GB1576968A

GB1576968A - Dismountable post device

Info

Publication number: GB1576968A
Application number: GB5335477A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1978-05-19
Filing date: 1978-05-19
Publication date: 1980-10-15

Description

(54) DISMOUNTABLE POST DEVICE (71) I, RODERICK CASE, a British Subject of 'Bromton Lodge', Quarry Park Road, Pedmore, Stourbridge, West Midlands, do hereby declare the invention for which I pray that a Patent may be granted to me and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to a dismountable post device and has as its object the provision of such a device in a convenient form.

According to the invention, a dismountable post device comprises a receiving member adapted to be set into a base, a hollow post engageable with said receiving member to dispose the post in its mounted position and disengageable from the receiving member to allow the post to be removed therefrom, the post having at least one projection extending from its lower end for engagement with a corresponding at least one aperture defined at or near an upper end of the receiving member to prevent relative rotation between the post and the receiving member when the post is engaged therewith in its mounted position, and locking means operable from the exterior of the post, the locking means including a locking element movable from a first position, in which it allows said engagement of the post with or removal of the post from the receiving member, to a second position in which, with the post mounted on the receiving member, a part of said locking element engages a fixed part of the receiving member to prevent the post being dismounted and removed therefrom, the locking element being lockable in its second position to prevent it being moved to its first position.

Preferably the locking element is carried by and extends longitudinally within the hollow post and has an operating portion extending out of the post at a position spaced longitudinally from said part of the locking element.

Conveniently the locking element is angularly movable, by means of said operating portion, between its first and second positions.

In one convenient arrangement, the locking element is movable between said two positions by rotation about a central longitudinal axis of the post.

Alternatively the locking element is pivotally movable betwwen said positions, about a pivot axis disposed transversely to the post.

Most conveniently said part of said locking element is an abutment at one end thereof, and the receiving member has a slot in an upper surface thereof, the abutment being orientated to pass through said slot in said first position of the locking element, and being orientated so that passage through said slot is prevented, when the locking element is in its second position, the abutment then engaging said upper surface of the receiving member.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which; Figure 1 is a side view of a dismountable post device constructed in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is a top plan view of a receiving member of the post device of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side view of a post of the post device of Figure 1; Figure 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, part sectional view of the top of the post; Figure 5 is a sectional plan view of the post of Figure 4; Figure 6 is a fragmentary side view of a locking element of the post device; Figure 7 is a side view of a further embodiment of a dismountable post device constructed in accordance with the invention; Figure 8 is an enlarged top plan view of a receiving member of the post device of Figure 7; Figure 9 is a side view of a post of the post device of Figure 7; and Figure 10 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of a locking element of the post device of Figure 7.

The dismountable post device shown in Figure 1 comprises a receiving member 10, a post 11 , mountable in and dismountable from the member 10, and a locking element 12 carried by and extending longitudinally within the post 11.

The receiving member 10 is in the form of a mild steel cylindrical tube, with an electrogalvanized finish. At its lower end, as viewed in Figure 1, the member 10 is open, but has a pair of diametrically opposed rectangular flanges 13, 14 respectively tack welded to its external surface. At its upper end, the member 10 has a circular top plate 15 tack welded thereto, to define an upper surface of the receiving member 10, and at a position slightly below the plate 1 5, a further circular plate 16 is llkeiwse tack welded to the interior of the member 10.

The plate 15 has a pair of circular holes 17, 18 therein, the holes being equi-spaced on either side of a central elongated slot 19 in the plate 15. The centres of the holes lie on a line through the centres of the flanges 13, 14, said line also passing through the centre of the slot 19. The slot has opposite parallel sides, extending perpendicular to said line through the centres of the holes, and radiused ends, connecting together the sides. The radius of the plate is somewhat larger than the external radius of the member 10, but the holes extend through the part of the plate 15 which lies over the interior of the member 10.

The further plate 16 has a pair of circular holes therein which are angularly and radially aligned below the holes 17 and 18 in the plate 15.

In use, it is intended that the receiving member 10 is set into a suitable recess in a base 9, particularly the ground or a prepared concrete base, so that only the plate 15 protudes out of the recess and is visible. The member is open at its lower end to allow water to drain away, The post 11, like the member 10 is in the form of a mild steel cylindrical tube, with an electro-galvanised finish.It is however, much longer than the member 10.

