US3797147A

US3797147A - Multi-purpose pressure sensitive font lettering system

Info

Publication number: US3797147A
Application number: US00222588A
Authority: US
Inventors: J Lemberg
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1972-02-01
Filing date: 1972-02-01
Publication date: 1974-03-19
Anticipated expiration: 1991-03-19

Abstract

A multi-purpose pressure sensitive font lettering system, which includes an indexed symbol storage album containing all the letters, numbers, symbols and apparatus required for making signs and preparing copy for art work and the like.

Description

Unitefi States Leinbe'rg 1451 Mar. 19, 1974 [541 MULTl-PURPOSE PRESSURE SENSITIVE 3,626,616 12/1971 Seme 40/63 R F T LET G Y 2,521,792 9/1950 Hollander 40/104.l9 X 3,130,984 4/1964 Fenberg 1 35/71 X Inventor: Jack Lemberg, 3442 N. 29 h Av -,1 2,568,131 9/1951 Sega] 402/70 Phoenix, Ariz. 85017 803.709 11/1905 Perrine.... 283/1 R v 456,717 7/1891 Brodix..... 283/1 R [22] F1led= 1, 1972 3421,239 1/1969 Smith 40/63 R [21] Appl. No.: 222,588

' Primary Examiner Robert W. Michell 1 Assistant ExaminerJ. H. Wolff [52] us CL igf gg4 g i B $7 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Warren F. B. Lindsley [51] Int. Cl. G09f 3/00 [58] Field of Search 35/71; 40/63 124, 19.5, [57] ABSTRACT 25 A; 283/1 R A multl-purpose pressure sensmve font lettering system, which includes an indexed symbol storage album [56] References Cited containing all the letters, numbers, symbols and appa- 1 ratus required for making signs and preparing copy for UNITED STATES PATENTS art Work and the like 3.338.395 8/1967 Silverstein 40/125 A X 2,970,043 1/1961 Serafin 283/1 R 1 Claim, 11 Drawing Figures PATENTEU MM! 1 9 I974 SHEET 1 0F 2 MULTLPURPOSE PRESSURE SENSITIVE FONT LETTERING SYSTEM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention pertains to an improved system and apparatus for making signs, preparing copy and the like.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention is particularly directed to a lettering system which includes -a font of pressure sensitive, opaque plastic letters and symbols, which may be quickly and easily removed from their temporary storage positions in the indexed pages of a loose leaf album, and utilized for making permanent signs, or returned to their respective pages of the album, after being utilized for temporary copy preparation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART Many systems and the necessary supporting apparatus for making signs and preparing copy for a multitude of purposes have been devised and utilized in the past, including the letter-press and off-set printing processes. Most of these methods or systems are slow and expensive to implement requiring the use of specialized equipment and highly trained, skilled personel, such as type setters, photographers, artists and others, to produce simple signs or prepare copy for reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, a new and improved multi-purpose font lettering system has been provided, which includes all the necessary components of the system in a single indexed album or kit for the purpose of making signs or preparing copy inexpensively by unskilled personnel.

It is therefore one object of this invention to provide a simplified method or system for making signs and preparing copy by unskilled workers.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved storage album including a complete font of letters, numbers, symbols, tools and other supporting materials necessaryin anovel arrangement for immedi ate use. I

A further object of this invention is to provide a method of making a specially constructed sign or art work which method greatly simplifies the task and makes it possible to implement by unskilled workers while at the same time producing a sign or art work of improved appearance and quality.

Further objects and advantages of theinvention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize this invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming part of this specification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION .OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention may be more readily described by reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the complete kit of the invention, showing the indexed album open at the first page and the cover pockets containing tools, grid layout sheet and other required materials in place.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the first page of the a]- bum, removed from the same, illustrating the method of inserting or removing letter or symbol containing strips from the page.

FIG. 2a is a cross sectional view of FIG. 2 taken along the line 2a 2a.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one of the letter or symbol containin containing before insertion in the page of the album.

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the special tool which is utilized in the process of making signs etc., and is normally contained in the kit or album as shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view, similar to FIG. 1 illustrating the method of removing letters or symbols from the strip in the album page using the knife end of the special tool.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the knife end of the special tool, supporting a letter which has been removed from its respective page of the album.

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the grid layout board extended fully on a flat surface with the translucent liner paper temporarily attached to its upper surface, the covered guide lines showing through to allow aligned spacing and temporary attachment of the desired letters to its surface.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary plan view similar to FIG. 7 showing a piece of application tape placed over the letters of the sign and hinged to the surface of the liner paper with the squeegee end of the special tool in position to cause the letters to be adhered to the adhesive coated under side of the application tape, as shown in turned up position in dotted lines.

