A SIGN, SUCH AS A ROAD OR TRAFFIC SIGN, AND A SECTION FOR A FRAME FOR SAID SIGN

Abstract: A sign (2) with one or two sign panels (5) has according to the invention a frame which is constituted by an elongate profile (1), which at the inside (7) is provided with two grooves (8, 9) which may each receive the edge of one sign panel (5). Moreover, the profile (1) is provided with a T-shaped slot on its outer side. The sign (2) may thus be constructed with far fewer parts than known signs. The T-shaped slot makes a laterally displaceable mounting of the sign (2) possible and may be used for securing lids (22) over access openings (21) to the interior of the sign. Furthermore, the slot makes a torsionally stable mounting possible by use of few mounting means, assembly of the frame using very few parts and lifting of the sign by simple and quick means.

Description: A SIGN, SUCH AS A ROAD OR TRAFFIC SIGN, AND A SECTION FOR A FRAME FOR SAID SIGN The present invention relates to a sign, such as a road or traffic sign, with one or two sign panels and a frame, said sign being of the type stated in the preamble of claim 1. Moreover, the invention relates to a profile with uniform cross-section for the formation of a frame for a sign of said type, said profile being of the type stated in the preamble of claim 5. Danish Patent No. 154.920 discloses a sign with a frame profile for a circumferential frame for the panel of the sign, the frame profile having a plane, smooth abutment on the sign panel which is fastened to the profile by means of screws, rivets, glue or in any other way. On the back- side of the frame, opposite its abutment on the sign panel, the profile has a T-slot which serves for receiving specially designed double nuts with two internal threads, by means of which the frame parts may be mutually clamped or connected to other parts such as mounting or supporting elements, extending across inner parts of the sign panel and supporting the panel. A whole frame for a quadrangular sign panel is here composed of straight frame profiles and frame corners. The frame corners are produced with the same cross-section as the frame profile by bending the profile with a definite radius. These parts are mutually clamped together by means of said double nuts as well as joint-bars and bolts. The sign frame formed may be laterally displaceable when mounted on a vertically extending column or mast, the mast fittings being engageable into long double nuts which are slidable in the T-slot until the screws have been tightened. A drawback of the sign and profile with associated parts described above is that extraordinarily many parts are needed for forming a complete sign. In particular many screws and bolts are needed, not to mention many of said double nuts and associated joint-bars or fishplates with two holes. Manufacture of the sign according to Danish Patent No. 154.920 entails the cutting of a very big number of profile parts and the manufacture of separate corners. This is in itself labour and cost intensive, but also entails a great amount of work aligning the parts and clamping them together. The sign is apparently not self-supporting until all or nearly all parts have been mounted. It is furthermore a drawback of the described pro¬ file for the frame that the sign panel has to be fastened separately to the frame by means of rivets, glue or similar means. Finally, it is a drawback of the sign according to Danish Patent No. 154.920 and the associated profile system that it cannot be used for signs having two sign panels. The use of such signs is steadily increasing, e.g. for signs comprising displays or moving elements such as text which changes, or signs in which the front panel is illumi- nated from the inside. During mounting and dismounting, the sign has to be handled ' using commonly known means, as it has not been designed with a particular view to easing the handling thereof. US Patent No. 4,805,324 discloses a sign with a frame of the type described in the preamble of claim 1. However, only two of the frame sides are designed as stated, the two other sides of the frame being constituted by termination elements which i.a. are not provided with a T-shaped slot on the outer side. The frame is thus assembled by means of four parts which makes it unneces¬ sarily complicated. The frame profile has a cross-section with a very low moment of inertia. It is therefore not par¬ ticularly rigid and is not bendable for the formation of a frame corner. Finally, the T-shaped slot is very small and therefore only suited for mounting of small signs. GB Patent Application No. 2,250,850 discloses a road sign with an access opening which is closed by a hinged cover. The sign is mounted by securing the cover to a sign post and the sign may thus be swung away from the post and the cover, around the hinges. This construction is obviously exacting a very solid construction of the hinges and is therefore expensive. As the access opening is