Abstract:
A weighted support assembly for supporting an upright post. The support assembly comprises:—a base frame comprising:—an elongate base member attached to the post and extending outwards from the post; and—a plurality of upright elongate members ascending from the base member;—a plurality of weights stacked in layers upon the base member; and—a top frame comprising:—an elongate top member attached to the post and extending outwards from the post above the base member; and—a plurality of elongate members descending from the top member. The ascending members engage telescopically with corresponding said descending members, and each said weight defines a hole therethrough which is penetrated by at least one of said ascending or descending members.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    This invention concerns an improvement to the counterweights and apparatus that are used to support erected temporary fences, hoardings and signs, and in particular temporary hoardings or sheet panels used for wind protection or to mount signage or advertising where such hoardings or sheet panels represent significant additional wind loading compared to an open mesh fence. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Temporary or short term fencing and hoarding is commonplace on building sites and shopping centres and is erected usually around the site perimeter to provide security from intruders and to prevent unauthorized entry. In many applications temporary fencing comprises a footing, usually made from concrete into which poles are inserted and wire, which is most commonly open weave mesh, strung between the poles to provide a secure fence enclosure. The footings are usually simply placed on the ground around the site at appropriate intervals and the poles simply inserted. This allows rapid erection of the temporary fence. 
         [0003]    A hoarding provides greater visual screening than a fence but has the disadvantage of carrying a greater wind loading. In a situation where hoardings are to be attached to a temporary fence, additional mass of the concrete footing is required to ensure the fence will not topple in the case of extreme wind gusts. Extra mass footings are now mandated by engineering standards and building codes to ensure safety in temporary fences designed that carry hoardings. 
         [0004]    One means to ensure temporary fences and hoardings meet appropriate standards is to bury the concrete base supports into the ground or to make on-site poured concrete footings. However such provisions are both expensive and time consuming, and sometimes impractical on a finished surface or internal building location. 
         [0005]    Systems exist for retaining hoarding posts by means of weights placed onto feet attached to the bottoms of the posts. An example is described in Australian patent application no. 2012203098. However the components of that system are relatively complex and expensive to manufacture. The upstanding member in the support assembly has a specific size to the height of the stack of weights and the locking arrangement and the weights above the weights protrudes in an ungainly manner. The locking arrangement can also be readily removed by unauthorized personnel which could render the structure unsafe. 
         [0006]    An aim of some embodiments of the present invention is to provide relocatable ground mounted concrete footings and support assemblies which can be used for temporary fencing and hoardings and that meet the appropriate standards for safety and engineering requirements, but which at the same time are easy to place and do not require any burying of the footings or the use of extra mass concrete pouring. 
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
       [0007]    In one aspect the invention provides a weighted support assembly for supporting an upright post, said support assembly comprising:
       a base frame comprising:
           an elongate base member attached to the post and extending outwards from the post; and   a plurality of upright elongate members ascending from the base member;   
           a plurality of weights stacked in layers upon the base member; and   a top frame comprising:
           an elongate top member attached to the post and extending outwards from the post above the base member; and   a plurality of elongate members descending from the top member;   
               
 
         [0015]    wherein:
       said ascending members engage telescopically with corresponding said descending members, and   each said weight defines a hole therethrough which is penetrated by at least one of said ascending or descending members.       
 
         [0018]    In another aspect the invention provides a temporary hoarding, sign or fence structure comprising a plurality of upright posts connected by a plurality of generally horizontal rails where attached to each post is a weighted support assembly according to the definition immediately above . 
         [0019]    In a further aspect the invention provides a method of erecting a temporary structure which includes the steps of:
       positioning a plurality of weighted support assemblies each as defined above,   securing a post to each respective said base frame and top frame, and   fastening structural components to said posts.       
 
         [0023]    The top member preferably lies against the upper layer of said layers of weights. Preferably said weights are stacked with the top of an underlying said weight nesting into the base of a respective weight immediately above. 
         [0024]    Preferably the extent of said telescopic engagement is such that a layer of weights may be added or removed from said stack to create a new upper layer of weights while still providing said telescopic engagement and for the top member to bear upon said new upper layer of weights. 
         [0025]    Preferably one end of said top frame comprises a hollow section end portion adapted to slide along said post. Preferably the elongate top member is releasably fastened rigidly to the post. 
         [0026]    Preferably the elongate base member is fastened rigidly to the post. 
