IE65270B1 - Device for supporting a pole - Google Patents

Abstract

A device for supporting a pole includes a housing having a circular opening 11 for receiving the lower end of a pole and also having an adjacent chamber 12. A bolt extends from the chamber 12 sideways into the opening 11 for releasably retaining the pole within the opening 11, the head 20 of the bolt being accessible in the chamber for operation thereof. The bolt and/or a cover 16 for the chamber 12 is lockable to prevent unauthorised release of the pole from the opening 11. The housing may be of iron cast in two halves held together by bolts through lugs 23 and an extension tube 30 may be provided.

Description

This invention relates to a device for supporting a pole. In particular, it relates to a device for support a pole of the type used for supporting a road traffic sign.

Road traffic signs are well-known and are a common feature in the environment.

To erect a pole for a road traffic sign, a suitably sized hole is dug in the ground. Frequently, it is necessary to remove a section of concrete or tarmacadam to enable the hole to be dug. The pole is placed in position and concrete poured around the pole in the hole in order to fill the hole and support the pole. While the concrete is setting the pole may be pushed out of its vertical alignment resulting in a pole that is tilted and therefore not suitable, in which case, the procedure has to be repeated.

In addition, if the pole is damaged through, for example, a vehicle hitting the pole and placing that part of the pole above the ground in a horizontal or near horizontal condition, the concrete around the damaged pole must be removed, the hole excavated and the process of placing a new pole in position repeated.

All of this effort is not only considerably time consuming and costly, in the case of a damaged pole, it * can take some days for a replacement to be in position and during this time a vital road traffic sign may be absent with obvious negative results.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome these problems.

The invention, therefore, provides a device for supporting a pole which device comprises a housing having an opening for receiving one end of the pole and also having a chamber, and means within the housing for releasably retaining the pole within the opening, the retaining means being accessible in the chamber for operation thereof, and the retaining means and/or a cover for the chamber being lockable to prevent unauthorised release of the pole from the opening.

The invention will be understood in greater detail from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof given by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:Figure 1 is an exploded view of a device according to the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the device of Figure 1 showing some additional structural elements; Figure 3 is a cut-away view of the device of Figure of the drawings; Figure 4 is a cut-away view of the device of Figure of the drawings; Figure 5 is a first perspective view of the device of Figure 1 of the drawings shown in use; and Figure 6 is a second perspective view of the device of Figure 2 of the drawings shown in use.

Referring now to the drawings, there is a shown a device 10 which comprises a housing 11 having an opening 13, 14 for receiving the lower end of a pole 50, the housing also having a chamber 12.

In particular, the housing 11 comprises two components 21, 22 made from cast iron material and cast separately being provided with suitable lugs 23 for enabling nuts and bolts generally shown as 24 to hold the two components 21, 22 together. As best seen in Figure 3 of the drawings, the housing 11 provides a through-bore having a first portion 13 of substantially uniform cross-section leading into an extension portion 14 of greater cross-section when compared with the cross-section of the portion 13. The extension portion 14 has an internal wall 17 which has a plurality of circumferential ribs 28 in parallel spaced apart relationship thereon, the purpose of which will be explained later in the Specification.

The chamber 12 may be of any shape or configuration but of sufficient size and depth for reasons which will become clearer below.

A second through-bore 15 is provided which interconnects the chamber 12 with the housing 11. The axis of the second through-bore 15 is positioned transversely relative to the axis of the first throughbore portion 13. The through-bore portion 15 is of uniform construction except at approximately equidistance from the ends thereof where there is provided a chamber 41 suitable for housing a nut 18, the chamber 41 having a configuration so as to prevent rotation of the nut 18. A bolt 19 having a head 20 may be inserted through the nut 18 so that the head 20 is accessible from the chamber 12. A cover plate 16 is provided for the chamber 12 which may be locked in position by well-known conventional means. Accordingly, access to the chamber 12 is restricted only to personnel having a key to the cover plate 16.

