Patent ID: 6113055
Filing Date: 2000-09-05
Classification: E01F,Y10T

Abstract:
A sign post coupler for joining a highway sign post to a ground post, comprising an integral body cast in one-piece, the body being hollow and tubular and having:a) a sign post socket, the socket having a bottom wall and at least one side wall disposed about the bottom wall, defining a cavity adapted for receiving an end of a sign post, said bottom wall tapering downward and inward about its perimeter in order to define a first circular base;b) a ground post socket, the socket having a top wall and at least one side wall disposed about the top wall, defining a cavity adapted for receiving an end of a ground post, said top wall tapering upward and inward about its perimeter in order to define a second circular base; andc) a shear section disposed between said sign post socket and said ground post socket, the shear section having a cylindrical wall extending between said first circular base and said second circular base, the shear section having an annular groove defined in the exterior of the cylindrical wall;(d) said coupler having a cylindrical bore of uniform diameter defined therein extending through the bottom wall of said sign post socket, said shear section, and the top wall of said ground post socket, wherein said shear section is circular in cross section and wherein the inside and outside perimeters of said shear section are smaller than the inside and outside perimeters, respectively, of said sign post socket and said ground post socket; andwhereby the shear section breaks in order to separate said sign post socket from said ground post socket when said sign post is impacted by a motor vehicle in motion.