GB2364736A

GB2364736A - Fixing block for plastic ties

Info

Publication number: GB2364736A
Application number: GB0016850A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard John Gray; Patrick Nicholas Lennard
Original assignee: Keymite Ltd
Current assignee: Keymite Ltd
Priority date: 2000-07-11
Filing date: 2000-07-11
Publication date: 2002-02-06
Anticipated expiration: 2020-07-11
Also published as: GB2364736B; GB0016850D0

Abstract

A fixing block 30 for plastic ties 32 which is securable to a body 36, e.g part of a document holder, and which has an contact surface 34 which rests against said body, a resilient projection 37, preferably a pair of wings, which in use are engagable with surfaces on a support 40 eg a post around which the ties are passed to enhance the grip of the fixing device to the support.

Description

<Desc/Clms Page number 1> A Tie Fixing Block Field This invention relates to tie fixing blocks and in particular to fixing blocks that are used for attachment of a tie to a body to secure that body to a support. Background of the Invention Public notices are typically displayed on street furniture, for example telegraph poles, lamp stands, traffic sign post etc. or on trees, or walls, and are typically nailed, pinned, pasted or tied. in place. Frequently it is desired to protect the notice from the weather and sometimes the notices are enclosed in transparent plastics bags. The use of nails or pins to secure such notices in position will breach the integrity of the protection. These notices are generally of a temporary nature and it is an advantage if the notice can be displayed in a manner which makes it easy to remove without trace, or damage. In some instances these notices may be mounted on a board, card, or sheet material, which is in turn secured to a post or wall etc. object of the Invention The present invention provides a cheap method of attaching a sheet like body to a support using ties, and a poster holder for securing public notices to a support.

Statements of Invention According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a fixing block for plastic ties which is securable to a body and which has a contact surface for resting against said body and at least one projection which in use is engagable with surfaces on a support around which the ties are passed.

The block may be secured to said body by a screw or nail passing through a fixing hole in the block , or preferably by a self adhesive pad on the contact surface. When secured by a nail or screw to the body, the fixing block may be reversed so that fixing block is adhered to the support. The ties are preferably plastics straps, typically made from nylon, having serrations thereon engagable in a detent formed on one end of the strap. The ties pass slidably through at least one tie hole(s) formed in the block. Preferably the projections are flexible, and may comprise a first pair of oppositely extending inclined flexible wings arranged to the side of the tie away from said body. The wings may be inclined at between 30-60 degrees from the horizontal so that in use the tie deflects the wings into engagement with the a surface on the support. A second pair of inclined wings are arranged normal to said first pair. Alternatively, the wings may extend substantially parallel

to said tie hole(s) and may be deflected by the ties into contact with the body.

The projection may comprises a cup extending upwardly away from said contact surface and which has flexible walls, the wall may have slits therein dividing the wall into flexible petals or fingers.

Also according to the invention there is provided a fixing device including a block according to the first invention together with a tie mounted in said block.

According to yet another aspect of the Invention there is provided a poster holder comprising a sheet or board having a front face onto which a notice may be mounted, and a rear face on which at least one fixing block according to the present invention, or at least one fixing device according to another aspect of the present invention, is secured. Yet a further aspect of the invention provides a poster holder kit comprising a sheet or board having a face for display of a notice and rear surface for securing against a support: at least one fixing block for ties which is securable to the rear surface by means of a self-adhesive coating or pad, the adhesive coating being covered by a peelable protective layer, and which has at least one projection which in use is engagable with surfaces on said support: and ties for passing through the block for

securing the holder to a support. Description of the Drawings The invention will be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a an isometric view of a fixing block according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is a plan view of the block of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the block of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is a view showing a fixing device also according to the present invention in use, Fig. 5 is a plan view of a document holder for a public notice for use on a poster holder according to the present invention Fig. 6 is side view of the poster holder according to an aspect of the present invention, Fig. 7 is an isometric view of a second fixing block according to the invention, Fig. 8 is a side view of yet another fixing block according to the invention, and Fig. 9 is a plan view of the block in Fig. 8. Detailed Description of the Invention With reference to Figs.l to 4, there is shown a fixing block 30 for use with nylon ties 32. The ties 32 comprise serrated nylon straps which are each slidably held in tie holes 33 in the fixing block 30. The fixing block 30 has a contact surface 34 having a high tack adhesive pad 35 thereon may be is covered in a peelable protective layer

prior to attachment to a body 36, preferably a planar relatively rigid sheet material.

The fixing block 30 has a pair of oppositely extending resiliently flexible wings 37 which are located on the side of the tie holes away from the contact surface 34. The wings 37 are inclined to the contact surface 34 and are aligned with the tie 32 so that in use (see Fig. 4) the tie 32 presses the resilient wings onto a surface of a support 40 e.g. a post. The tie 32 and block 30 together form a fixing device for securing a body 36 to a support 40 and the spring load in the resilient wings 37 increases the frictional grip of the fixing device on the post 40: The ties 32 are in the form of serrated nylon straps having a detent 38 at one end, and which is preferably releasable.

