IE75385B1 - Columnar-type street furniture - Google Patents

Abstract

A piece of columnar-type street furniture (10) comprises at least two sections (11, 12) formed in a reusable mould, cooperating along a longitudinal axis to form a tapered columnar-type base (13). The sections (11, 12), when assembled, are suitably locked together by means of an external band (14) which tightly fits the taper of the base (13). The base (13) is adapted to receive a headpiece (15) which can be chosen to perform a specified function (e.g. bollard top, lamp post, chain support post, etc.). Each type of headpiece (15) fits the standard base (13). The sections are also adapted to receive a rootpiece (16) which is permanently or removably set in the ground, in use, and which extends through the length of the base sections (11, 12) to the headpiece (15), providing reinforcement throughout.

Description

This invention relates to columnar-type street furniture such as permanent and removable bollards, lamp posts, sign posts and rail/fence/chain support posts.

The established method for the manufacture of columnar-type street furniture in general and bollards in particular is sand-casting. This method involves the construction of a mould from sand (or from some other refractory material). Molten metal is poured into the mould and allowed to set. When the casting has cooled, the sand is removed, leaving the finished casting.

The greatest drawback of the established method is that each casting involves making an individual, non-reusable mould. This means that the time taken for each casting makes the method very labour-intensive and this is reflected in the product cost.

The individual nature of each casting also discourages the use of this method for mass producing individual items or a range of street furniture because of the high unit cost.

The invention seeks to overcome the drawbacks of the traditional method of manufacture of columnar-type street furniture and, thereby, to substantially lower the cost of columnar-type pieces and to make such pieces suitable for mass-production.

Thus, the invention provides a columnar piece of outdoor furniture, comprising at least two sections adapted to cooperate along the longitudinal axis of the piece, the sections being preformed in a reusable closed mould.

As used herein the expression outdoor furniture includes street furniture and similar or equivalent pieces adapted to be mounted on a solid surface, including pieces mounted in gardens, parks, car parks, shopping malls, driveways, garages, etc.

As used herein the expression being preformed in a reusable closed mould includes processes such as die-casting, permanent mould casting, and injection moulding.

It will be appreciated that the piece according to the invention has the advantages relative to pieces according to the established method hereinbefore mentioned, of being substantially quicker, and therefore cheaper, to produce and also of providing a versatile modular structure for the column.

Preferably, the sections cooperate by means of complementary moulded features.

This provides the advantage that the sections can be efficiently and easily assembled using, for example, locating pins and complementary receiving sockets.

Preferably the sections when assembled are held together by means of an external band.

Further, preferably, the piece is in the form of a tapered column, wherein the external band forms a locking tapered joint with the sections.

The use of a locking tapered joint provided by an external band on a tapered column allows cheap and secure assembly in a short space of time.

Preferably, the sections are additionally held together by an internal coupling.

The advantages of an internal coupling are that it can consist, in whole or in part, of members moulded as part of the internal detail of the sections, and that the coupling can be inaccessible to tampering, in use.

Preferably, the piece comprises a headpiece, the headpiece being mountable on the upper ends of the sections.

Further, preferably, the headpiece has lugs thereon for attaching a chain thereto, or is adapted to receive a railing, or the headpiece supports a light fitting or is a signpost or is a bollard top, with or without illuminating means.

It will be appreciated that the advantages accrued by using a range of headpieces, each with a different function and each mountable on a common columnar design include two improvements of particular interest.

Firstly, by having the wide range of headpieces fit a limited range of base designs, the modular and multi-purpose nature of the columnar piece can be exploited. This means also that even for a headpiece of unique design, it may be possible to choose a suitable columnar base according to the invention, resulting in a substantial saving in design and manufacturing costs.

Secondly, whether the headpiece is mass-produced or unique, the final cost of the finished piece will reflect the lower cost of using a standard, mass-produced columnar base, according to the invention.

Preferably, the piece is made of a non-ferrous metal material. Further, preferably, this material is aluminium or aluminium alloy.

The advantage of using aluminium or its alloys instead of traditional cast iron is that the reduction in weight of approximately 50-70% is reflected in transportation and installation costs, and in the suitability of the piece for use in removable applications. The advantage conferred by using permanent mould aluminium (or its alloys) over sand-cast aluminium (or its alloys) is that the internal structure of the permanent mould casting is substantially better than that of the sand-casting, leading to an appreciable increase in the tensile strength of the permanent mould casting.

An alternative preference to using non-ferrous metal materials is to make the piece from plastics materials.

The use of plastics materials gives the same advantages in terms of weight as the use of aluminium, except that cost savings can occur to an even greater extent.

Preferably, the piece is adapted to receive a rootpiece which is mounted, permanently or removably, on the sections.

Further, preferably, the rootpiece, in use, is fixed either permanently or removably, in the ground.

The advantage of using a rootpiece is that it provides a secure method for fixing the piece to the ground with a solidity determined by the depth of the rootpiece, and since the rootpiece extends into the piece, to a greater or lesser extent, it provides reinforcement. If used with a suitable internal coupling arrangement, the arrangement can clamp the rootpiece within the sections.

The advantage of having the rootpiece removable from the foundation and/or the sections, is that it enables the piece to be used as an anti-ram bar or vehicular restriction bar.

Preferably, the rootpiece is a length of ferrous or non-ferrous section.

The use of a length of ferrous or non-ferrous section enables a widely available product to be used as a rootpiece, and since the structural properties of the length of section will be known and since the section can be cut to any desired length, the degree of reinforcement provided by the rootpiece can be chosen.

Preferably, the rootpiece, when in the form of a length of ferrous or non-ferrous section, extends within the piece to the upper end of the sections.

