Post Mounting System and Device

Abstract

A post mounting system includes a post and at least one device for mounting to the post. The post includes a first elongate flange and at least one other elongate flange projecting from a proximal edge of the first flange. A portion of the first flange is deformed to facilitate mounting of the device. The device is located at a given position along the first flange. Upon being located in the given position, the device interacts with the deformed portion to resist lateral movement away from the first flange. The device can include a body and projections that define a recess. Remote ends of the projections are spaced from each other by a distance that is less than a lateral width of the deformed portion. The device can be positioned onto the post and receive the deformed portion in the recess to enable mounting of the device.

1 - 44 . (canceled) 
     
     
         48 . A post mounting system comprising a post and at least one device for mounting to the post:
 the post being of a type that comprises a first elongate flange that defines a stalk of the post; and at least two other elongate projecting flanges that each project from a proximal edge of the stalk, with a portion of the stalk being deformed relative to a remainder of the stalk to facilitate mounting of the device thereto;   the device being adapted for mounting to the stalk and not to the other flanges, the device being further adapted such that, immediately upon being located at a given position along the stalk, the device interacts with the deformed portion to resist lateral movement away from the stalk.   
     
     
         49 . A system as claimed in  claim 48 , wherein the deformed portion of the stalk is defined:
 (a) along a distal edge of the first flange, wherein the given position is located along the distal edge, with the deformed portion being defined as an enlargement along the distal edge relative to a remainder of the stalk, and with the device interacting with the enlargement immediately upon being located in the given position to resist lateral movement away from the stalk; and/or   (b) in sides of the first flange.   
     
     
         50 . A system as claimed in  claim 49 , wherein the device is mounted to the post by:
 snap-fitting to the post, whereby the device is forced onto the distal edge to deform around and snap onto the enlargement;   spring-fitting to the post, whereby the device is forced onto the distal edge such that part(s) of the device are biased out and then spring back once past the enlargement;   slide-mounting to the post, whereby the device is slid onto the enlargement and to the given position via an end of the stalk, and interferes with the enlargement once at the given position to resist lateral movement away from the stalk; or   swaging to the post at the given position, by sliding the device onto the enlargement via an end of the stalk to the given position, and then swaging the device to the post.   
     
     
         51 . A system as claimed in  claim 50 , wherein the enlargement comprises one or more protrusions that extend from and along the distal edge. 
     
     
         52 . A system as claimed in  claim 51 , wherein two protrusions are defined along opposite sides of the distal edge by:
 (i) first and second elongate lugs that project laterally from the stalk at the distal edge wherein, when the stalk is viewed in end profile, each of the first and second elongate lugs has a thickness that is less than the width of the distal edge;   (ii) a relatively thicker section of the stalk that extends along the distal edge and that defines first and second lateral faces on the protrusions, with the first and second faces being located laterally further from a centreline of the stalk than adjacent faces of a remainder of the stalk and wherein, when the stalk is viewed in end profile, the first and second faces are spaced from each other by a dimension that is less than a depth of the thicker section of the stalk.   
     
     
         53 . A system as claimed in  claim 52 , wherein a plurality of discrete indentations are defined in the enlargement along the distal edge, with a given indentation able to be engaged by a respective device when located at the given position to secure the device against sliding movement along the edge; and wherein:
 (i) the indentations comprise a series of notches located along one or both sides of the first and second elongate lugs, with each device including at least one protuberance for receipt in a given indentation when the device is located at the given position;   (ii) shoulders extend between the first and second faces and a remainder of the stalk, and the indentations comprise a series of rebates located along one or both of the shoulders, with the rebates defining a castellated profile along one or both of the shoulders, or the rebates being defined as a series of curved or V-shaped indentations along one or both of the shoulders, with a correspondingly shaped surface being defined within the device that corresponds to and is able to locate in a given rebate.   
     
     
         54 . A system as claimed in  claim 48 , wherein, when the device is located at the given position, and to secure the device against sliding movement along the stalk, the device is adapted in use to engage the stalk via:
 one or more grub screws in the device that can be advanced against the stalk;   a wedge element in the device that can be moved in the device to act against the stalk.   
     
     
         55 . A system as claimed in  claim 49 , wherein in (b) the deformed portion of the stalk comprises sides of the flange that are indented generally along a centreline of the flange, with the indented direction of adjacent indentations alternating along the length of the stalk, and wherein the device comprises two projections that are biased together, the device being adapted to be spring-fitted to the stalk by mounting the device onto the flange such that the projections are caused to be biased out and to sit on opposite respective sides of the flange, with the projections comprising inward protrusions that are each arranged therealong to locate in a respective indentation to secure the device against sliding movement along the stalk. 
     
     
         56 . A system as claimed in  claim 48 , wherein the device is configured for securing a strand or a retainer thereat whereby, when the device is secured to the post:
 the strand can be secured with respect to the post; or   the retainer is able to retain a component between itself and the device, whereby the retainer and the component can be secured with respect to the post.   
     
     
         57 . A device configured for mounting to a post along from an end of the post, the post being of a type that comprises an elongate flange, with a portion of the flange being deformed relative to a remainder of the flange to facilitate mounting of the device thereto, the device comprising:
 a body;   projections extending from the body that define a recess therebetween, with remote ends of the projections being spaced from each other by a distance that is less than a lateral width of the deformed portion of the flange prior to mounting the device to the post,   the device being further configured such that it is able to be mounted to the post along from its end to be retained against sliding along the flange, whereby the recess receives the deformed portion of the flange therein and the projections interact with the deformed portion to resist lateral movement away from the flange.   
     
