Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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The invention relates to improvements in the con-
struction of post supports and is particularly directed to
an assembly which facilitates the replacement of damaged
posts.
For reasons of economy, particularly in rural dis-
tricts, wooden posts are still being utilized extensively
to support highway markers, signs, etc. Wooden posts are
highly susceptible to environmental damage particularly
in areas where severe weather conditions exist. In addi-
tion, road maintenance equipment, ditch digging machines,farm implements and snow plows, take a heavy toll in posts
throughout a year, and many thousands of dollars are spent
in the replacement of highway signs alone.
As is well known, wooden posts are normally erected
in post holes with no support, and tamped firmly into place.
In some instances, the posts are embedded in concrete to
give additional support.
A common source of mechanical damage, is that of
shearing at ground level by snowplows, and considerable
time has to be spent by maintenance crews in thawing the
frozen ground before they can extract the broken stump
and install a new post. While winter is an exceptionally
difficult season for outside work, post replacement at any
time is a tedious, time consuming, and thus expensive pro-
cess.
Numerous attempts have been made to provide post
supporting assemblies of the break-away type, two examples
of which can be seen in United States Patent 3,606,222
issued September 20, 1971 to E. S. Howard; and Canadian
Patent 966,274 issued April 22, 1976 to A. Doran but both
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of these prior art devices are relatively complex in con-
struction and expensive to produce.
The present invention therefore seeks to provide
a simple, inexpensive, below ground support assembly from
which a broken post can be extracted quickly and a new post
mounted with minimum labor requirements, thus removing the
necessity of providing the complex "break-away" mechanism.
The invention therefore comprises a post supporting
assembly adapted to be embedded in the ground such that the
top of the assembly is co-planar with the surface of the
ground. The assembly comprises a first, hollow tubular
member circular in transverse cross-section and open at
both ends; a second member adapted to be inserted within
one open end of the first member to form a base for the
assembly, this second member having a centrally disposed
post receiving and supporting aperture extending at least
partially through that member on the longitudinal axis of
the assembly; and a third member,adapted to be inserted,
at least in part, within the other open end of the first
member to provide a top to the assembly, the third member
having a centrally disposed post receiving and supporting
aperture extending therethrough on the longitudinal axis of
the assembly.
The invention will now be described, by way of
example only, reference being had to the accompanying
drawing which discloses the post support assembly of the
invention in use, and adapted for the support of a wooden
post of square cross-section.
As can be seen, the inventive assembly in its pre-
ferred form comprises three basic components, the first of
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which is a cylindrical metallic member or pipe 10, the length
of which being pre-determined on the basis of the weight of
structure the assembly has to support, but preferably if prac-
tical, of a length to extend beyond the frost-line in the
ground 11. The internal bore of pipe 10 is essentially lar-
ger than the cross-sectional diameter of the post (shown in
phantom as 12) not only to facilitate mounting of a new post
or the extraction or a broken stump, but also to provide an
air space around the buried end of post 12. This allows the
wood to breath and effectively reduces damage from retained
moisture.
The second of the three components is a bottom plate
13 which fits snugly with pipe 10 at the lower end thereof
and forms the base of the assembly. Plate 13 is provided
with a central aperture 14, the profile of which matches the
cross-section of the post 11. The purpose of this aperture
is to accept the lower end of the post 12 and to maintain the
post centrally disposed within the support assembly in con-
junction with a top plate 15 to be described hereafter.
Aperture 14 in the described embodiment, extends
through plate 13, however, it may be preferable to increase
the thickness of plate 13 and form the aperture as a blind
hole thus preventing contact between the bottom of the post
and the ground.
In certain circumstances, such as location of the
support assembly, it may be necessary to either provide
drainage holes in or adjacent the bottom plate to allow
dissipation of water collected within pipe 10, to the sur-
rounding earth, or, to apply a sealant, for example a rubber
compound to plate 13 around the periphery and around the
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aperture 14 to prevent ingress of water to the assembly.
Finally, the support assembly is completed by top
plate 15, which is formed to include a downwardly extending
portion 15(a) adapted to be inserted within the upper por-
tion of pipe 10, and an integral upper flanged top 15(b)
which in use abuts or caps the top of pipe 10. It must
be appreciated that the "fit" of portion 15(a) within the
bore of pipe 10 must be such as to allow for material ex-
pansion or contraction during extreme changes of tempera-
ture. Obviously, the components must not mate tightly to-
gether, since it is essential, that under the most adverse
conditions top plate 15 be readily removable. Like bottom
plate 13, top plate 15 has a centrally disposed post accept-
ing aperture 14 extending therethrough, both apertures 14
being in vertical alignment one with the other for the
purpose of maintaining the post 10 in an upright condition.
Again, if necessary, or desirable, a sealing compound could
be applied to the underside of flange 15(b) and to the peri-
phery of aperture 14 in top plate 15 to prevent ingress of
moisture to the assembly.
It is accepted that it may be necessary to provide
means for preventing rotation of the post within the assembly
to prevent unauthorized extraction of the post, by for exam-
ple vandals.
This may be achieved in a number of ways, the simplest
being as shown in the drawings, by utilizing a spike or pin
16 which is inserted through a hole in pipe 10 just below
top plate 15, and driven into the post 10.
As will be readily appreciated the support assembly
is positioned in the ground such that the top plate 15 is
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flush with the surface, this being essential to avoid
damage to the support assembly should the post be contacted
and severed at ground level by for example a snowplow blade.
The post is subsequently inserted through apertures 14 and
if required, pinned in place. When it is necessary to re-
place a damaged post all that is required, is to lever off
the top plate, which thus permits the simple extraction of
the broken stump of the post. A new post can then be
mounted within the assembly with relative ease and the top
plate firmly mated with pipe 10.
Further modifications and alternative embodiments of
the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in
view of the description. Accordingly, the description is to
be construed as illustrative only and is for the purpose of
teaching those skilled in the art, the manner of carrying out
the invention. It is understood that the form of the inven-
tion herewith shown and described is to be taken as the pre-
sently preferred embodiment. Various changes may be made in
the shape, size and general arrangement of components. For
example, equivalent elements or materials may be substituted
for those illustrated and described herein, and certain fea-
tures of the invention may be utilized independently of the
use of other features, all as will be apparent to one skilled
in the art after having the benefit of this description of
the invention.
