AU782016B2 - Safety rail and post - Google Patents

Description

T. Inl I I riuuioi II Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: SAFETY RAIL AND POST The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: W %DELI LAII\DC4ODELEDAVjD\BORGFORtMS dow 2 SAFETY RAIL AND POST This invention relates to a safety rail and a post for the safety rail and is particularly, although not exclusively, for a safety rail for a horse racing track.

Traditionally, the safety rail of a horse racing track provides a relatively rigid barrier, although ideally it should resiliently accommodate some degree of lateral movement to withstand the forces that may be imposed thereon by a horse and mounted jockey as may occur during the conduct of a race, for example by buffeting from other jockeys and their horses when seeking or maintaining an "inside run". This imposes certain strength requirements on the supporting structure, namely the posts upon which the rail is mounted. Thus the posts traditionally are quite strong, particularly in their lower portions given that the forces on the rail during the normal running of a race will impose a 15 turning moment about the fixed base of the posts. However, there is a problem with the traditional posts in that they constitute a substantially rigid obstacle due to their strength requirement. Thus if a jockey should be thrown or otherwise i come off hisiher mount during a race, he/she may suffer serious injury if thrown onto or should they roll into the posts.

An object of the present invention is to provide a safety rail and a post therefor which reduces the abovementioned problem.

o *Accordingly in a first aspect, the present invention provides a safety rail 25 structure including a longitudinal rail supported by a plurality of posts, the posts being fixable via means at a base end of each post to extend upright from the ground wherein the rail and upper regions of the posts are resiliently flexible laterally to absorb and resist expected impact forces on the rail without the posts becoming unfixed from said means and thus from the ground, and wherein for impact forces imposed laterally on a post below the rail, the posts will unfix from said means and thus the ground.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a post for a safety rail including a fixing arrangement at a base end of the post for fixing the post to extend upright from the ground, the post having an upper end C\Wo54133-0(retyped pges).Ooc for mounting a safety rail thereon, wherein the fixing arrangement includes a coupling structure for detachably attaching the post to a base member of the safety rail which is fixable to the ground for the post to detach from the base member and thus become unfixed from the ground when a sufficient force is applied laterally to the post within a zone which extends part way along the post from its base end, and wherein the post includes a resilient joint or a resilient flexible portion at least adjacent said zone such that for said sufficient force applied above said zone, the upper end of the post will preferentially resiliently move laterally before the post unfixes at its base end.

Thus, the invention, by virtue of the combined presence of a lower detachable coupling part and a relatively higher resiliently flexible region, allows the provision of a post which is able to withstand lateral forces applied to the upper part thereof from a safety rail but which will separate at its lower end if a lateral force of at least the same magnitude is applied lower down on the post, that is within a zone extending upwardly part way along the post from the detachable end. Thus the post will not constitute a substantially rigid obstacle as will more likely than not injure a fallen jockey.

S 20 Preferably, the post is made of a plastics material in which case the resilient flexibility of the post at least in a portion adjacent the zone wherein application of a lateral force will cause the post to detach, is provided by an inherent resiliency of the plastics material of the post. Alternatively, the post may comprise an upper and a lower part which are joined together by a resilient means, for example a tension spring, such that the upper part can resiliently pivot sideways relative to the lower part about the joint.

Preferably, the post is a one piece construction made of a plastics material and is hollow. In this case, the post as a whole may be resiliently flexible due to inherent resiliency of the plastics material. For a plastic post, preferably the fixing arrangement includes a base member for permanent attachment to the ground, and the base member and base end of the post include co-operable coupling means for snap locking the post onto the base member. Thus, the base member may include a recess shaped to receive, in a W \DELILAH\COMPLETESAFETY RAIL AND POST doc snap lock manner, a spigot and flange at the end of the post. In this construction, the spigot and flange provides the detachable end of the post associated with the fixing arrangement.

Alternatively, the post may include fixing means at its base end for fixing the post to the ground and the separable part may be a frangible region of the post adjacent the fixing means. Such a frangible region may be a weakened section due to removal of material from the post or may be produced by moulding a region of reduced cross-sectional area. A frangible region is preferably located such that the base end of the post will not protrude upwardly to any substantial extent such as may still cause injury to a fallen jockey.

The rail may be mountable on a post of the invention in any suitable manner. Preferably, the rail is an extruded plastics section having a shaped profile and the upper end of the post includes a cam member for locking within the section. Such cam lock arrangements per se are known and thus not described in further detail herein. The extruded rail may be provided in lengths which can be joined by short "joiner" sections.

Although the invention primarily relates to a safety rail for a horse race track, it may be used in other applications where resiliency is required at the o, upper portion of the post and separability at the lower portion relative to a substantially equal lateral force applied to either portion. Examples of such other applications include safety barriers along roads, and in respect of the 25 second aspect of the invention, roadway signs such as "stop" and "give-way" signs.

