Driveway marker pole mount systems

Abstract

A mounting system for driveway marker poles includes a mount body, a coil spring and a ground spike. The mount body includes an upper end with an opening for receiving a driveway marker, the opening leading to an internal axial passage. The mount body includes a lower portion sized to slidingly engage within an upper segment of the coil spring with an interference to retain the mount body to the coil spring. The ground spike includes a threaded upper end with an exterior thread configured to threadedly engage into a lower segment of the coil spring. Systems without a coil spring are also described.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A mounting system for a driveway marker pole, the system comprising:
 a mount body including an upper end with an opening for receiving a driveway marker, the opening leading to an internal axial passage;   wherein the mount body is configured with one or more of features (i), (ii) or (iii) below:
 (i) the mount body is formed of a material having a durometer of between about Shore 70A and about Shore 85A; 
 or 
 (ii) the mount body includes an upper annular rim that completely surrounds the opening; 
 or 
 (iii) the mount body includes a lower portion with a plurality circumferentially spaced apart exterior axial ribs. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the mount body is configured with all of features (i), (ii) and (iii). 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein a diameter of the upper annular rim is no more than 2.2 times a diameter of a spring insert section of the mount body. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the internal axial passage includes at least a first axial segment adjacent the opening and a second axial segment below the first axial segment, wherein the first axial segment has a first perimeter dimension sized for receiving and holding a driveway marker pole having a first diameter, wherein the second axial segment has a second perimeter dimension, which is smaller than the first perimeter dimension and sized for receiving and holding a driveway marker pole having a second diameter, wherein the second diameter is smaller than the first diameter. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the first axial segment is substantially cylindrical and the second axial segment is substantially cylindrical. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the first axial segment has a substantially circular perimeter shape, with a first diameter, in a first plane transverse to an axis of the internal axial passage, wherein the second axial segment has a substantially circular perimeter shape, with a second diameter, in a second plane transverse to the internal axial passage, the second diameter being smaller than the first diameter. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the second diameter is less than 90% of the first diameter. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a coil spring;   wherein the mount body includes a lower portion slidingly engaged within an upper end segment of the coil spring and the upper annular rim defines a lower surface for engaging with a top of the coil spring to limit progression into the coil spring.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a driveway marker having a diameter of 0.3125 inches, wherein the driveway marker is slidably engageable into the internal axial passage with an interference fit, and the internal axial passage is sized and configured such that the driveway marker can be manually slid into the internal axial passage with an axially applied force of no more the forty pounds.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , further comprising a ground spike engaged within a lower end segment of the coil spring. 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8 , further comprising a driveway marker pole engaged in the axial passage of the mount body, wherein the lower portion of the mount body is engaged within the upper end segment of the coil spring, and wherein an axial pullout force necessary to remove the lower portion of the mount body from coil spring is greater than an axial pullout force necessary to remove a driveway marker from the internal axial passage. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the lower portion of the mount body includes a plurality circumferentially spaced apart exterior axial ribs. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the lower portion of the mount body includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart exterior axial ribs. 
     
     
         15 - 16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the mount body includes an upper portion that includes the internal axial passage, a middle portion and a lower base portion, wherein the lower base portion includes a through opening for receiving a ground spike, wherein the middle portion is configured to enable flexing of the upper portion relative to the lower base portion. 
     
     
         18 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the material is a polyurethane material. 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A mounting system for driveway marker poles, the system comprising:
 a mount body;   a coil spring;   a ground spike;   wherein the mount body includes an upper end with an opening for receiving a driveway marker, the opening leading to an internal axial passage;   wherein the mount body includes a lower portion slidingly engaged within an upper segment of the coil spring with an interference to releasably retain the mount body to the coil spring;   wherein the ground spike includes a threaded upper end with an exterior thread configured to threadedly engage into a lower segment of the coil spring.   
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the internal axial passage includes at least a first axial segment adjacent the opening and a second axial segment below the first axial segment, wherein the first axial segment has a first perimeter dimension, wherein the second axial segment has a second perimeter dimension, which is smaller than the first perimeter dimension. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the mount body is formed of a material having a durometer of between about Shore 75A and about Shore 82A. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the lower portion of the mount body includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart exterior axial ribs. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the mount body includes an upper rim portion sized to engage with an upper end of the upper segment of the coil spring to limit movement of the mount body into the upper segment, wherein the upper rim portion completely surrounds the opening in the upper end of the mount body. 
     
     
         27 . A mounting system for driveway marker poles, the system comprising:
 a mount body;   a coil spring;   a ground spike;   wherein the mount body includes an upper end with an opening for receiving a driveway marker, the opening leading to an internal axial passage;   wherein the mount body includes a lower portion sized to slidingly engage within an upper segment of the coil spring with an interference fit sufficient to retain the mount body to the coil spring but to permit removal of the mount body from the coil spring manually without the aid of any tool;   wherein the ground spike includes an upper end configured to matingly engage into a lower segment of the coil spring;   wherein the mount body is formed of a material having a durometer of between about Shore 75A and about Shore 85A; and   wherein the mount body includes an upper rim portion sized to engage with an upper end of the upper segment of the coil spring to limit movement of the mount body into the upper segment.   
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein:
 the upper rim portion completely surrounds the opening in the upper end of the mount body, and wherein the internal axial passage is configured to slidingly receive at least two different sized driveway marker poles with an interference fit for retention;   the mount body includes a lower portion with a plurality circumferentially spaced apart exterior axial ribs.   
     
     
         29 - 33 . (canceled)