GB2122240A

GB2122240A - Traffic markers and assemblies including them

Info

Publication number: GB2122240A
Application number: GB08314205A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Edward Barker; Nicholas William Verrall
Original assignee: FIRMACONE Ltd
Current assignee: FIRMACONE Ltd
Priority date: 1982-05-21
Filing date: 1983-05-23
Publication date: 1984-01-11
Also published as: GB8314205D0

Abstract

A traffic marker, for example of cylindrical shape, comprises a standard 10 having a base to contact the ground in use, the base having an aperture to permit retaining means to be inserted therethrough for engagement with the ground and thereby to hold the marker in an upright position. The retaining means can be a barbed spike 20 which preferably can be driven into the ground but unscrewed for removal therefrom. In another form the marker has an adaptor portion 30 by means of which the marker can be located in the ground socket of a reflector of the "cat's eyes" type. The marker can be used with boards or other barrier members to construct a barrier assembly. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Traffic markers and assemblies including them This invention relates to traffic cylinders and other traffic markers and to assemblies containing them, for use in the delineation of carriageways, traffic lanes or other areas of roads or other ground surfaces used by vehicular motor, airplanes or other traffic.

Conventional traffic cylinders consist of flexible, hollow, red cylinders, ranging from 460mm to 750mm in height, and about 1 00mm diameter. They normally have a white reflective sleeve or band partially covering the stem or standard, revealing a red band at the top and bottom, and they conform broadly with the requirements of Government regulations Chapter 8, and the proposed revision of B.S. 873 Pt. 2.

There are present two ways of anchoring traffic cylinders to a carriageway or other ground surface These are; first, by using an expansion bolt screwed into a pre-drilled hole in the surface; and secondly, by using the metal bases or sockets of existing "cat's eyes" reflectors to screw the cylinder into.

However, the cylinders aforementioned have been found to have a tendency to break, despite their ability to flex when hit by a vehicle; they do not withstand the rigours of low winter temperatures; and the method of manufacture, which is a conventional rotation moulding process, necessitates the bottom of the cylinder having to be welded onto the upright or standard, thus producing weakness where the cylinder needs maximum strength.

The present invention provides a traffic cylinder (and other traffic markers) which avoid, or at least mitigate to a substantial extent the disadvantages referred to above. Accordingly, in a first aspect the invention provides a traffic marker comprising: a hollow standard formed from resilient, impact-resistant material, the standard being formed with a base to contact the ground in use, the base being suitable to permit retaining means to be inserted therethrough for engagement with the ground thereby to hold the marker in an upright position on the ground.

In a second aspect the invention provides an assembly comprising a traffic marker according to the invention and retaining means comprising a shank of a thickness such that it will pass through the aperture means and a head which will not pass through the aperture means.

In a third aspect the invention provides an assembly comprising a traffic marker according to the invention and an adaptor one portion of which can releasably engage the lower end of the traffic marker and a second portion of which can engage the ground socket of a light reflector of the "cat's eyes" type.

In a fourth aspect the invention provides a traffic marker according to the invention, which has an adaptor portion by means of which the marker can releasably engage the ground socket of a light reflector of the "cat's eyes" type.

Preferred embodiments of traffic markers and assemblies of the invention have the following features: 1. The cylinder is different from prior art designs in that it is entirely open-topped to facilitate the insertion of a new type of fixing barb, and to increase the degree of flexibility should the cylinder be hit by a passing vehicle.

2. The cylinder can be manufactured by using an injection moulding process giving an excellent product with the base incorporated in it, in one moulding operation.

3. The interior base of the cylinder has a hole surrounded by a supporting ribbed collar to strengthen the area where the cylinder is fixed to the road.

4. The interior base of the cylinder is ribbed across from the outer wall to the collar of (3) to give additional strength in the event of impact from a vehicle and the cylinder being forced to the ground and giving extra hold to the road surface when the cylinder returns to the vertical position.

5. In between the ribs across the base, of the cylinder, there are holes to allow for the drainage of rairiwater.and so prevent the possibility of the cylinder freezing up.

6. The outside lower all of the cylinder is straight, to increase the flexibility on impact from traffic.

7. The side wall of the cylinder is of gradually increased thickness toward the base to give strength at the bottom where it is most needed and where maximum impact stress will be met.

The invention includes two methods of fixing the cylinder to the road. The first is by the use of a nylon or other suitable anchorage barb, consisting, for example, of a spiral, pointed barb that can be driven into the ground, below the road surface, and having a circular head that can lock into the base of the cylinder to secure it to the road. In the centre top of the head, there is a raised hexagon or like head, to facilitate the removal of the barb by simply unscrewing it with a socket spanner.