FIG. 9 is a top plan view showing the application tape with the letters of the sign temporarily attached toits under side, secured in aligned relation on the smooth surface of the sign board with the squeegee end of the special tool in position for causing the letters to be permanently attached to the smooth surface .of the sign board.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the application tape being removed from the completed sign.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring more particularly to the drawings by charactersof reference, FIG. 1 illustrates a complete kit 10 which contains all of the necessary elements required to preform the function of the lettering system or method disclosed.

The kit'comprises a loose leaf binder or album 11 having rigid front and back covers 12 and 13, respectively, which are joined together by the well known hinge portion 14 employing a rigid binder ring support strip 15 on its inner surface. Strip 15 has secured thereto the split binder rings 16 which may be opened or closed to permit removal or insertion of the pages of the album.

The inner surfaces of the front and back covers 12 and 13 or the album are provided with clear plastic pockets 17 and cover flaps l8adapted to provide storage facilities for the flat materials required in sign making and other art activites. As shown these pockets house the grid layout board 19 whichjmay be of a fluorescent material for aiding in the making of signs by eliminating eye strain, liner paper 20, application tape 21, (only shown in FIGS. 8, 9 and I0) and surplus letter or symbol containing strips 22. The back cover flap 18 is provided with a formed upwardly extending portion 23 which is cut-away at 24 to provide storage facility for a special tool 25, the usage of which will be further explained.

The loose leaf binder or album 11 is adapted to receive and contain in removable relation, a plurality of indexed pages 26, each page containing several replaceable letter or symbol strips 22 providing a complete assortment of one or more fonts of any size and style including letters, numerals, punctuation and required symbols in sufficient quanity for extensive use in making signs or preparing copy.

Each individual page 26 of the album 11 is of laminated construction and is preferably fabricated of smooth surfaced plastic material comprising a fairly rigid bottom sheet 27 and a thinner flexible top sheet 28. These sheets are of the same rectangular shape and size and when super-imposed over each other, as shown in enlarged sectional view in FIG. 2a, are laminated into a single page by means of a layer of suitable cement or adhesive 29.

The top sheet 28 is provided with one or more rectangular shaped cut outs 30 which extend longitudinally of the sheet each having a width and size slightly larger than the symbols being used. Each page is provided with a border of material 31 on the top and bottom and a border of material 32 on the sides which comprises a part of sheet 28. Each slot 30 is separated by a narrow longitudinal strip of material 33 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Each laminated page 26 is provided with an outwardly extending index tab 34. The tabs are spaced longitudinally one from the other along the edge of the pages to allow for quick reference to the desired pages of the album.

Referring to FIG. 2a it should be noted that the cement or adhesive 29 utilized to laminate the bottom sheet 27 to the top sheet 28 is approximately the same thickness as the letter or symbol containing strips 22, and only extends from the outer edges of the page, inwardly about three quarters the width of the

respective borders

31 and 32 and only a short distance in the center of the narrow dividing strips 33, to provide a smooth surfaced clear area or pocket 35 in cut outs 30 between the top and bottom inwardly projecting surfaces of the laminated

sheets

27 and 28. These pockets are adapted to receive in slidable relation the letter or symbol containing strips 22 and to retain them in their respective positions in pages 26 of the album. To provide for easy removal and replacement of the letter or symbol strips 22, each of the rectangular cut outs 30 are widened at their top ends 36 to allow the symbol bearing strips 22 to be easily inserted under the inwardly projecting edges 37 of the top flexible sheet 28. A semi-circular shaped cut out 38 is notched out at the end of each pocket to allow finger or tool access to the symbol bearing strip 22, for easy removal of the same.

The letter or symbol bearing strips 22 are made of paper or other suitable material having a silicone like treated surface on its symbol bearing face for easy removal of the letters or symbols mounted thereon and are cut to size for insertion in the pockets of the pages of the album. The letters or symbols are die cut, for example, from permanent adhesive backed vinyl or any other opaque or reflective pressure sensitive film which has previously been laminated to the backing paper of which strips 22 are formed. This type of assembly-permits easy removal of the excess vinyl material from around and between the letters or symbols by a simple stripping operation leaving the letters or symbols temporarily attached to the silicone treated face of the strip, as shown in FIG. 3.

A complete font of letters, numerals, punctuation marks and other required symbols, temporarily mounted on the symbol bearing strips 22, installed in their proper retained positions in the plurality of indexed pages of the album 1 1, completes the kit 10, with all components of the multi-purpose, pressure sensitive font lettering system of this invention readily available for usage in making signs, preparing copy and other art purposes.

To make a neat, professional appearing sign, or to prepare copy for permanent or temporary purposes, an unskilled operator would proceed to preform a few simple steps as outlined below:

The first step in using the kit is to remove the grid layout board 19 and liner paper 20 from its storage pocket 17 in the cover. Then the user opens the folded grid layout board and lays the grid layout board side up on the smooth surface of a work table or counter.

