Abstract:
Molded plastic energy absorbing cushions for protecting columns in facilities such as warehouses or manufacturing plants having forklifts or other such mobile equipment moving about. A pair of cushions, positioned back-to-back surround a column at its base to protect it from colliding equipment. The cushions are hollow with corrugations on their faces to absorb impact of a collision. A cavity is configured in a back of each cushion to add impact absorbing properties.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a protector for structural columns in facilities such as warehouses and manufacturing plants. The protector cushions the impact of mobile equipment such as a forklift, that might come in contact with the column. Damage to the structure and equipment, as well as injury to an operator is reduced or eliminated. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Many operations in warehouses and manufacturing plants require the use of forklift type equipment for handling inventory, ingredients, completed products, and the like. Operation of such equipment in facilities having structure supporting columns presents a significant safety concern. Accidental contact of an unprotected column by a forklift for example, can cause serious structural damage to the facility as well as damage to equipment and injury to personnel. 
     A common method to limit structure damage consists of surrounding the columns with massive amounts of poured concrete which protects the column, but does little to protect the equipment or its operator. Maintenance of the concrete to repair cracks or chips is time consuming. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,798,867 describes a method of surrounding a column with a rigid cover, then filling the space between the cover and the column with an epoxy material. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,019,301 also describes the use of an encasement sleeve of fiberglass or epoxy resin and a filler of concrete, epoxy, or the like. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,244,156 describes a tubular plastic shell having longitudinally extending interior pockets used with a foamed adhesive between a shell vertical member. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,006,386 describes sheathing sections of a resilient material having hinged channels and interlocking means so as to be formed around a column to be protected. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,414 describes protection of a vertical member with use of a resilient membrane incarcerated by a cover. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Two hollow molded plastic cushions each having a substantially planar back, a generally convex face, and opposed ends are positioned back-to back to completely surround a vertical column. The back of each cushion has a cavity having a cross-section, transverse to the longitudinal axis of the cushion, which generally matches the transverse cross-section of the column to enable the back-to-back placement. The face of each cushion, which would receive contact with colliding equipment, has horizontally oriented corrugations to absorb a portion of the impact. One embodiment of the protector provides spacing between the cushion and the column along a major portion of its length which allows the cushion to flex for additional impact absorption. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a column protector of the invention in place surrounding a column having a square cross-section; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the column protector of FIG. 1 in place surrounding an I-beam column; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the column protector of FIG. 1 in place surrounding a cylindrically shaped column; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a cushion of a column protector of the invention having a cavity in its back presenting a constant cross-section from end to end; 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a cushion of a column protector of the invention having a cavity in its back varying in cross-section from end to end to provide space between the cushion and the column; 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a pair of the cushions of FIG. 5 in back-to-back placement as when surrounding a column. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The column protector of the invention is made up of a pair of elongated cushions which are generally semi-cylindrical in shape and are placed back-to-back to surround a column to be protected. FIGS. 1-3 depict the invention in use with columns having various cross-sections. 
     In FIG. 1, column protector  10  is made up of cushions  12  and  12 ′ which are a matching pair; that is each cushion is substantially identical. Column  16  is of a rectangular cross-section. 
     In FIG. 2, column protector  10  is surrounding column  18  which is an I-beam. 
     FIG. 3 shows column protector  10  surrounding column  20  which is cylindrical in shape. Also shown are belts  22  and  24  which encompass cushions  12  and  12 ′ to hold the cushions in back-to-back placement. The belts are preferably of nylon with loop and hook type end attachments. 
     Cushion  12  of the invention is shown singly in FIG. 4 to better point out its features; the views of cushion  12  found in FIGS. 1-3 are advantageous for pointing out features hidden in the FIG. 4 view. Cushion  12  is generally semi-cylindrical in shape, and is molded as a single unit. In a preferred embodiment it is hollow and blow-molded of HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) with an average wall thickness between ⅛ and ¼ inch. The various portions of the cushion are a face  26 , back  28 , and opposed ends  30  and  32 . Face  26  is generally convex in shape, while back  28  is substantially planar. Corners where such surfaces intersect are preferably rounded. To enable back-to-back placement of a pair of cushions, back  28  has a cavity  34  formed in it which is defined by surfaces  36 ,  38  and  40 . Such cavity has a cross-section, transverse to the longitudinal axis of the cushion,  42 , which has the general shape of the cross-section of the column it is adapted to surround. Such cavity cross-section need not match the cross-section of the column exactly, for example, a column protector having a cavity with a rectangular cross-section is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 in use with an I-beam and a cylindrically shaped column respectively. 
