GB2183698A

GB2183698A - Road sign

Info

Publication number: GB2183698A
Application number: GB08530126A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Sydney Holgate
Original assignee: Glasdon Ltd
Current assignee: Glasdon Ltd
Priority date: 1985-12-06
Filing date: 1985-12-06
Publication date: 1987-06-10
Also published as: GB8530126D0; GB2183698B

Abstract

A road sign comprises a multiplicity of upstanding arcuate section posts (25) each moulded in a resilient flexible plastics and arranged side by side to form a panel with their lower ends mounted in the ground in sockets (12). The flexibility of the posts is such that if hit by an excessive force, they will deflect and, when released, will return to their original upright state. The individual posts making up the road sign panel may be plain or may be provided with elements of a written or graphic illustration such an an arrow or chevron device spanning several posts. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to road signs This invention relates to road signs and is in particular applicable to road signs to be mounted on the ground and on which a direction can be delineated such as the curve of a bend, the curve ofthe roadway around a roundabout or a path to be taken to avoid a hazard.

The invention provides a road sign comprising a plurality of elongate resilient posts each having an end part two be located in a mounting and mounting meansfor receiving the end parts of the posts and supporting the posts extending upright side-by-side with one anotherto form a panel with one surface of each post generally aligned with the corresponding surfaces of adjacent posts to provide between the posts a panel face on which a road sign in written or graphic form may be provided, the mounting means permitting any one or more of the posts to be deflected by a vehicle or other object and the resilience of the post or posts returning the posts to the upright position afterthe object has passed.

Preferably the posts are each of arcuate crosssection and the mounting means are constructed to support the posts edge-to-edge in a panel formation with the convex sides ofthe posts providing said one surface ofthe panel and the concave surfaces ofthe posts providing the opposite surface ofthe panel.

More specifically the arcuate cross-section of each post may terminate in enlarged bead extending along the edge ofthe post.

It its further preferred that each is formed from a resiliently flexible plastics muarial.

In any ofthe above arrangements the mounting meansforthe end parts of the posts may comprise vertically open sockets, one for each post, disposed side-by-sideto receive and support the posts extending upright side-by-side one anotherto form said panel formation.

In the case where the posts are of arcuate crosssection, the sockets may be of rectangular cross- section to receive the arcuate cross-section posts with the edges ofthe posts lodged in one pair of corners of the socket and a convex face of the post bearing on the opposite side ofthe socket.

Means may be provided for securing the sockets togetherend-to-end. Forexamplethemeansforsec- uring the sockets together may comprise fastening devices extending through the adjacent ends ofthe sockets. Alternatively the means for securing the sockets together may comprise a dovetail crosssection at one end of a socket and a dovetail recess at the other end to inter-engagewith corresponding recesses and projections from the adjacent ends of further sockets.

Preferably a stop member extends through the socket towards the lower end thereof to limitthe extent to which the end part ofthe post can be inserted into the socket.

More specifically the stop member may comprise a cross-barextending through the socket at the lower end thereof and projecting on either side ofthe socketso thatthe socket can be buried in the ground and the cross-bar assists in holding the socket upright.

Afastening device may be provided for securing the posttothe socket.

In a simpler construction according to the invention the posts are simply driven into the ground and the mounting means then comprise the holes in the ground formed by the posts or in which the posts are set.

The following is a description of some specific embodiments ofthe invention, reference being madeto the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is an elevation view of a road sign consisting of a plurality of separate upstanding resilient posts mounted in sockets intheground; Figure2 is a front elevation view of one form of socket; Figure 3 is a side elevation view of the socket of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a plan view ofthe socket with the post engaged in the socket as shown in chain-outline and the socket attached to adjacent sockets forfurther posts; Figure 5is a front elevation view of a furtherform of socket; Figure 6 is a side view of the socket of Figure 5; and Figure 7 is a plan view ofthe socket of Figures 5 and 6with a postengaged in the socket shown in chain-outline and the socket connected to adjacent socketsforfurther posts.

Referring firstly to Figure 1 ofthe drawings there is shown a road sign indicated generally at 10 comprising a multiplicity of upstanding posts 11 arranged side-by-side to form a panel and mounted attheir lower ends in the ground in socket 12. The posts are of arcuate cross-section as can be seen in Figure4 providing a convex surface 13 and a concave surface 14. The ends of the arcuate cross-section are enlarged slightly to form beads 15 extending along the edges ofthe posts. Each post is moulded in resilient flexible plastic such as . the construction ofthe posts is such that if a post is hit by an excessiveforce, it will deflect and when released, will return to itsoriginal state.

Reference is now made to Figures 2to 4which il- lustrate one ofthe sockets 12 which is buried at ground level to receive and support a lower part of a post 11. The socket is a vertically elongate plastics moulding of rectangular cross-section having longer sides 16 and shorter sides 17. The span ofthe arcuate cross-section of a post 11 is such that when inserted in the socket with the arcuate section extending lengthwise ofthe socket, the beaded edges 15 ofthe section engage the corners of the socket to one side 16 of the socket and the central region of the convex face 13 of the post bears againstthe opposing sides 16 ofthe socket adjacent the centre thereof.

The shorter sides 17 ofthe sockets have upper and lower spaced holes 18 to receive snap-i n fasteni ng devices 19 for securing adjacent pairs of sockets together by their shorter sides. Thus the row of sockets is connected together in alignment to hold the posts in the sockets extending vertically closely adjacenttooneanothertoforma panel of the posts with the convex sides of the posts to one side ofthe panel and the concave sides ofthe posts on the opposite side.

