GB2182700A - Improvements relating to road markings - Google Patents

Abstract

A temporary marking on a road surface is provided by positioning on the road a plurality of carrier members 6 in linear array, the carrier members 6 each being provided with reflecting means e.g. a light- reflective coating 20, for example white, and/or reflective studs 22, on at least one surface portion thereof. The carrier members 6 are semi-rigid and elongate, and have keying formations 8, 10 at their end portions to permit joining together of adjacent carrier members 6. The carrier members 6 may be kept in place on the road by rivetting or bolting, or by placing of other road markers (12, 15) thereon, or by use of a fastener (28) passed through a slot 24 in the member and into a "cats-eye" socket (30). A display portion (36) of a road marker (38) may be received upwards through such a slot 24, so as to be held down by the carrier member 6. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements relating to road markings Description of Invention Difficulty is encountered in the temporary marking of a road, as is required on commencement of road workings.

Conventionally when it is desired to close (e.g.) a lane of a motorway adjacent to a central reservation of the motorway, first traffic cones are placed along a diagonal line from the central reservation, and then a white line is applied on the road along the inside (i.e. on the reservation side) of the line of cones. The line may be painted, but more conventionally is of a self-adhesive material. The material from which the line is provided is expensive, and requires the use of an expensive machine which operates at low speed. One completion of the application of the line it is conventional to move the road cones onto the inside of the line, so that the line then provides the primary demarcation.

However it is necessary for the material to dry completely, since it would otherwise be removed by vehicle wheels, and on occasion is deposited on other parts of the road, which can be dangerous. This necessitates a delay, particularly in hot weather.

Further, it is difficult to apply the line in wet conditions, and since it is costly to delay work, this on occasion results on the laying of a line without adequate adhesion to the road surface.

Further, on completion of the road works difficulty is encountered in removing the line.

Problems are also encountered where the temporary marking is required to delineate a carriage in a direction parallel to the normal lane markings, for example where a motorway has been narrowed so as to be of a generally uniform reduced width over a significant distance e.g. in a "contraflow" system wherein a length of carriageway which normally carries unidirectionai traffic is divided into two sideby-side portions, which then carry traffic in respective opposite directions, the region separating said portions being demarced by temporary markings approximately 1 metre apart e.g. lines, Fones or cylinders. This region is conventionally known as a "buffer zone".

Apart from problems which may arise from any temporary lines which may be provided, it is conventional to secure retro-reflective studs to the road surface.alongside the buffer zone, usually by adhesive. It is often found that adhesion between the studs and road is inadequate, and studs may be torn off the road by passing vehicles and become airborne, which can be dangerous. Furthermore, when the time comes to remove the studs, they are usually removed by a chiselling operation which may damage the carriageway and renders the studs unsuitable for re-use, so that it is economic only for the removed studs to be thrown away wastefully.

Other problems relating to the use of these conventional methods will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

According to one aspect of this invention, there is provided a method of providing a temporary marking on a road surface, involving positioning on the road a plurality of carrier members in linear array, the carrier members each being provided on at least one surface portion thereof with reflecting means.

The reflecting means provided on at least one surface portion may comprise a retroreflective (e.g. white) coating and/or one or more reflective studs secured to the carrier member, for example on one (or opposite) side edge portions of the carrier member.

The carrier members may be elongate, for example with lengths of at least about four times their widths, and preferably of at least about six times their widths.

For general purposes, the carrier member is conveniently of the order of 2 to 5 metres in length, for example about 3 to 4 metres in length, whilst for buffer zone applications, the carrier member is conveniently in the form of an elongate strip of the order of 5 to 20 metres in length, a length of about 10 metres being convenient, whereby an extensive marking may be provided quickly. The carrier member may typically be in the order of 10 cm to 1 metre wide and perhaps 5 to 15 mm thick.

A width of approximately 1 metre is generally required for a buffer zone.

Conveniently, the carrier member is of rubber or plastics material, and is preferably semi-rigid. By the term "semi-rigid" as is used herein we mean sufficiently stiff to enable the carrier member to be handled, but sufficiently flexible to enable it to generally to conform to contours of a road surface, and whilst we specifically exclude mere non-reusable tape of the kind which may be rolled onto a reel, this dose not preclude storing of a carrier member in accordance with the invention as a roll where the carrier member is in the form of a strip.

