GB2198770A - Portable post support - Google Patents

Abstract

A portable base 1 which is arranged to rest firmly on the ground and to support a post in an upright position comprises a socket 8 in its upper face 2 for receiving the lower end of the post. The socket wall contains four axially extending grooves 9, 10 each with a right-angled step 11 approximately mid-way along its length for co-operation with a radially projecting pin on the post to form a bayonet coupling for retaining the post in the socket. At the base of the socket 8 there are four integrally formed inwardly projecting resilient tabs 12 which are designed to be depressed by the lower end of the post when the bayonet coupling is engaged so that the tabs will exert an upward force on the post to hold the bayonet coupling in engagement. The base is made of PVC and is moulded in four identical parts 14 which are securely bolted together. The base is made fairly heavy and is intended primarily for use as the base of a temporary signpost which can easily be assembled and disassembled as required. <IMAGE>

Description

PORISBLE POST SUPPORT This invention relates to a portable base which is arranged to rest firmly on the ground or other surface and which comprises a socket for receiving the lower end of a post so that the post is supported by the base in an upright position, and is also concerned with a temporary signpost incorporating such a base.

Portable bases for receiving and supporting the lower end of a post are commonly used in a number of different situations, one example being to support the lower end of an umbrella pole for a patio table or the like. Generally, however, these known bases are not very suitable for use as the supports of temporary signposts which are suitable for use in directing or warning traffic or pedestrians.

One known base which has been designed for this purpose comprises a heavy, one-piece moulding provided with a square socket, and a separate nylon insert which fits within the socket and which is designed to receive and grip the lower end of a circular post by means of an interference fit.

However, the requirement for a separate insert and for an interference fit to hold the post firmly in position is not very satisfactory.

With this in mind, according to the present invention, a portable base which is arranged to rest firmly on the ground or other surface and to support a post in an upright position comprises a socket for receiving the lower end of the post and including means for co-operating with complementary means on the post to define a bayonet coupling for retaining the post in the socket, and resilient means in the socket for exerting an upward reaction force on the post when the bayonet coupling is engaged.

Although the base in accordance with the invention does require the post to be provided with the necessary complementary bayonet coupling means, it is not dependent on close manufacturing tolerances in order for the post to be received and supported firmly in position. The post is designed to fit easily into the socket and is simply depressed and twisted to engage the bayonet coupling, the upward reaction force on the post exerted by the resilient means in the socket serving to hold the bayonet coupling positively in engagement, and hence the post firmly in position.

Preferably the resilient means comprises a number of tabs projecting inwardly from the wall on the socket at the bottom end thereof. The tabs therefore effectively form a resilient base of the socket and are designed to be deflected downwards by the bottom end of the post when the post is inserted into the socket and the bayonet coupling engaged.

Preferably the bayonet coupling means of the socket comprises at least one groove in the wall of the socket, the groove having a first portion extending in an axial direction from the mouth of the socket and a second portion extending in a peripheral direction from the lower end of the first portion. In this case the complementary means on the post will simply comprise one or more pins projecting laterally from the post near its bottom end and arranged to slide in the groove or grooves when the post is inserted into the socket.

If desired, the socket wall may be provided with a plurality of axially extending guide ribs for centering the post in the socket.

Preferably the base is moulded from an impact-resistant and weather-resistant plastics material, such as polyvinyl chloride, and to assist manufacture the base may be formed by a plurality of identical sections which are bolted or otherwise firmly joined together If the base is to be used as the base of a temporary signpost, it should preferably have a weight of at least 10 kilograms. This will help the base to rest firmly in position on the ground or other surface and to remain stable and upright during operation despite light knocks and the action of wind on the signpost. The base nevertheless remains portable, and is preferably provided with at least one hand-grip for lifting and carrying the base.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, a temporary signpost comprises a base in accordance with the invention, and a post carrying a sign and standing upright in the base with the lower end of the post received and retained in the socket by means of a bayonet coupling, the resilient means in the socket acting on the post to hold the bayonet coupling in engagement.

