Bollard and accessories for use therewith
A bollard having a plurality of parallel, vertical legs spaced apart from each other on the perimeter of a regular geometric shape. The minimum number and/or cross-section of the legs is governed by the need to avoid creating an entrapment area between adjacent legs. If an even number of legs is provided, they can be arranged in diametrically opposite pairs of decreasing height, the pairs of legs being joined at their tops to form a series of at least three nested, inverted substantially U-shaped forms of decreasing height set around a common vertical axis. The bollard also includes elements for joining the legs together as a unit, for example, a cylindrical center member having the common vertical axis of the legs as its longitudinal axis, a longitudinal rib joining each leg to the center member, and a plurality of horizontal ribs joining adjacent legs to each other.
1. A bollard comprising:
a plurality of parallel, vertical legs spaced apart from each other on the perimeter of a geometric shape around a vertical axis passing through the center of the geometric shape, at least one of the number and the cross-section of the legs being set so that the spacing between adjacent legs is too small to create an entrapment area between adjacent legs; and
joining means for joining the legs together as a unit;
wherein the bollard comprises an even number of legs arranged in diametrically opposite pairs of decreasing height, the pairs of legs being joined at the upper ends thereof by an upper transverse portion to form a set of nested, inverted, substantially U-shaped forms of decreasing height having a common vertical axis.
2. The bollard of claim 1 , wherein the legs and the joining means have physical characteristics such that on impact by a moving vehicle, including an automobile or a truck, the bollard will initiate a “crumple zone” type reaction.
3. The bollard of claim 2 , wherein the legs and the joining means further have physical characteristics such that the energy of the impact will deform the bollard significantly, with the horizontal energy of the impact being deflected in a series of distortions that are both vertical and horizontal, with most of the horizontal energy being deflected in the legs.
4. The bollard of claim 1 , further comprising reinforcing inserts inserted in each leg.
5. The bollard of claim 1 , wherein the legs are spaced apart from each other on the perimeter of a regular geometric shape.
6. The bollard of claim 1 , wherein the joining means comprises a center post having the common vertical axis of the legs as its longitudinal axis and means for joining the center post to the legs.
7. The bollard of claim 6 , wherein the center post is tubular and has a reinforcing insert inserted therein, and wherein the reinforcing insert extends coaxially with and longitudinally through the center post and has a cross-section that permits its insertion into the center post while preventing any substantial lateral movement in the reinforcing insert when inserted into the center post.
8. The bollard of claim 7 , wherein the reinforcing insert includes tubing extending coaxially with and longitudinally through the center post.
9. The bollard of claim 8 , wherein there is a gap between the outside perimeter of the tubing and the inside perimeter of the center post, and wherein the reinforcing insert further includes a plurality of filler bars inserted into the gap to prevent substantial lateral movement of the tubing and the filler bars in the center post.
10. The bollard of claim 6 , wherein the means for joining the tubular post to the legs comprise webs extending outwardly from the center post, oriented radially relative to the common vertical axis, and joining each leg to the center post.
11. The bollard of claim 6 , further comprising means for joining adjacent legs to each other.
12. The bollard of claim 11 , wherein the means for joining adjacent legs to each other comprise a plurality of lateral crosspieces joining adjacent legs.
13. The bollard of claim 12 , wherein the lateral crosspieces are at the same height.
14. The bollard of claim 12 , wherein the lateral crosspieces are at alternating heights.
15. The bollard of claim 1 , further comprising anchoring means for anchoring the legs within a support.
16. The bollard of claim 15 , wherein the anchoring means comprises at least one ring encircling the legs and a plurality of braces joining the at least one ring to the legs.
17. The bollard of claim 1 , further including ornamentation at the top thereof.
18. A bollard comprising:
a plurality of parallel, vertical legs spaced apart from each other on the perimeter of a geometric shape around a vertical axis passing through the center of the geometric shape, at least one of the number and the cross-section of the legs being set so that the spacing between adjacent legs is too small to create an entrapment area between adjacent legs;
joining means for joining the legs together as a unit, wherein the joining means comprises a tubular center post having the common vertical axis of the legs as its longitudinal axis, and means for joining the center post to the legs;
reinforcing tubing extending coaxially with and longitudinally through the center post and having a cross-section that permits its insertion into the center post and leaves a gap between the outside perimeter of the tubing and the inside perimeter of the center post, and
means for preventing substantial lateral movement of the reinforcing tubing in the center post.
19. The bollard of claim 18 , wherein the means for preventing substantial lateral movement includes a plurality of filler bars inserted into the gap.