A stackable element for different traffic protection devices

The present invention refers to a stackable element, which alone or together with more consists of a part in different traffic protection means such as e.g. a foot, a traffic railing and which is intended to be used as for supporting e.g. different side indicating signs, traffic signs, signals, shutting off boards and to be placed on a ground such as e.g. a working place preferably a roadway or a road working place. The stackable element consists of a body having a bottom surface, an upper surface and an edge surface, said upper surface having upwards directed male portions and said bottom surface having female portions. When several stackable elements are stacked on the ground resting one upon and in the other and at side of each other with male portion in female portion, they are co-acting together such as an unit.

Today different traffic protections means of this type are used for protecting road-users and workers on a working place. In road work places cones are used as sign support for supporting shutting off boards having signals and signs. Furthermore foots of rubber like material to support side indicating signs. Traffic railings made of stacked rubber tyres connected together by a supporting structure of wires and steel structures are used to be placed just before a road working place such as a shock absorbing unit in order to prevent a running into of vehicles and protect road-users and workers. The cones are bulky and require large storing place, they are hard and clumsy to handle and are easily blowing down when placed on the working area, especially by passing large and

heavy vehicles. The feet are also too light and also these are blowing easily down of this reason, why stones and other weights are laid upon these so that they shall stand steadier, which is complicated and uncertain. Further the railings large and clumsy to store and move. All these parts, which are contained in the different traffic protection means are made separately without an intention to be able to be used for different protection purposes, why they will be expensive and take a large room when stored.

One object of the present invention is to solve those problems existing by the above mentioned traffic sign devices in providing a stackable element having male and female portions, which are matching into each other so that they cooperate like an unit when they are stacked one upon the other in order to constitute a foot with desired weight and size. When they are stacked one upon another in a greater number they constitute an active part of a traffic railing in absorbing loads from a running into of a vehicle.

Thanks to the invention a simple, easy handling and cheap stackable element is provided, which takes small room in a storing place and which can be used as a part in building of a great number of different traffic protection devices in the form of e.g. a foot having sign support or side indicating signs, intended to be used as a support for e.g. different traffic signs, signals, shut off boards or constituting a part of a traffic railing, for placing out on a supporting ground, such as e.g. a working place preferably a road or a road working place. According to the invention the stackable element comprises a body having a bottom

surface, upper surface and edge surfaces. The upper surface comprises male portions directed upwards and the bottom surface comprises female portions matching the formation of the male portions. The male portions can consist of one or more extensions formed like spines, rills, rises, rounded elements, bulges, plateau or the like. When several elements are stacked on the ground totally or partly resting at the side of each other or on the top of each other, they cooperate together like an unit, so that the risk is decreased that they shall slip apart during influence of a power. A number of stackable elements then create together more weight and stability than a separate foot can do. In a first embodiment example of the invention the stackable element comprises opening formations made in the form of two crossing elongated grooves, viewed straight from above towards the upper surface. These are running in a direction across the upper surface and the bottom surface through the stackable element. The extension of the elongated groove in a direction in parallel with the upper surface is corresponded mainly to the width of the sheet unit, which has a length of between 10 and 30 cm. A sheet unit such as e.g. a side indicating sign can be moved totally or partly through one or more opening formations. The stackable element comprises a shock absorbing quality by that at least its surfaces are made of a resilient material, such as plastic or rubber in order to be able to take up mechanical influence. The stackable element comprises a box formation having an edge surface, an upper surface and a bottom surface, which are planar except for the male portions and the female portions. The stackable element has a length of between 40-100 cm, which is

