and 21 of advertisements 11 so as to be tensioned when 
advertisement 11 is in the flat display position. 
Moreover, strips 26, elements 23, 24 of assemblies 22' and 22", and labels 
32 may differ in shape and size and be made of different materials as 
compared with those described herein; and, in the embodiment shown in 
FIGS. 7-10, each advertisement 11 may be fastened using labels 32 
independent of those of the adjacent advertisements 11. 
Label 32 may feature only two adhesive elements 33, 34 for attachment to 
advertisement 11 and supporting strip 18 respectively, which type of label 
may be used anyway for fastening isolated or end advertisements 11. 
Finally, strip 26 may be welded as opposed to bonded to elements 23 and 
24; and elements 23 and 24 or 33 may be fitted mechanically or hooked on 
to advertisements 11 and supporting strip 18 as opposed to using adhesive.