This invention relates to a post, and in particular, a security post capable of preventing the passage of a vehicle by blocking the passage of said vehicle when the post is in one position but allowing a passage of the vehicle when the post is in a second position.

Security posts of this type have been known for a number of years. Consequently they come in several different forms, and this is indicated by the number of patents and patent applications relevant to this subject matter area, for example, GB 1256889, GB 1601525, GB 2211233A, EP 211688, EP227447, US 4003161 and US 4577991.

Known forms of security post fall into two very basic categories, these being:

1. Those which are surface mounted and are bolted to the ground, and

2. Those which are mounted securely into the ground.

The so called surface mounted posts are normally mounted to the ground by the provision of a number of bolts, for example, four, which are simply driven into the ground and located with respect to the security post by means of a base plate, normally the post is pivotally mounted to the base plate and locked in position by a simple padlock that is passed through locating holes in the base plate and so prevents pivotal movement of the post from an upright position in which it prevents the passage of a vehicle.

Clearly with such an arrangement pivotal mounting and the means which is used to lock the post in the upright position are very closely located with respect to each other and this can lead to some forms of potential leverage problems (weaknesses) with regard to the action of the post. Further due to the means used to mount the device to the ground there is also the potential that any such mounted device may be simply ripped out from the ground by the use of a suitably powerful vehicle.

Now turning to the security posts which are securely mounted into the ground it is quite clear that the above leverage and ripping out problems, provided that the post is sufficiently well mounted, are to a very large degree alleviated. However, with these types of posts it is very common for them to be provided in the fashion that the post is simply removed from a vertical hole and placed separate from said hole to one side when moving the vehicle meaning that the post has to be replaced in position once the vehicle has been allowed to pass. As will be well appreciated by those skilled in the art in order for these devices to do their jobs effectively they have to be extremely strong and consequently they tend to be heavy. Therefore, these types of security posts carry the drawback that they place a large physical strain on any people using them, and this significantly deters the more frail in our society from using these posts.

In an alternative form of this type of post the post may be moved vertically between two positions one in which it is almost completely housed within the ground and a second in which it is fully upright. As will be appreciated although these posts are simple to operate they are extremely expensive and do have problems in their deployment and location in the suitable position (caused by the sheer size of them). Normally these posts would be pneumatically or hydraulically deployed.

The present invention is concerned with providing a security post which combines the advantages of both of the above mentioned forms of security post and significantly alleviate the problems associated with both of them.

According to the present invention there is provided a post capable of preventing the passage of a vehicle, which post comprises:

a ground mounted sleeve portion, which can be deployed in the ground and so act to stabilise the post;

a second sleeve portion which has one end slidably mounted with respect to the ground mounted sleeve portion, and which has a suitable locking means; and

a bar which extends within, and along, the second sleeve portion pivotally mounted to the ground mounted sleeve portion, and which is provided with means for engagement with the locking means in order to lock the bar and second sleeve portion in position with regard to one another;

wherein the locking means is adapted to lock the bar in position with respect to the second sleeve portion by engagement of the locking means with the means for engagement on the bar in at least an upright position, in which position the second sleeve portion is deployed in the ground mounted sleeve so that their longitudinal axes are generally coaxial and such that the ground mounted sleeve prevents pivotal movement of the second sleeve portion with respect to the ground mounted sleeve, and wherein disengagement of the locking means allows the second sleeve portion to slide with respect to the ground mounted sleeve into a position where pivotal movement is allowed thereby enabling the second sleeve portion to be deployed in a down position with respect to the ground mounted sleeve at such an angle so as to allow passage of a vehicle.

Preferably in the down position the second sleeve portion is at right angles to the ground mounted sleeve.

A post made in accordance with the present invention has the advantage that, it is firmly mounted into the ground making it extremely difficult for the post to be simply ripped from position, yet the post is pivotal by movement of the sleeve so can be simply laid down to allow passage of a vehicle.

Further, as the locking mechanism comprises a bar which is mounted in a sleeve, the locking mechanism itself is housed in a secure environment meaning that it is not so susceptible to direct attack by any would be thief or vandal, as would be the position with an openly exposed padlock.

Normally, with the known forms of pivotal post the locking means and pivotal point of the post are in close proximity to each other with all the problems this can result in. When these components are separated a certain

degree of flexibility is built in to the system and it is consequently therefore better able to absorb a certain amount of stress and strain placed upon the system.

This means that the system would be more able to resist all but a severely determined attack. Preferably the locking means is provided towards the top of the post so as to engage the bar at the end remote from its pivot.

Also in order to improve the flexibility of the post and its ability to absorb stresses and strains without the need to resort to expensive, and exotic materials, the bar may be loosely housed within the second sleeve portion. This enables the bar to bend with respect to the second sleeve portion and therefore to absorb to a certain degree stresses and strains which are placed upon the post.

The ground mounted sleeve and the second sleeve portion are preferably made of steel and are preferably tubular and of a square cross-section, the ground mounted sleeve having an internal dimension substantially the same as, but not significantly greater than, the external dimensions of the second sleeve portion.

Alternatively the ground mounted sleeve and the second sleeve portion may be of any suitable cross-section such as round, rectangular, hexagonal etc.