A piece of the translucent liner paper 20 is then attached with its silicone treated side up to the face of the grid layout board 19 by means of masking tape or otherwise, as shown in FIG. 7 of the drawings. The translucent liner paper allows the grid lines to show through thereby providing for accurate alignment of the letters or symbols temporarily placed thereon.

I Selected pressure sensitive vinyl letters or symbols 39 are then carefully removed, one by one, from the silicone coated strips 22 from the various indexed pages 26 of-the album 11 by means of tool 25, shown in FIG. 5. Tool 25 is provided with a knife like end 25a which picks up and supports the letters or symbols while they are positioned on the silicone treated surface of the liner paper 20. This operation is repeated until all the letters or symbols of the desired copy have been lightly pressed in place on the surface of the liner paper.

Next a piece of application tape 21 of sufficient size to fully cover the prepared copy is removed from its storage pocket 17 in the album 11 and placed with its adhesive coated side down, over and in alignment with the copy, as shown in FIG. '8. It may be secured or hinged in this position by means of masking tape 21a shown in FIG. 8. The special tool 25 isprovided at one end with a removable, replaceable hard rubber or plastic squeegee 25b which is used to lightly bumish the portion of the application tape outer surface which covers the copy, thereby causing the vinyl letters or symbols to adhere to the back, adhesive coated side of the application tape, in upside down relation as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 8.

With the copy temporarily adhered to the under side of the application tape 21 as described, the tape is then removed from the liner paper 20 and the grid layout board 19, leaving those elements free for further use.

' posure to which the sign or copy may be subjected to.

The squeegee end portion 25b of the special tool is then again used to firmly-bumish over the copy containing surface portion of the application tape 21, causing the adhesive backed letters or symbols to be permanently attached in aligned relation to the signboard 40. It is then only necessary to remove the securing masking tape and strip the application tape 21 from the sign or copy as shown in FIG. 10, to produce the completed neat and professional appearing sign or copy.

It should be recognized that the transfer of the vinyl letters and symbols from the liner paper to the application tape 21 and,then from the application tape to the signboard occurs because of the differences in the tenaciousness or stickyness of the surfaces involved. For example, when the letters or symbols are placed on the silicone surfaced liner paper they adhere lightly thereto. However, when the application tape 21 is placed over the letters, as shown inFlG. 8, and .the tape is lightly burnished over the letters or symbols they adhere more firmly to the sticky surface of the application tape than they do to the silicone surface of the liner paper and thus are lifted off of the liner paper when the tape is lifted off of the grid layout board.

When the tape is placed on the signboard the letters and symbols adhere more firmly to the signboard than to the application tape and are readily removed from the application tape as shown in FIG. 10.

Most of the above described procedure has been directed to the making of a sign or producing copy intended for permanent use. The letters or symbols have been applied to a smooth, finished or unfinished surfaced sign material such as cardboard, wood, plastic or in the album for re-use, if so desired.

Although but one embodiment of the invention has been shown and described it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

1. A kit for making signs comprising a looseleaf binder having a pair of covers, hinge means for connecting said covers together, said hinge means comprising a rigid binder ring support strip on its inner surface and at least a pair of split rings which may be opened or closed to remove or insert pages in said binder,

a plurality of pages mounted on said rings between said covers,

each of said pages comprising a pair of laminated sheets sealed together in juxtapositioned relationship so as to form a front surface,

the front surface of each pair of laminated sheets of each page being slotted to form recesses within said page for receiving strips of thin flexible material,

g respectively,

a plurality of strips of thin flexible material adapted to be matinglyreceived one in each of at least some of the recesses in the front surface of each page,

said strips comprising a flexible base having preformed vinyl symbols loosely attached thereto,

, each of said strips being removably retained in the recesses of the surfaces, whereby these symbols can be selectively removed for sign making purposes,

said pages being indexed and formed of a plastic material,

one of said covers is provided with a pocket,

a hand tool, for removing symbols from said strip, in-

sertable in said pocket.

Claims

1. A kit for making signs comprising a looseleaf binder having a pair of covers, hinge means for connecting said covers together, said hinge means comprising a rigid binder ring support strip on its inner surface and at least a pair of split rings which may be opened or closed to remove or insert pages in said binder, a plurality of pages mounted on said rings between said covers, each of said pages comprising a pair of laminated sheets sealed together in juxtapositioned relationship so as to form a front surface, the front surface of each pair of laminated sheets of each page being slotted to form recesses within said page for receiving strips of thin flexible material, respectively, a plurality of strips of thin flexible material adapted to be matingly received one in each of at least some of the recesses in the front surface of each page, said strips comprising a flexible base having preformed vinyl symbols loosely attached thereto, each of said strips being removably retained in the recesses of the surfaces, whereby these symbols can be selectively removed for sign making purposes, said pages being indexed and formed of a plastic material, one of said covers is provided with a pocket, a hand tool, for removing symbols from said strip, insertable in said pocket.