GB2150175A

GB2150175A - Road sign

Info

Publication number: GB2150175A
Application number: GB08406647A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Frank Myers
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-11-19
Filing date: 1984-03-14
Publication date: 1985-06-26
Also published as: GB8406647D0; GB2150175B; GB8330944D0

Abstract

A road sign is stamped from sheet plastics material, comprising a stem portion (22) and a display area (14), the stem portion (22) being adapted to be inserted diagonally within the aperture (8) of a conventional base (6). The display portion (14) is provided with a slot (20), to enable a similar supplementary display portion to be interfitted with the display portion (14). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements relating to road signs This invention is concerned with improvements relating to road signs, particularly of the kind (hereinafter referred to as being of the kind specified) as are used to indicate temporary road restrictions and/or conditions, such road signs being readily transportable.

Numerous specialist road signs are in use, which are placed in appropriate positions to indicate to road users a particular road condition. Examples include indicators for road works, uneven road surfaces, slippery road conditions and the like. Such road signs are used in pairs or in small numbers, e.g. indicating merely the extremities of the particular road condition.

A known system for the erection of such road signs involves the use of a base member provided with a downwardly-extending vertical aperture, the road sign being mounted on a stem of rectangular cross-section which may be slotted into the aperture. Thus, the base may be used with a variety of road signs of different types.

However there is an increasing use of indicators of the type as are used to indicate the lateral boundaries of a road condition, or the division of a road into contraflow lanes, and it is with this latter type that the present invention is particularly concerned.

Conventionally used for this purpose are generally conical, plastics-moulded bollards.

These suffer from some at least of the following disadvantages: (a) they are expensive; (b) it is difficult to provide a bollard with adequate stability, particularly in windy conditions; (c) their profile tends to cause them to be drawn from position by the slip stream of large vehicles such as lorries; (d) once displaced they tend to roll round in the road, presenting a danger to road users; (e) they occupy relative large volumes and are in consequence expensive to transport and store.

To reduce the difficulties (b) to (d) above, it has become practice to stack two or even three bollards, to increase the weight/surface area ratio. However this results in an even greater expense, and cost of transport.

According to this invention there is provided a road sign of the kind specified which is cut or moulded from at least semi-rigid sheet material.

By the term "semi-rigid" as used herein, we mean at least sufficiently stiff to retain its shape.

Preferably the road sign comprises an area presented for display, and mounting means in the form of a stem portion integral with the display portion.

Preferably the stem portion is slightly tapered or parallel sides, and is of a dimension such that it may be slotted into the rectangular aperture of a conventional base member of the kind described above, preferably diagonally of such aperture.

Whilst being flat in form the display area is only readily visible in two opposite directions, this will be no difficulty in contraflow systems, since it, and the base member upon which it is mounted, may be orientated so that the road sign will be visible in the required directions of travel.

Preferably the sign is cut by a stamping operation from sheet plastics material, which may be painted or coated with light-reflective material as is desired, or is moulded from selfcoloured plastics material.

Being flat, and light in weight, the road sign may be packed and transported for use, together with base members, relatively economically and the road signs may be erected on the base members without difficulty.

According to this invention there is also provided, in combination, a base member for a road sign, the base member comprising a body and a downwardly-extending aperture of rectangular cross-section in the body, and a road sign of the kind specified, the road sign being formed from a sheet of substantially uniform thickness and comprising a display area and a stem portion extending from the display portion, the stem portion being of such a size as to enable it to be slotted into the aperture diagonally thereof.

Conveniently the road sign is cut or stamped from sheet material, thus conveniently being light in weight, and being of plastics material, it will be relatively flexible particularly about the stem portion. Thus forces to which the road sign is subjected, caused by such as wind or fast moving vehicles, will tend to cause the road sign to flex about the stem, and will tend not to displace the base member.

However should the road sign be displaced from the base member, being flat in form, the likelihood of it causing danger to subsequent road users is reduced.

Preferably the display portion is generally triangular in shape, having a base dimension similar to the diagonal dimension of the base member, and is advantageously flat-topped.

Whilst in general use the generally flat form of the sign portion is of no significant disadvantage, preferably the road sign is utilised in conjunction with a supplementary portion, which may be mounted on the display portion, conveniently at the upper part thereof, to provide an extension in the right angle dimension. Thus, the display portion may comprise a short slot extending from the upper part thereof generally downwardly, and the supplementary portion, conveniently being similarly produced from flat plastics sheet material, is provided with a slot to enable the supplementary portion to be mounted on the display portion by interengagement of the two slots.

For example, the supplementary portion may be generally circular in shape.

Alternatively the road sign may be utilised in conjunction with a supplementary portion of similar size and shape, provided with a slot extending upwardly from and through the stem portion, enabiing the supplementary portion to be mounted fully on to the road sign, the stem portion of the supplementary portion conveniently being adapted to be engaged within the rectangular aperture of the base member across the opposite diagonal.

Alternatively, the road sign may be afforded with depth in the right angle dimension, such as being formed initially from sheet material which is then subject to a deformation operation such as a thermo-forming operation to render at least the display area, and if desired also the stem portion, curved or other three dimensional shape.

If desired, to reduce the reaction of the road sign to wind pressures, slots may be provided in the display portion.