The sign is preferably detachably mounted on the post to facilitate storage and the use of different signs as desired, and the post may also be provided with a battery powered warning lamp.

A preferred example of a post support base in accordance with the invention, and of a temporary signpost incorporating the base, will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a top plan view of the base; Figure 2 is an underneath plan view of the base; Figure 3 is a side elevation of the base; Figure 4 is an elevational view of one section of the base illustrating the form of one quadrant of the socket of the base; and, Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of a temporary signpost incorporating the base.

As shown in the drawings the base 1 is square in shape, and has a flat top 2 and four side walls 3 each having an upper portion 3a sloping away from the top to an upright lower portion 3b. The underside of the base 1 is recessed, as indicated at 4 in Figure 2, and is provided with four corner edge portions 5 and four diagonally inwardly extending web portions 6 which all lie in a common plane parallel to the top 2 and on which the base will sit firmly on the ground or other surface. At the inner ends of the web portions 6 the base 1 has a central block 7 which is spaced above the common plane of the portions 5,6 and which contains a central circular socket 8 opening at its upper end in the top 2 and having its axis extending perpendicularly to the top 2.

The inner wall of the socket 8 contains four equiangularly spaced grooves 9 extending axially from its upper end to positions approximately mid-way down the socket where each communicates in a clockwise direction with the upper end of an offset groove 10 extending axially from the other end of the socket, so that each groove 9 is effectively formed with a lateral step 11 approximately mid-way down the socket.

Between the grooves 10 at the bottom of the socket 8 there are four equiangularly spaced substantially triangular tabs 12 projecting radially inwardly from the wall of the socket.

The tabs 12 are joined integrally to the wall of the socket along substantially 450 arcs and have their apices projecting inwards towards, but not quite reaching, the axis of the socket. Above the tabs 12 the wall of the socket 8 is also provided with four equiangularly spaced ribs 13 extending axially along the whole height of the socket.

The base 1, which in the present example is approximately 50 cms square and 15 cms high, is moulded from impact resistant and weather resistant black PVC, and weighs approximately 11.5 kilograms. To facilitate moulding the base is in fact formed from four identical moulded triangular sections 14 which are bolted firmly together along the diagonals of the base. As shown in Figure 2, each section 14 is bolted to each neighbouring section by two bolts 15 received in registering slots 16 in the meeting edges of the sections which define one of the diagonal web portions 6 of the base.The socket 8 is thus defined by the apex portions of the four joined sections 14, each apex portion forming one quadrant of the socket and carrying one of the grooves 9, one of the grooves 10, one of the tabs 12, and one of the ribs 13 as perhaps best illustrated in Figure 4.

Each of the sections 14 is formed with an aperture 17 through the sloping side wall portion 3a, and the underedge of the lower side wall portion 3b is cut away in the central region 18 so that the remaining part of the side wall 3 between the aperture 17 and the cut away 18 forms a handgrip 19 to facilitate lifting and carrying of the base. As will be appreciated, the base thus has four such handgrips 19, one on each side.

The base 1 is designed for use with a post having a diameter which is less than that of the wall of the socket 8, but equal to or slightly greater than that defined by the inner edges of the ribs 13. As shown in Figure 3, the post 20 should also have a pair of diametrically opposite pins 21 projecting radially outwards at a distance h1 from its lower end which is very slightly greater than the axial distance h2 (Figure 4) between the tabs 12 and the upper edge of the lateral step 11 in each groove 9 in the socket 8. In use the lower end of the post 20 is inserted into the socket 8 with the pins 21 sliding in two diametrically opposite grooves 9 and the ribs 13 engaging the outer surface of the post.The post is inserted until its lower end engages the tabs 12 at the bottom of the socket, whereupon slight downward pressure on the post in the direction of the arrow 22 deflects the tabs 14 downwards sufficiently to allow the pins 21 to be located under the lateral steps 11 at the lower ends of the grooves 9 by clockwise twisting of the post 20 in the direction of arrow 23. This secures the post 20 in the base 1 by means of a bayonet type coupling which is held in engagement by means of the upward reaction force exerted on the lower end of the post by the tabs 12 attempting to resume their rest position. When the post is to be removed from the base, the post is simply twisted anti-clockwise to disengage the bayonet coupling, and is then lifted out of the socket.