         [0027]    Preferably the post comprises a square or rectangular hollow section steel member and one end of said base frame has a corresponding square or rectangular hollow section end portion which can slide along said post. Preferably the end portion is fastened to the post. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0028]    In order that the invention may be more fully understood there will now be described, by way of example only, preferred embodiments and other elements of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings where: 
           [0029]      FIG. 1  is a view of a structure including a support system according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0030]      FIG. 2  is a view of portion of the structure shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0031]      FIG. 3  shows a weight of the type included in the structure shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0032]      FIG. 4  is a view of portion of the structure shown in  FIG. 2  but with some of the weights removed; 
           [0033]      FIG. 5  is a view of the structure portion shown in  FIG. 2  but with all of the weights removed; 
           [0034]      FIG. 6  is a view of some of the components seen in  FIG. 5  from a different angle; and 
           [0035]      FIG. 7  shows the components in  FIG. 6  disengaged. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
       [0036]    The hoarding structure  10  in  FIG. 1  is portion of a partially completed hoarding which is shown unfinished and incorporating a variety of components in order to better illustrate the invention. The structure includes a wall portion  12  and three weighted support assemblies  14 ,  15  and  16 . 
         [0037]    The wall portion  12  has three upright posts  18 ,  19  and  20  made of square hollow section tubular galvanized steel and four horizontal rails  21  extending between the posts. The rails  21  are a galvanized steel top hat section fastened by screws  17  to the posts. Cladding panels  22 ,  23  and  24  of plywood are fastened by screws  25  to the rails  21 . In  FIG. 1  a fourth panel is removed in order to show the underlying wall structure. On one side of the wall  12  the panels  23  and  24  are spaced from the posts by the depth of the rails  21 . On the other side of the wall the posts  18  and  19  protrude beyond the outer face of the panel  22 . 
         [0038]    The hoarding  10  rests on a concrete surface and is retained in position by three weighted support assemblies  30 ,  31  and  32  each of which comprises a base frame  33 , a top frame  34  and a stack of weights  26 . The respective stacks  35 ,  36  and  37  form footings for each respective assembly and are shown with different numbers of weights in order to illustrate the adaptability of the invention. 
         [0039]    Each base frame  33  consists of an elongate base member  38 , three upright members  40 , and a fastening sleeve  42  attached to one end of the base member  38 . The base member  38  consists of two lengths of 61 mm diameter steel pipe welded side by side. Each upright member  40  is a length of 61 mm diameter pipe welded at right angles to the base member. The sleeve  42  is a short length of square hollow section tube sized to be a loose sliding fit around the respective post  18  as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0040]    Each top frame  34  consists of an elongate top member  44  of flat steel, three descending elongate members  46  and a fastening sleeve  48  attached to one end of the top member  44 . Each elongate member  46  in use hangs down, or descends, from the top member  44  and is a length of square hollow section steel welded to and at right angles to the top member  44 . The fastening sleeve  48  is a short length of square hollow section tube sized to be a loose sliding fit around the post  18 . 
         [0041]    The square section descending members  46  are sized to be a loose sliding fit within the circular section ascending members  40  as in use they engage telescopically. An advantage of using square section instead of circular section tube to slide within the circular pipe members  40  is that the sliding action is smoother and less prone to binding. 
         [0042]    A variety of weight configurations may be used in this invention. The version shown in  FIG. 3  is a preferred configuration. The weight  26  is made by filling a polyethylene container with a concrete slurry and allowing it to set. It weighs approximately 15 kg. The weight has a generally rectangular shape in plan view and has an elongated hole  60  vertically through it. The hole&#39;s elongation is lateral to the rectangular weight when looking down. The weight&#39;s bottom surface  52  has a wide lateral channel  54  so the weight  26  can sit astride the base member  38  and its bottom surface  52  still bear on the ground each side of the base member. The weight&#39;s top surface  55  has a central raised lateral plateau  56  which nests into the underside lateral channel  54  of a like weight stacked onto it. Ridges  58  and a raised land  59  on the top surface  55  also nest into corresponding hollows (not shown) on the bottom surface  52 . 