If desired, an extension tubular portion 30 may be provided. The portion 30 has a wall 31 the external face 32 of which has circumferential ribs complementary to those of the internal wall 17 of the housing 11. The portion 30 may be of any desired length being easily reduced to the required length simply by cutting. At the base of the tubular portion 30, there is provided a plug 42. The plug 42 comprises a base 33 of circular cross-section and a wall 34. The external diameter of the wall 34 substantially the same as the internal diameter of the tubular portion 30, to enable the plug 42 to be in tight fit arrangement with the tubular portion 30. The free end of the wall 34 is bevelled at 35. The base 33 has an opening 36 providing communication between the inside of the portion 30 and externally thereof.

To assemble the device 10, the two components 21, 22 are joined together using the nuts/bolts 24. Prior to joining the components 21, 22, the nut 18 and the bolt 19 are placed in position so as to be sandwiched by the components 21, 22 in the bore 15 and the chamber 41 ensuring that the head 20 is located in the chamber 12.

The assembled device 10 has an upper substantially flat surface 25.

If desired, the tubular portion may also be sandwiched between the components 21 , 22 so that the projections/hollows 28 engage with the projections/hollows of the external face 32.

The assembled device 10 is now ready for installation. To install it, and with particular reference to Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings, a suitable hole is dug to accommodate the device 10 and, if present, the extension portion 30. Installation is such that the mouths of the housing 11 and the chamber 12 are just below the surface of the ground in which case the cover 16 will be flush with the surface 25 and with the surface of the ground. Concrete is poured into the hole so as to cement the device 10 in place. If not required for immediate use, a lid 40 may be inserted into the housing 11.

However, if it is desired to place a pole 50 having a road traffic sign 51 thereon, the lid 40 and the cover 16 are removed. The nut 19 is rotated so as not to project into the housing 11. The pole 50 is offered to the housing 11 and allowed to slide through the housing 11, the extension portion 14 and into the tubular portion 30. The base of the pole 50 will make contact with the bevelled portion of the plug 42 and come to rest on the base 33. Naturally, the diameter of the pole 50 should be slightly less than the diameter of the housing 11. The bolt 19 is now tightened so as to enable the end to project into the housing 11 and positively engage with the pole 50 thereby locking the pole 50 in position. The lid 16 is placed on the chamber 12 and locked in position.

Conventional locking means may be employed to lock the nut 19 in position by means of a padlock (not shown).

If desired, the pole 50 may have one or more apertures (not shown) in the wall thereof so that at least one of the apertures is in register with the second through-bore 15 thereby enabling the bolt 19 to enter the aperture for a more positive engagement of the bolt 19 with the pole 50. Such an arrangement would also prevent rotation of the pole 50 when in situ.

Any water or moisture which may enter through the housing 11 and into the tubular portion 30 would find an exit in the opening 36.

If the pole 50 is damaged or requires maintenance, it may be easily removed and a replacement pole of a similar type inserted immediately. It will be appreciated that the relative ease and speed with which a pole may be erected ab initio or replaced is considerably more advantageous and cost effective when compared with the conventional method of erecting or replacing a similar pole.

It will of course, be appreciated that the dimensions of the device can be determined having regard to the use for which the device is intended not necessarily being confined to the support of a traffic sign.

It will be appreciated that the housing 11 may be of substantially circular, rectangular or square cross-section.

The invention is not limited by or to the specific embodiments described which can undergo considerable variation without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (9)

CLAIMS :

1. A device for supporting a pole, comprising a housing having an opening for receiving one end of a pole and also having a chamber, and means within the housing for 5 releasably retaining the pole within the opening, the retaining means being accessible in the chamber for operation thereof, and the retaining means and/or a cover for the chamber being lockable to prevent unauthorised release of the pole from the opening. 10

2. A device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the housing has a substantially flat surface, and wherein the opening for the pole and the chamber providing access to the retaining means both open onto the flat surface.

3. A device as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the 15 housing has a wall separating the chamber from the opening, and the retaining means extends through such wall from the chamber to the opening.

4. A device as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the retaining means comprises a bolt with its head in the 20 chamber.

5. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the opening in the housing comprises a through-bore of substantially circular cross-section.

6. A device as claimed in any of Claims 1-4, wherein the opening in the housing comprises a through-bore of substantially rectangular cross-section.

7. A device as claimed in any of Claims 1-4, wherein the opening in the housing comprises a through-bore of substantially square cross-section.

8. A device as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the through-bore has a portion of increased diameter for accommodating one end of an extension tube.

9. A device for supporting a pole, substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.