Crowd control barrier

Fences – Panel

Reexamination Certificate

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Details

C256S067000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06199833

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to crowd control barriers and, more particularly, to a crowd control barrier having a rotatable base that is lockable in different positions.
Crowd control barriers are generally well known and widely used for general crowd control, as well as for other uses. Typical crowd control barriers include a frame having a top rail, a bottom rail, end rails positioned between the top and bottom rails, and a plurality of vertically oriented rails positioned parallel to the end rails and also extending between the top and bottom rails. This type of crowd control barrier also commonly includes a base portion for supporting the frame in an upright position. This type of crowd control barrier is typically constructed of steel, other suitable metal material, or other suitable material for forming a crowd control barrier.
It is known to weld the base to the frame of the crowd control barrier for secure attachment therebetween. However, the base or the frame is frequently damaged during use and one or the other of these components frequently needs to be replaced. Of course, replacement of the base or the frame when these two components are welded together is difficult and expensive. Therefore, the practice of welding the base to the frame was eventually replaced with bolt on bases. Another disadvantage of welding the base to the frame is that the welding usually resulted in a zinc or galvanized protective coating contained on the material from which the crowd control barrier was constructed being damaged and the material beginning to rust. Bolt on bases allowed for easy replacement of the base or the frame without damaging the barrier or effecting the structural integrity of the barrier.
A disadvantage of bolt on bases is that the base typically remained in a fixed position with respect to the frame making transportation and storage of the crowd control barrier difficult. For example, the base typically is positioned perpendicular to the frame and projects outwardly from the frame such that when attempting to stack the barriers for transportation and storage the positioning of the base required additional space for transporting and storing the barriers. Typically, these type of crowd control barriers were placed in an offset stacking arrangement for transportation and storage.
It is known in the art to provide for a crowd control barrier where the base is removably attached to the frame by providing for a pair of aligned apertures that permit the base to be bolted to the frame. Typically, the bolt extends through one of the pair of aligned apertures such that the base is perpendicular to the frame and such that the bolt may be removed and reinserted through the other of the pair of aligned apertures so that the frame and base are aligned. However, the disadvantage of this arrangement is that it is difficult to remove and reinsert the bolt while properly aligning the same with the aligned apertures and, further, such a task typically requires more than one person to carry out the task.
French Patent No. 2,503,227 discloses what appears to be a crowd control barrier having a base that is attached to a frame by a friction fit arrangement such that the base is repositionable with respect to the frame without disconnecting the base from the frame. However, the disadvantage of this arrangement is that once the base is positioned in the desired position with respect to the frame, the base is not securely held in the desired position because of the friction fit arrangement therebetween.
What is needed, therefore, is a crowd control barrier having a frame and a base that is mounted to the frame such that the base may be easily rotated with respect to the frame between at least a use and a storage position and where the base may be locked to the frame in at least the use position and the storage position.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The crowd control barrier of the invention has met or exceeded the above-mentioned needs as well as others. The crowd control barrier comprises a frame and a base rotatably mounted to the frame and lockable in at least a first position and a second position. The crowd control barrier also comprises a pin for securing the base to the frame, the pin being in a first locked position when the base and frame are locked in the first position, the pin then being rotated into a second locked position so that the base can rotate to the second position, and the pin then being rotated again back to the first locked position when the base and the frame are locked in the second position.
The invention also includes a crowd control barrier comprising a frame, a base mounted to the frame, and means for rotatably locking the base to the frame, the base being rotatable between a first position and a second position and lockable in the first position and the second position.
The invention further includes a crowd control barrier for placement on a surface comprising a frame having a bottom rail and side rail extending from the bottom rail and a base rotatably secured to the bottom rail and rotatable between a first position where the base is in a common plane with the frame and a second position where the base is in a plane that is generally perpendicular to the common plane. The crowd control barrier further comprises the side rail including an outer limit point in the common plane which is on a line that is generally perpendicular to the surface, the base having no portion extending beyond the line.


REFERENCES:
patent: 406053 (1889-07-01), Mishler
patent: 5402988 (1995-04-01), Eisele
patent: 5863030 (1999-01-01), Kotler et al.
patent: 444900 (1968-02-01), None
patent: 2551637 (1977-06-01), None
patent: 1296138 (1962-05-01), None
patent: 2503227 (1981-04-01), None
patent: 2625238 (1989-06-01), None
patent: 2063956 (1981-06-01), None

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