The longer sides 16 of each socket have holes 20 formed centrally therein towards the lower end of the socketto receive a stud 21 extending through the socket and projecting on either side thereof. The stud serves to provide a stop against which the lower end ofthe post engages and the projecting parts ofthe stud to either side ofthe socket engage in the ground to assist in holding the socket in the upright position.

Towards the upper end ofone ofthe sides l6which the central part of the post bears againstthere is a central aperture 22 and the lower part 1 2a of the post is formed with a corresponding aperture 23 which aligns with the aperture 22 when the end partofthe post is fully inserted in the socket. A snap-in fastening device 24 extends through the apertures 23 and 22to lock the post i n th e socket to preventunauthorised removal ofthe post.

The individual posts making upthe road sign panel may be plain or may be provided with elements of a written or graphic illustration. Thus in the example shown in Figure 1, the convex sides 13 ofthe posts 11 have elements of arrows or chevron signs indicated at 25 painted or otherwise applied thereto. A complete arrow or chevron spans six of the posts and a gap of two plain posts is provided between adjacent arrows.

As indicated above, the posts are individually mounted intheirsockets and can individuallyflex when subjected to a load by an external object and automatically return to the upright position on re lease. Ifthe sign is hit so severely asto break off one or more of the posts, any posts not hit or completely broken will remain to provide a residual sign until the broken posts have been replaced.

If necessary, the posts can be reinforced by additi onal back-up sections inserted in the sockets and ex tending a short distance up the post above the socket. Such an additional back-up section is illustrated in Figure 4 and 25 and, as can be seen, thefasten ing device for securing the post in the socket is suf ficiently long to pass through both posts and the back-up section to secure both in place in the sockets.

Figures 5,6 and 7 illustrate a modified version of the socket of Figures 2 to 4 the essential difference being that instead of fixing the sockets together using a snap-in fastening device, the short walls of each socket are formed with a dovetail section pro jection 1 7a extending lengthwise of the socket at one end of the socket and a dovetail section recess 1 7b extending lengthwise of the other end ofthe socket.

Two adjacent sockets can then be locked together by means ofthe dovetail section projection on one socket end wall engaging in the recess of an adjacent socket end wall. The arrangement is otherwise sim ilarto that described above.

It will be appreciated that many modifications may be made to the above described embodiments without departing from the scope ofthe invention.

For example, in a greatly simplified construction the posts are driven or set directly in the ground without the use of preformed sockets.

In a further construction a single elongate post mounting unit is provided having multiple socket forming apertures or recesses to receive the lower ends of the posts.

Furthermore the arcuate posts need not all be arranged with the convex sides on one side ofthe panel and their concave sides on the other side ofthe panel. Thus some posts could be arranged one way round with their convex sides facing on-coming traffic and the other posts could be arranged with their concave sides facing on-coming trraffic.

Claims

1. A road sign comprising a plurality of elongate resilient posts each having an end part to be located in a mounting and mounting means for receiving the end parts ofthe posts and supporting the posts extending upright side-by-side with one anotherto form a panel with one surface of each post generally aligned with the corresponding surfaces of adjacent posts to provide between the posts a panel face on which a road sign in written or graphic form may be provided, the mounting means permitting anyone or more of the posts to be deflected by a vehicle or other object and the resilience ofthe post or posts returning the posts to the upright position afterthe object has passed.

2. A road sign as claimed in claim 1 wherein the posts are each of arcuate cross-section and the mounting meansareconstructedtosupportthe posts edge-to-edge in a panel formation with the convex sides of the posts providing said one surface ofthe panel and the concave surfaces of the posts providing the opposite surface of the panel.

3. A road sign as claimed in claim 2whereinthe arcuate cross-section of each post terminates in enlarged beads extending along the edges ofthe post.

4. A road sign as claimed in claim 2 orclaim3 wherein each post is formed from a resiliently flexible plastics material.

5. A road sign as claimed in any ofthe preceding claimswherein the mounting meansfortheend parts of the posts comprise vertically open sockets, one for each post, disposed side-by-side to receive and support the posts extending upright side-byside one another to form said panel formation.

6. A road sign as claimed in claim 5 and inthe case where the posts are of arcuate cross-section, wherein the sockets are of rectangular cross-section to receive the arcuate cross-section posts with the edges ofthe posts lodged in one pair of corners of the socket and a convex face ofthe post bearing on the opposite side ofthe socket.

7. A road sign as claimed in claim 6 wherein means are provided for securing the sockets together end-to-end.

8. A road sign as claimed in claim 7 wherein the means for securing the sockets together comprise fastening devices extending through the adjacent ends of the sockets.

9. Abroad sign as claimed in claim 8whereinthe means for securing the sockets together comprise a dovetail cross-section at one end of a socket and a dovetail recess at the other end to inter-engage with corresponding recesses and projections from the adjacent ends of further sockets.

10. A road sign as claimed in claim 5 wherein the sockets are formed integral with one another.

11. A road sign as claimed in any of claims 6 to 10 wherein a stop member extends through the socket towards the lower end thereof to limittheextentto which the end part of the post can be inserted into the socket.

12. A road sign as claimed in claim 11 wherein the stop member comprises a cross-bar extending throughthesocketatthelowerendthereofand pro- jecting on either side of the socket so that the socket can be buried in the ground and the cross-bar assists in holding the socket upright.

13. A road sign as claimed in any of claims 6to 12 wherein a fastening device is provided for securing the post to the socket.

14. A road sign as claimed in any of claims 1 to4 wherein the mounting means comprise the ground into which the ends of the posts are driven or are set.

15. A road sign substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.

16. A road sign substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 as modified by Figures 5 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.