GB2297341A

GB2297341A - Improvements in or relating to barriers

Info

Publication number: GB2297341A
Application number: GB9601597A
Authority: GB
Inventors: James Harold Cockshutt; John Dawson
Original assignee: Melba Products Ltd
Current assignee: Melba Products Ltd
Priority date: 1995-01-26
Filing date: 1996-01-26
Publication date: 1996-07-31
Anticipated expiration: 2016-01-26
Also published as: GB9601596D0; GB2297342A; GB9601598D0; GB9501559D0; GB2297340A; GB2297340B; GB2297342B; GB2297341B; GB9601597D0

Description

2297341 - 1 IMPROVENFENTS IN OR RELATING TO BARWERS THIS INVENTION relates

to barriers.

According to the invention a barrier assembly comprises spaced uprights connected by a barrier element, each upright having brackets embracing upper and lower edges of the barrier element and secured to the upright and the barrier element.

A top bracket may have an upwardly facing surface to support a lamp.

The lamp and top bracket may have co-operable formations.

The top bracket may be adapted to be selectively positioned in two orientations with respect to the respective barrier element before securement thereto.

The top bracket may comprise two orthogonal slots respectively for receiving an upper edge of a barrier element in one or other of two orientations of the bracket.

Each upright may have a foot, and each bottom bracket may have a downwardly facing surface engaging an upwardly facing surface on the respective foot.

2 Each barrier element may be generally planar and each foot may be movable between an operative position transverse to the barrier element and a transport position generally in the plane.

A top bracket may have a downwardly facing recess receiving an upper end of a respective said upright.

Each upright may extend through a lower bracket. An end or each end of the barrier element may have means for connecting the barrier element to an adjacent said barrier assembly.

The connecting means may comprise a flexible elongate means having an end toggle for location in aperture means in a barrier element of the adjacent assembly.

The barrier element may comprise end caps and the aperture means is in the end cap.

The aperture means may comprise upper and lower apertures.

There may be upper and lower spaced said barrier elements and respective brackets.

The barrier unit or assembly, may have having formation means co-operable with formation means on similar unit for storage. The formations may comprise a rib and a recess.

The invention may be performed in various ways and one specific embodiment with possible modifications will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a barrier; Figs. 2 and 2A are schematic illustrations of stacking; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of part Of two adjacent barriers; Fig. 4 is an underneath plan of a bracket; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of part of Fig. 1.

A barrier assembly or unit 10 for example for use as a hazard warning or traffic (including pedestrian) control device, for example in guarding the flanks of trenches dug during the laying of cables, comprises spaced uprights 11, 12 secured to upper and lower planks or barrier elements 13, 14. The unit 10 is largely formed of plastics.

The uprights 11, 12 are generally similar and have upright tube 15 the lower end of which is received in an aperture 16 in a foot 17 and including an enlarged portion 18 located in a recess 19 in the lower surface 17c of the foot 17 so that the foot 17 cannot move downwards off the tube 15. The portion 18 may be formed by an outer sleeve fixed to the tube 15.

A bracket 20 has a flat surface 21 resting on flat top surface 22 of the foot 17 and has an aperture 23 which receives the tube 15 and an upwardly facing slot 24 which receives and embraces the lower edge 14a of the plank 14. A similar but inverted bracket 20a embraces the upper edge 14b of the plank 14. Rivets or bolts 25 secure together the respective brackets 20, 20a to the plank 14 and the tube 15.

The lower edge 13a of the plank 13 is embraced by bracket 20b and bracket 26 embraces the upper edge 13b. The bracket 20b is the same as bracket 20.

The bracket 26 provides a flat upwardly facing surface 27 and underneath has a boss 28 with recess 29 which receives the top of the tube 15. Straight ribs 30, 31 define slots 30a, 30b with respective flat sides 28a, 28b facing the respective ribs 30, 31. The upper edge 13b is located selectively in slot 30a or 31b (see Figs. 1, 5).

Rivets or bolts 25 extend through a rib 30 or 31 (and bracket 20b), the tube and the plank to secure these parts together.

Each plank 13, 14 is thus secured to each upright at two - locations.