     
         58 . A device as claimed in  claim 57 , wherein, in end profile, the projections each comprise a head at a remote end of the projection, with each head comprising an inner face that is disposed so as to facilitate its movement across a respective side of the flange as the device is mounted to the post. 
     
     
         59 . A device as claimed in  claim 58 , wherein the deformed portion of the flange comprises a distal edge that is enlarged relative to a remainder of the flange, and wherein each head is connected to the device body by a neck, the neck length being such that, when the device is mounted to the post, each head sits snugly behind the enlarged distal edge at its respective side of the flange. 
     
     
         60 . A device as claimed in  claim 59 , wherein one or more discrete indentations are provided in a spaced manner along the enlarged distal edge of the flange, with the device being configured within its recess to be received in the indentation once the device has been mounted to the post, to retain the device against sliding along the flange distal edge, the device being configured by:
 providing a protuberance within the recess that is adapted to be received in a given indentation along a front face of the enlarged distal edge of the flange;   providing a shaped, recess-facing internal face at each head, that is adapted to interact with a correspondingly shaped rear face of the enlarged distal edge of the flange.   
     
     
         61 . A device as claimed in  claim 59 , wherein the device is:
 formed of a resiliently deformable material such that, during its mounting to the post, the at least one neck can allow its head to deflect outwardly to enable the device to be snap-fitted or spring-fitted to the post; or   is slid into position along the enlarged distal edge via an end of the enlarged distal edge of the flange, wherein the enlarged distal edge is received in the recess and, once in position along the post, the device is constrained against further sliding movement by:   forming the projections of a material that is able to be swaged such that, once the device is in position along the post, swaging of the projections causes each head to be forced against the adjacent part of the flange on either side thereof; or   defining one of the heads on one of the projections as a moveable wedge, with this projection being provided with an angled, recess-facing internal face along which a correspondingly angled face of the wedge can slide such that, once the device is in position along the post, moving the wedge causes the wedge to slide along the angled internal face and progressively be forced against the adjacent part of the flange; or   providing a head on one of the projections, and omitting the head on the other projection, wherein one or more grub screws are provided in the other projection, adjacent to a distal end thereof, such that, once the device is in position along the post, the one or more grub screws can be advanced against an adjacent part of the flange.   
     
     
         62 . A device as claimed in  claim 57 , wherein the projections form part of a spring-loaded clip, whereby the remote ends of the projections are biased towards each other. 
     
     
         63 . A device as claimed in  claim 62 , wherein each projection is in the form a plate, with the body taking the form of an elongate half-pipe, wherein each plate projects from a respective elongate side of the half pipe to define the spring-loaded clip, with a distal edge of each plate-like projection being bent out and back to define a round distal edge, and wherein a transversely extending slot is formed to extend into each plate from its distal edge, the slot having a bell mouth at its opening, and wherein tabs are formed to extend in from the sides of each plate for engaging with a respective deformed portion of the flange. 
     
     
         64 . A device as claimed in  claim 57  that is further configured to retain an item thereat such that, when the device is secured to the post, the item can be secured with respect to the post, wherein the item to be retained includes:
 (i) a strand; 
 (ii) a retainer that is adapted for being secured with respect to the device. 
 
     
     
         65 . A device as claimed in  claim 64 , wherein, in the case of:
 the body retaining a strand, the body defines a recess for receiving the strand therein and for retaining the strand at the post when the device is mounted to the post, with the body recess being defined by two fingers that project out from an opposite side of the body to the projections, with ends of the fingers overlapping in a manner such that, to position the strand in the body recess in use, the strand needs to be skew-manoeuvred with respect to the fingers; or   the projections retaining a strand, the projections define a recess which enables the strand to be retained between the body and the distal edge of the flange when the device is mounted to the post, with this recess being defined by:   a slot that extends transversely through each projection from a distal end of the projection, towards or into the body; or   a slot that extends up and into each projection, and back towards the body, the slot extending from an in-use underside of the projection; or   a retainer, the retainer is adapted for securing a further item with respect to the body whereby, when the device is secured to the post, the further item can be secured with respect to the post, with the retainer comprising:   a separate fastener that is releasably securable to the body, with the separate fastener being able to secure the further item at the body; or   an element that is pivotally or hingedly mounted to the body for movement between a release position in which the further item can be released from or positioned ready for retention at the body, and a securing position in which the further item is securely retained by the element at the body.   
     
     
         66 . A post adapted for having at least one device mounted thereto, the post being of a type that comprises at least one elongate flange, wherein a portion of a side of the flange comprises:
 one or more indentations on each side of the flange to facilitate mounting of the device thereto;   one or more deformations that are formed in a body of the flange away from a distal edge of the flange to facilitate mounting of the device thereto.   
     
     
         67 . A post as claimed in  claim 66 , wherein the indentations are formed to extend along each side of a distal edge of the flange, or wherein the deformations extend generally along a centreline of the body of the flange, with the indented or deformed direction of adjacent indentations or deformations alternating along the length of the flange.