Patent Publication Number: US-2015075045-A1

Title: Rotatable banner support assembly and system

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/272,989 filed on Oct. 13, 2011, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/392,640 filed on Oct. 13, 2010, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to support assemblies and in particular to a rotatable banner support assembly and system. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Banners are used by many organizations to advertise various promotions and events throughout the year. Banners are often supported from light poles, other upright supports or other suitable supporting structures by way of support assemblies that have banner arms. Typically, the banners are supported in such a manner that the banners may be easily seen but are out of reach of the public. 
     When mounted in outdoor environments, the banners are exposed to elements such as wind, rain and ice. In the case of static support assemblies, if wind blows with enough force, the support assemblies may break off from the supporting structure. If rotatable support assemblies are used, formation of ice on the support assemblies may inhibit the support assemblies from rotating again placing the support assemblies at risk. A number of support devices have been developed to mount banners onto pre-existing supporting structures that can withstand outdoor elements such as wind. 
     For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,880,195 to Lepley describes a banner support assembly adapted to be mounted on a supporting member for purposes of engaging and holding taut an elongated banner having sleeve-like openings in the opposite longitudinal ends thereof. The banner support assembly includes first and second housing members each having a body with an elongated T-shaped channel opening outwardly of the body along a front face and at least one end thereof. Each T-shaped channel has an abutment member at the other end of the channel. The first and second housing members are adapted to be mounted a prescribed distance apart on the supporting member and with each longitudinal axis of each T-shaped channel being axially aligned and with the openings in the at least one ends thereof facing in the same direction. First and second holder members are provided having a generally T-shaped cross section conformed to the cross-sectional shape of the T-shaped channels and being adapted to be received in a respective one of the T-shaped channels through the openings in the aforesaid at least one ends thereof. An elongated and elastically flexible wand is fixedly secured to each holder member and, when the holder member is mounted on the housing member, is adapted to extend outwardly away from the housing member through the opening in the front face of the housing member. The wands are each adapted to be received in a selected one of the two sleeve-like openings in the banner. The length of the banner is generally equal to a spacing between the wands whereat the wands are joined to the holder members when the holder members both abut the abutment members. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,565,052 to Doublet describes a support system for vertically hanging a flexible banner. The support system includes two horizontally extending arms for supporting the banner tautly. A dampener is connected at an inner end of each respective arm, the dampener including a movable first element on which is fixed a respective horizontally extending arm, a fixed bracket second element for securement to a vertical support surface, and an intermediary elastic member mounted between the first and second elements. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,811,132 to Ferdinand et al. describes a device for mounting a member to a support surface. The device includes a member holder which can rotate at least partially on an axis to a new position when subjected to a predetermined torque. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,672,118 to Martin describes a device for attaching a flag and halyard arrangement to a flag pole. The device has upper and lower attachments positioned around the flag pole. Each attachment has a floating member, the floating member in the upper attachment having an eye through which a halyard is threaded and the floating member in the lower attachment having a cleat at which the ends of the flag halyard are attached. The upper and lower attachments include a casing which is molded from two vertical halves. Each half is formed with a semi-circular race. When the two halves of the casing are secured together around the pole, the two semi-circular races form together an annular race. Each floating member consists of a generally triangular-shaped piece having an eye or a cleat at its apex. At either corner of the base of the triangular-shaped piece is a spindle to which are attached disc bearings for rotation about the spindles. Under action of the wind pulling the floating member radially outwardly, the disc bearings will engage the upper and lower side walls of the annular race. 
     Although various banner supports have been considered, improvements are desired. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a novel rotatable banner support assembly and system. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, in one aspect there is provided a rotatable banner support assembly comprising upper and lower plates spaced by at least one spacing fastener and each defining a passage for circumscribing a support member; a plurality of brackets mounted on one of the upper and lower plates to frictionally engage the support member, at least one of the brackets being radially adjustable; and a rotatable annular disc disposed between the upper and lower plates and circumscribing the at least one spacing fastener, the rotatable disc being configured to retain a banner arm. 
     In one embodiment, the upper and lower plates are co-axial. The upper and lower plates may be circular in plan. The rotatable disc may have an outer radius equal to an outer radius of the upper and lower plates and the rotatable disc may have an inner radius greater than an inner radius of the upper and lower plates. 
