GB2574456A

GB2574456A - Vehicle bollard

Info

Publication number: GB2574456A
Application number: GB1809376.5A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Allen Timothy; Harrison Kevin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2018-06-07
Filing date: 2018-06-07
Publication date: 2019-12-11
Anticipated expiration: 2038-06-07
Also published as: GB2574456B; GB201809376D0

Abstract

A vehicle bollard comprises a post 1 hingedly connected to a base 4 such that the post may rotate between a first position in which it is laid down and a second upstanding position. The post comprises an internal pin 10 being selectively engageable with the base to secure the post in the second position. The base may comprise an aperture configured to receive the pin, and the post may comprise at least one internal guide structure 25 to guide the internal pin into engagement with the base. The post may have a lower end arranged against the base in the second position and the pin is actuatable to protrude beyond the lower end. A pin retainer 16 on the internal pin may comprise a closed loop, and the pin may be rotatable to engage the pin with a formation 13 on the post, and a padlock may be applied through both the retainer and the formation. A saddle 22 spaced from the base may be provided to receive the post in the first position.

Description

TITLE

Vehicle Bollard

INTRODUCTION

The present invention relates to a vehicle bollard, and in particular to a retrofittable bollard for use at vehicle delivery or drop-off points.

Conventionally, when the driver of a heavy goods vehicle (HGV), light goods vehicle (LGV) or any other vehicle arrives at a delivery depot to deliver goods, it is not the driver themselves who unloads the goods from the vehicle, but a team located at the depot. In a conventional depot, there are provided bays or elevated docks which the wagon will be reversed up to so that the team can easily access the interior.

Often, the driver is on a tight schedule and is thus in a hurry to make their next delivery to a different depot. This can lead to the driver attempting to leave before the unloading process is complete, either accidentally because they have not checked that the process is complete due to their haste, or in some instances, knowingly. There have been recent reports of injuries to workers falling from wagons due to drivers attempting to pull away too early.

One conventional method of preventing this from happening is to only sign off on the paperwork for the delivery once the goods have been fully unloaded, therefore ensuring the driver waits until the process is complete, so as to obtain a signature as proof of delivery. However, this paperwork could be completed whilst the unloading is occurring. In other instances, delivery drivers may not bother with the paperwork or mayy complete the paperwork themselves, allowing them to leave the depot as soon as possible, and sometimes before the unloading is incomplete.

Whilst the above problems are discussed as relating to unloading processes, it is possible that a driver could pull away during loading also, e.g. accidentally.

It would therefore be useful to provide means for preventing or deterring a driver from driving off prematurely.

Certain types of moveable bollard are currently available. However they are typically heavy duty systems that require installation within the ground. This results in costly and permanent installations, which cannot be removed or replaced without significant cost and disruption to the site. Furthermore such bollards cause significant damage to the vehicle in the event that the driver simply does not see it, or accidentally hits it.

It is desired to provide a simpler and/or more cost effective deterrent to HGV drivers pulling away prematurely.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

According to the present invention, there is provided a vehicle bollard comprising a post hingedly connected to a base, the base being installable on the ground, such that the post may rotate between a first position in which the post is laid down and a second position in which the post is upstanding in use, the post comprising an pin extending in a longitudinal direction along the post, the pin being moveable in said longitudinal direction so as to be selectively engageable with the base to secure the post in the second position.

The base may have an opening to receive the pin.

The orientation of the pin may be constrained with respect to the post by one or more projection, e.g. a wall or bracket, on the post. The projection may comprise an opening for the pin. A plurality of projections may have openings aligned with a common longitudinal axis to receive the pin. The projection(s) may be fixed to the post, e.g. within the post.

The post may be hollow and the pin may extend along or through the interior of the post.

Any of the preferable features defined above or in the dependent claims may be applied to any aspect of the invention wherever practicable.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION

Practicable embodiments of the invention will now be described in further detail, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the post in a laid down position;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the post in an upstanding position; and

Figure 3 is a set of two-dimensional line drawings illustrating the post in the laid down position from four different views;

Figure 4 is a set of two-dimensional line drawings illustrating the post in the upstanding position from four different views.

