GB1583706A

GB1583706A - Method and apparatus for laying warning signs

Info

Publication number: GB1583706A
Application number: GB1589978A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: SALON AUTOMYYNTI Oy
Current assignee: SALON AUTOMYYNTI Oy
Priority date: 1978-04-21
Filing date: 1978-04-21
Publication date: 1981-01-28

Description

(54) METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LAYING WARNING SIGNS (71) We, SALON AUTOMYYNTI OY, a Finnish Corporation of Turuntie 32, 24240 Salo 24, Finland, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to a method for laying warning signs onto the surface of a road or the like and apparatus for putting the method into effect.

As is known, warning signs are placed on road surfaces or the like, for example to warn people from driving on newly painted and still fresh road markings such as road centre lines, lane limits, etc. The warning signs are, as a rule, conical in shape and are placed manually on, beside or near the painting. Such manual placing of signs is, however, inconvenient and time-consuming. The present invention has the purpose of providing a mechanised way of laying such signs.

The present invention provides in one aspect apparatus for laying a series of tapered hollow warning signs which are open at the bottom and arranged in a stack with each sign extending partly into the one above it, said apparatus comprising a first support to extend below and support the stack in a first position and a second support comprising a pair of projections with a gap therebetween to fit, in a first position, around the bottom sign of a stack while extending under and supporting the signs above it, and means for moving the supports to enable signs to be dropped at spaced positions, the first and second supports both being movable whereby the first support may be moved from its first position to a second position clear of the stack to allow the bottom sign of the stack to be dropped onto a surface below while the rest of the stack rests on the second support, and the second support being movable to a second position clear of the stack while the stack is retained by guide means over the first support in its first position, to allow the stack to drop onto the first support.

In another aspect the invention provides a method for depositing hollow tapered open bottomed warning signs from a stack, which method comprises positioning a stack of such signs, with each sign in the stack extending partly inside the sign immediately above it, on a first support, interposing a second support around the bottom sign of the stack, the said second support having a pair of projecttions extending on either side of the said bottom sign and below the sign immediately above it, withdrawing the first support from below the stack to allow the said bottom sign to fall onto the ground leaving the rest of the stack supported by the said second support, moving the first support stack back to its position below the stack and withdrawing the second support from below the stack while a guide retains the stack above the first support whereby the stack again drops onto the first support, and moving the said supports and the stack to a position displaced from the position at which the bottom sign has been dropped, to drop a further sign from the stack.

The warning signs may be dropped onto the road directly or via an intermediate sliding track, belt or chain conveyor, or any other suitable apparatus.

The apparatus preferably includes at least one hollow vertical tube encircling a stack of signs and positionable over the first and second supports in their respective first positions.

The apparatus may include a plurality of such tubes positioned above a support plate having an aperture therein overlying the first positions of the two supports, the tubes being movable successively into a position above the said aperture to enable the stack of signs in each tube to fall through onto the first support. The plate can then act as the said guide to retain the stack in position.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated schematically in the attached drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 shows the apparatus for the distribution of sign cones as viewed from the top, and Fig. 2 shows a section of said apparatus along lines A-A as viewed in the direction of the arrows.

Conical warning signs 1, 2, 3 have been stacked on top of each other in a container 4 which is in the form of a hollow vertical tube.

They are supported by a plate 5 forming the first support, which is at 6 connected to a piston rod 8 projecting from a hydraulic cylin der 7. A piston rod 10 projecting from a hydraulic cylinder 9 is at 11 connected to a fork-shaped second support 12, the distance between whose legs is large enough so that a cone 1 can be accommodated between the legs when the legs are somewhat higher than the bottom of the cone but that the legs support the cone from underneath when the fork is placed underneath the cone.

When, by means of the piston of the hydraulic cylinder 7 and by means of the piston rod 8, the support 5 is pulled towards the right in Fig. 2, out from underneath the cone 1, the cone falls out from the stack. It then falls either straight to the desired point on the road or, having fallen from the stack, it is shifted onto the road by means of a sliding track, belt conveyor, or the like (not shown in the picture). The cone 2 and the cone or cones above same are, in consequence, lowered onto the fork 12, being no longer supported by the undermost cone 1.

