US3742633A — Illuminated display sign

Claim 1

Independent Claim 242 words

In an illuminated display sign, the combination of, a boxlike case having an open forward side, an electric lamp housed within said case and adapted to be connected to a source of voltage, a translucent panel covering the open side of said case to diffuse the light emitted from said lamp, vertically spaced pairs of vertically spaced channels extending horizontally across said panel with one channel of each pair opening upwardly and the other channel of the pair opening downwardly, a series of interchangeable display characters, each of said characters comprising a substantially rectangular wafer made of translucent material having selected darkened areas of opaque material shaped to outline a translucent intelligible figure on the forward face, of the wafer, said wafers being fitted into said channels in edge-to-edge relation with the upper edge portion of each wafer fitted into one of said downwardly opening channels and with the lower edge portion of each wafer fitted into one of said upwardly opening channels, a fulcrum located below each of said downwardly opening channels and coacting between said panel and said wafers to facilitate removal of said wafers from said channels by permitting said wafers to be pivoted individually about said fulcrum, and a spring located at the end of each row of wafers and biased against the end wafer of said row thereby to urge the wafers edgewise along said channels and to press the wafers into edge-to-edge engagement with one another.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 242 words

In an illuminated display sign, the combination of, a boxlike case having an open forward side, an electric lamp housed within said case and adapted to be connected to a source of voltage, a translucent panel covering the open side of said case to diffuse the light emitted from said lamp, vertically spaced pairs of vertically spaced channels extending horizontally across said panel with one channel of each pair opening upwardly and the other channel of the pair opening downwardly, a series of interchangeable display characters, each of said characters comprising a substantially rectangular wafer made of translucent material having selected darkened areas of opaque material shaped to outline a translucent intelligible figure on the forward face, of the wafer, said wafers being fitted into said channels in edge-to-edge relation with the upper edge portion of each wafer fitted into one of said downwardly opening channels and with the lower edge portion of each wafer fitted into one of said upwardly opening channels, a fulcrum located below each of said downwardly opening channels and coacting between said panel and said wafers to facilitate removal of said wafers from said channels by permitting said wafers to be pivoted individually about said fulcrum, and a spring located at the end of each row of wafers and biased against the end wafer of said row thereby to urge the wafers edgewise along said channels and to press the wafers into edge-to-edge engagement with one another.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 59 words

An illuminated display sign as defined in claim 1 including a lip projecting from at least one side edge of each wafer, a groove formed in the adjacent side edge of the adjacent wafer and interfitting with said lip thereby to help keep said wafers positioned in edge-to-edge relation and to prevent light from being emitted between the wafers.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 113 words

An illuminated display sign as defined in claim 1 in which a rearwardly and edgewise opening groove is formed in the rear face of each wafer along one edge thereof so as to leave a forward lip extending along such edge, a forwardly and edgewise opening groove formed in the forward face of said wafer along the opposite edge thereof so as to leave a rear lip extending along such opposite edge, the lips on each wafer interfitting with the grooves in the adjacent wafers when said wafers are fitted into said channels thereby to help keep said wafers positioned in edge-to-edge relation and to prevent light from being emitted between the wafers.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 36 words

An illuminated display sign as defined in claim 3 in which a chamfer is formed across one end portion of the rear face of each wafer to facilitate broadwise insertion of the wafers into said channels.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 41 words

An illuminated display sign as defined in claim 1 in which the upwardly opening channel of one pair of channels and the downwardly opening channel of an adjacent lower pair of channels are formed in a single bar molded of plastic.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 64 words

An illuminated display sign as defined in claim 1 in which each of said fulcrums comprises a first horizontal rib on said panel member and extending generaLly parallel with and between each of the separate pairs of said channels, a second horizontal rib on said panel member below each of said first ribs for holding the wafers forwardly of the face of the panel.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 31 words

An illuminated display sign as defined in claim 1 in which said panel comprises a series of horizontally extending strips, adjacent edge portions of adjacent strips being attached to one another.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 66 words

An illuminated display sign as defined in claim 7 in which the major portion of each of said strips lies in a vertical plane, one edge portion of each strip diverging from such plane and overlapping the adjacent edge portion of the adjacent strip, and means on the overlapping edge portions of said strips engaging one another in an interlocking relationship to attach said strips together.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 227 words

In an illuminated display sign, the combination of, a box-like case having a forward side capable of enabling light to pass from the case, an electric lamp housed within said case and adapted to be connected to a source of voltage, vertically spaced supporting rails extending horizontally across the forward side of the case, first and second parallel channels formed in each of said rails, said first channels opening upwardly from said rails and said second channels opening downwardly from said rails, a series of rows of interchangeable display characters, each of said characters comprising a substantially rectangular wafer made of translucent material having selected darkened areas of opaque material shaped to define an intelligible figure on the face of the wafer, each of said rows of wafers being supported on said rails in edge-to-edge relation within the first and second channels of adjacent rails, a fulcrum located below each of said second channels and coacting between said forward side and said wafers to facilitate removal of said wafers from said channels by permitting said wafers to be pivoted individually about said fulcrum, and a spring located at the end of each row of wafers and biased against the end wafer of said row thereby to urge the wafers in said row edgewise within said channels and to press the wafers into edge-to-edge engagement with one another.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 227 words

In an illuminated display sign, the combination of, a box-like case having a forward side capable of enabling light to pass from the case, an electric lamp housed within said case and adapted to be connected to a source of voltage, vertically spaced supporting rails extending horizontally across the forward side of the case, first and second parallel channels formed in each of said rails, said first channels opening upwardly from said rails and said second channels opening downwardly from said rails, a series of rows of interchangeable display characters, each of said characters comprising a substantially rectangular wafer made of translucent material having selected darkened areas of opaque material shaped to define an intelligible figure on the face of the wafer, each of said rows of wafers being supported on said rails in edge-to-edge relation within the first and second channels of adjacent rails, a fulcrum located below each of said second channels and coacting between said forward side and said wafers to facilitate removal of said wafers from said channels by permitting said wafers to be pivoted individually about said fulcrum, and a spring located at the end of each row of wafers and biased against the end wafer of said row thereby to urge the wafers in said row edgewise within said channels and to press the wafers into edge-to-edge engagement with one another.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1976-07-02	1977-01-01	1977-07-03	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1980-07-02	1981-01-01	1981-07-03	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1984-07-02	1985-01-01	1985-07-03	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Illuminated display sign

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