Now with reference also to Fig. 6, the body 36 is preferably a sheet of rigid plastics material, preferably a light weight twin flute corrugated material sold under the name Corex. However other sheet materials e.g. plywood, or hardboard can be used. If the block 30 is mounted to a wooden sheet material then the blocks 30 may additionally or alternatively be secured in place by screws or nails passing through a fixing hole 39 in the block.

At least two blocks 30, preferably aligned blocks, are

secured to the rear face of the sheet-like body 36, typically rectangular in shape. A protective transparent cover 10 is attached to the front face of the body 36 to protect any notice displayed on the front surface of the body.

With reference now to Fig. 5, the cover 10 is a document holder comprising a sleeve like body 11 sealed around its periphery and having an opening 12 at one end which is closable by an integral flap 13, similar to an envelope. Conveniently the sleeve is dimensioned to receive A4 size sheets. The front 14 of the sleeve which carries the flap 13 is formed from a rigid transparent PVC sheet arid the rear 15 is formed from a flexible transparent PVC sheet. The peripheral margins of the rear 15 of the sleeve are coated in a low tack adhesive 16 and the flap 13 on its front face is coated with a high tack adhesive 17. When the flap 13 is folded down the adhesive 17 is on the rearwardly facing outer surface of the flap. The adhesive coating may be covered in a peelable protective layer. The document holder 10 can have a display item inserted into the body 11 through the opening 12 . The holder 10 is then secured the sheet 36 by adherence of the flap 13 to an upper portion of the sheet. The holder 10 is then folded over the flap 13 so that the rear 15 of the body lies adjacent the sheet to which it adheres through the low tack adhesive 16.

In order to change the display item , the holder 10 is lifted from the sheet-like body whilst the high tack adhesive 17 retains the flap 13 in position. An item can then be removed from the opening 12 and replaced by another and the body 11 subsequently re-stuck to the body 36.

The holder 10, body 36 and fixing blocks and ties, may form a kit from which a poster holder can be assembled. In this state the fixing blocks and document holder 10 are supplied with protective peelable plastic or waxed paper layers covering the adhesive.

Other transparent protective covers may be used in conjunction with the sheet-like body 36 in place of the sleeve-like holder 10.

With reference now to Figs 7-9, there are shown fixing blocks 70 and 80 having different flexible projections on their outer surfaces, that is outward of the contact surface 34. In Fig.7 there is shown a fixing block similar to that shown in Figs. 1-3, except that there is a further pair of flexible wings 77 normal to the other pair of wings 37 and further tie holes 33. The wings 77 are also inclined to the contact surface. This fixing block is more universal in its uses that the block shown in Fig. 1 one set of wings acting as reslient springs as before, and the othe wings acting as stabilisers against the support.

In Figs. 8 & 9, the wings have been replaced by a upwardly projecting cup 87 having a flexible sidewall which may be further subdivided into fingers or petals by slits in the sidewall.

Claims

Claims 1. A fixing block for plastic ties which is securable to a body and which has a contact surface which rests against said body and at least one projection which in use is engagable with surfaces on a support around which the ties are passed.
2. A fixing block as claimed in claim 1 wherein the contact surface has a self adhesive pad thereon for attachment to said body.
3. A fixing block as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the fixing block has at least one tie hole therein through which a tie can slidably pass.
4. A fixing block as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein the block has a first pair of oppositely extending flexible wings arranged to the side of the tie away from said body.
5. A fixing block as claimed in Claim 4 wherein said wings extend substantially in alignment with said tie when it passes through the block .
6. A fixing block as claimed in Claim 4 or Claim 5, wherein the block has a second pair of oppositely extending flexible wings arranged substantially normal to said first

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pair.
7. A fixing block as claimed in any one of Claims 4 to 6, wherein the wings are inclined away from said tie hole(s) and contact surface.
8. A fixing block as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the projection comprises a cup extending upwardly away from said contact surface and which has flexible walls.
9. A block as claimed in Claim 8 wherein said walls have slits therein forming the wails into flexible petals.
10. A fixing device including a block as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 9 and a tie mounted to the block for securing the block to a support around which the ties pass.
11. A poster holder comprising a sheet or board having a front face for display of a notice, and a rear face on which at least one fixing block according to Claims 1 to 9, or at least one fixing device according claim 11, is secured.
12. A poster holder as claimed in claim 11 and further including a transparent plastics layer secured to said front face to protect any notice thereon.

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13. A poster holder kit comprising a sheet or board having a face for display of a notice and rear surface for securing against a support: at least one fixing block for ties which is securable to the rear surface by means of a self -adhesive coating or pad, the adhesive coating being covered by a peelable protective layer, and which has at least one projection which in use is engagable with surfaces on said support: and ties for passing through the block for securing the holder to a support.
14. A kit as claimed in Claim 13 and further including a transparent plastics sheet or layer for overlying any notice displayed.