pro¬ vided in one of the sign panels (the rear panel) , the access opening does not allow the insertion of long objects like fluorescent lamps into the sign or their removal therefrom. US Patent No. 3,531,882 discloses an internally illuminated sign, in which a support means in form of a boom extends through an aperture at the edge of the sign and further through the interior of the sign between the two sign panels. This sign is, however, not designed with a supporting frame and lacks a good load transfer from the sign panels to the -boom. The disclosed construction is therefore completely unsuited for big signs like e.g. traf¬ fic signs, which are subject to considerable wind forces. The invention provides a sign of the type mentioned by way of introduction, in which the above-mentioned draw¬ backs have been eliminated, the sign consisting of con¬ siderably fewer parts than the known ones, and a finished sign with one or two sign panels may be displaceably mounted by use of fittings of a much simpler design and with fewer parts than the known ones. Manufacture of the sign according to the invention may take place in very few working steps. Moreover, the sign may during mounting and removal be lifted and handled by use of simple and work- saving means. Finally, it is attained that the sign acquires a simple and attractive appearance and may thus be used in places, where the qualities of the sign as so- called street inventory is of importance, and the sign gets fewer nooks and corners which may gather dirt or serve as nesting sites or habitat for birds. This is obtained according to the invention by means of the features stated in the characterising clause of claim 1. Due to the fact that one side of the frame, two corner parts joining this side and two side portions join- ing said corner parts are made as a unity from a profile with uniform cross section by bending the profile at two places with a definite radius for the formation of the cor¬ ner parts, a complete frame for a sign having one or two sign panels is obtained by means of few main parts and only a very small number of fittings. The frame is manufactured in few working steps. The frame formed has a high rigidity and is robust in itself. On account of the small number of parts the sign is quickly manufactured and simple to assemble and is self-supporting right away. Through the subject matter of claim 2 is obtained that an access opening may be produced with low costs and without the need for additional strengthening around the opening and that the opening and an matching cover are not immediately visible from the outside. Through the subject matter of claim 3 is obtained that means for guiding and securing the cover may be pro¬ duced with very low costs. Through the subject matter of claim 4 the sign is in a simple and inexpensive way prevented from turning around the suspension points so that the sign may be mounted * torsionally secured with fewer fittings. At the same time it is obtained that the sign is displaceable before the final clamping and is safely carried during dis- placement. Through the invention a profile of the type stated by way of introduction is obtained, by means of which a frame for a sign according to the invention may be manufac¬ tured in a particularly advantageous way. This is obtained according to the invention by means of the features stated in the characterising clause of claim 5. As the profile has a uniform cross-section, it may in an economically advantageous way be manufactured by extrusion from e.g. an aluminium alloy. Due to the fact that the height of the profile (in the direction of the walls) is smaller than 50% of, prefer¬ ably less than 40% of, and in particular preferred approx. equal to 30% of the width of the profile (in the direction of the bottom) , is obtained that the profile may be bent with a suitable radius in a quite simple tool without means for securing the various portions of the profile against deflection perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the profile. Through the subject matter of claim 6 is obtained on one hand that the cross-section of the profile obtains a high moment of inertia, whereby the profile becomes rigid, which to a high extent contributes to making the frame stable and the sign self-supporting without the use of separate supporting elements, and on the other hand that the walls of the profile, which are immediately visible on the finished sign, do not noticeably deform when the pro¬ file is bent with a radius for the formation of a frame corner. Through the subject matter of claim 7 is obtained that the T-slot is made with a minimum consumption of material, and that the T-slot gets such dimensions that it may hold and surround sufficiently big covers and suf- ficiently solid means for torsional securing and mounting. Through the subject matter of claim 8 is obtained that the profile in a simple way may be used for conveying cables and wire for internal illumination