GB2262120A

GB2262120A - Post and rail assembly incorporating lockable warning (lamp) unit

Info

Publication number: GB2262120A
Application number: GB9224633A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jonathan Michael Ball; Paul Richard Newton
Original assignee: Glasdon Ltd; Glasdon Group Ltd
Current assignee: Glasdon Ltd; Glasdon Group Ltd
Priority date: 1991-11-30
Filing date: 1992-11-24
Publication date: 1993-06-09
Anticipated expiration: 2012-11-24
Also published as: GB2262120B; GB9224633D0; GB9125735D0

Abstract

A post and rail assembly comprises a rail and, a post provided with a first aperture. A warning unit (2) has a body which is insertable into the upper portion of the post (1). The said body includes a second aperture aligned with the first aperture when the body is inserted. Means are provided for locking the warning unit in the upper portion of the post. A flexible tether (3) is secured by one end to the rail and has at the other end a head removably engageable in one of said apertures and held captive therein when the other aperture is brought into alignment. <IMAGE>

Description

A POST AND RAIL ASSEMBLY The present invention relates to post and rail assemblies.

Road traffic and road works barriers are known in which horizontal rails are suspended by tethers at their ends between upright posts. British Patent Specification No. 1531724 describes one known arrangement in which rails are suspended on loops hooked onto upright posts, and British Patent Specification No. 1531725 describes a second known arrangement in which rails are suspended on ropes the ends of which support enlarged heads received in keyhole slots in upright posts. These known arrangements have proved successful as they provide a simple means for erecting a temporary barrier, a wide variety of barrier shapes can be constructed given that the relative positioning of the upright posts is not critical, and the effect of side winds on the barrier is reduced given that the rails can move to a limited extent relative to the upright posts.

Unfortunately although the known arrangements do enable a barrier to be erected very easily, they can also be dismantled very easily. This makes them particularly vulnerable to unauthorised tampering.

British Patent Specification No. 2147986 describes a road traffic lamp unit supporting system comprising a lamp unit having an integral battery compartment which is inserted into a tubular upright support, and a simple locking mechanism which prevents removal of the lamp unit from the support unless an appropriate key is inserted into the support. The use of this arrangement has proved successful in limiting the frequency with which lamp units are removed by unauthorised persons.

Our U.K. Patent No. 2207942 is directed to a post and rail assembly comprising a rail having one end of a flexible tether secured thereto, a post provided with an aperture into which the flexible tether can be inserted, the other end of the tether being provided with an enlarged head which in at least one orientation within the said aperture is incapable of passing therethrough, and a locking element releasably engageable with the post to prevent removal of the enlarged head from an aperture, characterised in that the aperture extends through the wall of a hollow open-ended upper portion of the post, the locking element comprises a warning unit having a body which is insertable into the upper portion of the post and which when so inserted prevents removal of the enlarged head from the aperture, and means are provided for locking the warning unit in the hollow upper portion of the post, the locking means being releasable by means of a key which is insertable into the hollow upper portion of the post.

The present invention is concerned with improved andlor alternative designs of post and rail assembly.

According to the present invention there is provided a post and rail assembly comprising a rail, a post provided with a first aperture, a warning unit having a body which is insertable into the upper portion of the post, said body including a second aperture aligned with the first aperture when the body is inserted, means for locking the warning unit in the upper portion of the post, and a flexible tether secured by one end to the rail and having at the other end a head removably engageable in one of said apertures and held captive therein when the other aperture is brought into alignment.

The invention will now be further described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of an upper end of a post with associated warning unit and tether forming part of an assembly in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a section showing the components of Fig. 1 in interfitting relationship, and Fig. 3 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1 of a modification.

Fig. 4 is a side view of part of the body of a warning unit illustrating a further modification; Fig. 5 is a corresponding plan view, and Figs. 6 and 7 are detailed views illustrating the mode of operation of the embodiment of Figs. 4 and 5.

The post and rail assembly to which the present invention relates is described in our Patent No. 2 207 942 with reference to Fig.

1 and that description is incorporated herein by reference. As in the patented assembly, the present assembly comprises a rail secured by a tether to a post cooperating with a locking element for the tether adapted to form part of a road hazard warning system such as a lamp for mounting on top of the post. In the first embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the hollow upper end of a post is indicated at 1, the relevant part of the lamp body at 2 and part of the tether at 3, the remaining parts of the illustrated components and the rail being omitted since their construction and mode of operation is readily ascertainable from the specification and drawings of our Patent No.

