Advertising display means and method
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention is directed to an advertising display piece support and more particularly to a method and device for temporarily securing a sales piece or other information sheets to a vertical surface. 
     2. Prior Art 
     Present methods of temporarily supporting or mounting advertising materials such as signs and the like to a generally vertical display surface most often includes the use of either tacks or pressure sensitive plastic tapes, either of which are not totally satisfactory. For example, in instances where a sign is to be displayed in a store window a plastic adhesive tape is genreally used to affix the advertising piece to the glass. While the tape is easily removed from the glass it cannot be easily removed from a paper or cardboard sign. In a short time the signs become stained and tattered after they have been taken down and replaced several times in order to accommodate washing the windows, etc. 
     Obviously, with large signs it becomes very difficult to position the sign in a window and while holding it in a leveled position pull off a length of tape from a tape roll and apply the tape to the sign. It often happens that the sign will slip while taping to the window and must be rehung with further damaging of the sign. 
     Many signs which require frequent changing such as &#34;closed&#34; or &#34;open&#34; signs are often only propped up in an out of the way corner of the window where it may go unnoticed, rather then having to bother with the use of tape. 
     Wires stretched across the window with a sign suspended therefrom have been used infrequently, largely due to problems with mounting the wire and aesthetic considerations. 
     When thumbtacks are used to temporarily mount a sign or the like to a suitable surface, unsightly holes are produced in the mounting surface and with larger paper signs, tacks often do not provide sufficient areas of support and sign damage is likely to occur. 
     With display material becoming more and more costly, especially hand lettered signs, it becomes more important to make full use of advertising materials. Accordingly it would be a decided advance in the state of the art to provide a method and device for temporarily supporting an advertising display piece from a variety of display surfaces which is simple to use and does not damage either the display piece or the display surface. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A device and method for use in temporarily supporting an advertising piece such as a sign or the like from a generally vertical display mounting surface. The device includes two parallel, spaced permanent magnet strips of opposite polarity secured to a flexible backing band with a pressure sensitive adhesive layer provided on a portion of the backing band to accommodate affixing the device to a generally vertical display surface. A releasable protective strip protects the adhesive surface prior to mounting the supporting device to the vertical surface. 
     In use, an advertising piece may be clamped between the magnet strips and the protective strip then removed to expose the adhesive surface which is then pressed against the mounting surface. Alternatively, the supporting device may be first affixed to the vertical surface and then the sign clamped between the magnets. This is especially advantageous when a long sign is to be hung, requiring a plurality of the supporting devices. Herein, the devices are affixed to the surface in spaced, horizontal alignment by measuring from a suitable reference point. The sign is then positioned between the magnet strips of each of the devices in order. 
     Since the supporting devices are affixed to the vertical surface in horizontal alignment, the sign will be automatically leveled when supported from the spaced devices. 
     When the sign is to be taken down a pull tab portion of the flexible backing band is used to separate the magnet strips and release the advertising piece. Thereafter the same advertising piece may be rehung or a new sign hung in its place from the same supporting device or devices. 
     The supporting device may be modified to include a soft, spongy strip interposed between one of the magnet strips and the flexible backing band to accommodate mounting the supporting device on a somewhat uneven vertical surface. Herein, the spongy layer surface which carries an adhesive layer can conform to irregularities in the vertical surface while the opposite spongy layer surface allows the magnet strip to retain a generally flat orientation to match the second magnet strip for ideal clamping action. 
     A further modification of the invention provides a horizontally elongated supporting device with comparable elongated magnet strips to provide a generally continuous support along the entire top of a sign. This is especially useful in supporting heavier and thicker signs. Further, the supporting device or a portion of the device may also be utilized to secure various objects to ferrous surfaces. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a store window showing a pair of supporting devices embodying features of the invention for temporarily supporting an advertising piece on the window; 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the supporting devices of FIG. 1, prior to being placed in use; 
     FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the supporting device of FIG. 2, showing the clamping faces of the spaced magnet strips as attached to the flexible backing band; 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged end elevational view of the supporting device shown in FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line V--V of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 6 is a front elevational view showing another application in utilizing the supporting device of the invention; 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional view taken generally along the line VIII--VIII of FIG. 7; 
     FIG. 9 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view taken along the line IX--IX of FIG. 8; 
     FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the supporting device of FIG. 7, as viewed from the mounting side thereof; 
     FIG. 11 is an end elevational view similar to FIG. 5, but showing the supporting device arranged to support a ferrous object from a ferrous support surface; 
     FIG. 12 is an end elevational view simialr to FIG. 11, but showing the supporting device arranged to provide intermediate support for a large advertising piece; 
     FIG. 13 is a front view of a display piece utilizing a portion of the supporting device for hanging the display piece from a ferrous support surface; and 
     FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken generally along the line XIV--XIV of FIG. 13. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     As shown in the drawings, our invention provides a temporary supporting device 10 for displaying an advertising piece or the like on a verical surface. As best seen in FIG. 1, a pair of supporting devices 10 are arranged to affix a sign 12 to the inside of a window 14 to display an advertising message 16 for viewing from the outside of the window. 
     The supporting device 10 includes a flexible backing band 18 having a pressure sensitive adhesive layer 20 at one end thereof with a removable protective strip 22, as best seen in FIGS. 2 and 4, overlying the adhesive layer 20 until the device 10 is placed in use. The protective strip 22 is removed to expose the adhesive layer 20 which may then be pressed against the glass surface 14 for supporting engagement therewith. 
