Deflectable parking space reservation indicator

• US 4,137,662 A
• Filed: 12/07/1977
• Issued: 02/06/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Walter Baumer
• Original Assignee: Walter Baumer
• Inventors: Baumer, Walter
• Primary Examiner(s): Kinsey, Russell R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Contreras, Wenceslao J.
• Application Number:
  US05/858,443
• Time in Patent Office: 426 Days
• Field of Search: 404/6, 404/10, 116/63 R, 40/608, 40/612, 40/584, 40/606
• US Class Current: 40/612
• CPC Class Codes: E01F 9/627 self-righting after deflection or displacement

Abstract

A sign serving as a deterrent to unauthorized parking is mounted on a post which is resiliently supported by a base in a normal vertical position and is adapted to be deflected into an inclined position by the car bumper when overriding the base in driving head-in into the parking space. The base has a vertical wall which guides the post in returning from the inclined to the normal vertical position preventing rearward deflection and has an open front shaped to permit the forward deflection of the post through a predetermined horizontal angle. An axial helical tension spring for a tubular post or a spring biased pivot for a channel shaped post connects the respective post to the base for the resilient deflectability.A wire slide-guard is mounted along the post spaced from the sign to engage the car bumper and any protruding portions of the undercarriage for smooth passage therealong to facilitate the deflection and prevent the sign from locking thereon when the car backs out of the parking space. As an alternative form of slide-guard, the sign is shaped in a concave configuration and formed with a curved, beaded, periphery for engagement with the car bumper.

Claims

1. A reservation indicator for an individual parking space comprising a sign having a front facing surface bearing a message and being affixed to an upper end of a post resiliently supported in a normally upright vertical position, a base having a horizontal plate for attaching to the pavement of the parking space in a location requiring overriding by the front end of a car and deflection of the post from said vertical position to an inclined position, means mounted on said plate for said resilient support of said post, and slide-guard means associated with said post and sign adapted to be contacted and ridden along by the front bumper of the car during said overriding to effect said deflection permitting the car to completely enter said parking space and to prevent the sign and post from catching onto the car bumper and undercarriage when the car backs out of the parking space and the post returns to said vertical position.

2. The reservation indicator defined in claim 1 in which said slide-guard includes a sign having a concave configuration and a smooth finished edge prominently disposed for contacting said bumper.

3. The reservation indicator defined in claim 1 in which said post has an upper end projecting above said sign, and said slide-guard comprises a rod extending longitudinally at a spaced distance in front of the post and sign, said rod having upper and lower opposite ends bent rearwardly, said upper bent end being attached to the post above said sign and the lower bent end attached to the post at a spaced distance below the sign.

4. The reservation indicator defined in claim 1 in which said means for resilient support of the post includes a helical tension spring mounted in axial alignment with said post to vertically upstand from said horizontal plate.

5. The reservation indicator defined in claim 1, a vertical housing mounted on said horizontal plate having a curved front wall surrounding the front facing side of said post, said curved front wall having an upper border against which said post abuts as a stop in said vertical position, said vertical housing having lateral diverging sidewalls with sloping side edges for guiding said post to and from deflected positions and permitting limited lateral rearward movement.

6. The reservation indicator defined in claim 5 in which said post is channel-shaped and comprises a front facing panel between opposite sidewalls, a pair of elongated, aligned slots longitudinally extending adjacent the lower end of said opposite sidewalls, said means for resilient support of the post including a horizontal pivot pin extending between and supported by said vertical housing lateral sidewalls at a spaced distance above said horizontal base plate and through said elongated slots of said post, and a coiled spring coaxially mounted on said pin between said post opposite sidewalls and having portions extending to engage said base plate and post applying resilient spring pressure therebetween.

7. The reservation indicator defined in claim 6 in which said curved front wall upper border has a configuration corresponding to said post into which the latter nests for vertical orientation when returning from a limited lateral deflection under the action of said spring.

8. The reservation indicator defined in claim 1 in which said post is tubular and has a short longitudinal slot extending upwardly from the lower end thereof, and said means for resilient support of the post includes a helical tension spring mounted to vertically upstand from said horizontal plate and has an upper end telescoping into the lower end of said tubular post in the region of said slot, and an adjustable clamping collar on said telescoped post lower end tightening the latter on said spring.

9. The reservation indicator defined in claim 5 in which opposite ends of said curved front wall merge with the upper end of each of said sloping side edges in diametrically positioned notches, said means for resilient support of the post including a helical tension spring mounted in axial alignment with said post to vertically upstand from said horizontal plate, and a pair of tabs diametrically extending from said post located to engage said notches when in said vertical upright position to rotationally orientate said sign in a front facing position as said post is returned from a deflected position by said spring.

10. The reservation indicator defined in claim 9 in which said axial alignment mounting of said post on said spring comprises a telescoping connection of the upper end of the spring into the lower end of said post, and a clamping collar tightening said telescoping connection, said pair of tabs being integrally formed as cutout and bent portions of said collar.

11. The reservation indicator defined in claim 1 in which said horizontal base plate is substantially rectangular in shape and has four corners bent downwardly to provide four point contact with said parking space pavement, an opening inwardly of each of said bent corners, and an anchoring spike extending through each opening into the pavement as said attachment thereto.