AU2007229414B2 - A ground socket for supporting a post - Google Patents

Abstract

An adapter for supporting a post of varying size is disclosed. The adaptor includes a plurality of nesting supports each having an opening within which a successively smaller sized nesting support is able to locate and a base 5 support having a plurality of support means stepping downwardly and reducing in size front one support means to the next to receive an end of the post of varying size to locate a lower end of the post at a correspondingly sized support means. The adaptor further includes holding means for holding the largest nesting support and the successively smaller sized nesting 10 supports above the base support, wherein in use a post of varying size is supported by a nesting support having an opening selected to substantially match the post to support the post at two spaced apart locations. -- ,, 24 -12 18 4)16 Fig1 Fig2

Description

Regulation 3.2 AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT ORIGINAL Name of Applicant: Hills Industries Limited Actual Inventors: Tirnothy Hooper Peter Adams Address for Service: C/- MADDERNS, 1st Floor, 64 Hindnarsh Square, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia Invention title: A GROUND SOCKET FOR SUPPORTING A POST Details of Associated Provisional Application No: 2006905823 dated 20 October 2006 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us.

PRIORITY The present application for patent claims priority from 'Australian Provisional Patent Application No. 2006905823 entitled "A Ground Socket for Supporting a Post" filed 20 October 2006, which is hereby incorporated by reference 5 herein in its entirety. FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a ground socket, and in particular an adaptor for a ground socket capable of being adjusted to hold different diameter posts. 10 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Ground sockets are often used for vertically supporting household articles such as clothes lines. The ground socket enables the clothes line to be removed when not in use. 15 It is an object of the present invention to provide a means of adapting such ground sockets to hold other articles, particularly articles which have support posts of varying size that are smaller by comparison to the internal diameter of the ground socket. 20 For example, it would be convenient to use the ground socket to support an umbrella. However, the smaller diameter of umbrella posts mean that the umbrella is not vertically supported within the ground socket and can therefore move in the socket so that it will be readily moved by wind. 25 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one aspect the present invention accordingly provides an adapter for supporting a post of varying size including: a plurality of nesting supports each having an opening within which a 30 successively smaller sized nesting support is able to locate; 2 a base support having a plurality of support means stepping downwardly and reducing in size from one support means to the next to receive an end of the post of varying size to locate a lower end of the post at a correspondingly sized support means, and 5 holding means for holding the largest nesting support and the successively smaller sized nesting supports above the base support, wherein in use a post of varying size is supported by a nesting support having an opening selected to substantially match the post to support the post at two spaced apart locations. 10 Preferably, the shape of the opening of the plurality of nesting supports substantially matches a cross-sectional shape of the post Preferably, the shape of the plurality of support means substantially matches 15 the cross-sectional shape of the post. Preferably, the base support has a plurality of reducing diameters to provide a number of different diameters for location of the end of the post. 20 Preferably, the plurality of nesting supports have circular openings. Preferably, the plurality of nesting supports are tubular and each nesting support has an external size and shape that substantially matches the internal size and shape of the next largest support to enable nesting of the plurality of 25 nesting supports. Preferably, the plurality of nesting supports are cylindrical and each nesting support has an external diameter that matches the internal diameter of the next largest support. 30 3 Preferably, the plurality of nesting supports include releasable holding means to releasably hold together the plurality of nesting supports. Preferably, a largest sized nesting support of the plurality of nesting support 5 includes releasable securing means to releasably secure the largest sized nesting support to the holding means. Preferably, the plurality of nesting supports are located within the holding means. 10 Preferably, the adaptor further includes an assembly which itself locates within an existing ground socket for another article. Preferably, the existing ground socket is a clothes line ground socket 15 operative to receive a central support of a clothes line. Preferably, the adaptor further includes a locking collar to secure the adaptor to the existing ground socket 20 In order to understand the invention, the preferred embodiment will now be described. However it should be realised that the invention is not to be confined or restricted to the precise details or features of this embodiment Variations that would be apparent to a person skilled in the art are deemed to be within the scope of the invention. 25 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be discussed with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: FIGURE 1 shows an assembled perspective view of an adaptor in accordance 30 with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 4 FIGURE 2 shows an exploded perspective view of the components of the adaptor illustrated in Figure 1; FIGURES 3 and 4 show front cross-section views of the adaptor illustrated in Figure 1 located in an existing ground socket; and 5 FIGURE 5 shows a front perspective cross-section view of the adaptor assembly illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 In the following description, like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings. 10 DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Figure 1 shows the adaptor 10 which in this preferred embodiment includes a plurality of nesting supports 11, a base support 12, a tube or holding means 13 and a locking collar 14. 15 The base support 12 is a moulded plastic component that has a spigot 16 that locates within the lower end of the tube 13. A pair of sprung tabs 17 engages within apertures 18 in the end of the tube 13 to releasably secure the tube 13 and base support 12 together. 20 The largest diameter nesting support 19 locates within the upper end of the tube 13 Each of the individual nesting supports 11 are provided with a resilient tab 20 with the resilient tab 20 of the largest diameter nesting support 19 locating within an aperture 21 within the tube 13. The tabs 20 of the 25 remaining nesting supports 11 locate into a suitably shaped recess (not shown) located at the lower edge 27 of an adjacent nesting support 11 to hold it firmly in position, thereby providing releasable holding means to hold together the plurality of nesting supports 11. 30 The locking collar 14 slides freely on the tube 13 and, as best seen in Figures 3 to 5, engages with ground socket 23. The base support 12 is provided with a 5 pair of flanges 24 with the end of each of the flanges 24 abutting against the locking collar 14 to thereby prevent disengagement of the adaptor 10 from the ground socket 23, 5 As seen in Figures 3 to 5, the base support 12 is provided with a series of reducing steps 25 functioning as plurality of support means that start at an uppermost largest diameter step 40 and gradually step down to a smallest diameter step 41. 10 In use, a number of the nesting supports 11. can be removed so that the resultant diameter matches the post 26 that is to be inserted therein. The post 26 is inserted through the top opening 42 of nesting support 11 with the lower end 30 of the post 26 locating within the appropriate diameter step 25 within the base support 12. As can be seen in Figures 3 to 5 where use of the smallest 15 diameter nesting support 11 is illustrated, the post 26 is then supported and located at both its lower end 30 in the appropriate diameter step 25 and at an upper portion 31 by the nesting supports 11. In this manner, post 26 is centrally supported at two spaced apart locations along the post 26. 20 In this preferred embodiment, the openings 42 of the nesting supports 11 are circular in shape to match the cross-sectional shape of post 26 to provide minimal clearance. Furthermore, the reducing steps 25 of base support 12 are also circular in shape to receive and locate the lower end 30 of post 26. This principle can be extended to other cross-sectional shapes of the post whereby 25 the shape of the openings 42 and/or reducing steps 25 are adapted to match sectional profile of the corresponding post. However, as would be apparent to those skilled in the art, it is not necessary for the shape of either the openings 42 and/or the reducing steps 25 to exactly match or be of the same cross section as the post 26 as for example, a suitably sized square shaped opening 30 42 and/or square shaped reducing steps 25 will also function to support the post 26 which has a circular cross-section. 6 As can be seen from the above description, the invention provides a means of allowing a post 26 to be firmly supported within a ground socket 23 which is 5 of a considerably larger diameter than the post 26. Accordingly, the adaptor 10 can be used in existing ground sockets (for example a ground socket typically employed to receive a central support of a clothes line) to support other articles having varying size posts such as umbrellas and the like. 10 Although a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in the foregoing detailed description, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiment disclosed, but is capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications and substitutions without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth and defined by the following 15 claims. 7