or movable elements or displays. Through the subject matter of claim 9 is obtained that the ribs may tightly surround elements, such as covers, or means, such as fittings for torsional securing, said elements being somewhat smaller than the crosswise dimension of the gap of the T-slot and thus being able to be passed through it straight away. Through the subject matter of claim 10 an improved securing of the sign panels is obtained. Through the subject matter of the characterising clause of claim 11 is obtained firstly that the slot may be open, when the sign panel is laid in, which makes this simpler and that the slot subsequently may be closed by bending or rolling the clamping fin to a closed position, whereby the sign panel is particularly effectively secured, and secondly that an extrusion tool for making the profile by extrusion may be made without very thin protrusions cor¬ responding to the dimensions of the slot in its closed position. Through the subject matter of claim 12 a most stable, inexpensive and torsionally secure mounting of a sign laterally from a post is obtained. Through the subject matter of claim 13 a most stable and secure assembly of the frame halves by simple and inexpensive joint-bars is obtained. Through the subject matter of claim 14 a most stable and secure transfer of torsional forces from the frame of the sign to the torsional securing device of the boom is obtained. The invention will be described in detail in the following by means of embodiment examples and with refer¬ ence to the drawing, in which Fig. l shows a cross-section of a profile according to the invention, Fig. 2 shows two signs according to the invention, each being laterally mounted on the same post by means of a through boom, Fig. 3 is a vertical section along the centre plane of one of the signs according to Fig. 2 at a larger scale, Fig. 4 is a vertical section along the line IV-IV in fig. 3 at an even larger scale, Fig. 5 is a sectional view of an edge portion of a sign according to the invention and shows the securing of a cover over an access opening in the frame, Fig. 6 shows a vertical cross-section in the plane of the post of a sign according to the invention, mounted straight in front of a post, Fig. 7 is a view along the line VII-VII in Fig. 6, Fig. 8 is a partial section along the line VIII- VIII in Fig. 6, and Figs. 9 and 10 show the lifting of a sign according to the invention by means of suitable lifting devices. Fig. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of an elongate profile 1 according to the invention for the formation of a frame for a sign with one or to sign panels. Such a sign 2 is shown in Fig. 2, where two signs 2 are mounted above each other sidewise off a post 3. Each sign 2 has a frame 4 surrounding a sign panel 5. The frame 4 is provided with round corners 6 which are all made with the same radius of curvature. Fig. 5 shows a cross section in an edge portion of such a sign 2 with a frame constituted by the profile 1, and to sign panels 5 facing away from each other, in Fig. 5 to the right and to the left. Two sign panels 5 may be needed if the sign is to display information in both directions, or if the sign is to hold a cavity for displays or the like, or is to be il- luminated from the inside. The sign according to the inven¬ tion may optionally be made with one or two sign panels, simply by laying in the desired number of panels when as¬ sembling the sign, cf. below. The profile 1 is preferably made from a suitable aluminium alloy by extrusion. The sign panels 5 may be of aluminium, if they just have to carry information to be read when the sign is illuminated by daylight or artificial light, or by reflection of light from e.g. headlamps of motor vehicles. The panels 5 may be of plastic such as acrylics or polycarbonate, if the sign is designed with internal illumination. On the side 7 of the profile 1 which in Figs. 1 and 5 is facing downwards and which corresponds to the inner side of the frame, the profile 1 is provided with two slots 8 and 9 each receiving the edge of a sign panel 5. When the frame 4 as shown in Fig. 2 surrounds the sign panels, the panels are safely secured in the slots 8, 9. The profile has on the side corresponding to the outer side of the frame and facing upwards in Fig. 1, a T- shaped slot or T-slot 10. The T-shaped slot 10 is formed between the bottom 11 of the profile, two walls 12 and 13, and two fins 16 and 17. The two walls 12 and 13 protrude from the parts 14, 15 which are positioned on either side of the bottom 11 and which each holds one of the two slots 8, 9. Each wall 12, 13 extends in a plane which is parallel to and substantially coincident with the plane of the cor¬ responding sign panel 5. The two fins 16 and 17 protrude from the edge of the walls 12, 13 and extend in parallel with the bottom 11 and in a direction towards the corres¬ ponding edge of the other wall 12, 13. The gap 20 between the free edges 18, 19 of the two fins 16, 17, which gap forms the outwards width of the T- shaped slot 10, has a crosswise dimension which is bigger than 40%, preferably bigger than 50% and in particular pre¬ ferred approx. 