Figure 1 illustrates a post 1 according to the invention. The post 1 is hingedly attached to a base plate 4 via a hinged connection 28, such that the post 1 is rotatable from the laid down position illustrated in Figure 1, to the upstanding position illustrated in Figure 2. The post 1 comprises an internal pin 10, which is visible and manually actuatable through the aperture 7. The pin 10 comprises a pin retainer formation 16. Internally, the post 1 comprises first and second locking hooks 13, 19, and at least one internal guide structure 25. A saddle 22 may also be arranged such that the post 1 sits in the saddle 22 when in the laid down position.

The post 1 has a height of approximately, or of the order of, 1 metre, and has a width of approximately, or of the order of, 10cm. However, the post may be of any height or width, provided it is of large enough dimensions to be visibly obvious to a vehicle driver, small enough dimensions to be manually rotated about hinged connection 28 by a user, and light enough to not cause significant damage to a vehicle if it were to accidentally hit the post. The post height could be up to 2m in height, for example, if desired.

The post 1 is a substantially cuboidal post, i.e. being rectangular/square in section. However it is envisaged that the post may be of any suitable shape, for example tubular/cylindrical or of a prism nature. The post 1 is a substantially hollow post, such that it may comprise each of the aforementioned features internally. The post is closed at its free end.

The post 1 is made of metal or a metallic alloy. The metal or metallic alloy may comprise any of, or any combination of, aluminium, magnesium, titanium and beryllium, or any other suitable lightweight metals. The post 1 may be brightly coloured, for example red and/or yellow, so as to be visibly obvious to a vehicle driver. The post 1 may be surface treated and/or coated, e.g. painted or powder coated. The post 1 may be waterproofed and/or rustproofed.

The base plate 4 is configured to be bolted into the ground, e.g. such that it can sit flat atop the ground. The base plate 4 comprises a plurality of holes around its perimeter such that it can be retrofitted to any surface by drilling or screwing the base plate into the surface. The base plate 4 also comprises a hole substantially at its centre. This hole is aligned with the pin 10 of the post 1, such that when the pin 10 is moved vertically downwards it can engage with the hole, thus holding the post 1 in an upstanding position from the base plate 4. The base plate 4 is substantially square. The base plate 4 has a length and width of approximately, or of the order of, 20cm. The base plate 4 may be made of the same material as the post 1, and may be coloured and/or painted and/or powder coated similarly.

The hinged connection 28 may be any conventional hinge joint. The hinged connection 28 provides rotation through approximately 90 degrees relative to the base plate 4, such that the post 1 may be rotated from the laid down position illustrated in Figure 1, to the upstanding position illustrated in Figure 2. Where the arrangement also includes a saddle 22, the post 1 may not be laid down completely flat, and the hinged connection 28 may not need to provide rotation through the full 90 degrees. The hinged connection may provide rotation through 85 degrees relative to the base plate 4, 90 degrees relative to the base plate 4, 95 relative to the base plate 4, or between 85 and 95 degrees relative to the base plate 4.

The post 1 may be manually rotatable about the hinged connection 28 by a user.

The internal pin 10 is located along a substantially central axis of the post 1. The pin 10 extends along a substantial portion, majority, or substantially all of the post length. The internal pin 10 has a height of approximately, or of the order of, 95cm. However, the internal pin 10 may be of any height, provided it is able to engage with the central hole of the base plate 4 whilst the pin retainer 16 also engages with the first locking hook 13, and provided its height is less than that of the post 1.

The pin 10 is manually rotatable about is central axis using pin retainer 16, and is manually movable vertically within the post 1 using pin retainer 16. This allows the end of the pin 10 to be selectively brought in to and out of engagement with the central hole in the base plate 4, and the pin retainer 16 to be selectively brought into and out of engagement with the first locking hook 13 and the second locking hook 19. The pin retainer 16 may be hook shaped itself, for hooking over the first locking hook 13 and/or the second locking hook 19. The diameter of the pin retainer 16 must therefore be larger than the diameter of the first and second locking hooks 13, 19. Each of the pin retainer 16, the first locking hook 13 and the second locking hook 19 is an enclosed loop which forms a hole through the hook, such that a padlock may be applied through a combination of the pin retainer 16 and one of the first and second locking hooks 13, 19. The pin retainer 16 may be of a size large enough for a user to fit a finger through, so that they can rotate and/or move the pin 10 using the pin retainer 16.