For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how it may be carried into effect, embodiments thereof are shown, by way of non-limiting 30 example only, in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings Fig. 1 illustrates a safety rail structure according to a first embodiment of the invention.

WADELILAHCOMPLETE\SAFETY RAIL AND POST.doc Fig. 2 illustrates a post and a base member of the Fig. 1 structure.

Fig. 3 schematically illustrates a safety rail structure according to a second embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a schematic exploded view of components of the Fig. 3 structure.

A safety rail structure 10 (see Fig. 1) according to a first embodiment of the invention includes a longitudinal rail 12 supported by a plurality of posts 14.

The posts are fixable to the ground in an upright position via base members 16.

The posts 14, rail 12 and base members 16 are made of a plastics material and confer properties on the safety rail 10 as will be described below. The posts 14, which are hollow, are curved inwardly towards a race track, as illustrated at reference 18, towards their upper ends, which upper ends include a cam structure 20. Rail 12 is made of lengths of a flat C section which are assembled on posts 14 by way of cam structures 20 engaging within the flat C section.

Adjacent lengths of the rail 12 sections may be joined together by short joiners 22 which are interferingly insertable into the flat C section rail 12 lengths.

With reference to Fig. 2, the lower end of each hollow post 14 includes a spigot 24 between two flanges 26 (the upper flange) and 28 (the lower flange).

Each base member 16 has a relatively thick central portion which includes a recess 30 from which extends a channel 32 that becomes progressively more shallow as it extends towards the outer periphery of the base member 16.

Channel 32 and recess 30 are shaped such that the end of post 14 can be 25 moved along channel 32 towards recess 30, and recess 30 is shaped complementary to the spigot 24 and lower flange 28 of post 14, such that the .post 14 end will snap-lock into the recess 30, with flange 36 engaging on the oeoo upper surface 36 of base member 16 that surrounds recess 30. Thus the recess 30 channel 32 structure includes inwardly directed resilient corners 38 extending over the channel 32 recess 30 juncture which the spigot 24 on post 14 must snap past to enter the recess 30. The flange 26 spigot 24 flange 28 structure on post 14 is a very tight fit within the complementary recess structure of base member 16, due to their relative sizings and the inherent resilience of the plastics materials used.

W.DELILANHCOMPLETE\SAFETY RAIL AND POSTdoc 6 Base member 16 includes through holes 40 for receiving pins or spikes for fixing base member 16 to the ground. Each base member 16 is fixed to the ground (see Fig. 1) such that channels 32 are angled at approximately 450 to the rail 12 in the direction of travel of horses and jockeys shown by arrow A.

The safety rail structure 10 is such that if the rail 12 is pushed or struck generally laterally of a race direction A, the upper regions of the posts 14 will flex laterally, whilst remaining fixed at their ends 24-28 in base members 16, to absorb and resist the impact and return to their unflexed condition. However if a post 14 is struck from the track side close to the ground, it will eject from base 16 via channel 32 (see arrow B on Fig. Thus, for impacts on the rail 12, the posts 14 resiliently flex laterally without it becoming unfixed from the ground, whereas for impacts on the posts 14 below the rail 12, the posts 14 will unfix from the ground.

A second embodiment (see Figs. 3 and 4 which are not shown to scale) of a safety rail structure 50 comprises similar elements to those of the safety rail of Figs. 1 and 2, except the elements are somewhat differently shaped.

These elements generally function the same as the corresponding elements of S 20 the Figs. 1-2 embodiment. Thus structure 50 includes a longitudinal rail 52 made up of lengths 52a and 52b (see Fig. 4) joined by interference fit joiners 52c. Rail lengths 52 may have a generally rectangular cross-section, which may be slotted (eg. as at 54) so as to be snap assemblable onto locking structures 58 on the top of posts 56. Posts 56 are fixable to the ground at their 25 base ends via a base member 58. The bottom end of post 56 is formed at 60 to snap-lock into a recess 62 on base member 58 which includes a channel 64 for the end 60 to release when the post 56 is impacted generally within a zone which extends part way along its length from its base end 60. Base member 58 includes holes 66 for receiving spikes (not shown) for fixing the base member 58, and thus a post 56, to the ground.

Post 56 is resiliently flexible at least in a region 68, upwardly of where an impact force would cause the post 56 to unfix from base member 58, such that the upper end of the post will preferentially resiliently move laterally before the W:\CEL[LAHCOMPLEE\SAFETY RAtL AND POSTdoc post unfixes at its base end, whereby the rail 52 will absorb and resist impacts from horses. That is, the safety rail structure 50 functions generally the same as the structure 10 of Figs. 1 and 2. However structure 50 may include a web to rigidify the lower portion of the post without compromising the flexibility of its upper region as described in relation to 68. Web 70 and post 56 include complementary connection structures 72 and 74 for the web 70 to be releasably attached to the post 56, and base member 58 includes a channel 76 for receiving the lower edge 78 of web 70. Web 70 is designed to ensure post 56 is retained by base member 58 during lateral impacts on the rail 52, which are absorbed by flexure of the posts 56 above the web 70. However, for impacts for example by a fallen jockey or horse on the post 56 below flexure region 68, connection structures 72 and 74 are designed such that the post 56 will detach from the web 70 as it unfixes from the base member 58, via channel 64.