60% of the total width of the profile. By manufacturing the T-slot 10 with such a relatively wide gap, access openings of a suitable size with matching covers may be arranged in the bottom of the T-slot. At the same time material for the manufacture of the profile 1 is saved. Such an access opening 21 with matching cover 22 is shown schematically in Fig. 5. It appears from the figure that the gap of the T-slot between the free edges 18, 19 is sufficiently wide for removal of the cover '22 straight away through' ■ this gap, the cover at the same time being suffi¬ ciently wide for covering the comparatively wide access opening 21. The cover is secured in the embodiment shown by means of a bolt 24, which is screwed through a yoke 23 which tightens against the interior faces of the fins 16, 17 in the T-slot 10. When the cover 22 is to be removed, the bolt 24 is loosened, following which the yoke 23 may be turned around the axis of the bolt and removed from the T- slot. Then the cover 22 may be removed. In the embodiment of the profile 10 shown in the figures, ribs 26, 27 extend from the bottom 11 of the pro¬ file 10 into the T-shaped slot in a direction perpendicular to the extension of the bottom. The ribs 26, 27 are here positioned close to the orthogonal projections 30, 31 of the free edges 18, 19 of the fins 16, 17 onto the bottom 11. As shown in Fig. 1, two pockets 28, 29 are hereby ere- ated in those corners of the T-slot 10 which are joining the bottom 11 and the walls 12, 13, respectively. These pockets may serve as guides for cables or wire for the interior illumination of the sign or for elec- trie or electronic displays or movable elements for dis¬ playing varying text, etc., on the sign. Further, a channel 25 is formed between the ribs 26, 27, said channel having a width which is preferably slightly smaller than the gap of the T-slot between the free edges 18, 19. This is obtained when the ribs 26, 27 as shown are arranged somewhat within the projections 30, 31. This channel 25 may serve as guide for the above-mentioned covers 22 and for receiving stabilising mounting fittings, which will be described in the following. The side walls of the slots 8, 9 for receiving the edges of the sign panels 5 are preferably provided with protruding beads 32 engaging the sign panel 5 when it is placed in the slot. In Fig. 1 it is indicated by dotted line that a sign panel 5 is placed in the slot 8 and that the beads on the sidewalls of this slot engage the sign panel. The beads are preferably made square-edged in order to be able to deforming the surface of the sign panel 5. In Fig. 1 the slot 9 is shown in an open state, having a substantially V-shaped cross-section. The slot 9 is formed between a rib-shaped portion 33, extending between the bottom 11 of the T-shaped slot 10 and the wall 13, and a clamping fin 34 extending from the same wall 13 at an oblique angle. The clamping fin 34 is by means of a weakening in form of a round-bottomed slot 35 adapted to be bent or rolled to a position corresponding to the position in which the slot 8 is shown in Fig. 1, where said oblique angle is substantially nil. When constructing the sign according to the inven¬ tion the sign panel or panels 5 is/are placed in the slots 8, 9, while these are in their open position, corresponding to pos. 9 in Fig. 1, following which the clamping fins 34 are rolled or bent with a suitable tool until the slots are in their closed position, corresponding to pos. 8 in Fig. 1. In this position the sign panels 5 are clamped in the slots 8, 9. In practice the profile 1 will be extruded with the clamping fins 34 in their open position (pos. 9) and hereby the additional advantage is obtained that the protrusions in the extrusion matrix which are to form the slots 8, 9 may be made considerably more solid than if the slots should be extruded in their closed position (pos. 8) . The frame 4 for a sign 2 is made from the profile 1 by bending the profile 90° with a definite radius, where the corners 6 (Fig. 2) of the sign are to be provided. According to the invention the frame 4 is preferably made from two halves which each comprises one of the sides 36 of the frame, two corners 6 joining this side and two side portions 37, 38 joining these corners, cf. Fig. 2. These two halves are thus -each made in one piece, from the pro¬ file 1. The connection joints between such two halves are indicated by 39. In connection with the lower sign 2 in Fig. 2 it has been emphasised with a dotted line how the halves of the frame 4 are made: Two elements 40 in a bending jig are fastened with the desired spacing, and the profile 1 is secured in a manner not shown abutting against these elements. Then the free ends 41 of the profile are bent as indicated by the arrow 42 to the desired position 