Everbrite, Inc.

Robert A Karsten

Charles E Trame

Jon P Strawbridge

Michael W Hobach

Carl H Wamser

A sign wherein individual film panels bearing graphical information are interconnected as an uninterrupted web by way of interconnecting plastic zippers. The web, which is composed of a series of film panel transparencies, is wound and unwound from spaced apart rollers for presenting the individual panels for viewing through a window in a housing. The concept of releasably interconnecting film panels is also used in stationary signs such as menu boards in fast food restaurants to provide for easy interchange of the panels when it is desired to present different menu items and prices, for example.

Signs and displays having easily interchangeable information panels

Rectangular transparency panels form the sides of triangular units that are lighted from within. A gear train drives the units in synchronism. A base housing has a plurality of parallel aligned round posts projecting upwardly from it. The posts have a bore in which the lower end of a tubular lamp resides. Annular recesses around the posts have ring bushings in them. Gears having axially upwardly and downwardly projecting hub portions rotate concentrically to but not directly on the posts. The downwardly projecting hub portion has an annular shoulder that imparts a thrust load to the bushing and the hub extends through the bushing to be journaled for rotation. A gear cover arranged above the posts contains similar bushings that journal the upper hub portions and accept upward thrust load. The upper hub portions of the gears have axial slots. The end caps on which the lower end of the triangular units are slip fitted have hooked deflectable prongs extending from them for sliding into the slots and snapping onto the hub so the gears drive the end caps rotationally. A guide plate having bored pedestals for the upper ends of the tubular lamps to extend through and releasably mounted at a level above the base housing. Upper end caps for the triangular transparency units are journaled for rotation on the pedestals.

Device for displaying pictures in sequence

A sign composed of modules mounted adjacent each other. Each module having laterally spaced apart side wall members and a pair of longitudinally spaced apart parallel rollers mounted between the side wall members for rotating. Opposite end portions of a web containing a series of indicia are wound on the rollers, respectively, such that a selected indicia can be positioned in viewing position by winding web on one roller while unwinding it on the other roller. There are motor means mounted inside of each of the rollers for rotating the rollers to translate the web. In the depicted embodiment, an electric motor means is mounted inside of one of the rollers and a constant force spring motor means is mounted on the inside of the other of the rollers. The motors oppose each other in such a way that the web is maintained taut between them.

Growing community of inventors

Fox Point, WI, United States of America

Robert A Karsten