GB2263673A - Plastics sleeve for encasing elongate members. - Google Patents

Abstract

A sleeve for a handrail comprises a strip (4) of flexible plastics material of a width (W) substantially equal to the circumference of the elongate member, the inner face of the strip (4) preferably being self-adhesive and the outer face (8) of the strip (4) being embossed and/or indented. The opposed side edges (10, 12) of the strip (4) are shaped to interlock with one another whereby on location of the strip (4) on the elongate member with the self- adhesive face (6) thereof engaging the elongate member, the opposed side edges (10, 12) of the strip (4) define an axial seam to the sleeve. The strip is suitable for use in public service vehicles where a brightly coloured grippable covering is desirable on handrails. <IMAGE>

Description

PLASTIC SLEEVE FOR ENCASING ELONGATE MEMBERS This invention relates to sleeves for encasing rigid elongate members and has particular, though not exclusive, application to sleeves for encasing poles and handrails in buses.

In the United Kingdom there are currently over 250,000 vehicles known as buses which are used on local public transport services. At the present time, there are various specifications being introduced to make public transport more accessible to the disabled and the partially sighted.

One such specification is the provision of poles and handrails which are brightly coloured - light green, yellow and orange - to contrast with the interior of the vehicles, and which are patterned or grooved to increase gripability.

Currently all buses more than 2 years old (which constitute about 99.5% of buses in service) incorporate chrome poles and handrails which are highly polished.

Thus, in order to convert a bus with such poles and handrails to satisfy the new specifications, it is necessary to remove the existing poles and handrails and replace them with new components manufactured in accordance with the required specifications.

Not only is this an expensive exercise, but it necessitates every bus being off the road during the conversion process. Furthermore, the replacement poles and handrails are currently of painted metal with an indented diamond pattern therein and, although visually satisfactory, do not provide a particularly positive grip.

It would be desirable to be able to provide for easier, cheaper conversion of poles and handrails in buses and whereby a more positive grip of said poles and handrails is achieved.

According to the present invention there is provided a sleeve for a rigid elongate member such as a pole or handrail in a bus, the sleeve comprising a strip of flexible plastics material of a width substantially equal to the circumference of said member, one face of the material being adapted for adhesion to the elongate member, preferably by being self-adhesive, and the other face of the material being embossed and/or indented, the opposed side regions of the strip being adapted to co-operate with one another whereby, on location of the sleeve on the elongate member and on adhesion of the one face thereof to said member, said opposed side regions of the strip define an axial seam to the sleeve.

Thus it will be appreciated that such sleeves can easily and quickly be located over the existing poles and handrails in public transport buses to satisfy the necessary requirements, the plastics material of the sleeve being suitably coloured and providing a better grip than painted metal.

Preferably the opposed side regions of the strip are shaped to overlap and/or interlock with one another on location of the sleeve on the elongate member, said opposed side regions being heat sealed or glued together to effect a smooth axial seam to the sleeve.

Prior to location on the elongate member, the sleeve may comprise a flat length of material for folding around the associated elongate member, or may be of substantially C-shape in transverse section for snapping over the associated elongate member.

In one embodiment of the invention, the sleeve comprises a plurality of said strips of flexible plastics material axially aligned with one another, the opposed top and bottom regions of each strip being shaped such that, for each pair of adjacent strips and on location of the sleeve on the elongate member, the top region of one strip co-operates with the bottom region of the adjacent strip to define a circumferential seam to the sleeve.

By way of example only, an embodiment of the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Fig. 1 is a cross-section through a pole to be encased by the sleeve of the invention; Fig. 2 is a cross-section through a sleeve according to the invention prior to application to the pole of Fig.

1; Fig. 3 is a cross-section through the sleeve of Fig. 2 applied to the pole of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a front view of the sleeve of Fig. 2 prior to bending.

Referring to the drawings, the illustrated sleeve is adapted to encase an elongate chromium pole shown at 2 in Fig. 1, the sleeve comprising plurality of strips 4 of flexible plastics material the width of which as shown on Fig. 4 being equal to the circumference of the pole 2, and each strip being typically of the order of 8 inches long.

The inner face 6 of each strip 4 is self-adhesive and the outer face 8 of each strip 4 is indented or embossed with a diamond, square or similar pattern.

