Patent Abstract:
The sign stand assembly includes a sign panel, support base and an upright mast between the two. The support base defines a locking recess and a hollow leg is pivotally connected to a plate portion and extending from the support base. The locking pin and actuator are carried within the hollow leg with the actuator carrying an outward protruding button. The actuator includes a medial portion defining an opening to receive the locking pin in interlocking engagement therewith.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention pertains to supporting devices such as those used for temporary warning signs and in particular to such support devices which employ adjustable legs and other adjustable components. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Frequently, a need arises to provide temporary warnings alongside vehicle roadways, pedestrian walkways and other locations. It has been found convenient to provide temporary warning systems which are readily assembled from a collapsed or small sized storage configuration of relatively small size. Temporary warning signs typically employ ground-engaging legs configured with a base to support an upright mast. Typically, when the sign stand is deployed, the groundengaging legs form an angle with the upright mast that is usually larger than 90°. It is generally preferred that a storage configuration be provided in which the legs are selectively collapsed or folded to a position generally parallel with the upright mast, in order to provide a compact storage and size suitable for construction vehicles and the like. Examples of leg release devices may be found in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,954,008 and 6,315,253. A collapsible sign stand base for use with an upright fiberglass rib is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,601 and other arrangements are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,548,379; 4,593,879 and 5,340,068. Despite the favorable acceptance of these designs, improvements are continuously being sought. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Oftentimes, ground-supporting legs are formed from hollow, rectangular tubing. If possible, it is beneficial to locate components of a leg release assembly within the tubing to prevent unintentional snagging with nearby materials. Furthermore, if most all of the leg release components can be located within the tubing, and optimally a compact storage configuration can be realized. However, until the advent of the present invention, at least some of the leg release components have been mounted outside of the legs, in order to provide a rugged construction, sufficient to adequately retain locking pins in a desired position, despite rough handling associated with construction work, as well as vibrations due to wind gusts. Substantially all of the leg release components employed by the present invention are located within the hollow tubular legs. Exceptions include only the locking pin tip and a smooth actuator button. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a release device for use with support arrangements, such as those found in sign stands. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a release device for use with support legs of collapsible sign systems. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide leg release devices which can be economically fabricated from a minimum number of inexpensive parts. 
     These and other objects according to principles of the present invention are provided in a sign stand assembly which is comprises of a sign panel, a support base, an upright mast joining the sign panel and support base. This support base includes a plurality of plate portions which define a locking recess, a plurality of legs that are pivotally connecting the legs to the plate portions. A locking pin carried on one leg, for movement toward and away from the locking recess defined by one leg. An actuator that has an end within said leg for pivotally engaging the pivotal connection. An opposed end with an outwardly protruding button that partially extends outside the leg and a medial portion within the leg that defines an opening for receiving the locking pin in interlocking engagement therewith. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is perspective view of a sign stand assembly with a release mechanism according to principles of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view thereof, with the sign stand assembly shown in a collapsed position; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the support base portion thereof; 
     FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the arrangement shown in FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line  5 — 5  of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 6 is a plan view of a spring component thereof; 
     FIG. 7 is a plan view of a locking pin component thereof; 
     FIG. 8 is a plan view of an actuator component thereof; 
     FIG. 9 is an elevational view of the actuator component; and 
     FIG. 10 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the sign stand assembly. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the drawings, and initially to FIG. 1, the sign stand assembly is generally indicated at  10 . Sign stand assembly includes a sign panel subassembly  12 , which includes a sign panel  14  supported by a horizontal cross member  16  and a vertical cross member  18 , preferably in the form of a fiberglass rib. The bottom portion  24  of the fiberglass rib is mounted in a rib clamping device  34 , which is supported by a vertical body member  30 . Body member  30  is in turn bolted to a bracket  36  resiliently supported by a spring  50 . With reference to FIG. 3, spring  50  is supported by a support assembly  52  including a platform portion  54  supported between side plates  84 . Side plates  84  include ear portions  56  having holes  58  to receive a bolt fastener which provides pivot support for ground-engaging legs  64  (see FIG.  1 ). Ears  56  further include holes  68  which, as will be seen herein, define an extended or operational configuration of the legs as illustrated in FIG.  1 . Ear portions  56  also include holes  72  which define a collapsed storage position for the legs  64 , as illustrated for example in FIG.  2 . 
     Referring to FIG. 4, ear portions  56   a ,  56   b  preferably form part of an integral side plate  84  while ear portions  56   c ,  56   d  form portions of a second side plate  86 . Preferably, side plates  84 ,  86  are mirror images of one another although this feature is optional, and can be omitted, if desired. With further reference to FIG. 4, it can be seen that the legs  64  extend outwardly from outer surface portions  84   a ,  86   a  of side plates  84 ,  86 . Pivot members in the form of bolt fasteners  92  pivotally connect legs  64  to the ear portions of side plates  84 ,  86 . The legs  64  are located to one side of the ear portions with the bolt fasteners passing through the legs and ear portions. Bolt fasteners  92  have heads located adjacent the inner surfaces  84   b  and  86   b . The bolt fasteners  92  extend through legs  64  and are terminated at their free ends by threaded nut fasteners  94 . As can be seen in FIG. 4, the legs  64  comprise hollow tubing and have a preferred generally square cross-sectional shape. If desired, leg  64  can have an elongated, rectangular or non-square cross-sectional shape. With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, bolts  92  pass through holes  58  formed in the ear portions  56  of plates  84 ,  86 . 