There will now be given a detailed description, to be read with reference to accompanying drawings, of road signs which are the preferred embodiments of this invention, which have been selected for the purposes of illustrating the invention by way of example.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a conventional base member for a road sign; Figure 2 is a front elevation of a road sign which is the preferred embodiment of this invention; Figure 3 is a side elevation of the road sign shown in Fig. 2, illustrating in addition a mounting of a supplementary portion thereon; and Figure 4 is a perspective view of the road sign illustrated in Fig. 2, showing the mounting thereon of an alternate form of supplementary member.

The road sign which is the preferred embodiment of this invention is particularly adapted for use with a standard base member of the kind illustrated in Fig. 1, the base member comprising a body 6 which is generally rectangular in shape, moulded from plastics material such as reclaimed P.V.C. or polyurethene and which is provided with a generally rectangular aperture 8 extending downwardly through an upper surface 10 of the body 6.

The road sign which is illustrated in Fig. 2 is stamped from sheet plastics material, similarly of reclaimed P.V.C. or polyurethene, comprising a display portion 14 which is generally triangular in shape, having a base 1 6 which is of a dimension similar to the diagonal dimension of the body 6 of the base member. Extending downwardly through the upper surface 18 of the display portion is a slot 20. Extending downwardly from the base surface 1 6 is a short stem portion 22, which is slightly tapered being of a dimension such as to enable the stem portion to be fitted into the aperture 8, diagonally thereof. Alternatively the stem portion 22 may be parallel sided, although fitting of the stem portion 22 into the aperture 8 is facilitated when the stem portion is slightly tapered.

The display portion is advantageously coloured on both sides, e.g. by painting, selfcolouring or by the application thereto of reflective, self adhesive tape.

Desirably the display portion is provided with a number of apertures, to reduce pressures thereon under windy conditions.

The road sign illustrated in the Fig. 2 may be used with a conventional base of the kind illustrated in Fig. 1 in the convenient demarcation of road works or lane separation, as is common in contraflow systems. Since the road sign is conveniently afforded by plastics sheet, conveniently in the order of 1 centimeter thickness, it is light in weight and may easily be transported, and will tend to deflect under load or on impact.

In circumstances where "all round" visibility of the road sign is required, the road sign may be used with a supplementary display portion 24, illustrated in front elevation in Fig.

3, which is similarly stamped of plastics sheet of (typically) one centimeter thickness. and which is provided with a radial slot 26. Thus the supplementary portion 24 may be mounted on the display portion 14 by passing the slot 26 over the slot 20, affording some extention of the road sign in three dimensions.

Alternative to the supplementary portion 24 shown in Fig. 3, a supplementary portion may be used which is identical to the road sign illustrated in Fig. 2, other than the slot 20 is omitted therefrom, and instead, a slot 28 is provided (illustrated in chain dot lines in Fig.

2) extending upwardly through the stem portion 22, and which terminates at the level at which the slot 20 terminates. In this manner, the supplementary portion may be mounted over the road sign, as is illustrated in Fig. 4, with the two stem portions engaging within respective diameters of the aperture 8.

In a modified form of the preferred embodiment, the road sign is similarly cut or stamped from sheet material, but is then provided with visual "depth" by a thermoforming operation, in which the sign is formed to a shape which is curved about its vertical axis. Whilst such a construction may be used in conjunction with a supplementary portion as aforesaid, in general this will not be necessay.

It will of course be appreciated that the road sign may be formed to other three di mensional shapes, and other methods of forming may be utilised.

Claims

1. A road sign of the kind specified which is cut or moulded from at least semi-rigid sheet material.

2. A road sign according to Claim 1 comprising an area presented for display, and mounting means in the form of a stem portion integral with the display portion.

3. A road sign according to one of Claims 1 and 2 wherein the stem portion is of dimension such that it may be slotted into the rectangular aperture of a conventional base member.

4. A road sign according to any one of the preceding claims, being cut by a stamping operation from sheet plastics material.

5. In combination, the base member for a road sign, the base member comprising a body and a downwardly-extending aperture of rectangular cross-section in the body, and a road sign of a kind specified, the road sign being formed from a sheet of substantially uniform thickness and comprising a display area and a stem portion extending from the display portion, the stem portion being of such a size as to enable it to be slotted into the aperture diagonally thereof.

6. The combination according to Claim 5 wherein the display portion is generally triangular in shape, having its base dimension similar to the diagonal dimension of the base member.

7. The combination according to one of Claims 5 and 6 comprising a supplementary portion which is adapted to be mounted on the display portion to provide an extension in the right angle dimension.

8. The combination according to Claim 7 wherein the display portion is provided with a slot extending from an upper part thereof generally downwardly, and the supplementary portion is provided with a slot to enable the supplementary portion to be mounted on the display portion by interengagement of the two slots.

9. The combination according to Claim 8 wherein the supplementary portion is produced from flat plastics sheet material.

10. The combination according to any one of Claims 5 to 9 wherein the supplementary portion is of a size and shape similar to that of the display portion, comprising a stem portion adapted to be engaged within the rectangular aperture of the base member across the opposite diagonal.

11. The combination according to any one of Claims 5 and 6 wherein the road sign is formed into a three dimensional shape prior to being mounted on the base member.

12. The combination according to Claim 11 wherein the road sign is formed into a curved shape by a thermo-forming operation.

1 3. The invention according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the road sign is afforded with slots in the display portion to reduce wind pressures.

1 4. A road sign constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any of the accompanying drawings.

1 5. Any novel feature or novel combination of features hereinbefore described and/or shown in the accompanying drawings.