Abstract:
Unflurred flags are protected by equipping flag poles with a flag protector. The flag protector for protecting an unflurred flag includes a tubular chamber housing an internal cavity for the unflurred flag which chamber is vertically mounted along a staff of the flag pole. The tubular chamber includes a rope passageway communicating through the internal chamber for raising and lowering the flag with a rope along the staff. The tubular member is capped with a protective closure for protecting the unflurred flag stowed within the tubular chamber from the elements. A slotted deformable and flexible dome capping the tubular member which will deform upon pressure by an emerging flag drawn against the dome so as to provide a flag passageway and allow the flag to be pulled from and into the internal chamber after which the dome returns to its original dome configuration provides a particularly effective cap for the flag protector. The bottom of the chamber may also be fitted with a lock for locking and securing the flag within the flag confines of the internal chamber.

Description:
[0001]    This application is a continuation in part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/492684 filed Jan. 27, 2000 and entitled “Flag Protector”.  
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a stowing device and its use, and more particularly to a flag protector for stowing a flag upon a flag pole.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    Throughout the years, numerous flag protecting devices have been proposed. These protective units are designed to provide storage for an unflurred flag and to allow the flag to be unfurled from its protective housing to a flagging position. Typical of the prior art relating to the protective flag storage units is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,920,001 to Murdock which discloses a flag pole having an upper tube and a lower tube and an endless cable driven between two pulleys. The cable suspended flag may be drawn within the upper tube with the cable.  
           [0004]    In another patent issued to Nowalk, et al (U.S. Pat. No. 5,983,825) there is disclosed a flag protective device which includes a flexible sleeve adapted for engagement onto a tapered flag staff which may be lowered over the flag by a central control unit. Another patent in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,332,210 to Lambert discloses a flag pole system for automatically displaying and unfurling a flag involving a cylindrical housing with a sensing system which activates a motor to retract the flag into the housing. U.S. Pat. No. 5,550,000 to Fu discloses a flag pole system comprised of a tubular pole having an inner tube, a shaft and a spherical cap within which the flag may be wrapped onto the inner tube by a flag wrapping mechanism. German Patent No. 3737655 A1 discloses a cylindrical housing closed at a top end so as to protect a distress flag from the elements and an open bottom end from which the distress flag may be dropped upon activation.  
           [0005]    Although the prior art has long sought a protective flag device, the proposed flag protectors are either excessively complicated, costly or too over-simplified to effectively serve as a flag protector.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    The present invention provides a unique flag stowing device for effectively protecting a stowed flag against the elements. The flag protector permits the flag to be lowered by pulling the flag into a protective chamber with a rope attached to the bottom and top eyelet of the flag. The rope may be connected to a handled winch and strung about a pulley near the top of the flag staff which by pulling or a turning of a crank handle, will lower the flag. Conversely, the flag may be raised to the desired height by pulling the rope in an opposite direction. The winch may be replaced simply with a free hanging continuous rope or even a remote control motor mounted on the flag pole which, when activated, can raise or lower the flag. The flag protector may be in the form of an attachment or directly incorporated into the flag pole design. The flag size generally prescribes the appropriate width and length of the storage tube for the flag. The storage tube is preferably weather sealed at the top and may be sealed at the bottom with a door or a lock to protect the flag from theft.  
           [0007]    The flag protector is adapted to be used in conjunction with flag poles equipped with a flag, an upper pulley and a continuous rope extending along the flag pole and strung about the upper pulley so as to permit the flag to be raised to a flagging position or lowered to a non-flagging position. The flag protector includes a hollow tubular member equipped with an internal cavity or chamber sized to house the flag within the tubular member. The tubular member extends along the longitudinal axis of the flag pole for a distance sufficient so as to provide satisfactory room for housing the flag within the tubular member. The flag protector also includes a flag receiving closure along a top margin of a tubular member which closure is designed so as to allow passage of a flag into the internal chamber and for closure of the internal cavity or chamber after the flag has passed through the closure. The tubular member includes a rope passageway which provides an entry and exit for the rope from the tubular member so as to permit the rope and attached flag to be withdrawn from the internal cavity to a flagging position and, when desired to protect the flag, to be drawn within the internal cavity to a non-flagging position.  
