Improvements in Fixing Letters and Devices to Facias and the like.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 6th Jan., 1890-Accepted, 15th Feb., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fixing Letters and Devices to Facias and the like.'
1, JAMES WILLING, of No. 70, St. Martin's Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Advertising Contractor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows::-
This invention relates to improvements in the fixation of letters and devices used
for signs and the like, to the facia or equivalent surface; and consists in applying
holding devices--generally of a simple and obvious type, as far as holding is con-
cerned to supporting the letters in such a way that the presence of the said devices
is not visible.
According to one modification, I fix an eye to the facia and hang the letter
upon it.
A taper pin, preferably of copper, is driven into the eye through a hole
in the top of the letter. The letter is made of an extra thickness in that part where
the hole is. The hole and eye are so related in respect of position and shape, that
the passage of the pin into the eye will tend to draw the letter close up to the facia.
The eye may be fixed to the facia by a plate and screws or by a drive- or screw-
shank. In combination with the eye and pin above mentioned, I pass pins diagonally
through the letter-sides into the facia.
The eye-device above mentioned may be replaced by a hook projecting from the
facia, and adapted to engage in a hole in the letter.
According to a further modification of my invention, I form projections on the
backs of the letters, or within them, and fix spring detents to the facia. The letters
are fixed by passing the projections over the spring dotents.
I sometimes use loops inside the letter, which receive bars projecting from the
facia. A pin or screw is then passed through letter and bar. The loops may be
dispensed with.
The foregoing are some of the holding devices which I employ; but my invention
is not confined to their use, inasmuch as I may adopt any well known holding device
adapted to hold a letter to a facia by engaging with the inside of the letter from
behind so that when the letter has been so engaged it will conceal all trace of the
nature of the holding device.
Dated this 4th day of April 1889
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fixing Letters and Devices to Facias and the like.
1, JAMES WILLING, of No. 70, St. Martin's Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Advertising Contractor, 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 improvements in the fixation of letters and devices (more
especially hollow ones) such as are, or may be, used for signs and the like, to the facia
or equivalent surface; or upon any surface upon which it may be necessary to fix
letters, and consists in applying, holding devices-generally of a simple and obvious
type as far as holding is concerned-to supporting the letters in such a way that
the presence of the said devices shall not be visible.
In order that my invention, and the means by which the same is to be carried
into practical effect, may be thoroughly understood, I will now proceed to describe
thein referring in so doing to the accompanying drawing, which is to be taken as
part of this specification and read therewith.

page_text: Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation taken on the line A-B of the next figure: Fig. 2
is a front elevation; and Fig. 3 is a plan illustrating in detail one of the methods of
carrying my invention into effect.
Cis a staple driven into the wall, facia, or other surface upon which the letter is
to be fixed. This staple has formed in it an eye c.
Throughout this specification, the appellative letter is to be taken in its widest
sense, i.e., as including any letter, or device, which it may be required to fix to a
facia, or other surface.
D is a pin of taper or wedge form. It is driven through the hole in the letter
into the eye of the staple; and its taper on either or both of two opposite faces; or,
independently of such taper, or in combination therewith, the difference in point of
coincidence between the hole in the letter and that, viz., the eye c, in the staple,
being acted upon by its entrance into the two holes specified, it follows as a matter
of course that the forced passage of the pin through the hole of the letter, and into
and through the eye of the staple, will draw the letter close up to the facia.
It will be observed from an examination of the figures now under description,
that the letter is thickened in that part of it where the hole is made, for the purpose,
principally, of providing a larger surface for the pin to act upon.
It must be understood that the staple C, although shewn as a drive staple, may be
fixed in, or to the, facia, in or by any convenient means. Such means being of common
knowledge, or belonging to the domain of experience and trade-practice, need not be
further detailed.
I propose to drive pins, nails, or screws, diagonally through the sides, d, of the letter,
through eyes, or holes, formed thereon, or therein, for the purpose of steadying the
letter. Whether two pins, D, and staples, C, are used to one letter, or only one at the
top of the letter, depends upon the size and weight of the latter. If the letter be only
a light one, one pin and staple device in combination with one or two of the diagonal
steadying pins above referred to will suffice. I may remark here that I do not regard
these diagonal steadying pins as part of my invention.
Fig. 4 is a part sectional elevation illustrating the fixation device as consisting of a
staple, E, fixed to the facia and having a tapped eye formed in the end of it, into
which a screw E' is screwed after having been passed through a suitable eye in the
duly thickened top E2 of the letter. The staple may be either screw or drive, or may
be fixed to the facia by a plate.
Fig. 5 is a modification of Fig. 4, the screw E' and tapped eye of the former figure
being replaced by two lock spindle screws E³, the staple being drilled spindlewise to
receive them.
Fig. 6 is a front elevation; Fig. 7 is a side elevation taken on the line I-J of Fig. 6;
and Fig. 8 a plan taken on the line K-L of Figs. 6 and 7, illustrating another method
of fixing letters by invisible devices. This method is more especially adapted for
heavy letters.
F is a letter T. Inside the letter, and in suitable positions, are formed one or
more preferably more than one-tapered V or equivalent shapo sockets, G. The
taper increases from the top to the bottom; and the grooves in the sockets are
preferably vertical, at any rate they are all in one direction.
G', Gare projecting V-blocks. Both V-blocks are provided with flanges g, by
means of which and screws gt passing through the same into the facia H, they are
securely fixed to the letter. It will be observed that in number, position, degree, and
direction of taper, the blocks correspond with the sockets. The letter is fixed by
holding it with the sockets over the blocks and letting it slide downwards. This
method of fixing the letter must be borne in inind in fixing the blocks to the facia, so
that there may be room both in respect of position and direction of the blocks for each
socket to fully engage with its respective block.
I do not confine myself to making the sockets tapered, inasmuch as they may be
parallel, and the blocks the same: but both will be of the same V cross section as
illustrated, in which case the sockets will be closed at the top so as to rest upon the
tops of the blocks, instead of gripping their tapered sides.

