U.S. patent application number 11/077445 was filed with the patent office on 2006-09-14 for security bollard.
Invention is credited to Thomas Phelan.
Application Number | 20060204327 11/077445 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36971107 |
Filed Date | 2006-09-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060204327 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Phelan; Thomas |
September 14, 2006 |
Security bollard
Abstract
A security bollard comprising: an outer sleeve arranged to be
set in the ground in a generally vertical orientation; a post
telescopically or otherwise slidably received within the outer
sleeve for movement between respective retracted and extended
positions with respect to the sleeve; and locking means which is
arranged to lock the post in its extended condition with respect to
the sleeve and which is frangible or readily accessible exteriorly
of the post, to allow the post to be moved from its extended to its
retracted condition with respect to the outer sleeve.
Inventors: |
Phelan; Thomas; (Flitwick,
GB) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FILDES & OUTLAND, P.C.
Suite 2
20916 Mack Avenue
Grosse Pointe Woods
MI
48236
US
|
Family ID: |
36971107 |
Appl. No.: |
11/077445 |
Filed: |
March 10, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
404/6 ; 49/131;
49/49 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E01F 13/046
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
404/006 ;
049/049; 049/131 |
International
Class: |
E01F 13/00 20060101
E01F013/00 |
Claims
1. A security bollard comprising: an outer sleeve arranged to be
set in the ground in a generally vertical orientation; a post
telescopically or otherwise slidably received within the outer
sleeve for movement between respective retracted and extended
positions with respect to the sleeve; and locking means which is
arranged to lock the post in its extended condition with respect to
the sleeve and which is frangible or readily accessible exteriorly
of the post, to allow the post to be moved from its extended to its
retracted condition with respect to the outer sleeve.
2. A securing bollard according to claim 1, wherein the inner post
comprises respective outer and inner elongate members of which the
outer is telescopically or otherwise slidably received within the
outer sleeve and the inner member is rotatable about its
longitudinal axis with respect to the outer member between
respective unlocking and locking positions.
3. A security bollard according to claim 2, wherein the inner
member comprises means arranged to engage with a
complementary-shaped slot in the outer sleeve, upon rotation of the
inner member with respect to the outer member, to retain the post
in its extended condition with respect to the outer sleeve.
4. A security bollard according to claim 2, wherein the inner
member is tubular or solid.
5. A security bollard according to claim 3, wherein said engaging
means comprises a radially-extending
6. A security bollard according to claim 5, wherein when the spigot
of the inner member is engaged within the slot(s) and the inner
member is rotated, to retain the post in its extended condition
with respect to the outer sleeve, the inner member can be
simultaneously rotated from its unlocking to its locking position
with respect to the outer member.
7. A security bollard according to claim 2, wherein the outer and
inner elongate members are circular in cross-section.
8. A security bollard according to claim 7, wherein the inner
elongate member has a pair of diametrically opposed spigots which
engage in respective ones of a pair of slots in diagonally-opposed
corner regions of a square-cross-sectioned outer sleeve.
9. A security bollard according to claim 8, wherein the pair of
slots are linear.
10. A security bollard according to claim 8, wherein the pair of
slots are dog-legged or cranked.
11. A security bollard according to claim 2, wherein said locking
means includes, in part, respective apertures in the top ends of
the outer and inner members, which apertures are in-register with
each other when the inner member is in its locking position and are
not in-register with each other when the inner member is in its
unlocking position with respect to the outer member.
12. A security bollard according to claim 11, wherein, when the two
apertures in the respective top ends of the inner and outer members
are in-register with each other, a frangible or readily-removable
element is receivable through the in-register apertures, to
maintain the inner member in its locking position with respect to
the outer member, thereby retaining the post in its extended
condition with respect to the outer sleeve.
13. A security bollard according to claim 12, wherein the frangible
or readily-removable element comprises a closed loop of heavy duty
wire or the U-shaped arm of a padlock.
14. A security bollard according to claim 1, wherein the top end of
the post includes a manoeuvring handle which, when not in use, sits
in a correspondingly-shaped recess provided in the top end of the
inner member, generally flush therewith.
Description
[0001] This invention relates to a security bollard of the type
comprising an outer sleeve which can be set in the ground and in
which is telescopically or otherwise slidably received an inner
post which, in its retracted condition, is located within the outer
sleeve below ground level and which, in its extended condition, is
supported by the outer sleeve in an upright position above ground
level, usually with the post being locked in that upright
condition
[0002] Most security bollards of this type are provided with a
locking mechanism for maintaining the inner post in its upright,
extended condition, until the post needs to be placed in its
retracted condition within the outer sleeve below ground level.