2 207 942. The upper end of the post 1 is of hollow, generally rectangular configuration and receives as a sliding fit the lower end 2a of the lamp body 2 which serves as a battery compartment and is illustrated in abbreviated form for the sake of clarity. The upper part 2b of the lamp body 2 comprises a light transmitting casing with internal illumination of a conventional kind, the part 2b also being shown abbreviated for the sake of clarity. The parts 2a, 2b are separated by a circular flange 2c which closes the upper end of the post 1 when the body part 2a is fitted therein as shown in Fig. 2.

Depending from opposite sides of the circular flange 2c are generally triangular flanges 2d each with a rectangular aperture 2e registering with a socket formation 2f and connected with the socket floor by a narrow bridge piece 2g so as td define between the flange 2d and the socket side walls 2h recesses 2i. The rear ends of the sockets 2f extend inwardly of the longitudinal walls 2j of the lamp body part 2a.

The upper end of the post 1 has internal locking means (not shown) engageable with locking formations (not shown) on the lamp body 2 so as to lock the lamp body 2 with respect to the post 1 on insertion. The locking action is preferably effected automatically in 2 final stage of the insertion of the lamp body 2 into the post 1.

Release of the locking means may be by way of a special key insertable into the post 1. Further description of a suitable locking means and a release key is contained in our Patent No. 2 207 942 particularly in the description with reference to Fig. 8.

The tether 3 comprises an enlarged head or toggle 3a with a front spigot portion 3b connected to a rear portion 3c by a neck 3d.

The toggle 3a is connected to the rail as already described by a flexible element which may be any suitable cable or rope but in the present case, as illustrated, is a wired rope 3e with a steel core 3f and a fabric sheath 3g.

In use, with the lamp body 2 at least partially removed from the post 1, the spigot 3b of a tether 3 is inserted through the aperture 2e of the flange 2d into the socket 2f in which it is a friction fit so as to be retained therein during subsequent manipulation of the lamp body 2. When the spigot 3b is fully inserted into the socket 2f the toggle neck 3d rests on the bridge piece 2g in line with the recesses 2i. It will be appreciate that if rails are to be secured to both sides of the post toggles may be inserted into each side of the lamp body 2. Alternatively, if the post is intended to provide one end of a barrier, only one toggle will be inserted. When the lamp body 2 is now engaged with and lowered into the post 1 the toggle 3a is lowered into an aperture or recess la in the upper edge of the post 1.This edge is received between the triangular flange 2d positioned externally of the post 1 and the socket 2f positioned internally of the post 1.

The vertical side edges of the recess la are therefore received in the recesses 2i adjacent the bridge piece 2g in partially overlapping relationship with the socket 2f so as to trap the spigot 3b in the inserted position and prevent removal thereof. Disengagement of the tether from the post 1 is possible by releasing and at least partially removing the lamp body 2 until the socket 2f is clear of the post 1 whereupon the spigot 3b can be pulled from the socket 2f.

In a modification of the first embodiment either the aperture 2e in the flange 2d (or the flange 2d in its entirety) or the aperture defined by the outer end of the socket 2f (i.e. the socket in its entirety) may be omitted so as to leave only one aperture on the lamp body 2 cooperating with a smaller aperture la on the post.l serving to trap the free end of the toggle 3a in position when the lamp is fitted to the post. Such a variant is illustrated in Fig. 3 in which the numbers of its parts corresponding to those of the first embodiment are increased by 10 and not further described. In this case the depending flange 12d is of rectangular shape and the aperture 12e is a keyhole slot in the bottom edge thereof. On insertion of the lamp body 12 into the post 11 the flange 12d fits internally of the post 11 in close proximity to the adjacent side wall of the post. The apertures lla are of circular shape and positioned below the top edge of the post 11. The toggle 13 has front, rear and intermediate coaxial cylindrical portions 13b, 13c and 13c' with portions 13b and 13c separated by a neck portion 13d. In this embodiment, the tether is secured by inserting the toggle 13 into the aperture lla so that the leading cylindrical portion 13b and the neck portion 13d project inwardly of the post 11, the intermediate cylindrical portion 13c is received within the aperture 11a and the oversized cylindrical portion 13c' which is of larger diameter than the aperture lla lies adjacent the side wall of the post 11 covering the aperture lla. When the lamp is then fitted the depending flange 12d engages the toggle neck portion 13d by means of the keyhole slot 12e the circular part 12e' of which is of lesser diameter than the front toggle portion 13b thereby trapping the toggle 13 in position.