     In one embodiment, a plurality of the brackets may be radially adjustable. Each of the brackets may comprise a flange for frictionally engaging the support member. In this case, each flange is axially aligned with the support member when frictionally engaged therewith. 
     In one embodiment, the upper and lower plates and the rotatable annular disc may each be defined by first and second segments that are assembleable to circumscribe the support member. Each of the first and second segments may comprise mating formations enabling the segments to be assembled in a jigsaw-puzzle-like manner. 
     According to another aspect there is provided a rotatable banner support system comprising a banner arm configured to retain at least one banner, a rotatable banner support assembly configured to circumscribe and frictionally engage a support member, the rotatable banner support assembly having a rotatable annular disc configured to connect to the banner arm, and a support disc configured to circumscribe the support member at a location longitudinally spaced from the banner support assembly and to connect to the banner arm such that rotation of the rotatable annular disc results in rotation of the support disc. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view taken from above of a rotatable banner support assembly; 
         FIG. 2  is an elevational view of the rotatable banner support assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the rotatable banner support assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view taken from below of the rotatable banner support assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b  are top plan views of an upper plate forming part of the rotatable banner support assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIGS. 6   a  and  6   b  are top plan views of a rotatable annular disc forming part of the rotatable banner support assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 7  is an elevational view of the rotatable banner support assembly of  FIG. 1  installed on an upright support member in the form of a pole; 
         FIG. 8  is a bottom plan view of an alternative rotatable support assembly according to a further embodiment; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view taken from above of another embodiment of the rotatable banner support assembly; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view taken from below of the rotatable banner support assembly of  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 11  is a bottom plan view of the rotatable banner support assembly of  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 12  is a partially exploded perspective view of a rotatable banner support system; 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective view of a rotatable banner support assembly and a vertical banner arm forming part of the rotatable banner support system of  FIG. 12 ; 
         FIG. 14  is a perspective view of a support disc and the vertical banner arm forming part of the rotatable banner support system of  FIG. 12 ; and 
         FIG. 15  is an elevational view of the rotatable banner support system of  FIG. 12  installed on an upright support member in the form of a pole. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     The following is directed to a rotatable banner support assembly that is configured to be installed on a support member such as a light pole or other suitable upright support, and to support a banner therefrom. The rotatable banner support assembly is adjustable to accommodate different shapes and sizes of support members, and to enable safe installation at a low height, where it can be later raised to a desired height for use. In one embodiment, the rotatable banner support assembly is formed of components that are configured to be assembled around the support member and connected to one another in a jigsaw-puzzle-like manner. As will be appreciated, this enables the rotatable banner support assembly to be readily attached to, or removed from, the support member. The rotatable banner support assembly is configured to support both hard and soft banners as will be described in more detail below. 
     Turning now to  FIGS. 1 to 3 , a rotatable banner support assembly is shown and is generally identified by reference numeral  10 . In this embodiment, the rotatable banner support assembly  10  comprises upper and lower plates  12  and  14  which in are annular and generally circular in plan. Upper and lower plates  12  and  14  are vertically spaced by a plurality of circumferentially spaced, spacing fasteners  16  extending between the upper and lower plates  12  and  14 . The annular upper and lower plates  12  and  14  each define a passage for circumscribing a support member (not shown) such as a vertical pole having a square or circular cross section. Brackets  18  are mounted on the lower plate  14  at circumferentially spaced locations and are radially adjustable with respect to the lower plate  14  for frictionally engaging the support member (not shown). Disposed between the upper and lower plates  12  and  14  is a rotatable annular disc  20 . The rotatable annular disc  20  circumscribes the plurality of spacing fasteners  16 . A tab  22  extends radially outward from the annular disc  20  and has a slot  24  formed therein that is dimensioned to receive and retain a horizontal banner arm (not shown). As will be appreciated, the horizontal banner arm is configured to support a hard banner made of a rigid material or a soft banner made of a flexible light-weight material. 
     In this embodiment, the upper and lower plates  12  and  14  are made of stainless steel, and all edges on the plates  12  and  14  are bevelled to ensure free rotation of the rotatable annular disc  20 . The rotatable annular disc  20  is made of plastic. 
