US2336927A - Code signal display apparatus - Google Patents

Description

De@ 14, 1943. J, J. cRoss CODE SIGNAL DISPLAY APPARATUS Patented Dec. 14, 1943 8 Claims.

This invention relates to visible signal display apparatus and more particularly to such as are adapted to exhibit flags bearing codes.

The necessity of rshowing such devices has long been recognized; in fact, is embodied in international code signals.

rllliey are usually disp-layed upon buntings and i'lags of diiierent shapes, made of textile fabric, which, upon subjection to strong winds or gales, rapidly destroyed; further, if supported by a pole, are prone to wrap themselves therearound thereby becoming undecipherable.

It is, therefore, an object of the i vention to provide signal flags made of strong material, reenforced at their ends to withstand wind and secured at each of their four corners in a substantial manner.

A further feature is in the provision of flag supports which effectively maintain the ags, at all times, fully exposed and to which they may be attached or detached easily and quickly.

Another purpose to provide an upright support that can be adjusted into different radial positions whereby the fiags can be seen from diierent locations.

These and other advantageous objects are acc '"plished by the novel and practical construcn, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing constituting a graphical cornponent of this disclosure, and in which:

l, is a side elevational view of a complete i ouiment of the invention showing its use, l.' g. 2 is a plan View showing the device in full lines and in another position by broken lines,

Fig. 3 is a iront view of one of the flags, drawn to an enlarged scale to show the construction, and

Fig. l is a sectional view taken on line ll-li of Fig. 3.

Referring in detail to the several views, the numeral l5 designates in general a raised platform, such for instance as the deck of a ship, in which is rigidly set an upright standard l5 having at its upper end an enlarged terminal l1.

A collar I8 is rotatably mounted on the sta-ndard, below the enlargement, the collar being provided with a rigid arm or spar IS extending at a right angle.

On the outer portion of the arm i9 is a T- shaped fitting 253, its raised central member engaged with a strut 2l having its oppostie end engaged with a clevis 22 reaching outwardly from a band 23 suited to rotate on the upright above the enlargement ll.

Fixed to the extreme outer end of the arm I9 are two divergent guys 2G-25, which may be rods, ropes or wires, tensioned and attached at their lower ends respectively to eyes 26-27, set in the decl: l5. If the display is to be made at a right angle to that shown, the guys will be connected to eyes 26-2l' as indicated in Fig. 2. Other pairs of eyes 253-29 and 28-29, arranged at suitable distances apart, and from the standard l5, receive the lower ends of tensional elements 3d, connecting a pair of spaced stays or guide rods 3i, attached at their upper ends to lugs formed with rings 32 carried by the arm l5.

These stays di may be rigid or flexible, as preferred, and act to receive pairs of snap hooks 33 in a manner to admit them to be slidably adjusted therealong at the will of an operator.

As shown in Fig. l, three code signal flags are indicated, but any number can be displayed.

Each iiag 34 is preferably composed of an exceedingly strong woven abric, bearing on one or both sides such insignia as is desired to appear; they are ordinarily elongated rectangles and usually Similar in size.

The ends of the materia-l is turned over in the manner of a wide hem 35, secured by stitching to the face of the fabric, providing a most effective reenforcement.

At each of the four corners of the flag are set grommets 35, passing through the nap reenforceinents in a manner to further strengthen the flag, and to receive the hook ends of the snap hooks retaining the iiag equally distanced between the guide rods 3l.

The grommets in the corners of the upper ilag are also adapted to receive the ends of a` pair of cords 3l trained over pulleys 33 supported on the arm i9, and guided by other pulleys 3Q on the standard, to extend into a position convenient for operation.

The foregoing applies to the uppermost flag, to which the others are connected in desired spaced, sequential relation by lanyards or the like de engaging in the adjacent grommets at each end of the flags.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that a superior type of flag has been disclosed made of strong material reinforced at its ends to withstand wind and secured at each of its four corners, together with a novel and highly practical nanner of mounting.

The ags may be readily removed and others substituted in any easy, safe and rapid manner, and they cannot wrap around the pole or standard, but are invariably disposed to full view in a taut condition.

By reason of changing the angle of the display, relative to the axis of the standard, the flags vwill be visible to a greater extent than has hitherto been common.

Although the foregoing is broadly descriptive of the best known embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood as suggestive, rather than restrictive, and that modifications may be made Within the scope and tenor rof, the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, what Il Y claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Pat- Y Y ent is: Y

1. An apparatus for displaying flags comprising a base, an upright pole fixed thereon, any,

arm rotatably mounted on the upper portion of Y said pole, means to retain said arm horizontally,

, ing in'divergent transverse directionsV from the free end of said arm to said base, a pair of guides arranged in spaced parallel relation between said arm and base, and one or more flags detachably engaged at each of their four corners with said guides.4

3. VIn combination with an upright pole mounted on a platform, a horizontal arm rotatably engaged on the upper portion of said pole, a guy member extending between the top of said pole and outer endof said arm, a pair of stress mem- -ers secured to the outer end of the arm and divergently inclined at right angles to the arm, eyes fixed in said platform to which the lower ends of vsaid stress members are secured, a second set of eyes on said platform for the stress members when said arm is in another radial position with reference to said pole, guide elements attached in spaced parallel relation to said arm, means to secure the lower ends of said guide elements to said platform in the vertical plane of the arm, snap hooks slidable on said guide elements, one or more signal flags engageable at their corners Vby said snap hooks, Va pair Y of sheaves supported by said arm, and ropes connected with the upper corners of the topmost ag trained over said sheavesto extend to said platform whereby the ag may be manually raised and lowered.

4. In combination with a platform having an arm turnably supported and positioned thereabove and having means to retain said arm in a predetermined radial position, a series of signal flags having grommets in each of their four corners, flexible spacing means connecting said flags one above another, a pair of upright guide members fixed at their respective ends to said arm and platform, snap hooks slidable on said members removably engageable with said grommets, and means for raising and lowering said flags operable from said platform.

5. A code signal apparatus for the display of a series of code signal flags, said apparatus comprising a standard adapted to be mounted on a base and an arm on said standard, a pair of upright guide members adapted to be fixed to said arm and to be secured to said base, fasteners slidable on said members and adapted to engage the signal flags to be displayed to slidably position the flags on the upright guide members, and supporting means carried by said arm and-engaging said flags to raise and lower said flags manually.

l6. A code signal apparatus for the display of a code signal flag, said apparatus comprising a standard vadapted to be mounted cn a base and an arm on said standard, a pair of upright guide members adapted to be fixed to said arm and to be secured to said base, fasteners slidable on said members and adapted to engage the signal flag to be displayed to slidably position the flag on the upright guide members, and means carried by said arm to raise and lower said flag manually.

7. A code signal apparatus for the display of a series of code signal ags, said apparatus comprising a standard adapted to be mounted on a base and an arm on said standard, a pair of upright. guide members adapted to be fixed to said arm and to be secured to said base in spaced, parallel relation, fasteners slidable on said members and adapted to engage the signal flags to be displayed to slidably position the flags on the upright guide members, and means carried by said arm to raise and lower said flags manually.

` 8. In a display apparatus for signal flags, an upright standard adapted to be secured to a base, an arm rotatably mounted on the upper end of the standard, guys adapted to be secured to the free end of said arm and to the base and flag guides arranged in parallel relation on said arm and base, perpendicular to said arm and base.

JAMES J. CROSS.

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