43. The bending jig may in a manner known per se be constructed as a machine, in which the bending takes places with mechan¬ ical means. In this connection special measures may be taken to prevent the profile from deforming transversely to its lengthwise direction, e.g. by inserting a spacer between the free edges 18, 19 to prevent the T-slot from collapsing and narrowing at the corner parts 6. The main dimensions of the profile 1 have been chosen such that the profile may be bent with a suitable radius. According to the invention the height of the pro¬ file in the direction of the walls 12, 13 is thus smaller than 50%, preferably less than 40%, and particularly pre- ferred approx. equal to 30% of the width of the profile in the direction of the bottom 11. In a preferred embodiment the walls 11, 12 are designed with a material thickness which is bigger than the material thicknesses of the remaining portions 11, 16, 17 of the profile, preferably bigger than 1.5 times the aver¬ age of the thicknesses of the bottom 11 and the fins 16, 17, and most preferred nearly twice as big as said average. This preferred embodiment corresponds to the profile as depicted in Fig. 1. Tests have, however, proved that the profile 1 in this preferred embodiment may be bent with a radius of approx. 70% of the width of the profile without the use of measures for preventing the profile from deforming or even collapsing. E X A P L E A profile with dimensions as shown in Fig. 1, width x height 100x30 mm, material thickness 4 mm in the bottom 1-1 and in the fins 16, 17 and material thickness 8 mm in the walls 11, 12, was extruded from an aluminium alloy. The profile was bent 90 ° in a jig over a cylindri¬ cal former with radius 70 mm and two circumferential guide rims engaging the slots 8, 9. The profile was secured against longitudinal displacement at one end, but no measures were taken against deformation of the cross-sec¬ tion of the profile. It turned out that no deformation at all occurred of outer sides of the walls 12, 13 or of the clamping fins 34 (tilting, sinking or similar) . The visible part of the corner had thus the desired regular shape, quite corres¬ ponding to the shape of the straight sides. This is sup¬ posed to be substantially due to the increased material thickness of 8 mm of the walls 12, 13. The bottom 11 was deformed, denting somewhat out¬ wardly in the corner, and the two fins 16, 17 were pulled somewhat inwards. None of these deformations had, however, any practical importance, and they did not give any adverse visual impression. The two halves of the frame 4 are preferably con¬ nected by means of joint-bar or fishplate elements over¬ lapping a joint 39 and engaging the T-shaped slot in each of the halves. The engagement occurs preferably between the ribs 26, 27 in the same way as the cover 22 engages, cf. Fig. 5. Hereby a stable and rigid connection between the halves is obtained. In general, assembly of two parts made from the profile 1 may advantageously be made in this way, also where the profile is used in another way than for con¬ struction of a sign frame 4 consisting of two halves. In Fig. 3 one of the signs 2 in Fig. 2 is shown in section along the centre plane of the sign. In the frame two openings have been provided at the point where the two halves of the frame are butted (pos. 39). These openings, not shown in detail, serve for leading through a boom 44, here consisting of a steel tube with quadrangular cross- section, through the interior of the sign between the sign panels 5, the rear one of these being visible in Fig. 3. The boom 44 carries the sign 2, the boom being mounted on the post 3 by means of suitable fittings, etc. 45. In these fittings and in the post a hole 46 is provided, through which buried cables or wiring may be led into the interior of the sign through the boom 44. The halves of the frame 4 are connected by means of joint-bars engaging the channel 25 between the ribs 26 and 27, in the same way as shown in Fig. 5. These joint-bars are here rigidly connected with the boom 44 and thus serve the double purpose of holding the frame halves together and of securing the sign rigidly and securely to the boom. The joint-bars are constituted by a through-going joint-bar 47 welded to the end of the boom 44, and two joint-bar parts 48, 49 which are welded onto the boom at the place, where it penetrates the sign frame 13 closest to the post 3. The joint-bars are fastened to the frame halves in the channel 25 between the ribs 26, 27 (cf. Fig. 1) by means of bolts 51 which go through the joint- bars and are screwed into counter-fishplates which abut the bottom side 7 of the frame profile (Fig. 1) . The portions of the frame halves, against which the joint-bars 47-49 abut, are provided with slits corresponding to the bolts 51, such that the frame halves may be placed between the joint-bars 47-49 and the counter-fishplates 50 when the bolts 51 have been screwed in halfways. Thus the sign may be assembled