An Improvement in Bulletin-boards and Advertising Signs.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Bulletin-boards and Advertising Signs.
FREDERICK MITCHELL, Agent, 55, Washway Road, Sale, near Manchester, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improvement in bulletin-boards and has for its
object to so construct a bulletin-board that letters may be connected with or sus-
pended on a background, the said letters being loosely attached to said back-
ground, yet secured thereon sufficiently to admit of the bulletin-board being
moved from place to place without disturbing the letters. By my method of
construction any person can set up the matter upon a bulletin-board in. a few
minutes and the subject matter used may be changed as often as desired, and
the letters forming the words or sentences may be placed in lines running hori-
zontally, vertically or diagonally of the background, with perfect alignment and
Various sized letters
spacing of the letters without any need of measurement.
or other characters, bas-relief or outline objects may also be used upon the same
alignment.
In carrying out my invention, I use a perforated plate for the background of
the bulletin-board, mounted in a suitable frame, the perforations being of any
desired contour. The letters employed for attachment to the perforated back-
ground may be constructed of metal, wood, glass, china or other suitable sub-
stances and are provided upon their rear faces with one or more prongs projecting
outward therefrom, and in the underside of each prong near the body of the
letter a recess is made, and the prongs are passed through conveniently located
perforations and the letter is allowed to drop to place by gravity, whereupon the
under edge of the perforations through which the prongs pass will enter the
recesses and form a lock, thereby holding the letter to the background.
Dated this 28th day of October 1898.

page_text: be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
My invention relates to an improvement in bulletin-boards and has for its
object to so construct a bulletin-board that letters may be connected with or sus-
pended on a background, the said letters being loosely attached to said back-
ground. yet secured thereon sufficiently to admit of the bulletin-board being.
moved from place to place without disturbing the letters. By my method of
construction any person can set up the matter upon a bulletin-board in a few
minutes and the subject matter used may be changed as often as desired, and
the letters forming the words or sentences may be placed in lines running hori-
zontally, vertically or diagonally of the background, with perfect alignment and
spacing of the letters, without any need of measurement. Various sizes of letters
or other characters, bas-relief designs or outline objects, may also be used upon
the same alignment.
The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several
parts, as will be hereafter fully set forth and pointed out in the claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
specification, in which similar figures and letters of reference indicate corre-
sponding parts in all the views.
Figure 1 is a partial front elevation in part of a bulletin-board constructed in
accordance with my invention, and
Figure 2 is a central vertical elevation through the same, at line A A of
Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of one of the letters employed, said view being
taken from the rear.
Figure 4 is a rear view of another form of attaching device.
The background 5, of the bulletin-board consists of a perforated plate which
is usually mounted in a frame 6, of any approved construction, the perforations
being of any desired contour. The letters 7, employed for attachment to the
background, may be constructed of metals, wood, glass, china, or other suitable
substances, and are provided upon their rear faces with one or more prongs 8,
projecting outward therefrom, and in the underside of each prong 8, preferably
near the junction of the said prong with the body of the letter, a recess 9, is
produced. The recess 9, is preferably of slightly greater width than the thick-
ness of the background, and in applying the letters to the background the prongs
are passed through conveniently located perforations and the letter is permitted
to drop to place by gravity, whereupon the underedge of the perforations through
which the prongs pass, will enter the recesses 9, of the said prongs and form a
lock, holding the letter firmly to the background, as is best shown in Figure 2.
To take a letter off the background, it is only necessary to slightly raise the same
when it may be withdrawn from the perforations.
The attaching device applied to the letters it will be observed is very simple;
but the said device suffices to retain the letters in place in such manner that they
may be readily removed if so desired, but sufficiently secured to admit of the
bulletin-board being moved from place to place without displacement of the
letters.
It is evident that the prongs 8, may be either attached to the letters or formed
integral therewith, and the said prongs may be so distributed upon the letters
as to best sustain them in their required positions.
When the bulletin-board is placed in situations where light would pass through
the perforations, a cloth 10, or suitable backing may be fixed and attached to
the rear edges of the frame 6, in order to exclude the light and thereby render
it opaque.
When the bulletin-board is used in exposed or public places and it is necessary
to prevent the letters from being detached by any but an authorized person,
holes 11, are made through the prongs 8, and a wire or other suitable fastening

page_text: is passed through the same immediately behind the background, thereby securely
holding the same to the background, and preventing the letters being withdrawn
from the front.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is: :-
1. An improved bulletin-board comprising a perforated background and letters
or other characters provided with one or more prongs or pins projecting therefrom,
and extending through the perforations of the background, and detachable there-
from, substantially as set forth.
2. The combination with the perforated background and letters or other
characters, of a cloth or other suitable material placed at the rear of the plate,
substantially as shown and described.
Dated this Twenty-ninth day of November 1898.
FREDERICK MITCHELL.