US3330247A

US3330247A - Fastener for warning flag

Info

Publication number: US3330247A
Application number: US401348A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ralph R Gunderson
Original assignee: VARI PRODUCTS CO
Current assignee: VARI PRODUCTS CO; VARI-PRODUCTS Co
Priority date: 1964-10-05
Filing date: 1964-10-05
Publication date: 1967-07-11
Anticipated expiration: 1984-07-11

Description

July 11, 1967 R. R'GUNDERSON FASTENER FOR WARNING FLAG Filed Oct. 5, 3.964

17? de i? 2 0):: $040k 6107049119022 3 m, a4), W 4- 5 W fizaoz'i zega United States Patent 3,330,247 FASTENER FOR WARNING FLAG Ralph R. Gunderson, Vari-Products Co., 330 N. Harding, Chicago, Ill. 60624 Filed Oct. 5, 1964, Ser. No. 401,348 Claims. (Cl. 116-63) This invention relates to retaining devices or fasteners, and more particularly to a spring clip for detachably retaining a warning flag or the like on a staff or similar rod like mounting.

Highway warning signals of the reflector or other types are commonly provided with a separate warning element consisting of a flexible shaft and a red warning flag. Typically, the warning signal has a bracket which is apertured to receive an end of the shaft and the warning flag is provided with a sleeve-like marginal edge portion which is telescoped over the shaft.

Such warning flags, being stationed out in the open on a highway, are frequently subjected to gusts of wind from natural weather conditions or from the rush of passing vehicles. Heretofore, when subjected to such wind gusts, the warning flags frequently have slipped off the relatively smooth surface of the staff and have been blown away, thus failing to perform their warning function. This is especially true where the staff is inclined with respect to the vertical as is the case with many warning signals.

It is therefore a general object of this invention to provide a new and improved fastening device for securing a warning flag on a staff.

A primary object of this invention is to provide an inexpensive fastener for securing a flag to a staff wherein the fastener is provided with means for preventing the accidental withdrawal of the flag from the stafl".

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved detachable fastener for holding a detachable flag on its staff wherein the fastener is provided with means for preventing the fastener from moving longitudinally relative to the staff, and wherein the fastener is further provided with means for impaling a portion of the flag to similarly prevent movement of the flag axially of the flag staff.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved fastener for holding a detachable flag on its staff wherein the fastener is provided with a hook memher for impaling the flag when the staff and flag are rotated relative to each other in one direction and wherein the hook is withdrawn from the flag upon relative rotation of the hook and the flag in the opposite direction.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a typical highway warning signal showing a warning flag in operative position and detachably secured to a staff held by the warning signal;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary broken view of a portion of a typical staff for highway warning flags showing the detachable fastener of this invention positioned on the lower end of the staff in a position to impale the sleeve of a warning flag so as to secure the flag upon the staff;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary broken view of the lower portion of the staff shown in FIGURE 2 with the staff and fastener shown rotated approximately ninety degrees with respect to the position shown inFIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary section view taken through the longitudinal axis of the staff and flag showing the relative positions of the flag and fastener when the fastener and flag are out of engagement with respect to each 3,330,247 Patented July 11, 1967 ice other such as when the flag is being slipped on or withdrawn from the staff; and

FIGURE 5 is a section view taken as indicated on line 5-5 of FIGURE 1 showing the sleeve of the flag telescoped over the staff with the fastener impaled through the flag to hold the flag against longitudinal movement relative to the staff.

Referring now to the drawings, in FIGURE 1 there is shown a well-known highway warning signal 10 comprising a reflector portion 12 which is pivoted to a base member 14 for raising and lowering the reflector portion 12 between an operative reflecting position (shown in FIGURE 1) and an inoperative storage position (not shown). A warning flag 16 is adapted to be mounted on a staff 18, which staff is in turn of a size to be received in an apertured bracket 20, as shown in FIGURE 1, to hold the staff and flag in upright operative position on the warning device 10.

The staff 18 is shown herein as a two-piece member comprising two

rods

22 and 22a joined by a medial member such as an elongated coil spring 24. It is to be understood that the staff 18 may take some other form, such as a one-piece rod or the like. The flag 16 is provided with means enabling it to be assembled with or mounted on the staff 18 so that at least a portion of one marginal edge of the flag lies adjacent to the staff. Preferably, the flag 16 is provided with a sleeve-like marginal edge portion 26 which generally is formed by folding over one edge of the flag and securing the folded edge by a line of stitching such as 26a to form the sleeve-like portion. It is of course, contemplated that other means may be provided whereby the staff and flag can quickly and conveniently be placed in assembled relation.

