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Hey everybody, Two or three years ago, I received a postcard from a sign engineer. The front was pretty neat, showing a completely demolished sign, with all the other signs around it were OK. I liked it so much, I put it up. Unfortunately with my ADD, as usual, I can't remember where. It's only important stuff I lose. Ask me where a screwdriver is, and I can tell you before you finish the sentence.
I've got a basic design, but I need help with wind load, etc. Can anyone recommend an affordable engineer. Not cheap, just affordable. It's a design like I've never seen, and there's probably a good reason I haven't seen it. It may not work!
Are these guys usually discrete? I wouldn't want to see the exact design popping up elsewhere. That has happened to me several times. I have the utility patent on one product, and have been ripped off so many times it's not funny. The "funny part" is I have to have my attorney send them a $400 cease and desist letter every time. That hurts really, really bad. I even had one company in Houston copy the exact pictures (I took with my camera) from my customer's website and print on postcards for a countrywide mailout. That took some nerve! When I called the guy he wouldn't speak to me. He put his daddy on the phone, who quickly informed me he was a former fighter pilot. I gave that one to my customer, a big company who owns the marketing rights. Don't know how that one turned out, but since the images came from their website, they handled that one. I don't make gobs of money on this thing, but it certainly goes a long way toward my overhead.
Don't mean to sound like a jerk, but patents and trademarks are expensive and if you don't protect them, they're worthless.
Hope someone can help me.
Thank you, Tim Borden Jasper, AL
speedysigns@hotmail.com
-------------------- Tim Borden Speedy's Signs & Banners Jasper, AL
"World Class Entremanure" Posts: 74 | From: Jasper, AL, USA | Registered: May 1999
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Tim- I use a company out of Knoxville for all engineering. They are about one-third as expensive as the firms here in south Florida- who seem to be of the opinion that any drawing done south of Disney World is worth its weight in gold leaf. They are an engineering firm, not a sign company, so I dont think you need worry about any conflict of interest. Plus, they are licensed professionals and have their own code of conduct to live up to.
Zap me an email and I'll send you their numbers first thing Monday.
Sounds like you may need the services of a patent attorney as well. Use the search button on this site for info- the subject has been discussed at length. j
-------------------- Jay Nichols ALPHABET SOUP
~the large print giveth and the small print taketh away~ Posts: 176 | From: SW Florida | Registered: Mar 2002
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why not ask building permit/code enforcement what the requirments are for a sign that size? the will tell you what the wind load is for that area, how much underground concrete weight you will need to have so the sign dont fall over in a 30 mph wind. this way your with in code, for your sign permit, and they do the math for the engineering.....you kill 2 birds with one call.
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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We have done some pretty outrageous stuff over the years and our unusual structures often require engineering.
The funny thing is most engineers get this real baffled look when I ask them to look at the concept drawings of a new feature we are planning. I quickly calm them by offering to do up preliminary structural drawings and then get their input.
Most often my drawings are simply checked by the engineers and stamped for approval. Foundations and the final sizing of the steel components are most often determined by the engineer.
The regulations often call for one or two inspections for complex structures and the required paperwork as well. But our engineering bill is relatively minor compared to what it might be if we left all the design work to the engineer, and measured in hundreds of dollars instead of thousands.
-dan
-------------------- Dan Sawatzky Imagination Corporation Yarrow, British Columbia dan@imaginationcorporation.com http://www.imaginationcorporation.com
Being a grampa is one of the the most wonderful things in the world!!! Posts: 8738 | From: Yarrow, B.C. Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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OP, this isn't a stationary sign, so that's why I need some engineer type help. Also, we don't even have ANY sign codes or ordinances here, but it's coming. Surprisingly I don't see very many problems with wind here. Only when someone tries to go the cheap way with plexi intead of a pan face. I try to stay away from the big stuff, but occasionally will help a friend here. The two builders/wholesalers in Birmingham WILL NOT give any advice. Apparently a liability thing. They say just bring us what you want, and we'll build it. I bought a couple signs for a buddy last year. He's a Master Case Pocket Knife dealer, and Case gave him exclusive permission to use "Case Knife Outlet". It's a big oval ( I think 5x10) double face with a second rectangular "Knife Outlet" under it. I'd had problems with them before, so I took my buddy to their plant. We went over all the specs, particularly color. Case has one type of maroon they use. Made it very clear this was a translucent sign, with the maroon showing at night. He was real concerned about the paint, because somebody in Birmingham is putting out signs with splotchy backcoating. Gave them the PMS color number, assured everything was all right. Got it up, and it was beautiful. Then that night my buddy called and said "my sign is black". He's a notorious joker, so I thought he was kidding. Drove down and sure 'nuff, it was a black face with the Case letters and outline in white.I called them up, and they said
"PMS 201 has to be opaque. If you had ordered 202, it would have been translucent."
"Why didn't you tell me that?"
"You didn't ask."
It's still a great looking sign at night, just not the color he wanted.
I've done some preliminary patent searching. I think at most I could only get a design patent, but I'll probably go for it IF the thing works.
Jay, I'm about to e-mail you now.
Thanks for the replies!
Tim Borden
-------------------- Tim Borden Speedy's Signs & Banners Jasper, AL
"World Class Entremanure" Posts: 74 | From: Jasper, AL, USA | Registered: May 1999
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if it aint stationary, check with D.O.T. hahahahahahahha
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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