GB2266542A

GB2266542A - Barrier post assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2266542A
Application number: GB9209584A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kenneth Hart
Original assignee: Construction Specialties Inc
Current assignee: EMEH Inc
Priority date: 1992-05-02
Filing date: 1992-05-02
Publication date: 1993-11-03
Also published as: GB9209584D0

Abstract

A barrier post assembly for a crash barrier system, for mounting on the floor of, e.g. a hospital area, comprises a post (1) and a base plate (2) for supporting the post in an upright position. A metal perimeter frame (4) is positioned around the post at a distance above the base plate to leave a gap between the post and the frame which is filled with an elastomeric material (E). During installation of the assembly, the perimeter frame is bedded on a concrete screed formed around the lower part of the post between the base plate and the elastomeric material, with a compressible filler material (8), such as expanded polystyrene, intermediate the screed and the said lower part of the post. By reason of the bond which is formed between the elastomeric material and the post and the frame, any impact applied to the post is absorbed in the elastomeric material and the compressible filler thereby to prevent the concrete screed from fracturing. <IMAGE>

Description

BARRIER POST ASSEMBLY FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a barrier post assembly and particularly to a post assembly for use with metal crash barrier systems.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Crash barrier systems in present day use normally comprise a series of posts installed in the ground between which are fixed crash barrier rails or panels of a specific design capable of withstanding impacting forces of predetermined magnitudes.

Crash barrier systems of this type find many uses, for example, in a hospital environment. In the latter situation, the barrier posts are simply embedded in a concrete screed formed on an existing floor surface and no structural account is taken of the results following from impact either against the crash barrier rails or the post itself in terms of these forces acting to loosen the post in the concrete screed.

Apart from the primary purpose of the crash barrier thereby being impaired, present day practice leads to additional problems, which heretofore have not been resolved, in cases where the barrier posts are surrounded by a floor covering and high standards of hygene are paramount as in a hospital environment.

In this arrangement, the floor covering is brought close to the outer perimeter of the barrier post and a sealing material is inserted around the join between the floor covering and the post to prevent ingress of dirt and other unhygenic materials.

The trouble with this solution is that under crash barrier impact, the sealing material readily fractures and separates from the floor covering and associated barrier post with consequent undesirable results.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to overcome the difficulties of the prior art, some of which have been enumerated above, and provide a barrier post assembly which is capable of maintaining structural integrity under all normal crash barrier impacts for which the crash barrier is designed, by in particular incorporating a shock absorbing seal between the post and a floor covering placed to surround the post which does not separate under normal operating conditions, so that in the first place the surrounding concrete screeding is not caused to fracture with the result that the post becomes loose and secondly the ingress and harbouring of contaminating material in the area of the post and floor covering join is preventea.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a barrier post assembly for installation in a floor area comprising a post, base plate means for supporting the post in an upright position on a prepared floor surface, a perimeter frame for forming a floor covering join surrounding the post at a predetermined distance from the baseplate and with a gap between the frame and the post, and an elastomeric material filling the gap between the frame and the post, said material being bonded to the frame and the post to form a shock absorbing impervious resilient seal.

Preferably the post is made of stainless steel and the frame is made of aluminium.

Advantageously, the frame is provided with a channel recess for receiving a flange formed on a flat perimeter floor covering support plate, the upper surface of which, in use, is arranged to lie substantially horizontal and at a depth beneath a perimeter edge of the frame corresponding to the thickness of the floor covering.

Preferably, a shock absorbing mounting pad made of an elastomeric material, is attached to the underside of the base plate to absorb any rocking motion of the post under impact.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a method of forming a barrier post assembly comprising providing a barrier post, attaching a base plate to the barrier post to enable the post to be erected in an upright position, positioning a floor covering joining frame around the post at a specified distance from the base plate and with a gap formed between the frame and the post, filling the gap with an elastomeric material, and bonding the material to the post and frame to provide a shock absorbing impervious resilient seal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof taken in reference to the sole accompanying drawing showing a barrier post assembly according to an embodiment of the invention installed in position on the floor.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION The barrier post assembly shown in the drawing comprises a stainless steel post 1 welded to a stainless steel base plate 2.

A shock absorbing mounting pad 3 made of rubber or similar elastomeric compound is bonded to the underside of the base plate 2.

As shown, the post 1 is erected in an upright position with the shock absorbing mounting pad 3 resting on a prepared floor surface F. instead of being attached to the base plate 2, the pad 3 may simply be inserted between the base plate 2 and the floor surface F during installation.

A rectangular frame 4 formed of extruded aluminium is positioned around the perimeter of the stainless steel post 1 leaving a gap G of predetermined width therebetween.

