Stanchion apparatus for umbrella and crowd control rope line

Abstract

A cylindrical two-piece pole stand assembly that automatically locks together upon insertion of a pole is disclosed which has a permanently set in-ground sleeve base formed of a length of tubing with a top end and a bottom end. A crowd control and umbrella stanchion made from a length of tubing has an outside surface with a diameter that allows for a sliding fit into or onto the sleeve. The crowd control and umbrella stanchion includes a locking mechanism for locking the crowd control and umbrella stanchion to the sleeve base. The crowd control and umbrella stanchion has a pair of upper loops welded on opposite sides of an upper portion of the crowd control and umbrella stanchion which provides a single stanchion upright which allows for the attachment of crowd control ropes or chains and also provides for the insertion of an umbrella pole to allow for an umbrella to be secured in the same location as said stanchion uprights.

Claims

1. An improved cylindrical two-piece pole stand assembly that automatically locks together upon insertion of a pole comprising: a permanently set in-ground sleeve base comprised of a length of tubing with a top sleeve end and a bottom sleeve end; a crowd control and umbrella stanchion comprised of a length of tubing with an outside surface with a diameter that allows for a sliding fit into or onto the sleeve, said crowd control and umbrella stanchion having an upper stanchion portion and a lower stanchion portion and having a top stanchion end and a bottom stanchion end, said crowd control and umbrella stanchion also having a collar attached to said lower stanchion portion and including a locking mechanism for locking the crowd control and umbrella stanchion to the in-ground sleeve base; said crowd control and umbrella stanchion having a pair of upper loops attached on opposite sides of said upper stanchion portion of said crowd control and umbrella stanchion providing a single stanchion upright which allows for the attachment of crowd control ropes or chains and also allows for the insertion of an umbrella pole to allow for an umbrella to be secured in the same location as said single stanchion upright utilized for crown control ropes or chains.

2. A pole stand as claimed in claim 1, wherein said crowd control and umbrella stanchion also has a pair of lower loops welded on opposite sides of said lower stanchion portion of said crowd control and umbrella stanchion.

3. A pole stand as claimed in claim 1, wherein said crowd control and umbrella stanchion has a length of at least 30 inches.

4. A pole stand as claimed in claim 1, wherein said crowd control and umbrella stanchion is removable from said in-ground sleeve base only after said pole is removed from the assembly.

5. A pole stand as claimed in claim 1, wherein a nut and bolt are utilized to prevent said collar from being lifted upward and thus preventing said crowd control and umbrella stanchion from being removed from said in-ground sleeve base.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] FIG. 1 is a front view of the assembled pole stand insert and sleeve base of the prior art apparatus described in Apple, U.S. Pat. No. 5,337,989.

[0011] FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the assembled pole stand insert and sleeve base taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1 of the prior art apparatus described in Apple, U.S. Pat. No. 5,337,989.

[0012] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a prior art rope line showing spaced-apart stanchions with loops for attaching a rope, chain or ribbon.

[0013] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a prior art assembled pole stand insert and sleeve base of the apparatus described in Apple, U.S. Pat. No. 5,337,989 positioned close to a prior art crowd control stanchion.

[0014] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the crowd control and umbrella stanchion present invention.

[0015] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an upper portion of the crowd control and umbrella stanchion present invention.

[0016] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a lower portion of the crowd control and umbrella stanchion present invention as attached to the in-ground sleeve.

[0017] FIG. 8 is a side elevation view of the crowd control and umbrella stanchion of present invention.

[0018] FIG. 9 is a side elevation view of the crowd control and umbrella stanchion shown in FIG. 8 as rotated 90 degrees.

[0019] FIG. 10 shows a series of crowd control and umbrella stanchions supporting both an umbrella and ropes for crowd control.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0020] Referring first to the prior art of FIGS. 1 and 2, a pole stand assembly includes a permanently set in-ground sleeve 12 that serves as a base and a detachable crowd control and umbrella stanchion 50 that provides vertical support for the pole. Sleeve 12 consists of a cylindrical stainless-steel tube 16 welded to both a stainless steel flat 18 at one end and a cylindrical stainless-steel collar 20 at the other end. A small length of collar 20 is bored out, prior to sleeve assembly and on its inner surface, establishing a small cylindrical groove above the top edge of tube 16. Hole 22 is drilled through flat 18 to allow for proper drainage.

