초록 ▼

A roadside post (10, 110) comprises an elongate body (30, 130) formed of sheet spring steel. The body (30, 130) has a longitudinal axis (L), a front face (31, 131) and a rear face (33, 133). The body (30, 130) is elastically bendable through 90' from an unbent state about a transverse axis (T) trans

A roadside post (10, 110) comprises an elongate body (30, 130) formed of sheet spring steel. The body (30, 130) has a longitudinal axis (L), a front face (31, 131) and a rear face (33, 133). The body (30, 130) is elastically bendable through 90' from an unbent state about a transverse axis (T) transverse to the longitudinal axis (L). The front and rear faces (31, 131, 33, 133) transversely extend generally parallel to the transverse axis (T). The roadside post (10) may further comprise a rigid base (20).

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. A roadside post comprising: an elongate body formed of a single sheet of spring steel, said body having a longitudinal axis, a transverse axis transverse to said longitudinal axis, a body front face and a body rear face, said body front and rear faces transversely exten

The invention claimed is: 1. A roadside post comprising: an elongate body formed of a single sheet of spring steel, said body having a longitudinal axis, a transverse axis transverse to said longitudinal axis, a body front face and a body rear face, said body front and rear faces transversely extending generally parallel to said transverse axis, said body being elastically bendable through 90 degrees from an unbent state about said transverse axis, said body formed with a plurality of longitudinally extending ribs, each rib having an apex separated from the apex of an adjacent rib by a trough; and a surface coating applied to said body front and rear faces and respectively providing an exposed front surface and an exposed rear surface of said roadside post. 2. The roadside post of claim 1 wherein said body is elastically bendable through 90 degrees from said unbent state about said transverse axis to either side of said longitudinal axis. 3. The roadside post of claim 1 wherein said body has a Rockwell hardness of C40 to C47. 4. The roadside post of claim 3 wherein said spring steel is high carbon steel C1075. 5. The roadside post of claim 1 wherein said body has a transverse width of approximately 75 mm to 120 mm. 6. The roadside post of claim 1 wherein said sheet of spring steel has a thickness of approximately 0.9 mm to 1.5 mm. 7. The roadside post of claim 1 wherein said body has a substantially arcuate transverse cross-section. 8. The roadside post of claim 7 wherein said transverse cross-section has a radius of approximately 100 mm to 250 mm. 9. The roadside post of claim 1 wherein said body has a channel shaped transverse cross-section comprising a central web and two lateral flanges. 10. The roadside post of claim 9 wherein the angle formed between said web and each said flange is approximately 150 degrees to 175 degrees. 11. The roadside post of claim 1 wherein said post further comprises a rigid base adapted to be driven into the ground, a first end of said body being fixed to said base. 12. The roadside post of claim 11 wherein said base has a tapered end longitudinally distal of the body, said base tapered end being adapted to be driven into the ground. 13. The roadside post of claim 1 wherein a first end of said body is adapted to be driven into the ground. 14. The roadside post of claim 13 wherein said body first end is tapered. 15. The roadside post of claim 1 wherein said body includes a mark indicative of the location of the surface of the ground when said post is driven into the ground to a design depth. 16. The roadside post of claim 15 wherein said mark is a hole. 17. A roadside post installation comprising the roadside post of claim 1 in which said post is driven into the ground. 18. The roadside post installation of claim 17 wherein a recess is formed in the ground immediately adjacent said body to allow uninhibited bending of said body, said recess extending across either of said body front face and said body rear face. 19. The roadside post installation of claim 18 wherein said recess extends approximately 50 mm to 150 mm from said transverse axis at the surface of the ground. 20. The roadside post installation of claim 18 wherein said recess has a depth of approximately 50 mm to 150 mm. 21. The roadside post installation of claim 18 wherein two said recesses are formed in the ground, a first said recess extending across said body front face and a second said recess extending across said body rear face. 22. The roadside post installation of claim 18 wherein said post further comprises a rigid base adapted to be driven into the ground, a first end of said body being fixed to said base, and the entire said base is located beneath the surface of the ground. 23. The roadside post installation of claim 22 wherein a top of said base is located at a depth of approximately 50 mm to 150 mm beneath the surface of the ground. 24. The roadside post of claim 1 wherein said apexes of each adjacent pair of said ribs are laterally separated by about 5 mm to about 25 mm. 25. The roadside post of claim 24 wherein each said apex protrudes about 0.2 mm to about 0.8 mm from an adjacent said trough. 26. The roadside post of claim 13 wherein said body further comprises a barb located toward said first end of said body and projecting toward an opposing second end of said body. 27. The roadside post of claim 1 wherein said body includes a taper at a first end thereof, said taper extending outwardly from a central portion of said first end. 28. A method of installing the roadside post of claim 1, said method comprising driving said post into the ground. 29. The method of claim 28 further comprising forming at least one recess in the ground immediately adjacent said body to allow uninhibited bending of said body, said at least one recess extending across either of said body front face and said body rear face. 30. The method of claim 29 wherein said at least one recess extends approximately 50 mm to 150 mm from said transverse axis at the surface of the ground. 31. The method of claim 29 wherein said at least one recess has a depth of approximately 50 mm to 150 mm. 32. The method of claim 29 wherein two said recesses are formed in the ground, a first said recess extending across said body front face and a second said recess extending across said body rear face. 33. A roadside post comprising: an elongate body formed of a single sheet of spring steel, said body having a longitudinal axis, a transverse axis transverse to said longitudinal axis, a body front face and a body rear face transversely extending generally parallel to said transverse axis, said body being elastically bendable through 90 degrees from an unbent state about said transverse axis, having a substantially arcuate cross-section and including a mark at a position indicative of the location of the surface of the ground when said post is driven into the ground to a design depth, and a barb located between said mark and a first end of said body and projecting toward an opposing second end of said body, said first end of said body being tapered to enable said body to be driven into the ground, and said body being formed with a plurality of longitudinally extending ribs, each of said ribs having an apex separated from the apex of an adjacent rib by a trough. 34. The roadside post of claim 33, wherein said mark is a hole. 35. The roadside post of claim 33, further comprising: a surface coating applied to said body front and rear faces and respectively providing an exposed front surface and an exposed rear surface of said roadside post. 36. The roadside post of claim 33, wherein: said body has a transverse width of about 75 mm to about 120 mm; said sheet spring steel has a thickness of about 0.9 mm to about 1.5 mm; said arcuate transverse cross-section has a radius of about 100 mm to about 250 mm; and said body is elastically bendable through 90 degrees from said unbent state about said transverse axis to either side of said longitudinal axis. 37. The roadside post of claim 33 wherein: said apexes of said adjacent ribs are laterally spaced by about 5 mm to about 25 mm, each of said apexes protruding by about 0.2 mm to about 0.8 mm from an adjacent said trough.