NZ511898A - Sign stand with vertical central support and legs of base with weight shelf - Google Patents

Abstract

Stand 10 has base having three or more legs 13 extending from a central support 12. At least one platform 15, 16 is provided, for holding a weight 30, located remote from support 12 which is adapted to support a sign.

Description

118 Patent Form No 4.

NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT 1953 PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION SIGN STAND We TSSL Limited, a New Zealand company of Level 2, Polo House, 267 Wakefield Street, Wellington, New Zealand do hereby declare this invention to be described in the following statement:- INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF N.2. 2 i MAY 2001 RECEIVED 2 The invention pertains to stands and more particularly to a stand for a sign such as a highway sign.

Portable or deployable highway signs are useful for notifying motorists and pedestrians of changing traffic conditions, road works, emergencies and 5 temporary conditions which effect vehicle or pedestrian movements. Such a sign must be stable when in use, easily deployed, compact when in storage and offer some resistance to vandalism or tampering.

According, there is provided a sign stand which is adapted to support a sign which is affixed to a post or pole. The stand comprises a base having 10 three or more legs which extend from a central vertical support. A weight shelf extends between two adjacent legs.

In preferred embodiments, the legs are four in number. A weight shelf extends between one pair of adjacent legs. The other two legs each support a portion of a weight shelf, the portions having a gap therebetween. 15 In preferred embodiments of the invention, the weight shelf and the weight shelf portions are generally parallel.

In other embodiments of the invention, the centre of the underside of the base is elevated above the underside of the terminal extremities of the legs.

In other preferred embodiments of the invention, one or more solid, one-20 piece weights are provided, the weights adapted to lie flat on either the weight shelf or across the shelf portions.

In other preferred embodiments, the weight shelf and/or one of the shelf portions are provided with a small opening and the weights are provided with handles which features permit the weight to be locked to the stand. 25 In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- 3 Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a sign stand according to the teachings of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device depicted in Figure 1; and Fig. 3 is a plan view of a sign stand weight.

As shown in Fig. 1, a sign stand 10 comprises a generally X-shaped base 11 and a central and vertical support 12. The base 11 comprises, in this example, four legs 13 which radiate from a central junction or intersection 14. The vertical support 12 is located above the intersection of the legs 14. The support 12 may be a hollow tube (as illustrated) or alternately be provided in 10 the form of a solid or other section. The X shape may be formed from two "V" shaped units 20 joined at their verticies.

A weight shelf 15, also known as a platform for supporting a weight thereon, extends between a pair of adjacent legs 13. The weight shelf 15 may be provided in the form of an uninterrupted 700 mm length of angle stock, for 15 example, having angle stock dimensions 112 x 35 x 3 mm. The opposite legs each support a weight shelf portion 16 in the form of a piece of similar angle section spaced apart by a gap 17. The gap 17 is adapted to be wider than, and therefore admit, the central vertical support 12 of an adjacent stand 10 so that the units may be stacked, for example on the back of a vehicle, in a 20 manner which permits rapid deployment by sliding rather than lifting individual sign stands 10. Once a stand 10 is deployed, one or more weights 30 are used to hold it down.

As shown in Fig. 3, a weight 30 comprises an elongated solid metal section having, at one end, a handle 31. In preferred embodiments, the body 25 of the weight (excluding the handle) is approximately equal to the length of the shelf 15 or end-to-end length of the shelf portions 16. -».. i i. j ' ' ■ ,:Ti i'! 4 padlock and chain combination to be used to securely lock the weight 30 to the stand 10.

The weight 30 may be fabricated from a 700 mm length of 50 x 100 mm steel bar. In preferred embodiments, the handle 31 is approximately 65 mm 5 long and extends the full width of the weight.

In preferred embodiments of the invention, the X-shaped base portion is fabricated from 35 mm diameter tube and the central support 12 is fabricated from a 450 mm length of 50 x 50 x 3 mm section or tube. In such an example, the overall width of the X-shaped base is approximately 810 mm and the 10 overall length of the base is approximately 1,420 mm. As shown in Fig. 2, the centre of the underside of the base is elevated above the underside of the terminal extremities 21 of the legs 13 by a distance d equal to about 30 mm. This provides stability on the ground.

It will be appreciated that where the central support 12 was provided as 15 a tube, that such a tube or hollow section will vertically support a post or a pole which is affixed to a sign. In the alternative, the sign may be integrated with the stand at the time of manufacture.

It will be appreciated that stands made in accordance with the teachings of the present invention may be fabricated from a variety of materials and not 20 only those which are explicitly mentioned with reference to the present example.

Claims (8)

WHAT I CLAIM IS: - ■

1. A stand for a sign, comprising: a base having three or more legs which extend from a central vertical support; a platform for supporting a weight thereon, the platform extending between two of the legs remotely of the central vertical support; the vertical support extending above the legs and being adapted to support a sign.

2. The stand of claim 1, wherein: each leg comprises a terminal extremity having an underside; the legs having a central junction; the central junction is elevated above the terminal extremities of the legs.

3. The stand of either of claims 1 or 2, wherein: the legs are four in number and form an X shape; a second platform for supporting a weight thereon extends between the other two legs.

4. The stand of claim 3, wherein: the second platform is in two portions having a gap between them.

5. The stand of any of claims 1 -4, further comprising: a first weight with a handle, the length of the weight being approximately equal to a length of a platform.

6. The stand of claim 5, wherein: a portion of the stand includes an opening through which a weight may be padlocked.

7. The stand of any one of claims 1 -6, further comprising: a sign on a pole which is adapted to be held upright by the central vertical support.

8. The stand of claim 5, further comprising: a second weight similar to the first weight. 7 ABSTRACT A stand (10) comprises a base (11) having legs (13) which radiate from or beneath a vertical support (12). The support (12) is adapted to hold a sign on a pole. The stand (10) may include one or more weight shelves (15,16). INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF N.Z. 2 0 MAY 2002 RECEIVED