EP0560539A1

EP0560539A1 - A barrier system

Info

Publication number: EP0560539A1
Application number: EP93301658A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Francis Ignatius Bradley
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1992-03-10
Filing date: 1993-03-04
Publication date: 1993-09-15
Also published as: GB9205162D0; GB2264968B; GB2264968A

Abstract

A barrier system is formed with an array of barrier posts (1) comprising road cones (2) and bases (4) and carried by each of which barrier posts (1) is a rail locator (6) or (16) for carrying barrier rails (7). The rails (7) are coupled together by being received in a slot (11) of the locator (6) or (16) and the latter offsets the rails outwardly from the cone (2) so that the base (4) of the cone is substantially unobtrusive beyond the rails (7). The rail locator (6) or (16) may be modified to couple the rails together as a corner or T-junction and can include a hazard warning lamp. The barrier posts (1) may be stacked as a vertical column with integral rail locators (16).

The invention is beneficial for visually handicapped persons who are guided by the rails (7) clear of the road cone bases (4).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to barrier systems of the kind comprising a spaced array of free-standing posts which carry rails extending therebetween and which may be erected quickly, simply and inexpensively to provide what is generally regarded as a temporary barrier.

BACKGROUND ART

Such barrier systems are well known to indicate safe paths and to indicate hazardous regions, typically at building sites, civil engineering and road works and the like. Barrier systems are also known which simply employ an array of adjacently disposed free upstanding posts which may be sufficiently close together to alleviate the requirement for inter-connecting rails.
In the structure of barrier systems of the aforementioned kind, the free standing barrier post is conventionally formed by a post part upstanding from a relatively broad base on which the barrier post stands. Typically, the post part is formed as a plastics moulded cone secured to a relatively broad circular or rectangular base which may also be of plastics or of rubber. While the barrier posts provide a clear indication of pathways, hazardous regions and "no-go areas", the broad bases as aforementioned are themselves found to be a hazard (particularly by visually handicapped persons, users of wheelchairs, pushchairs and the like and generally in poor lighting) by virtue of their necessary projection to provide a stable base for a relatively narrow post part. It is an object of the present invention to provide a barrier system by which the aforementioned hazard presented by relatively broad based free standing barrier posts is alleviated in an efficient, relatively simple and inexpensive manner which may be aesthetically and environmentally acceptable.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION & ADVANTAGES

