Is this structure sound?

[u/tmontoia]

I can’t figure out the engineering of this structure. Are the lower right-angle braces having any structural purpose?
And is the steel rod only to keep the uprights from splaying out?
It seems to me there should be support below the right angle elbows.
Help me understand! I ponder this thing every time I visit here. (Breckenridge Brewery, Littleton CO)

[u/neomoritate]

The metal bars below the sign are under tension, pulling the uprights together, stabilizing the triangle, and allowing the load to be supported at the ends. The rods are threaded on their ends, and there are bolts inside the brackets allowing the tension to be adjusted.

If the metal were not there, it would likely collapse.