Sign holder (four leg type)
United States Patent Bompart Apr. 29, 11975 [5 SIGN HOLDER (FOUR LEG TYPE) 2,191,755 2/1940 Dearing 248 464 2,591,170 4/1952 Lcvinson et a1, 248/463 X [761 Inventor Reuben 3mm&#34;, 305 2,896,365 7 1959 Ellman 248 464 Helena 59601 3.339.874 9/1967 Kerstens 248/463 p 25, 3.8l5.,860 6/]974 Bompart 248/465 1 1 pp 11 Primary Examiner-Wil1iam H. Schultz Related Us Application Data Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Clarence A. OBrien; [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 290.497 Septv 20. Harvey B. Jacobson 2 .3. 197 Pat No 815 860 [5 ABSTRACT 52 11.5. CI 248/464; 248/465 A Portable yp holder or Stand for g panels, [51] int. Cl A47b 97/06 and Similar Structures, having a P of Strap members, [58] Field Of Search 248/278, 460, 463, 464, for handling and transportation, near the p of the 24 4 5 472 support, one pair of legs on a main frame member, and a second pair of legs on a folding prop member, 5 References Cited giving a four-legged support. A complemental pivoted UNITED STATES PATENTS brace member which includes binding means is in co- 7 operation with the main frame and prop braces the en- ..24488//247(; tire holder in its imuse position 2,070,940 2/1937 Duchan 248/460 10 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures SIGN HOLDER roun use TYPE) RELATED APPLICATION This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application, Ser. No. 290,497, now US. Pat. No. 3,815,860 filed Sept. 20, 1972, and the entire disclosure therein is incorporated here by reference.  
 SUMMARY OF THE PRIOR ART The prior art of record in my parent application, Ser. No. 290,497, filed Sept. 20, 1972, is indicative of the prior art and is incorporated herein by reference.  
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Among the objects and advantages of my invention are the following:  
 1. To provide a practical, serviceable sign holder that is easily transported and set up for use.  
 2. To provide necessary supports, pivots, bracing and locking to successfully accomplish the transporting and in-use conditions met in the field.  
 3. In particular, to provide a four-legged sign holder having a pair of strap members at its top for holding the collapsed sign holder while in transit, a semicircular vertically oriented brace or stay and a similar semi-circular, horizontally pivoted prop with a pair of legs thereon with the brace having projections to lock the sign holder in its in-use position. Sign retaining means are appropriately positioned around the periphery of the sign holder.  
  These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.  
 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the sign holder in its in-use position, and having a sign positioned thereon.  
  FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken approximately along the line 2-2 of FIG. 3.  
  FIG. 3 is a frontal view, with the sign removed, showing the positional relationships of various parts.  
  FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the sign holder in its collapsed or folded condition, partly broken away.  
  FIG. 5 is a partial view of the binding lock between the vertical brace or stay and the horizontally pivoted semi-circular prop.  
  FIG. 6 is a partially exploded view of the pivotal connection between the ring-like main frame member and the horizontally pivoted prop.  
  FIG. 7 is a partially exploded view of the connection between the ring-like main frame member and the vertical brace.  
 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The ring-like portion 10 of the main frame 1.2 having the two V-shaped legs 114-14 coplanar with each other and with the ring portion 10 are similar to the main frame features of my parent application.  
  In FIG. 2, one of the pair of rear V-shaped legs 16-16, similar to legs 14-14, is visible and the two L-shaped, or similarly configured, sign supporting means 18-18 support the sign 20. As better seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, these L-shaped members 18 are welded or otherwise affixed to the main ring frame 10 and extend parallel thereto, and each at approximately degrees with respect to the other, near the bottom of the main frame to support the sign 20 in the in-use position.  
  Further viewing FIGS. 2 and 3, a pair of generally parallel, inverted U-shaped, strap or hook members 22-22 extend above the uppermost portion of the ring frame 110. These strap members 22 being welded approximately equal distances on opposite sides of a vertical centerline of ring frame 10. Between the straps 22-22 the uppermost pivot means 24 for the vertical brace or stay 26 is secured to ring frame 110, as detailed in FIG. 7 and includes an elongated L-shaped pivot support bar 28 having an aperture 30 in one leg for receiving nut-bolt-washer means 32 which bolt also passes through a corresponding aperture in brace or stay 26.  