Such a locking mechanism usually comprises some form of lock and a
separate operating element, such as a key, for operating the lock
and locking the post in its extended and/or retracted
condition.
[0003] One major disadvantage with this known type of security
bollard is that in an emergency, when the upright post needs to be
retracted very quickly, a key or other operating element has to be
found before the locking mechanism can be unlocked to allow the
inner post to be retracted into the outer sleeve This is
particularly onerous when a key holder has to be found before such
unlocking can take place in order to retract the post, thereby
expending valuable and unnecessary time.
[0004] Also, this known type of security bollard usually has a
locking mechanism which protrudes above ground level when the post
is retracted, thus exposing itself to undesirable damage by
exterior forces.
[0005] It is an object of the present invention to provide a
security bollard which overcomes, or at least substantially
reduces, the disadvantages associated with the known types of
security bollard described and discussed above.
[0006] Accordingly, the invention provides a security bollard
comprising: [0007] an outer sleeve arranged to be set in the ground
in a generally vertical orientation; [0008] a post telescopically
or otherwise slidably received within the outer sleeve for movement
between respective retracted and extended positions with respect to
the sleeve; and [0009] locking means which is arranged to lock the
post in its extended condition with respect to the sleeve and which
is frangible or readily accessible exteriorly of the post, to allow
the post to be moved from its extended to its retracted condition
with respect to the outer sleeve.
[0010] Preferably, the inner post comprises respective outer and
inner elongate members of which the outer is telescopically or
otherwise slidably received within the outer sleeve and the inner
member is rotatable about its longitudinal axis with respect to the
outer member between respective unlocking and locking
positions.
[0011] In a preferred embodiment of security bollard to be
described in more detail hereinbelow, the inner member, which is
preferably tubular or solid, comprises means, such as a
radially-extending spigot(s) which engages with a
complementary-shaped slot(s) in the outer sleeve, upon rotation of
the inner member with respect to the outer member, to retain the
post in its extended condition with respect to the outer
sleeve.
[0012] When the spigot(s) of the inner member is engaged within the
slot(s) and the inner member is rotated, to retain the post in its
extended condition with respect to the outer sleeve, the inner
member is simultaneously rotated from its unlocking to its locking
position with respect to the outer member.
[0013] Preferably, the outer and inner elongate members are
circular in cross-section and the latter may have a pair of
diametrically opposed spigots which engage in respective ones of a
pair of slots, which may be generally linear, or possibly
dog-legged or cranked, in diagonally-opposed corner regions of a
square-cross-sectioned outer sleeve.
[0014] The locking means may include, in part, respective apertures
in the top ends of the outer and inner members, which apertures are
in-register with each other when the inner member is in its locking
position and are not in-register with each other when the inner
member is in its unlocking position with respect to the outer
member.
[0015] When the two apertures in the respective top ends of the
inner and outer members are in-register with each other, then a
frangible or readily-removable element, such as a closed loop of
heavy duty wire or the U-shaped arm of a padlock, can be received
through the in-register apertures, to maintain the inner member in
its locking position with respect to the outer member, thereby
retaining the post in its extended condition with respect to the
outer sleeve.
[0016] In, say, an emergency where the post has to be moved quickly
into its retracted condition with respect to the outer sleeve, the
exterior, frangible or otherwise-removable element is readily
broken or removed by a tool or by hand, to allow the inner member
to be rotated with respect to the outer member from its locking to
its unlocking position, whilst simultaneously having its spigot(s)
rotated and disengaged from the complementary slot(s) in the outer
sleeve, so that the post can be telescopically or otherwise
slidably retracted with respect to the outer sleeve.
[0017] The top end of the post, for example, the top end of the
inner member, may be provided with a manoeuvring handle which, when
not in use, sits in a correspondingly-shaped recess provided in the
top end of the inner member, generally flush therewith.
[0018] Thus, when the post is in its retracted condition with
respect to the outer sleeve, the handle can lie flush with the top
end of the post which, in turn, lies flush with the surface of the
surrounding area in which the security bollard is installed.
[0019] In order that the invention may be more fully understood, a
preferred embodiment of security bollard in accordance therewith
will now be described by way of example and with reference to the
accompanying drawings in which:
[0020] FIG. 1 is a partial cross-section of a security bollard
installed in the ground, with an inner post in its extended
condition;
[0021] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a section of an outer sleeve
of the security bollard; and
[0022] FIGS. 3 and 4 are respective plan views of the inner post in
its unlocking and locking positions.
