WO1998037277A1

WO1998037277A1 - Flexible post structure

Info

Publication number: WO1998037277A1
Application number: PCT/AU1998/000052
Authority: WO
Inventors: Eric Alan Falkenhagen; Lilja Helena Morgonica Rooney
Original assignee: Eric Alan Falkenhagen; Lilja Helena Morgonica Rooney
Priority date: 1997-02-20
Filing date: 1998-02-02
Publication date: 1998-08-27
Also published as: AUPO520797A0

Abstract

A flexible post structure comprising a detachable spring centring post and a ground engaging member, wherein said detachable post and said ground engaging member are inter-connectable.

Description

FLEXIBLE POST STRUCTURE

INNOVATIVE HIGHWAY DELINATION GUIDE POST AND ADVERTISING BOARD.

THE INVENTION IS DESCRIBED IN THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT. THIS INVENTION RELATES TO A NON DESTRUCTIBLE DETACHABLE POST FOR USE IN AND ON BUT NOT LIMITED TO TRAFFIC, OR CROWD CONTROL AND A METHOD OF INSTALLATION TO INCLUDE A DRIVING TOOL AND FITTING DEVICE.

BACKGROUND ART.

NON DESTRUCTIBLE DELINATION POSTS COME IN ALL SHAPES AND CONFIGURATIONS AND ARE USUALLY MANUFACTURED OF A FLEXIBLE AND RESILIENT MATERIALS, SUCH AS POLYPROPYLENE, POLYETHYLENE, AND ALSO ( P.V.C.) AND OTHER SUITABLE PLASTICS.

THESE POSTS HOWEVER MUST BE DISTINGUISHED FROM OTHER DETACHABUϊ POSTS THAT CAN BE DESTROYED, SUCH AS THOSE MADE OF TIMBER OR METAI^ COMMON FORMS OR PRIOR ART NON DESTRUCTIBLE POSTS INCLUDE THOSE BASED ON "WITCHES HATS" A DESIGN WHICH COMPRISES A RELATIVELY LARGE BASE OF HARD RUBBER TO WHICH AN ELONGATED POST IS CONNECTED WHICH RESULTS IN LITTLE DAMAGE TO A MOTOR VEHICLE DUE TO THE FACT THAT SUCH POSTS ARE NOT FE D TO THE GROUND, IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THEM TO BE REMOVED THEREBY DEFEATING THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH THEY WERE INITIALLY PLACED, MORE PERMANENT DETACHABLE POSTS INVOLE THE INSTALLATION OF GROUND SECURING MEMBERS SUCH AS RECESSED RECF.PTΛCLE8 FOR THE INSERTION OF THE DETACHABLE POST OR POSTS WITH HEAVY BASES MAKING THEM DIFFICULT TO REMOVE, SUCH POST8 ARE ALSO EASILY DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR WHEN STRUCK BY Λ MOTOR VEHICLE, MOST PRIOR ART DETACHABLE POSTS ARE USED FOR ONE PURPOSE, SUCH AS Λ TRAFFIC OR CROWD CONTROL BARRIER AND ARE NOT DESIGNED FOR WIDER OR UNIVERSAL APPLICATIONS, THIS OFTFN RESULTS IN A MULTITUDE OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF BARRIERS AND SIGN POSTS IN THE SAME VICINITY WHICH CAN CAUSE CONFUSION AND IS UNSIGHTLY.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION.

IT IS THEREFORE AN OBJECT OF THE INVENTION TO ALLEVIATE TO AT LEAST SOME DEGREE THE ABOVE MENTIONED PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH PRIOR ART DETACHABLE POST'S.

