An Improved Sign-board.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 11th Apr., 1891-Accepted, 16th May, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Sign-board.
I, JOHN PITT BAYLY, of 18 Fulham Place, Paddington, in the County of
London, Patent Agent, (a communication to me from abroad by Charles Galle,
of St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A., Inventor,) do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
My present invention relates to a flexible transparent or translucent sign; and
the object of the invention is to provide a sign for advertising and other purposes
which shall be self-sustaining, or, in other words, which will not roll or curl up or
twist out of its plane when suspended without the use of a frame to enclose and
form a support for the body of the sign.
With this and other ends in view my invention consists of a flexible transparent
sign comprising a sheet or layer of pyroxyline or celluloid provided with a suitable
inscription on one of its faces and having its edges or borders crimped or bent
into a re-enforcing fold or bend which extends out of or beyond the plane of
the body of the sign, whereby the central portion or body of the sign is prevented
from twisting or curling out of shape under the weight of the sign or the action
of the elements thereon when the sign is suspended by a cord or otherwise and
without a supporting-frame.
אתני.
1 T1 1000
J. P. BAYLY,
Applicant..
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Sign-board.
I, JOHN PITT BAYLY, of 18 Fulham Place, Paddington, in the County of
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communi-
cation to me from abroad by Charles Galle, of St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A.,
Inventor,) to be as follows:-
My present invention relates to a flexible transparent or translucent sign; and
the object of the invention is to provide a sign for advertising and other purposes
which shall be self-sustaining, or, in other words, which will not roll or curl up or
twist out of its plane when suspended without the use of a frame to enclose and
form a support for the body of the sign.
With this and other ends in view my invention consists of a flexible transparent
sign comprising a sheet or layer of pyroxyline or celluloid provided with a suitable
inscription on one of its faces and having its edges or borders crimped or bent into
a re-enforcing fold or bend which extends out of or beyond the plane of the body
of the sign, whereby the central portion or body of the sign is prevented from
twisting or curling out of shape under the weight of the sign or the action of the
elements thereon when the sign is suspended by a cord or otherwise and without a
supporting-frame.
My invention further consists in the peculiar construction and adaptation of
parts, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.
Heretofore transparent signs have been made of glass, which, as is well known,
is a very friable unbending material and liable to become broken. I am also aware
that a sign has been composed of several sheets of mica solidified or made integral
DQ1

page_text: by transparent cement, and having letters on the inner face of such mica sheet.
I am further aware that an ornamental metallic sign or show-card has been pro-
duced by inscribing the desired lettering upon the surface of a the sheet metal,
surrounded by the representation of a frame, and by striking up the portion of the
plate covered by the frame representation, so as to cause its outer surface to
conform to the shape of the frame represented. My invention differs from the
prior devices referred to in the following particulars: My improved sign is both
flexible and transparent or translucent, and is self-sustaining when suspended by a
cord without the employment of a supporting-frame; and to attain these ends
I provide the single thickness or sheet of celluloid or pyroxyline material with a
crimped or bent border, which lies out of or beyond the plane of the body of the
sheet.
To enable others to understand my invention, I have illustrated the same in the
accompanying drawings, in which--
Figure I is a front elevation of my improved flexible transparent sign.
Fig. II is an end view of the sign, showing one form of the crimped bent border
at the edges of the sign.
Figs. III, IV, V, and VI are views similar to Fig. II of various shapes of
crimped borders with which the sign may be provided.
Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures of the
drawings, referring to which―
A designates the body of the sign, which is made of a flat sheet, layer, or single
thickness of pyroxyline or celluloid or equivalent material, which, as is well known,
is of a transparent or translucent and flexible nature. This flexible sheet or layer
is provided on one of its faces with a suitable inscription, advertisement, or other
desired matter to be displayed by the sign, and the sign is adapted and intended to
be suspended by a cord or its equivalent without the use of a frame to enclose and
support the flexible sheet or layer of pyroxyline or celluloid.
I have found that if a flat thin sheet or layer of pyroxyline or celluloid is
suspended by a cord without the use of a supporting-frame, such sheet or layer of
celluloid, etc., will become twisted, distorted or curled up, which is very objectionable,
as it renders the device unsightly. To overcome this objection in a sign of this
material and class I provide the sheet or layer with a crimped border B, which is
bent out of the plane of the body or centre of the sign, and which extends con-
tinuously around the edges of the sign. This crimped border may be of various
different patterns or shapes, either ornamental or plain, as shown in Figs. II
and VI, inclusive. Thus in Fig. II the border may be fitted or corrugated on
curved lines, as at a b; in Fig. III the corrugations are straight and lie at a sharp
angle to each other, as at c; in Fig. IV a plain border is provided at an obtuse
angle to the plane or body of the sign; in Fig. V the border is given a compound
curvature, and in Fig. VI a continuous channel and bead is formed in the crimped
border at an intermediate point of its width; but in each instance the same general
feature of the border is preserved-to wit, a crimped border which lies at an angle
to the plane or body of the sign. The crimped border may be formed on the edges
of the flexible sheet of celluloid or pyroxyline by means of an ordinary tinner's or
other bending rollers or an ordinary bar-folder; but I do not confine myself to the
use of any particular means for forming the crimped border.
I have found that pyroxyline material can be most successfully treated or formed
with the crimped border by means of stamping or embossing appliances under heat
and pressure, and I therefore prefer to use appliances for bending or crimping
the border while under heat and pressure; but the border can be crimped by
cold tools.
The body of the flexible transparent sign of pyroxyline or celluloid has a suitable
inscription, advertisement, cut, or any other desired information, and I prefer to
print such inscription, etc., on the body of the sign and before the body is crimped
or bent; but this is not essential.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. A self-sustaining flexible transparent sign of a sheet or layer of pyroxyline or
celluloid having a crimped border around the same, as and for the purpose
described.
2. A. self-sustaining flexible transparent sign adapted to be suspended by a cord
without a supporting-frame, consisting of a sheet or layer of thin celluloid or
pyroxyline material having a crimped border around its edges, which border lies
out of the plane of the body of the sign, as and for the purpose described.
3. A self-sustaining flexible transparent sign, consisting of a sheet or layer of
celluloid or pyroxyline material having a suitable inscription on the body thereof,
and provided with a crimped border which extends continuously around the body
of the sign and lies at an angle to or out of the plane of said sign body, for the
purpose described, substantially as set forth.
.הוויתני.
1
Ր .
1 1001
J. P. BAYLY,
Applicant.