At its lower end, as viewed in Figures 1 and 3, a circular plate 20, of similar form to the plate 15, is tack welded to the post 11. The plate 20 is the same size as the plate 15 and has a pair of diametrically opposed circular holes similarly disposed therein, the holes having their centres on a common circle. However passing through said holes and extending from the bottom of the post are a pair of cylindrical pegs 21,22 of a size to fit into the holes 17, 18 in the plate 15. The pegs are welded to the plate 20 around the inner peripheries of the holes therein and they are sufficiently long to extend through the respective holes in the further plate 16 when the post is mounted on the member 10, as will be described, and as is shown in Figure 1.

The plate 20 also has a central circular hole 23, which aligns with the slot 19 when the post 11 is mounted on the member 10.

The top of the post 11 is closed by a circular plate 24, which is tack welded to the post.

Slightly below the plate 24, a further plate 25 is welded to the interior of the post 11. The plate 25 has a circular section central hole 26, aligned with the hole 23 in the plate 20, therein.

The top of the post 11 has an angularly extending slot 27 therein. The slot extends downwardly from the top surface of the tube to which the plate 24 is secured, and is of the same depth for the whole of its angular extent of 90 degrees around the tube. One edge of the slot lies in a plane bisecting the pegs 21, 22 and the other edge lies in a plane passing through their centres.

At a position on the external surface of the post 11 adjacent the said other edge of the slot 27, there si welded an outwardly extending lug 28 provieed with a circular hole 29 for reception of a padlock 30 as will be described.

Carried by the post 11 and extending longitudinally therein, is the locking element 12, which is in the form of a generally elongated round bar having a flat tongue 31 welded to one of its ends and having its other end flattened to form an abutment part, as shown at 32. The element 12 is formed from mild steel and finished by an electro-galvanising process.

The tongue 31 extends radially from the round bar which forms the main portion of the element 12 and has a circular hole 33 therein adjacent its free end. The distance between the axis of the bar and the centre of the hole 33 is equal to the distance between the central longitudinal axis of the post 11 and the centre of the hole 29 in the lug 28. From the lower edge of the tongue 31 a rectangular slot 24 extends upwardly into the tongue. The width of the slot 34 is slightly greater than the thickness of the tubular post 11 and the edge of the slot 34 nearest the bar is spaced from the axis of the round bar of the element 12 by a distance equal to the internal radius of the tubular post 1. The distance between the inner end of the radius 34 and the upper edge of the tongue is substantially equal to the depth of the the slot 27. The locking element 12 is carried by the post 11 so that the circular rod portion thereof extends through the circular holes 26 and 23 and the tongue 31 extends through the slot 27, with the slot 34 receiving the thickness of the post 11 therein. The rod is angularly movable through 90 by means of the tongue 31 which is operable from the exterior of the post 11. This angular movement causes the end of the tongue in which the hole 33 is disposed to move between a first position shown in Figure 5, where it is in a plane bisecting the pegs 21,22 and a second position where it is disposed adjacent and parallel to the lug 28, with the hole 33 aligned with the hole 29, for reception of a padlock arm through said holes to prevent angular movement of the tongue 31 back to its other position spaced angularly by 90".

The flattened abutment part 32 of the element 12 is shaped so that it substantially matches the shape of half of the slot 19 in the plate 15 of the receiving member 10. The abutment extends from a diametrically opposite position from the tongue 31 so that when the tongue is in its first position, that is, angularly spaced by 90"from the lug 28, the part 32 is disposed lengthwise of the slot 19.

In this position, in use, the post 11 can thus be mounted on or dismounted from the receiving member 10 by passing the part 32, which protudes out of the end of the post 11, through the slot 19 in the plate 15 which is fixed to the remainder of the member 10, with the tongue being held in its first position.

If passed through the slot 19, the part 32 extends a short way into the member 12 so that it is disposed below the plate 15 but above the plate 16, as shown in Figure 1. In this position, the post 11 is disposed vertically on the member with the respective axes thereof being coincident and with the pegs 21,22 engaging in the holes in the plate 16.

If, with the post mounted thus, the tongue is rotated to its second position, the rod of the element 12 rotates clockwise and the part 32 is rotated so that it is no longer aligned with the slot 19, but is engaged under the plate 15 and directed towards the peg 21, as shown in Figure 1. The length of the part 32 is greater than the width of the slot 19 so that when the part 32 is disposed in this manner, transversely of the slot 19, it cannot pass therethrough and thus the post 11 cannot be dismounted by lifting it off the member or by tipping it to attempt to release the part 32, As has been stated, the tongue 31 and lug 28 can be padlocked together, when the tongue is adjacent the lug, to prevent movement of the locking element to its first position, in which the post can be dismounted.