Hereupon the first support 5 is pushed back to the position shown in Fig. 2, and then the fork 12 is pulled out from underneath the stack of cones by means of the piston of the hydraulic cylinder 9 and by the piston rod 10, whereby the stack of cones is lowered onto the first support 5, and the fork 12 is thereupon pushed back to the position shown in Fig. 2, whereby it again surrounds the second cone in the pile, as counted from the bottom. The operation can now go on in the way described above again for the purpose of letting the undermost cone fall off the stack.

In order to make the drawing clearer, only three cones have been shown therein, but there may be a great number of cones piled on top of each other, and they all can be allowed to fall off one at a time and at desired intervals from the stack in the way described above.

Once the cones in the container 4 have all been deposited, that container is replaced by the adjoining container 13 full of cones, and the container that has been removed from the obstacles is refilled with cones. In this way the distribution of cones can go on without interruption. To rotate the containers, they are connected by arms 14 to an axle 15, which may be rotated by a motor of its own, which can be started automatically when the container above the obstacles has been emptied and keep running until the next, full container is above the obstacles.

The containers 4, 13, and 16 to 19 may be, as is shown in the drawing, tubes of square cross-section and with open ends. The form of their cross-section may vary, however, and instead of a continuous mantle surface of the container it is possible to use e.g. strips or rods, standing vertically and separate from each other, provided they prevent the stack of cones or equivalent from falling over and guiding its lowering.

The impulse for starting the motor to turn the axle 15 and for keeping the motor going can be given for example by an air current, which can flow freely only when there are no cones above the obstacles. In such a case, the motor turning the axle 15 may be, e.g. a compressed-air motor.

The above apparatus for the distribution of warning signs may be connected to the rear of the machine performing marking painting on the road, and the driver of this machine can, when necessary, start and stop the apparatus of distribution of warning signs. In such a case, the apparatus may lower warning signs onto the road at specified intervals. The length of these intervals can be adjusted separately.

If the distance between signs show variation, by means of the apparatus it is also possible to lower signs individually at desired points.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- 1. Apparatus for laying a series of tapered hollow warning signs which are open at the bottom and arranged in a stack with each sign extending partly into the one above it, said apparatus comprising a first support to extend below and support the stack in a first position and a second support comprising a pair of projections with a gap therebetween to fit, in a first position around the bottom sign of a stack while extending under and supporting the signs above it, and means for moving the supports to enable signs to be dropped at spaced positions, the first and second supports both being movable whereby the first support may be moved from its first position to a second position clear of the stack to allow the bottom sign of the stack to be dropped onto a surface below the rest of the stack rests on the second support, and the second support being movable to a second position clear of the stack while the stack is retained by guide means over the first support in its first position, to allow the stack to drop onto the first support.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first support is a plate connected to a piston for horizontal movement between its first and second positions.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the second support is in the form of a fork and is connected to a piston for horizontal movement between its first and second positions.

4. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, which includes at least one hollow vertical tube to encircle a stack of signs and posi