According to the present invention there is provided a barrier system comprising a free standing barrier post having a post part upstanding from a relatively broad base, rail locating means carried by the barrier post and a rail, carried at least in part by the rail locating means; characterised in that the rail locating means carries the rail offset from the post part towards the outermost peripheral edge of the base.
By use of the system in accordance with the present invention it is envisaged that several free standing barrier posts will be disposed as a spaced array with their broad bases standing stably on a floor and rails will extend longitudinally between the adjacent posts with such rails being carried by the rail locating means which are attached to the respective barrier posts. These rail locating means will carry the rails offset from the respective post parts towards the outer peripheral edges of the respective broad bases. Preferably the rails will directly overlie the outer peripheral edges of the respective bases. It is possible, however, for the rail locating means to extend outwardly from the post part beyond the broad base of the barrier post to which it is attached so that the rail carried thereby is offset clear of the base to directly overlie the floor (provided that such displacement is unlikely to prejudice the stability of the barrier system).
With this arrangement, persons following the successive rails on the side remote from the post parts are directed clear of the horizontal protrusions presented by the barrier post bases so that such protrusions should no longer present a hazard. The rails may be carried by the rail locating means at any height on the barrier post and indeed the barrier post may have attached thereto two or more rail locating means for carrying rails at different heights. Often the, or a, rail locating means will be attached to the barrier post to carry a rail which extends horizontally relatively close to the floor surface, say at a height from the floor of approximately 15 centimetres, to provide a so-called blind rail which may be sensed through a stick carried by a visually handicapped person. The offsetting of the rail in the system of the present invention is, of course, advantageous generally in so far as persons coming into contact with, or sensing the general presence of, the rail are naturally guided along a path which should maintain them clear of obstructions presented by the bases of the barrier posts. With this in mind it is preferred that the base is substantially unobtrusive horizontally from the side of the rail remote from the post part beyond a notional vertical planar region which includes the rail and the rail locating means.
Preferably, the rail has a flat face which is presented substantially vertically on the side of the rail remote from the post part and the base is substantially unobtrusive horizontally beyond the notional vertical plane which includes the aforementioned vertical face of the rail. Generally the aforementioned vertical face of the rail on the side of the rail remote from the post part will coincide, approximately, with the outermost peripheral edge of the base.
For simplicity in erecting the barrier system it is desirable that the rail and rail locating means can be connected together by a simple coupling, preferably they co-operate in tongue and groove relationship. This co-operation may be provided by an upwardly directed slot in the rail locating means receiving part length of the rail or by a downwardly directed slot in the rail receiving an upwardly directed tongue of the rail locating means. Furthermore, the rail locating means may provide the coupling for adjacent ends of two rails both of which are carried in part by the rail locating means. This coupling may connect the rails sothattwo rails extend substantially rectilinearly from each other; it may connect the rails in the formation of a corner between two rails (typically where one rail extends longitudinally at 90° relative to the other rail), or it may connect two or three rails in the formation of a "T" junction between the rails.
Again, for simplicity in erecting the barrier system, the rail locating means preferably has a collar, sleeve or cap within which the post part of the barrier post is received for attaching the rail locating means to the barrier post. Preferably, the collar sleeve or cap will have a circular opening to be received as an interference fit on the post part which is usually of circular section. This collar, sleeve or cap may be adjustable in its opening size to enable it to be received on different sized barrier posts or at different heights on a tapering post part. It is also possible for the locating means to extend outwardly from the post part and beyond the outermost peripheral edge of the base to be supported, at least in part, directly by the floor surface on which the barrier post stands.
Alternatively, the rail locating means may be carried by the base of the barrier post, for example the rail locating means may be integral with and upstanding from the base at or adjacent to the outermost marginal peripheral edge of the base. preferably this rail locating means will have an upstanding outer wall, remote from the post part, which coincides with the peripheral edge of the base. To assist in the storage of the barrier system having a rail locating means integrally formed with the base, the rail locating means will usually be hollow and open in the underside of the base so that two similar bases can be stacked vertically one on another with the rail locating means of the underlying base being at least partly received within the hollow of the rail locating means of the overlying base. To effect this stacking, the rail locating means may taper for its walls to converge as it extends upwardly from the base and have a cavity therein with a mouth opening to the underside of the base so that when two similar bases are stacked one upon another the tapering rail locating means of the underlying base may be received within the cavity of the rail locating means of the overlying base.
Conveniently, the rail locating means includes warning lamp or a lamp holder therefore which may simply comprise a socket within which a warning lamp is received. The lamp holder may be located as convenient and appropriate on the rail locating means but where such means provides a coupling for the ends of two rails as previously discussed, it is preferred that the lamp holder is located between the adjacent ends of the two rails which are coupled together.
Preferably, the rail locating means is formed as a relatively inexpensive one piece moulding (usually in plastics) and, where applicable, this may be moulded integral with the base.
Furthermore, according to the present invention there is provided a plastics moulded rail locator for attachment to a barrier post in the construction of a barrier assembly comprising an opening for receiving the barrier post and an extension part which extends outwardly relative to the opening and has at its outer end coupling means by which a rail is to be connected and carried by said rail locator remote from the barrier post. This rail locator will usually have a circular opening for receiving the barrier post (which is usually conical) with the coupling means at the radially outer end of the extension part to connect and carry the rail to extend substantially parallel to a tangential plane of the circular opening.
Still further according to the present invention there is provided a moulded base for a barrier post, to which an upstanding post part is, or is to be, attached, the base comprising an upstanding rail locating means formed integral therewith and located at or adjacent to an outermost peripheral edge of the base. Preferably the rail locating means integrally formed with the base is hollow to provide a cavity with a mouth opening to the underside of the base and is arranged so that when two similar bases are stacked one upon another as a vertical column the rail locating means of the underlying base is received, at least in part, within the cavity of the rail locating means of the overlying base.
Usually the post part will be conical so that its wall converges as it rises above the base; such a conical post part of hollow structure and open bottomed is particularly advantageous to facilitate the aforementioned stacking of several barrier posts. Furthermore, where the rail locator means comprises a collar fitted over the post part, the interference fit of the collar on a conical post part may determine the height of the barrier rail. If required, the collar may be adjustable to different internal diameters to provide different height settings or to accommodate post parts of different diameters.