Although the first and second locking hooks 13, 19 have been described herein as hooks, it will be appreciated that any similar locking mechanisms, or any conventional locking mechanisms, are also applicable to the invention. The retaining formation(s) for holding the longitudinal position of the pin are provided towards the distal end of the post.

The pin 10 may be guided through the post 1 and into the central hole of the base plate 4 by the at least one internal guide structure 25, so that the pin 10 remains aligned with the central hole in the base plate 4. The at least one internal guide structure 25 comprises a hole substantially centrally, that is aligned with the central hole of the base plate 4. The at least one guide structure may comprise 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 internal guide structures 25. The at least one internal guide structure 25 may comprise a plurality of guide structures located along the length of post 1. The internal guide structures 25 may be planar structures arranged as internal cross-sections through the post 1. The internal guide structures 25 may be made of the same material as the post 1, and may be coloured and/or painted and/or powder coated similarly.

The aperture 7 provides access to the pin 10 and the pin retainer 16 such that a user can manually rotate and/or vertically move the pin 10. The aperture must therefore be large enough that the pin retainer 16, the first locking hook 13 and the second locking hook 19 are visible both when the pin 10 is engaged with the base plate 4, and when it is not. The aperture 7 is of a width just less than that of the post 1. The aperture of the post 1 illustrated in Figure 1 is substantially rectangular shaped with hemispherical top and bottom edges, however it is envisaged that the aperture 7 may be of any shape provided that the abovementioned functions are possible.

The aperture 7 is large enough to allow insertion of a hand. The aperture 7 is located towards the free/distal end of the post, e.g. such that it is easily accessible to a user when the post is upright.

When raising/lowering the post, the pin 10 inside the aperture 7 may provide a handle formation that may be gripped by a user. The portion of the pin, e.g. comprising the retainer 16 may be described as a pin handle or handle formation.

The saddle 22 is a separate component that may optionally be provided to protect the post 1 from damage from the surface on which the post 1 is located. The saddle 22 comprises a plurality of holes at its edges such that it can be retrofitted to any surface by drilling or screwing the saddle into the surface. The saddle 22 also comprises two receiving structures configured to receive the post 1 when in the laid down position. The two receiving structures are separated by a distance slightly larger than the width of the post 1, such that the post 1 is received between the two receiving structures when in the laid down position. The saddle 22 and the base plate 4 may be retrofitted to a surface separated by approximately 80% of the length of the post 1. The saddle 22 may be made of the same material as the post 1, and may be coloured and/or painted and/or powder coated similarly.

Figure 2 illustrates the post 1 of Figure 1 in the upstanding position. To reach this position, a user has manually rotated the post 1 about the hinged connection 28, and moved the pin 10 vertically downwards so as to engage with the central hole of the base plate 4. It can be seen via aperture 7 that the user has rotated the pin 10 about its central axis such that the pin handle 16 has engaged with the first locking hook 13. This locks the vertical position of the pin 10 in a position where the pin 10 is engaged with the base plate 4, thus locking the post 1 in the upstanding position.

A padlock may additionally be applied to lock the pin retainer 16 and locking hook 13 in engagement, thus locking the pin 10 and the base plate 4 in engagement, such that the post 1 cannot be lowered without the authorisation of the relevant operator. This provides the advantage that the vehicle driver is unable to leave the premises until authorisation has been provided. Other locks could potentially be used in place of a padlock, if desired.

It can be seen from Figure 2 that the plurality of holes located around the perimeter of the base plate 4 are unobstructed by the post 1 when it is engaged with the base plate 4, such that the post 1 is arranged in the upstanding position.

Figure 3 illustrates the laid down post 1 of Figure 1 from a number of different views. In particular, from the bottom view, it can be seen that the base plate 4 has a hole at its centre. From the side view it can be seen that the pin 10 emerges from the bottom of the post 1 so that it may engage with the base plate 4 when moved to the upstanding position.