Advantageously the carrier member is provided at end portions thereof with keying means, for example dovetail formations, whereby longitudinally adjacent carrier members may be joined together to restrict relative movement therebetween. Where advantageous, the formations may be such as to permit some relative movement e.g. angular relative movement, between successive carrier members, to facilitate laying of the carrier members on a bend.

The carrier members may be pinned to the road surface at spaced intervals by the use of rivets, such as rivets fired through said member and into the ground by a hand gun. Alternatively, plugged holes may be provided in the road surface, threaded bolts being passed through apertures in the carrier member and being driven into the plugged holes as to secure the member to the ground. Alternatively or additionally, the carrier members may be secured in place by the placing of road cones thereon at spaced intervals. In such circumstances the base of the road cone may advantageously be provided with recesses to accommodate the carrier member, to prevent "rocking" movement of the cone, although it may be sufficient to locate the base with only an edge portion thereof on the carrier member, the majority of the base being on the inside of a marking provided by the carrier member.

Preferably, however, the carrier member comprises a plurality of suitably orientated slots through which a portion of a fastener may be passed in order that the fastener may be interengaged with an empty "cats-eye" socket in the road surface, for example in a screw-threaded or (preferably) bayonet fashion to secure the member to the ground.

If desired however the carrier members (or some of them) may be secured to the ground by other means (such as adhesive).

The slots are preferably suitably distributed and shaped so as to be able to accommodate variations in cats-eye socket spacings in road surfaces.

Conceivably, conventional markers e.g. road cylinders for mounting in cats-eye sockets, could be mounted in cats-eye sockets by being passed through suitable apertures in the carrier member, or could possibly be mounted directly in said member.

Preferably, there is also provided a road marker comprising a flat display portion, which in use is upstanding, and a flat flange-like base essentially normal thereto, such that the display portion may be passed upwards through one of the aforesaid slots, the carrier member in use resting on the flange base to hold down the road marker on the road.

According to another aspect of this invention there is provided, in combination, a member which, in use, temporarily marks a road surface, the member comprising fastening formations, and a fastener adapted to interengage with both said fastening formations and a cats-eye,socket provided in the road in order to fasten said member to the road surface.

According to a further aspect of this invention there is provided, in combination a member for providing a temporary marking on a road surface, the member being provided with a through-slot therein, and a temporary road marker comprising a generally flat display portion, which in use is upstanding, and a flat flange-like base essentially normal to the display portion, such that the display portion may be passed upwards through the slot, said member resting in use on the flange base to hold down the road marker on the road.

According to a still further aspect of this invention there is provided a road marking member, the member being in the form of an elongate semi-rigid strip of rubber or plastics material of generally uniform cross-section, having a length substantially greater than the width and a width substantially greater than its thickness, and being provided on at least one surface thereof with retro-reflecting means.

The reflecting means may comprise a retroreflective (e.g. white) coating and/or one or more reflective studs secured to the strip.

Preferably the width is at least 10 times the thickness, and where the strip constitutes solely a temporary line, then the length may be at least 50 times the width.

Advantageously the strip is moulded, such as by an extrusion process, from scrap rubber or plastics material, and is advantageously provided at opposite ends thereof with interengaging formations which, when complementary, may conveniently be afforded by a single cutting operation on the continously-extruded strip.

The above and other of the various objects and features of this invention will become clear from the following description, to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, of preferred embodiments of the present invention, wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic selective view showing a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a sectional view illustrating use of a fastener provided for the embodiment of Fig. 1; Figure 3 is a sectional view illustrating use of an upstanding road marker with the embodiment of Fig. 1; Figure 4 is a schematic selective view showing a second embodiment of the invention; Figure 5 is a schematic view showing a third embodiment of the invention; and Figure 6 is a sectional view of the elements shown in Fig. 5.

The first embodiment of the invention, shown in Fig. 1, involves the use of a plurality of carrier members in the form of elongate strips 6, the strips themselves being illustrative of the invention in certain of its aspects, which may be positioned on a road surface in linear array to provide a continuous lane-delineation marking. The strips are mat-like and are provided at their opposite end portions with keying means in the form of interengaging formations, such as a dovetail 8 and dovetail slot 10, whereby successive strips may be joined together to restrict relative movement therebetween. Where the marking afforded by the joined-together strips 6 is required to follow a bend, the interengaging formations may advantageously be formed so as to permit some angular movement between adjacent strips.