DRAWINGS

Embodiments of a barrier system constructed in accordance with the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying illustrative drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a rear perspective view of a first embodiment in which the rail locating means may couple two rails together rectilinearly;
Figure 2 is a front perspective view of the embodiment shown in Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a side elevation of the barrier post and rail locating means of Figure 1 and shows a rail being fitted thereto;
Figure 4 is a plan view of the rail locating means in the embodiment of Figure 1;
Figure 5 is a perspective view showing part of a rail locating means similar to that shown in Figure 2 but modified for mounting a warning lamp;
Figure 6 is a plan view of a rail locating means similar to that shown in Figure 4 but modified for coupling together two rails in a corner formation;
Figure 7 is a perspective view showing part of a rail locating means modified from that shown in Figure 6 to include a lamp housing;
Figure 8 is a plan view of a rail locating means similar to that shown in Figure 6 and having a different modification to include a lamp housing, and
Figures 9 and 10 show side elevations of second and third embodiments respectively for the barrier system with different forms of rail locating means.
Figure 11 is a front perspective view of a further embodiment of the barrier system having a rail locating means integral with the base and carrying a rail;
Figure 12 is a front perspective view of a modified embodiment of the barrier post of Figure 11;
Figure 13 shows a cross section of the rail locating means of two barrier posts, of the type on the barrier post shown in Figure 12, when the barrier posts are in stacking engagement;
Figures 14 & 15 are side elevations of third and fourth embodiments respectively for the barrier system shown in Figure 11 with a further form of rail locating means.
Figure 16 is a side elevation of a modified embodiment of the barrier system shown in Figure 15.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