     Cushion face  26 , best viewed in FIGS. 1-3, is molded to have a series of corrugations oriented in the horizontal direction. Examples of corrugation ridges are at  44 ,  46  and  48 . Such corrugations absorb some of the impact of a collision. The depth of the corrugations (distance from peak to valley measured perpendicular to the face) in the preferred embodiment is between ½ and 1½ inches. At least one narrow, horizontally oriented portion is preferably free of corrugations such as at  50  and  52  for placement of a belt for retaining the cushions in position about the column. A small portion of face  26 , such as at  54 , can also be free of corrugations for locating a label, instructions, or other such purpose. 
     Cushion ends  30  and  32  are preferably planar to facilitate stacking of protectors when protection of a column at a height greater than the length of a single cushion is desired, however, rounded or other shapes are possible. Stacking can be carried out to protect a column from floor to ceiling if desired. 
     To assure proper alignment of the pair of cushions when positioned back-to-back while surrounding a column, means such as projection  56 , and recess  58  are molded into back  28  so as to nest when the cushions are properly aligned horizontally and vertically. Such means are not relied on to hold the cushions together, but are to provide for such alignment. 
     In the preferred embodiment, the cushions are symmetric about a horizontal center plane in order that two cushions of a single configuration will align when placed in back-to-back position and projection  56  will be present in position for insertion into recess  58  by simply rotating one of the cushions 180° if such projection is not present when initially placed back-to-back. Such arrangement is depicted in FIGS. 1-3 wherein end  30  of cushion  12  is adjacent end  32  of cushion  12 ′ in order that a projection and a recess are present in position for nesting. 
     Cushion  12  of FIG. 4 has cavity  34  which is of a uniform cross-section, transverse to longitudinal axis  42 , the full length of the cushion from end  30  to end  32 . When fitted about a column, such as depicted in FIG. 1, having a rectangular cross-section, contact is generally made between the column and surfaces  36 ,  38 , and  40  in their entirety. Such a contacting condition is contrasted with a second embodiment of the invention shown in FIG.  5 . Cushion  60  of FIG. 5 has face  26 , back  28  and ends  30  and  32 ; all portions of the cushion being the same as cushion  12  with the exception of a cavity  61  in back  28 . Similar features of cushions  12  and  12 ′ have the same reference number. Cavity  61  of back  28  which is adjacent end  30  is defined by surfaces  62 ,  64  and  66 ; adjacent end  32  by surfaces  68 ,  70  and  72 ; and at a portion of cavity  61  intermediate such end portions, by surfaces  74 ,  76  and  78 . The portions of the cavity adjacent each end  30  and  32  are similar to one another and have a cross-section, transverse to longitudinal axis  80 , which is the general shape of the cross-section of the column it is to surround. The cross-section of the portion of cavity  61  intermediate the end portions is dimensioned to provide a space between the column it is protecting and the cushion. Such space is preferably ¼ to 3 inches as measured perpendicular to the cavity surfaces. That is, for example, referring to FIG. 5, surface  76  is set back that distance from surfaces  64  and  70 ; and surface  74  is set back that distance from surfaces  62  and  68 . Such cavity configuration provides for alignment of the cushions on the column by the end portions and provides space for flex and movement of the intermediate portion of the cushion during a collision to absorb some of the impact. 
     FIG. 6 depicts cushion  60  and matching cushion  60 ′ in back-to-back position. The top end portion of cavity  61 , which aligns the cushion on the column, is indicated at  82  and the intermediate portion of the cavity, providing the spacing, is indicated at  84 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, surface  38  has apertures  86  and  88 ; and surface  76  has apertures which are sealed, at  90  and  92 . In a blow-molded plastic unit, apertures are present as a result of the molding process. Surface  38  of cushion  12  has such apertures remaining open; surface  76  of cushion  60  has such apertures sealed to provide a completely sealed unit. Either embodiment, that of FIG. 4 having a uniform cross-section cavity, or that of FIG. 5 having a varying cross-section cavity can have either apertures remaining open or have apertures which have been sealed. Cushions of the invention having sealed apertures provide a stiffer flexing action when collided with in comparison with cushions in which the apertures are open and in which air is free to be released during colliding impact. 
     Although the column protector of the invention is depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3 with a back having a cavity with a rectangular cross-section, transverse to the cushions longitudinal axis, and in use with columns having cross-sections other than rectangular, cavities with cross-sections “matching” the cross-sections of the column are not ruled out by the invention (for example, a circular cross-section for both the cavity and the column). A significant improvement in protection is not gained by such “matching” of cross sections. Also, use of cushions which provide a slightly “over-sized” cavity cross-section relative to the cross-section of the column being protected provides acceptable protection to the column. Practical considerations of available sizes and cavity shapes often make use of oversized and non-matching cavities necessary. 
     While specific materials, dimensional data, and processing steps have been set forth for purposes of describing embodiments of the invention, various modifications can be resorted to, in light of the above teachings, without departing from applicant&#39;s novel contributions; therefore, in determining the scope of the present invention, reference should be made to the appended claims.