Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to sign hanging mechanisms which are attachable to ceiling rails typically found in commercial stores, and more particularly to an adaptable swivel support which is easily attachable and removable from such overhead ceiling rails. 
     2. Prior Art 
     The changing of advertising signs in commercial establishments is an ongoing exercise done many times every day. Often a store clerk must use a tall ladder to try to hang and manipulate an advertising sign from an overhead support, which support is usually an inverted “T” shaped ceiling rail. Such sign changing exercises are cumbersome at best and may be difficult and dangerous at the worst. 
     There are prior art sign support arrangements which are lifted into and out of magnetic contact with the overhead ceiling rails by gripping “jaws’ which are manipulated by a pull cord to engage and disengage the jaws from the sign holder. Such a device requires one hand to manipulate the pole and one hand to manipulate the pull cord. This is a time consuming and difficult way of setting up and changing an overhead store sign display. 
     There is a thus need for a store sign technique/apparatus which permits a sign to be hung expeditiously and uneventfully from an overhead support such as the inverted “T” shaped ceiling support rail. Such ceiling rails however, may not always line up with the direction in which a sign is desired to be displayed. Other types of devices also exist all of which require difficult or non-intuitive motions during use. 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art. 
     It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a sign holding support arrangement which is readily attachable and removable from an overhead ceiling support rail. 
     It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a sign holding arrangement which is readily changeable from which the direction in which a sign is suspended. 
     It is yet still a further object of the present invention to provide a sign support arrangement which is readily removable by the same tool by which it is placed against a ceiling support rail. 
     It is also an object of the present invention to provide a sign support arrangement which may be installed and removed relative to an overhead ceiling rail, which permits self-alignment between the lift pole and the sign holder when placing the sign holder and removing it from the overhead site. 
     It is still yet a further object of the present invention, to provide such a support arrangement which is very easily attached and removed from such overhead support rail in a very simple and cost effective manner. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention comprises a multi-component swivel assembly for attaching an advertisement or sign in a manipulable manner to an overhead inverted “T”-shaped ceiling rail. The swivel assembly is attached to the overhead ceiling rail by a set of spaced apart magnets which are disposed on the upwardly directed side of an upper swivel wing which is a component of the multi-component swivel assembly. The advertising sign is supported from a lower swivel wing which is in swiveling engagement with the upper swivel wing thereattached. The multi-component swivel assembly is raised to the inverted “T”-shaped ceiling rail by an elongated lift pole having a distal lift pole engagement end. The lower swivel wing has a set of support lines extending from an end of each lower swivel wing, and attached to an advertisement sign therebeneath. The multi-component swivel assembly comprises a lower swivel wing having an elongated first lower arm and a second lower arm extending diametrically opposed to one another from opposite sides of a generally cylindrically shaped lower swivel housing. 
     The lower swivel housing has a shouldered annular support surface extending generally circumferentially therearound. An inner annular flange extends upwardly from the shouldered angular support surface and is arranged to receive an annular upper swivel housing of the upper swivel wing. The upper swivel wing comprises a first upper arm and a second upper arm diametrically opposed about the upper swivel housing. A magnet is lockably disposed at each distalmost end of each of the upper first and the second arms of the upper swivel housing. The upper first arm and the upper second arm each have the magnet extending upwardly from their distalmost ends. The upper first arm and the upper second arm each have an elongated magnet locking plate slidably disposed therein. Each elongated magnet locking plate is radially displaceable so as to permit attachment and/or removal of a magnet at the distalmost ends of the respective arms. Each elongated magnet locking plate has a radially inwardly directed or proximal end with a stepped cap-engaging lip arranged thereon. Each stepped cap-engaging lip has an arcuate innermost edge. The upper swivel housing and its respective first and second upper arms are arranged to rotatively mate with the annular shouldered support surface of the lower swivel housing. 
     A circular, planar swivel cap is attachable to the upper side of the upper swivel housing and has a peripheral edge which is in slidable engagement with the arcuate inner surfaces of the stepped capped engaging lip on each respective elongated magnet locking plate. The swivel cap is secured to an arrangement of threaded connector receiving openings molded within the inside contours and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rotatable lower swivel housing. The swivel cap has a plurality of openings for receipt of the upper end of the threaded connectors to be disposed between the swivel cap and the lower swivel housing. The threaded connection of the swivel cap to the lower swivel housing with the upper swivel housing sandwiched therebetween holds the assembly together. 
     The upper swivel wing is arranged so as to permit rotation between the upper swivel wing and the lower swivel wing once the magnets are attached to the lower side of an inverted “T”-shaped ceiling rail. 