[0021] FIG. 3 shows a series of prior art crowd stanchions which are permanently affixed in the ground to provide a means to attach crowd control ropes or chains.

[0022] FIG. 4 shows two existing prior art closely mounted devices side by side into a concrete slab 300 (or otherwise mounted into the ground) which shows the need for two separate vertical support members. The umbrella pole 100 for umbrella 102 requires a permanently set-in-ground sleeve 12 and a detachable tubular insert 14 as more fully described in Apple, U.S. Pat. No. 5,337,989. The crowd control device requires a separate stanchion 200 mounted to the ground, either in the same manner as the tubular insert 12 described in the Apple patent or by being attached to a base place 206 bolted to the concrete 300. The crowd control stanchion has loops 202 to secure crowd control chain 202. This figure was derived from a photograph which, prior to the present invention, shows the need for separate stanchions for crowd control and for an umbrella stand even when juxtaposed to one another.

[0023] Referring now to FIGS. 5 through 10, the crowd control and umbrella stanchion 50 of the present invention consists of a cylindrical stainless steel tube with an outside surface diameter that is slightly smaller than the inside diameter of tubing 16 of the in-ground sleeve 12 which allows for a sliding fit of the crowd control and umbrella stanchion into the in-ground sleeve 12. A cylindrical stainless-steel collar 70 is welded to crowd control and umbrella stanchion 50 on its outside surface. The locking mechanism of the present invention is the same as that described in Apple, U.S. Pat. No. 5,337,989 and will not be repeated here.

[0024] A crowd control and umbrella stanchion 50 is provided which is comprised of a length of steel tubing having an upper portion 52 and a lower portion 54 and having a top end 56 and a bottom end 58. As indicated, a tubular extension collar 70 is welded to the lower portion 54 of the crowd control and umbrella stanchion 50. The bottom end 58 of the crowd control and umbrella stanchion is inserted into the in-ground sleeve 12 to a depth shown as the ground level by the dashed line 80 in FIG. 9. A bolt and nut 72 inserted through hole 71 are utilized to prevent collar 70 of the crowd control and umbrella stanchion from being lifted out of the in-ground sleeve 12. The crowd control and umbrella stanchion has an overall length of at least 30 inches and is preferably 36 inches in length. Providing a crowd control and umbrella stanchion with a shorter length would make the stanchion less functional as a crowd control device and might result in a tripping hazard.

[0025] The tubular extension 50 has a pair of upper loops 60 which are preferably semicircular in configuration and are welded on opposite sides of said upper portion 52 of crowd control and umbrella stanchion 50. The crowd control and umbrella stanchion 50 provides a stanchion upright which allows attachment of crowd control rope, chain or ribbon 90. The crowd control and umbrella stanchion also provide for the insertion of an umbrella pole 100 of umbrella 102 to allow for the umbrella to be secured in the same location as any crowd control and umbrella stanchion upright 51. As shown, the crowd control and umbrella stanchion 50 also preferably has a pair of lower loops 62 welded on opposite sides of said lower portion 54 of said tubular extension 50.

[0026] FIG. 10 shows the present invention as in use for both a crowd control device and as an umbrella stand. The in-ground sleeve bases 12 are shown to illustrate the entire structure but, in actual use, these sleeve bases 12 would not be visible as they would be embedded into the ground or concrete. If desired, an umbrella could be placed into each of the crowd control and umbrella stanchions 50 (or at any desired interval such as every second or third stanchion) to provide shade all along the path created by the crowd control rope lines greatly increasing the comfort of each of the members of a crowd as they make their way through the queue and also providing increased protection from harsh sun or rain.

[0027] While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is understood that this is capable of modification, and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth, but desire to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims.