Abstract:
A sign assembly supported above a supporting surface includes at least one sign frame, an upstanding hinge rod assembly mounted on the supporting surface, and a hinge plate rotatably supported by the hinge rod assembly is connected to one frame side. The other frame side connects to a second plate that is supported by a pre-installed post or another hinge rod assembly. The angles of the one or more sign frames can be changed to meet installation requirements until the post mounts and/or hinge rod assemblies are fixed relative the supporting surface.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to information and advertising signs and more particularly to a new arrangement for supporting one or more display sign assemblies that include a vertical post, installed in or on the ground, concrete, macadam, or other surface material. 
   One result of our societies dependence on the automobile is the growing popularity of drive-through and parking facilities for all kinds of services including convenience stores, fast food services, fueling stations, banking, etc. Designs of these facilities, by choice or by law, include many safety devices intended to avoid or reduce the consequences of automobile impact on walls, curbing, auto stop blocks, and equipment such as automatic vacuum tube canister delivery systems, gasoline dispensers, fast food ordering speaker and communications systems, etc. To avoid or reduce auto collision efforts, designers commonly install bumper guard pipes to protect facilities and equipment from impact. These guards commonly include 4 to 8 inch steel or aluminum pipe painted white or red, capped or filled with a concrete plug, and installed on or into or adjacent the driving surface and standing 3 to 4 feet above the surface. Although these guards provide some degree of impact protection, they provide poor visual protection to the contiguous facility or equipment. In addition, these standard guards provide no advertising value for the facility or services or products provided there. 
   Some progress and improvements have been made by the present inventor and assignee hereof in combining the U-shaped pipe guards in front of fueling dispensers with a sign assembly mounted on the center leg thereof. See U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/333,230, filed Jun. 14, 1999 owned by the present assignee. 
   However, the need exits for a sign assembly that can easily and efficiently mount to a vertical pipe guard regardless of the spacing between adjacent vertical pipe guards or alternately reliably mount in stand along fashion with the same elements used to secure the sign assembly to a pipe guard. 
   SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
   The present invention satisfies the foregoing need and provides other advantages and benefits as well. 
   One exemplary embodiment includes a hinge-post assembly secured in or on the supporting surface for rotatably supporting one or two of oppositely facing hinge-mounts, each hinge-mount being connected to a respective side-frame. The hinge-post assembly enables the angular adjustment of the one or two sign frames supported by the hinge-post assembly so that the opposite side frames can be spaced from each other to accommodate the spacing of adjacent sign supporting pipe guard or posts. 
   One of the exemplary embodiment includes a post-mount for connection to a vertical post or pipe guard already installed on or pre-installed in the supporting surface. The post-mount also connects to and supports the respective vertical side frame opposite the respective hinge-mount. The post-mount can also be rotated on the post to select the proper mounting angle and sign orientation prior to securing the post-mount to the vertical post. A lateral bar or beam member extends from the hinge-mount to a post-mount or other hinge-mount connected to the opposite side frame of the respective sign frame to strengthen and stabilize the sign assembly. Another post-mount can be connected to a similar pre-installed post or a second hinge-post second hinge-mount can support the opposite side frame. The vertical locations of the post-mounts and hinge-mounts assure that the sign frame bottoms are spaced suitably above and oriented with the supporting surface. 
   Another exemplary embodiment includes a third sign frame having hinge-mounts connected to the outer side-frames and being supported by a third hinge-post instead of a pre-installed post. In this embodiment the three signs frames and transverse bars form a strong triangular shape in horizontal section to resist wind and impact forces. The sign frames preferably enable display boards to be quickly installed or changed by opening the front frame side channels and closing the same to secure the board edges. Elements of the present frame assemblies are simply and inexpensively made and install with ease. The hinge posts can be fitted with footings and installed with surface bolts. 
   It is preferred to form or weld the post-mount, lateral member, and hinge-mount into a single mounting assembly unit for ease of handling and installation. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     Other and further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent with the following detailed description when taken in view of the appended drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one exemplary dual sign assembly and two pre-installed posts according to the principles of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a partial rear view of post  15  and the contiguous side of sign frame  14 . 
       FIG. 3  is a horizontal section taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 4  is a partial rear view of the center portion of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 5  is an exploded view of the hinge post assembly and mounting assemblies with tube  42  partially broken away. 
       FIG. 6  is a horizontal section view taken along lines  66  of  FIG. 5 . 
       FIG. 7  is a horizontal section view taken along lines  66  of  FIG. 5 . 
       FIG. 8A  is a schematic top view of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 8B  is similar to  FIG. 8A  in which posts  13 ,  15  are closer together than in  FIG. 8A . 
       FIG. 9  is similar to  FIG. 6  for an alternate embodiment having two signs and one pre-installed post. 
       FIG. 10  is similar to  FIG. 6  for a further alternate embodiment having two signs and three hinge post assemblies. 
       FIG. 11  is similar to  FIG. 8  for an embodiment having three hinge posts assemblies and no pre-installed posts. 
       FIG. 12  is similar to  FIG. 6  for an embodiment having one sign assembly and one pre-installed post. 
       FIG. 13  is similar to  FIG. 5  for a mounting assembly supported by three hinge rod assemblies. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   With reference to  FIGS. 1 to 5  one exemplary sign assembly  10  according to the principles of the present invention includes two display signs mounted to and supported by two pre-installed, generally cylindrical posts  13 ,  15  and a hinge-post assembly  40  more fully described below. Posts  13 ,  15  can be made of steel or aluminum pipe or tubing and positioned to protect drive-through banking equipment, fueling stations, fast food areas, convenience store areas and the like. Post  13 ,  15  can be imbedded into the supporting surface or be mounted on it by means of footplates  6  and bolts  8 . 
   Assembly  10  includes sign frames  12 ,  14  each having a top frame  16 ,  18  and bottom frames  20 ,  22  respectively and side frames  24 ,  26  and  28 ,  30 , respectively. Sign frames  12 ,  14  are preferably rectangular in shape and preferably have a height greater than its width, generally as shown, and includes front channels that can be opened to enable a plastic or poster display board, poster, or sign to be removed and/or placed into the frame and closed to secure the sign near its edges. Frames such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,145,828 are suitable for this function. A metal or plastic backing sheet  2  stiffens the replaceable poster sheet  4 . 
   Sign frames  12 ,  14  are mounted to be partially supported by posts  13 ,  15  by post mounts  17 ,  19 . As better seen in  FIGS. 2 ,  3  each post mount  17 ,  19 , in this embodiment, includes a cylindrical metal or plastic tube  21  with inner diameter greater than post  13  outer diameter. One or more threaded openings are provided in the reinforced tube sidewall to cooperate with one or more mounting bolts  23 . To install, tube  21  is slipped over the top of post  13  to a desired vertical position above the supporting surface and bolts  23  tightened to clamp post  13  or  15  between the bolts distal ends and the upper surface of tube  21 . Lock washers (not shown) can be used to secure the bolts as desired. This arrangement can accommodate various diameters for post  15 . 
   Post mount  17  also includes a laterally extending flange plate  25  welded, molded, or otherwise connected to tube  21 . Flange plate  25  includes two or more vertically aligned openings to accommodate screws or bolts  29  that secures flange plate  25  to the respective frame side  24  and frame side stiffening bar  31 . A laterally extending metal U-channel, L-channel, or box (shown) strengthening beam  27  serves to strengthen the sign assembly and resist impact and torque forces caused by wind, impact, etc. The left end of box beam or strengthening beam  27  is also welded or connected to flange plate  25 . Strengthening beam  27  extends laterally to and is welded or otherwise connected to the opposite hinge plate  44  described below. It is preferred that the post-mount, strengthening beam, and hinge-mount be welded together as a single mounting assembly unit  60 ,  70  in  FIG. 5 . This makes handling and installation in the field more effective and efficient and reduces the number of parts to be connected in the field. In addition, assemblies  60 ,  70  can be identical with each other as can be better seen in  FIGS. 5 ,  6 , and  7 . Note assembly  60  and  70  are identical, with assembly  70  rotated 180° in the plane of the drawing paper relative to assembly  60 . A benefit of making assemblies  60 ,  70  identical includes reducing the unit manufacturing costs for these parts. 
