POST FOR TRAFFIC SIGNALS AND THE LIKE

Abstract: Posts for traffic signals, signs, information signs and the like are known and comprise a foundation fixed to the ground as well as a post part, which through external shock energy can be released from the foundation without the same being substantially separated from the ground fixation, whereby the post part is arranged at the foundation via a coupling. In order to improve traffic posts of this kind so that the risk for personal damage is eliminated in an unintentional collision, the coupling (5) consists of at least two telescopically cooperating parts, one fixed to the foundation (1) and the other fixed to the post part (6), which parts have their cooperating direction of displacement arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the post, and which telescopical parts are composed with an abutment between the cooperating surfaces so that a friction force is generated at the relative motion of displacement of the parts.

Description: POST FOR TRAFFIC SIGNALS AND THE LIKE The present invention relates to a post for traffic signals, signs, information signs and the like comprising a foundation fixed to the ground and a post part, which by an external sho energy is released form the foundation without the same being substantially separated form the ground fixation, whereby the post part is adapted to the foundation via a coupling. Posts of the kind mentioned in the premable are known from e.g. US Patent 4,154,037 and GB Patent 2,078,829. The object of the present inveniton is to improve traffic posts of this kind in order to decrease the risk for personal damage occur¬ ing when a vehicle unintentionally collides with such a post. The purpose of the invention is to achieve also a kind of energy absorption in the post such that in a slighter colli¬ sion the post in principle remains without being substantiall deformed and without the vehicle being too damaged or the pos being thrown away. In a stronger collision the post is to be separated from the foundation without the foundation being damaged or released from the ground. Thus, with the invention also the costs to restore the post to its original position are eliminated as only a new coupling, and maybe, a new post must be replaced on the foundation instead of having to re an facture or remount both a post as well as a foundation. By means of the invention also the energy absorption ability of the coupling can be adapted to the shock energy which might occur when run into by a vehicle at the site where the post is placed. THus, vehicles with a lower speed has, as known, a lower collision energy than a vehicle with a higher speed. An adaption to this fact can be made according to the inven¬ tion. Furthermore, the invention can be adapted to various weights in posts and the post according to the invention is useful for traffic signals as information signs, e.g. "over- head" signs. The purpose of the invention is achieved by the characteris¬ tics stated in the subsequent claims. The invention is described more in detail in some embodiments where reference is being made to the attached drawings. Fig. 1 shows a sideview of a post according to the invention where a portion of the post part and the foundation are shown; Fig. 2 shows the same as in Fig. 1 but with the coupling in an extended position; Fig. 3 shows a section according to line III-III. in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 shows a longitudinal section through the coupling; Fig. 5 shows a cross section of the coupling along line V-V in Fig. 4; , . Fig. 6 shows schematically a vehicle colliding with the post according to the invention; Fig. 7 shows a longitudinal section of another embodiment of the coupling;. Fig. 8 shows section VII-VII in Fig. 7, and Fig. 9 shows cross section IX-IX in Fig. 7. In Fig. 1 a foundation 1 is shown fixed to the ground in a suitable and known manner. The foundation comprises a cylind¬ rical cavity 2 into which a sleeve 3 is inserted and pivotable in the cavity 2 against resistance of e.g. friction between the sleeve 3 and the cavity 2. Alternatively or thereto a torsion spring 4 can be inserted between the upper portion of the sleeve 3 and the bottom of the cavity 2. The arrangement with the sleeve 3 in the cavity is, thus, to create a certain resistance against turning of the sleeve 3 in the cavity 2. At the upper portion of the sleeve 3 a coupling is arranged. The coupling consists of two telescopically cooperating parts, and the coupling is placed perpendicular to the longitudinal extension of the post. The coupling is described more in de¬ tail in an embodiment in relation to Figs 4 and 5 below. One portion of the coupling is thus adapted at the upper portion of the sleeve 3 and the other portion of the coupling is adapted to the post part, the lower portion 6 of which is shown in Figs 1 and 2. Thus, the coupling can be extended by a force in the direction of displacement of the telescopic coupling. Fig. 2 shows the coupling in its extended position when a forc has hit the post poart 6 from the left in the drawing. In this case, the force was not greater than to allow the shock energy to be absorbed by the telescopically cooperating parts through friction forces between the same. Fig. 3 shows schematically in a section along line III-III in Fig. 1 the upper portion of the sleeve 3, the coupling 5 and ' the post part 6. Here, the coupling is in an inserted positio The function of the post in a collision can briefly be descri as follows. In a collision the post will first be turned in the foundation so that the coupling is brought in line with the collision direction. Thereafter the telescopically cooper ting parts in the coupling will be pulled apart and these function as a kind of brake. If the vehicle, at this moment, has not come to a stand-still, the coupling parts will be completely pulled apart, whereby the post 6 with its belongin part of the coupling will follow the vehicle forwards. The foundation 1 with its belonging parts remains in its original ground fixation. With reference to Figs 4 and 5 a preferred embodiment of the coupling will now be described. Fig. 4 shows, thus, a longitu¬ dinal section hereof and Fig. 5 shows a cross section. The coupling comprises five box beams placed side by side having a square cross section. The box beams 7, 8 and 9, respectively are fastened to a bottom plate 10. The bottom plate 10 is fas¬ tened to the upper portion of the sleeve 3. The box beams 11 and 12 are adapted to a casing 13 partly enclosing the package of box beams. The casing 13, thus, forms a sort of guiding for the package of box beams. The casing 13 and the bottom plate 10 will thus be displaced relative to each other when the box beams are displaced. Preferably the package of box beams is kept together such that friction forces occur between the sides of the box beams when displaced. However, a package of box beams arranged in the described manner is rather sensi¬ tive to temperature conditions and if, e.g., there is a low temperature, the friction forces between the box beams could be too great. In any case, the friction forces cannot be controlled with a sufficient accuracy. Although it is clear that the friction force at rest must not exceed the shock energy that a colliding vehicle may have as, in such a case, the coupling looses its function as a shock absorbing mechanis Furthermore, the length of the box beams are of importance to the energy absorption ability existing in the coupling. Another or alternative energy absorbing mechanism exists in the coupling. This comprises five wedge-shaped plates 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 placed side by side. These plates are in turns adapted to the box beams. Thus, the plate 14, the plate 16 and the plate 18 belong to the box beams 7, 8 and 9, respec¬ tively, which are adapted to the bottom plate 10. The wedge- shaped plates 15 and 17 are fastened to the box beams 11 and 1 being adapted to the casing 13. The wedge-shaped plates are slightly wedge-shaped. The wedge-shape is arranged so that the wedge action increases in the direction of extension for the coupling. 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F- tr Pi O • ii pi ϋ CD F- Z TJ vQ 0 ro P * t-x- Pi t-x- F- vQ CD ro ro F- CD • ro tr rt ► Pi Ω Pi cn et Ω Z -___. (x> o CD 3 F- ti F- 3 ro 3 H <! F- tr rt * p- > F- 3 * Pi Ω J F- CD cn cn Pi tr cn vQ ft 3 vQ 3 vQ ft Ω TJ CD Ω ro h-x ro rt F- in 3 rt D 0 h-x rt * •« cn pi li ro 3" vQ ro F- 0 P ) 0 Ω O ' F- tr o ro vQ tr 0 t-x tr F- 1 O 3 CD H 3 li . < cn rt * 0 co rt ro 3 3 ro TJ << tr 0 1 cn xQ 1 F- rt F- TJ K; ro 1 h-x ιQ ► rt 0 ro ti Φ tr ■* 3 1 1 Figs 7 and 8 show another embodiment according to claim 4. The coupling comprises an outer box beam 110 and an inner box beam 113 being displaceable relative to each other. The energy absorbing means is in the form of a plied plate or rod 20 extendable at the separation of teh coupling. Alternatively, piston like means could be used and furthermore a cooperation between two plates can be comprised, where one of the plates is cut up by an element inserted into the second plate when the plates are displaced in relation to each other. The telescopically cooperating parts can thus have or comprise "braking mechanisms" of various shapes,* fullfilling the function given the described wedge-plates, namely to absorbe energy at the extension of the coupling. Furthermore, the two parts of the coupling can be adapted more or less releasab from the foundation and the post, respectively, so that, when practically all of the extendability has been utilized, the portion being fixed to the foundation is released or the por¬ tion fixed to the post is released.

