Patent Publication Number: US-6910678-B2

Title: Bracket for supporting banners on buildings

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates to fixtures for raising, lowering, and supporting banners and the like along the sides of buildings and more particularly to such a fixture adapted to be engaged with a parapet or overhang at the top of the building including a powered winch for engaging ropes or cables connected to the banner. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   It is often desirable to array banners, signs, flags and the like (hereinafter collectively referred to as “banners”) along the sides of the building with the banners (hereinafter collectively referred to as “banners”) being supported vertically, in contact with or closely adjacent to the building. Often, these banners are supported by ropes, wires or cables (hereinafter “cables”) attached at the top edge of the two horizontal end points of the banner and at possibly one or more intermediate points. The banners have heretofore been carried to the roofs of the buildings and then manually lowered to a desired position. The free ends of the cables are then secured to any available structure in the building roof. 
   This arrangement requires extensive time and manpower to properly locate the banners along the building sides and also presents safety problems because of the ad hoc method of securing the cable ends to building structures. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is directed to mechanism which allows banners to be deployed on building sides in an easily adjustable and secure manner without creating any safety problems. 
   A preferred embodiment of the invention which will subsequently be described in detail, comprises a U-shaped bracket having a pair of spaced parallel legs joined by a planar bight. The legs are spaced so that the bracket may be slipped over the end of a vertical parapet extending above the roof of the building or a horizontal overhang from the top of the building. Screw adjustable clamp members affixed to the legs allow the bracket to be securely retained to parapet or overhang. The bracket supports a motor driven winch carrying a cable which can be attached to the upper edge of the bracket. 
   A plurality of these fixtures are arrayed at spaced points along the parapet or overhang, with the two extreme fixtures spaced by the width of the bracket. 
   The motors which power the winches may be energized by remote control units which may be carried by personnel on the ground so that they may visually observe proper alignment of the bracket. The remote control units may either be wirelessly connected to the winches or connected through elongated cables. 
   One embodiment of the invention employs lamps on the bracket adapted to project light downwardly onto the banner so as to illuminate it. 
   Other objects, advantages and applications of the present invention will be made apparent by the following detailed description of two embodiments of the invention. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the front of a multi-story building having a vertical parapet on the roof, employing four fixtures formed in accordance with preferred embodiment of the invention for raising, lowering and supporting a banner on the building side; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of first embodiment of my invention adapted to be retained on a building parapet; and 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a second embodiment to the invention adapted to be supported on a horizontal roof overhang. 
   

   Referring to  FIG. 1 , a building, general indicated at  10 , has a flat roof  12  surrounded at its perimeter by a parapet  14  which extends above the roof. The building  10  may be a multi-story building or a relatively tall single story building. It is illustrated as having a central entrance  16  and windows  18 . 
   The function of the apparatus of the present invention is to array and support a banner, sign, flag or the like  20  on a side wall of the building beneath the parapet  14 . The embodiment of the banner  20  illustrated in  FIG. 1  is rectangular and has three cable attachment points along its upper edge, two at the corners  22  and  24 , and one at the center  26 . The number of cable attachments points provided is a variable, depending upon the width and weight of the sign. 
   These cables are secured by three substantially identical devices,  28 ,  30  and  32  which are spaced on one side of the parapet  14  at the same spacing as the three cable attachment points  22 ,  26  and  24 . As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the preferred embodiment of the invention employs an elongated rectangular plate  40  may be formed of steel, aluminum, a suitable plastic or other rigid material. A first normally extending leg  42  which may be welded, bolted or otherwise secured to the plate  40  via an L-shaped leg  44 . A second normally extending leg  46  is attached to the plate  40  in spaced relationship to the plate  42  so that the two legs and the intermediate section of the plate  40  form a u-shaped section which may engage the parapet  14  of a building. The leg  46  has an L-shaped section  48  which is preferably secured to the plate  40  by bolts  50 . This allows the spacing of legs  42  and  46  to be modified to accommodate different parapet widths. The section of the plate  40  intermediate the legs  42  and  46  acts as a bight for the U-shaped plate. 
   Clamp members  56  and  58  include central screw sections  60  and  62  respectively which pass through threaded holes in the lower end of the leg  42  and carry clamping pads  64  on their interior sides. Similar clamps may be secured to the leg  46 . These clamps are used to retain the structure  28  on the sidewalls of the parapet with the plate  40  overlying the top of the parapet. 
   An extension of the plate  40  beyond the leg  46  supports a winch  70  which may be driven by a motor  72 . A cable  74  is arrayed over the winch and passes over a roller  76  secured to the plate  40  above the leg  42  so that the cable may pass over the forward surface of the leg  42 . The far end of the cable  24  preferably includes a clamp (not shown) for securing to the top of the banner  22 . The drive motor  72  for the winch  70  is electrically powered through a cable  80  and a control box  82 . The control box includes switching means for energizing and de-energizing the motor. In a preferred embodiment the switching means is wirelessly controlled from a remote control that may be used by ground personal. In other embodiments, a wired connection could be used. 
   After the desired number of devices such as  28  are attached to the parapet, the cable ends are connected to the top of the banner  20  and the respective drive motors  72  are controlled to lift and position the banner on the building side. Ropes or cables  82  may be secured to the lower edges of the banner and affixed to appropriate ground supports so that the banner may be drawn closely against the building side. 
     FIG. 3  illustrates a second embodiment of the invention, generally indicated at  100 , for use with buildings having horizontal roof overhangs extending beyond the edges of the building. The embodiment employs a frame member  102  preferably fabricated by welding a plurality of metal beams and adapted to be supported in a vertical position over the far end of the overhang. The frame includes a pair of spaced legs  104  and  106  which extend normally to the frame  102  so that the section of the frame member between the legs  104  and  106  acts as a bight of a U-shaped clamp. Adjustable clamping members  110  are threaded through the upper leg  106  to secure the frame  100  over the building overhang. A motor driven winch  112  with an appropriate control box (not shown) is secured beneath the leg  104 . A cable  74  may be arrayed over the winch. The frame may also support lamps  114  which, when energized from the same power source powers as the winch  112  project light onto the banner supported on the side of the building below the overhang.