GB2358414A - Street furniture - Google Patents

Abstract

The street furniture, e.g. lights, bollards, signs etc., is formed with an upper operative portion 40 which can be secured to a lower base portion, e.g. by nuts and bolts 48, welding or a friction fit.. When being installed, a hole is formed in which the base portion is received and secured prior to the operative portion being subsequently secured to the base portion. The street furniture is also preferably provided with a decorative stainless steel cladding 34 that covers that part of the base portion which is above the ground and a cap 42 which covers the means by which the operative section is secured to the base portion. Any electrical connections 30 within the base are installed after the base portion has been secured in the hole.

Description

2358414 STREET FURNITURE The invention relates to street furniture. In

particular, the invention relates to a method of installing an item of street furniture, for example lighting devices, and to 5 street ftimiture adapted for use in the method.

Street furniture refers to items such as street lights and street signs which are mounted on one or more supports. It is known to install such street furniture, by preparing one or more holes in the ground for receiving the or each support, 'inserting 10 each support into a hole and retaining the support securely within the hole using suitable means, for example, concrete and/or a bitumen compound.

However, a problem with this method is that due to the nature of work/building sites there is a high probability of damage occurring to the street furniture item particularly during the completion and surfacing of the surrounding area.

The present application is concerned with a method of installing an item of street furniture which reduces the probability of damage occurring.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a method of installing an item of street furniture which comprises the steps of providing the item of street furniture with a base member and an operative section, - forming a hole for receiving the base member, - inserting the base member into the hole, - retaining the base member in the hole, and subsequently securing the operative section to the base member.

2 The item of street furniture may be lighting units such as bollards, streetligI oi other such lighting means, or may simply be a street sign.

The base member may be retained in the hole using concrete and/or a bitr jen i The base member may also be secured to a concrete foundation using suitable sed i u n means, for example, bolts.

Preferably, the base member is constructed of galvanised steel.

The operative section may be secured on the base member by means of a A 0 F nuts and bolts. Alternatively, it may be welded in place or form a ffiction fit wi the base when positioned thereon.

Preferably, after the base member has been retained in the hole, any neel 's ar electrical connections for powering the item of street furniture are installed withill. the base member.

In the method of the invention, before securing the operative section to the as, member, the method may also include completing the surface finish of the adcelit pavement or street area in which the street furniture is to be installed.

A decorative cladding may also be applied to a section of the base which i:,!al)ov-. ground level. The cladding is preferably constructed of stainless steel.

Where a decorative cladding is applied to the base, a cap may also be applied I D cover the means for securing the operative section to the base after, the ol)tr,ti-ve section has been secured to the base. Preferably, the cap is constructed of stainles tee According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided an item o Ireet furniture comprising a base member and an operative section characterised in diE t, tie base member is separable from the operative section in use to allow the base menil ri.o be installed prior to attaching the lighting section.

3 The base member and the operative section are preferably as defined above.

A method in accordance with the invention will now be described by way of 5 example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic view of a base member in accordance with the invention retained in a hole; Figure 2 is a schematic view of the base member of Figure 1 showing electrical connections within the base member; Figure 3 is a schematic view of the base member of Figure 3 showing a cladding a decorative cladding applied to the base; and Figure 4 is a schematic view of a lighting device in accordance in accordance with the invention.

Referring to Figure 1, a base member 10 comprises a hollow cylindrical section 12. The hollow cylindrical section 12 has an annular shoulder 14 at one end of the section 12. The other end comprises a plate 16 having one or more apertures 18 (only one is shown) formed therein. The annular shoulder 14 is formed with holes therein (not shown) to receive a retaining means 20. The base member 10 is constructed of galvanised steel.

In the present embodiment, a concrete foundation 22 is laid at the bottom of a hole 24. The foundation 22 is constructed with retaining means 20. The retaining means comprises two bolts 26 retained therein such that a proportion of the bolts 26 extends substantially vertically from an upper surface 28 of the foundation 22.

The base member 10 is retained on the foundation 22 by placing the base member onto the foundation 22 such that the bolts 26 are inserted through the holes in the base 4 member 10. The base member 10 can then be locked in place by means of lockin4 iitsq (not shown). More than two bolts may be used to lock the base member in place.