     Each of the spacing fasteners  16  comprises a bolt  26 , a nut  28  and a metal sleeve  30 . The metal sleeves  30  extend between the upper and lower plates  12  and  14  and are axially aligned with holes or openings  42  provided in the upper and lower plates (see  FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b ) to define bolt passages. Each bolt  26  extends through a respective bolt passage and is sized so that the end of the bolt extends beyond the lower plate  14  when the head of the bolt rests of the upper plate  12 . Each nut  28  is secured to its respective bolt  26  below the lower plate  14 . 
     In this embodiment, the brackets  18  are L-shaped members with each bracket comprising an arm  32  extending radially inward from the lower plate  14  and a flange  34  extending vertically at a right angle from the innermost edge of arm  32 . Each arm  32  has a longitudinally extending slot  36  formed therein through which one of the bolts  26  passes allowing for radial adjustment of the arm  32  when the nut  28  that engages the bolt is loosened. This enables the banner support assembly to accommodate different sizes and/or shapes of support members. 
       FIG. 5   a  shows the upper plate  12  in top plan. As can be seen, upper plate  12  comprises first and second segments  38  and  40 , which, when assembled, form a circular annular disc that has an inner radius R1 and an outer radius R2. In this embodiment, radius R1 is equal to about 2.82 inches and radius R2 is equal to about 5.0 inches. The openings  42  are circumferentially spaced about the upper plate  12  and define a circle having a radius R3 equal to about 3.22 inches. Each of the openings  42  is circular in shape and has a radius equal to about 0.19 inches. Turning to  FIG. 5   b , the first and second segments  38  and  40  are shown in a disassembled state. As can be seen, first segment  38  comprises male formations or connecting members  44   a  and  44   b  extending from opposite ends of the segment  38 . Second segment  40  comprises female formations  46   a  and  46   b  formed therein, each adjacent an opposite end of the segment  40 . The male connecting members  44   a  and  44   b  are complementary in shape to the female formations  46   a  and  46   b  allowing the first and second segments  38  and  40  to be assembled in a jigsaw-puzzle-like manner by interlocking the male connecting members  44   a  and  44   b  with the female formations  46   a  and  46   b , respectively. It will be noted that lower plate  14  has a substantially identical configuration. As a result of this configuration, seams are formed between the first and second segments  38  and  40  of the upper and lower plates  12  and  14  when assembled. Two of the brackets  18  are positioned to overlay the seams formed between the first and second segments  38  and  40  of the lower plate  14 . 
     Turning to  FIG. 6   a , the rotatable annular disc  20  is shown in top plan. Similar to the upper and lower plates  12  and  14 , rotatable annular disc  20  comprises first and second disc segments  48  and  50  which, when assembled, form a circular annular disc having an inner radius R1′ and an outer radius R2′. In this embodiment, radius R1′ is equal to about 3.5 inches, and radius R2′ is equal to about 5.0 inches. As will be appreciated, radius R1′ is greater than radius R1 and radius R2′ is equal to radius R2. Radius R1′ is also greater than radius R3 such that the rotatable annular disc  20  circumscribes the plurality of openings  42  when disposed between the upper and lower plates  12  and  14 . 
       FIG. 6   b  shows the first and second disc segments  48  and  50  of rotatable annular disc  20  in a disassembled state. Similar to the upper and lower plates  12  and  14 , first disc segment  48  comprises male formations or connecting members  52   a  and  52   b  extending from opposite ends of the segment  48 . Second disc segment  50  comprises female formations  54   a  and  54   b  formed therein each adjacent an opposite end of the segment  50 . The male disc connecting members  52   a  and  52   b  are complementary in shape to female formations  54   a  and  54   b . The first and second disc segments  48  and  50  are assembled in a jigsaw-puzzle-like manner by interlocking the male disc connecting members  52   a  and  52   b  with the female formations members  54   a  and  54   b , respectively. In addition, the disc segments  48  and  50  are secured to one another using one or more setscrews or other suitable fasteners (not shown). 
     The difference between the inner radius R1′ of the rotatable annular disc  20  and the inner radius R1 of each of the upper and lower plates  12  and  14  defines a spacing annular region on each of the upper and lower plates  12  and  14 . The plurality of openings  42 , which define a circle having radius R3, are spaced about the spacing annular region on each of the upper and lower plates. In this manner, the rotatable annular disc  20  circumscribes the spacing fasteners  16  which extend between the openings  42  on the upper and lower plates  12  and  14 . 
