Signals and indicators – Flags and flagstaffs – Nonfouling
Reexamination Certificate
2003-05-12
2004-10-05
Fulton, Christopher W. (Department: 2859)
Signals and indicators
Flags and flagstaffs
Nonfouling
C248S511000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06799530
ABSTRACT:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
None.
STATEMENT AS TO RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS MADE UNDER FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to flagpoles, which are used to display flags or banners in an elevated, prominent position for visual observation. More particularly, this invention relates to an improved rotatable flagpole apparatus in which the flag and the flagpole freely rotate following the wind direction in order to avoid the flag from being wrapped around the pole.
2. Brief Description of Prior Art
Pole arrangements for supporting flags or light banners are widely known and are used in various environments for different purposes in the United States and throughout the world. One very common type of flagpole arrangement is one wherein a relatively rigid pole is fixedly secured to the side of a structure, such a residence, and upwardly extends from the structure. Such flagpole is generally temporarily mounted and is easily removed.
One problem which plagues prior art flagpoles described above is that the flag or banner may wrap itself around the pole when the wind changes direction. In order to resolve this problem, flagpole arrangements have been developed which incorporate a bearing structure to permit rotation of the pole. This is a relatively costly, and uneconomical means of achieving the particular objective of preventing the flag from wrapping itself around the pole.
As designs for conventional and rotatable flagpole arrangements continue to evolve, it is recognized that improvements in economy of construction, functional efficiency and design, as well as improvements in appearance and visual effect are desirable singly in unvarying degrees with each other.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,595,202, is one prior art patent that shows the use of bearings to allow a rotational motion that will unfurl a flag wrapped around a pole. This arrangement is unnecessarily complex and expensive to manufacture. Further, ball bearings and similar arrangements require frequent maintenance particularly when used outdoors. Without maintenance the lubrication in the device dries out and the device quits working.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,870,968 discloses a flag unfurling device having a plurality of sleeves
36
,
37
rotatably supported on a number of bearing surfaces
31
,
32
,
33
,
34
as well as a number of fixed collars and sleeves. This arrangement creates and undesirable amount of drag between the fixed and rotating elements because of the amount of drag surface.
As will be seen from the subsequent description, the preferred embodiments of the present invention overcome shortcomings of the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a rotatable flagpole apparatus. The flagpole apparatus being designed for preventing the flag or banner from wrapping itself around the pole when the wind changes direction. The rotatable flagpole apparatus generally includes a sleeve, an end cap, a collar, and a flagpole extending within the sleeve. The end cap and the collar are affixed to the outer surface of the sleeve. The flagpole apparatus further includes an end member defining a shoulder, the end member slidably received within the top end of the flagpole, and positioned within the end cap. A top edge of the sleeve abuts the shoulder of the end member when received within the top end of the flagpole. The sleeve and the cap fit in loose communication with the flagpole so that the sleeve rotates in response to wind force on an attached flag. The flag is attached to the flagpole apparatus by first and second eye screws. The first eye screw is threadably received within an opening in the end cap, and preferably extends through the opening of the end cap and threadably connects the end cap to the sleeve. The second eye screw is threadably received within an opening of the collar. The second eye screw extends through the opening of the collar and threadably connects the collar to the sleeve. The sleeve, end cap, and collar tend to rotate in response to wind force on an attached flag, in order to permit the flag to rotate in aligned parallel relationship with the wind. This reduces the tendency of the flag to wrap itself around the flagpole.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1225608 (1917-05-01), Freeman, Jr.
patent: 2711712 (1955-06-01), Reed, Jr.
patent: 3587520 (1971-06-01), Miller
patent: 4488431 (1984-12-01), Miga
patent: 4727822 (1988-03-01), Wikkerink
patent: 5615635 (1997-04-01), Deviney
patent: 5904116 (1999-05-01), Wyner et al.
patent: 6079350 (2000-06-01), Parker
patent: 6129035 (2000-10-01), Schweinberger
patent: 6422913 (2002-07-01), Trejo
Fulton Christopher W.
Price, Esq. Gary K.
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