Patent Application
20070110515
Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
The present invention relates generally to a barrier post or the like for providing force-applied protection to a device or area, and more particularly, to removable barrier posts having flangeless post arrangement attachment with a surface.
Throughout various private and commercial settings such as, but not limited to, storefronts, business interiors and loading dock zones can be one of the busiest and most important areas associated with plants, retail outlets and warehousing facilities. Subjected to heavy, continuous traffic, these high traffic zones are vital to the smooth and efficient flow of raw materials, shopping carts, automobiles, pedestrians and light to heavy moving equipment just to name a few.
Careful planning and design of such high traffic, high use areas, along with proper selection of equipment, can result in improved working conditions, as well as increased safety and cost savings to the business owner. While numerous factors contribute to their successful planning, the use of various barrier devices, bumpers or rails has been vital in maintaining the safety for workers, consumers and equipment in these areas and zones.
However, when prior barrier devices have been implemented to provide proper protection to people and business assets, occasional random damage is inflicted on the barrier requiring complete removal and replacement of the entire barrier and its associated attachment mechanisms. In such situations, most common prior barrier devices use a flange attachment to join the upright post structure to the desired surface. This type of flange attachment requires numerous holes to be drilled into hard surface structures for attachment thereto and also requires the use of numerous fastener devices to effectuate the secured attachment of the flange to the upright post. The previous methods and devices were costly and time-consuming because often times it could also involve digging holes, placing the posts and then backfilling.
Therefore, there is a need to provide a removable modular flangeless security post system, apparatus and method for installing/removing the same having the ability to quickly and easily interchange the upright security post without the need to remove its partially embedded surface mounting post attachment means.
In addition, there is a need to provide a removable modular flangeless security post system and apparatus that can accommodate a plurality of sizes, lengths and shapes of upright security posts used for attachment to the partially embedded surface mounting post attachment means.
There is further a need to provide an embedment device wherein the embedment device permits quick, sturdy, resilient and removable securement of the embedment device into a plurality of foundational surfaces for attachment to a security post.
A need also exists to provide a removable modular flangeless security post system, apparatus and method that is simple and inexpensive to construct and that permits easy installation/removal.
To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims. The following description and the annexed drawings set forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention. These embodiments are indicative of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed. There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a removably modular flangeless security post system, apparatus and method for installing/removing the same having the ability to quickly and easily interchange the upright post without the need to remove its partially embedded surface mounting post attachment assembly.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a removably modular flangeless security post system and apparatus that has the ability to accommodate a plurality of sizes, lengths and shapes of upright security posts used for attachment to a surface mounting attachment assembly.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an removably embedment anchoring assembly wherein the embedment assembly permits quick, sturdy, resilient securement of the embedment assembly into a plurality of substrate foundational surfaces.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a removably modular flangeless security post system, apparatus and method that is simple and inexpensive to construct and that permits easy installation/removal.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.
It should be understood that any one of the features of the invention may be used separately or in combination with other features. It should be understood that features which have not been mentioned herein may be used in combination with one or more of the features mentioned herein. Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the present invention will be or become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the present invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent when considered in connection with the following, detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, which description is presented in conjunction with annexed drawings below.
The foregoing summary as well as the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown herein. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present invention. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.
The invention may take physical form in certain parts and arrangement of parts. For a more complete understanding of the present invention, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
The following discussion is presented to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use the invention. The general principles described herein may be applied to embodiments and applications other than those detailed below without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. The present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein.
