Multipurpose sign bases for supporting temporary roadway safety signs and the like

• US 20110010974A1
• Filed: 06/01/2010
• Published: 01/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: J.E. White LLC
• Original Assignee: J.E. White LLC
• Inventors: White, Franklin B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,590,190 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 40/606.02
• CPC Class Codes: E01F 9/692 Portable base members therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/00 Electric lighting devices with self-contained electric batteries or cells
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/08 characterised by means for in situ recharging of the batteries or cells
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/06 Bases for movable standing lamps; Fixing standards to the bases F21V21/08 takes precedence

Abstract

A multipurpose sign base suitable for supporting temporary roadway safety signs and the like includes an upstanding mast supportable atop a ground or support surface by a substantially horizontally extending, elongate, support member connected to a lower region of the mast, and by a plurality of elongate leg members of adjustable length each having an upper portion movably connected to a central region of the mast, and each having a lower portion movably connected to a different foot adapted to engage a different area of an underlying ground or support surface at locations arrayed about the mast. An upper region of the mast is connectable to a roadway safety sign or the like, to support and display the sign. The legs and feet have retracted positions near the mast. A rearwardly extending formation of the horizontal support member preferably can be coupled to a vehicle hitch so the sign base also can be supported on a vehicle for transport while displaying a sign carried by the mast of the sign base.

Claims

1. A multipurpose sign base suitable for supporting a roadway safety sign, comprising an upstanding mast supportable atop a ground surface by a substantially horizontally extending, elongate, ground surface engageable member connected to a lower region of the mast, and by a plurality of elongate leg members of adjustable length each having an upper portion movably connected to a central region of the mast, and a lower portion movably connected to a different ground surface engageable foot, with an upper region of the mast being adapted for connection to a roadway safety sign to support and display the roadway safety sign.

2. The multipurpose sign base of claim 1 including a dolly provided with ground surface engageable wheels and being removably connectable to an end region of the elongate, ground surface engageable member to facilitate moving the sign base about atop the ground surface.

3. The multipurpose sign base of claim 2 including a second dolly provided with ground surface engageable wheels and being removably connectable to an opposite end region of the elongate, ground surface engageable member to facilitate moving the sign base about atop the ground surface.

4. The multipurpose sign base of claim 1 wherein the elongate ground surface engageable member defines a formation configured and sized for insertion into a first size of tubular hitch member of a vehicle so the vehicle can carry the multipurpose sign base while the sign base supports and displays the roadway safety sign.

5. The multipurpose sign base of claim 4 including an adapter component extensible from within the formation and configured to be inserted into a tubular hitch member of a size smaller the first size.

6. The multipurpose sign base of claim 4 wherein the formation includes a portion that is telescopically extensible from within and retractable into the ground surface engageable member to permit a distance between the ground surface engageable member and the vehicle to be adjusted while the formation is inserted into the hitch member of the vehicle.

7. The multipurpose sign base of claim 4 having a plurality of lights that can be powered by a battery, and that alternatively can be powered by an electrical system of the vehicle when the formation is inserted into a tubular hitch member of a vehicle.

8. The multipurpose sign base of claim 7 having a control carried by the upstanding mast that can be operated to cause at least selected ones of the lights to flash in a sequence selected by setting the control.

9. The multipurpose sign base of claim 7 having a solar panel adjustably supported by the mast and operable to charge the battery.

10. The multipurpose sign base of claim 7 wherein the sign base is adapted to support, one at a time, a selection of interchangeable roadway safety signs that each carry at least one of the plurality of lights, and electrical connectors are provided that permit the at least one light of each sign supported by the sign base to be powered by the battery.

11. The multipurpose sign base of claim 1 wherein the upstanding mast includes first and second telescopically connected tubular components to which opposite end regions of a gas spring are connected that is adapted to store energy when the components are moved toward each other, and to release stored energy to assist with movement of the components away from each other.