The gap G is filled with an elastomeric compound E, factory bonded to the stainless steel post 1 and the extruded aluminium perimeter frame 4.

The perimeter frame 4 is a channel section 5 into which the flange 6 of an aluminium extruded perimeter plate 7 is received. The limb 5' of the channel section 5 closest to the post 1 is longer than the other limb 5".

During installation the barrier post assembly as described is screwed by any suitable means (not shownj to the prepared floor surface F through the base plate 2 and mounting pad 3. A compressible void filling material 8 such as expanded polystyrene is placed around that section of the post beneath the frame 4 and the base plate 2, and over the base plate 3 as shown.

A concrete screed S is then laid upon the prepared floor surface F to surround the expanded polystyrene, and to a general final overall level SF upon which a floor covering 9 is eventually laid as shown, which final screed level SF is at a floor covering thickness beneath the top edge of the limb 5' of the channel section 5.

The concrete screed S, over the lateral extent of the frame 4 and perimeter plate 7 is brought short of the general final level SF to allow both the frame 4 and plate 7 to be embedded in an epoxy mortar 10, with the perimeter plate 7 in a horizontal disposition and locked into the frame 4 with its upper surface 7' at the final level SF of the concrete screed C such that the floor covering 9 is able to abut the inner limb 5' of the channel section 5 with the perimeter edge of the limb 5' at the same level as the floor covering 9 as shown.

The floor covering 9 is securely bonded to the perimeter plate 7 with flooring adhesive so that there is simultaneous movement of the covering 9 and plate 7.

To facilitate ease of cleaning the elastomeric filling or seal E with the frame 4 may be set slightly above the final floor level SF so that when the perimeter clamping plate 7 is screwed down into position a slight cove is formed around the post ï.

With the arrangement shown, any movement of the stainless steel post 1 due to crash barrier impact will not be transmitted to the concrete screed S and will be absorbed in the elastomeric filling E. Moreover, due to the compressible filling material 8, the whole length of the post will have a limited freedom to cantilever on the base plate 2 and mounting pad 3 which latter in turn will absorb any cantilevering movements and prevent separation from the floor surface F.

Due to the shock absorbing capability of the barrier post assembly as shown, no crevices or cracks will be formed between the post 1 and the floor covering 9 as in previous systems in which to allow ingress of health hazardous contaminating material and the area around the seal E and the floor covering join with the frame 4 can be kept permanently clean.

Claims

1. A barrier post assembly for installation in a floor area comprising a post, base plate means for supporting the post in an upright position on a prepared floor surface, a perimeter frame for forming a floor covering join surrounding the post at a predetermined distance from the base plate and with a gap between the frame and the post, and an elastomeric material filling the gap between the frame and the post, said material being bonded to the frame and the post to form a shock absorbing impervious resilient seal.

2. A barrier post assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the frame is provided with a channel recess, a floor covering support plate having a flange for engaging said channel recess with the upper surface of the support plate lying a distance beneath a perimeter edge of the frame to correspond to the thickness of a floor covering to be installed on the support plate.

3. A frame as claimed in claims 1 or 2 wherein a shock absorbing mounting pad is attached to the underside of the base plate to absorb any rocking motion of the post under impact.

4. A barrier post assembly as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the post is made of stainless steel, and the frame is made of aluminium.

5. A barrier post assembly as claimed in any preceding claim installed in a floor area, the perimeter frame and connecting floor covering support plate being bedded on concrete screeding or the like surrounding a length of the post beneath the elastomeric material, a space formed between the screeding and said length of post, and a compressible filler such as expanded polystyrene in said space.

6. A method of forming a barrier post assembly comprising providing a barrier post, attaching a base plate to the barrier post to enable the post to be erected in an upright position, positioning a floor covering joining frame around the post at a specified distance from the base plate and with a gap formed between the frame and the post, filling the gap with an elastomeric material, and bonding the material to the post and frame to provide a shock absorbing impervious resilient seal.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6 additionally including forming a concrete screed or like material around the post between the elastomeric material and the base plate with the post erected in an upright position on a floor surface, and bedding the frame together with a floor covering support plate attached thereto in the concrete screed with the support plate in a horizontal or generally horizontal orientation.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7 including leaving a space between the post and the concrete screed, and filling said space with a compressible filler such as polystyrene.

9. A method as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 8 including connecting the support plate to the frame such that the upper surface thereof is lower by a predetermined distance than the upper perimeter of the frame, said distance corresponding to a thickness of floor covering to be installed on the plate.

10. A barrier post assembly for installation in a floor area substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

11. A method for forming a barrier post assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.