Improvements in Advertising and other Signs.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Dec., 1894-Accepted, 19th Jan., 1895
Improvements in Advertising and other Signs.
I, ROBERT HENDERSON, of No. 245 Broadway, in the City of New York,
County and State of New York, United States of America, Advertising Agent
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 :-
This invention relates to advertising or other signs and has for its object to
provide means whereby the same may be readily and firmly secured and supported
at an oblique angle in order to be noticed and more legibly read by passers-by,
and to the end that the sign may not be displaced or blown down by the wind.
Heretofore signs of this character which have been mounted in fields or vacant
lots have usually been partially sunk vertically in the ground but where it has
been desired to support the same in an oblique position great difficulty has been
encountered in devising means for maintaining the same in the proper position and
my invention is primarily designed to obviate this difficulty.
A further object of the invention is to devise such a sign as may readily where
but temporarily planted, be transported from place to place without requiring the
usual labor and exercise of skill in re-setting.
The invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts
whereby the abovementioned and other desirable results are attained, and herein-
after fully described.
In the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 is an end view of a sign embodying my invention and supported upon a
base-piece.
Figure 2 is a plan view of a portion of the same.
Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the same.
Figure 4 is a vertical cross-section taken through the exact centre of a sign the
supports of which are driven directly into the ground without the intervention of
the base-piece.
In the practice of my invention I drive into the ground, as shown in Figure 4,
or secure to the base-piece A or other supporting bed, as in Figures 1, 2, and 3,
posts B, in such manner as to project upwardly therefrom at an oblique angle,
these posts being of any suitable number according to the length of that portion of
the field which is to be covered. Upon these posts B I secure by any desired
fastening a sign-board C preferably rectangular in form, having a longitudinal
flange Cupon the top thereof at the rear which said flange rests upon the upper
surface of the posts to prevent any downward movement or sagging of the sign
relatively to the posts, the said sign also having end flanges C³ which are secured
to the outer posts B.
Appreciably behind each of the posts B I secure stakes D, in alignment with
the said posts and ranging upwardly substantially parallel therewith, these
stakes being similarly secured in the ground or to the base-piece A. At one
side of each of the stakes D is secured a strip or brace E extending upwardly
therefrom to the top of the sign-board C and inclined or beveled at the end
to abut against the rear surface of the same. The said ends of the braces E are
also secured to one side of the posts D, the braces at each end, however, being
slightly longer than the others and secured to the ends of the sign-board C near
the top thereof and to the side flanges C' thereon. Similar but smaller braces E¹
are secured to the stakes D upon the side thereof opposite that to which the
braces E are fastened, and slightly below the level of the same and the said

page_text: braces E¹ project to or somewhat above the centre of the sign-board C, being
beveled at their points of contact therewith, and are also secured to the posts B.
It is understood that where the posts and stakes are merely to be driven into
the ground, as is the simplest application of the device and the form which is used
where the sign is intended to be permanent, the posts B and stakes D are sharpened
or pointed at their lower ends as shown in Figure 4 in order to be more easily
driven into the ground; but where the base-piece A is employed the said ends are
square and are rigidly secured thereto. In manufacturing the several parts, however,
it may be desirable to form the said posts and stakes pointed, as in Figure 4, and
where the base-piece is employed to cut or saw off the said ends, thereby obviating
the necessity of constructing separate forms of posts and stakes.
In practice the whole of the sign and its supports is constructed of wood, but
other material may be employed, particularly for the sign-board C as the same
need only if desired, be secured to the posts B through the flanges C¹ and C³,
this feature being an advantage of my invention since thereby the face of
the sign does not require to be defaced by driving nails or other fastenings
therethrough.
It will be thus seen that wind pressure on the rear of the sign-board will tend
to force the posts into the ground instead of lifting them out as is the case in the
ordinary construction which action is due to the arrangement of the braces at an
acute angle to the posts, which said braces are securely anchored to the rear stakes
whose points tend in the direction of pull. On the other hand, as the wind presses
against the face of the sign, it will pass over and exert a downward pressure.
I do not confine myself to the exact formation of parts of construction of
details herein set forth and illustrated as the same may be changed or varied in
many particulars.
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 :-
An inclined sign comprising a series of posts secured to a horizontal support
and at an acute angle thereto, a board located against the posts and secured
thereto through the medium of a longitudinal flange resting on the upper ends of
the posts and end flanges abutting the outermost posts throughout the width of the
board, a series of stakes similarly secured to the support, parallel with the posts
and within the angle of their incline, a brace secured to each end stake and against
the upper portion of the respective end of the board and forming an acute angle
therewith, similar braces in a common plane secured each to one of the intermediate
stakes and its respective post, and a final series of braces in a common plane secured
to the posts below the first series and to the stakes, at acute angles to the former,
whereby wind pressure against the rear of the board will tend to force the posts
into the base and wind pressure on the face of the board will bear downwardly
upon the posts and will pass over the board.
Dated this 13th day of December 1894.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.