page_text: Fig. 9 is a sectional elevation taken on the line M--N of Fig. 10; and Fig. 10, a
horizontal section taken on the line O-P of Fig. 9, illustrating a further modification
of my invention.
h is the front of the limb of a letter and h¹, h' its two sides. is a double spring,
fixed by a central screw, or equivalent device, j, to the facia H. Inside the letter, and
upon both sides, I form two inclines, j', each incline opposite its fellow. Each incline
conducts to a recess 2, indicated by dotted lines only in Fig. 10, and adapted in
respect of size and shape to receive the nose of the respective spring.
This modification operates as follows. As many double springs as there are pairs
of recesses to a letter are fixed to the facia in position, which will be exactly behind
the said pairs of recesses, respectively, when the letter is held up in front of its
permanent position. The letter is then pushed backwards into position, the springs.
being forced inwards as indicated by the dotted lines of Fig. 10, until their noses
are past the respective inclines j¹, when they will engage in the recesses and hold the
letter up, in addition to holding it to the facia.
I do not confine myself to the number of springs to one letter, and may arrange
for them to act upon either a horizontal, vertical or oblique member of a letter-
limb.
Fig. 11 is a sectional elevation on the line 11-11 of Fig. 12; Fig. 12, a sectional
plan on the line 12-12 of Fig. 11, and Fig. 13 is a sectional side elevation taken on
the line 13-13 of Fig. 11.
, are the sides of a limb of a letter, and k is a plate passing from one to the
other at their outer edges. is a slot parallel with the ends of the plate k. This slot
terminates in a hole m, the diameter of which is equal to the diagonal of a square
whose side is the width of the slot l.
n is a long transverse head held to the facia, H, by a screw shank n¹, or equivalent
device. This head stands in front of on the facia at right angles to the normal
position of the slot, l, and its square shoulder is as thick as the said slot is wide.
The projection of the head, n, from the front of the facia is equal to, or a trifle more
than, the thickness of the plate, k.
A letter furnished with the fixation device described above is fixed by turning it
through a right angle to its normal position, as indicated by the dotted lines in
Fig. 11. The slot is then passed over half the transverse head, up to the shoulder
of the latter, when it will pass over the other half of the head. The shoulder is now
within the circle m, and the letter is turned back through the said quarter of a circle
and pulled downwards, when the slot at once engages with the sides of the
shoulder.
Fig. 14 is a sectional side elevation illustrating a modification of the device shewn
in Figs. 1 and 3, to the extent of substituting a bracket, C, adapted to be held to
the facia, H, by the screw, g¹, for the staple illustrated in the former figure.
Figs. 15 and 16 are, respectively, side and front elevations of a plate-bracket
having a taper hole, and therefore adapted to replace the one shewn in Fig. 14, or
the staple shewn in Figs. 1 and 3.
Fig. 17 is a sectional side elevation illustrating the use of a screw hook o adapted
to engage in an eye in the top of the letter.
The above internal fixation devices are those which are applicable to letters in
general use; some under some circumstances, and some under others. I do not
confine myself to any in particular, nor to those illustrated, as others well known as
holding devices may be used without departing from the scope of my invention which
is the fixation of hollow letters by devices concealed or rendered invisible by the
presence in front of them of the fixed letter.
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. The combination of eye in the top of a letter-limb, a taper or wedge shaped pin
and, an internal bracket or staple having an eye therein in which the pin is adapted

page_text: to engage and by its taper, or the non-coincidence of the said eyes, and the wedge-
shape of the pin the letter is drawn up to the facia as hereinbefore described with
reference to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 14, 15, and 16.
2. The. combination of a hollow letter with fixation devices part of which are,
within the letter, and the complement upon the facia behind. the letter, so as to be
invisible when the fixed letter is seen from the outside, as set forth.
Dated this 6th day of January 1890.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
No. 22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.