in the following order: The boom 44 with welded-on joint-bars 47-49 are placed on a plane surface and are suitable supported. The counter-fishplates 50 are provided and the bolts 51 screwed in half the way, such that a clearance is provided between the joint-bars and the counter-fishplates. The frame halves are now pushed in position in directions corresponding to vertical in Fig. 3, the sign panel or panels 5 being placed in the slots 8, 9 at the same time. When the frame halves have been pushed in position, corresponding to the posi¬ tions which they have in Fig. 3, the bolts 51 are tightened, and the sign 2 and the boom 44 now constitute a rigid unity. The sign panels 5 are lying loosely in the slots 8, 9 but cannot be removed therefrom. Finally, the slots 8, 9 are closed by rolling or pressing the clamping fins 34 to their closed position, corresponding to pos. 8 in Fig. 1, whereby the sign panels are safely clamped, the beads 32 being pressed down into the surfaces of the sign panels. The sign is now finished and ready to be mounted on the post 3 by means of the fittings, etc. 45. In this way a sign with a very sturdy construction has been provided by use of very few parts, viz. only five main parts (two frame halves, two sign panels 5, one boom 44) , only four fittings (counter-fishplates 50) and only eight bolts 51. By means of the joint-bars 47-49 which are welded onto the boom 44 and which securely engages the channel 25 between the ribs 26, 27 an exceptionally rigid and strong connection between the boom 44 and the sign 2 is obtained, such that big torsional loads with respect to the axis of the boom may be transferred. In this way even big signs are stably and securely supported by only one boom 4. In Fig. 4 the connection between the boom 44 and the joint-bars 48, 49 is shown at a larger scale. Here, the tough engagement between the joint-bar parts 48, 49 and the ribs 26, 27 on each side of the channel 25 is shown more clearly. The welding connections between the boom and the joint-bars are indicated by 52. Figs. 6-8 show another form of mounting, in which a sign 2 is mounted on the front side of a quadrangular post 53. The frame 4 of the sign is secured to the post 53 by means of an upper angle bracket 54 and a lower angle bracket 55 which are each secured to the post with bolts 56. On each angle bracket 54, 55 protrusions are fastened in form of two guides 57 (most clearly seen in Fig. 8) which engage the free edges 18, 19 in the gap 20 in the T- shaped slot 10 in the frame 4. Hereby the connection between the fittings 54, 55 and the sign becomes very rigid against -torsional stress around the axis of the post 53, and the sign may therefore be mounted asymmetrically on the post, so that it protrudes longer to one side than to the other without any risk arising that the connection will rock loose in windy weather or the like. The frame 4 is secured to the angular fittings 54, 55 by bolts 58, onto which turnable yokes 59 have been welded. It appears from Fig. 8 that the yokes 59 are designed in such a way that they oppose turning beyond the desired end position, when the screw nut of the bolt 58 is tightened. There is therefore no need for holding the bolt when the screw nut is tightened. By the design according to the invention of the profile 1 the double advantage is obtained that the sign may be torsionally safely secured to a post with only one set of fittings, and that the securing of the sign to these fittings takes place in a simple and quick way. At the same time the further advantage is obtained that the sign due to its elongate, T-shaped slot 10 is straight away laterally displaceable in its mounting, when the bolts 58 are loosened. Hereby considerable convenience is attained, as the post does not have to be particularly accurately mounted, relative to the desired positioning of the sign face. Through a system of holes, cables or wire may be pulled from the interior of the post to the interior of the sign. Thus coinciding holes are provided in the post 53 and in one flap of the angular brackets 54, 55 at 60 and cor¬ responding holes in the second flap of the angular fittings and the frame 4 at 61. In Fig. 9 lifting of the sign according to the in¬ vention is shown with a special tongs mechanism 62. When a crane lifts in the eye 63 of the tongs mechanism, the two lower legs 66 of the tong are urged to spread in the direc¬ tions 65, whereby the claws get a safe and secure hold under the two fins 16, 17 of the frame profile. In Fig. 10 the use of an eyebolt 68 together with two joint-bars 69 and 70 is shown for lifting a sign 2 pro¬ vided with a frame with the profile 1 according to the in¬ vention. ' By providing the frame of the sign with the T-slot 10, substantial advantages and time saving are obtained when lifting signs 2 according to the invention when mounting, suitably adapted lifting gear being usable, which gear may be connected very quickly to the sign and discon¬ nected again.

