Improvements in Changeable Signs, Labels, and the like.
Year: 1893

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Changeable Signs, Labels, and the like.
I, CHARLES ANDREW GILDEMEYER, of Haddonfield, County of Camden, and
State of New Jersey, one of the United States of America, Gentleman do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The object of my invention is to so construct a changeable label or sign that
it will not be cumbersome, and which can be manufactured at a very small cost,
and which can be readily applied to either boxes or drawers, etc.
This object I attain in the following manner, reference-being-had-to-the-accom¯¯
panying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1, is a view of a music dealers' box with a label applied thereto;
Fig. 2, is a view of a train sign board;
Fig. 3, is a detached perspective view of a portion of a sign illustrating the
individual character leaflets;
Fig. 4, is an enlarged sectional view through the sign on the line 1-2, Fig. 1 ;
Fig. 5, is an exaggerated diagram illustrating my invention;
Fig. 6, is a view showing the use of numbers instead of letters;
Fig. 7, is a modification of the cover plate; and
Figs. 8, 9 and 10, are views of details of my invention.
Changeable signs as ordinarily constructed are either made of independent blocks
or pieces having a single character marked thereon, and detachable from the
backing, or the backing has permanently marked thereon a name, and the backing
itself is removed and another backing strip with a different name placed in
position, but all these devices are expensive and cumbersome, and are objection-
able, especially for such use as marking drawers and boxes in stores.
Referring to Fige. 3 and 5, A is the backing strip which may form part of the
box, or may be an independent piece, and on this box I secure a number of inde-
pendent leaflets B composed of a series of leaves b secured together at one end 61
so that they can be folded back the same as a book. These leaflets are placed
side by side as shown in Fig. 3, and I print or otherwise mark upon one side of
each leaf a character, this character depending altogether upon the use to which
the sign or label is to be put. Generally, each leaflet is composed of a number of
leaves upon which the characters of the alphabet are printed in rotation, and the
leaflets may have the numerals as well as the letters, and in some instances the
numerals alone may be used when required.
The leaves may be of paper, celluloid, thin strips of wood, or of any other suitable
material, and in some instances the backs of the leaves may have characters marked
thereon as well as the front, but I prefer to have the backs of the leaves blank, so
that when it is required to leave a blank space between two words for instance,
a leaf is turned over upon the adjoining leaflet; or a single blank leaf may be
employed when the characters are on both faces of the leaf one side of the
leaf may have upper case characters, and the other side the lower case characters.
When the leaves are turned to expose the characters required to spell a word, or
indicate the contents of a box, the cover plate is placed over the series of leaflets
holding them in position and preventing them from becoming distorted. This cover
plate may be simply a strip of card board or wood D having an opening therein to
expose the characters, or may be made of transparent celluloid or glass, and the
cover plate may be slipped under flanges d, d, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, or may be
pivoted as shown in Fig. 7, when used for sign boards for instance, and the upper

page_text: and lower edges of the leaflets may pass under the flanges, dispensing with the
cover plate.
The leaves of the leaflet B may be joined together as shown in Fig. 9, without
departing from my invention, but I prefer the form shown in Fig. 3.
To change the sign or label, all that is necessary, if for instance. the leaflets are
in the position shown in Fig. 3, with the first letter of the alphabet exposed, and it
is wished to compose the word "Pens" as indicated in Fig. 5, the leaves of the
first leaflet are turned over until the letter "P" is exposed, then the leaves of the
second leaflet are turned over until the letter "E" is exposed, and the leaves of
the first leaflet which are turned over are passed under the leaves of the second
leaflet, as clearly shown in Fig. 5, and the leaves of the third leaflet are turned
over until the letter "N" is exposed, and the leaves of the fourth leaflet are then
turned over until the letter "S" is exposed, after which the leaves can be confined
in their positions either by the cover plate, or any other suitable means described
above.
It will be understood that a single leaflet may be used where it is only required
to use one character; or compound characters on one leaflet may be used, without
departing from my invention.
At one side of some of the leaves I attach a small leaf on which I mark the
periods, commas, dollar marks, etc., as shown in Fig. 10.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is ;-
First. In a changeable sign or label, the combination of a backing, a leaflet
permanently secured thereto, composed of a series of leaves secured together, and
a case or holder whereby said leaves may be held in folded form with either leaf
uppermost, substantially as described.
Second. The combination in a sign or label, of a series of leaflets each having
leaves secured together, the leaflets being arranged adjoining each other, and the
leaves of one leaflet overlapping the leaves of the other when opened, substantially
as described.
Third. The combination of the backing, a series of leaflets secured thereto, the
leaves of said leaflets having thereon characters, with a confining covering tending
to hold the leaves in their adjusted positions and expose the characters thereon,
substantially as described.
Fourth. The combination of the series of leaflets, the leaves of each leaflet
being pivoted to each other, and with a cover plate having an open centre, with
ways on which the cover plate slides, substantially as described.
Fifth. The combination of the pivoted leaf, with an extension pivoted thereto
and having a character thereon and a cover plate having an open centre, sub-
stantially as set forth.
1
1000
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.