     The multi-component swivel assembly is attached, as aforementioned, to the ceiling rail by a lift pole. The lift pole has an upper distalmost “engagement end”. The lift pole engagement end has an end with a pointed distalmost end, with tapered shoulders thereon, and also having a body portion which is comprised of a generally flat, distal, lower wing engagement flange. The distal engagement flange has a front face with a generally chevron shaped engagement-flange locking-channel recessed thereacross. The distal, lower wing engagement flange has a generally planar or flat rear face thereon. The front face and the rear face of the engagement end of the lift pole proximately have a pair of pole shoulders arranged thereon. The lower swivel housing has a pair of matching lower housing shoulders which correspond in slope, to the pair of pole shoulders proximally adjacent the engagement flange. The sloped shoulders permit a self-alignment and entry of the distalmost end of the pointed engagement end of the lift pole into an elongated flange receiving slot extending diametrically across the lower swivel housing which is arranged so as to receive the distalmost engagement flange of the lift pole. A pair of corresponding chevron-shaped inwardly directed, engagement flange housing-receiving lips are arranged on each side of the elongated flange receiving slot. 
     When it is desired to attach the magnets which are arranged on the upper side of the upper swivel wing to an overhead ceiling rail, after the distalmost end of the engagement end is self-aligned through the angled shoulders adjacent the receiving slot, the distal engagement flange of the lift pole is then further inserted through the elongated flange receiving slot in the housing of the lower wing, and the magnets are directed and lifted towards magnetic attachment to the inverted “T”-shaped ceiling rail. That same lift pole, with its transverse distal engagement flange thereon, may be utilized to swivel the lower swivel wing with respect to the upper swivel wing by torqued rotation of the lift pole. A support line would be extending from each end of the lower swivel wing, to corresponding respective ends of a sign to be supported therefrom. 
     When it is desired to remove a sign and change it from attachment from an overhead rail, the lift pole with its distal engagement flange is then self-alignably re-inserted into the tapered area of the lower swivel and into the elongated-flange receiving slot, and brought down slightly, so that the engagement flange locking channel, of chevron shape, mates with one or the other of the engagement flange housing receiving lips on one of the sides of the elongated receiving slot in the housing in the lower wing. A mere pulling down of the elongated lift pole will break the magnetic attachment between the magnets and the overhead ceiling rail, to permit the entire multi-component swivel assembly to be removed therefrom and a new sign or advertisement thereattached or for subsequent reattachment to that ceiling rail. 
     The invention thus comprises an angularly adjustable, swivelable support assembly for adjustably supporting a sign from an overhead support rail, comprising: an elongated upper wing attachable to the overhead rail; an elongated lower wing swivelably attached to the upper wing, the sign being secured to the lower wing. The lower wing has an alignment port to facilitate engagement and lockable receipt of the tip of the lift pole therein. The upper wing comprises a first upper arm and a second upper arm arranged diametrically about an upper swivel housing. The lower wing comprises a first lower arm and a second lower arm arranged diametrically about a lower swivel housing. The lower housing is rotatable with respect to the upper housing. The first upper arm and the second upper arm have a magnet secured to a distal end thereof. The magnet is preferably lockable in position by a slidable elongated plate movable to and from the distal end of the first upper arm and the second upper arm. The lower swivel housing has a receiving opening for receipt of a lift pole. The lower swivel housing is rotatable about its longitudinal axis by rotation of a lift pole installed therewith, with respect to the upper swivel housing. The sign is securable to the lower wing by a support line extending from an end of the wing. 
     The invention also includes a method of angularly adjustably supporting a sign from an overhead ceiling support rail comprising one or more of the following steps of: lifting a multi-component support assembly into attachment with the overhead ceiling support rail by a lift pole, the support assembly having a sign attached thereto; rotating a second component of support assembly with respect to a first component of the support assembly to permit the sign to line up with any desired horizontally angular orientation; inserting the lift pole into the second component of the multi-component support assembly; engaging a channel on the lift pole into fitting engagement with a lip on the second component; and pulling the support assembly free from the overhead ceiling support rail. The channel on the lift pole is correspondingly shaped to an engagement lip in the lower swivel housing to facilitate alignment therebetween. The first component comprises an upper wing which is attachable to the overhead rail by a magnet arrangement therebetween. The second component comprises a lower wing which is rotatable with respect to the upper wing by a slidable shoulder engagement arranged therebetween. The upper swivel housing has a swivel cap thereon in fixed attachment with the lower swivel housing to permit support of the lower swivel housing to the upper swivel housing. 