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. Fig. 2 shows a section of said apparatus along lines A-A as viewed in the direction of the arrows. Conical warning signs 1, 2, 3 have been stacked on top of each other in a container 4 which is in the form of a hollow vertical tube. They are supported by a plate 5 forming the first support, which is at 6 connected to a piston rod 8 projecting from a hydraulic cylin der 7. A piston rod 10 projecting from a hydraulic cylinder 9 is at 11 connected to a fork-shaped second support 12, the distance between whose legs is large enough so that a cone 1 can be accommodated between the legs when the legs are somewhat higher than the bottom of the cone but that the legs support the cone from underneath when the fork is placed underneath the cone. When, by means of the piston of the hydraulic cylinder 7 and by means of the piston rod 8, the support 5 is pulled towards the right in Fig. 2, out from underneath the cone 1, the cone falls out from the stack. It then falls either straight to the desired point on the road or, having fallen from the stack, it is shifted onto the road by means of a sliding track, belt conveyor, or the like (not shown in the picture). The cone 2 and the cone or cones above same are, in consequence, lowered onto the fork 12, being no longer supported by the undermost cone 1. Hereupon the first support 5 is pushed back to the position shown in Fig. 2, and then the fork 12 is pulled out from underneath the stack of cones by means of the piston of the hydraulic cylinder 9 and by the piston rod 10, whereby the stack of cones is lowered onto the first support 5, and the fork 12 is thereupon pushed back to the position shown in Fig. 2, whereby it again surrounds the second cone in the pile, as counted from the bottom. The operation can now go on in the way described above again for the purpose of letting the undermost cone fall off the stack. In order to make the drawing clearer, only three cones have been shown therein, but there may be a great number of cones piled on top of each other, and they all can be allowed to fall off one at a time and at desired intervals from the stack in the way described above. Once the cones in the container 4 have all been deposited, that container is replaced by the adjoining container 13 full of cones, and the container that has been removed from the obstacles is refilled with cones. In this way the distribution of cones can go on without interruption. To rotate the containers, they are connected by arms 14 to an axle 15, which may be rotated by a motor of its own, which can be started automatically when the container above the obstacles has been emptied and keep running until the next, full container is above the obstacles. The containers 4, 13, and 16 to 19 may be, as is shown in the drawing, tubes of square cross-section and with open ends. The form of their cross-section may vary, however, and instead of a continuous mantle surface of the container it is possible to use e.g. strips or rods, standing vertically and separate from each other, provided they prevent the stack of cones or equivalent from falling over and guiding its lowering. The impulse for starting the motor to turn the axle 15 and for keeping the motor going can be given for example by an air current, which can flow freely only when there are no cones above the obstacles. In such a case, the motor turning the axle 15 may be, e.g. a compressed-air motor. The above apparatus for the distribution of warning signs may be connected to the rear of the machine performing marking painting on the road, and the driver of this machine can, when necessary, start and stop the apparatus of distribution of warning signs. In such a case, the apparatus may lower warning signs onto the road at specified intervals. The length of these intervals can be adjusted separately. If the distance between signs show variation, by means of the apparatus it is also possible to lower signs individually at desired points. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:-

1. Apparatus for laying a series of tapered hollow warning signs which are open at the bottom and arranged in a stack with each sign extending partly into the one above it, said apparatus comprising a first support to extend below and support the stack in a first position and a second support comprising a pair of projections with a gap therebetween to fit, in a first position around the bottom sign of a stack while extending under and supporting the signs above it, and means for moving the supports to enable signs to be dropped at spaced positions, the first and second supports both being movable whereby the first support may be moved from its first position to a second position clear of the stack to allow the bottom sign of the stack to be dropped onto a surface below the rest of the stack rests on the second support, and the second support being movable to a second position clear of the stack while the stack is retained by guide means over the first support in its first position, to allow the stack to drop onto the first support.

tionable over the first and second supports in their respective first positions.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, which comprises a plurality of said mbes positioned above a support plate having an aperture therein overlying the first positions of the two supports and movable successively into a position above the said aperture to enable a stack of signs therein to fall through the aperture onto the said first support.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the said tubes are mounted on arms extending from a common central vertical axis about which the tubes are rotated into and out of the position above the said aperture.

7. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the first and second supports are each arranged to be moved by respective hydraulic cylinders.

8. Apparatus for depositing warning signs at spaced intervals, substantially as herein described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.

9. A method for depositing hollow tapered open bottomed warning signals from a stack, which method comprises positioning a stack of such signs, with each sign in the stack extending partly inside the sign immediately above it, on a first support, interposing a second support around the bottom sign of the stack, the said second support having a pair of projections extending on either side of the said bottom sign and below the sign immediately above it, withdrawing the first support from below the stack to allow the said bottom sign to fall onto the ground leaving the rest of the stack supported by the said second support, moving the first support back to its position below the stack and withdrawing the second support from below the stack while a guide retains the stack above the first support whereby the stack again drops onto the first support, and moving the said supports and the stack to a position displaced from the position at which the bottom sign has been dropped, to drop a further sign from the stack.

10. A method of laying hollow warning signs, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.