When the above factors concerning the flexibility are all taken into account, it means that the weight of the security can be maintained as low as is possible in order to give a certain resilient strength to attack which means that the device will become lighter and consequently easier and more readily operated by frail people. Therefore a security post made in accordance with the present invention is more readily usable, and therefore available, to a larger number of people who previously could not manoeuvre, and therefore operate, those security posts presently on the market.

The locking means is preferably secured within a housing having a slot through which the bar can slide, the locking means being provided with a bolt for engagement with the engagement means on the bar, which means is

preferably a hole, slot or recess adapted to receive and engage the bolt. The bar may be provided with a further hole, slot or recess to enable the bar to be locked in a second position whereby the second sleeve portion is prevented from pivotal movement with respect to the ground mounted sleeve whilst in its down position.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the post is provided at the end remote from the pivot point with a handle, or grip, to further assist with the manoeuvring of the post.

The handle is formed from any suitable material such as a polymeric material. In particularly cold weather the post can become very icy and extremely cold to the touch leading in countries where there are extreme climatic conditions the hand to stick to the metal of the post. As a result of forming the handle from a polymeric material to a significant degree this minor problem is alleviated.

Additionally, it should be noted that the handle can also be used to provide a cover to protect the locking mechanisms. A cover so provided can be formed in the handle so that the location of the locking means is hidden from general sight this in itself acts as a security feature. If so desired a dummy locking mechanism may be provided.

In use a cover will also act to prevent the full effects of the weather from attacking locking mechanism in the locking device, and in winter condition should act to prevent from freezing and therefore jamming.

The ground mounted sleeve is preferably provided with a side opening through which the second sleeve portion can pivot between its upright and down positions.

The pivotal connection between the bar and the ground mounted sleeve is provided by a pivot pin mounted in the ground mounted sleeve which pin also provides the pivotal connection between the ground mounted sleeve and the second sleeve portion, the pin engaging longitudinal slots in the second sleeve portion thereby allowing the second sleeve portion to pivot and

slide with respect to the ground mounted sleeve.

The ground mounted sleeve may extend upwardly on at least one side, but preferably on three sides to provide protection for the bottom end of the second sleeve portion whilst in its down position, and during installation.

The top of the second sleeve portion may be provided with an end cap to enhance its design and more importantly to close the top thereby to deter attempts to tamper with the inside of the post.

A resilient ground stop may be provided adjacent the top of the post to lessen impact on lowering the post and to reduce wear on both the post and the ground at contact. The ground stop may be formed integrally with the end cap.

Indicator means may be provided on the top of the post, which means may be fixed but preferably rises and falls with respect to the post as the post is lifted and lowered. The indicator means may be mounted on an arm extending through a slot or hole in the end cap and engaging the end of the bar remote from the pivot, or alternatively the bar itself may extend through the slot or hole and the indicator means mounted directly thereon. Thus as the second sleeve portion slides into the ground mounted sleeve for engagement in upright position the indicator means is raised above the post so that the visible height of the post is increased, thereby enabling the post to be more readily seen by drivers of high vehicles where visibility below a certain height is impaired.

The ground mounted sleeve may be mounted in the ground by any suitable means employed for anchoring posts in the ground.

The second sleeve portion may be provided with means to attach supplementary connection means such as an eye bolt to which a motor cycle, for example, may be secured, or likewise a tow ball for securing a caravan or trailer for example.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of a post in accordance with the invention and shown in its upright position;

Figure 2 corresponds to Figure 1 but shows the post in its down position; and

Figure 3 is a section on the line III-III of Figure 1.

In the Figures a post 10 comprises a ground mounted sleeve portion 11 secured in the ground 12 by crossbars 13, a second sleeve portion 14 one end of which is slidably mounted to the ground mounted sleeve 11, locking means 15 on portions 14, and a bar 16 extending within the portion 14 having means for engagement with the locking means where, in Figure 1, the bar 16 is locked to the portion 14 through engagement of a bolt 17 in a hole 18 in the bar 16. A second hole 19 is provided to enable the bar to be locked in a second position as shown in Figure 2.

The bar 16 is pivotally connected to the ground mounted sleeve 11 by pivot pin 20 mounted, see particularly Figure 3, in the ground mounted sleeve, said pin 20 engaging longitudinal slots 21 in the portion 14.

The ground mounted sleeve is provided with a side opening 22 through which the portion 14 can pivot between its upright position (as in Figure 1) and down position (as in Figure 2), the ground mounted sleeve 11 is further extended on the remaining slide 23 to aid installation and protect the bottom end 24 of the portion 14.

The top of the portion 14 is provided with an end cap 25, which cap also has a ground stop 26.

Indicator means 27 is provided on an extension of bar 16 which extends through a slot 28 in the end cap 25. Thus, as can be seen between Figures

1 and 2, raising and lowering of the post causes raising and lowering of the indicator means 27.

The portion 14 is provided with, in this embodiment, an eye bolt 28 to which a motor cycle (not shown) for example may be secured.

A handle 29 is provided on portion 14, which handle 29 also incorporates a cover plate 30 for the exposed end 31 of the lock mechanism 15.