     Turning now to  FIG. 7 , a front elevation view of the rotatable banner support assembly  10  installed on a support member SM is shown. As can be seen, the support member SM extends through the passage defined by the upper and lower plates  12  and  14 . The brackets  18  are positioned to frictionally engage the support member SM such that the support assembly  10  is securely mounted on the support member SM thereby to inhibit the rotatable banner support assembly  10  from sliding along the support member SM. A horizontal banner arm HBA is retained with the slot  24  on the tab  22  of the rotatable annular disc  20  and extends radially outward therefrom. The longitudinal axis of the horizontal banner arm HBA is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the support member SM. Horizontal banner arm HBA supports a banner B. Banner B may be a hard banner made of a rigid material or a soft banner made of a flexible, light-weight material. 
     With the rotatable banner support assembly  10  installed on the support member SM at the desired elevation, in the event that the wind blows above a threshold force, the rotatable annular disc  20  rotates with respect to the upper and lower plates  12  and  14  in response to the force applied to the banner B by the wind, permitting adjustment of the banner&#39;s position and therefore reducing the amount of force the wind has on the banner B. In the event that rotatable banner support assemblies  10  are installed on neighbouring support members SM, each of the rotatable annular discs will rotate to approximately the same position such that all of the banners will all be aligned with one another, creating an aesthetically pleasing display. 
     The rotatable banner support assembly  10  is installed on the support member SM by first orienting the brackets  18  such that the flanges  34  are brought into contact with the support member SM. The brackets  18  are temporarily secured to the support member SM by wrapping a tool such as a ratchet strap or zip-tie around the brackets  18  and the support member SM. The lower plate  14  is then assembled around the support member SM by interlocking the first segment  38  and the second segment  40  such that the male connecting members  44   a  and  44   b  and female formations  46   a  and  46   b  are in mating engagement. The lower plate  14  is then positioned such that two of the brackets  18  overlay the seams defined between the segments  38  and  40  and such that openings  42  in the lower plates are vertically aligned with the slots  36  of the brackets  18 . 
     The rotatable annular disc  20  is then assembled around the support member SM by interlocking the first disc segment  48  and the second disc segment  50  such that the male connecting members  52   a  and  52   b  and female formations  54   a  and  54   b  are in mating engagement. Setscrews are then inserted into the rotatable annular disc  20  to ensure a tight connection between the first and second disc segments  48  and  50 . The rotatable annular disc  20  is positioned above the lower plate  14  such that the inner radius R1′ of the rotatable annular disc  20  circumscribes the openings  42  of the lower plate  14 . 
     The upper plate  12  is then assembled around the support member SM by interlocking the first segment  38  to the second segment  40  such that the male connecting members  44   a  and  44   b  and female formations  46   a  and  46   b  are in mating engagement. The upper plate  12  is positioned above the rotatable annular disc  20  such that the openings  42  are vertically aligned with the openings of the lower plate  14 . The seams between the segments  38  and  40  are positioned so that they are offset or misaligned with the seams between the segments  38  and  40  defining the lower plate  14 . 
     The sleeves  30  of the spacing fasteners  16  are then positioned intermediate between the upper and lower plates  12  and  14  and in alignment with the openings. Each bolt  26  is then inserted through a respective opening  42  of the upper plate  12 , sleeve  30 , and opening  42  of the lower plate  14 . Nuts  28  are then tightened around the ends of the bolts  26 . The horizontal banner arm HBA holding the banner B is inserted into slot  24 , and secured using a setscrew. The temporary securement of the brackets  18  to the support member SM is then removed. The nuts  28  connected to the bolts  26  extending through slots  36  can thereafter be loosened and the brackets  28  moved radially outward to allow the vertical height of the rotatable banner support assembly  10  to be adjusted to a desired height. Once at the desired height, the brackets  28  can be moved radially inward to abut the support member SM and the nuts  28  re-tightened. In this manner, the rotatable banner support assembly  10  can be safely installed on a support member SM at a low height and then raised to a desired height for use. The radial adjustment of the brackets  18  allows for the rotatable banner support assembly  10  to be installed on a variety of support members SM such as vertical poles having square or rectangular cross sections. 