As with the Figs. 1-2 embodiment, the components 52, 56, 58 and 70 of safety rail structure 50 may be made of a suitable plastics material. For example, the base members 16 or 58 may be blow moulded or injection moulded from a suitable plastics material, the posts 14 or 56 may be blow moulded and the rail lengths 12 or 52 and joiners 22 or 52c may be extruded.

Persons skilled in the art of plastics fabrication will know of suitable plastics :materials having the requisite properties of strength and resilience. Additives to reduce cost and/or add stiffness, and to reduce ultra-violet radiation degradation may be added to the suitable plastics materials.

25 It is to be understood that the accompanying drawings illustrate the principles of the present invention and do not represent the components and their features in the relative sizes or proportions that they may have in a leo• *practical application. Furthermore, particular modifications of note are that the surrounding structure defining recesses 30 or 62 may be particularly strengthened, for example by sizing. Also the channels 32 or 64 may flare S"outwardly towards the outer periphery of the respective base members 16 or 58 to allow a wider angle for a post 14 or 56 to be ejected from a base member 16 or 58.

W:DELILAHCOMPLETEXSAFETY RAIL AND POST.doc 8 The invention described herein is susceptible to variations, modifications and/or additions other than those specifically described and it is to be understood that the invention includes all such variations, modifications and/or additions which fall within the scope of the following claims.

ao W \DELILAHICOMPLETESAFETY RAIL AND POST.doc

Claims (17)

1. A safety rail structure including a longitudinal rail supported by a plurality of posts, the posts being fixable via means at a base end of each post to extend upright from the ground wherein the rail and upper regions of the posts are resiliently flexible laterally to absorb and resist expected impact forces on the rail without the posts becoming unfixed from said means and thus from the ground, and wherein for impact forces imposed laterally on a post below the rail, the posts will unfix from said means and thus the ground.

2. A safety rail structure as claimed in claim 1, said means including a base member for each post, each of which is fixable to the ground, each post being detachably retained by a base member, wherein for said impact forces imposed on a post below the rail said post will detach from its base member 15 thereby unfixing from the ground.

3. A safety rail structure as claimed in claim 2 wherein each base member and each post include co-operable coupling means for snap locking i: the post onto the base member.

4. A safety rail structure as claimed in claim 3 wherein each base member includes a recess shaped to receive, in a snap lock manner, a spigot S,"and flange at the end of each post.

5. A safety rail structure as claimed in claim 4 wherein the recess of each base member includes a channel extending outwardly therefrom towards an edge of the base member, whereby the end of a post on detaching from the base member moves along said channel.

6. A safety rail structure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to wherein each post and the longitudinal rail include complementary means for attaching the rail to the posts. C:Work\54133-O1(retYPed pages) doc

7. A safety rail structure as claimed in claim 6 wherein said complementary means comprise a cam on each post for locking into a groove in the rail.

8. A safety rail structure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the longitudinal rail is formed from discrete rail lengths which are joined together.

9. A safety rail structure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the longitudinal rail and the posts are formed from a resilient plastics material.

A safety rail structure as claimed in claim 9 as appended through claim 2 wherein each base member is formed from a resilient plastics material.

11. A safety rail structure as claimed in claim 10 wherein each post and each base member includes a detachable web for rigidifying a lower portion of each post. 20

12. A post for a safety rail as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, *wherein the post includes a fixing arrangement at a base end of the post for fixing the post to extend upright from the ground, the post having an upper end S• for mounting a safety rail thereon, wherein the fixing arrangement includes a coupling structure for detachably attaching the post to a base member of the safety rail which is fixable to the ground for the post to detach from the base member and thus become unfixed from the ground when a sufficient force is applied laterally to the post within a zone which extends part way along the post from its base end, and wherein the post includes a resilient joint or a resilient flexible portion at least adjacent said zone such that for said sufficient force applied above said zone, the upper end of the post will preferentially resiliently move laterally before the post unfixes at its base end.

13. A post as claimed in claim 12 wherein the post is formed from a resilient plastics material and thus contains a said resilient flexible portion. C\Wortk%133*01(relypea pages) doc 11

14. A post as claimed in claim 13 wherein the detachable coupling structure is a spigot and flange which is snap-lockable into a complementary recess in a base member.

15. A post as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 14 wherein the upper end of the post includes a cam for wedging within a recess of a safety rail.

16. A safety rail substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the Figures.

17. A post for a safety rail substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the Figures. DATED: 5 May 2005 15 PHILLIPS ORMONDE FITZPATRICK Attorneys for: RAYMOND BORG *•go oooo* *oooo C:\Work54133-01(retyped pages) doc