Patent Application
20050127264
This invention relates to a base support for supporting an elongated member such as a post or other upright in a generally upright position.
There are many different known types of base supports used to support posts or other uprights used for example to support portable traffic barricades, signs, fencing and other devices in a generally upright position. However, there is a continuing need for such a base support that includes both strength and flexibility in a cost effective design. Also there is a continuing need for such a base support that is relatively easy to set up and take down, and allows the post or other upright to break away from the base support if the traffic barricade, sign, fencing or other device supported thereby is impacted for example by a vehicle, thereby minimizing possible damage to the vehicle.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the base support comprises an elongated base member having a wider portion intermediate its length through which a mounting hole extends for receipt of an end portion of an elongated member.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the base member has a pair of spaced apart side walls, one of which may be substantially straight throughout its length and the other of which may be substantially straight and parallel to the one side wall except intermediate its length the other side wall may extend laterally outwardly to provide the base member with a wider intermediate width than end widths for the mounting hole.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the mounting hole may have a center that is substantially in the same plane as the end lengths of the other side wall of the base member.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a carrying handle may be provided on the one side wall adjacent one end of the wider intermediate width of the base member.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the carrying handle does not protrude laterally outwardly beyond the intermediate length of the other side wall that provides the wider intermediate width of the base member.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the mounting hole may have a plurality of laterally spaced longitudinally extending ribs that are transversely rounded for establishing line contact with an end portion of an elongated member when inserted into the mounting hole.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the base member may be substantially hollow and provided with a fill hole adjacent one end for ease of filling the base member with a flowable ballast material when stood up on the other end.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the base member may have solid opposite end portions that are substantially thinner than the base member intermediate the end portions to facilitate attachment of anti-skid pads to the bottom side at the end portions.
These and other objects, advantages, features and aspects of the present invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds.
To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawings setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, this being indicative, however, of but several of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed.
In the annexed drawings:
Referring now in detail to the drawings, wherein the same reference numbers are used to designate like parts, there is shown one form of base support 1 in accordance with this invention which comprises an elongated base member 2 having spaced apart top and bottom walls 3, 4 and opposite side walls 5, 6. Extending through base member 2 between top and bottom walls 3, 4 intermediate the ends thereof is a mounting hole 7 for receiving and supporting an end portion of a post or other upright (hereafter sometimes referred to as an elongated member) in a generally upright position when the base support is placed on a generally flat surface.
Base member 2 may be made relatively lightweight and still have the desired strength and rigidity as by blow molding the base member out of a suitable plastic material such as high density polyethylene so that it is relatively thin walled and substantially hollow. To give base member 2 added weight during use, the base member may be filled with a suitable ballast material as described hereafter.
One of the side walls 5 of the base member may be substantially straight throughout its length to strengthen the base member against flexing along its length. The other side wall 6 may also be substantially straight and parallel to the one side wall 5 except for an intermediate length 14 of the other side wall which may extend laterally outwardly to provide the base member with a wider intermediate width than end widths for containing the mounting hole.
End lengths 19, 20 of the other side wall 6 may be in substantial alignment with each other in parallel spaced relation from the one side wall 5. Intermediate length 21 of the other side wall may have outwardly angled end portions 22, 23 extending toward each other adjacent opposite sides of the mounting hole to resist flexing of the wall of the mounting hole. Extending between end portions 22, 23 in parallel spaced relation from the one side wall 5 is an intermediate portion 24 of the intermediate length 21 of the other side wall. Center 25 of mounting hole 7 may be substantially in the same plane as the end lengths 19, 20 of the other side wall 6 as shown in
Although the dimensions of base member 2 may vary, in one form of the invention, the base member has an overall length of approximately 48 inches, a width of approximately 7⅜ inches at the widest portion, a width of approximately 3⅝ inches at the narrower end portions and a maximum height of approximately 6 inches. Different sized mounting holes 7 may be provided in the base member that are sized to closely receive different sized end portions of elongated members. For example, mounting hole 7 may be a 4-inch square hole for receiving 4-inch square end portions of plastic upright posts or a 2-inch square hole for receiving 2-inch square standard metal posts for supporting a type III barricade or other portable device as desired.
Providing non-circular holes 7 in base supports 1 sized to closely receive correspondingly shaped elongated members precludes rotation of the base supports relative to the elongated members, whereby when two base supports are used to support two elongated members of a device such as a traffic barricade 10 as schematically shown in
Mounting hole 7 may be provided with a plurality of laterally spaced longitudinally extending ribs 30 that are transversely rounded as shown in
A fill hole 31 with a removable plug 32 may be provided adjacent an end of the base support to permit filling of the base support with a flowable ballast material such as sand. Also water could be used as the ballast material in applications where the base supports are used for a short duration. If the base supports are used in a climate where the temperature drops below freezing, water can still be used as the ballast if antifreeze is added to the water to keep the water from freezing.
Locating fill hole 31 adjacent one end of base support 1 has the advantage that the base support may be stood up on the other end for ease of filling the base support with ballast material.
Anti-skid pads 33 may be attached to the bottom wall 4 of base member 2 adjacent opposite end portions 34, 35 for increased stability. Suitable recesses 36 (see
A carrying handle 40 may be provided on the base support for ease of mobility and carrying of multiple base supports. Preferably carrying handle 40 extends axially from one end portion 24 of the intermediate length 21 of the other side wall 6 toward the end containing the fill hole 31 for grasping during filling of the support member with fill material. Also carrying handle 40 desirably does not protrude laterally outwardly beyond the intermediate length 21 of the other side wall 6 and is confined within the total height dimension of the base member so the carrying handle is out of the way during use or shipment or storage of the base support. Two or more spaced apart stacking projections or ribs 41 may be provided on the top or bottom wall 3, 4 of the base support for receipt in a pair of corresponding recesses 42 (see
Although the invention has been shown and described with respect to certain embodiments, it is obvious that equivalent alternations and modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon the reading and understanding of the specification. In particular, with regard to the various functions performed by the above described components, the term (including any reference to a “means”) used to describe such components are intended to correspond, unless otherwise indicated, to any component which performs the specified function of the described component (e.g., that is functionally equivalent), even though not structurally equivalent to the disclosed component which performs the functions in the herein exemplary embodiment of the invention. In addition, while a particular feature of the invention may have been disclosed with respect to only one embodiment, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of other embodiments as may be desired or advantageous for any given or particular application.