[0023] Referring firstly to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a security
bollard, indicated generally at 1, comprises a square
cross-sectioned outer sleeve 2 set generally vertically in the
ground 20. An inner post, indicated generally at 3, is slidably
mounted within the outer sleeve 2 for telescopic movement between
its lower, retracted condition and its upper extended condition, as
shown in FIG. 1, with respect to the outer sleeve 2.
[0024] The post 3 comprises an outer tube 4 of circular
cross-section, which is slidable axially within the outer sleeve 2
but is not rotatable with respect thereto.
[0025] The outer circular cross-sectioned tube 4 has a radially
extending flange 8 at the top end thereof.
[0026] Mounted concentrically within the outer tube 4 is a
circularly cross-sectioned inner tube 5 which supports the outer
tube 4 and which is rotatable with respect thereto.
[0027] The outer and inner tubes 4,5 are movable axially with
respect to the outer sleeve 2, in unison with each other.
[0028] The bottom end of the inner tube 5 has a pair of
diametrically-opposed spigots which protrude radially beyond the
bottom end of the outer tube 4 and are engageable, when the post 3
is in its extended condition with respect to the outer sleeve 2,
within respective ones of a pair of effectively linear slots 7 in
diagonally-opposed corner regions of the square cross-sectioned
outer sleeve 2, as shown in FIG. 2.
[0029] The inner tube 5 is also provided at its top with a radially
outwardly extending flange 9, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4.
[0030] The flange 9 of the inner tube 5 has an aperture 11 passing
therethrough, whilst the flange 8 of the outer tube 4 also has an
aperture 10 passing therethrough.
[0031] When the post 3 is in its retracted condition within the
outer sleeve 2, its top end lies generally flush with the surface
21 of the ground 20 in which the bollard 1 is installed.
[0032] When the post 3 is raised to its extended condition with
respect to the outer sleeve 2, as shown in FIG. 1, the
diametrically-opposed pair of spigots 6 of the inner tube 5 move
upwardly in diagonally-opposed corners of the sleeve 2, until the
post 3 is fully extended and the spigots 6 are at the same level as
that as the pair of slots 7 in the outer sleeve 2. In the initially
extended condition of the post 3, the apertures 10, 11 in the
respective flanges 8 and 9 of the outer and inner tubes 4, 5, are
in the unlocked position of the post 3, whereby those apertures 10,
11 are not in-register with each other but spaced angularly by
about 90.degree., as shown in FIG. 3.
[0033] The inner tube 5 is then rotated with respect to the outer
tube 4, and also with respect to the outer sleeve 2, such that the
spigots 6 at the bottom of the inner tube 5 engage in the
respective slots 7 in the outer sleeve 2.
[0034] Simultaneously, such rotation of the inner sleeve 5 causes
the flange 9, and hence the aperture 11, to rotate with respect to
the flange and 8 and aperture 10, such that the two apertures 10
and 11 are now in-register with each other, as shown in FIG. 4.
[0035] Thus, the post 3 is retained in its extended condition with
respect to the outer sleeve 2 and, also, part, namely, the
in-register apertures 10, 11, of the mechanism for locking the post
3 in that extended condition, are in a locking position, ready to
receive therethrough a frangible or readily-removable element, such
as a loop of heavy duty wire or a padlock as shown diagrammatically
at 12, to retain the inner tube 5 in its locking position with
respect to the outer tube 4, with the outer and inner tubes 4,5
moving in unison with each other.
[0036] In an emergency where the post 3 has to be moved quickly
into its retracted condition with respect to the outer sleeve 2,
the frangible or otherwise removable element is readily broken or
removed, for example, by a tool or by hand, to allow the inner tube
5 to be rotated with respect to the outer tube 4 from its locking
to its unlocking position, whilst simultaneously having its spigots
6 rotated and disengaged from the complementary slots 7 in the
outer sleeve 2. Thus, the post 3 can be retracted slidably within
the outer sleeve 4.
[0037] The top end of the post 3, for example, the top end of the
inner tube 5, may be provided with a pivotable handle (not shown)
which, when not in use sits in a correspondingly-shaped recess
(also not shown) provided in the top end of the inner tube 5,
generally flush therewith.
[0038] Thus, when the post 3 is in its retracted condition with
respect to the outer sleeve 2, the handle can lie generally flush
with the top end of the post 3 which, in turn, lies generally flush
with the surface 21 of the surrounding ground 20 in which the
security bollard 1 is installed.
[0039] It is to be appreciated that the security bollard described
above with reference to the accompanying drawings, may be modified
without departing from the concept of the invention defined
above.
[0040] For example, the functions of the outer and inner tubes 4
and 5 may be transposed, so that the outer tube 4 is rotatable with
respect to the inner tube 5, with that outer tube 4 bearing the
spigots 6 for engagement with the slots 7.
* * * * *