   Hinge post assembly  40  includes a metal base plate  41  with bolt holes for mounting to the support surface, an outer plastic or metal support tube or hollow post  42  welded to or resting on base plate  41  and a hinge rod  43  threaded into and extending from the base plate  41  to suitably above the distal open top of tube  42 . Advantageously, the top of tube  42  and one end of rod  43  can be cut at the installation site to select the optimum predetermined height of the hinge plates  44 ,  45  even if the supporting surface portion near post  13 ,  15  is not at the same level as the supporting surface portion near hinge post assembly  40 . Each hinge plate  44 ,  45  includes a vertical piece  33  that overlies the respective side stiffening bar  31 , which piece  33  defines two vertically aligned openings to accommodate mounting screws or bolts  49  that thread into the respective side frame or mounting pieces therein (not shown) to secure hinge plate  44 ,  45  to the side frames of respective sign assemblies. Hinge plate  44  ( FIG. 5 ) includes a hinge  72  that installs over the distal end of rod  43  and lowers until plate  44  is supported by the top of tube  42 . Hinge Plate  45  includes hinge  74  that also slides over the top of rod  43  until the plate  45  hinge  74  rests on plate  44  hinge  72 . Nut  47  threads on to the threaded top end  46  of rod  43  to vertically secure the assembly. A lock washer or double nut arrangement (not shown) can be used as desired. Also, if desired, a nut or double nut fixed at the desired height on rod  43  can be used to support hinge-plate  44  or can be covered by the top of tube  42  to aid in the support of hinge-plate  44 . Nevertheless, with bolt  23  loosened, plate  44 ,  45 , and therefore, sign frames  12 ,  14  can rotate about rod  43  until all desired angular positions are set. Bolts  23  and nut  47  can be tightened to lock these angular positions. Bolts  48  can be installed then or at an earlier time, if desired. 
   One benefit provided by the present invention is that various sign assembly configurations can be employed with the use of parts made according to the principles of the present invention. For example, the two pre-installed posts, two-sign configuration of  FIG. 1  is shown schematically in  FIGS. 8A  and B. Note the distance DA between posts  13 ,  15  in  FIG. 8A  is greater than the distance DB between posts  13 , of  FIG. 8B . Nevertheless, the same sign assembly mounts with the same elements in both figures by the installer simply selecting the angle “A” or “B” during installation and before bolts  23  and nut  47  are securely fastened. Accordingly, the number of parts needed to be stocked to install sign assemblies in the field on differently spaced posts is reduced to a minimum. 
   A single pre-installed post  13 , single sign configuration is shown in  FIG. 12 .  FIG. 9  shows the schematic for a single pre-installed post and two signs using two hinge post assemblies  40 .  FIG. 10  shows a two-sign, three hinge post assemblies and no pre-installed post while  FIG. 11  shows a three-sign and three hinge post assemblies. If one of the base plates  41  is left unsecured to the supporting surface, the sign frames of  FIG. 11  can be rotated on respective hinge posts until all three sign frames are mounted on hinge posts at which time the triangular angles become fixed and the last base plate can be secured. 
   For those configurations requiring a sign frame supported between two hinge-post assemblies  40 , a mounting assembly with two hinge plates can be used instead of one hinge plate and one post mount. For example, for the configuration of  FIG. 10 , mounting assembly  80 ,  81  for each sign frame can be formed as shown in  FIG. 13  wherein a hinge-plate  82 ,  84  is welded to each end of the strengthening beam generally as shown. Mounting assemblies  80 ,  81  are preferably identical. In the example of  FIG. 13 , assembly  81  is identical to assembly  80  but rotated 180° in the plane of the drawing paper. 
   It will be understood that various modifications and improvements can be made to the herein disclosed exemplary embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.