Sign apparatus

Claim 2

Sign mounting apparatus comprising: a tubular post member adapted to be mounted in a vertically oriented position; a horizontal member; means for removably attaching said horizontal member to said tubular post member; means for attaching a sign to said horizontal member; and post driving means for securing said post to the ground by reciprocal movement of said post member comprising: a closure member secured to the bottom end of said tubular post member and having a central opening therein; a shaft reciprocally mounted in said opening and movable between a first position extending a substantial distance into said tubular post member and a second position substantially outside of said tubular post member; a first stop means on an upper end of said shaft for preventing said shaft from dropping downwardly out of said opening; a second stop means secured to a central portion of said shaft for preventing said shaft from entering said opening beyond the second stop means; and means for preventing said post member from rotating with respect to said shaft, said rotation prevention means comprising a non-circular cross sectional shape on said tubular post member and a complementary non-circular shape on said first stop means, said first stop means being slideably disposed within said tubular post member.

Claim 3

Sign mounting apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said post driving means includes: locking means for holding said shaft in said first position thereof whereby it cannot slide to said second position thereof, thereby rendering it safe to carry from place to place.

Claim 4

Sign mounting apparatus as defined in claim 1 including a plurality of radially extending fins secured to said shaft.

Claim 5

Sign mounting apparatus as defined in claim 3 whereby said locking means comprises a hook member pivotally attached at one end thereof to said post member and an opening being disposed in one of said fins for reception of the other end of said hook member.

Claim 6

Sign mounting apparatus as defined in claim 4 whereby said locking means further comprises a safety member reciprocally attached to said hook member and means for biasing said safety member to a position preventing said hook member from inadvertantly moving out of said opening, said safety member being moveable by overcoming the safety member biasing means whereby the hook member can be removed from said opening.

Claim 7

Sign mounting apparatus as defined in claim 5 including loop means attached to said post member for holding said hook means out of the way when the post member is being secured into the ground.

Claim 8

Sign mounting apparatus as defined in claim 6 including means for removeably attaching said closure member to the end of said tubular post member whereby the shaft and the structure connected thereto can be removed from the post member for making the apparatus more compact for shipping and transporting purposes.

Claim 9

Sign mounting apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said rotation prevention means comprises a square cross-sectional shape to said tubular post member and wherein said first stop means is substantially square in shape.

Claim 10

Sign mounting apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said sign mounting means comprises a pair of loops attached to said horizontal member, an angle iron, a pair of hooks attached to said angle iron for reception into said loops and a sign attached to said angle iron whereby said sign will be reinforced from bending by said angle iron.

Claim 11

Sign mounting apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for removeably attaching the horizontal member to the tubular post member comprises a vertically disposed member attached to said horizontal member for reception into the top of the tubular post member, a hole extending horizontally through the vertically disposed member, a horizontally disposed pin reciprocally disposed within said hole, means for biasing said pin to a first outward position with respect to said vertically disposed member, said pin being moveable to a second inward position in response to overcoming the biasing means on the pin, and an opening in a sidewall of the tubular post member for reception of said pin, whereby when the pin is in the first outward position in the opening in the sidewall of the tubular post member, said horizontal member is held in proper sign dsplaying position with respect to the tubular post member.

Claim 12

Sign mounting apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said closure member is of a complementary shape with respect to the cross-sectional shape of the inside of the tubular post member; and a stop means is attached to the bottom of the closure member for establishing the proper relative position of the closure member with respect to the tubular post member.

Claim 13

Sign mounting apparatus comprising: a tubular post member adapted to be mounted in a vertically oriented position; a horizontal member; means for removably attaching said horizontal member to said tubular post member; means for attaching a sign to said horizontal member; and post driving means for securing said post to the ground by reciprocal movement of said post member comprising: a closure member secured to the bottom end of said tubular post member and having a central opening therein; a shaft reciprocally mounted in said opening and movable between a first position extending a substantial distance into said tubular post member and a second position substantially outside of said tubular post member; a first stop means on an upper end of said shaft for preventing said shaft from dropping downwardly out of said opening; a second stop means secured to a central portion of said shaft for preventing said shaft from entering said opening beyond the second stop means; a plurality of radially extending fins secured to said shaft; and locking means for holding said shaft in said first position thereof whereby it cannot slide to said second position thereof, thereby rendering it safe to carry from place to place, said locking means comprising a hook member pivotally attached at one end thereof to said post member and an opening being disposed in one of said fins for reception of the other end of said hook member.