     The invention also includes a method of removing a sign support assembly from an overhead support rail, comprising: inserting a pointed tip on a distalmost engagement end of a lift pole into a tapered alignment port in the sign support assembly; mating a channel on a side of the engagement end of the lift pole with a correspondingly shaped lip adjacently within the alignment port of the sign support assembly; and pulling downwardly on the lift pole to disengage the assembly from magnetic attachment to the overhead rail. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent, when viewed in conjunction with the following drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a side elevational view of a multi-component swivel assembly being attached to an inverted ceiling rail by a lift pole thereinserted; 
         FIG. 2  is a view similar to  FIG. 1 , showing an elongated lift pole and a multi-component swivel assembly in a non alignment orientation with respect to an overhead t-rail; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of a multi-component swivel assembly shown in  FIG. 1 , 
         FIG. 4  is a side elevational view of a lifting pole and multi-component swivel assembly in an upward installation configuration; 
         FIG. 5  is a sectional view taken along the lines A-A of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a view similar to  FIG. 5 , showing the lift pole and a portion of the multi-component swivel assembly in a swivel assembly removal configuration from an overhead support; 
         FIG. 7  is a front elevational view of the lift pole engagement end showing a front face thereof and its engagement flange locking channel thereon; 
         FIG. 8  is a bottom view of the lower swivel housing and its respective first and second lower arms thereof; 
         FIG. 9  is a sectional view taken along the lines E-E of  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 10  is an enlarged sectional view of the detail K shown in  FIG. 9 ; and 
         FIG. 11  is an enlarged sectional view of the detail “J” shown in  FIG. 9 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to the drawing in detail, and particularly to  FIG. 1 , there is shown the present invention which comprises a multi-component swivel assembly  20  for attaching an advertisement or sign  22  in a manipulable manner to an overhead inverted “T”-shaped ceiling rail  24 . The swivel assembly  20  is attached to the overhead ceiling rail  24  by a set of spaced apart magnets  26  and  28  which are disposed on the upwardly directed side of an upper molded swivel wing  30  which is a component of the multi-component swivel assembly  20 . The advertising sign  22  is supported from a molded lower swivel wing  32  which is in swiveling engagement with the upper swivel wing  30  thereattached. The multi-component swivel assembly  20  is raised to the inverted “T”-shaped ceiling rail  24  by an elongated lift pole  34  having a distal lift pole “engagement end”  36 . The lower swivel wing  32 , has a set of support lines  38  each of which extend from a multi-hanger receipt-capable opening  31  arranged through an end of each lower swivel wing  32 , as represented in  FIGS. 3 and 9 , and attached to the advertisement sign  22  therebeneath, as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The multi-component swivel assembly  20  comprises the lower swivel wing  32  having an elongated first lower arm  40  and a second lower arm  42  extending diametrically opposed one another from opposite sides of a generally cylindrically shaped lower swivel housing  44 , best represented in  FIG. 3 . 
     The lower swivel housing  44  has a shouldered annular support surface  46  extending generally circumferentially therearound, as shown in  FIG. 3 . An inner annular flange  48  extends upwardly from the shouldered angular support surface  46  and is arranged to receive an annular upper swivel housing  50  of the upper swivel wing  30 , as represented in  FIGS. 3 ,  9  and  11 . The upper swivel wing  30  comprises a first upper arm  52  and a second upper arm  54  diametrically opposed about the upper swivel housing  50 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  3 ,  9  and  11 . The magnets are lockably disposed at each distalmost end of each of the upper first and the second arms  52  and  54  of the upper swivel housing  50 , as shown in  FIGS. 3 ,  9  and  10 . The upper first arm  52  and the upper second arm  54  each have the magnet extending upwardly from their distalmost ends, as best represented in  FIG. 3 . The upper first arm  52  and the upper second arm  54  each have an elongated magnet locking plate  56  and  58 , respectively, slidably disposed therein, as represented by arrow “R” in  FIG. 3 , and also in  FIGS. 9 and 10 . Each elongated magnet locking plate  56  and  58  is radially displaceable so as to permit locking attachment of a magnet  26  and/or  28  at the distalmost ends of the respective arms  40  and  42 . Each elongated magnet locking plate  56  and  58  has a radially inwardly directed or proximal end with a stepped cap-engaging lip  60  arranged thereon, as may be seen in  FIG. 3 . Each stepped cap-engaging lip  60  has an arcuate innermost edge  62 . The upper swivel housing  50  and its respective first and second upper arms  52  and  54  are arranged to rotatively mate on the annular shouldered support surface  46  of the lower swivel housing  44 . 
