Patent Publication Number: US-6986496-B2

Title: Portable post support

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Existing known types of portable post supports often provide a solid post support with the post embedded therein, or even other than a solid base, do not provide for a portable support available for a vertical post to be supported therein or through. 
   Also, none of the known types of portable post supports provide for portable support, as well as facilitating the embedding of the post in the ground or other horizontal support surface, as well as the base thereof, for additional portability of support. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates to a post support which is completely portable and provides support for a post which is either in the ground or totally above ground and yet is substantially as strong in its support as the generally known types of non-portable post supports. 
   Another object of this invention is to provide a portable post support wherein the portability of the support is partially obtained by a body chamber adapted to receive flowable ballast material, wherein the ballast material can be added or withdrawn pursuant to the portability of the structure of this invention. 
   A further object of this invention is to provide a portable post support with portability of the support by a body which is provided with post support in the top and bottom of the body thereof to allow the post to be readily inserted or withdrawn through the support body, augmenting the portability of the post support, as well as the strength of the support of a post. 
   Also, an object of this invention is to provide a portable post support that will resistibly yield to nominal horizontal impact forces such as might be imposed by vehicles in a parking lot. 
   Further, an object of this invention is to provide a portable post support having a normally vertically open chamber and a lid or cover securable thereto to the body of the post support. 
   Other advantages and other novel aspects of the invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description thereof in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: 

   
       FIG. 1  is a general perspective illustration of the portable post support of this invention as it might be applied to a parking lot or other horizontal surface. 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the supporting body, and cover therefor, showing the upper openings of the cavity of the support body and the bridging body top portion extending across the cavity of the body. 
       FIG. 3  is a top view of the support body of the invention showing the most effective location of the body top portion and vertical post support opening and a separate top opening. 
       FIG. 4  is a partial sectional view taken along line  3 — 3  of  FIG. 3  showing a cam edge with an inclined surface and a protrusion receiving aperture at the top of the body of the support. 
       FIG. 5  is a vertical sectional view taken along line  5 — 5  of  FIG. 3  showing the most effective configuration of the body of the invention with the upwardly opening cavity and a post vertically positioned there through and supported on a tapered embossment projection on the body bottom. 
       FIG. 6  is a view of the top cover for the body. 
       FIG. 7  is a sectional view of the top cover taken along line  7 — 7  of  FIG. 6  showing the post opening and top cover securing and restraining projections and complimenting protrusions on the bottom of the top cover. 
       FIG. 8  is a bottom view of the top cover showing the post opening and top cover securing and restraining projections and complimenting protrusions on the bottom of the top cover. 
       FIG. 9  is a sectional vertical view of the portable post support of this invention taken along line  5 — 5  of  FIG. 3  showing the support body in position with a post inserted entirely there through and into the ground or other horizontal support surface. 
       FIG. 10  is a vertical sectional view taken along line  5 — 5  of  FIG. 3  showing the most effective configuration of the body of the invention with the upwardly opening cavity and a post vertical positioned there through and supported on a tapered embossment projection on the body bottom and schematically showing the yielding effects of a horizontal force imposed on the post support hereof. 
   

