Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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A SECURITY POST
THIS INVENTION concerns a security post to be
located, for example, within an entry to control vehicular
access.
In locations such as private car parks there is
5 often found a "retractable" post which may be lowered to
permit vehicular access and then raised and locked to
prevent access by unauthorised vehicles. Known devices of
this kind consist of a post pivotally connected at its base
to a fixed member so that it may be laid down flat against
10 the ground to allow a vehicle to pass over it. The post is
then raised to its upright position where it is locked by,
for example, a pin passing through the post and the fixed
base member to prevent further pivotal movement until the
pin is removed.
A disadvantage of this kind of security post is
that it is exposed to damage by the running over of heavy
vehicles, and to vandalism, since it is permanently located
above ground.
An object of the present invention is to provide a
20 security post which in its inoperative or lowered position
is locked so as to be inaccessible and unexposed, and thus
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it is prevented from becoming damaged.
According to the present invention there is provided
a security post comprising a tubular member to be located
in the ground with one open end substantially level with
the surface, a post slidably located within the tubular
member between a first position in which it is at least
substantially enclosed within the latter and a second
position in which it is upstanding therefrom, means for
locking the post in either of said two positions, and a
cover for the open upper end of the tubular member.
Preferably, the post is provided with a locking
catch which may be operated to become physically engaged
with the tubular member in the first or second position of
the post, the catch being provided with a key operated lock
and a handle to enable the user to grasp the post during
its insertion into or withdrawal from the tubular member.
The locking catch conveniently consists of a
horizontal cross bar located near the base of the post and
rotatably mounted on and with a spindle extending
longitudinally of the post and connected to the handle at
the top, the cross bar in one position being enclosed
within the post and in another position being exposed
through a slot therein and thus engageable within one of a
pair of slots vertically spaced in the wall of the tubular
25 member.
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~n embodiment of the invention will now be
described, by way of example only, with reference to
the accompanying drawings in which:-
Fig. 1 is an isometric view of a security
post made in accordance with the invention
and illustrating a tubular member with the
post partially removed therefrom;
Fig. 2 is a part-sectional view showing the
tubular member installed below ground;
Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a post to be
slidably located within the tubular member
of Fig. 2;
Fig. 4 is an underside view of the post;
Fig. 5 is a schematic isometric view of a
security post illustrating an improvement
thereto;
Fig. 6 is a partial elevation of the upper
region of the post shown in Fig. 5;
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Fig. 7 is a horizontal section taken on
lines VII-VII of Fig. 6;
Fig. 8 is a schematic elevation of an
assembly of locking caps adapted to be
fitted to a line of spaced security posts,
and providing a chain cordoned between them.
The security post comprises a square
sectioned steel tube 10 having welded to the bottom of
two opposed sides thereof a pair of anchor plates 11.
n The tube 10 is open at its base and at its top which is
surrounded by a welded collar 12. Pivotally attached
to the collar 12 through a hinge pin 13 is a closure
flap 14 which in its closed position rests upon the
upper edges of the walls of tube 10.
lS In the two opposed sides of tube 10 to which
plates 11 are attached there are opposed pairs of
vertically spaced slots 15 and 16 one near the base of
the tube and the other spaced from the top by a
distance approximately equal to a quarter of the length
; 2~ of the tube.
Slidably located within the tube 10 is a
square sectioned tubular steel post 17. There is
sufficient clearance between the post 17 and the inner
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wall surface of tube 10 to enable the post to be raised
and lowered with ease. At the top of post 17 is a
rotatable and lockable handle 18 incorporating a key
operated lock 19. The handle 18 is rotatable within an
5 upper bearing member 20 bolted to the top of post 17.
A spindle 21 extends downwardly from handle 18 to a
position close to the base of the post and is located
thereat in a lower bearing member 22 in the form of a
plate extending diagonally between two corner regions
lO of the post and welded thereto. Welded or otherwise
rigidly fixed to the bottom of spindle 21 just below
plate 22 is a cross bar 23 which as can be seen in Fig.
4, upon rotation of handle 18 and spindle 21, is caused
to move from a position 23a in which it is wholly
15 enclosed within post 17 and extends diagonally across
the latter, to a position in which it projects
outwardly through a pair of opposed slots 24 in the
wall of the post.
As can be seen from Fig. 2 the tube 10 is
2~ located within an excavation 25 in the ground which is
wide enough to receive anchor plates 11 and long enough
for almost the entire length of the device to be
enclosed below ground and rest upon a bed 26 of
aggregate or other drainage medium. Preferably, the
25 top of collar 12 is exposed just above the surface so
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that when the excavation is back-filled with concrete
27 the entire installation can be finished with a
cement ramp 28 around all four sides of the top of
collar 12, which prevents damage to the edges thereof
5 and permits drainage of water.