Claims: C L A I M S 1. A sign (2) such as a road or traffic sign com¬ prising one or two sign panels (5) and a frame (4) which at its inside (7) has two slots (8, 9) , each for receiving the edge of one sign panel (5) , and which at its outside exten¬ ding perpendicularly to the planes of the sign panels (5) is provided with a T-shaped slot (10) ) , c h a r a c ¬ t e r i s e d in that one of the sides (36) of the frame, two corner parts (6) joining this side and two side por- tions (37, 38) joining said corner parts are made as a unity from a profile (1) with uniform cross section by bending the profile (1) at two places with a definite radius for the formation of the corner parts (6) . 2. A sign according to claim 1 with two sign panels (5) and comprising devices for showing alternating infor¬ mation and/or for internal illumination of one or both sign panels, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that at least one access opening (21) to the interior of the sign is provided in the frame (4) , and in that covers (22) for covering said openings are provided, which covers are guided by inter¬ action with the T-shaped slot (10, 25) . ' 3. A sign according to claim 2, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i s e d in that the covers (22) in their closed position are secured by means of elements (23, 24) which in connection with the covers are tightening against the interior surfaces of the T-shaped slot (10) . 4. A sign according to any of the claims 1-3, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the T-shaped slot (10, 25) is guided by protrusions (47-49, 57) on mounting means (44, 54, 55) carrying the sign (2), to prevent the sign from turning relative to the mounting means. 5. An elongate profile (1) with uniform cross-sec¬ tion for the formation of a frame (4) for a sign (2) ac¬ cording to claim 1 with one or two sign panels (5) , said profile (1) being at its side (7) corresponding to the inner side of the frame provided with two slots (8, 9), each for receiving the edge of one sign panel (5) , and at its side corresponding to the outer side of the frame hav¬ ing a T-shaped slot (10) which is formed between two walls (12, 13) which each protrudes from a por¬ tion (14, 15) accommodating one of the two slots (8, 9), each wall (12, 13) extending in a plane which is parallel with and substantially coincident with the plane of the corresponding sign panel (5) , a bottom (11) which extends substantially between these portions (14, 15), and - two fins (16, 17) , each of which protrudes from one of the walls (12, 13) at an edge lying opposite the slot (8, 9) in parallel with the bottom (11) and in a direction towards the corresponding edge of the opposite wall (12, 13), the profile being c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the height of the profile (in the direction of the walls (12, 13)) is less than 50% of, preferably less than 40% of, and most preferred approx. 30% of the width of the profile (in the direction of the bottom (11)). 6. A profile according to claim 5, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i s e d in that the walls (12, 13) are designed with a wall thickness which is bigger than the wall thicknesses of the remaining portions (11, 16, 17) of the profile, pre¬ ferably bigger than 1.5 times the average of the thicknesses of the bottom (11) and of the fins (16, 17), and most preferred nearly twice as big as said average. 7. A profile according to claim 5 or 6, c h a r ¬ a c t e r i s e d in that crosswise dimension of the gap (20) between the free edges (18, 19) of the two fins (16, 17) , said gap (20) defining the outward width of the T- shaped slot (10), is bigger than 40%, preferably bigger than 50% and most preferred approx. 60% of the total width of the profile (1) . 