           [0008]    The closure closes the top of the tubular member so that the encased flag is protected from inclimate conditions. The flag receiving closure is preferably comprised of a flexible and slotted dome which, upon drawing the flag against the flexible dome cause the dome to create a flag passageway for drawing the flag into the protective chamber. After the flag passes through the dome, the dome then restructures itself and closes the flag passageway to provide a protective dome for the chamber and the flag internally housed therewithin.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0009]    [0009]FIG. 1 is a side view of the flag protector integrated into the construction of the flag pole.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 2 is a side view of a detachable flag protector incorporating the flag protector embodiments shown in FIG. 1 but which may be separately attached as to the flag pole.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 3 is an enlarged side view depicting the flag being drawn into the flag protector of FIG. 1.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 4 is an enlarged side view of a top closure for the flag protectors shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 5 is a side view of a flag protector integrated into the construction of the flag pole and equipped with a deformable dome and a lock for locking the flag within the flag protector.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 6 is a side view of a flag protector attachment attached to a flag pole equipped with the deformable dome and locking system.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 7 is an enlarged side view of the tubular flag protecting chamber of the flag protector shown in FIG. 6 detached from the flag pole.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line  8 - 8  of FIG. 7 showing in greater detail the locking mechanism for the flag protector.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 9 is an enlarged perspective elevational top view of the protective dome for the flag protector shown in FIG. 7.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 10 depicts FIG. 5 with an unflurred flag.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 11 shows the flag protector attachment of FIG. 6 upon commencement of drawing the flag into the flag protector attachment.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 12 illustrates the flag shown in FIG. 11 after the flag has been withdrawn within the flag protector.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 13 is a partial cross-sectional view of the protective chamber with an unflurred flag taken along line  13 - 13  of FIG. 12.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 14 is a partial cross-sectional view of the flag protector shown in FIG. 10 taken along line  14 - 14  of FIG. 10.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0023]    Pursuant to the present invention, there is provided a flag protecting device (generally referenced as  1 ) which may be used as an attachment (as illustratively depicted as  1 A) for attaching to an existing flag pole ensemble (generally referred to as  2 ) as depicted by FIGS. 1, 6,  1  &amp;  12  or which may be integrated into the construction of the flag pole  2  to provide a flag pole  2  and a flag protector of a unitary construction (as illustratively depicted as  1 B) as shown in FIGS. 1, 10 &amp;  14 . When flag protector  1  is provided as an auxiliary unit, the unit may be equipped with fasteners  12  (e.g., mounting brackets) such as worm screwed metal clamping bands to secure the tubular member  13  to a flag staff  5  as illustrated by FIGS. 6 and 11- 13 . The flag protecting device  1  is adapted for use with a conventional flag pole ensemble  2  which often includes a base  3  supportive of the ensemble  2 , a flag staff or pole  5  fitted with an upper pulley  7  positioned at a top end of the flag staff  5  and a continuous rope  9  engaging or pullied onto the upper pulley  7  so as to permit a flag  11  to be raised to a full flagging position illustrated by FIGS.  1 - 2  and  5 - 6  or lowered to a non-flagging or unfurled position as illustrated by FIGS.  10 - 14 . Rope  9  (commonly referred to as a halyard) is typically secured to an upper flag eyelet  11   a  and a lower flag eyelet  11   b  which maintain the staffed flag  11  in an appropriate flagging position as depicted in FIGS.  1 - 3 ,  5 - 6  and  11 .  
         [0024]    The flag protector  1  comprises a tubular member  13  having an internal chamber  15  for protectively housing flag  11  within the tubular member  13  as best illustrated by FIGS. 10 and 12 and the cross-sectional views thereof of FIGS. 13 &amp; 14. The tubular member  13  extends along the longitudinal axis of the flag staff  5  for a distance sufficient to provide sufficient stowage space for stowing flag  11 . Tubular member  13  also has a sufficient internal diameter to house flag  11 . The internal chamber  15  should not be too small nor excessively large so as to become unsightly upon the flag ensemble  2 . The most commonly used household flags measuring 3 feet by 5 feet and the slightly larger business flags (e.g. 4″×6″) can be easily accommodated in an internal cavity  15  measuring about 4 inch internal diameter tube. For most uses, the internal diameter of internal chamber  5  will range from about 2 to about 6 inches and most typically from about 3 to 5 inches.  
