Compact alternative message sign
OwnerJohn Howardinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A compact sign is disclosed in which alternative messages are displayed, such as "OPEN" or "CLOSED". The signs use certain of the letters in each of the messages, for example "O" and "E" in the OPEN-CLOSED embodiment. The signs have three panels: a front panel with an aperture through which the other two panels may be viewed; a middle panel having one or more one space apertures through which information on the back panel may be viewed, as well as either blank spaces or information in other spaces; and a back panel with either blank spaces or information. The middle panel slides one space to reveal the alternate message.
Claims10
In a sign intended to convey one of two messages about the status of the location where the sign is placed in a compact form whereby specific information placed on spaces of the sign are used in both messages, the improvement comprising:
- (a) a front panel having an aperture one space in one dimension and n spaces in the other dimension and a solid cover of one space in width on eitner side of the aperture of n spaces;
- (b) a middle panel having at least n+1 spaces and apertures of the same size and shape and at least some of the spaces containing information viewable through the aperture of the front panel, said middle panel being slidable with respect to the front panel between a first position and a second position, said first position with one space at one end of the middle panel covered by the solid cover on one side of the aperture on the front panel and said second position with one space at the opposite end of the middle panel covered by the solid cover at the opposite end of the aperture of the front panel;
- and
- (c) a back panel fixed with respect to the front panel, but capable of displaying different information in at least some of the spaces behind apertures in the middle panel in either the first or second position of the middle panel as the middle panel is moved from the first to the second position or vice versa.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.