In each of the barrier systems illustrated a single free standing barrier post 1 has been shown simply for convenience but it will be realised that in practice the system will usually have two or more spaced barrier posts 1 interconnected by rails 7. In each instance the barrier post is considered as a conventional form of free standing hazard warning cone (commonly termed a "road cone") 1 having a generally frusto conical body 2 attached to, and upstanding with its apical nose 3 uppermost from, a rectangular base 4 on which the road cone stands. The side length of the base 4 is considerably greater than the maximum diameter of the conical body 2 to provide a stable structure. Typically the conical body 2 will be a hollow plastics moulding secured to a rubber like or plastics moulded heavy duty base 4. A light reflective sleeve 5 may be fitted to the conical body 2. As is conventional practice, the cone body 2 will open downwardly through the base 4 so that several similar cones can be stacked as a vertical column, one cone being received within the cone which immediately overlies it.
In Figures 1 to 10 the rail locator 6 is preferably formed as a one piece plastics moulding having a circular opening within which the body 2 is received.
In the embodiment of Figures 1 to 4 a rail locator 6 has a collar 8 forming a circular aperture 9 within which the conical body 2 is received to attach the locator 6 to the road cone. The collar 8 is formed as an extension of a coupling part 10 on the locator 6. The coupling part 10 has a straight elongated slot 11 which, when the locator 6 is attached to the road cone, is presented upwardly as shown in Figure 4. As will be apparent from Figure 4, the portion 8A of the collar 8 between the aperture 9 and the coupling part 10 extends generally radially relative to the aperture 9 (and therefore relative to the conical body 2) while the elongated slot 11 extends in a plane substantially parallel with a tangent of the aperture 9 and the conical body 2. Furthermore, the rail locator 6 is arranged so that when the collar 8 is a firm interference fit on the conical body 2, the coupling part 10 may rest on the base 4 to be supported thereby and the coupling part 10 is offset by the extension 8A from the conical body 2 so that its slot 11 overlies the outermost edge 4A of the base as is best seen in Figure 3.
The longitudinally extending rails 7 are substantially straight and of oblong rectangular shape in lateral section as shown in Figure 3. The slot 11 is sized to receive a rail 7 as a relatively close fit so that the rail is supported above the ground surface on which the road cone 1 stands. The coupling part 10 can receive in its slot 11 opposing ends of two rails 7 to provide what is, in effect, a continuous rail extending between an array of spaced road cones. Preferably the rails have generally flat opposed side faces 7A and when the rails are received in the slot 11, with the road cone 1 standing on a horizontal surface, the faces 7Aextend substantially vertically in a planarre- gion which includes the base edge 4A. In the arrangement shown in Figures 1 to 3 the rail 7 is located to present what may be regarded as a "blind rail" where the bottom edge of the rail is approximately 15 centimetres from the floor surface. A blind rail is primarily intended for use by visually handicapped persons who may locate and follow the rail with the aid of a stick. In this latter use it will be apparent that the location of the rail 7 offset from the conical body 2 will ensure that a person following the rail on the side thereof remote from the conical bodies 2, will not encounter the road cone bases 4 as an obstacle and possible hazard - not only does this apply for visually handicapped persons but also generally for persons moving alongside the rails 7 who will be guided clear of the bases 4.
In Figure 3 the coupling part 10 is shown supported on the outermost marginal edge of the base 4 but if required the rail locator 6 can be modified by increasing the length of its collar extension part 8Aand the depth of the coupling part 10 for the latter to be supported directly on the floor surface on which the base 4 stands.
The modified rail locator 6 shown in Figure 5 has an upwardly opening socket 13 formed in its coupling part 10. A battery operated hazard warning lamp indicated at 14 may be received within the socket 13. Desirably the socket 13 is located so that the lamp 14 will be positioned between the opposing ends of two rails which are rectilinearly coupled together by the rail locator.
The rail locator 6 shown in Figure 6 is intended to couple together two rails 7 to form a corner connection in which one rail extends substantially at 90° with respect to the other rail. A comparison of Figures 4 and 6 will show that the locator 6 in Figure 6 is modified from that shown in Figure 4 by having a second coupling part 10A with its longitudinally extending slot 11Aformed similarly to the slot 11 in the coupling part 10 but arranged so that the slots 11 and 11A extend at right angles with respect to each other. The slot 11A will overlie the outermost marginal edge of the road cone base 4 in a similar manner to that discussed for the slot 11 and each slot 11 and 11Acan receive a rail 7 to form a corner between those rails. Conveniently the slots 11 and 11A are open at each of their longitudinal ends so that, if required, one of those slots can have a rail extending completely therethrough or can provide a coupling for two rails in a similar manner to that shown in Figure 2 so that a "T" junction may be formed by locating a rail 7 in the other of the slots.
The modified form of corner rail locator 6 shown in Figure 7 includes a socket 13 for receiving a warning lamp at the corner t hat will be formed between adjacent ends of rails 7 that will be received within the slots 11 and 11A. Figure 8 shows a corner rail forming locator 6 similar to that shown in Figure 6 and with a corner lamp holder socket 13 offset from the effective corner that will be formed between rails received in the slots 11 and 11A; those slots 11 and 11A may therefore be open at each end for the purpose of forming a T-junction between the rails as previously discussed.
In the embodiment of Figure 9 the previously mentioned longitudinally extending slot 11 in the coupling part 10 of the rail connector is replaced by an upstanding longitudinally extending tongue 20. The rails 7 are provided with downwardly extending slots 21 which are received as a close sliding fit on the tongue 20 during the erection of the barrier system. With this arrangement it will be appreciated that if two rails 7 are coupled on a common tongue 20 with their adjacent ends in abutment, the rails can present a continuous face 7Ato a person moving along the side of the rail remote from the conical body 2.
The embodiment of the barrier system shown in Figure 10 has a rail locator 6 (shown in section) in which the previously described collar 8 is replaced by a cap part 31 having a frusto conical socket 31A. The socket 31A receives the nose 3 of the conical body 2 as a substantially complementary fit to attach the locator 6 firmly on the road cone 1. In this latter arrangement the coupling part 10 may be offset from the cone body 2 in a similar manner to that previously discussed although itwill be appreciated that the embodiment of Figure 10 is likely to be more appropriate for locating and carrying rails at a greater height than the arrangements previously discussed. Furthermore it will be appreciated that the locator 6 shown in Figure 10 can be modified to provide for a corner or T-junction coupling of rails as shown in Figures 6 to 8, to include the tongue coupling part 20 as shown in Figure 9 and also it may be used in conjunction with the previously described rail locators if it is required for a single road cone to carry upper and lower height rails.