A further modification is illustrated in Figs. 4 to 7 in which the numbers of the parts corresponding to those of the first embodiment are increased by 20 and not further described. The lamp body 22 is a sliding fit in the upper end of a post (not shown) which may be identical to the post 1 of the first embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. The principal difference between the first embodiment and the present embodiment is that in the first embodiment retention of the front spigot portion 3b of the tether head 3a is reliant on the vertical side edges of the recess la whereas in the present embodiment such retention is supplemented by a locking plate 25 which is located between the triangular flange 22d and the longitudinal wall 22j of the lamp body part 22a.In order to permit assembly of the locking plate 25 by insertion through an opening 26 in the flange 22c, the triangular flange 22d is not connected to the socket formation 22f by a bridge portion (2g in Fig. 1) as in the case of the first embodiment. The locking plate 25 is of generally rectangular shape with an inturned upper edge 25a which prevents the plate 25 from being pushed completely through the opening 26. The plate 25 is slightly cranked intermediate its ends so that it has to flex slightly to pass through the opening 26 during sliding movement beteen the open and closed positions. This ensures limited frictional resistance to movement of the plate so that it will tend to remain in any position into which it is adjusted. The rear face of the plate 25 is provided with a groove 25b slidably engaging with a guide rib 27 integral with the body wall 22j.The front surface of the plate 25 has serrated areas 25c which facilitate manual manipulation of the locking plate 25. Two small flexible legs 25d are provided on opposite vertical sides of the locking plate 25 to enable it to be snapped into position during the assembly operation and then prevent it from passing back through the assembly slot 26.

The locking plate 25 has a T shaped aperture with a wide portion 25e and a narrow portion 25f. The wide portion 25e is large enough to permit passage of the front spigot portion 23b of the tether 23 and the narrow portion 25f is narrow enough to hold the spigot portion 23b captive by engagement of the slot side walls with the neck 23d which is long enough to accommodate the thickness of the plate 25 as well as the upper edge of the post. The lower edge of the narrow portion 25f of the opening in the locking plate 25 has a protruding rib 25g adapted to engage the lower edge of the recess in the support so that insertion movement of the body 22 into the support causes upward movement of the locking plate 25 into its locked position. Fig. 6 shows the toggle head 23 in the inserted and locked position relative to the locking plate 25.Fig. 7 shows the locking plate 25 moved downwardly with respect to the toggle head 23 (in the direction of the vertical arrow) thereby permitting removal of the toggle head 23 (in the direction of the horizontal arrow).

A downwardly tapering ramp 28 integrally moulded with the body wall 22j guides the rim of the support over the bottom edge of the locking plate 25 so as to facilitate entry of the plate 25 into the support. Prior to such insertion movement the toggle head-23 has been inserted through the aperture 22e into the socket 22f via the wide portion of the opening in the plate 25. As described above, the insertion movement causes the locking plate to be moved upwardly into its locking position thereby trapping the toggle head 23 in its engaged position. The side walls of the recess in the rim of the support function in the same way as described in relation to the first embodiment, the toggle head 23 thus being held captive by means of a fourth aperture (25f) in the locking plate 25 as well as by the recess in the rim of the support.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A post and rail assembly comprising a rail, a post provided with a first aperture, a warning unit having a body which is insertable into the upper portion of the post, said body including a second aperture aligned with the first aperture when the body is inserted, means for locking the warning unit in the upper portion of the post, and a flexible tether secured by one end to the rail and having at the other end a head removably engageable in one of said apertures and held captive therein when the other aperture is brought into alignment.

2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second aperture is a socket disposed inwardly of the first aperture when the body is inserted, and the first aperture is a recess in an upper edge of the post, whereby the socket serves to carry the tether head into engagement with said recess.

3. An assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the tether head has a narrow portion which is flanked by side walls of said recess to prevent withdrawal of the head from the socket when the body is inserted.

4. An assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the upper edge of the post is covered by a horizontal wall of the inserted body and a flange depending from said wall externally of the post has a third aperture aligned with said socket.

5. An assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein a lower edge of said third aperture is connected to the floor of the socket by a bridge portion which engages the lower edge of the recess when the body is inserted.

6. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tether head has a distal end portion smaller than the first aperture, a proximal portion larger than the first aperture and a narrower neck portion behind said end portion, and the second aperture is a downwardly open keyhole slot in a depending flange of said body for engaging said neck portion internally of the post.

7. An assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein a locking plate is slidably mounted on said body internally of the post and has a fourth aperture with wide and narrow portions alternately registering with the third aperture when the locking plate is in the unlocked and locked positions respectively, the side walls of the narrow portion of the fourth aperture serving to trap the tether head in its engaged position.

8. An assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein a projection of the locking plate is adapted to engage the lower edge of the recess so as to move the locking plate from a lower, unlocked position to an upper, locked position during insertion movement of the body into the post.

9. A post and rail assembly substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.