FI76407B - STOLPE MED FJAEDRANDE LED. - Google Patents

Description

76407

Post with flexible joint Stolpe med fjädrande led

The present invention relates to a post comprising two post tubes, the opposite ends of which are connected by a resilient joint comprising an elongate spring device extending inside the post tubes and anchored to them by a longitudinally acting pre-tension. Posts of this kind are used as slalom sticks, traffic and lighting poles and the like.

Usually, the spring device is formed by a coil spring. Although this type of spring device fulfills its function well in thick posts, where the spring device rarely comes into operation, it leads to a rather complicated and therefore expensive structure, e.g. attaching the coil spring to each post tube.

In applications where the spring member has to operate frequently, and especially in smaller plastic posts such as slalom rods, the coil spring has simply proved to be too strong due to fatigue of the material of the parts to which the coil spring is attached. As a result, the coil spring "wears off".

French Patent 2,044,032 proposes the use of an elastic band as a spring device. The rubber band has a knob at each end which is threaded into a groove in the corresponding articulation element. The articulation elements are held compressed against each other by prestressing the rubber band, and they each support their post tube.

In this known joint, neither the limited cross-sectional dimensions of the strip nor the design of the joint body, both of which are determined by the fastening structure, make it possible to provide sufficient prestressing to make the joint sufficiently flexible. These known slalom sticks have therefore proved to be clearly too flexible in practice.

Moreover, the articulation structure according to the French patent publication is such that it does not allow the use of any prestressing device.

The object of the present invention is to provide a flexible joint for a pole such as the one mentioned above, which is simple and inexpensive in construction, but nevertheless allows the pole to bend many times without the risk of the joint breaking. The structure further allows, on the one hand, the selection of a sufficiently high prestress to make the joint elasticity very rigid, and, on the other hand, the use of a prestress adjustment device.

According to the invention, this is achieved in such a way that the post mentioned in the introduction is provided with structural solutions in accordance with the features of the appended claim 1.

The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to some embodiments shown in the accompanying drawing, in which drawing:

Figure 1 shows an axial section of a slalom stick in one embodiment,

Figure 2 shows a part of a slalom stick in axial section to provide a variation of the embodiment of Figure 1, 3 76407

Figure 3 shows in axial section a further embodiment of a slalom stick, as well as

Figure 4 is an enlarged section IV of the embodiment of Figure 3 with the rod bent from the joint.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the joint comprises a substantially rod-like core part 2 which is a polymeric material such as rubber, polyurethane, etc. The core part 2 is prestressed in its longitudinal direction inside two steel sleeves 4 or the like. Mounted on each of these sleeves 4 is a tube 6, which may be made of hard plastic, aluminum or the like. The core part 2 is fastened with rivets 10, 12 to the sleeves 4. Each tube 6 is against the protrusion in the respective sleeve 4.

The joint can be installed by prestressing the core part 2 as follows. The lower sleeve 4 is pushed onto the core part 2 so that it comes into its position and the core part is fastened to this sleeve with a lower rivet 10, or with two cross-staples. The upper sleeve 4 is then applied to the core part 2, and a tensile stress is applied to the core part 2 in its longitudinal direction so that the lower sleeve is suitably fastened and a pulling force directed away from the sleeves 4 is applied to the protruding end of the core part 2. Under the action of traction, the upper rivet 12 or two intersecting rivets are inserted through the upper end of the upper sleeve 4 and the core body 2. When the effect of traction ceases, the core body thus becomes tensioned in its longitudinal direction due to the rivets 10 and 12. Finally, the rod tubes 6 are installed.

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Figure 2 shows a variation of the embodiment of Figure 1. Here, the upper sleeve is made in two parts 14, 16, which are fastened to each other by threads 18. The sleeve part 14 is fastened against the axial upward displacement to the upper end of the core part 2 by a rivet 20 which is passed only through the core part 2. The bias in the core part 2 can now be adjusted and possibly provided by rotating the sleeve 14 relative to the sleeve 16 after the upper rod tube 6 has been pulled up. A corresponding twist does not occur in the core part 2 because the rivet 20 does not pass through the sleeve 14.

In the embodiment according to Fig. 3, the upper end of the core part 2 is surrounded by an upper guide sleeve 22 and a reinforcing sleeve 24. An upper rod tube 6 is then mounted on these sleeves 22 and 24. A rivet 26 passes through the reinforcement sleeve 24 and the rod tube 6, the core part 2 being fixed.

The lower guide sleeve is divided into two sleeve parts 28, 30 which are threadedly connected to each other at 32. After biasing the core portion 2, a rivet 34 is inserted through the core portion 30. In addition, a lower rod tube 6 is mounted on the sleeve parts 28, 30. To adjust the bias, the lower tube 6 is pulled down so that the sleeve 30 is released from the fastening.

As shown in more detail in Figure 4, the upper sleeve 22 terminates in a collar 36 which surrounds a radially projecting flange 38 in the lower sleeve portion 28. The purpose of the collar 36 and the flange 38 is to guide the sleeves 22 and 28 relative to each other. Figure 4 shows the situation when the joint is in operation with a lateral force applied to the part at the top of the stick.

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It can be seen that due to the prestressing of the core part 2 in the guide sleeves, the end faces of these facing each other are always pressed against each other with a certain force, which is caused by the prestressing. The prestress is selected so that the joint flexes out of the way under the influence of forces coming from different directions, but returns immediately to its position immediately thereafter. The elasticity period is, of course, directly dependent on the magnitude of the prestress.

In addition to sla-sticks, traffic and lighting poles can be mentioned as applications for the flexible joint.

Claims (9)

A post comprising two post tubes (6), the respective end portions of each other being joined by a resilient joint comprising an elongated spring assembly (2) extending within the post tubes and under tension in its longitudinal direction anchored relative thereto. characterized in that the spring device is formed by a massive elongated body (2) of polymeric material, which at least partially completes the cross-section of the chair tubes and is thereby enclosed in at least one sleeve (4; 14, 16; 28, 30), wherein said body (2) is directly anchored and on which a corresponding of the chair tubes (6) is threaded, the end of the sleeve facing the hinge being fixed against displacement in the direction of the second chair tube (6) ). Post according to claim 1, characterized in that the length of the sleeve (14, 16; 28, 30) is adjustable for adjusting the body bias. Post according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the second post tube (6) is patently an additional sleeve (4; 22) which encloses another part of the body length so as to face the end faces (5). of the sleeves during formation of the joint are pressed into contact with each other under the influence of the bias applied to the body. Post according to claim 3, characterized in that the body (2) is also directly anchored to the second sleeve (4). Post according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the body (2) is also directly anchored to one or both of the chair tubes.