GB2335072A

GB2335072A - Flag display structure

Info

Publication number: GB2335072A
Application number: GB9804430A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Geoff Walker
Original assignee: Sports & Corporate Flags Uk Lt
Current assignee: Sports & Corporate Flags Uk Lt
Priority date: 1998-03-03
Filing date: 1998-03-03
Publication date: 1999-09-08
Anticipated expiration: 2018-03-03
Also published as: GB2335072B; GB9804430D0

Abstract

A flag display structure 1 comprises a hollow flagpole 2 and a halyard attached adjacent an upper inner corner of a flag. The halyard extends through an aperture provided in the flagpole 2. A counterbalance weight is attached to the halyard and can slide between first and second positions inside the flagpole 2 as the flag 8 is lowered or raised, and a weight 12 is attached adjacent a lower inner corner of the flag 8 and is slidably attached to the exterior of the flagpole 2.

Description

1 2335072 FLAG DISPLAY STRUCTURE The present invention relates to flag

display structures, and relates particularly to flag display structures for enabling a flag to be displayed with reduced vulnerability to theft or damage.

Flags are frequently displayed in public on flagpoles, for example on public buildings or at the entrance of estates of newly-built houses.

Flag display structures are well known which consist of a flagpole to which a halyard carrying a flag is attached, the halyard extending along the outside of the flagpole. To maintain a flag in its flying position, the halyard can be secured to an attachment such as a cleat attached to the lower part of the flagpole.

With such existing structures, security against theft or damage to the flags on display is limited, since it is relatively straightforward for an unauthorised person to remove a flag by simply releasing the halyard from the cleat and lowering the flag. It would be advantageous if an alternative flag display structure were available by which such easy unauthorised access is avoided but which still permits authorised access to the display without undue difficulty.

Flag display structures are also known which use a generally hollow flagpole into which a halyard extends and is maintained in position by means of a ratchet or pulley system operated by access through a lockable door provided at the lower part of the flagpole. Such structures suffer from the disadvantage that they are expensive to produce and the lockable door of the 1 structure is susceptible to damage by the weather or by unauthorised persons.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention seek to overcome the above disadvantages of the prior art.

According to the present invention, there is provided a flag display structure comprising: an at least partially hollow flagpole; a halyard adapted to be attached to a flag adjacent a first corner thereof, the first corner being an upper inner corner of the flag when flying, and to extend through an aperture provided in the flagpole when in use; a first weight adapted to be attached to the halyard such that said first weight can slide between first and second positions inside the flagpole as the flag is lowered or raised; and a second weight adapted to be attached adjacent a second corner of the flag, the second corner being a lower inner corner of the flag when flying, and to be slidably attached to the exterior of the flagpole.

By providing a halyard which extends in use from the flag through an aperture in the flagpole to the interior thereof, this provides the advantage of reducing accessibility to the halyard at ground level. This in turn makes unauthorised access to the flag more difficult, and therefore improves the security of the structure against theft or damage, but can also be constructed by relatively simple means.

The flagpole may be formed of any desired rigid material, for example aluminium, steel or a synthetic polymeric material.

In a preferred embodiment, the flagpole is formed from a fibrereinforced polymeric material, for example a glass-reinforced polyester.

1 The flag-pole may be of substantially uniform cross-section or tapered.

The flagpole preferably further comprises a cap for closing off an upper end of the flagpole, wherein said aperture is provided in or adjacent to said cap.

In a preferred embodiment, a roller is provided to assist passage of the halyard through the aperture.

In a preferred embodiment, the halyard is secured to the flag in use along substantially the entire inner edge thereof when flown.

The second weight may be slidably attached to the flagpole by means of a loop or chain.

The structure may further comprise a shackle for attaching the second weight to the flag.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only and not in any limitative sense, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Fig. 1 is a schematic elevational view of a flag display structure embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view of an upper part of the structure of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view in the region of the lower edge of the flag of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a sectional view at the foot of the structure of Fig. 1.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a flag display structure 1 comprises a flagpole 2, secured vertically in the ground 3 at the base of the pole. The flagpole 2 is of a generally uniform hollow cross-section throughout its length and is formed of a glass-fibre-reinforced, polyester material. A top cap 4 closes 1 1 the upper end of the flagpole 2, and has an aperture 5 and roller (not shown) to permit f ree passage of a halyard 6 therethrough.