IN THE BROADEST ASPECT THE INVENTION RESIDES IN A DETACHABLE SPRING CENTRING POST AND AGROUND ENGAGING MEMBER, SAID POST AND GROUND ENGAGING MEANS HAVING COMPLEMENTARY MEANS FOR ATTACHMENT OF THE POST TO THE GROUND ENGAGING MEANS. IN ONE PREFERRED ASPECT OF THE INVENTION RESIDES IN A DETACHABLE POST COMPROMISING A SPRING MOUNTED REMOVABLY ATTACHED TO A GROUND ENGAGING MEMBER WHERE IN USED SAID GROUND ENGAGING MEMBER IS INSTALLED IN THE GROUND AND THE SPRING CENTRING DEVISE IS ATTACHED TO THE POST AT A U SECTION ATI ACHED TO THE BOTTOM OF THE POST CAN BE FIXED INTO THE GROUND ENGAGING MEMBER WHEN BOTH POST' AND GROUND ENGAGING MEMBER ARE CONNECTED TOGETHER THE POST IS THEN CAPABLE OF WITHSTANDING REPEATED VEHICLE IMPACTS WITH LITTLE OR NO DAMAGE TO EITHER POST OR MOTOR VEHICLE.

THIS IS ACHIEVED DUE TO TENSION TO THE SPRING, ONCE A COLLISION HAS OCCCURRED THE POST WILL RETURN TO ITS ORIGINAL UPRIGHT POSITION. IN ANOTHER ASPECT OF THE INVENTION RESIDES IN A SI-IDE HAMMER COMPRISING AN INNER EIJONGATED MEMBER AND AN OUTER HOLLOW ELONGATED MEMBER SLIDEABLE OVER SAID INNER ELONGATED SAID INNER HAVING SPECIALLY ADAPTED MEANS AT ONE END FOR REMOVABLE ATTACHMENT TO AGROUND ENGAGING MEMBER INTO THE GROUND.

IN A FURTHER ASPECT THE INVENTION RESIDES IN A METHOD OF INSTALLATION OF A DETACHABLE POST COMPRISING THE FOLIX)WING STEPS :

( 1 ) ATTACHING A GROUND ENGAGING MEMBER TO A SPECIALLY ADAPTED END OF A SLIDE HAMMER.

( 2 ) DRIVING SAID ENGAGING MEMBER TO A DESIRED DEPTH INTO THE GROUND BY OPERATING SAID SLIDE HAMMER.

( 3 ) DETACHING SAID SLIDE HAMMER FROM SAID GROUND ENGAGING MEMBER.

( 4 ) ATTACHING A DETACHABLE POST TO SAID GROUND ENGAGING MEMBER BY WAY OF COMPATIBLE INTERLOCKING MEANS.

( 5 ) IN YET ANO HER ASPECT THE INVENTION RESIDES IN A TOOL FOR REMOVAL OF THE GROUND ENGAGING MEMBER, COMPRISING AN EIJONGATED HANDLE AND A CLAW SHAPED MEMBER HAVING A HEEL WHERE BY IN USE SAID CLAW IS USED TO UPWARDLY PRICE FREE THE GROUND ENGAGING MEMBER T HIS IS ΛCHIFVED BY A ROCKING MOTION EMPLOYING SAID HEEL AS A PIVOT.

IN PREFERENCE THE POST IS OF A UNIVERSAL SHAPE SUCH THAT IT MAY BE USED IN VARIOUS APPLICATIONS SUCH AS A TRAFFIC BARRIER, A STGN POST AND AS A FENCE, SUITABLE THE POST MAY ALSO BE DESIGNED TO INCORPORATE A LIGHT REFLECTIVE PANEL FOR NIGHT TIME APPLICATIONS AND OR MAY HOUSE ELECTRONIC COMPONENTRY FOR ILLUMINATION OR COMMUNICATION PURPOSES, PREFERABLY THE RESILIENT FLEXIBLE POST IS OF A PLASTIC MATERIAL BUT NOT NECESSARILY THE PREFERRED PLASTIC MATERIAL SUCH AS POLYPROPERYLEN, POLYTHYLENE OR POLYVINYLCHLORIDE ( P.V.C. ) WHERE PLASTICS WITH A MOLECULAR MEMORY ARE USED SUCH THAT ANY DEFORMATION CAN BE REPAIRED BY HEAT TREATMENT OR BY OTHER MEANS, IN PREFERENCE THE GROUND ENGAGING MEMBER COMPRISES A SPIKE PORTION FOR DRIVING INTO THE GROUND AT RIGHT ANGLES TO A PLATE MEMBER HAVING THE I IERIJOCKING MEANS, THE INTERLOCKING MEANS IS PREFERABLY A C ¹ SHAPED SECTION.