Claim 14

Sign mounting apparatus comprising: a tubular post member adapted to be mounted in a vertically oriented position; a horizontal member; means for removably attaching said horizontal member to said tubular post member; means for attaching a sign to said horizontal member; and post driving means for securing said post to the ground by reciprocal movement of said post member comprising: a closure member secured to the bottom end of said tubular post member and having a central opening therein; a shaft reciprocally mounted in said opening and movable between a first position extending a substantial distance into said tubular post member and a second position substantially outside of said tubular post member; a first stop means on an upper end of said shaft for preventing said shaft from dropping downwardly out of said opening; a second stop means secured to a central portion of said shaft for preventing said shaft from entering said opening beyond the second stop means; a plurality of radially extending fins secured to said shaft; and locking means for holding said shaft in said first position thereof whereby it cannot slide to said second position thereof, thereby rendering it safe to carry from place to place, said locking means comprising a hook member pivotally attached at one end thereof to said post member and an opening being disposed in one of said fins for reception of the other end of said hook member.

Claim 15

Sign mounting apparatus comprising: a tubular post member adapted to be mounted in a vertically oriented position; a horizontal member; means for removably attaching said horizontal member to said tubular post member, said means for removably attaching the horizontal member to the tubular post member comprising a vertically disposed member attached to said horizontal member for reception into the top of the tubular post member, said vertically disposed member being generally square in cross-sectional shape at the top thereof and the sides of the square shape being bent radially inwardly near the bottom thereof, a hole extending horizontally through the vertically disposed member, a horizontally disposed pin reciprocally disposed within said hole, means for biasing said pin to a first outward position with respect to said vertically disposed member, said pin being movable to a second inward position in response to overcoming the biasing means on the pin, and an opening in a sidewall of the tubular post member for reception of said pin, whereby when the pin is in the first outward position in the opening in the sidewall of the tubular post member, said horizontal member is held in proper sign displaying position with respect to the tubular post member; means for attaching a sign to said horizontal member; and post driving means for securing said post to the ground by reciprocal movement of said post member comprising: a closure member secured to the bottom end of said tubular post member and having a central opening therein; a shaft reciprocally mounted in said opening and movable between a first position extending a substantial distance into said tubular post member and a second position substantially outside of said tubular post member; a first stop means on an upper end of said shaft for preventing said shaft from dropping downwardly out of said opening; and a second stop means secured to a central portion of said shaft for preventing said shaft from entering said opening beyond the second stop means.

Claim 16

Sign mounting apparatus comprising: a tubular post member adapted to be mounted in a vertically oriented position; a horizontal member; means for removably attaching said horizontal member to said tubular post member, said means for removably attaching the horizontal member to the tubular post member comprising a vertically disposed member attached to said horizontal member for reception into the top of the tubular post member, said vertically disposed member being generally square in cross-sectional shape at the top thereof and the sides of the square shape being bent radially inwardly near the bottom thereof, a hole extending horizontally through the vertically disposed member, a horizontally disposed pin reciprocally disposed within said hole, means for biasing said pin to a first outward position with respect to said vertically disposed member, said pin being movable to a second inward position in response to overcoming the biasing means on the pin, and an opening in a sidewall of the tubular post member for reception of said pin, whereby when the pin is in the first outward position in the opening in the sidewall of the tubular post member, said horizontal member is held in proper sign displaying position with respect to the tubular post member; means for attaching a sign to said horizontal member; and post driving means for securing said post to the ground by reciprocal movement of said post member comprising: a closure member secured to the bottom end of said tubular post member and having a central opening therein; a shaft reciprocally mounted in said opening and movable between a first position extending a substantial distance into said tubular post member and a second position substantially outside of said tubular post member; a first stop means on an upper end of said shaft for preventing said shaft from dropping downwardly out of said opening; and a second stop means secured to a central portion of said shaft for preventing said shaft from entering said opening beyond the second stop means.