In the embodiments shown in Figures 11 to 16 the base 4 has integrally formed thereon, at a marginal outermost peripheral edge, a rail locator shown generally at 16 which is intended to locate and carry one or more rails 7 which extend between adjacent road cones 1 in the spaced array.
In the embodiment of Figure 11 the rail locator 16 comprises a vertically upstanding wall 18 extending along a peripheral edge of the base 4 so that the wall's 18 outermost face 20 is continuous with the aforementioned peripheral edge. The wall 18 has a straight slot 22 which is presented upwardly of the base 4 as shown in Figure 11 and opens at both the longitudinally opposed ends of the wall 18.
The slot 22 is sized to receive a rail 7, as previously described, as a relatively close fit so that the rail is supported above the ground surface on which the road cone 1 stands, and can receive opposing ends of two rails 7 to provide what is, in effect, a continuous rail extending between an array of spaced road cones. Preferably the rails 7 have generally flat opposed side faces 7A which, when located in the slot 22, extend substantially parallel to the face 20 of the wall 18. The arrangement shown in Figure 11 presents a "blind rail" similar to that of Figure 1.
The barrier post 1 shown in Figure 11 may have a modified rail locator 16 formed integral with and extending along two adjacent peripheral edges of the base 4, and which rail locator 16 is intended to couple together two rails 7 to form a corner connection in which one rail extends substantially at 90° with respect to the other rail in a manner similar to that of the rail locator 6 of Figure 6.
It will be appreciated that the barrier post 1 shown in Figure 11, and possibly modified as discussed above, may include provision for mounting a warning lamp similar to that described with reference to Figures 5, 7 and 8.
In the embodiment of Figure 12 the rail locator 16 has an upstanding wall 18 which tapers for its opposed inner and outer faces to converge as it extends upwardly from the base 4, the outer face 20 of this wall coinciding, so as to be flush, with a sloping peripheral edge 21 of the base 4. The wall 18 has a straight vertical elongated slot 22 which is presented upwardly of the base, as shown in Figure 12, to receive a rail 7 as a relatively close fit in a manner as previously discussed. The wall 18 is hollow, having a cavity 34 extending along its length and separated from the slot 22 by a slot base 36. This cavity 34 has a mouth 38 (Figure 13) opening to the underside 39 of the base 4, and which mouth 38 extends longitudinally beyond the opposed ends of the wall 18. The cavity 34 tapers to converge as it extends upwardly from the mouth 38 so that two similar road cones 1 and 1' may be stacked together as a vertical column with the rail locator means 16 of the lower road cone 1 being partially received within the cavity 34' of the rail locator means 16' of the overlying road cone 1', as shown in Figure 13, thereby enabling many similar road cones to be column stacked in a close fitting manner. Such column stacking may be achieved simultaneously with similar stacking of the cones 2 of the barrier posts.
Furthermore, it will be appreciated that the locator 16 shown in Figure 13 can be modified to provide for a corner or T-junction coupling of rails in a similar manner to that previously described. Also the base part 36 of the slot 22 can be omitted so that the barrier rail may be supported directly on the base 4.
In the embodiment of Figure 14 the previously mentioned longitudinally extending slot 22 in the wall 18 of the locator means 16 is replaced by an upstanding tongue 30. This tongue 30 extends vertically so that its outer face is flush with a peripheral edge of the base 4 and, in this example, forms the entire wall 18. The rails 7 are provided with downwardly extending slots 21 which are received as a close sliding fiton the tongue 30 during the erection of the barrier system (similar to the arrangement shown in Figure 9). With this arrangement it will be appreciated that if two rails 7 are coupled on a common tongue 30 with the adjacent ends of the rails 7 in abutment, the rails can present a continuous face 7Ato a person moving along the side of the rail remote from the conical body 2 as pre- viouslydescribed. Further, the face 7Aofthe rail 7 extends in a vertical plane remote from that of the outer face of the wall 18 so that no part of the road cone extends beyond the face 7A of the rail.
A modified form of the rail locator 16 in Figure 14 is shown in Figure 15 in which the locator means again comprises a tongue 30 upstanding from the base 4 but in this example the tongue is set back from the peripheral edge of the base towards the body 2 at a distance which allows the face 7Aof the rail to coincide in a vertical plane with the peripheral edge of the base 4.
The locator means 16 of Figures 14 and 15 may be modified as previously discussed to form corner rail locators and "T" junctions as well as to facilitate the mounting of warning lamps.
Furthermore, the locator means 16 shown in Figure 16 is a modified form of the locator means shown in Figures 14 and 15 in which the upstanding tongue 30 tapers for its opposed inner and outer faces to converge as it extends upwards from the base 4 and is hollow, having a cavity 40 extending along its length which has a mouth 42 opening to the underside 39 of the base 4. The cavity 40 tapers to converge as it extends upwardly from the mouth 42 so that two similar road cones may be stacked together as a vertical column with the rail locator means 16 of a lower road cone being partially received within the cavity 40 of the rail locator means 16 of a directly overlying road cone, thereby enabling many similar road cones to be column stacked in a close fitting manner. Figure 16 also shows a modified form of the rail 7 having a groove 44 tapering to converge as it extends upwardly from the base 46 of the rail 7 so as to co-operate with the tongue 30.
Still further, a barrier post 1 as shown in Figures 5 to 16 may carry a second rail locator 6, as described in relation to any one of Figures 1 to 10, so that a barrier system may be formed by two or more of the barrier posts 1 supporting two parallel rails 7, one in a lower position (a "blind rail") carried by rail locators 16 while the second rail 7 may be carried in an upper position (for example for use as a hand rail) by rail locators 6.
It will be appreciated that there are further possible embodiments of the present invention and in particular the invention may be applied to barrier posts having posts parts not of circular horizontal cross section. For example, the post part may have a rectangular cross section and the co-operating locator means would have, where applicable, a rectangular collar for interference fit with that post part.