Referring now to the drawings and initially to
As shown in reference to
The elongated security post member 32 can be constructed from a plurality of materials such as, but not limited to, ¼ inch thick stainless steel material, and/or ¼ inch thick steel material as generally referenced and shown in the Figures as reference numeral 33. The elongated security post member 32 of the present embodiment can be also be constructed in a plurality of overall length/height ranges 35 (as shown in
Although not shown in
According to the present invention, the elongated security post member 32 shown in
As illustrated in
With further reference to
Once the proper aperture and hex head tap 50 bore alignment is achieved, the hex head tap 50 is tacked to the post securement plate 40 using a Mig welder, or other similar device. After Mig weld tacking the hex head tap 50 to the post securement plate 40 a stick welder, of the kind commonly found, is used to permanently weld a 7018 stick weld bead 55 around the circumference of the juncture of the hex head tap 50 and the post securement plate 40, as shown in
The size of the threaded anchor bolt 110 used with the embedment anchor assembly 20 is dependent upon the length/height 35 and selected diameter for the elongated security post member 32. For example, in one embodiment of the embedment anchor assembly 20, a ⅝ inch×4 inch threaded anchor bolt 110 having a hex-washer head 100 thickness of ½ inch is utilized in conjunction with a 3 inch diameter or smaller elongated security post member 32 wherein the elongated security post member 32 is made from stainless steel. Another example, in a second embodiment of the embedment anchor assembly 20, a ¾ inch×5 inch threaded anchor bolt 110 having a hex-washer head 100 thickness of ½ inch is utilized in conjunction with a 4 inch diameter or larger elongated security post member 32 wherein the elongated security post member 32 is made from steel. It will be understood by one skilled in the art that any combination of sizes of threaded anchor bolts 110 and head thickness 100 can be utilized with a plurality of lengths/heights and diameters of elongated security post members 32 without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.
In further reference to
The elongated security post member post securement bolt 60 is conjoined by welding in a “hex head down,” “shaft-up” configuration and onto the flat surface of the ½ inch thick hex-washer head 100 of the threaded anchor bolt 110. The same process and steps, described above, used for tacking and welding of the hex head tap 50 to the post securement plate 40 is also utilized to fixedly and permanently secure together the hex head 90 and hex-washer head 100 of both the elongated security post member post securement bolt 60 and the threaded anchor bolt 110, respectively. The elongated security post member post securement bolt 60 and the threaded anchor bolt 110 conjoining weld bead 80 should be sufficient in depth and width to permanently secure the elongated security post member post securement bolt 60 and the threaded anchor bolt 110 together in the configuration described herein and shown in
Now turning specifically to
After installation of the embedment anchor assembly 20, the remaining substantially exposed (above surface) portion of the embedment anchor assembly 20 will generally be from the washer portion 113 of the hex-washer head 100 of the threaded anchor bolt 110 to the distal end (upright end opposite of the welded conjoined portions described above) of the “shaft-up” configuration of the elongated security post member post securement bolt 60.
Upon secured installation of the embedment anchor assembly 20 into the desired surface substrate, the hex head 50 fastener securely disposed by weld bead 55 onto the post securement plate 40 which is disposed within the removable flangeless security post assembly 30 at a “h”, as described above, is rotatably screwed down, as indicated by the arrows 25 in
With reference to
In relation to
In step 210, the embedment anchor assembly 20 (as shown in
In step 220, the flangeless security post assembly 30 is rotatably hand installed down and onto the common machine threads 70 which are disposed on the elongated security post member post securement bolt 60 of the embedment anchor assembly 20. The flangeless security post assembly 30 is sufficiently tightened to a point that will permit the elongated security post member 32 to stand upright alone prior to the direct accomplishment of step 230 below.
In further reference to
After completion of installation as described above, the removable modular flangeless security post system 10 according to the present invention is capable of providing inexpensive construction and easy installation for removable protection to device(s) or area(s) without the use of a surface flange attachment device and upright post arrangement.
If desired, the flangeless security post assembly 30 can be easily removed by using the modified oil filter wrench having an extended length adjustable strap to unscrew the flangeless security post assembly 30 from the embedment anchor assembly 20 for exchange or repair of either assembly as desired.
Although the invention has been shown and described with respect to a certain preferred embodiment or embodiments, it is obvious that equivalent alterations and modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon the reading and understanding of this specification and the annexed drawings. In particular regard to the various functions performed by the above described components (assemblies, devices, circuits, etc.), the terms (including a 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 (i.e., that is functionally equivalent), even though not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure which performs the function in the herein illustrated exemplary embodiments of the invention.
In addition, while a particular feature of the invention may have been disclosed with respect to only one of several embodiments, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of the other embodiments as may be desired. Additionally, for the most part, details concerning particular chemical reactions, chemical properties, and the like, have been omitted inasmuch as such details are not considered necessary to obtain a complete understanding of the present invention, and are considered to be within the understanding of persons of ordinary skill in the relevant art.
It is therefore, contemplated that the claims will cover any such modifications or embodiments that fall within the true scope of the invention.
