GB2267302A

GB2267302A - A bollard assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2267302A
Application number: GB9211288A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kevin Richard Bridges
Original assignee: Lin Pac Mouldings Ltd
Current assignee: Linpac Mouldings Ltd
Priority date: 1992-05-28
Filing date: 1992-05-28
Publication date: 1993-12-01
Anticipated expiration: 2012-05-28
Also published as: GB9211288D0; GB2267302B

Abstract

A bollard assembly 10 has an upstanding cylindrical metal core 12 anchored in the ground and which receives a hollow, frusto-conical plastics moulded jacket to completely enclose the exposed part of the core. The bottom end of the core has an internally formed rim 18a with an inner wall 32. to engage the core 12, and has localised supports 40 and 42 extending radially from the wall 44 of the jacket to the inner wall 32. These localised supports 40 and 42 have threaded bores to receive screws 46 and 48 which engage with the metal core when tightened in their bores, restraining the jacket from relative movement to the core. <IMAGE>

Description

A BOLLARD ASSEMBLY The present invention relates to a bollard assembly and was primarily developed for use as a rigidly anchored traffic bollard of the type having an aesthetic design and commonly used around pedestrian precincts.

Bollard assemblies of this type are well known, especially the type whose aesthetic appearance resembles an old cannon barrel. Originally, cannon barrels were actually used as bollards and were set upright in concrete. When these canon barrels came into short supply, cast iron replicas were made.

However, cast iron is a brittle material prone to damage and attack by the elements whereas tougher materials such as steel are expensive to produce in aesthetic designs. Furthermore, damage to these bollards would require the expensive procedure of their complete replacement, as would any desire to change the aesthetic design of the bollards.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a bollard which alleviates the aforementioned problems.

According to the present invention there is provided a bollard assembly comprising an elongated upstanding metal core having an upper part length and a lower part length of which the lower part length is to be anchored in the ground, and an elongated hollow plastics moulded jacket of aesthetic external design within which the upper part length is received, the jacket having a retaining means which engages the metal core to restrain relative movement between the jacket and core.

Preferably the jacket is in the form of a sleeve or sheath which fully encloses the upper part length of the core.

The plastics moulded jacket may be tapered, having a bottom end which is of greater cross sectional area than that of its upper end so that the greater cross sectional area afforded by the bottom end of the jacket may have a localised increased wall thickness to accommodate the retaining means and to facilitate economical use of plastics in the jacket.

Furthermore, the relative smaller cross sectional area of the upper end of the jacket may closely receive the core (particularly if the latter is cylindrical) to alleviate lateral displacement of the jacket on the core.

In the preferred form of the invention the metal core of the bollard is cylindrical and usually tubular (typically of steel) and the inner surface of the jacket is generally frustoconical so that its internal diameter reduces as it recedes from its bottom end.

The moulded jacket may have a moulded plastics rim or flange on its inner surface at or towards the bottom end, which rim or flange is closely received on the metal core, a threaded bore hole may extend through the jacket in the region of its rim or flange to receive a screw which engages the metal core when it is tightened in the threaded bore to restrain the jacket from movement relative to the core. Alternatively, the retaining screw may be located in a threaded bore formed in an internal boss projecting from the inner surface of the jacket and desirably an array of such bosses are peripherally spaced about the interior of the jacket so that the abutment of the bosses with the core restrains lateral displacement between the lower end of the jacket on the core.

A plastics cover plug may be inserted in a mouth of the bore hole on the outer surface of the jacket, after the screw has been inserted and tightened, to cover the screw and alleviate it from being inadvertently damaged or removed.

By the present invention the plastics moulded jacket may be interchangeable readily on a core with other similar jackets in the event of damage or to present different external aesthetic designs.

Usually, the lower part length of the core will be anchored as a permanent fixture, for example by embedding in concrete.

One embodiment of a bollard assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying illustrative drawings in which FIGURE 1 shows a vertical section of the bollard assembly; FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view of part of the bollard assembly of Figure 1 showing the retaining means; FIGURE 3 is a side elevation of the bollard assembly of Figure 1 and FIGURE 4 is a section of line IV-IV of Figure 2.

A bollard assembly 10 comprises an elongated upstanding steel core 12 and a hollow, elongated plastics moulded jacket 14. The core 12, a cylindrical tube, is firmly anchored with its bottom end part length in a concrete base 16 and the jacket 14 is received on the exposed upper part length of the core 12 to completely enclose that part. The jacket 14, which will usually be rotary moulded, is of circular section and tapers longitudinally so that the external diameter of a base 18 is greater than the external diameter of an upper region 20. The jacket 14 is predominantly formed by an outer wall 22 which is of uniform thickness and is profiled externally to represent an upstanding cannon barrel and having a domed top 28 to give the appearance of a cannon ball projecting from the cannon barrel at the top of the bollard.Profiled parts 24 and 26 around the circumference of the jacket enhance the design of a cannon.