     A circular, planar swivel cap  64  is attachable to the upper side of the upper swivel housing  50  and has a peripheral edge which is in slidable engagement with the arcuate inner surfaces  62  of the stepped capped engaging lip  60  on each respective elongated magnet locking plate  56  and  58 , as represented in  FIGS. 3 and 11 . The swivel cap  64  is secured to an arrangement of threaded connector receiving openings  66  molded within the inside contours and parallel to the longitudinal axis “L” of the rotatable lower swivel housing  44 , as represented in  FIG. 3 . The swivel cap  64  has a plurality of openings  68  for receipt of the upper end of the threaded connectors  70  to be disposed between the swivel cap  64  and the lower wing swivel housing  44 , as is also shown in  FIG. 3 . The threaded connection of the swivel cap  64  to the lower swivel housing  44  with the upper swivel housing  50  sandwiched therebetween holds the assembly  20  together. 
     The upper swivel wing  30  is arranged so as to permit rotation between the upper swivel wing  30  and the lower swivel wing  32  once the magnets  26  and  28  are attached to the lower side of an inverted “T”-shaped ceiling rail  24 , as represented in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
     The multi-component swivel assembly  20  is liftable towards and removable from the ceiling rail  24  by a lift pole  34 , as aforementioned. The lift pole  34  engagement end  36  has a pointed tip or distalmost end  37 , with sloped or tapered shouldered shoulders  39  thereon, shown best in  FIG. 7 , and also having a body portion which is also shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  5 ,  6  and  7 . The lift pole engagement end  36  is comprised of a generally flat, distal, lower wing engagement flange  72 , as shown in a sectional view in  FIG. 5 . The distal engagement flange  72  has a front face  74  with a generally self-aligning, chevron shaped engagement-flange locking-channel  76  recessed thereacross, as represented in a sectional view in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , and in an elevational or “face” view in  FIG. 7 . The distal, lower wing engagement flange  72  has a generally planar or flat rear face  78  thereon, as may be seen in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . The front face  74  and the rear face  78  of the engagement end  36  of the lift pole  34  proximately have a pair of sloped pole shoulders  80  arranged thereon, as best represented in  FIG. 6 . The lower swivel housing  44  has a pair of matching or corresponding sloped lower housing shoulders  82  which correspond in slope, to the pair of pole shoulders  80  proximally adjacent the engagement flange  72 , again best represented in  FIG. 6 . The sloped shoulders  39  on the engagement end  36  of the pole  34  comprise an “alignment port” to permit a self-alignment and entry of the distalmost end  37  of the pointed engagement end of the lift pole  34  into an elongated flange receiving slot  84  extending diametrically across the lower swivel housing  44  which is arranged diametrically thereacross, as represented in  FIGS. 5 ,  6  and  8 , arranged so as to receive the distalmost engagement flange  72  of the lift pole  34 , as represented in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . A pair of corresponding chevron-shaped inwardly directed, engagement flange housing-receiving lips  86  are arranged on each side of the elongated flange receiving slot,  84 , as represented in  FIGS. 5 ,  6  and  11 , shaped as a chevron to facilitate the self-aligning feature relationship between the pole  34  and the lower housing  44 . 
     When it is desired to attach the magnets  26  and  28  which are arranged on the upper side of the upper swivel wing  30  to an overhead ceiling rail  24 , and after the distalmost tip end  37  of the engagement end  36  is self-aligned through the lower housing&#39;s  44  angled shoulders  75  adjacent the receiving slot  84 , the distal engagement flange  72  of the lift pole  34  is inserted through that elongated flange receiving slot  84  in the housing  44  of the lower wing  32 , and the magnets  26  and  28  are directed and lifted towards magnetic attachment with the inverted “T”-shaped ceiling rail  24 , as represented in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . That same lift pole  34 , with its transverse distal engagement flange  72  thereon, may be utilized to swivel the lower swivel wing  32  with respect to the upper swivel wing  30  by torqued rotation “Q” of the lift pole  34 , as represented in  FIG. 2 . The support lines  38  would be extending from each end of the lower swivel wing  32 , to corresponding respective ends of a sign  22  to be supported therefrom, as represented in  FIGS. 1 and 2   
     When it is desired to remove a sign and change it from attachment with an overhead rail  24 , the lift pole  34  is then self-alignably re-inserted into the tapered area of the lower swivel housing  44  and its distal engagement flange  72  is then re-inserted into the elongated-flange receiving slot  84 , and brought down slightly, as represented in  FIG. 6 , so that the engagement flange locking channel  76 , of chevron shape, mates with one or the other of the engagement flange housing receiving lips  86  on one of the sides of the elongated receiving slot  84  in the housing  44  in the lower wing  32 , as represented in a sectional view in  FIG. 6 . A mere pulling downardly of the elongated lift pole  34  will break the magnetic attachment between the magnets  26  and  28  and the overhead ceiling rail  24 , to permit the entire multi-component swivel assembly  20  to be removed therefrom and a new sign or advertisement  22  thereattached or for subsequent reattachment to that ceiling rail  24 .

Technology Category: g