12. The multipurpose sign base of claim 11 wherein the gas spring is carried within and protectively enclosed by the first and second components.

13. A multipurpose sign base for supporting a roadway safety sign comprising an upstanding mast having at least an upper mast component and a lower mast component that are telescopically extensible and retractable, and that have a gas spring interposed therebetween to aid in raising the upper mast member relative to the lower mast member by releasing energy stored by the gas spring during lowering of the upper mast member relatively to the lower mast member.

14. The multipurpose sign base of claim 13 wherein the gas spring is carried within and protectively enclosed by the upper and lower mast components.

15. The multipurpose sign base of claim 13 additionally including an elongate, ground surface engageable, horizontally extending support member connected to a lower end region of the mast, and a wheel-carrying dolly removably connectable to an end region of the elongate, ground surface engageable support member to facilitate moving the sign base about atop a support surface.

16. The multipurpose sign base of claim 13 including a second wheel-carrying dolly removably connectable to an opposite end region of the elongate, ground surface engageable member to facilitate moving the sign base about atop the support surface.

17. The multipurpose sign base of claim 13 additionally including a set of lights connected to a roadway safety sign supported by the upper mast component, a battery supported by the lower mast component and operable to power the lights, and a solar cell supported by the mast and operable to charge the battery.

18. The multipurpose sign base of claim 17 additionally including a wiring harness connectable alternatively to an electrical system of a vehicle and to the battery for selectively powering the lights from the battery and from the electrical system of the vehicle.

19. The multipurpose sign base of claim 17 additionally including a switch operable to select from among a variety of differing sequences for flashing at least selected ones of the lights.

20. The multipurpose sign base of claim 13 wherein the elongate, ground surface engageable support member defines a formation that is insertable into a hitch member of a vehicle so the vehicle can carry the multipurpose sign base while the sign base supports and displays the roadway safety sign.

21. A multipurpose sign base for supporting a roadway safety sign comprising an upstanding support mast connected to a retractable set of legs that can be moved from extended ground surface engageable positions supporting the sign base atop an underlying ground surface to retracted positions extending near a lower region of the support mast, and a formation connected to the mast and attachable to a hitch of an over-the-road vehicle for supporting the mast from the vehicle hitch instead of from the legs engaging an underlying ground surface.

22. The multipurpose sign base of claim 21 additionally including a power supply means connected to the mast for operating a set of flashing lights supportable on a sign carried by an upper region of the mast unless power is being supplied to the lights by an electrical system of the vehicle.

23. The multipurpose sign base of claim 22 additionally including a solar panel carried by the mast for charging a battery of the power supply means.

24. The multipurpose sign base of claim 21 additionally including a tray connected to the lower region of the mast and configured to underlie and support lower portions of at least a selected one of the legs when the legs are moved to the retracted positions.

25. The multipurpose sign base of claim 24 additionally including at least one graspable handle connected to a selected one of the mast and the tray to facilitate moving the sign base.

26. A multipurpose sign base comprising an extensible and retractable upright mast having an upper component and a lower component that are relatively movable, and having three legs pivotally connected to the lower component for supporting the mast atop a support surface, with the length of at least a selected one of the legs being adjustable to enable the legs to support the mast in a substantially vertical orientation, and with the selected one of the legs having an associated foot formation for engaging a portion of the underlying support surface, and carrying a spike member that can extend telescopically beneath the associated foot formation to penetrate the underlying support surface portion.

27. The multipurpose sign base of claim 26 with the legs being of adjustable length, with each leg having a separate associated foot formation for engaging a separate underlying support surface portion, and with each leg carrying a separate associated spike member that can extend beneath the associated foot formation to penetrate the associated underlying support surface portion.

28. The multipurpose sign base of claim 26 with the upper and lower components of the mast being telescopically extensible and retractable relative to each other, and with a gas spring being interposed between the upper and lower components of the mast for storing energy when the upper component is lowered relative to the lower component, and for releasing the stored energy to assist in raising the upper component relative to the lower component.

