US4413434A — Subsurface sign assembly

Claim 1

Independent Claim 245 words

A subsurface sign assembly comprising a back plate for mounting to a wall surface or the like, a transparent face plate, double face adhesive strip material contacting one surface of said back plate and the facing surface of said transparent face plate for mounting said face plate to said back plate and maintaining said face plate in spaced relationship with said back plate, said adhesive strip material being arranged between said back plate and said face plate to form a sign plate space between said back plate and said face plate, with said sign plate space open along at least one edge portion of said sign assembly, a sign plate bearing indicia on at least one surface thereof and positioned in said sign plate space with the surface bearing the indicia facing said transparent face plate, whereby said sign plate can be inserted between and withdrawn from between the back plate and the face plate through the open edge portion of the sign assembly, the surface of said face plate which faces said back plate including a layer of opaque material applied thereto at its perimeter which extends inwardly from the edges of said face plate and which overlies said adhesive strip and hides said adhesive strip from view through said face plate, and wherein the edge portions of said sign plate are juxtaposed the opaque material and the opaque material hides the edge portions of said sign plate from view through said face plate.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 245 words

A subsurface sign assembly comprising a back plate for mounting to a wall surface or the like, a transparent face plate, double face adhesive strip material contacting one surface of said back plate and the facing surface of said transparent face plate for mounting said face plate to said back plate and maintaining said face plate in spaced relationship with said back plate, said adhesive strip material being arranged between said back plate and said face plate to form a sign plate space between said back plate and said face plate, with said sign plate space open along at least one edge portion of said sign assembly, a sign plate bearing indicia on at least one surface thereof and positioned in said sign plate space with the surface bearing the indicia facing said transparent face plate, whereby said sign plate can be inserted between and withdrawn from between the back plate and the face plate through the open edge portion of the sign assembly, the surface of said face plate which faces said back plate including a layer of opaque material applied thereto at its perimeter which extends inwardly from the edges of said face plate and which overlies said adhesive strip and hides said adhesive strip from view through said face plate, and wherein the edge portions of said sign plate are juxtaposed the opaque material and the opaque material hides the edge portions of said sign plate from view through said face plate.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 77 words

The subsurface sign assembly of claim 1 and wherein said back plate and said face plate are congruent and wherein said adhesive strip extends from the edges of said back plate and said face plate inwardly between said back plate and said face plate, and wherein the inner and outer edge portions of said adhesive strip material are adhesive-free, whereby the sign plate can slide in contact with the inner edge portions of said adhesive strip material.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 50 words

The subsurface sign assembly of claim 1 and wherein said sign plate defines an opening adjacent one edge portion thereof, and wherein said opening is juxtaposed the overlying portion of the opaque material and the opaque material hides the opening of said sign plate from view through said face plate.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 95 words

The subsurface sign assembly of claim 1 and further including a sign plate removal tool comprising a substantially flat strip of material of a thickness small enough to be inserted between said back plate and said face plate adjacent said sign plate, said removal tool including at least one protruding cleat for insertion into the opening of said sign plate, whereby when a cleat of the tool is inserted into the opening of the sign plate the sign plate can be withdrawn from between the back plate and the face plate by pulling the tool.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 40 words

The subsurface sign assembly of claim 4 and wherein said cleat is formed by a portion of the material of said removal tool being partially struck from the removal tool and bent away from the plane of the removal tool.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 79 words

The subsurface sign assembly of claim 4 and wherein said at least one cleat comprises cleats formed by a portion of the material of said removal tool being partially struck from the removal tool and bent away from the plane of the removal tool, with at least one cleat bent in one direction away from the plane of the removal tool and at least another cleat bent in the opposite direction away from the plane of the removal tool.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 40 words

The subsurface sign assembly of claim 1 and wherein said back plate and said face plate are congruent and rectangular, and wherein said adhesive strip material extends continuously about three edges of said sign assembly, forming said sign plate space.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 243 words

A subsurface sign assembly comprising a polygonal back plate for mounting to a wall surface or the like, a polygonal transparent face plate, said back plate and said face plate being congruent and arranged in overlying relationship, spacer means maintaining said back plate and said face plate in parallel spaced relationship, said spacer means positioned about and extending inwardly from the peripheral edge portions of said back plate and said spacer plate and forming a sign plate pocket between said back plate and said face plate with one peripheral edge portion remaining open whereby a sign plate opening is formed through which a sign plate is to be inserted, a layer of opaque material applied to the surface of said face plate which faces said back plate about the peripheral portion of said face plate and extending from all of the peripheral edges of said face plate inwardly a distance greater than the distance which said spacer means is positioned inwardly from the peripheral portion of said face plate whereby said layer of opaque material forms an opaque border about said sign assembly which hides the spacer means from view through said face plate, and a sign plate of a shape corresponding to said opaque border and of an area larger than the area defined by the inner edge portion of said opaque border whereby the opaque border hides the peripheral edge portions of said sign plate from view through said face plate.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 243 words

A subsurface sign assembly comprising a polygonal back plate for mounting to a wall surface or the like, a polygonal transparent face plate, said back plate and said face plate being congruent and arranged in overlying relationship, spacer means maintaining said back plate and said face plate in parallel spaced relationship, said spacer means positioned about and extending inwardly from the peripheral edge portions of said back plate and said spacer plate and forming a sign plate pocket between said back plate and said face plate with one peripheral edge portion remaining open whereby a sign plate opening is formed through which a sign plate is to be inserted, a layer of opaque material applied to the surface of said face plate which faces said back plate about the peripheral portion of said face plate and extending from all of the peripheral edges of said face plate inwardly a distance greater than the distance which said spacer means is positioned inwardly from the peripheral portion of said face plate whereby said layer of opaque material forms an opaque border about said sign assembly which hides the spacer means from view through said face plate, and a sign plate of a shape corresponding to said opaque border and of an area larger than the area defined by the inner edge portion of said opaque border whereby the opaque border hides the peripheral edge portions of said sign plate from view through said face plate.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 37 words

The subsurface sign assembly of claim 8 and wherein said sign plate includes an opening therethrough adjacent one edge portion thereof, and said opaque border being shaped to hide the opening from view through said face plate.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 64 words

The subsurface sign assembly of claim 8 and wherein said sign plate includes a protrusion on opposite edge portions thereof, and wherein each protrusion defines an opening therethrough, said pocket formed between said back plate and face plate shaped to receive said protrusions, and said border being shaped to hide the protrusions and the openings through said protrusions from view through said face plate.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1986-11-07	1987-05-09	1987-11-08	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1990-11-07	1991-05-09	1991-11-08	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1994-11-07	1995-05-09	1995-11-08	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Subsurface sign assembly

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