Multi-faced display sign

Claim 2

A display sign of the type have a plurality of juxtaposed endless strings of planar elements wherein an element of one string cooperates with a corresponding element of each of the other strings to form a visual display, said sign comprising: a frame; a plurality of driving shafts rotatably mounted on said frame; a corresponding number of support shafts rotatably mounted on said frame rearwardly of said driving shafts, each of said endless strings of planar elements being supported by one of said driving shafts and the support shaft disposed therebehind; a plurality of triangularly shaped indexing members, at least one of said members being secured to each of said shafts and each of said members having extended tooth portions at the corners thereof and recessed areas in the side walls thereof extending between said tooth members, each of said areas being adapted to receive a planar element therein and all of said indexing members having the same angular orientation on said shafts with respect to a plane extending through said driving shafts; a plurality of rollers rotatably and slidably mounted on said frame between and on either side of said endless strings of planar elements such that said rollers bias said elements inwardly of said strings and undergo reciprocal motion with respect to said frame upon rotation of said shafts whereby each of said juxtaposed endless strings of planar elements is spaced from the strings adjacent thereto and said strings are maintained in a taut and unstrianed disposition and; means for synchronously inducing periodic rotation to said shafts causing said planar elements to mesh with said indexing members whereby successive corresponding elements are brought into side by side relation in a common frontal plane.

Claim 3

The combination of claim 1 including a plurality of elongated display panels, each of said panels having a pair of holding flanges thereon, said flanges being disposeD inwardly from the vertical ends of said panels and adapted to press against the side walls of said planar elements whereby said panels are carried by said planar elements with the adjacent vertical ends thereof being in close proximity to avoid a noticeable gap therebetween, said flanges on said panels abutting the tooth portions of the indexing member with which the planar element carrying said panel is meshed.

Claim 4

The combination of claim 1 including a first bar slidably mounted on the upper portion of said frame and a second bar slidably mounted on the lower portion of said frame, a first plurality of said rollers being rotatably mounted on said first bar and a corresponding plurality of said rollers being rotatably mounted on said second bar below said first plurality thereby defining pairs of rollers rotatably in slidably mounted on either side of said endless strings of planar elements.

Claim 5

A display sign of the type having a plurality of juxtaposed endless strings of planar elements wherein the element of one string cooperates with a corresponding element of each of the other strings to form a visual display, said sign comprises: a frame; a plurality of driving shafts rotatably mounted on said frames; a corresponding number of support shafts rotatably mounted on said frame rearwardly of said driving shafts, each of said endless strings of planar elements being supported by one of said driving shafts and the support shaft disposed therebehind; a plurality of triangularly shaped indexing members, a pair of said members being mounted on each of said shafts, one toward the upper end thereof and one toward the lower end thereof, each of said indexing members having extended tapered tooth portions at the corners thereof and recessed areas in the side walls thereof extending between said tooth members, each of said areas being adapted to receive a planar element therein and said tooth members extending between adjacent planar elements, all of said indexing members having the same angular orientation of said shafts with respect to a plane extending through said driving shafts; means for spacing each of said juxtaposed endless strings of planar elements from the strings adjacent thereto; a plurality of elongated display panels, each of said panels having a pair of holding flanges thereon, said holding flanges being disposed inwardly from the vertical ends of said panels and adapted to press against the side walls of said planar elements whereby said panels are carried by said planar elements with the adjacent vertical ends thereof being in close proximity to avoid a noticeable gap therebetween and abut the sides of a tooth portion of an indexing member when the planar element carrying said panel is disposed within the area in said indexing member and; means for synchronously inducing periodic rotation to said shafts causing said planar elements and panels to mesh with said indexing members whereby successive corresponding display panels are brought into side by side relation in a common frontal plane.

Claim 6

A display sign of the type having a plurality of juxtaposed endless strings of planar elements wherein the element of one string cooperates with a corresponding element of each of the other strings to form a visual display, said sign comprises: a frame; a plurality of driving shafts rotatably mounted on said frames; a corresponding number of support shafts rotatably mounted on said frame rearwardly of said driving shafts, each of said endless strings of planar elements being supported by one of said driving shafts and the support shaft disposed therebehind; a plurality of triangularly shaped indexing members, a pair of said members being mounted on each of said shafts, one toward the upper end thereof and one toward the lower end thereof, each of said indexing members having extended tapered tooth portions at the corners thereof and recessed areas in the side walls thereof extending between said tooth members, each of said areas being adapted to receive a planar element therein and said tooth members extending between adjacent planar elements, all of said indexing members having the same angular orientation of said shafts with respect to a plane extending through said driving shafts; means for spacing each of said juxtaposed endless strings of planar elements from the strings adjacent thereto; a plurality of elongated display panels, each of said panels having a pair of holding flanges thereon, said holding flanges being disposed inwardly from the vertical ends of said panels and adapted to press against the side walls of said planar elements whereby said panels are carried by said planar elements with the adjacent vertical ends thereof being in close proximity to avoid a noticeable gap therebetween and abut the sides of a tooth portion of an indexing member when the planar element carrying said panel is disposed within the area in said indexing member and; means for synchronously inducing periodic rotation to said shafts causing said planar elements and panels to mesh with said indexing members whereby successive corresponding display panels are brought into side by side relation in a common frontal plane.