     With reference to FIG. 5, a release assembly is generally indicated at  102 . The release assembly  102  selectively interferes with the legs  64  to lock the legs either in the operational position shown in FIG. 1 or the storage position shown in FIG.  2 . As mentioned, the legs  64  pivot about bolts  92  which are secured to the inner portions of the ears  56 . 
     With reference to FIG. 3, it can be seen that the holes  58  which receive the bolt fasteners  92  are located at inner portions of the ears  56  while the locking holes  68 ,  72  are located at outer portions. 
     Referring to FIGS. 5 and 10, release assembly  102  includes a locking pin  106  having a head  108  and a tip or free end  110 . The locking pin is carried by leg  64  and preferably extends through the hollow interior of the leg. In FIG. 5, the locking pin is illustrated as extending beyond the outer surface of ear  56  for illustrative purposes. If desired, the locking pin can be configured such that the free end  110  is located at or slightly recessed below the outer surface of ear  56 . 
     In FIG. 5, the locking pin  106  is shown in a fully extended or locked position. In the preferred embodiment, locking pin  106  has a generally cylindrical body although other cross-sectional shapes can be employed, if desired. Referring to FIG. 7, the medial portion of locking pin  106  defines a pair of opposed locking recesses  114 , the bottom portions of which extend generally parallel to one another. Preferably, locking pin  106  has an elongated generally cylindrical configuration with the recesses  114  being located opposite one another on either side of the longitudinal axis. As will be seen herein, the recesses  114  are dimensioned for interlocking engagement with a keyhole-shaped opening in the actuator. 
     Referring again to FIG. 5, release assembly  102  further includes a spring member  120 . The spring member  120  is preferably of a flat spring construction having first and second ends and a medial portion between the ends. The first end  122  of the spring defines a relatively shallow recess  124  giving the spring end  122  a forked or stirrup configuration. As schematically indicated in FIG. 6, recess  124  at least partially receives bolt  92 . This arrangement is schematically indicated at the left-hand portion of FIG. 5 with spring end  122  engaging bolt  92  adjacent the threaded nut fastener located at the outside of leg  64 . 
     Referring again to FIG. 6, the opposed end  128  of spring  120  defines a relatively deeper recess  130  which extends toward spring end  122 . As can be seen in FIG. 6, the recesses  124 ,  130  are similar to one another, being located along the longitudinal center line of spring  120 , but differ in their length. 
     With reference to FIG. 5, the free end  128  of spring  120  is free to move back and forth, toward and away from bolt  92  and locking pin  106 . Recess  130  is made sufficiently long so as to permit locking pin  106  to extend through recess  130  in the manner indicated in FIG.  5 . 
     Referring again to FIGS. 5,  8  and  9 , release assembly  102  further includes an actuator  150  having a generally flat bar-like body including a first end  152  with a recess  154  for receiving bolt  92 . The opposed end  158  of actuator  150  includes an upstanding button  160  having a rounded free end portion. Button  160  extends from the inside surface  150   a  of actuator  150 . In the preferred embodiment, the opposed outside surface  150   b  of actuator  150  is relatively flat although outside surface  150   b  can take on a non-flat or profiled shape, if desired. The relatively flat surface preferred for the outside  150   b  of actuator  150  allows free sliding movement of spring  120  as actuator  150  is moved throughout its range of motion. 
     Referring again to FIG. 8, the central portion of actuator  150  defines a keyhole-shaped slot  170 . The larger end of keyhole slot  170  receives the body of locking pin  106  allowing the locking pin to be inserted through the actuator to bring recesses  114  in contact with the actuator body. Recesses  1   14  cooperate with the smaller sized end of keyhole slot  170  to allow interlocking engagement between the locking pin and the actuator. 
     Referring again to FIG. 5, it will now be seen that the actuator  150  and spring  120  are held captive within leg  64 . Button  160  extends slightly beyond the inside surface of leg  64  while the opposite end  152  engages bolt  92  preventing dislocation of actuator  150  toward the left-hand side of FIG.  5 . As button  160  is depressed, locking pin  108  is moved in the direction of arrow  166 , due to the interlocking of actuator  150  and pin  106 . As button  160  is depressed, the outer surface of the actuator pushes against spring  120  causing the spring to compress or flatten slightly, with free end  128  of the spring moving in the direction of arrow  168 . This store spring energy urging actuator  150  to return to its rest position illustrated in FIG.  5 . With button  160  sufficiently depressed, the free end  110  of locking pin  106  is made to clear the plate ear portion  56 , allowing the leg to be pivoted about bolt fastener  92 , with the leg assuming its desired orientation. 
     The drawings and the foregoing descriptions are not intended to represent the only forms of the invention in regard to the details of its construction and manner of operation. Changes in form and in the proportion of parts, as well as the substitution of equivalents, are contemplated as circumstances may suggest or render expedient; and although specific terms have been employed, they are intended in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for the purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being delineated by the following claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 4