         [0043]    To erect the hoarding  10 , a pair of base frames  33  are positioned on the ground at the desired distance apart. The desired number of weights  26  are then stacked on each base frame, with three weights per layer. Four layers of weights, totaling 180 kg are shown in the footing  35  of the support assembly  14 , five layers in the footing  36  of assembly  15  and six layers in the footing  37  of assembly  16 . The upright members  40  pass through the holes  60  of the lower layers of weights. The upright members  40  do not extend above the top layer of weights and may not even reach the top one or two layers. The top frame  34  is then positioned so its descending members  46  enter the relevant holes  60  and slide telescopically into respective upright members  40 . The hole  60  in each of the weights is therefore penetrated by one or both of an ascending member  40  or a descending member  46 . 
         [0044]    For each support assembly the lower end of a post  18  is slid through the fastening sleeves  48  and  42 , the top member  44  is pressed down firmly onto the weights and respective self-drilling screws  49  fastened through holes  50  in the sleeves  48  and  42  into the post. The rails  21  are fastened by self-drilling screws  17  to the posts  18 ,  19  and  20  and the panels  23  and  24  are screwed to the rails  21  by self-drilling fasteners  25 . The panels  22  on the other side of the hoarding are then screwed to the rails. In some embodiments of the invention the second layer of panels, being those corresponding to panel  22 , are not required. 
         [0045]    When the panels  23  and  24  are affixed, the screws  49  are inaccessible, so preventing unauthorized raising of the top frames and removal of weights from the hoarding. panels  23  and  24  are screwed to the 
         [0046]    Different heights of footings can be constructed using the same sized base frames  33  and top frames  34 . In  FIG. 1  the bottom frame could rise for nearly four layers of weights and the top frame extend down for nearly four layers of weights, so the telescoping overlap of members  40  and  46  in the tallest footing  37  would still be almost two layers deep. 
         [0047]    With the flat top member  44  pressed flat against the top of the weights, the upper surface of each footing  35 ,  36  and  37  is relatively flat, when compared with the protrusions present in some of the prior art, which is aesthetically pleasing and also lends itself to covering neatly by a fabric cover or even a tabletop. The flat upper surface is made possible because sufficient strength is imparted to the structure because the lower ends of the descending members  46  are engaged with and supported by the upper ends of the upright members  40 . 
         [0048]    The invention can be seen as a leg or foot or base capable of being fitted with variable counterweights or blocks as required by the wind load to weight ratio and wind classification as outlined in the relevant standards and codes. The embodiment described with reference to  FIG. 1  includes the essential design features for lower heights, but is adjustable to take higher counterweight loads to accommodate a higher fence or hoarding or sign medium and therefore higher wind loads. 
         [0049]    The design is also aimed at ease of handling to allow rapid installation of a temporary fence or hoarding or signage whilst interlocking the counterweights to prevent accidental dislodgment or removal. 
         [0050]    The twelve weights in assembly  14  provide a footing which weighs about 180 kg while the eighteen weights in assembly  16  provide a footing which weighs about 270 kg. Base frames and top frames having longer upright members  40  and/or longer descending members  46  would provide for higher stacks of weights and thus greater loads. 
         [0051]    The weight of the footing can vary from about 180 kg to about 720 kg and has a medium weighted load of 540 kg. The dimensions of a footing are typically 750 mm×600 mm×720 mm. 
         [0052]    However as an alternative to providing top frames  34  of different sizes and base frames  33  of different sizes, for additional weight requirements two support assemblies  14 ,  15  or  16  may be mounted one above the other attached to the same pole. To facilitate this the upper end  68  of the sleeve  48  extends only a small distance above the top face  69  of the top member  44  to form a raised lip  70  sufficient to provide for a solid weld between the lip  70  and the top face  69 . In addition the lower end  62  of the sleeve  42  is raised above the bottom of the base member  38  in order to provide clearance for the raised lip  70  when a base member  38  bears down upon a top face  69  of an underlying support assembly. The base member  38  is chamfered adjacent the the lower end  62  to improve clearances when stacked in that manner. 
         [0053]    Whilst the above description includes the preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that many variations, alterations, modifications and/or additions may be introduced into the constructions and arrangements of parts previously described without departing from the essential features or the spirit or ambit of the invention. 
         [0054]    It will be also understood that where the word “comprise”, and variations such as “comprises” and “comprising”, are used in this specification, unless the context requires otherwise such use is intended to imply the inclusion of a stated feature or features but is not to be taken as excluding the presence of other feature or features. 
         [0055]    The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that such prior art forms part of the common general knowledge.