Claims (14)

1. An adapter for supporting a post of varying size including: a plurality of nesting supports each having an opening within which a successively smaller sized nesting support is able to locate; 5 a base support having a plurality of support means stepping downwardly and reducing in size from one support means to the next to receive an end of the post of varying size to locate a lower end of the post at a correspondingly sized support means, and holding means for holding the largest nesting support and the 10 successively smaller sized nesting supports above the base support, wherein in use a post of varying size is supported by a nesting support having an opening selected to substantially match the post to support the post at two spaced apart locations.

2. The adaptor as claimed in claim 1 wherein the shape of the opening of 15 the plurality of nesting supports substantially matches a cross-sectional shape of the post.

3. The adaptor as claimed in claim 2, wherein the shape of the plurality of support means substantially matches the cross-sectional shape of the post.

4. The adaptor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the 20 base support has a plurality of reducing diameters to provide a number of different diameters for location of the end of the post.

5. The adaptor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the plurality of nesting supports have circular openings.

6. The adaptor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the 25 plurality of nesting supports are tubular and wherein each nesting support has an external size and shape that substantially matches the internal size and 8 shape of the next largest support to enable nesting of the plurality of nesting supports.

7. The adaptor as claimed in claim 6, wherein the plurality of nesting supports are cylindrical and wherein each nesting support has an external 5 diameter that matches the internal diameter of the next largest support.

8. The adaptor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the plurality of nesting supports include releasable holding means to releasably hold together the plurality of nesting supports.

9. The adaptor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein a 10 largest sized nesting support of the plurality of nesting support includes releasable securing means to releasably secure the largest sized nesting support to the holding means.

10. The adaptor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the plurality of nesting supports are located within the holding means. 15

11. The adaptor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further including an assembly which itself locates within an existing ground socket for another article.

12. The adaptor as claimed in claim 11, wherein the existing ground socket is a clothes line ground socket operative to receive a central support of a 20 clothes line.

13. The adaptor as claimed in claim 11 or 12, further including a locking collar to secure the adaptor to the existing ground socket.

14. An adaptor for supporting a post substantially in accordance with any one of the embodiments of the invention described herein and illustrated in 25 the accompanying drawings. 9