Referring now to Figure 4, at its end within the flagpole 2, the halyard 6 carries a counterbalance weight 7, of such a size and shape as to be able to move freely within the f lagpole 2 as the halyard 6 moves through the aperture 5. At its other end, the halyard 6 is releasably attached to an upper corner of a flag 8 to be displayed, or can be attached to the flag 8 along the entire inner edge 9 thereof.

As shown in Figure 3, the lower inner corner of the f lag 8 (or the end of the halyard 6 if it is attached to the flag 8 along the entire edge 9 thereof) is releasably attached by means of a snap fitting 10 to a shackle 11 in the form of a loop of material, which may be the same material as the halyard 6. The fitting 10 also carries a weight 12, which is significantly lighter than the counterbalance weight 7 and serves to maintain the vertical spread of the inner edge 9 of the flag 8.

The operation of the structure 1 shown in the Figures will now be described.

In order to assemble the structure 1, the halyard 6 is attached to the counterbalance weight 7 prior to erecting the flagpole 2, and the weight 7 is lowered into the flagpole 2 from the open upper end thereof. The flagpole 2 is then erected and the counterbalance weight 7 suspended in the flagpole 2 causes the f lag 8 to be supported on the pole at the display position. The weight 12 serves to keep the inner corners of the flag 8 apart so that the flag remains generally in a vertical plane.

When the structure 1 is in normal use for the display of the flag 8, the positions of the components are generally as illustrated in Figures 1 to 4. The counterbalance weight 7 is sufficiently heavy to maintain the flag 8 and weight 12 at the display position at the top of the flagpole 2, while the weight 12 ensures that the flag 8 is spread in a generally vertical plane. The halyard 6 extends from the upper part of the flag 8 through the aperture 5 and is accommodated within the flagpole 2 and is therefore inaccessible from ground level. Any unauthorised person wishing to gain access to the flag 8 must therefore either climb the flagpole 2 or have the necessary equipment to reach the flag 8.

When it is required to lower the flag 8 it must be pulled downwardly at the corner adjacent to the shackle 11. This may be achieved by means of a hooked pole or similar tool such as a flag retrieval hook 13 as shown in Figure 1. This enables the shackle 11 to be reached from ground level and pulled downwardly against the tension in the halyard 6 caused by the counterbalance weight 7. Upon release of the shackle 11, for example af ter the f itting of an alternative f lag, the f lag 8 is drawn upwardly to the display position by the counterbalance weight 7.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the above embodiment has been described by way of example only and not in any limitative sense, and that various alterations and modifications are possible without departure from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A flag display structure comprising: an at least partially hollow flagpole; a halyard adapted to be attached to a flag adjacent a first corner thereof, the first corner being an upper inner corner of the flag when flying, and to extend through an aperture provided in the flagpole when in use; a first weight adapted to be attached to the halyard such that said first weight can slide between first and second positions inside the flagpole as the flag is lowered or raised; and a second weight adapted to be attached adjacent a second corner of the flag, the second corner being a lower inner corner of the flag when flying, and to be slidably attached to the exterior of the flagpole.

1.

2. A structure according to claim 1, wherein the flagpole is formed of a rigid material.

3. A structure according to claim 2, wherein the rigid material is aluminium, steel or a synthetic polymeric material.

4. A structure according to claim 3, wherein the polymeric material is a fibre-reinforced polymeric material.

5. A structure according to claim 4, wherein the material is a glassreinforced polyester.

6. A structure according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the flag-pole is of substantially uniform crosssection.

7. A structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the flagpole is tapered.

8. A structure according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the flagpole further comprises a cap for closing off an upper end of the flagpole, and said aperture is provided in or adjacent to said cap.

9. A structure according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a roller to assist passage of the halyard through the aperture.

10. A structure according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the halyard is secured to the flag in use along substantially the entire inner edge thereof when flown.

11. A structure according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second weight is slidably attached to the flagpole by means of a loop or chain.

12. A structure according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a shackle for attaching the second weight to the f lag.

13. A flag display structure substantially as hereinbefor described with reference to the accompanying drawings.