The entire length of post 17 and handle 18
is such that it may be wholly enclosed within tube 10
whereupon cover 14 may be pivoted into its horizontal
closed position.
In use, with the device installed in an
entry the post may be raised to its uppermost position
and handle 18 turned to locate the cross bar 23 within
opposed slots 16 in the wall of tube 10. The key may
then be removed from lock 19 so that the post remains
15 in the locked position to prevent vehicular access.
When required the device may be unlocked and
the post lowered into the tube to enable vehicular
access. Preferably, the handle is locked when the post
is in its lowered position with bar 23 extending
2~ through slots 15. When the device is unlocked, post 17
may be entirely removed from tube 10, for cleaning,
painting or replacement.
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Prior to installation of the device slots 15
and 16 should be covered by a capping of sufficient
depth to accommodate bar 23 but preventing the ingress
of concrete when bac]cfilling the excavation.
Whilst cover 14 largely prevents thë ingress
of rainwater, any which does seep down between post 17
and tube 10 may drain from the latter through the
aggregate 26.
Whilst the device has been described for use
l~ to prevent vehicular access in car parks and the like,
it may have many other applications. For example, a
series of such posts installed in a row may be used to
create a temporary barrier with chains or the like
linking the tops of the posts when raised. In a
further example the device may form a retractable
standpipe with a hose or other flexible pipe connected
to a tap at the top of the post.
In a still further application/ the device
may be used as a security fixing at each site in a
2~ caravan or other trailer park, wherein the top of the
post includes a towing ball to which the standard
towing bracket on the trailer may be hitched and
locked. In this case, there may be no need for a fixed
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height since the trailer height is determined usually
by supporting blocks, so the post may conveniently
float freely in the tube.
It is not intended to limit the invention to
the above details, many variations such as might
readily occur to one skilled in the art being possible
without departing from the scope of the invention.
For example, hinged cover 14 may be replaced
by a watertight cover which fits over the entire collar
l~ 12.
In a further example the tube 10 and post 17
may be of circular or other cross-section in which case
cross bar 23 must be retractable from slots 24 in a
different manner.
In addition to slots 15 and 16 in tube 10
further slots may be provided at different levels to
enable the post to be raised and locked at different
heights.
Whilst the device has been described as made
2n in steel, for some applications it may be, for example,
of a ri~id plastics material.
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Referring now to Fig. 5 there is schematically shown
a post 17 in a raised position in a tube 10. In order to
prevent unauthorised removal of the post from the tube a
square sectioned sleeve 30 is welded into the top of the
tube 10. Also, welded inside the top of post 17 is a
vertically disposed bar 31 which terminates below the
bottom of the post 17 in a short horizontal cross-member
32. The bar 31 is biased inwardly from the wal'l of post 17
at its lower end such that member 32 may be wholly disposed
inside the bounds of the post. A screw 33 passes through
the wall of post 17 approximately one quarter of the way up
from the bottom and is threadedly engaged in bar 31. The
screw head defines a specially shaped security slot such
that a dedicated tool may be used to rotate the screw thus
to draw the bar 31 towards the wall of the post until the
member 32 protrudes therefrom. In this condition the post
cannot be removed from the tube without first operating the
security screw 33 so that member 32 will clear the bottom
of sleeve 30.
It will be seen in Fig. 5 that the handle
arrangement is disposed diagonally across the top of the
post to leave room for a spring-loaded barrel lock 34 whose
function will now be described.
Referring now to Figs. 6 and 7 the spindle 21
just inside the top of the post has welded to it a
cross bar 35 which rotates with the spindle. In Fig.
7 the assembly is shown in the lockèd position with bar
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35 located behind the pin 36 of barrel lock 34. Thus
until lock 34 is released, preferably by a key, spindle
21 cannot rotate to unlock the post. Lock 34 may be
provided in place of or in addition to the lock 19 in
5 the handle part 18. Preferably, lock 34 is of the kind
which is pressed inwardly against a spring to lock and
is released by the turn of a key.
Referring now to Fig. 8 when a number of
security posts made in accordance with the invention
l~1 are installed in a line, for example across the
entrance to a car park then it may be required to
extend a cordon between them. To this end, a plurality
of capping members 37 and 38 may be provided which will
fit over the top of the posts in their raised position.
15 Welded internally of capping member 37 is a short
length of open-ended tube 39 whilst capping member 38
has a full width tube 40 welded therein. As can be
seen from Fig. 8 it is therefore possible to pass a
chain 41 through tubes 40 and 39 and to attach to the
2n ends thereof padlocks or similar locking devices 42.
The capping members 37 and 38 may then be placed over
their respective security posts, and barrel locks 43
may be provided to retain them. In this case, the
appropriate apertures such as shown at 44 in Fig. 5
25 will be provided in at least two sides of the post to
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receive the pins of barrel locks 43.
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