To dismount the post 11, the padlock 30 is removed and the element 12 angularly moved, by gripping the operating portion of the tongue 31 thereof, to its first position in which the part 32 is aligned longitudinally with the slot 29. Thus the post 11 can be dismounted by lifting it off the member 12, the past 32 passing easily through the slot 19 when it is so orientated relatively thereto.

The embodiment of the dismountable post shown in Figures 7 to 10 is similar to the embodiment described in that it comprises a receiving member 35, a post 36 and a locking element 37. In use, the member 35 is set in a base in the same way as the member 10. The member 35 is of square-section tube and has flanges 38, 39 extending from opposite sides thereof. An oversized, square plate 40, is welded to the top of the member 35 and has a pair of circular section holes 41, 42 in respective diagonally opposite corners thereof.

A central elongate slot 43, of the same shape as the slot 19 in the plate 15, is provided in the plate 40, a pair of opposite sides of the slot 43 being parallel to each other and to opposite sides of the plate 40, as shown in Figure 8.

The post 36 is also of square-cross-section tube and has a square plate 44 welded to it as its lower end. The plate 44 is the same size as the plate 40 and has a pair of cylindrical pegs 45, 46 depending therefrom for engagement in the holes 41, 42 in the plate 40. A slot 47 in the plate 44, is of the same shape and size as the slot 43, and when the pegs 45, 46 are engaged in the holes 41, 42 as will be described, the slots 43 and 47 are aligned.

The locking element 37, which is of a similar form to the element 12, is carried by the post 36 and extends longitudinally therein.

The element 37 is in the form of a flat strip, having a tongue 48 of a similar form to the tongue 31, welded thereto at one end thereof.

The lower end of the element 37 is curved round to form a hook-like abutment part 49, which extends outwardly from the strip, but in the plane thereof, away from the opposite side of the strip to the tongue 48. The length of the part 49 is slightly less than the length of the slots 43 and 47.

The tongue 48 extends out of the post through a narrow slot 50 in the side of the post 36 and the element 37 is pivotally connected to the post 36 at a position approx mately mid-way between its end, by means of a transverse pivot pin 51, welded at its ends to diametrically opposite parts of the internal surface of the post, and passing through a hole 52 in the flat strip part of the element 37.

The pivot is arranged so that the centre of the flat strip part of the element 37 is coincident with the longitudinal axis of the post 36, when the element 37 is in its second position, in which the post is mounted on the member 35.

In this mounted position of the post, shown in Figure 7, the part 49 is engaged under the plate 40. Since the length of the part 49 is only slightly less than the total length of the slot 43, and since the part 49 is positioned towards one side of the slot 43, the part 49 will engage the underside of the plate 40 if an attempt is made to dismount the post 36 by lifting it from the member 35, or by tipping it. A padlock 52 can be engaged on the tongue 48 to prevent the element 37 being pivoted by pushing the operating part of the element 37, namely the tongue 48, into the post 36, through the slot 50.With the padlock engaged, as shown in Figure 7, a small amount of movement of the tongue 48 into the slot 50 may be possible before the padlock erigages the side of the post 36, but such movement would be insufficient to pivot the element 37 enough to cause the part 49 to move to the right, as viewed in Figure 7, from under the plate 40 to a position where it was aligned with the slot 43, to allow dismounting of the post.

When dismounting of the post is required, the padlock 52 is removed and the tongue 48 pushed towards the post 11. This causes the element 37 to pivot about the pin 51, and the part 49 moves slightly angularly, to the right so that it is disposed under the slot 43 with which it is then aligned. The post can then be lifted, whilst still depressing the tongue, and the part 49 passes through the slot 43, thus completing the dismounting. Mounting of the post is simply the reverse process, the tongue being depressed during engagement and thereafter released.

The parts 35,36 and 37 of the post devices are made of the same material as that used for the equivalent parts of the first construction of post device described.

The post device of the invention has many possible fields of use as a dismountable barrier or as a mooring post for marine craft, for example. It could be released by a coin operated mechanism either from its dismounted position, in the case of a mooring mast for example, or from its mounted postion in the case of a barrier.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. A dismountable post device comprising a receiving member adapted to be set into a base, a hollow post engageable with said receiving member to dispose the post in its mounted position and disengageable from the receiving member to allow the post to be removed therefrom, the post having at least one projection extending from its lower end for engagement with a corresponding at least one aperture defined at or near an upper end of the receiving member to prevent relative rotation between the post and the receiving member when the post is engaged therewith in its mounted position, and locking means operable from the exterior of the post, the locking means including a locking element movable from a first position, in which it allows said engagement of the post with or removal of the post from the receiving member, to a second position in which, with the post mounted on the receiving member, a part of said locking element engages a fixed part of the receiving member to prevent the post being dismounted and removed therefrom, the locking element being lockable in its second position to prevent it being moved to its first position.