mainly the double size of its width and its height is less than the half size of its width and its weight is about between 8-40 kg. In another variant of the invention the sheet unit consists of locking elements intended to be moved through into a number of stackable elements placed one upon another, so that the opening formations, the male portions, female portions and the locking elements are keeping together the stackable elements, so that they can cooperate like an unit at the same time as they can constitute whole or parts of a traffic railing, which has as a task to brake up the vehicle, which in this way is prevented to run into other road-users and workers which are present in the nearness. The traffic railing can according to the present invention include a supporting structure, which keeps together or surrounds a number of stackable elements. The supporting structure can be provided with e.g. wheels, a supporting means in order to be easier to displace and also with traffic signs, signals and supporting means, so that it can function like a traffic railing with many functions. The stackable elements comprise for their easy handling a number of handles made like a recess in their edge surfaces. The handles then get contact with the female portions, which constitute the recesses, so that the handles are easy to grip and can be reached from the bottom surface also if these are situated within a staple of a number of elements stacked one upon the other. The sheet unit has a thickness, which is larger than the width of the groove in creating an enhanced friction for holding and guiding the sheet unit. In a preferable embodiment example of the invention the stackable element comprises of two equal parts what concerns formation

and appearance of male portion, female portion and the elongated grooves on each side of an imagined central line, which extends across its length viewed straight towards the upper surface, where each part has an imagined middle point. This middle point constitutes a cross section point for an imagined cross of lines in parallel with the sides of the box formation, which divides the parts into four smaller similar parts, so that the extension of the lines totally or partly corresponds to those of the grooves and the male portions and the female portions and the elongated groves are matching into each other at each 90° turning around an axis. The axis has a direction straight towards the upper surface through the middle point, when the elements are stacked, placed crosswise, a bottom surface against an upper surface a portion against a portion. In this case the stackable elements can be placed in a first layer on the ground by the side of each other and then further a layer over and above the first one, a resting part upon another part and turned 90° in relation to the layer beneath. The upper surface comprises in this case two male portions consisting of two elevated plateaus, one in each part at the upper most region of the male portion in each separate planar surface, which is parallel with the bottom surface and the ground and which has a height of about 2-8 cm above the upper surface, so that the female portion is mainly as deep as a hollow formation located in that place. The plateau comprises a smaller extension surface than the extension surface of said part viewed in straight towards the upper surface. The plateau also comprises bevelled edges inclined inwards, so that its upper surfaces are inclined closer towards the middle point

than its lower parts, so that the male portion fits together with the hollow formation when the inner walls and roof of the hollow formation, in height and extension, is resting against the bevelled edges and the extension surface of the part.

The invention is described closer below with the help of some preferable embodiment examples in view of the drawings enclosed, in which

Fig. 1 shows a vertical section through a stackable element,

Fig. 2 shows a view straight from above of a part of two stackable elements, stacked one upon the other,

Fig.3 shows a vertical section of a view illustrated in Fig. 2, and

Fig.4 shows a side view of a number of stackable elements, stacked crosswise one upon the other .

As can be seen from Fig. 1 here is illustrated a stackable element 1 comprising a body 3 having bottom surfaces 4 and upper surfaces 6 and edge surfaces 5, said upper surfaces 6 having two male portions 14 directed upwards at the same time as said bottom surfaces 4 having two female portions 15. The stackable element 1 rests on a ground 10 and comprises two opening formations 8, formed as two crossing elongated grooves 9, which are illustrated in Fig. 2. These are extending across the upper surface 6 and a

bottom surface 7 in the female portions 15 through the stackable element 1, in which a sheet unit 11 can be placed in an opening formation 8 in constituting a side indication sign, so that the stackable element 1 in this case functions as a foot 2.

As can be seen from Fig. 2 and 3 the sheet unit 11 consists of a locking element 12, which is inserted into and through two opening formations 8 located one upon the other. The sheet unit 11 has a thickness 19, which in one place is larger than the width 20 of the groove 9. The stackable element 1 comprises of two equally formed parts 17, which are provided on each side of an imagined centre middle line 18, where each part 17 has an imagined middle point 21 viewed towards its upper portion 6, which is cutting through point for an imagined cross 22 of lines, which mainly corresponds to the extension of the grooves 9. The stackable unit 1 has handles 24 in the form of recesses, formed in the edge surface 5, which have contact with the female portion 15 in the form of a hollow formation 16. The male portions 14 are formed as elevated plateaus 26 having bevelled edges 23.

As can be seen from Fig. 4 here is illustrated a number of stackable elements 1 stacked crosswise one upon the other resting on the ground 10.