The opposed elongate side edges 10,12 of the strip 4 are mutually configured to overlap and interlock with one another on application of the sleeve to the pole 2 as best seen in Figs. 2 and 3, while the opposed top and bottom edges respectively of each strip 4 are also mutually configured whereby the top edge of one strip 4 will overlap and interlock with the bottom edge of an adjacent strip 4 on application of said strips to the pole 2.

More particularly the rear of the top edge region of the strip 4 is recessed to define a transverse flange 14 of reduced thickness except for a central rectangular region 16.

Similarly the front of the bottom edge region of the strip 4 is recessed to define a transverse flange 18 of reduced thickness in which is formed a central rectangular slot 20 axially aligned with the region 16 of the flange 14.

Initially the individual strips of material 4 are each injected moulded in flat form, said strips each then being pre-formed into the substantially C-shape shown in Fig. 2.

Thus, when encasing a pole or handrail, a plurality of strips of material 4 sufficient in number to constitute the length of the desired sleeve are taken, and each strip 4 in turn is located over the pole or handrail whereby the selfadhesive inner face 6 thereof sticks to the pole or handrail and the opposed side edges 10,12 of the strip 4 are snapped together, The flanges 14,18 of adjacent strips 4 are positioned to overlap one another, the location of the region 16 of the upper edge of one strip 4 within the slot 20 in the flange 18 of the lower edge of the adjacent strip 4 ensuring alignment of the axial seams of said strips 4. . If the length of the sleeve is not an exact multiple of the length of the strips 4, the upper or lower strip can be trimmed accordingly. The axial seals between the side edges 10,12 of each strip 4 and the circumferential seals between the top and bottom flanges 14,18 of adjacent strips d are then effected either by heat sealing or glue to provide a smooth finish to the sleeve.

The plastics material of the sleeve is of a bright colour to satisfy official requirements, while the indented or embossed outer face 8 of the sleeve provides a positive grip on the pole or handrail to the user. The selfadhesive inner face 6 of the sleeve prevents the sleeve slipping down the pole under constant use, while clearly part only of a pole or handrail may be encased. Thus the described sleeve enables an entire fleet of buses to be converted to satisfy official requirements at a fraction of the cost and in a fraction of the time associated with replacing the poles and handrails as mentioned above and whereby public transport can readily be made more accessible to the disabled and the partially sighted.

In certain circumstances it may be preferable or necessary to utilise strips 4 the inner faces 6 of which are not self-adhesive, and to use a separate adhesive, applied either to the inner face 6 of each strip or to the outer face of the pole 2, to secure the sleeve to the pole.

Although described in relation to public transport, the sleeve of the invention has other applications where it is desirable to encase a pole or post - for example in disabled toilets, hospitals and the like.

Claims (8)

1. A sleeve for a rigid elongate member comprising a strip of flexible plastics material of a width substantially equal to the circumference of said member, one face of the material being adapted for adhesion to the elongate member and the other face of the material being embossed and/or indented, the opposed side regions of the strip being adapted to co-operate with one another whereby, on location of the sleeve on the elongate member and on adhesion of the one face thereof to said member, said opposed side regions of the strip define an axial seam to the sleeve.

2. A sleeve as claimed in claim 1 in which the one face of the material is self-adhesive.

3. A sleeve as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which the opposed side regions of the strip are shaped to overlap and/or interlock with one another on location of the sleeve on the elongate member, said opposed side regions of the strip being heat sealed or glued together to effect a smooth axial seam to the sleeve.

4. A sleeve as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 in which, prior to location on the elongate member, the sleeve comprises a flat length of material for folding around the associated elongate member.

5. A sleeve as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 in which, prior to location on the elongate member, the sleeve is of substantially C-shape in transverse section for snapping over the associated elongate member.

6. A sleeve as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 and comprising a plurality of said strips of flexible plastics material axially aligned with one another, the opposed top and bottom regions of each strip being shaped such that, for each pair of adjacent strips and on location of the sleeve on the elongate member, the top region of one strip co-operates with the bottom region of the adjacent strip to define a circumferential seamto the sleeve.

7. A sleeve as claimed in claim 6 in which the opposed top and bottom regions of adjacent strips are shaped to interlock and/or overlap with one another on location of the sleeve on the elongate member, said opposed top and bottom regions being heat sealed or glued together to effect smooth circumferential seals to the sleeve.

8. A sleeve for a rigid elongate member substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.