29. The multipurpose sign base of claim 28 with the gas spring carried within and protectively enclosed by the upper and lower mast components.

30. The multipurpose sign base of claim 26 with at least one of the foot formations having a plate-like configuration defining a platform atop which at least one sand bag can be stacked to assist in holding the sign base in place on the underlying support surface.

31. The multipurpose sign base of claim 30 with at least one of the foot formations being provided with a non-skid surface for engaging the underlying support surface.

32. A multipurpose sign base having an upstanding mast with an upper region attachable to a roadway safety sign, having a lower region to which a substantially horizontally extending, elongate support member is connected that carries a foot formation for engaging a support surface in a first area of contact, and having three elongate, telescopically extensible legs with upper end portions pivotally connected to a central region of the upstanding mast for pivoting between retracted positions near the mast and extended positions wherein foot formations carried by lower portions of each of the three legs engage the support surface at second, third and fourth areas of contact spaced from each other and from the first area of contact for supporting the upstanding mast in a substantially vertical orientation atop the support surface.

33. The multipurpose sign base of claim 32 including a wheel-carrying dolly removably connectable to one end region of the elongate support member and adapted to facilitate moving the sign base atop a support surface.

34. The multipurpose sign base of claim 33 including a second wheel-carrying dolly removably connectable to an opposite end region of the elongate support member and adapted to facilitate moving the sign base atop the support surface.

35. The multipurpose sign base of claim 32 with the elongate support member defining a formation configured and sized for insertion into a first size of tubular hitch member of a vehicle so the vehicle can carry the multipurpose sign base while the sign base supports and displays the roadway safety sign.

36. The multipurpose sign base of claim 35 including an adapter component extensible from within the formation permitting the sign base to be inserted into a tubular hitch member of a size smaller the first size.

37. The multipurpose sign base of claim 35 with the formation including a portion that is telescopically extensible from within and retractable into the elongate support member to permit a distance between the support member and the vehicle to be adjusted while the formation is inserted into the hitch member of the vehicle.

38. The multipurpose sign base of claim 35 including a plurality of lights that can be powered by a battery, and that alternatively can be powered by an electrical system of the vehicle when the formation is inserted into a tubular hitch member of a vehicle to support the sign base and a roadway safety sign supported by the sign base.

39. The multipurpose sign base of claim 38 having a control carried by the upstanding mast that can be operated to cause at least selected ones of the lights to flash in sequences selected by setting the control.

40. The multipurpose sign base of claim 38 having a solar panel adjustably supported by the mast and operable to charge the battery.

41. The multipurpose sign base of claim 35 with in the sign base being adapted to support, one at a time, a selection of interchangeable roadway safety signs that each carry at least one of the plurality of lights, and with electrical connectors being provided that permit the at least one light of each sign supported by the sign base to be powered by the battery.

42. The multipurpose sign base of claim 32 with the upstanding mast including first and second telescopically connected tubular components to which opposite end regions of a gas spring are connected that is adapted to store energy when the components are moved toward each other for release in assisting with movement of the components away from each other.

43. The multipurpose sign base of claim 42 with the gas spring being carried within and protectively enclosed by the first and second components.

44. A multipurpose sign base having an elongate, telescopically extensible, upstanding mast that, near the lower end thereof, has a first and second open-ended components with adjacent open end regions connected and held in alignment with each other by a block of structurally weakened metal that extends into the aligned, adjacent, open end regions and is connected thereto to provide a breakaway connection adapted to sever when the sign base is impacted by a massive moving object such as a motor vehicle.

45. The multipurpose sign base of claim 44 with the first and second open end regions being connected to the block of metal by removable fasteners that facilitate replacement of the severed block of metal so a sign base that has been impacted without being severely damaged can be repaired and promptly returned to service.