GB2513676A

GB2513676A - Stackable hollow objects

Info

Publication number: GB2513676A
Application number: GB1317524.5A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Charles Sidney Mullins
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2013-04-30
Filing date: 2013-10-03
Publication date: 2014-11-05
Also published as: GB201307746D0; GB201317524D0

Abstract

The hollow conical body comprises a non-conical portion, with the body being formed with oppositely facing cam-like projections that are arranged to engage with corresponding projections on adjacent hollow conical bodies when stacked together so as to cause the bodies to rotate relative to one another so as to align the bases of the respective bodies. The cam-like projections may have generally flat ramped or curved surfaces. The cam-like projections may be part-spherical and the corresponding projections in the form of fingers or flanges. The cam-like projections are preferably integrally formed with the body and formed at the apex thereof. Alternatively the body may include a pair of slots which form a cross-shape, into which a projection of an adjacent cone may fit, with the areas adjacent the slots being sloped to urge the projection into one of the slots. Also claimed is a road marker cone.

Description

TITLE: STACKABLE HOLLOW OBJECTS

FIELD OF INVENTION

The invention relates to hollow stackable objects, e.g. conical objects such as road marker cones. More particularly, but not exclusively, the invention relates to the stacking of hollow conical objects that are formed with non-circular portions, e.g. as is the case with some road marker cones that are formed with square bases.

Where road marker cones have square bases it is desirable, when they are stacked for storage, that the bases of all the cones in the stack are aligned so that the stack occupies the minimum of space. At present this alignment must be preformed manually, thus slowing the stacking process. However, it is often desirable that this stacking is preformed quickly.

It is an object of the invention to provide means whereby the stacking of hollow conical bodies formed with non-conical portions, e.g. road marker cones having square bases, can be stacked with their non-circular potions aligned.

STATEMENT OF INVENTION

According to the invention there is provided a hollow conical body having a non-conical portion, wherein the body is formed oppositely facing cam-like projections that are arranged to engage the corresponding projections on adjacent hollow conical bodies to cause the bodies to rotate to align the bases of the respective bodies.

The cam-like members may have generally flat ramped surfaces or may have curved surfaces. Thus the projections may be part-spherical or may be formed with part-spherical portions. The projections may in the form of fingers or flanges.

The hollow conical bodies may be formed from plastics, e.g. by moulding, and the cam-like projections may be integrally formed with the bodies. The cam-like projections may be formed at the apex of each body. The projections may extend across the whole width of the body. Thus the projections may comprise one or more fingers on the inside of one conical body engaging part-spherical projections on the top of another conical body to guide the fingers between the spherical projections to cause rotation of the conical bodies to align their respective bases.

At least the portions of the projections arranged to inter-engage may be generally V-shaped in cross-section. The tops of the conical bodies may be formed with a pair of slots arranged at right-angles to form a cross shape and in which the projection on an adjacent nested conical body can fit, the areas of the tops of the conical bodies adjacent to the pair of slots being sloped to urge the projection into one or other of the slots.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The invention is diagrammatically illustrated, by way of example, in the accompanying drawings, in which;-Figure 1 is a plan view of a stacked pair of hollow conical bodies in the form of road marker cones having square bases that are shown aligned; Figure Ia is a side view of the stacked pair of hollow conical bodies of Figure 1; Figure lb is an enlarged partial view of the stacked pair of bodies of Figure 1; Figure 2 is a view similar to that of Figure 1 and showing the bases of the hollow conical bodies misaligned; Figure 2a is a view similar to that of Figure la of the misaligned bodies of Figure 2; Figure 2b is an enlarged partial view of the stacked pair of bodies of Figure 2; Figure 3 is a plan view of a second embodiment of the invention in the form of a stacked pair of hollow conical bodies in the form of road marker cones having square bases that are shown aligned; Figure 3a is a side view of the stacked pair of hollow conical bodies of Figure 3; Figure 3b is an enlarged partial side view of the stacked pair of bodies of Figure 3; Figure 4 is a view similar to that of Figure 3 and showing the bases of the hollow conical bodies misaligned; Figure 4a is a view similar to that of Figure 3a of the misaligned bodies of Figure 4; Figure 5 is an enlarged partial top view of one of the bodies of Figure 3, and Figure 6 is an underneath or inside plan view of the top of on of the bodies of Figure 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

In the drawings, and referring more particularly to Figures 1 and 2, there is shown a pair of stackable hollow conical bodies in the form of road marker cones having square bases.