         [0025]    The flag protector  1  includes a closure  17  along the top margin of the tubular member  13  which serves to seal the chamber  15  and enclosed flag  11  from the elements. The closure  17  in the preferred embodiments of the invention allows closure  17  to close and seal chamber  15  from the elements when the flag  11  has either been withdrawn from chamber  15  (e.g., see FIGS.  1 - 2 ,  4 - 7  and  9 ) or housed within the internal chamber  15  as cross-sectionally depicted by FIGS.  12 - 14 . Closing chamber  15  with closure  17  when the flag  11  is not flagging or flagging protects chamber  15  and housed flag from external water, debris, soilage and damage. The closure  17  may be pivotally mounted at the top of the internal chamber  15  (as shown in FIGS.  1 - 4 ) so that it may be (manually or automatically) closed by pivoting the closure  17  to the closed position (as shown in FIGS.  1 - 2  &amp;  4 ). When the flag  11  is raised from chamber  15  along the flag staff  5 , the pivotally mounted closure or flap  17  is forced open by the pressure of the emerging flag  11 . The pivotally mounted closure  17  may be weighted so as to normally close unless forced to open. Alternatively, closure  17  may be simply mechanically opened and closed by a rope system, springs or a stick or may be weighted similar to pivotally mounted caps for internal combustion engines such as conventionally used on farm tractors. If desired, flag protector  1  may include an electrical system cooperatively connected to a light sensor so as to open the closure  17  and raise the flag  11  at dawn and to lower the flag  11  and close the cap at dusk. Other known electronic control systems such as electrically powered motors activated in timed intervals or by moisture sensory monitors may be incorporated into the design and construction of flag protector  1 . Similarly, remote controls such as currently used for TVs, automatic door openers, etc., can be utilized to raise and lower the flag  11  as well as closing and opening the closure cap  17 .  
         [0026]    In the preferred embodiments of the invention as depicted by FIGS.  5 - 7 ,  9  &amp;  11 - 14 , closure  17  comprises a flexible dome  17  equipped with slotted orifices  19  radically extending which, upon pressure of flag  11  against slotted orifice  19 , causes orifice  19  to open into a flag passageway  19   a  so as to permit passage of flag  11  therethrough. Once the flag  11  has passed through the orifice  19 , slotted orifice  19  then flexible closes to form protective dome  17  as shown in FIGS.  5 - 7 ,  9  and  11 - 14 . Dome  17  is preferably of a flexible elastic construction which upon pressure flexes and stretches to create flag passageway  19   a.  Such flexible materials possess what is often referred to as memory characteristics which will elastically deform and then return to their original form upon the cessation of deformable pressures. Typical of such elastic materials are rubbers and plastics and particularly, the synthetic and natural rubber products equipped with a slotted orifice  19  as shown in more detail by FIG. 9.  