There is a small, square cavity through the central core of the barb, so that in the event of the head being snapped off, the remnant left in the road surface can be simply removed by the insertion of an Allen-key type of tool, and unscrewing the barb.

The thread of the spiral is designed in such a way that the underside is of a steeper angle to the upper edge of the thread, thus enabling the barb to be hammered into a predrilled hole, but can only be removed by actually unscrewing it.

With reference to the third aspect of the invention, in situations where it is undesirable to drill and out the road surface, there can be use a "cat's eyes" twists-in fitting.

Support can be given to the cylinder by using an adaptor that will fit over the base of the cylinder.

The adaptor can be of material similar to that of the cylinder, and is slightly oversized to the outer base of the cylinder, in order to fit over the outside edge of the base.

The centre top of the adaptor has a split arrow head that will compress into the hole in the centre bottom of the cylinder, and will expand once it has passed through the hole, thus locking it in situ. The underside of the adaptor has a central protrusion extending downwards, from which extend two cross members at right angles thereto and directly opposite to each other. This can be let down between the metal prongs on the inside of a typical ground socket of a "cat's eyes" reflector and, when twisted into position, will lock tight under the prongs. To ensure that the mounting will not become dislodged, the upper edge of the two cross member have a series of serrations or steps, gradually sloping in an upward direction, from one side to the other, so that when they are twisted into position, they will not slip, but hold tight against the underside of the mounting.

There is now described, by way of example and with reference ot the accompanying drawings, a traffic cylinder which is an embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, an assembly of traffic cylinder and retaining barb which is an embodiment of the second aspect of the invention and an assembly of traffic cylinder and adaptor which is an embodiment of the third aspect of the invention.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a front elevation, taken on a diametrical section, of the traffic cylinder; Figure 2 is a plan view of the traffic cylinder; Figure 3 is a front elevation on a diametrical cross section of the cylinder showing the lower portion of the cylinder and the retaining barb; Figure 4 is a plan view of the assembly of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a front elevation taken on a diametrical cross section of the cylinder of the assembly of traffic cylinder and adaptor; Figures 6 and 7 are respectively top plan and bottom plan views of the assembly of Figure 5; and Figure 8 is a side elevation of the adaptor of the assembly of Figure 5.

With reference to Figures 1 and 2, the traffic marker in the form of a traffic cylinder comprises a hollow standard 10 formed from a resilient, impact-resistant material, for example polyethylene or a copolymer of ethylene, for instance an ethylene-ethyl acetate copolymer (a so called "EVA copolymer" or other suitable plastics material. A suitable material is one sold by DuPont under the code number 8107 and described as "virgin pigmented polyethylene based on a equivalent strength in linear mediumdensity polyethylene". The hollow standard consists of a hollow cylinder 1 the middle portion of which is omitted for the sake of convenience, and a bottom 12 in the form of an annular plate 13 extending radially inwards from the bottom of the cylinder 1 the plate having a centrally located aperture 14.The circular edge 1 5 of the bottom plate has an upstanding circular flange 1 6 and eight radially extending reinforcement ribs 1 7 extend radially outwards from flange 1 6 to cylinder wail 11 and divide the upper surface of bottom 13 into eight like areas alternate ones of which have formed therein a drainage aperture 18.

Referring now to Figures 3 and 4, Figure 3 shows the lower portion of the standard 1 0 together with a retaining means 20, the two together constituting an assembly according to the second aspect of the invention. Retaining means 20 comprises a shank 21 extending from a holt-shaped head 22, and the shank has formed along its length a plurality of barbs 23 the terminal one 24 of which is pointed. The retaining means is shown in Figure 3 in its opposite position in which shank 21 extends through aperture 1 4 in a ground-engaging position. The hexagonal head 22 of the retaining means has formed therein an elongate channel 25 of substantially square cross section which extends not only through the head 22 but along a substantial portion of shank 21.The purpose of this channel is to provide a means of removing the shank in the event of head 22 (and perhaps the upper part of shank 21) being broken away from the shank (or the remainder of the shank, as the case may be), for example by heavy impact of a motor vehicle with the standard.

With reference to Figures 5, 6 and 7 there is shown an assembly according to the third aspect of the invention, comprising the traffic cylinder 10 of Figure 1 and an adaptor 30 by means of which the cylinder can be mounted for use in the road socket of a light reflector of the "cat's eyes" type.

