Resilient bollard with rotatable collar for alerting vehicles of their location
OwnerDale W. Beaversinventor
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to a bollard made of an elongate member having a lower proximal end biasedly attachable in an upright position to a path surface, an upper distal end, and a longitudinal axis. A collar is attached to the elongate member about its upper distal end. The collar is rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the elongate member. When such bollard is mounted on or adjacent a path surface, the bollard is deflectable from its upright position about its proximal end, e.g., when contacted by a vehicle. The collar rotates when in contact with the vehicle for following the contour of the vehicle without damaging the vehicle. Specific bollard configurations are disclosed herein along with numerous attachments with which the inventive bollard can be outfitted.
Claims17
A bollard, which comprises:
- (a) an elongate member having a first diametric extent and extending along a longitudinal axis from an upper distal end to a lower proximal end;
- (b) a collar freely rotatably mounted about said elongate member along said longitudinal axis, said collar rotating freely about said longitudinal axis when said collar is contacted by a moving vehicle;
- (c) an upper elongate tube having an upper distal end coupled to the lower proximal end of said elongate member and a lower proximal end biasedly attachable to a path surface, said upper elongate tube having a second diametric extent extending beyond the first diametric extent of said elongate member;
- and
- (d) a biasing assembly coupled to said upper elongate tube for attaching the lower proximal end thereof to the path surface, said biasing assembly orienting said bollard in a normally upright position and providing for the resilient deflection thereof from said upright position when said bollard is contacted with a predetermined amount of force by said moving vehicle.
A method for alerting vehicles on or adjacent a path surface comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a bollard, which comprises:
- an elongate member having a first diametric extent and extending along a longitudinal axis from an upper distal end to a lower proximal end;
- a collar freely rotatably mounted about said elongate member along said longitudinal axis, said collar rotating freely about said longitudinal axis when said collar is contacted by a moving vehicle;
- an upper elongate tube having an upper distal end coupled to the lower proximal end of said elongate member and a lower proximal end biasedly attachable to a path surface, said upper elongate tube having a second diametric extent extending beyond the first diametric extent of said elongate member;
- and
- a biasing assembly coupled to said upper elongate tube for attaching the lower proximal end thereof to the path surface, said biasing assembly orienting said bollard in a normally upright position and providing for the resilient deflection thereof from said upright position when said bollard is contacted with a predetermined amount of force by said moving vehicle, and
- (b) mounting said bollard on or adjacent said path surface for contact by said vehicle for alerting said vehicle of its location.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.