The base 18 comprises an internal annular flange 18a carrying an upstanding cylindrical inner wall 32 concentric with the outer wall 22 and within which inner wall 32 the core 12 is slidably received. Circumferentially spaced and integrally moulded localized supports 40 and 42 extend radially between the jacket wall 44 and the inner wall 32. These supports 40 and 42 have threaded bores extending therethrough, said threaded bores opening into mouths 52 and 54 respectively on the jacket wall 44, within which are received grub screws 46 and 48 respectively.

The internal diameter of the inner wall 32 corresponds to the diameter of the metal core 12 to alleviate lateral displacement between the jacket 14 and the core 12 when said jacket is received on the upper part length of the core. The internal diameter of the jacket 14 at or towards the upper region 20 substantially corresponds to the diameter of the core 12 to confine the core and further alleviate lateral displacement between the jacket 14 and the core 12.

The base 18 rests on the ground when the jacket 14 is received on the core 12 and is prevented from lateral displacement by engagement of the inner wall 32 with the core 12. Notches are drilled into the core 12 to coincide with the threaded bores of the supports 40 and 42 and said notches receive apices 50 of the grub screws 46 and 48 respectively when the said grub screws are tightened in their respective bores. This engagement between the grub screws 46 and 48 with the core 12 retains the jacket 14 from displacement relative to the core. Plastics cover plugs 56 are inserted into each of the two bore mouths 52 and 54 when the grub screws 46 and 48 have been tightened to engage the core 12, protecting the said screws from damage or their inadvertent removal.

Should the jacket 14 become damaged, or its aesthetic design become unsuitable, it may simply be replaced by a similar jacket of the same or different aesthetic design by reversing the retaining procedure as described. This procedure alleviates the need to completely remove a permanently fixed bollard assembly, the core 12 remains anchored whilst only the jacket is changed. This type of bollard assembly may also offer a safer design over existing bollards in that its plastics jacket and an air gap provided by clearance between the jacket and core may partially absorb impact forces.

Further embodiments of the invention may include differing aesthetic designs of the jacket and different restraining means, such as bolting the jacket to the core or using moulded plastic clip elements on the jacket to snap engage with recesses formed in the core.

Claims

1. A bollard assembly comprising an elongated upstanding metal core having an upper part length and a lower part length of which the lower part length is to be anchored in the ground, and an elongated hollow plastics moulded jacket of aesthetic external design within which the upper part length is to be received, the jacket having a retaining means which engages the metal core to restrain relative movement between the jacket and core.

2. A bollard assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which the jacket is in the form of a sleeve which fully encloses the upper part length of the core.

3. A bollard assembly as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2 in which the plastics moulded jacket is tapered, having a bottom end which is of greater cross sectional area than that of its upper end, said greater cross sectional area afforded by the bottom end of the jacket providing a localised increased wall thickness and accommodating the retaining means.

4. A bollard assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the metal core is cylindrical and tubular and the inner surface of the jacket is substantially frusto-conical with its internal diameter reducing as it recedes from its bottom end.

5. A bollard assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the jacket has an internal moulded plastics inner wall, rim or flange on or towards its bottom end, said inner wall, rim or flange being closely received on the metal core and having at least one threaded bore hole extending therethrough, said threaded bore hole or holes receiving screws which, when tightened in their respective bore holes, engage the metal core to restrain the jacket from movement relative to the core.

6. A bollard assembly as claimed in claim 5 in which the inner wall, rim or flange is spaced from said outer wall of the jacket and integrally moulded localised supports extend between the outer wall and the inner wall, rim -or flange, said bore holes extending through these localised supports.

7. A bollard assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the jacket comprises an array of at least two peripherally spaced internally projecting bosses, said bosses having threaded bore holes therein to receive screws which, when tightened in their respective bore holes, engage the metal core to restrain relative movement between the jacket and the core.

8. A bollard assembly as claimed in claim 7 in which the array of peripherally spaced bosses on the jacket abut the core, when the jacket is received on the core, to restrain the core from lateral displacement between the lower end of the jacket and the core.

9. A bollard assembly as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 8 in which a plastics cover plug is inserted in a mouth of each the bore holes on the outer surface of the jacket, after the screws have been inserted and tightened, to cover the screws.

10. A bollard assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the jacket is interchangeable readily on the core with other similar jackets of the same or different aesthetic designs.

11. A bollard assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the lower part length of the core is anchored as a permanent fixture.

12. A bollard assembly substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying illustrative drawings.