Once the base member 10 is locked in place, electrical connections 3P I 5 powering the device are installed within the base member 10 as shown in Figure 2J The hole 24 is then filled in. In the present embodiment, the hole has been led in by earth 32. However, the hole may also be filled in by, for example, aggrqlg ite, concrete or bituminous compounds. 10 A decorative stainless steel cladding 34 comprises a cylindrical tube 36, 11 ( f a diameter such that it can fit over the base 10, with an annular shoulder 38 thereon 1' ine end. The cladding 34 is slid over the base 10 until the annular shoulder 38 abuts 0 e top of the base 10 as shown in Figure 3. 15 Referring now to Figure 4, a lighting section 40 comprises an annular baje 42 1 formed with holes therein (not shown) to receive a retaining means and a post 44 -Vkl ich terminates in a lamp 46.

The annular base 42 is attached to the plate 16 of the base 10 by means of bolt, 48 which are inserted through the apertures 18 and the holes formed in the annular baR 42 and locking nuts (not shown), thereby securing the lighting section 40 in 01 e.

Alternatively, the bolts 48 could be formed integrally with the plate 16.

The lamp 46 is also suitably connected to the electrical connections 30 so la to provide electricity to the lamp 46.

Finally, a decorative cap 50 is placed over the means securing the lighting s I ton C to the base 10 as shown in Figure 4. The cap 50 not only hides the securing ws which may be aesthetically unpleasant to the eye but can also act as a mejqI o protection for the securing means, for example, reducing the amount of weathering'. C cap 50 is constructed of stainless steel.

It will be noted, that as the lighting device can be installed in two sections, the more robust base can be installed during periods of construction and the lighting section at a later date when it is less likely to be damaged. Also, by having two separable sections, the lighting section can be replaced at anytime should it become damaged or a change in the style of the lighting section is wanted.

Claims (17)

6 Claims

1 A method of installing an item of street flu-niture which comprises the step,' providing an item of street furniture in the form of a base member and an operati section securable to the base member, forming a hole for receiving the base mernb inserting the base member into the hole, retaining the base member in the hole, a subsequently securing the operative section to the base member.

2. A method of installing an item of street ffirniture according to comprising applying a decorative cladding to a section of the base which is ilc ground level.

3. A method of installing an item of street furniture according to clairn comprising constructing the cladding from stainless steel.

4. A method of installing an item of street furniture according to claim 1, 2 b comprising covering the means for securing the operative section to the base with l c after the operative section has been secured to the base.

5. A method of installing an item of street furniture according to claigin comprising constructing the cap from stainless steel.

6. A method of installing an item of street furniture according to any preceIi claim comprising installing any necessary electrical connections for powering iterns street furniture within the base member after the base member has been retained it 1 hole.

7. A method of installing an item of street furniture according to any precei t claim comprising constructing the base member from galvanised steel.

8. A method of installing an item of street furniture according to any prece claim comprising securing the operative section to the base member by means ofin 7 and bolts or by welding or by forming a friction fit with the base once positioned thereon.

9. An item of street furniture comprising a base member and an operative section, the base member being separable from the operative section in use to allow the base member to be installed prior to attaching the operative section.

10. An item of street furniture according to claim 9 in which a decorative cladding is applied to a section of the base member.

11. An item of street furniture according to claim 10 in which the cladding is constructed of stainless steel.

12. An item of street furniture according to claim 9, 10 or I I in which a cap is applied to cover the means for securing the operative section to the base once the operative section has been secured to the base.

13. An item of street ftuniture according to claim 12 in which the cap is constructed of stainless steel.

14. An item of street ftirniture according to any of claims 9 to 13 in which the base member is constructed of galvanised steel.

15. An item of street furniture according to any of claims 9 to 14 in which the operative section is secured onto the base member by means of a set of nuts and bolts or by welding or by forming a friction fit with the base when positioned thereon.

16. A method of installing an item of street furniture substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

17. An item of street ftu-niture which is constructed and arranged substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.