The advantage of a rootpiece extending to the upper end of the sections is that the rootpiece and headpiece can be attached securely, « providing an integrated reinforced piece. The rootpiece can also extend through the top of the sections, or through a suitable headpiece, 5 to act as a lamp post or sign post. In this case the sections would be used as an embellishment kit around the base of the rootpiece/post. 10 Preferably, when the piece is used with a light fitting, it comprises a door mounted on the piece for accessing the interior of the piece. The provision of a door allows access to an isolation switch or control panel of an electric lighting circuit, or to a shut-off valve for a gas lamp supply. 15 The invention will be further illustrated by the following description of embodiments thereof given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying Drawings in which: 20 Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a first embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the embodiment of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan view of an internal coupling mechanism for use with a columnar piece of outdoor furniture in accordance with the invention; 25 9 Fig. 4 is an elevation of a second embodiment of the invention with means for illumination; Fig. 5 is an exploded view of the embodiment of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 shows an embodiment of the invention in use as a rail support post; and * Fig. 7 shows an embodiment of the invention in use as a lamp post or a sign post with the rootpiece as it extends into the ground shown.

In Figs. 1 and 2 there is shown generally at 10 a bollard with a tapered base 13 comprised of two longitudinal sections 11, 12 and an external band 14 locking the sections 11, 12 around a rootpiece 16 which is shown extending into the ground and up to a bollard headpiece 15 in which it is secured. The headpiece 15 further serves to lock the sections 11,12 together.

Each section 11,12 comprises also one half 21, 22 of a clamping mechanism, generally at 20, depicted in Fig. 3. External circumference 23 of the mechanism 20 is identical to the internal circumference of the tapered column 13 into which it is wedged, or otherwise attached, or with which it is moulded. The halves 21, 22 are held together by fastening means 24, 25. Internal circumference 26 is large enough to contain the rootpiece 16 when the fastening means 24, 25 are loose, but which clamps the rootpiece 16 when the fastening means 24, 25 are tightened, thereby locking the rootpiece 16 to the sections 11, 12 and the sections 11, 12 to one another.

An illuminated bollard, indicated generally at 30, in Figs. 4 and 5 comprises two sections 32, 33, an access door 31 set in section 32 and a headpiece 34 which comprises or supports means for illumination.

The rootpiece 36 extends from the ground to a point below the door 31. The rootpiece contains the power supply, but this emerges at the top of the rootpiece 36 to allow access to the circuit or supply. A rootpiece cap 35 is provided which fits tightly inside the sections 32, 33 and secures the rootpiece 36 in position. Again a tapered ring 37 helps to hold sections 32, 33 together.

Fig. 6 shows a rail support post, indicated generally at 40, having a columnar base 41 and a headpiece 42 which supports rail or fence sections 43, 44. The sections 43,44 can also be the two emerging pieces of a single unbroken section which passes through the headpiece 42.

Fig. 7 shows an embodiment of the invention in the form of a lamp post or sign post, indicated generally at 50, wherein a rootpiece extends either to below access door 52 in base 53, or through the base 53 and a headpiece 54. In the former case a member 55 is part of the headpiece 54 and the member 55 supports the light or sign, while in the latter case the member 55 is the emerging section of the rootpiece 51. In this case the rootpiece 51 must be partially cut away in the vicinity of the door 52 to allow access to the power supply.

Claims (24)

1. A columnar piece of outdoor furniture, comprising at least two sections adapted to cooperate along the longitudinal axis of the piece, the sections being preformed in a reusable closed mould. 5

2. A piece according to Claim 1, wherein said sections cooperate by means of complementary moulded features.

3. A piece according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the sections when assembled are held together by an external band.

4. A piece according to Claim 3, in the form of a tapered 10 column, wherein the external band forms a locking tapered joint with the sections.

5. A piece according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the sections are held together by an internal coupling.

6. A piece according to any preceding claim, comprising a 15 headpiece, the headpiece being mountable on the upper ends of the sections.

7. A piece according to Claim 6, wherein the headpiece has lugs mounted thereon for attaching a chain thereto.

8. A piece according to Claim 6, wherein the headpiece is 20 adapted to receive a railing.

9. A piece according to Claim 6, wherein the headpiece supports a light fitting.

10. A piece according to Claim 6, wherein the headpiece is a sign post.

11. A piece according to Claim 6, wherein the headpiece is a bollard top.

12. A piece according to Claim 11, wherein the bollard top is provided with illuminating means. 5

13. A piece according to any preceding claim, made of a nonferrous metal material.

14. A piece according to Claim 13, wherein the non-ferrous metal material is aluminium or aluminium alloy.

15. A piece according to any one of Claims 1 to 12, made of a 10 suitable plastics material.

16. A piece according to any preceding claim, which is adapted to receive a rootpiece.

17. A piece according to Claim 16, wherein the rootpiece is removably mounted on the sections. 15

18. A piece according to Claim 16 or 17, wherein the rootpiece, in use, is fixed in the ground.

19. A piece according to Claim 18, wherein the rootpiece, in use, is removably fixed in the ground.

20. A piece according to any one of Claims 16-19, wherein the 20 rootpiece is a length of ferrous section.

21. A piece according to any one of Claims 16-19, wherein the rootpiece is a length of non-ferrous section.

22. A piece according to Claim 20 or 21, wherein the rootpiece extends within the piece to the upper end of the sections.

23. A piece according to any preceding claim, when used with a light fitting, comprising a door mounted on the piece for accessing the interior of the piece.

24. A columnar piece of outdoor furniture according to Claim 5 1 substantially as hereinbefore described with particular reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.