         [0027]    The closure  17  as depicted by FIGS.  5 - 7 ,  9  &amp;  11 - 14  is designed so that the pressure of the ascending or descending flag  11  pulled by rope  9  creates pressure against closure or dome  17  causes the slotted orifice  19  to open and remain open by pressure of the raising or ascending flag  11 . After flag  11  has passed through dome  17  or slotted orifice  19 , then dome  17  and slotted orifice  19  elastically close to protect chamber  15  and the encased flag  11  from the elements as illustrated by FIGS. 10, 12 and  13 - 14 . Such a closure  17  may be obtained by cutting a centrally disposed orifice located at the epicenter of rubber dome  17  and slicing a sufficient number of radial extending slots  19   s  so as to provide a sufficient passageway  19   a  for passage of flag  11  therethrough. The width of the slot cuts or diameter of orifice  19   o  is not as controlling as the number of slots and radial slot of the length. Dome  17  will usually contain at least three radially extending slots  19   s  and advantageously four or more radial extending slots  19   s.  The radially extending slots  19   s  extend outwardly for a sufficient distance from orifice  19   o  so as to afford passage of flag  11  therethrough. Slots  19   s  radially positioned at equidistant angular positioning ranging from about 45 to 90 degrees and advantageously from about 50 to about 70 degrees provide a suitable slotted passageway  19   a.  The orifice  19   o  size is not critical since it merely provides the centeroid for flexing the slotted pie shaped flaps  19   f  to a flag receiving configuration. As is shown in FIG. 9, eight slots  23  typically measuring approximately 1½ inches in length radiating outwardly from a centeroid measuring about ½ inch in diameter are generally sufficient to provide a passageway  19   a  for a standard flag  11 . The radially extending slots  19   s  may extend to the outer periphery of dome  17  and preferably are thinly slotted so as to provide a more tightly closed dome  17  when closed. Slots measuring from about 1 to about 3 inches may typically be used for this purpose.  
         [0028]    The most appropriate length for the internal chamber  15  will depend upon the maximum flag length. For a standard flag  11  measuring 3 feet by 5 feet, the length of the tubular member  13  will typically measure about 4 to about 6 feet in length and about 3 to about 4 inches in diameter. The tubular member  13  as depicted by FIGS. 1, 6 and  11 - 12  may be attached to the flag pole  5  with bands with a screw tightener. For larger flags, each additional foot in flag length will add 1 foot 2 inches to the tube  13  length. Typically for a standardized flag, a 3″ diameter tubular member is insufficient to accommodate the flag while a six inch diameter tube is unnecessary. For flags of a 4′×6′ size, a 4″ diameter tube is generally adequate to house the flag.  
         [0029]    FIGS.  5 - 8  &amp;  11 - 13  illustrate a satisfactory locking system (generally referenced as  27 ) in which the flag  11  may be protectively locked within the tubular member  13  so as to protect the flag  11  from theft. As illustrated in greater detail by FIGS. 7 and 8, the locking system  27  includes a tapered tab  27   a  which extends cross-wise across the bottom of the tubular member  13 .  
         [0030]    As may be observed from FIG. 8, the locking member  27  is of tapered construction wider in width at an end opposite of padlock  33 . The tapered bar  27   a  passes through slotted orifices  29  sized so as to mate onto the locking bar  27   a  and prevent removal of bar  27   a  when inserted into slotted orifices  29  of tubular member  13  and locked thereto with padlock  13  as shown in FIG. 9. At the opposite end of the bar  27   a,  there is simply provided a padlock receiving orifice  31  in which the padlock  33  can be locked onto. Once the padlock  33  is locked, padlock  33  prevents slat or bar  27   a  from being withdrawn from the slotted orifices  29 . Accordingly, locking member  27  protects the flag  11  housed within internal chamber  15  from theft.  
         [0031]    Although not necessary, flag pole  5  may be equipped with a winch  35  and a handle  37  for cranking winch  35  and winding halyard  9  about winch  35  in the appropriate direction for raising or lowering flag  11  along flag staff  5 . Winch  35  may be equipped for manual operations as shown or for motorized operation by connecting a motor (e.g., electric) powered by a suitable power source (e.g., battery or AC power source). If desired light sensor, inclimate weather detectors or sensors, remote controls, etc., may be appropriately connected to winch  35  to provide an automatic flag raising and lowering system.  
         [0032]    The depicted flag  11  raising and lowering system includes a rope or halyard  9  equipped with a lower flag mounting eyelet  11   b  and upper flag mounting eyelet  11   a  laterally spaced so as to span the flag width and maintain flag  11  in the flagging position. Halyard  9  is in the form of continuous rope or cable  9  drawn about pulley  7  in the appropriate direction for raising or lowering flag  11 . Halyard  9  enters the top of tubular member  13  at dome orifice  19  into the confines of internal chamber  15  and exits through the open structure at the bottom of tubular member  13 . This allows halyard  9  to be drawn freely about pulley  7  as well as to and from chamber  15 .