8. A profile according to any of the claims 5-7, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that one or more ribs (26, 27) extend from the bottom (11) into the T-shaped slot (10) in a direction orthogonal to the direction of the bottom (11), and that at least one of these ribs (26, 27) is placed close to the orthogonal projection (30, 31) of one of the free edges (18, 19) of the fins (16, 17) onto the face of the bottom (11) for the formation of a pocket (28, 29) in the corner of the T-shaped slot between the bottom (11) and one of the walls (12, 13) . 9. A profile according to claim 8, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i s e d in that one rib (26, 27) is provided close to each of said projections (30, 31) of the free edges (18, 19) of the fins (16, 17) , and that the crosswise dimension (25) between said ribs (26, 27) is equal to or smaller than the crosswise dimension of the gap (20) between the free edges (18, 19) . 10. A profile according to any of the claims 5-9, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that at least one of the side walls of the slots (8, 9) is provided with protruding, pre¬ ferably square-edged beads (32) for engaging the sign panel (5) . 11. A profile according to any of the claims 5-10, in which at least one of the two slots (8, 9) is formed between a first rib-shaped portion (33) extending between the bottom (11) of the T-shaped slot (10) and the relevant of the two walls (12, 13) , and a second rib-shaped portion (34) which extends from the same wall (12, 13) , c h a r ¬ a c t e r i s e d in that the second rib-shaped portion is constituted by a clamping fin (34) which extends from the wall (12, 13) at an oblique angle for the formation of a V- shaped cross-section of the slot (9) , and which, preferably by means of a weakening in form of a slot (35) with a round bottom is bendable or rollable to a position (8) , in which the oblique angle becomes substantially nil and a sign panel (5) placed in the slot (8) will be clamped in the slot (8, 9) . 12. A sign according to any of the claims 1-4, in which the frame (4) consists of two halves, each comprising one of the sides (36) of the frame, two corner parts (6) joining this side and two side portions (37, 38) joining said corner parts, in said sign a mounting means, such as a boom (44) , extends through at least one aperture in the frame (4) and preferably through the interior of the sign (2) between planes corresponding to the position of the sign panels (5), c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the two halves of the frame (4) are connected by means of joint-bar elements (47-49) which overlap a joint (39) and engage the T-shaped slot (10, 25), and that the joint-bar elements (47-49) at at least one joint (39) are rigidly and force-transmittingly connected with the mounting means (44) . 13. A sign according to any of the claims 1-4 with a frame (4) formed by a profile (1) according to any of the claims 9-11 and consisting of two halves, each comprising one of the sides (36) of the frame, two corner parts (6) joining this side and two side portions (37, 38) joining these corner parts, the two halves being connected by means of joint-bar elements (47-49) overlapping a joint (39) , c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the joint -bar elements (47-49) preferably consist of flat bar stock, with their broad side abut the bottom (11) of the T-shaped slot and with their narrow sides abut the two ribs (26, 27) posi¬ tioned near the projections (30, 31) of the free edges (18, 19) . 14. A sign according to claim 12 with a frame (4) constituted by a profile (1) according to any of the claims 9-11, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the joint-bar elements (47-49) preferably consist of flat bar stock and protrude substantially orthogonally from the mounting means (44) in the direction of the T-shaped slot (10) , that their broad side abut the bottom (11) of the T-shaped slot, and that their narrow sides abut the two ribs (26, 27) posi¬ tioned near the projections (30, 31) of the free edges (18, 19) .

Inventors: NIELSEN BOERGE LEIF, NIELSEN, BOERGE, LEIF
Applicants: LETON MASKINFAB, NIELSEN BOERGE LEIF, MASKINFABRIKKEN LETON V/BOERGE LEIF NIELSEN, NIELSEN, BOERGE, LEIF
Application year: 1996
Main classification: G09F7
IPC codes: G09F7, G09F13, G09F15