The adaptor comprises a dished body portion 31 having a centrally located circular recess 32 whose diameter is slightly greater than the outer diameter of cylinder 11. From the central area of recess 32 there extends upwardly retention means 33 comprising four like fingers 34 spaced one from another at equal angles and each having a detent 35.The width of the shank of the retention means is slightly less than the diameter of aperture 14 in the cylinder bottom and the detents 35 each extend radially outwards over the circular reinforcement 1 6. The retention means is formed of a resilient material such that fingers 34 can readily be drawn towards one another thereby to permit the retention means to be inserted through aperture 14 and then they can be allowed to assume their natural disposition shown in Figure 5 in which the inner circular edge of plate 13 is trapped between the bottom of circular recess 32 and detents 35. Extending downwardly from the recessed body portion of the adaptor there is an extension portion comprising a circular flange 36 across which there extends a cruciform reinforcement 37. The extension portion has two lugs diametrically opposed to each other and extending radially outwards and which are each formed with a series of inclined steps 39 constituting locking device for the adaptor. These steps are shown also in Figure 8 in a side elevation of the adaptor.

These inclined steps are so shaped and dimensioned as to be engagable with securement prongs mounted in a typical "cat's eyes" reflector socket. Accordingly, the adaptor 30 can be engaged in such a socket by inserting therein the lower extension portion and turning the adaptor so as to engage steps 39 with the prongs of the socket (not shown). The standard 10 can then readily be engaged with the adaptor by bringing the circular edge of aperture 14 to bear against the outwardly inclined faces of fingers 34 and pressing downwards thereby causing the fingers to be urged together and to pass through aperture 14.

According to the fourth aspect of the invention the traffic marker is such as, in effect to include an adaptor as an integral part thereof. Thus, for example, the standard 10 and the adaptor 30 described above with reference to Figure 5 can be integral and constitute a single article. It will be appreciated that in such single article retention means 33 will not be necessary though it can be included if desired. An example of a suitable integral traffic marker is one in which the lower part of cylinder 11 is firmly bonded to, or is otherwise integral with, recessed body portion 31.

Claims

1. A traffic marker comprising: a hollow standard formed from resilient, impact-resistant material, the standard being formed with a base to contact the ground in use, the base being suitable to permit retaining means to be inserted therethrough for engagement with the ground thereby to hold the marker in an upright position on the ground.

2. A traffic marker according to Claim 1, in which the standard is of cylindrical shape.

3. A traffic marker according to Claim 2, in which said base comprises a member extending radially inwards from the bottom portion of the standard and defining aperture means to accommodate the retaining means.

4. A traffic marker according to Claim 1, in which the standard comprises a hollow cylinder open at one end and partially closed at the other end by an annular plate extending radially inwards from the bottom of the cylinder and defining a centrally located aperture to accommodate the retaining means.

5. A traffic marker according to Claim 4, in which the periphery of said aperture is formed as a reinforcement and a plurality of reinforcing ribs extend from said reinforcement to the wall of the cylinder.

6. A traffic marker comprising a standard formed from a resilient, impact-resistant material and having at its base an adaptor by means of which the marker can releasably engage the road socket of a light reflector of the "cat's eyes" type and thereby be held in an upright position on the road.

7. A traffic marker according to Claim 6, in which the adaptor is integral with the standard.

8. A traffic marker according to Claim 6 or 7, in which the adaptor has a downwardly extending cylindrical portion having two outwardly extending arms each provided with engagement means for engagement with the road socket of a light reflector of the "cat's eyes" type.

9. A traffic marker according to Claim 1, substantially as described herein.

1 0. A traffic cylinder substantially as described herein and substantially as shown in Figures 1,2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.

11. An assembly comprising a traffic marker as claimed in any of Claims 3 to 10 and retaining means comprising a shank of a thickness such that it will pass through the aperture means and a head which will not pass through the aperture means.

12. An assembly according to Claim 11, in which the shank has a barb retainably to engage the ground.

13. An assembly according to Claim 11, in which the shank has a plurality of barbs along its length retainably to engage the ground.

14. An assembly according to Claim 13, in which the barbs are constituted by a screw-thread and the head is a bolt head whereby by rotation of the head the shank can be withdrawn from the ground and thereby disengage the retaining means.

1 5. An assembly according to Claim 11, substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 6. An assembly comprising a traffic marker and a retaining means, substantially as described herein and substantially as shown in Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.