For general purposes, the mats or strips 6 are of the order of 2 to 5 metres in length, for example about 3 to 4 metres in length, whilst for contraflow "buffer zone" applications, the mats or strips 6 are conveniently of the order of 5 to 20 metres in length, say about 10 metres in length. For general purposes, a width of less than 1 metre may be appropriate, whilst for contraflow applications a width of about 1 metre is more suitable for adequately separating opposed traffic flows.

For general applications, elongate strips 6 having lengths of at least four times their widths may conveniently be used, whilst for contraflow applications elongate strips 6 having lengths of at least six times their widths may conveniently be used. The strips 6 are of about 21 inch (about 12 mm) thickness: in any event a thickness of between 5 and 15 mm is preferred.

The strips 6 are formed by any convenient process such as extrusion whereby they are of generally uniform cross-section, followed by a cutting/stamping process, from materials such as plastics and/or rubber (e.g. scrap rubber). The strips 6 are semi-rigid, but may be stored as a roll, where this is convenient and not detrimental to the strips, in which case the strips may be of considerable length.

Each mat or strip 6 illustrated in Fig. 1 is provided, along at least one non-centrai surface portion thereof e.g. a side edge margin of the strip, with a coating 20 of light-reflective material, for example white in colour: thus, where a number of the mats/strips are joined together, their side edge portions afford a substantially continuous temporary reflective line marking.

The opposite non-central (i.e. side edge) surface portion of each mat or strip 6 is provided with a plurality of other light-reflecting means, namely light-reflective (retro-reflective) studs 22 strongly secured thereto, either mechanically or by a strong adhesive, at generally regular intervals of about 1 metre to 2 metres or so. For contraflow applications the reflective studs would be provided on each of the side surface portions of each strip 6, so as to present (suitably orientated) studs to each of the opposed traffic flows. The coatings 20 co,uld then be omitted, if desired.

However attentively reflective coatings could be provided along each side edge margin of the strip, and if desired relative studs could be provided on said side edge margins.

For general purpose applications, the strips can be held in place on a road surface by the placing of road cones thereon, either together or at (spaced) intervals, in which case no more elaborate securing means may be necessary.

Preferably, however, and particularly in contraflow buffer zone applications, the strips are secured to the ground, and primarily, but not exclusively, for this purpose, the strips 6 are provided with pluralites of suitably orientated slots 24 through which a portion 26 (see Fig.

2) of a fastener 28 may be passed in order that the fastener 28 may be interengaged with an empty "cats-eye" socket 30 in the road surface 32, in a bayonet or screw-threaded fashion, to secure the strip 6 to the ground.

The slots 24 are generally distributed and shaped so as to be able to accommodate variations in cats-eye socket spacings (nominally spaced by 9 metres or so) in road surfaces.

Alternatively the strips may be secured to the road surface by hot melt adhesive.

Conventional marker cylinders could be mounted in cats-eye sockets by being passed through suitable apertures (not shown) in the strips 6, or could possible (not depicted) be mounted directly in the strips.

Other securing methods include bolting to plugged sockets (not shown) in the road, by passing bolts through holes 34 in the strips, or by rivets fixed through the strips into the ground.

The slots 24, especially those transversely orientated, may serve an alternative purpose of receiving a flat upstanding display portion 36 (Fig. 3) of a road marker 38 comprising the portion 36 and a base flange 40 essentially normal thereto, the strip 6 in use resting on the base flange 40 is hold the marker 38 on the road.

The second embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 4 (in which like reference numerals to those used for Fig. 1 identify like parts) involves the use of a number of elongate strips 6, the strips themselves being illustrative of the invention in certain of its aspects, which may be laid on a road surface to provide a continuous lane-delineation line, for example a diagonal line. The strips 6 are provided with light-reflective coatings on their upper surfaces. The strips are about 10 cm wide and are provided at their opposite end portions with interengaging formations, such as a dovetail 8 and dovetail slot 10, whereby adjacent strips may be joined together to restrict or prevent relative movement therebetween, particularly lateral and longitudinal movement.Although it is not shown, it will be appreciated that each strip 6 is conveniently provided with a dovetail 8 at one end portion and a dovetail slot 10 at its opposite end portion. When adjacent strips have been keyed together, the base 12 of a road cone may be placed so as to overlie at least the junction between adjacent strips, and preferably at intervals along the length thereof, on the inside of the line (i.e. the side of the line on which traffic is not flowing) to prevent movement of the strips. In addition or alternatively, the strips may be temporarily pinned to the road surface, or secured to the road by any other method herein described in relation to the first embodiment of the invention.

