Signage manufacturing method

• US 6,397,451 B1
• Filed: 03/05/1999
• Issued: 06/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gill Studios
• Original Assignee: Gill Studios Incorporated
• Inventors: Gill, Forest P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hughes, S. Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): JIMENEZ, MARC QUEMUEL
• Application Number:
  US09/263,176
• Time in Patent Office: 1,187 Days
• Field of Search: 294/695, 294/48, 294/58, 406/07, 406/06, 248/156, 248/530, 248/545
• US Class Current: 29/469.5
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 7/12 the elements being secured or adapted to be secured by self-adhesion, moisture, suction, slow-drying adhesive or the like
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49906 Metal deforming with nonmetallic bonding

Abstract

A signage manufacturing method including providing a sign blank printing on the sign blank, and positioning adhesive on an inner surface of the sign blank so that, when the blank is folded along a transverse median line so that the inner surface is brought into adhesive engagement with opposing portions of itself, a pocket is formed therebetween having an opening along a portion of the edge of the blank opposite to the folded edge through which a sign support structure can be frictionally received.

Claims

1. A signage manufacturing method, which includes the steps of:

a) providing a sign blank with inner and outer surfaces, opposite side edges, opposite end edges and opposite panels;

b) printing on said sign blank outer surface;

c) applying adhesive to said sign blank inner surface;

d) folding said sign blank along a fold line extending between the opposite side edges thereof and thereby placing said opposite panels in adjacent relationship with respect to each other and forming a pair of side seams with said adhesive;

e) forming a pocket with said sign blank inner surface and locating said pocket between said opposite panels and between said side seams;

f) providing an opening to said pocket between said end edges;

g) inserting a sign support structure through said opening and into said pocket; and

h) forming said sign support structure from a wire bale with a pair of legs with upper ends and a crosspiece with opposite ends each connected to a respective leg upper end;

i) forming a pair of compression spaces each located between a respective seam and a respective bail leg; and

j) diverging said sign halves across said compression spaces from said seams towards said bail legs, thereby mounting said folded sign on said bail and substantially entirely frictionally retaining said folded sign on said bail by means of said bail legs being frictionally retained in said compression spaces adjacent to said side seams respectively and by means of said crosspiece being frictionally retained in said compression space adjacent to said top edge along substantially the entire length of said crosspiece.

2. The method of claim 1, which includes the additional steps of:

a) providing said pocket with a width greater than a width of said ball.

3. The method of claim 1, which includes the additional step of:

a) bending a continuous length of wire at the attachments of said leg upper ends to said crosspiece opposite ends to form said bail legs and crosspiece.

4. The method of claim 1, which includes the additional step of:

(a) printing on said blank outer surface on both of said opposite panels.

5. The method of claim 1, which includes the additional step of:

(a) applying substantially continuous strips of adhesive between said sign blank opposite end edges to form said adhesive side seams.

6. A signage manufacturing method, which comprises the steps of:

(a) providing a sign comprising a sign blank with inner and outer surfaces, opposite side edges, opposite end edges, opposite panels and a fold line separating said panels;

(b) printing on said sign blank outer surface;

(c) applying adhesive to said sign blank inner surface;

(d) adhesively securing said sign blank together at its inner surface along said sign blank side edges;

(e) separating said sign blank panels with a fold line;

(f) forming a top edge along said fold line;

(g) folding said sign panels with respect to each other along said fold line;

(h) dividing said sign blank inner surface into facing inner surfaces with said top edge;

(i) forming a pocket between said inner surfaces of said sign panels;

(j) bounding said pocket by said side seams and said top edge;

(k) opening said pocket between said end edges;

(l) providing a bail with a pair of legs each having upper and lower ends and a crosspiece with opposite ends, said crosspiece opposite ends each being attached to a respective leg upper end;

(m) providing said bail with a width less than a width of the pocket;

(n) forming a score line extending between said side edges and located between said end edges of said sign blank along said fold line thereof;

(o) forming compression spaces along the pocket boundaries adjacent to said side seams and said top edge; and

(p) mounting said folded sign on said bail and substantially entirely frictionally retaining said folded sign on said bail by means of said bail legs being frictionally retained in said compression spaces adjacent to said side seams respectively and by means of said crosspiece being frictionally retained in said compression space adjacent to said top edge along substantially the entire length of said crosspiece.

7. A signage manufacturing method, which includes the steps of:

(a) providing a sign blank with inner and outer surfaces, opposite side edges, opposite end edges and opposite panels;

(b) printing on said sign blank outer surface;

(c) folding said sign blank along a line extending between the opposite side edges thereof and thereby placing said opposite panels in adjacent relationship with respect to each other;

(d) forming a pair of side seams and bonding said panels together along same;

(e) said bonding forming a pocket with said sign blank inner surface, said pocket being located between said opposite panels and between said side seams;

(f) said end edges forming an opening into said pocket;

g) inserting a sign support structure through said opening and into said pocket;

h) forming a pair of compression spaces each located between a respective seam and a respective bail leg; and

i) diverging said sign halves across said compression spaces from said seams towards said bail legs, thereby mounting said folded sign on said bail and substantially entirely frictionally retaining said folded sign on said bail by means of said bail legs being frictionally retained in said compression spaces adjacent to said side seams respectively and by means of said crosspiece being frictionally retained in said compression space adjacent to said top edge along substantially the entire length of said crosspiece.

8. The method of claim 7, which includes the additional step of providing a wooden stick for said support structure.

9. The method of claim 8, which includes the additional step of providing inner and outer pairs of parallel adhesive strips on said sign blank inner surface.