Claim 7

The combination of claim 4 wherein said spacing means comprises a plurality of rollers rotatably and slidably mounted on said frame between and on either side of said endless strings of planar elements such that said rollers bias said elements inwardly of said strings and undergo reciprocal motion with respect to said frame upon rotation of said shafts whereby each of said juxtaposed endless strings of planar elements is spaced from the strings adjacent thereto and said strings are maintained in a taut and unstrained disposition.

Claim 8

The combination of claim 5 wherein said inducing means comprises a synchronizing bar, a plurality of cranks, one of said cranks extending from the lower end of each of said driving shafts and being rigidly secured thereto, said cranks being rotatably mounted on said synchronizing bar such that rotation of one of said shafts causes the other shafts to rotate in synchronism therewith, a geneva drive asseMbly, a drive sprocket secured to said geneva drive assembly, a pair of driven sprockets secured to a pair of set driving shafts, said drive sprockets having a four to three tooth ratio with respect to said driven sprockets and an endless sprocket chain disposed about said sprockets.

Claim 9

A display sign of the type having a plurality of juxtaposed endless strings of planar elements wherein an element of one string cooperates with the corresponding element of each of the other strings to form a visual display, said sign comprising: a frame; a plurality of driving shafts rotatably mounted on said frame; a corresponding number of support shafts rotatably mounted on said frame rearwardly of said driving shafts, each of said endless strings of planar elements being supported by one of said driving shafts and the support shaft disposed therebehind; a plurality of support bands for joining adjacent planar elements to define said endless strings thereof; a plurality of triangularly shaped indexing members, a pair of said members being secured to each of said shafts, one toward the upper ends thereof and one towards the lower ends thereof, each of said indexing members having extended tapered tooth portions at the corners thereof and recessed areas in the side walls thereof extending between said tooth portions, the extended surfaces of said tooth portions defining flat surfaces for supporting said bands and said recessed areas being adapted to receive a planar element therein, said tooth portions extending between adjacent planar elements and all of said indexing members having the same angular orientation on said shafts with respect to a plane extending through said driving shafts; a plurality of elongated display panels, each of said panels having a pair of holding flanges thereon, said holding flanges being disposed inwardly from the vertical ends of said panels and being adapted to press against the side walls of said planar elements whereby said panels are carried by said planar elements with the adjacent vertical ends thereof being in close proximity to avoid a noticeable gap therebetween and abut the sides of a tooth portion of an indexing member when the planar element carrying said panel is disposed within the area in said indexing member; a plurality of rollers rotatably and slidably mounted on said frame between and on either side of said endless strings of planar elements such that said rollers bias said elements inwardly of said strings and undergo reciprocal motion with respect to said frame upon rotation of said shafts whereby each of said juxtaposed endless strings of planar elements is spaced from the strings adjacent thereto and said strings are maintained in a taut and unrestrained disposition and; means for synchronously inducing periodic rotation to said shafts causing said planar elements and panels to mesh with said indexing members whereby successive corresponding elements are brought into side by side relation in a common frontal plane.

Claim 10

A display sign of the type having a plurality of juxtaposed endless strings of planar elements wherein an element of one string cooperates with the corresponding element of each of the other strings to form a visual display, said sign comprising: a frame; a plurality of driving shafts rotatably mounted on said frame; a corresponding number of support shafts rotatably mounted on said frame rearwardly of said driving shafts, each of said endless strings of planar elements being supported by one of said driving shafts and the support shaft disposed therebehind; a plurality of support bands for joining adjacent planar elements to define said endless strings thereof; a plurality of triangularly shaped indexing members, a pair of said members being secured to each of said shafts, one toward the upper ends thereof and one towards the lower ends thereof, each of said indexing members having extended tapered tooth portions at the corners thereof and recessed areas in the side walls thereof extending between said tooth portions, the extended surfaces of said tooth portions defining flat surfaces for supporting said bands and said recessed areas being adapted to receive a planar element therein, said tooth portions extending between adjacent planar elements and all of said indexing members having the same angular orientation on said shafts with respect to a plane extending through said driving shafts; a plurality of elongated display panels, each of said panels having a pair of holding flanges thereon, said holding flanges being disposed inwardly from the vertical ends of said panels and being adapted to press against the side walls of said planar elements whereby said panels are carried by said planar elements with the adjacent vertical ends thereof being in close proximity to avoid a noticeable gap therebetween and abut the sides of a tooth portion of an indexing member when the planar element carrying said panel is disposed within the area in said indexing member; a plurality of rollers rotatably and slidably mounted on said frame between and on either side of said endless strings of planar elements such that said rollers bias said elements inwardly of said strings and undergo reciprocal motion with respect to said frame upon rotation of said shafts whereby each of said juxtaposed endless strings of planar elements is spaced from the strings adjacent thereto and said strings are maintained in a taut and unrestrained disposition and; means for synchronously inducing periodic rotation to said shafts causing said planar elements and panels to mesh with said indexing members whereby successive corresponding elements are brought into side by side relation in a common frontal plane.

Claim 11

The combination of claim 7 wherein said inducing means comprises a synchronizing bar, a plurality of cranks, one of said cranks extending from the lower end of each of said driving shafts and being rigidly secured thereto, said cranks being rotatably mounted on said synchronizing bar such that rotation of one of said shafts causes the other shafts to rotate in synchronism therewith, a geneva drive assembly, a drive sprocket secured to said geneva drive assembly, a pair of driven sprockets secured to a pair of set driving shafts, said drive sprockets having a four to three tooth ratio with respect to said driven sprockets and an endless sprocket chain disposed about said sprockets.