     Although the rotatable banner support assembly  10  is described as having a single tab  22  extending radially outward from the rotatable annular disc  20 , those skilled in the art will appreciate that any number of tabs may be used. For example, as shown in  FIG. 8 , the rotatable annular disc  20  may have three tabs  22   a ,  22   b  and  22   c  spaced apart from one another and extending radially outward. In this embodiment, the rotatable banner support assembly  10  can support three (3) banners B. 
     Turning now to  FIGS. 9 to 11 , another embodiment of a rotatable banner support assembly is shown and is generally identified by reference numeral  110 . In this embodiment, like reference numerals will be used to indicate like components with a “100” added for clarity. As can be seen, banner support assembly  110  is similar to banner assembly  10 , with the exception of the following. 
     In this embodiment, the brackets  118  have a greater width than brackets  18 , such that edges of the brackets  118  are in contact or in near contact with edges of neighbour brackets  118 . Thus, the configuration of the four (4) brackets  118  creates a square-shape for mounting on a vertical pole having a square or circular cross section. Each bracket  118  has two slots through which the bolts of two (2) spacing fasteners  116  pass. 
     As best shown in  FIG. 9 , the inner passage surface of the upper and lower plates  112  and  114  is shaped to accommodate a vertical pole having either a square or circular cross section. In particular, the inner passage surface of the upper and lower plates  112  and  114  has a square-shape to accommodate a vertical pole having a square cross section, wherein the corners of the square-shape are rounded. A rounded notch is positioned at the midpoint of each side of the square-shape, such that the four (4) notches create a circular shape to accommodate a vertical pole having a circular cross section. 
     Similar to the previous embodiment, each of the upper and lower plates  112  and  114  comprises first and second segments  138  and  140  which, when assembled, define a circular annulus. In this embodiment, the first and second segments  138  and  140  of the upper and lower plates abut and are devoid of mating formations. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 12 , a rotatable banner support system is shown and is generally identified by reference numeral  200 . The rotatable support system  200 , in this embodiment, comprises an upper rotatable banner support assembly  210  and a lower support disc  320 . A vertical banner assembly VBA is connected to and extends between the upper rotatable banner support assembly  210  and the lower support disc  320 . 
     The upper rotatable banner support assembly  210  is best shown in  FIG. 13 . Upper rotatable banner support assembly  210  is very similar to rotatable banner support assembly  10  and as such only the differences between the upper rotatable banner support assembly  210  and rotatable banner support assembly  10  will be described. In this embodiment, rather than being generally rectangular shaped like tab  22 , the tab  222  is generally C-shaped and comprises a pair of apertures  224   a  and  224   b  defined in the arms thereof. 
     The lower support disc  320  is best shown in  FIG. 14 . In this embodiment, the lower support disc  320  is very similar to the rotatable annular disc  220  of the upper rotatable banner support assembly  210 . The lower support disc  320  comprises first and second disc segments  348  and  350  which, when assembled, form a circular annular disc defining a generally circular-shaped passage dimensioned to circumscribe a support member thereby to allow the lower support disc  320  to rotate around the support member with minimal friction. The lower support disc  320  comprises a tab  322  that is generally C-shaped and comprises a pair of apertures  324   a  and  324   b  defined in the arms thereof. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 12 to 14 , the vertical banner arm VBA is generally channel-shaped and is dimensioned to be received between the arms of the C-shaped tabs  222  and  322 , respectively. The vertical banner arm VBA comprises two apertures A1 defined in opposite sides thereof adjacent one end of the vertical banner arm VBA that can be brought into alignment with the apertures  224   a  and  224   b  of the C-shaped tab  222 . The vertical banner arm VBA also comprises two apertures A2 defined in opposite sides thereof adjacent the other end of the vertical banner arm VBA that can positioned to be brought into alignment with the apertures  324   a  and  324   b  of the C-shaped tab  322 . 
     First and second fasteners are used to connect the vertical banner arm VBA to the upper rotatable banner support assembly  210  and lower support disc  320 . In this embodiment, the first and second fasteners are in the form of a nut-and-bolt. 