Claims

1. A barrier system comprising a free standing barrier post (1) having a post part (2) upstanding from a relatively broad base (4), rail locating means (6, 16) carried by to the barrier post and a rail (7), carried at least in part by the rail locating means (6,16); characterised in that the rail locating means (6, 16) carries the rail (7) offset from the post part (2) towards the outermost peripheral edge of the base (4).

2. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said base (4) is substantially unobtrusive horizontally from the side (7A) of the rail (7) remote from the post part (2) beyond a notional vertical planar region which includes the rail locating means (6, 16).

3. A system as claimed in either claim 1 or in claim 2 in which the rail (7) presents a substantially vertical face on the side (7A) thereof remote from the post part (2) and the base (4) is substantially unobtrusive horizontally beyond the notional vertical plane which includes said vertical face (7A) of the rail (7).

4. A system as claimed in claim 3 in which said vertical face (7A) of the rail (7) substantially coincides with the outermost peripheral edge (4A) of the base (4).

5. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the rail locating means (6,16) extends outwardly of the post part (2) and has at its outer end coupling means (10,22) with which the rail (7) co-operates to be carried by the locating means (6, 16).

6. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the rail (7) and rail locating means (6, 16) co-operate in tongue and groove relationship.

7. A system as claimed in claim 6 in which the said co-operation is provided by an upwardly directed slot (11, 22) in the rail locating means (6, 16) receiving a part length of the rail (7).

8. A system as claimed in claim 6 in which the said co-operation is provided by a downwardly directed slot (21) in the rail (7) receiving an upwardly directed tongue (20, 30) of the rail locating means (6, 16).

9. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the rail locating means (6,16) provides a coupling for adjacent ends of two rails (7) both of which are carried in part by that rail locating means (6, 16).

10. A system as claimed in claim 9 in which the rail locating means (6, 16) couples said two rails (7) substantially rectilinearly.

11. A system as claimed in claim 9 in which the rail locating means (6, 16) couples said two rails (7) in the formation of a corner therebetween.

12. A system as claimed in claim 11 wherein in the corner formation one rail (7) extends longitudinally substantially at 90° relative to the other.

13. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the rail locating means (6) comprises a collar (8), sleeve or cap (30) having an opening within which the post part (2) is received for attaching the rail locating means (6) to the barrier post (1).

14. A system as claimed in claim 13 in which the rail locating means (6) comprises a collar (8) which is adjustable in its opening size.

15. A system as claimed in either claim 13 orclaim 14 in which the post part (2) is of circular section and the collar (8), sleeve or cap (30) has a circular opening within which the post part (2) is received as an interference fit.

16. A system as claimed in claim 15 in which the rail locating means (6) includes an extension part (8A) which extends substantially radially relative to the circular opening and has at its radially outer end coupling means (10) to which a rail (7) is connected and carried to extend substantially parallel to a tangential plane of said circular aperture.

17. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the rail locating means (6) is attached to the barrier post (2) to be supported, at least in part, on the base (4).

18. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the rail locating means (6) is formed as a one piece moulding.

19. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12 in which the rail locating means (16) is integral with and upstanding of the base (4) at or adjacent to the outermost marginal peripheral edge of the base (4) to carry the rail (7) offset from the post part (2).

20. A system as claimed in claim 19 in which the rail locating means (16) is hollow and opens in the underside of the base (4) so that two similar bases (4,4') can be stacked vertically one on another with the rail locating means (16) of the underlying base (4) being at least partly received within the hollow (34') of the rail locating means (16') of the overlying base (4').

21. A system as claimed in claim 20 in which the rail locating means (16) tapers for its walls (18) to converge as it extends upwardly from the base (4) and has a cavity (34) therein with a mouth (38) opening to the underside (39) of the base (4) so that when two similar bases (16', 16) are stacked one upon another the tapering rail locating means (16) of the underlying base (4) is received within the cavity (34') of the rail locating means (16') of the overlying base (4').

22. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the barrier post (1) comprises a conically formed post part (2) upstanding from the broad base (4) with the apical region (3) of the post part (2) uppermost.

23. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the rail locating means (6,16) includes a lamp holder (13).

24. A system as claimed in claim 23 in which the lamp holder (13) comprises a socket within which a hazard warning lamp is to be received.

25. A system as claimed in either claim 23 or claim 24 when appendant to any of claims 9 to 12 in which the lamp holder (13) is located substantially between the adjacent ends of the two rails (7) coupled by the rail locating means (6, 16).

26. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims and comprising a spaced array of at least two said barrier posts (1) each carrying rail locating means (6,16) and the or each pair of adjacent barrier posts (1) in the array being interconnected by a rail (7) carried by the rail locating means (6, 16) of the barrier posts (1) between which it extends.

27. A moulded rail locator (6) for attachment to a barrier post (1) in the construction of a barrier assembly comprising an opening (9) for receiving the barrier post (2) and an extension part (8A) which extends outwardly relative to the opening and has at its outer end coupling means (10) by which a rail (7) is to be connected and carried by said rail locator (6) remote from the barrier post (1).

28. A rail locator (6) as claimed in claim 27 in which the opening (9) for receiving the barrier post (1) is circular and has an extension part (8A) which extends substantially radially relative to the circular opening (9) and has at its radially outer end coupling means (10) by which a rail (7) is to be connected and carried by said rail locator (6) to extend substantially parallel to a tangential plane of said circular opening (9).

29. A rail locator (6) as claimed in claim 28 in which the coupling means (10) extends longitudinally in a plane substantially parallel with the tangential plane of the circular opening (9) for co-operation longitudinally with a rail (7) to locate the rail (7) in said tangential plane.

30. A moulded base (4) for a barrier post (1), to which an upstanding post part (2) is to be attached, the base (4) comprising an upstanding rail locating means (16) formed integral therewith and located at or adjacent to an outermost peripheral edge of the base (4).

31. A base (4) as claimed in claim 30 in which the rail locating means (16) is hollow to provide a cavity (34) with a mouth (38) opening to the underside (39) of the base (4) and is arranged so that when two similar bases (4', 4) are stacked one upon another as a vertical column the rail locating means (16) of the underlying base (4) is received, at least in part, within the cavity (34') of the rail locating means (16') of the overlying base (4').