IN ANOTHER ASPECT OF THE INVENTION RESIDES IN A SPRING EITHER WOUND IN A LEFT HAND SPIRAL OR A RIGHT HAND SPIRAL THUS ALLOWING FOR MOVEMENT IN EITHER DIRECTION ONCE FITTED IN PLACE ATTACHED TO THE POST THE SPRING SHALL HAVE A PIVOT SHAFT ALLOWING FOR A SINGULAR OR A PLURITY OF SPRINGS ATTACHABLY FITTED TO THE POST, A PIVOTAL SHAFT LOCATES AND ATTACHES THE U BRACKET TO THE POST THE SPRING IS PUT IN PLACE BY PASSING THE PIVOTAL SHAFT THROUGH THE CENTRE OF THE SPRING, ONCE THIS IS ACHIEVED TENSION IS AUTOMAΠCALY SET.

ANOTHER ASPECT OF THE INVENTION RESIDES IN A TOOL THAT HAS A HOLE IN ONE END TO ALLOW THE LOWER END OF THE SPRING TO FIT INTO, ONCE THIS IS ACHIEVED TENSION CAN BE APPLIED BY LIFTING IN AN UPWARD MOTION, ALLOWING THE GROUND ENGAGING MEMBER TO BE ADDAPTED BY MEANS OF THE COMPΛTABLE INTERFACES, ONCE IN PLACE THE SPRING TENSION IS RELEASED ALLOWING THE SPRING TO LOCK THE POST UNIT AND GROUND ENGAGING MEMBER TOGETHER.

IN ANOTHER ASPECT OF THE INVENTION RESIDES IN A SPRING WITH A MODULUS OF 10 6 ; 193 TORQUE N/M 19 OUTSIDE A DIAMETER OF 24 M 0 . 25 REVOLUTIONS WIRE SIZE 5 MIL NO OF COILS 7 . 5 A STRESS MPS 1 . 349 BODY LENGTH 42 . 7 CLOSE WOUND WIRE TENSILE 1 . 300 % WIRE TENSILE 119 . 16 THIS MAY VARY DEPENDING ON CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES EMPLOYED AT ANY GIVEN TIME RELATING TO MANUFAC TURE.

IN ANOTHER ASPECT OF THE INVENTION THE POST CAN BE USED AS A MEDIUM TO AD VERTISE ON ANY PART OF THE EXPOSED SURFACE AREA ADVERTISING CAN BE IN MANY FORMS THE LIKE BEING DISTANCE, SERVICES AND ANY OTHER FORMS DEEMED NECESSARY FROM TIME TO TIME, AND WILL BE AN ASSET FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES WHO MAY WISH TO PIΛOE THEIR MARK AU -OWING FOR EASY I-OCΛTION.

Claims

CLAIMS.

(1)

AFEXIABLE A1TATCHΛBLE POST, THAT CAN BE ADDAPTED TO A GROUND

ENGAGING MEMBER.

(2)

A GROUND ENGAGING MEMBER WITH ADDAPTABLE MEANS THAT ARE COMPATABLE

TO THE FLEXIABLE ATTΛTCHABLE POST.

(3)

A SPRING PIVOTALY ADDAPTED AT BASE OF POST.

(4)

A SLIDE HAMMER WITH AN END TO INTERI.OCK WITH COMPATABLE

GROUND ENGAGING MEMBER.

(5)

A MEANS OF REMOVAL TOOL TO REMOVE GROUND ENGAGING MEMBER.

(6)

A TOLL TO REMOVE AND REPLACE TENSION ON SPRING ALLOWING

FOR OPERATION OF COMPATABLE INTERFACES BETWEEN GROUND ENGAGING

MEMBER AND THE POST ATTACHMENT.

(7)

A DETACHABLE COLLΛPSEΛBLE POST WITH A SURFACE AREA FOR

ΛDDΛP'I ING OF SIGNS