     The device 10 also includes a pair of permanent magnet strips 24, 25 which are bonded to the backing band 18 in a spaced parallel relationship relative to one another, and being of attracting polarity when brought into clamping orientation as shown in FIG. 5. A hinge portion 26 of the flexible backing band 18 when folded over clamps the sign 12 between the magnet strips 24, 25. The backing band is preferably formed of a high strength durable plastic sheet material and in some instances produced with a sufficient stiffness to remain in an &#34;open&#34; position, shown in the broken lines of FIG. 5 to accommodate inserting the sign 12 between the magnet strips 24, 25, especially in instances where the device 10 has been affixed to the window before the sign is hung. 
     The permanent magnet strips 24, 25 may be of any suitable type but preferably would be made of a barium ferrite impregnated pliable material having a series of spaced magnetized bands extending across the length of each strip. As best seen in FIG. 5 the strips 24 and 25 are each provided with alternating polar regions which when brought into face-to-face alignment provide a very strong magnetic attraction therebetween. These magnet strips may be bent or twisted to conform to irregular surfaces if required without loss of its magnetic energy. Further, providing a series of elongated pole regions on each magnet strip face provides extra holding power as well as insuring longitudinal aligning of the strip along their full length. 
     A pull tab extension 28 of the flexible backing band accommodates separating the magnet strip 24, 25 to release their hold on the sign 12. Obviously, the supporting devices 10 may remain affixed to the window glass 14 indefinitely; even when the windows are washed. After washing, the sign 12 may then be rehung or a new advertising piece hung in its place. 
     FIG. 6 illustrates how a single supporting device 10 may be used to display a pricing sign 30 or other information pieces for viewing from the pull tab side of the supporting device 10. Therein the device may be affixed to a vertical support surface 32, such as a display rack or shelving. The flexible backing band 18 may be imprinted with appropriate indicia 34 which does not require frequent changing. 
     Referring now to FIG. 7, an alternate embodiment is shown comprising an elongated supporting device 36, similar to the supporting device 10 but including a soft, spongy, pliable strip 38 secured to a flexible backing band 40 and arranged to support a first magnet strip 42 similar to the magnet strip 24. A second magnet strip 43, similar to the strip 25, is carried directly on the flexible band 40 for positioning in an aligned orientation relative to the magnet strip 42 to clamp a display piece 44 therebetween. 
     As best seen in FIG. 10, a mounting leg 45 of the backing band 40 is provided with a plurality of apertures 46, through which an adhesive layer 50 is exposed for mounting the device 36 on vertical support surface 52. The adhesive layer 50 is carried on the back of the spongy strip 38 and serves to secure the strip to an inside surface of the mounting leg 45 as well as providing the adhesive mounting areas for securing the device 36 to the vertical surface 52. 
     A releasable protective strip 54, similar to the protective strip 22, may be provided to protect the exposed adhesive areas prior to using the supporting device 36. The flexible backing band 40 includes a hinge portion 56 and a pull tab extension 58, similar to comparable elements of the FIG. 1 embodiment. 
     The supporting device 36 is especially well suited for being secured to a vertical surface which may be considerably more irregular than the surface on which the FIG. 1 embodiment may be mounted. Herein, when the protective strip 54 is removed to expose the adhesive layer 50 through the apertures 46, pressure is applied to deform the soft, spongy strip 38 through the apertures and against the vertical surface 52 as best seen in FIGS. 8 and 9. With this mounting arrangement the adhesive layer 50 can be brought into close contact with a mounting surface which may be quite rough. 
     As shown in FIG. 7 the supporting device 36 is well suited to temporarily display an information bearing piece which may be securely affixed to wall or door yet which is readily removed therefrom without damaging the support surface 52 or the display piece 44. A front face 60 of the flexible backing band 40 may be imprinted with significant indicia and the displace piece 44 imprinted with a message requiring changing from time to time. While the device 10 is shown as being narrow and the device 36 is shown to be wide it should be understood the width of either embodiment may be varied to meet particular requirements. 
     Now with specific reference to FIGS. 11 to 13 of the drawings it will be appreciated that our invention may be employed in various other useful purposes. For example in FIG. 11 support device 62 may be utilized to support a ferrous metal object 64 from a ferrous metal support surface 66. Herein, a pair of magnet strips 67 and 68 are affixed in back-to-back relationship with an adhesive layer 69. 
     FIG. 12 illustrates how a supporting device 70 may be utilized to support a advertising piece 72 at an intermediate position in which the flexible backing band is cut at its hinge portion 74 to permit the piece 72 to extend beyond the the device 70. 
     FIGS. 13 and 14 illustrate how a portion 76 of a support device may be incorporated with a display holder or envelope 78 or the like for affixing to a ferrous surface 80. The portion 76 may be identical to the mounted half of the supporting device shown in FIG. 5. An adhesive layer 82 secures the envelope 78 to the support device portion 76, while a magnet strip 84 similar to the strip 24, magnetically adheres to the metal surface 80. The envelope 78 may be used to provide a place to temporarily collect bills, shopping lists, keys, etc. Since the supporting device 76 is attached to and supports the envelope it is a simple matter to keep track of the magnetic strip which might otherwise be easily lost and the magnet is always in full contact with the metal supporting surface for maximum magnetic attraction thereto. 
     Various other modifications can of course be made in the supporting devices which have been illustrated and described without departing from the spirit of our invention, and it is intended that all such modifications be included within the scope of the appended claims.