GB2272012A - Barrier assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

A personnel free-standing barricade comprises a barrier unit 10 and a platform 11 connected by a hinge 12 to the unit 10. The weight of the platform 11, together with the weight of persons standing on the platform in normal use, holds the unit 10 firmly against the ground. As such the barrier offers in use much more security than presently used barricades but remains easy to transport and to store when the platform 11 is folded against the unit 10. <IMAGE>

Description

Barricades The invention relates to barricades.

The invention relates more particularly to personnel barricades which are normally required to be temporarily erected and free standing. Experience has shown that present barricade which are arranged simply to stand alone cannot readily or offer any real security. If the barriers are made very heavy to make them more difficult to move they cannot be easily handled, transported and placed in different positions for use. If they are made light and easy to handle, they have little or no effect to control the location or movement of a crowd of people.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome or at least reduce this problem.

According to the invention there is provided a personnel free-standing barricade comprising an upstanding generally planar barrier unit having feet extending forwards from the unit to prevent the barrier unit falling forwards, and a platform hinged to the barrier unit to move from one position in which the platform lies against the barrier unit and another position in which the platform lies on the ground behind the barrier unit where in use the platform holds the barrier down towards the ground.

The platform may have rigidly fixed thereto one or more flanges which lies against the barrier unit when the platform is in the other position against which the barrier bears if it falls backwards from its upright position.

The barrier unit may have feet extending backwards from the unit to prevent the barrier unit falling backwards.

The platform may be connected to the unit by a loose hinge or other mechanically interlockable connection arranged so that the unit and platform are readily separable for transport and storage.

A barricade according to the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: Figure 1 is an isometric view of the barricade in one position for use; and Figure 2 is an isometric view of the barricade in another position for transportation or storage.

Referring to the drawing, the barricade consists of a generally planar barrier frame unit 10 and a platform 11.

The platform is connected by a hinge 12 to a plate 13 fixed along a lower edge of the unit 10. An L-shaped bracket 14 is fixed. to the platform 11 and in operational use (see Figure 1), a limb of the bracket 14 bears against the plate 13. The unit 10 has feet 15 and 16 at each end to hold the unit generally in an upright position, and except for the platform 11, the unit 10 is generally of a form already well-known.

It will be appreciated that the feet 15 extending forward from the barrier unit 10 prevent the unit 10 falling forwards and the platform 11 acts to hold the unit 10 downwards towards the ground. This means that, and especially if, as is usual, a few or several people are standing on the platform 11, the barrier unit 10 cannot lift and tip forwards. It will be appreciated that it is necessary for the barrier unit 10 to lift to some extent otherwise it cannot tip forwards, that is pivot on the feet 15.

A limb of the bracket 14 prevents the barrier unit 10 tilting backwards and to this extent the feet 16 could be removed or the barricade provided without the feet 16. It will be noted however that the limb is preferably arranged so as not to protrude laterally forwards of the barrier beyond the feet 15 when the platform 11 is in the one position for transportation and storage (see Figure 2).

The platform 11 may be releasable connected to the unit 10 by an open hinge, or by claws or hooks which loop over a lower rail of the unit 10. In this way the platform 11 can be readily mechanically disconnected from the base 10 for transportation or storage. The platform 11 continues in use however to press or hold the unit 10 down against the ground as required to make the base 10 much more difficult to tip over.

Preferably, the platform 11 has a surface area about the same but somewhat less than -the effective cross-sectional area of the unit 10.

Claims (5)

Claims

1. A personnel free-standing barricade comprising an upstanding generally planar barrier unit having feet extending forwards from the unit to prevent the barrier unit falling forwards, and a platform hinged to the barrier unit to move from one position in which the platform lies against the barrier unit and another position in which the platform lies on the ground behind the barrier unit where in use the platform holds the barrier down towards the ground.

2. A barricade according to claim 1, in which the platform has rigidly fixed thereto one or more flanges which lies against the barrier unit when the platform is in the other position against which the barrier bears if it falls backwards from its upright position.

3. A barricade according to claim 1 or 2, in which the barrier unit has feet extending backwards from the unit to prevent the barrier unit falling backwards.

4. A personnel free-standing barricade comprising an upstanding generally planar barrier unit having feet extending backwards and forwards from the unit to prevent the barrier unit falling over, and a platform mechanically interlockable to the barrier unit when the platform lies on the ground behind the barrier unit such that the platform holds the barrier down towards the ground.

5. Barricades substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.