Figure 4 illustrates the upstanding post of 1 of Figure 2 from a number of different views. In particular, it can be seen from each of the front, side and rear views that the internal guide structures 25 are planar structures arranged as internal crosssections through the post 1, along the length of the post 1. It can also be seen from each of the front, side and rear views that the pin 10 engages with the central hole of the base plate 4 and extends through the central hole, such that the post 1 is secured in the upstanding position. It can be seen from the side view that the pin retainer 16 extends out of the aperture 7 such that a user can easily access the pin retainer and move/rotate the pin 10. It can be seen from the front view that when the post 1 is in the upstanding position and the pin 10 is engaged with the base plate 4, the pin retainer 16 is aligned horizontally with the first locking hook 13, such that a user can rotate the pin retainer 16 around the locking hook 13, locking the pin 10 in engagement with the base plate, and hence lock the post 1 in the upstanding position.

While the present invention has been described in terms of several embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described, but can be practised with modification and alteration within the scope of the appended claims. The description is thus to be regarded as illustrative instead of limiting.

Claims

1. A vehicle bollard comprising a post hingedly connected to a base, the base being installable on the ground, such that the post may rotate between a first position in which the post is laid down and a second position in which the post is upstanding in use, the post comprising an internal pin, the internal pin being selectively engageable with the base to secure the post in the second position.

2. A bollard according to Claim 1, wherein the base comprises an aperture configured to receive the internal pin.

3. A bollard according to Claim 2, the post further comprising at least one internal guide structure configured to guide the internal pin into engagement with the base, the at least one internal guide structure comprising an aperture aligned with the aperture of the base.

4. A bollard according to any preceding claim, wherein the post has a lower end arranged against the base in the second position and the pin is actuatable to protrude beyond the lower end.

5. A bollard according to any preceding claim, wherein the internal pin comprises a pin retainer or handle.

6. A bollard according to Claim 3, wherein the pin retainer comprises an abutment member depending outwardly from a longitudinal axis of the pin, such as a closed loop fixed to the internal pin.

7. A bollard according to any preceding claim, wherein the internal pin is rotatable about its longitudinal axis to selectively engage the pin with a formation on the post.

8. A bollard according to any preceding claim, wherein the internal pin is longitudinally actuatable within the post.

9. A bollard according to any preceding claim, wherein the post comprises at least one projection for retaining the pin in a predetermined longitudinal position relative to the post.

10. A bollard according to Claim 9, wherein the at least one projection comprises a wall or closed loop depending from an internal surface of the post.

11 .A bollard according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the post comprises a plurality of said projections longitudinally spaced along the post so as to define different longitudinal positions of the pin.

12. A bollard according to any preceding claim, the post further comprising an aperture in an external surface or wall of the post such that the internal pin may be manually accessed.

13. A bollard according to any preceding claim, the base comprising a plate member arranged to be affixed flat on top of the ground.

14. A bollard according to any preceding claim, the base further comprising a plurality of through holes adapted to receive at least one fastener for fixing the base to the ground.

15. A bollard according to any preceding claim, wherein in use the internal pin is selectively manually actuated in a longitudinal direction and/or downwards so as to engage with the base.

16. A bollard according to any preceding claims, wherein the pin is selectively retainable in a retracted or extended position.

17. A bollard according to claim 16, the internal pin is rotated about its longitudinal axis so as to selectively retain or release the pin in the retracted or extended position.

18. A bollard according to any preceding claim, the post further comprising a hinged connection between the post and the base, the hinged connection configured to rotate through approximately 90 degrees.

19. A bollard according to any preceding claim, wherein the pin extends along a majority of a length of the post.

20. A bollard according to any of the preceding claim, comprising a saddle, the saddle arranged to be spaced from the base and configured to receive the post when the post is in the first position.

21. A bollard according to Claim 20, the saddle further comprising a through hole adapted to receive at least one fastener for fixing the saddle to the ground.

22. A bollard according to any preceding claim, comprising a lock for selectively locking the pin in position when engaged with the base.

23. A bollard according to any preceding claim, wherein the post comprises a hollow cross sectional profile and the pin is maintained within said hollow cross sectional profile.