   A portable post support of this invention is generally illustrated by the numeral  10  ( FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  9  and  10 ), and includes generally a somewhat flexible body  11  and a body top cover  12  ( FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  6 – 10 ). 
   Body  11  has bottom  14  for supporting body  11  on a generally horizontal surface  15  ( FIGS. 1 ,  5 ,  9  and  10 ), and is provided with a cavity chamber  16 , formed by tapered sides  19 , and that opens upwardly through openings  17  of body top portion  13 . Body top portion  13  ( FIGS. 2 ,  3 ,  5 ,  9  and  10 ) on body  11  extends, as a support bridge, across cavity chamber  16 . A post support conduit  18  can be secured to top portion  13  and bottom  14  through body  11  to support post  21  through passage opening  19  thereof, and has a support passage opening  19  for receiving and laterally supporting post  21  there through. 
   Body openings  17  provide ( FIGS. 2–5 ,  9  and  10 ) through which flowable ballast material  22  ( FIGS. 9 and 10 ), such as sand, gravel or water, can be poured into cavity  16  of body  11 . It should be noted that cavity  16  should not be entirely filled with flowable ballast material  22 . An airspace  23  ( FIGS. 9 and 10 ) will accommodate some shifting of the flowable material  22  caused by weather heating or cooling in chamber  16  or in the event a force  24 , such as by a vehicle in a parking lot ( FIG. 7 ) is applied or imposed against body  11 , deforming side  19  and cavity  16  of body  11 . 
   Portable post support  10  can be provided with opening  25  ( FIG. 9 ) in bottom  14  for laterally securing post  21  in the bottom  14  of body  11 . In this embodiment, post  21  extends through posts support  10  and into support surface  15 . In the alternative ( FIG. 10 ), post  21  is laterally secured to body bottom  14  by an embossment  26  extending upwardly into chamber  16  and into post support conduit. Body top cover  12  is provided with central post opening  30  ( FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  6 – 10 ) concentric with conduit support  18  to accommodate post  21  there through with top cover  12  positioned on top portion  13  of body  11 . 
   Top cover  12  is securable to body top portion  13  by the combination of securing structures of body top portion  13  and top cover  12 . In particular, a cam edge  31  ( FIG. 4 ) is provided on opposite sides  32  of top portion  13  ( FIGS. 2 ,  3  and  4 ) and has one or more cam surfaces  32  ( FIG. 4 ) inclined toward body bottom  14  from body top portion into cavity chamber  16 . Also, cam protrusion apertures  33  are provided adjacent respective cam surfaces  32  to receive a respective protrusion  35  extending from top cover under surface  34 . 
   Further, in regard to structure for securing cover  12  to body  11 , cover  12  is provided with restraining projections  40  ( FIGS. 7 and 8 ) extending at an acute angle from top cover under surface  34 . Restraining projections  40  have upper surface  36  adapted to engage cam edge  31  ( FIGS. 3 and 4 ) when cover  12  is in position over body top portion  13  ( FIGS. 9 and 10 ) and cover is rotated about post  21  or post opening  30  ( FIG. 8 ) moving respective protrusions toward cam edge  31  and protrusions into respective apertures  33 . 
   In use and operation, the portable post support  10 , of this invention, provides portable support for sign posts  21  and similar items which can be supported on, or inserted or embedded, in a horizontal surface  15  such as asphalt parking lot or the ground ( FIGS. 1 and 9 ) or totally above ground ( FIGS. 1 and 10 ). 
   In the situation where the portable post support  10 , of this invention, is to be portably utilized to support a post mounted in ground  15 , such as post  21  ( FIG. 9 ), portable post support  10  is inserted through support conduit  18  and opening  25  of body  11  over the top of post  21  before any sign or other items are attached to post  21 . Body  11  is moved downwardly over the post  21  to a position on horizontal surface  15  ( FIG. 1 ) in which post  21  is embedded. 
   Thereafter, ballast  22  is added to body  11  through openings  17  in body top portion  13  ( FIGS. 2–5 ) to a level near top portion  13  ( FIG. 6 ). Cover  12  is then inserted over post  21  by inserting post  21  through central opening  30  of cover  12 . Cover  12  is moved downwardly ( FIG. 6 ) onto body top portion  13  to cover openings  17  of body top  13 . Cover  12  can thereafter be secured to top portion  13  by rotating cover about post  21  as set forth above. 
   Alternatively, in the situation wherein portable post support  10 , of this invention, can be portably utilized to support a post, such as post  21  when post  21  is not to be inserted into ground  15  ( FIGS. 5 and 10 ). In that alternative, post support  10  is placed on surface  15 , post  21  inserted through post support conduit  18  in body top portion  13 , through cavity chamber  16  of body  11  and positioned over embossment  26  on bottom  14 . Post  21  is thereby laterally secured on bottom  14 . In addition, post  21  can be secured to embossment  26  by screws or bolts (not shown) for additional security. 
   Thereafter, ballast is added to body  11  of portable post support  10  through openings  17  ( FIGS. 2–4  and  5 ) to a level near body top  13  ( FIG. 6 ). Cover  12  is then inserted over post  21  by inserting post  21  through opening  30  of cover  12 . Cover  12  is moved downwardly on post  21  onto body top  13  to cover opening  17  of body top  13 . Cover  12  is secured to top  13  by rotating cover  12  on body top portion to cause protrusions  35  of restraining projections  40  to engage cam surface  31  and ultimately protrusion  35  into respective protrusion apertures  33 , as set forth above. 
   It is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific construction and arrangements shown and described, as it will be understood to those skilled in the art that certain changes may be made without departing from the principles of the invention.