The foot 17 is rotatable on the tube 15 so that in use, Fig. 5, the foot extends transverse to the plane of the planks 13, 14 but for storage or transport the f oot 17 can be rotated (Fig. 1 chain dotted line) to be in the plane of the planks. One side face 17a of the foot 17 has projecting rib 40 and the opposite face 17b has a corresponding recess 41 so that similar units 10 can be stacked (Fig. 2) with rib 40 of one unit received in recess 41 of a lower unit.

The width of the foot 17 is substantially the same as the width of the bracket 26 so that when stacked on a horizontal surface the tubes 15 can be substantially horizontal. This assists in avoiding jumbled piles of barrier units 10.

The uprights 11, 12 can be positioned as desired along the planks.

The upper plank 13 and if desired the lower plank 14 can carry reflective material on one or both upright side faces 43.

A lamp 44 can be mounted on one or both surfaces 27. Normally the two brackets 26 would have different orientations (Figs. 1, 5) so that a lamp would face in different directions on the two brackets 26. Each bracket 26 has an upstanding rib 46 at one edge of the surface 27 which is received in a clip 47 on the lamp to hold the lamp removably in place.

Each plank 13, 14 in the embodiment shown is hollow with internal longitudinal webs defining cells. End caps 50 have extensions 51 removably received in respective cells. The end caps 50 are somewhat flexible and include outer flange 49 and a web 52 defining apertures 53, 54. One end of a cord 55 is secured to each cap 50 and the other end of each cord 55 is secured to a respective toggle 56 which can pass through the apertures 53, 54 to hold loosely together the end caps of adjacent planks (only one cord and toggle shown in Fig. 3).

One end of cord 55 can be knotted and located between extensions 51 and the cord 55 be held in a gap 55a in flange 49. The cord 55 can if desired be located in one aperture in each of the two adjacent end caps.

Each unit 10 is portable and can be carried by a user. The flexible cords 55 allow adjacent units to lie in different planes. The feet 17 in use can be at different levels so that the planks are in use inclined with respect to the horizontal.

The brackets, feet and end caps are robust and slightly flexible so that in the assembly or unit 10 Fig. 1 they act as shock absorbers and provide some protection against damage caused by rough handling of the unit.

Each plank is held to each upright at upper and lower positions.

As shown in the modification Fig. 2A the aperture 16 can be in the centre of the foot and the co-operable formations partcircular ribs 40a and corresponding recesses 41a.

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Claims

1. A barrier assembly comprising spaced uprights connected by a barrier element, each upright having brackets embracing upper and lower edges of the barrier elemenL and secured to the upright and the barrier element.

2. A barrier assembly as claimed in Claim 1, in which a top bracket has an upwardly facing surface for supporting a lamp.

3. A barrier assembly as claimed in Claim 2, including a lamp on the top bracket, the lamp and top bracket having co-operable formations for holding the lamp.

4. A barrier assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, in which a top bracket is adapted to be selectively positioned in two orientations with respect to the barrier element before securement thereto.

5. A barrier assembly as claimed in Claim 4, in which the top bracket has two orthogonal slots respectively for receiving an upper edge of the barrier element in one or other of two orientations of the bracket.

6. A barrier assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, in which each upright has a foot, and each bottom bracket has a downwardly facing surface engaging an upwardly facing surface on the respective foot.

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7. A barrier assembly as claimed in Claim 6, in which the barrier element is generally planar and in which each foot is movable between an operative position transverse to the barrier element and a transport position generally in the plane.

8. A barrier assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, in which a top bracket has a downwardly facing recess receiving an upper end of a respective said upright.

9. A barrier assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, in which each upright extends through a lower bracket.

10. A barrier assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, in which an end of the barrier element has means for connecting the barrier element to an adjacent said barrier assembly.

11. A barrier element as claimed in Claim 10, in which each end of the barrier element has a said connecting means.

12. A barrier assembly as claimed in Claim 10 or Claim 11, in which the connecting means comprises a flexible elongate means having an end toggle for location in aperture means in a barrier element of the adjacent assembly.

13. A barrier assembly as claimed in Claim 12, in which the barrier element comprises end caps and the aperture means is in the end cap.

14. A barrier assembly as claimed in Claim 13, in which the aperture means comprises upper and lower apertures.

15. A barrier assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising spaced upper and lower said barrier elements and respective brackets.

16. A barrier assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figs. 1 to 5, or as modified by Figs. 2A of the accompanying drawings.