Heretofore, such a flag would be telescoped over the staff in order to provide a day-time warning fiag for disabled vehicles or the like. However, the wind gusts sustained by passing vehicles as Well as inclement weather conditions, in combination with the inclination of the staff, sometimes has resulted in the disengagement of the flag and the staff, if not the permanent loss of the flag, as it became airborne on the wind currents. Thus, the flag warning function of the device would be dissipated. Loss of the warning flag can be extremely hazardous for the motorist who had placed the warning device at an appropriate distance fore and aft of his vehicle at the side of a highway. The hazard became even more acute in those situations where the disabled car was positioned on a curve or on the crest of a hill, and the flag was placed around the curve or on the upgrade or downgrade side of the hill. In some such instances, the disabled motorist could not know that the flag had blown away, nor could the persons in oncoming vehicles have any warning from the red flag of the disablement ahead. In keeping with the desire to maintain such warning devices at a minimum of cost with a maximum of effectiveness for safety, the inventor has found it desirable to provide a suitable retaining means for holding a detachable flag upon its staff. To this end, the fastener 28 of this invention is provided.

In performing its flag retaining function, the fastener 28 is preferably detachable from the staff 18 and adjust-' able both longitudinally and radially of the staff 18, the fastener being preferably constructed to frictionally engage the staff to hold the fastener 28 in any desired adjusted position. To this end, the fastener 28 comprises two hollow wire coils or

coil portions

34 and 34a each formed of a plurality of convolutions of spring wire which are joined by a spring wire intermediate or connecting portion 35. The diameter of each of the coil portions is such as to provide a central opening which is slightly larger than the diameter of the staff 18 so that the coil portions can be freely received upon the staff 18 when the axes of the staff and coil portions are in substantial alignment.

As indicated in FIGURES 2 and 3, the coil portions 34 and 3411 are sprung apart at the resilient connecting portion 35 so t hat the respective axes of the coil portions are inclined at a slight acute angle with respect to each other and with respect to the axis of the staff. Actually, the

coil portions

34 and 34a when removed from the staff are sprung apart at a greater angle than that indicated in FIGURES 2 and 3 so that the upper and lower ends of each coil portion, when placed upon the staff 18, normally resiliently bear against the lateral surface of the staff 18 so as to frictionally grip the staff 18 and hold the fastener 28 in any desired position of adjustment upon the staff; Thus, the frictional gripping engagement of the fastener 28 with the stafi 18 is such as to permit the fastener to be moved longitudinally of the staff and also to permit the fastener to be turned radially of the staff 18.

As herein shown, a flag engaging means is provided by an upper end portion 36 on the upper coil portion 34, which upper end 36 is arcuately or hook shaped. The upper end portion 36 terminates in a free end portion 38 which is turned down sufficiently to provide a secure engagement with the sleeve portion of the warning flag 16. The upper end portion 36 is offset laterally from the axis of the upper coil portion 34, as shown in FIGURES 3-5, so that rotative clockwise movement of the wire coils about their axes can cause the free end portion 38 to penetrate and engage the cloth material of the flag. Similarly, counterclockwise movement'of the wire coils will disengage the free end portion 38 from the cloth material in the sleeve 26 of the flag 16. The hook shape of the upper end 36 enables the sleeve portion 26 of the flag to be easily pulled downwardly over the fastener 28, and the hook upper end 36 is also of such shape that the sleeve 26 of the flag 16 can be easily pulled from a staff 18 after being disengaged from the upper end portion 36.

A stop means is preferably provided on a staff 18, and as herein shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, the stop means is afforded by the bottom end of the elongated coil spring 24 which makes up the medial portion of the staff 18. It is to be understood that in certain instances, the staff 18 may be provided with other stop means in the form of a shoulder, an annular groove or the like. While the frictional gripping engagement of the coil portions 34' and 34a is under most circumstances adequate to hold the fastener 28 against movement, the stop means prevents the clip and the flag from'moving upwardly on the staff even under strong windy conditions.