2. A device as claimed in Claim 1, in which the locking element is carried by and extends longitudinally within the hollow post and has an operating portion extending out of the post at a position spaced longitudinally from said part of the locking element.

3. A device as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the locking element is angularly movable, by means of said operating portion, between its first and second position.

4. A device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, in which the locking element is movable between said two positions by rotation about a central longitudinal axis of the post.

5. A device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, in which the locking element is pivotally movable between said positions, about a pivot axis disposed transversely to the post.

6. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said part of said locking element is an abutment at one end thereof, and the receiving member has a slot in an upper surface thereof, the abutment being orientated so that passage through said said first position of the locking element, and being orienatated so that passage through said slot is prevented, when the locking element is in its second position, the abutment then engaging said upper surface of the receiving member.

7. A device as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 4, wherein the external surface of the post is provided with an outwardly extending lug at the same longitudinal position as that at which said operating portion extends out of the post, said operating portion extending out of the post through an angularly extending slot therein and said lug being disposed at one end of the slot, so that when said locking element is in its second position it is adjacent said lug and lockable thereto by means of a lock arm passing through respective aligned holes in said lug and said operating portion.

8. A device as claimed in Claim 5 when appended to Claim 3, wherein said operating portion has a hole therein to receive, in its second position, a lock arm therethrough to prevent movement of said locking element from said second to said first position.

9. A device as claimed in Claim 6, wherein said at least one aperture and said slot are provided in a surface defined by a flat plate at the top of the receiving member; 10. A device as claimed in Claim 9, wherein a pair of projections extend from said lower surface of the post, said projection having their respective centres on a common circle and being diametrically opposed, and engaging in the mounted position of the post, in correspondingly disposed, complementary shaped holes respectively in said plate, to prevent relative rotation between the post and the receiving member.

11. A device as claimed in Claim 10, wherein the receiving member has a further flat plate disposed below said flat plate at the top thereof, said further flat plate having holes therein into which said projections also extend.

12. A device as claimed in any one of Claims 9 to 11, wherein the post has a flat plate at its lower end, which plate, in use, in the mounted position of the post, engages on said flat plate at the top of the receiving member, with the or

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. viewed in Figure 7, from under the plate 40 to a position where it was aligned with the slot 43, to allow dismounting of the post. When dismounting of the post is required, the padlock 52 is removed and the tongue 48 pushed towards the post 11. This causes the element 37 to pivot about the pin 51, and the part 49 moves slightly angularly, to the right so that it is disposed under the slot 43 with which it is then aligned. The post can then be lifted, whilst still depressing the tongue, and the part 49 passes through the slot 43, thus completing the dismounting. Mounting of the post is simply the reverse process, the tongue being depressed during engagement and thereafter released. The parts 35,36 and 37 of the post devices are made of the same material as that used for the equivalent parts of the first construction of post device described. The post device of the invention has many possible fields of use as a dismountable barrier or as a mooring post for marine craft, for example. It could be released by a coin operated mechanism either from its dismounted position, in the case of a mooring mast for example, or from its mounted postion in the case of a barrier. WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A dismountable post device comprising a receiving member adapted to be set into a base, a hollow post engageable with said receiving member to dispose the post in its mounted position and disengageable from the receiving member to allow the post to be removed therefrom, the post having at least one projection extending from its lower end for engagement with a corresponding at least one aperture defined at or near an upper end of the receiving member to prevent relative rotation between the post and the receiving member when the post is engaged therewith in its mounted position, and locking means operable from the exterior of the post, the locking means including a locking element movable from a first position, in which it allows said engagement of the post with or removal of the post from the receiving member, to a second position in which, with the post mounted on the receiving member, a part of said locking element engages a fixed part of the receiving member to prevent the post being dismounted and removed therefrom, the locking element being lockable in its second position to prevent it being moved to its first position.

9. A device as claimed in Claim 6, wherein said at least one aperture and said slot are provided in a surface defined by a flat plate at the top of the receiving member;

10. A device as claimed in Claim 9, wherein a pair of projections extend from said lower surface of the post, said projection having their respective centres on a common circle and being diametrically opposed, and engaging in the mounted position of the post, in correspondingly disposed, complementary shaped holes respectively in said plate, to prevent relative rotation between the post and the receiving member.

each projection extending from said plate of the post into the or each aperture in the plate at the top of the receiving member to locate the post on the receiving member.

13. A dismountable post device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figures 1 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.

14. A dismountable post device substantially a as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figures 7 to 10 of the accompanyine drawings.