Figure 5 illustrates a temporary signpost comprising a base 1 constructed as described with reference to Figures 1 to 4, and a tubular post 20 provided with a pair of bayonet pins 21 and designed to fit in the base in the manner described above. Clamped or otherwise secured on the post are a pair of spaced rings 22 each carrying a flat mounting plate 23 from which projects a screw-threaded stud 24 on which a sign 25 can be mounted and detachably secured by means of washers 26 and nuts 27.

A warning lamp 28 is mounted at the upper end of the post 20 above the sign 25, the lamp 28 comprising a pair of translucent coloured plastics lamp covers 29 which are bolted together around the upper end of the post 20 to define a sealed chamber housing a light source 30, preferably comprising one or more light emitting diodes, on a control circuit board 31. The lamp 28 is powered by a battery 32 which is housed within the tubular post 20 and is retained in position by means of the pins 21, which are in fact formed by the opposite ends of a single rod which extends diametrically through the post and is removable when the battery is to be replaced.

The control circuit of the lamp 28 may comprise a flasher unit, and a mercury tilt switch which acts in conjunction with a light sensitive switch so that the circuit is energised only when the post is in an upright or near upright position and in darkness or dim light. The lamp 28 is therefore automatically switched off when the post is tilted beyond a predetermined angle from the vertical, such as when it is removed from the base and laid flat for storage purposes, or when the light intensity is above a predetermined threshold.

As will be appreciated, the temporary warning sign illustrated in Figure 5 can be assembled for use very easily and quickly, and will be both robust and reliable in operation. Similarly, when the signpost is no longer required it is easily dis-assembled and packed away by simply removing the post from the base and possibly also removing the sign from the post.

Claims (14)

1. A portable base which is arranged to rest firmly on the ground or other surface and to support a post in an upright position, the base comprising a socket for receiving the lower end of the post and including means for co-operating with complementary means on the post to define a bayonet coupling for retaining the post in the socket, and resilient means in the socket for exerting an upward reaction force on the post when the bayonet coupling is engaged.

2. A base according to claim 1, in which the bayonet coupling means of the socket comprises at least one groove in the wall of the socket, the groove having a first portion extending in an axial direction from the mouth of the socket and a second portion extending in a peripheral direction from the lower end of the first portion.

3. A base according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the resilient means comprises a number of tabs projecting inwardly from the wall of the socket at the bottom end thereof.

4. A base according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in which the socket wall has a plurality of axially extending guide ribs fo? centering the post in the socket.

5. A base according to any one of the preceding claims, provided with at least one hand-grip for lifting and carrying the base.

6. A base according to any one of the preceding claims, which is formed by a plurality of identical sections which are firmly joined together.

7. A base according to any one of the preceding claims, which is moulded from polyvinyl chloride or other suitable plastics material.

8. A base according to any one of the preceding claims, which weighs at least 10 kilograms.

9. A base according to claim 1, substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. A temporary signpost comprising a base according to any one of the preceding claims, and a post carrying a sign and standing upright in the base with the lower end of the post received and retained in the socket by means of a bayonet coupling, the resilient means in the socket acting on the post to hold the bayonet coupling in engagement.

11. A temporary signpost according to claim 10, in which the sign is detachably mounted on the post.

12. A temporary signpost according to claim 10 or claim 11, in which the post also carries a battery powered warning lamp.

13. A temporary signpost according to claim 12, in which the post is tubular and the battery is housed within the post.

14. A temporary signpost according to claim 10, substantially as described with reference to Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.