In operation, the fastener 28 is first slipped over the bottom end of the staff 18 and slid to a position just below the elongated coil spring 24. The sleeve portion 26 of the flag 16 is then slipped over the staff 18 as illustrated in FIGURE 4 so that the staff is disposed substantially throughout the sleeve length of the flag. The fastener 28 is then caused to be rotated clockwise so that the free end 38 passes through the fabric of the sleeve as shown in FIGURE so as to hook the fabric and retain theflag upon the staff. The free end 38 is disengaged fromthe sleeve of the flag by causing the fastener 28 to be,

rotated counterclockwise relative to the sleeve portion of the flag and then by longitudinally withdrawing the flag V sleeve from the staff.

There is a great need today for structures which promote and enhance highway safety. The flag fastener of this invention provides a relatively simple and inexpensive means of fulfilling this want. The fastener is simple to manufacture, and it is easy to assemble and to use by a motorist disabled on the highway. The fastener positively secures the warning flag to the staff, and it is easy to disassemble and withdraw the warning flag when the need for the warningsignal is dissipated. Additionally, the de- 4 tachable and adjustable fastener easily lends itself to use with most of the present designs of staffs and flags which are used for this purpose, and therefore, no adapters or additional structures are needed to make use of the fastener of this invention.

The foregoing detailed description is given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom for some modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A detachable fastener for retaining a warning flag;

upon a flag staff, comprising: a pair of hollow wirecoils each having a central opening of a size to receive the flag staff; a resilient connecting portion joining the pair of wire coils and holding them generally in end-to-end relation with the axes of the coils being at an angle to each other so that, when the coils are slid into embracing relation with.

the flag staff, the resilient connecting portion yieldingly urges opposite ends of each of the coils'into frictional holding engagement with the flag staff; and means for engaging the warning flag to hold the flag against axial movement on the flag staff. a

2. A detachable fastener for retaining a warning flag upon a'flag staff as specified in claim 1, in which the engaging means is a wire hook on one of the coils, the wire hook having a free end portion for penetrating the warning flag to hold the flag against axial movement on the flag staff.

3.. A detachable fastener for retaining a warning flagupon a flag staff as specified in claim 2, in which the Wire hook is laterally offset from the axis of said one coil whereby rotation of the coils about the staff in one direction will cause the free end portion of the hook to penetrate the warning flag and rotation of the coils in the opposite direction will cause the free end portion towithdraw from the warning flag.

4. A warning signal, comprising: a flag staff; a warn ing flag having a marginal edge shaped to be slida-bly' received upon the upper end portion of said flag staff;

and a detachable fastener mounted on the staff for engaging the marginal edge of the warning flag to hold the flag againstaxial movement on the flag staff, the fastener.

the flag staff, the fastener being provided with a wire hook having a free end portion for penetrating the Warning flag to hold the flag against axial movement on the flag staff.

5. A warning signal as specified in claim 4, in which a a stop is provided on the flag staff to limitupward slidable movement of the fastener upon the flag staff.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 338,356 3/1886 Osborn -248l59 1,319,334 10/1919 Hartung 116 173 2,332,286 10/1943 Winsick '116 173 2,764,830 10/1956 Frey 40-125 2,961,787 11/1960 K168 4o 3,034,242 5/1962 Gold 40-125 3,052,004 9/1962 Wallsheih 24-129 3,063,406 11/1962 Slick 116173 3,106,187 10/1963 Slick -3 116 '173 FOREIGN PATENTS 243,251 4/1960 Australia.

LOUIS I. CAPOZI, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. A DETACHABLE FASTENER FOR RETAINING A WARNING FLAG UPON A FLAG STAFF, COMPRISING: A PAIR OF HOLLOW WIRE COILS EACH HAVING A CENTRAL OPENING OF A SIZE TO RECEIVE THE FLAG STAFF; A RESILIENT CONNECTING PORTION JOINING THE PAIR OF WIRE COILS AND HOLDING THEM GENERALLY IN END-TO-END RELATION WITH THE AXES OF THE COILS BEING AT AN ANGLE TO EACH OTHER SO THAT, WHEN THE COILS ARE SLID INTO EMBRACING RELATION WITH THE FLAG STAFF, THE RESILIENT CONNECTING PORTION YIELDINGLY URGES OPPOSITE ENDS OF EACH OF THE COILS INTO FRICTIONAL HOLDING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE FLAG STAFF; AND MEANS FOR ENGAGING THE WARNING FLAG TO HOLD THE FLAG AGAINST AXIAL MOVEMENT ON THE FLAG STAFF.