The cones may be moulded from a plastics material. It is desirable that for compact storage the cones are stacked with their bases aligned as shown in Figure 1 and to facilitate this the cones are formed at their tops with oppositely facing cam-like projections, that is facing upwards and downwards respectively, so that the projections on adjacent cones will inter-engage when the cones are stacked together and will cause the cones to rotate into a position where the bases of the cones are aligned as shown in Figure 1.

Thus the upwardly facing projections are generally cylindrical with part-spherical ends and the corresponding projections in the interiors of the tops of the cones are in the form of finger-like projections, which may be cylindrical in cross-section, which engage the part-spherical upwardly facing projections whereby the cam-like surfaces of the respective projections cause the cones to rotate relatively until the projections nest together as shown in Figure lb. so that the bases of the respective cones are aligned.

The embodiment of Figures 3 to 6 is generally similar to that of Figures 1 and 2, but in this case the upwardly facing cam-like projections are in the form of flat-sided ramps and the downwardly facing cam-like projection in the interior of the top of each road marker cone is a single member extending diametrically across the top of the cone and formed at its extremity with a V-shaped cam-like portion which is arranged to inter-engage with the upwardly facing projections to cause the relative rotation of the respective cones to bring the bases into alignment as shown in Figure 3.

It will be appreciated that although the invention has been described and illustrated with reference to road marker cones, it will be applicable to other hollow generally conical stackable bodies where it is desirable to align features of the bodies, whether the features are non-circular or otherwise, e.g. printing on the respective bodies.

An advantage of the present invention when applied to objects such as road cones is that the interlocking of the cones may assist in handling stacks of such cones. In such use it is sometimes convenient to roll the stack when it is horizontal, and during such rollingthe interlocking of the cones tends to hold the stack together.

Claims

* CLAIMS 1. A hollow conical body having a non-conical portion, wherein the body is formed with oppositely facing cam-like projections that are arranged to engage the corresponding projections on adjacent hollow conical bodies to cause the bodies to rotate to align the bases of the respective bodies.
2. A hollow conical body according to claim 1, wherein the cam-like members have generally flat ramped or curved surfaces.
3. A hollow conical body according to claim 2, wherein the projections are part-spherical or formed with part-spherical portions.
4. A hollow conical body according to any preceding claim, wherein the projections are in the form of fingers or flanges.
5. A hollow conical body according to any preceding claim, wherein the cam-like projections are integrally formed with the body.
6. A hollow conical body according to any preceding claim, wherein the cam-like projections are formed at the apex of the body.
7. A hollow conical body according to any preceding claim, wherein the projections extend across the whole width of the body.
8. A hollow conical body according to any preceding claim, wherein the projections comprise one or more fingers on the inside of one conical body engaging part-spherical projections on the top of another conical body to guide the fingers between the spherical projections to cause rotation of the conical bodies to align their respective bases.
9. A hollow conical body according to any preceding claim, wherein at least the portions of the projections arranged to inter-engage may be generally V-shaped in cross-section.
1O.A hollow conical body according to any preceding claim, wherein the top of the conical body is formed with a pair of slots arranged at right-angles to form a cross shape and in which the projection on an adjacent nested conical body can fit, the areas of the tops of the conical bodies adjacent to the pair of slots being sloped to urge the projection into one or other of the slots.
11. A hollow conical body substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.
12.A road marker cone comprising a hollow conical body according to any preceding claim.
13. A road marker cone substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.