US1294032A - Supporting element for flags. - Google Patents

Description

1, G. BIXBY.

SUPORTING ELEMENT FOR FLAGS.

AP PLIC'AT|0N FILED MAY 7. 1917.

Patented Feb. 11, 1919.

JOSEPH GnzBIXBY, 0F LINCOLN, ILLINOIS.

SUPPORTING ELEMENT FOB, FLAGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 11, 191e.

Application 1aed May 7, 1917. serii No. 166,798.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOSEPH G. BIXBY, a citizen of the United States, a resident of Lincoln, in the county of Logan and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Supporting Elements for Flags, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to means applied to flags for decorative purposes, whereby flags may be displayed in an attractive manner, unfurled and with the appearance of being whipped by the breeze, or straight out as in a stiff breeze, or with the flag having the appearance of being blown upward as from an undercurrent of air, or, as is sometimes the case, partly wrapped around the staff.

The invention consists essentially of a supporting element, preferably of soft wire, serving as a binder for the selvage edges of the flag which is adapted to be bent into any desired shape, thus making it possible to make an entire change in a decorative scheme with the same set of liags.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side view of a flag showing my flexible supporting element applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a cross-section as the same would appear if taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an edge View looking down on the flag;

Fig. 4 is a view of the supporting element, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective of the manner of securing the supporting element to the selvage ofthe flag, and also to the sta'.

Like characters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the figures.

The Hag is designated 1, attached in the usual manner to a Hag sta' 2.

3 designates a supporting element, preferably of soft wire, or equivalent material, the same bent into the form shown. and having the spaced parallel portions 4 and 5 and the connected end portion 6. The ends of the element are preferably connected to the staff 2 by being coiled, as at 7, about the same.

To connect the element 8 to the flag fabric,

the upper and lower selvage edges 8 and 9 of said flag are turned over the portions 4 and 5 of said element and pasted or otherwise suitably secured to its body, as shown in Fig. l. Turning over the selvage edges as shown, leaves the extended upper and lower parts 10 and l1 of the body of the flag to be secured about the stafl1 2, and I preferably coil the ends of the element about these portions, as shown in Figs. l and 5.

I prefer to have the end portion 6 of said element merely cross the outer portion of the Hag, near the edge, without overlapping l said edge, leaving it free and making it possible to have it fringed, if desired.

It is obvious from the foregoing that the portions 4 and 5 of the element 3 may be left straight holding the body of the flag from the staff and giving it the appearance, as if in a stiff breeze; or the portions 4 and 5 of said element 3 may be bent somewhat as shown in Fig. 4 to show the flagin an attractive manner, unfurled, and with the appearance of being whipped by the breeze.

The use of flags for indoor decorations is universal, and the limp nature of flags made from cloth does not allow of the full beauty of flag decoration without much labor in draping, but with a supporting element of the character described, the flags may be displayed in the most attractive. manner with very little trouble.

What I claim is l. A supporting element for a flag having portions to stilfen the upper and lower selvage edges thereof and secured thereto, and also having a connecting end portion crossing the flag adjacent it-s free selvage.

2. A supporting element for a flag having portions to stiften the upper and lower selvage edges thereof, and also having a transverse connected portion crossing the body of the flag, the upper and lower selvage edges of said flag overlapping said element, a staff, the ends of said element being connected to said staff.`

3. In combination, a flag staff, a flag attached thereto, a supporting element for said flag comprising a piece of soft wire bent into form to provide stilfening means for the upper and lower selvage edges of said Hag, and crossing the body thereof ad- 4. A supporting element for a Hag, comjaoent the front selvage edge, the ends of prising a piece of soft Wire having spaced said Wire connected to said staff, and the parallel portions and an end piece, said upper and lovver selvage edges of said flag spaced parallel portions bent to have a 10 5 overlapping the sti'ening portions of said wavy appearance. A

Wire. JOSEPH G. BIXBY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for nve cents each, by addressing `the "Commissioner of Patents,

Wuhinatnn, D. 6."

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