Plate Retaining Device Page: 2 of 3
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JITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.
FPREDRICK S. STAFFORD, OF CHICAGO. ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO STAFFORD AUTO
LAI P & NUMBER COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF TEXAS.PLATE-RETAINING DEVICE.
Specification of Letters Patent.Patented Apr.13, 1915.
Application filed July 10, 1914. Serial No. 850.083.
o all whom it ?? coaern: -
Be it know n that I FniRmucK S. Smv-
FOw), a citizen of the United States, resid-
ing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and
5 State of Illinois, have invented cettain new
and useful Improvements in Plate-Retain-
irg Devices, of which the following is a
specification.
My invention relates to a plate retaining
10 device. and is concerned particularly with
a retaining device for holding in position
number plates used in connection with num-
ber display devices employed for autoino-
biles.
15 It is the object of my invention to employ
i. device in which separate plates are used
Tor each number, so that by using a single
" raae, and other par ts associated therewith,
any combination of numbers may be used in
20 the same frame.
.It is the particular object of my inven-
tion to so mount the separate number plates
that resilient separating means are provided
between adjacent plates, thereby effectually
-25 preventing any rattling of the plates during
operation of the automobile.
These and other objects of my invention
will be moie readily understood by refer-
ence to the accompanying drawings, in
30 which--
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a number
display device, in which the. illuminating
lamp is combined with said device. Fig. 2
is z ront elevation of a nuoaber pa d, in con-
35 n.ction with which my invention is used.
Fig. 3 is a horizontal section take-n on the
line 3- of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a horizontal
section ta'keii on the line 4-4 of Fig. ?.
-iig. a is a perspective and l)ati al sectional
40 view of one of the separators used in con-
incxtion with my invention; and Fig. 6 is a
vertical section on the line 6-6 of Fig. I
oan a educed sca le.
R(ftrring first to the embodiment of niy
45 (inventionspecifically illustrated in Figs. 1
- and 3,-the plate retaining frame consists of
a hollow box-like structure, formed of sheet
mental having theoback 10 and the front 11.
A lamp 12 is mounted in the upper portion
5o of thie frame, and the light from this lamp
serves as illumin ating means for the num-
ber plates 13, which are mop -ted in guide-
ways 14, provided in the ..nt 11 of the.device. As clearly indicated in Fig. 3, the.
sides of the device are closed by. the side 55
members 15 and 16 respectively. Fastened
to the rear member 10 is the resilient abut-
ment member 17, which projects forwardly
and serves as a resilient abutncut for the
edge of the left-hand-number. plate 13. 60
Between adjacent number plates I pro-
vide the separators 18, which ard most
clearly shown in Fig.. 5. Each of these
separators consists of a. front portion 19 and
:e channel-shaped members 20, which are 65
adapted to receive..the edges of the number
plates 13. It will be apparent that if pres-
sure is applied laterally to the number
plates 13, the channel-shaped side members
20 are forced toward each other, and there- 70-
by afford resilient means for maintaining
the number . plates in position. .At their
ends the separators 18 have their front por-
tions 19 cut away so that these ends may
be readily slipped into the guideways 14 at 75
the upper and lower ends of the plates 1.3.
As clearly shown in Fig. 1, the right-hand
plate 21 may contain the name of the State
for which the automobile license number is
issued, the year in which it was issued, or 80
any other similar legends. A removable
abutment slide 22 is inserted in a guideway
23, at the right-hand end of the number-
display deice in order to securely hold the
plates 13 and 21 in position. 85
In assembling the de-ice vrhich I have
just described, the number plate shown at
the left of Fig. 1 is first placed in position
by inserting it at the right-hand end of the
guideways 14. A separator 18 is next 90
placed in position by turning the separator
into an oblique position, placing its cut
away ends in the - guideways 14, and then
turning it into a vertical position.. Subse-
quient plates 13, and the plate 21 and addi- 95
tionia separators 18 are next placed in po-
sition and the entire series of plates is then
forced to the left against the resilient action
of the abutment member 17 and the sepa-
imtors 18, so that the abutment slide 22 'may 100
be inserted in its guideways 23, thereby
holding the entire series. of plates -in posi-
tion so that rattling is effectually prevented
during running - of the automobile. Inas-
much ws the plates 13 and 21 are preferably 105
made of glass, it is important that danger135,144.
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Stafford, Frederick. Plate Retaining Device, patent, April 13, 1915; [Washington D.C.]. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth858905/m1/2/?rotate=270: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.