  Further pivot means 34, similar to 24, are located diametrically opposite 24, at the bottom of ring frame 10. Similar bolt and nut fastening and pivoting means 36-36, and corresponding L-shaped support bars 38-38 each having an aperture therein, bars 38-38 are mounted on horizontally opposite sides of ring frame 10, and these provide the horizontal pivot means for the semi-circular, horizontally pivoted prop 40. Prop 40 further has a pair of rearward legs 16-16 welded or otherwise attached thereto, to give with the legs 114-114, the overall four-legged support for the sign holder.  
  Two projecting members 42-42 are welded, or otherwise affixed, to brace or stay 26 and spaced apart, preferably one on each side, of the prop 40, to snugly receive said prop and bind or lock the entire structure when in its in-use position.  
  In setting up the device from the folded position of FIG. 4 to the in-use position of FIGS. 1 through 3, elements 26 and 40 are simultaneously swung, each about its respective pivot means, until the sign holder is forced to its in-use position. When set-up as shown in FIG. 2, the combination of the interaction of projections 42, the overlap of 26 and 40, and the weight of the overall device, precludes movement of 14, 16, 26, 40, and 42, as they appear in the FIG. 2 or in-use position.  
  The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.  
 What is claimed as new is as follows:  
  I. A portable easel-type holder for signs, and similar structures, including a ring frame having a pair of legs attached to the lower half thereof, coplanar with each other, and coplanar with said ring frame, sign supporting members mounted in spaced relation on said ring frame, a substantially semi-circular prop spanning said ring frame and pivotally connected thereto at opposite sides, a substantially semi-circular brace pivotally connected to said ring frame at the top and bottom thereof, said brace having a pair of closely spaced projections on its outer periphery, which snugly engage said prop, and two additional legs attached to the lower portions of said prop to give the holder a four-legged support.  
  2. The holder of claim I wherein the pivotal mountings of said prop and brace include nut and bolt means passing through apertures in the respective prop and brace.  
  3. The holder of claim 1 wherein two hook-shaped strap members are affixed to the ring frame on opposite sides of the uppermost pivot of the brace, and extend above and to the rear of said ring frame.  
  4. A portable sign-holding frame including a main frame member having coplanar legs attached thereto, a pair of pivoted members, each pivotally attached to said main frame member at approximately 90 intervals, further leg means on one of said pivoted members to further support said main frame member so that it may hold a sign in a readable position.  
  5. The sign-holding frame of claim 4 wherein said main frame is generally circular in shape, said legs are similarly shaped and positioned adjacent the bottom of the circular frame, and said further leg means are similarly shaped and attached to one of said pair of pivoted members to provide a four-legged support.  
  6. The sign-holding frame of claim 5 wherein said circular frame further includes sign supporting means adjacent said first pair of legs and at right angles to each other.  
  7. The sign-holding frame of claim 6 wherein a pair of strap members are affixed to the top of said circular frame, to extend above and behind said circular frame to support the entire structure when it is in its collapsed or folded condition and being transported from one location to another location.  
 8. The sign-holding frame of claim 4 wherein said main frame member is in the form of an annular member, said pivoted members being semi-circular with the ends of one pivoted member being pivotally attached to the annular member for pivotal movement about a generally vertical axis and the other pivoted member being pivotal about a horizontal axis, said leg means being on one of said pivoted members to form a prop for said annular member, and binding means on the other of said pivoted members to engage the prop to retain it in position to prop the annular member.  
  9. The sign-holding frame of claim 8 wherein said binding means includes a pair of offset, vertically spaced projections on the other of said pivoted members receiving said one pivoted member therebetween and bindingly engaging the upper and lower surfaces of said one pivoted member when one pivoted member moves without the other thus locking the pivoted members together for simultaneous movement.  
  10. The sign-holding frame of claim 9 wherein said annular member is circular and provided with a radius generally equal to the radii of the pivoted members whereby the pivoted members will lie alongside the rear surface of the circular member when in collapsed condition, said leg means being in the form of a pair of legs on the pivoted member pivotal about a horizontal axis, said legs on the circular member and prop being equally disposed on opposite sides of a vertical centerline of the frame for positioning directly behind each other when folded.