     To connect the vertical banner arm VBA to the upper rotatable banner support assembly  210  and lower support disc  320 , the vertical banner arm VBA is positioned within the arms of C-shaped tabs  222  and  322  such that the apertures A1 are aligned with apertures  224   a  and  224   b  and the apertures A2 are aligned with apertures  324   a  and  324   b . The bolt of the first fastener is inserted through the apertures A1,  224   a  and  224   b  and the nut is brought into threadable engagement with the bolt. The vertical banner arm VBA is similarly connected to the lower support disc  320  using the second fastener. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 15 , a front elevation view of the rotatable banner support system  200  installed on a support member SM in the form of a vertical post is shown. As can be seen, the upper rotatable banner support assembly  210  and lower support disc  320  are spaced apart on the support member SM. The support member SM extends through the passage defined by the upper and lower plates  212  and  214  of the upper rotatable banner support assembly  210  and through the passage defined by the lower support disc  320 . The vertical banner arm VBA supports a banner B. Banner B may be a hard banner made of a rigid material or a soft banner made of a flexible, light-weight material. 
     With the rotatable banner support system  200  installed on the support member SM at the desired elevation, in the event that the wind blows above a threshold force, the rotatable annular disc  220  rotates with respect to the upper and lower plates  212  and  214  in response to the force applied to the banner VB by the wind, permitting adjustment of the banner&#39;s position and therefore reducing the amount of force the wind has on the banner B. The lower support disc  320 , which is connected to the rotatable banner support assembly  210  via the vertical banner arm VBA rotates is response to rotation of the rotatable annular disc  220  such that is generally tracks the movement thereof. 
     Although the fasteners are described as being in the form of nuts-and-bolts, those skilled in the art will appreciate that other suitable fasteners may be used to secure the rotatable banner support assembly  210  and support disc  320  to the vertical banner arm VBA. 
     Although the rotatable banner support system is described above as comprising an upper rotatable banner support assembly and a lower support disc spaced apart on the support member, those skilled in the art will appreciate that alternatives are available. For example, in another embodiment the rotatable banner support system may comprise an upper support disc and a lower rotatable banner support assembly. In another embodiment, multiple support discs may be used and may be positioned above, below, or on opposite sides of the rotatable banner support assembly. In another embodiment, two or more rotatable banner support assemblies may be used. 
     Although in embodiments above the tab of the rotatable banner support assembly and the tab of the rotatable disc are described as being generally C-shaped and the vertical banner arm is described as being channel-shaped, those skilled in the art will appreciate that alternatives are available. For example, in another embodiment the tabs may be a block. In this example, the vertical banner arm may comprise upper and lower arms that are configured to receive the tabs of the upper rotatable banner support assembly and lower support disc, respectively. Fasteners may then be used to secure the arms of the vertical banner arm to the respective tabs. 
     Although the spacing fasteners are described as each comprising a bolt, nut and metal sleeve, those skilled in the art will appreciate that other types of spacing fasteners may be used. For example, the metal sleeves may be made of any suitable material such as rubber, plastic, stainless steel, etc. As another example, the metal sleeves may be replaced with a single annular shaped piece of rubber having a plurality of holes aligned with the openings on the upper and lower plates. In this embodiment, the bolts are be inserted through the openings of the upper plate, rubber spacer, and lower plate. 
     Although the brackets are described as being L-shaped, those skilled in the art will appreciate that alternatives are available. For example, the brackets may each comprise an arm extending radially inward from the one of the upper and lower members. The innermost edge of each arm may comprise a material such as rubber to frictionally engage the support member. Also, although the brackets are described as being attached to the lower plate, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the brackets may be attached to the upper plate. The brackets may be made of any suitable material such as aluminum-plated plastic, zinc-plated steel or stainless steel. 
     Although the upper and lower plates are described as being made of stainless steel, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the upper and lower plates may be made of any suitable material designed to withstand outdoor elements such as wind, rain and ice. For example, the upper and lower plates may be made of aluminum-plated plastic, zinc-plated steel, etc. Also, although the upper and lower plates are described as being circular annular, those skilled in the art will appreciate that alternatives are available. For example, the upper and lower plates may be square in plan but still define a passage suitable for circumscribing the support member. 
     Although the rotatable annular disc is described as being made of plastic, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the rotatable annular disc may be made of any suitable material designed to withstand outdoor elements such as wind, rain and ice. 
     Although the tab of the rotatable annular disc is described as being configured to retain either a horizontal or vertical banner arm, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the tab may be configured to hold any orientation of banner arm to support any type of hard or soft banner. 
     Although embodiments of the banner support assembly have been shown and described above, those of skill in the art will appreciate that further variations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope thereof as defined by the appended claims.