Magnetic vehicle roof mounted sign holder
A magnetic roof-mounted sign holder with brackets addresses the challenge of securing escort vehicle signage on everyday vehicles, enabling easy and compliant signage for farmers escorting wide loads.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- GB · GB
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- PREECE ALEX JAMES DOUGLAS
- Filing Date
- 2024-10-27
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-10
AI Technical Summary
Farmers often use their everyday vehicles to escort wide loads, which require signage but find it cumbersome to secure suitable signs due to complexity, leading to non-compliance with legal requirements.
A roof-mounted sign holder with magnetic brackets that uses magnets for attachment, allowing easy mounting and removal, and can accommodate various signs, with the option to reverse the sign when not in use.
Provides a compliant and efficient means for farmers to secure escort vehicle signage, ensuring legal requirements are met with ease and convenience.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
IMAGES Image 1: Vehicle-roof-mounted magnetic bracket, connected to the sign holder, in situ on a vehicle roof. Image 2: Vehicle-roof-mounting magnetic fixing brackets Alex Preece July 2024 DESCRIPTION Magnetic Vehicle Roof Mounted Sign Holder This invention relates to a device for ensuring vehicles are compliant when escorting wide loads on the public highway. This is primarily for use in the agricultural industry where escort vehicles are a legal requirement for any vehicles that are 3.5m or more in width. The agricultural dispensation scheme allows farmers to chaperon their own machines, within a 25-mile radius of their base, using a suitable escort vehicle running ahead to warn oncoming traffic. Requirements for escorting farm vehicles includes: • Signage on the vehicle identifying it as an escort vehicle. The Highways Agency Code of Practice Lighting and Marking for Abnormal Load Self escorting vehicles further states 'The vehicle shall be marked clearly to identify that it is an escort vehicle. In addition, a fixed or removable sign may be fitted to the front and rear of the vehicle. The sign should only be displayed when the vehicle is actively engaged in escorting an abnormal load. The wording on this sign shall be ABNORMAL LOAD or WIDE LOAD as standard. The sign shall be mounted such that the sign face is perpendicular to the road surface and the text is horizontal. The sign shall be mounted on the roof of the escort vehicle or on the front.' However, as the vehicles which need escorting are only used for short periods of time farmers tend to use their everyday vehicles to escort, rather than a specific sign written escort vehicle as used in construction or mobile home transport. Furthermore, securing a suitable sign to the vehicle is not a straightforward process and on occasion does not take place due to the complexity of this. To overcome these problems the present invention proposes a roof mounted sign holder, with its brackets affixed to a vehicle by magnetic force, with the magnets acting as a cushion to prevent metal to metal contact. With the magnetic force, tested to a maximum speed of 25mph is suitable for the slow-moving nature of farm vehicles, and this will be specified on the invention. Various signs can be mounted in the sign holder, which also allows for the sign to be reversed thus blanking the message for the when vehicles are not actively engaged in escorting. The sign holder can easily be lifted on and off the roof of vehicles, it is lightweight and is a one-person task. The robust materials used for the brackets and sign mount enable this invention to be re-used in years to come. The invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying images in which: Image 1 shows the vehicle-roof-mounted magnetic bracket, connected to the sign holder, in situ on a vehicle roof. Image 2 shows the magnetic fixing brackets.
Claims
1. A magnetic vehicle roof mounted fixing base for attaching to a sign holder on the roof of an escort vehicle when transporting abnormal loads / slow moving vehicles.
2. The sign held within the sign holder meets BSAU 152, Type 4 (1265mm x 225mm).