Claims: C L A I M S: 1. Vertical post for traffic signals, signs, information signs or the like comprising a foundation fixed to the ground and post part, which through external shock energy can be released from the foundation without the same being substan¬ tially separated from the ground fixation whereby the post part is adapted to the foundation via a coupling, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the coupling (5) is placed horizontally and consists of at least two telescopical ly cooperating portions (10,13), one being fixed to the found tion (1), the other to the post part (6) , which parts (10,13) have the cooperating direction of displacement perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the post, and which telescopical parts are composed by cooperating means (7-12), (14-18) so that at the relative displacement motion of the parts an ener absorbing force is generated being less than the one generate by a vehicle collidihg with the post, which vehicle has the speed usual for the site of the location of the post. 2. Post according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the telescopically cooperating parts consist of a plurality of beams (7-12) arranged parallelly next to each other, the beams being at least partially enclosed in a casing (10,13) guiding the displacement of the beams. 3. Post according to claim 1 or 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e i n that the cooperating surfaces comprise the sides of slightly wedge-shaped, elongated poles (14-18) with alternate wedge shape and with the wedge shape arranged so that the wedge action between the wedge parts is increasing in the direction of displacement from the normal position of the coupling to its extended position. 4. Post according to claim 1 or 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the cooperating parts (110,113) of the coupling are kept from a relative displacement by a deformable metal mate¬ rial as e.g. creasedsteel profile (20) . 5. Post according to claim 1 or 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the cooperating parts (10,13) of the coupling are kept from relative displacement by piston and cylinder like means. 6. Post according to any one -of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the telescopically co¬ operating parts (10,13) can be pulled apart rendering two part seprated from each other. 7. Post according to any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the coupling (10,13) is fixed to the foundation pivotable around an axis parallel to but subordinated the longitudinal axis of the post (6) , whereby the swinging motion is restrained. 8. Post according to claim 7, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the restraint of the swinging motion is caused by means of friction forces. 9. Post according to claim 7 or 8, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the restraint of the swinging motion is caused by means of a torsion spring (4) .

Inventors: ANDERSSON AOKE, ANDERSSON, AOKE
Applicants: ANDERSSON AOKE, ANDERSSON, AOKE
Application year: 1985
Main classification: E01F9
IPC codes: E01F9, E04H12