Conveniently the base 12 may be provided with a channel on its underside, adjacent to one or both of the corners thereof, into which the end portions of the strips 6 may be located. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 5 and 6, strips 14 are shown which are located within recesses 16 provided on the underside of the base, a lug 18 being provided at each end of the strip to engage within the base whereby relative movement between the strips and successive bases is minimised.

By the use of the invention above described, temporary markings may be provided on a road such as a motorway very quickly, safely, and economically. On conclusion of the road workings, the strips may quickly and easily be removed from the road, for subsequent reuse, and a great many of the dangers and disadvantages of the conventional systems are obviated.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, or a class or group of substances or compositions, as appropriate, may, separately or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims (32)

1. A method of providing a temporary marking on a road surface, involving positioning on the road a plurality of carrier members in linear array, the carrier members each being provided on at least one surface portion thereof with reflecting means.

2. The method of Claim 1 wherein the reflecting means comprises a light-reflective coating and/or one or more reflective studs secured to the carrier member.

3. The method of Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the carrier members are elongate.

4. The method of any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein the carrier member is of the order of 2 to 5 metres in length.

5. The method of any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein the carrier member is in the form of a strip of the order of 5 to 20 metres in length.

6. The ,method of any one of Claims 1 to 5 wherein the carrier member is in the order of 10 cm to 1 metre wide.

7. The method of any one of Claims 1 to 6 wherein the carrier member is 5 to 15 mm thick.

8. The method of any one of Claims 1 to 7 wherein the carrier member is of rubber or plastics material.

9. The method of any one of the preceding claims wherein the carrier member is semirigid.

10. The method of any one of the preceding claims wherein the member is provided at end portions thereof with keying means whereby longitudinally adjacent carrier members may be joined together to restrict relative movement therebetween.

11. The method of any one of the preceding claims wherein the carrier members are pinned to the road surface at spaced intervals by the use of rivets.

12. The method of any one of the preceding claims wherein plugged holes are provided in the road surface, threaded bolts being passed through apertures in the carrier member and being driven into the plugged holes so as to secure the member to the ground.

13. The method of any one of the preceding claims wherein the carrier members are secured in place by the placing of road cones thereon at spaced intervals.

14. The method of Claim 13 wherein the base of the road cone is provided with recesses to accommodate the carrier member.

15. The method of any one of the preceding claims wherein the carrier members comprises a plurality of suitably orientated slots through which a portion of a fastener may be passed in order that the fastener may be interengaged with an empty "cats-eye" socket in the road surface.

16. The method of Claim 15 wherein the slots are suitably distributed and shaped so as to be able to accommodate variations in catseye socket spacings in road surfaces.

17. The method of any one of the preceding claims wherein conventional markers are mounted in cats-eye sockets by being passed through suitable apertures in the carrier member, or are mounted directly in said member.

18. The method of Claim 15 or Claim 16 wherein there is also provided a road marker comprising a flat display portion, which in use is upstanding, and a flat flange-like base essentially normal thereto, such that the display portion may be passed upwards through one of the aforesaid slots, the carrier member in use resting on the flange base to hold down the road marker on the road.

19. In combination, a member which, in use, temporarily marks a road surface, the member comprising fastening formations, and a fastener adapted to interengage with both said fastening formations and a cats-eye socket provided in the road in order to fasten said member to the road surface.

20. In combination, a member for providing a temporary marking on a road surface, the member being provided with a through-slot therein, and a temporary road marker comprising a generally flat display portion, which in use is upstanding, and a flat flange-like base essentially normal to the display portion, such that the display portion may be passed upwards through the slot, said member resting in use on the flange base to hold down the road marker on the road.

21. A road marking member, the member being in the form of an elongate semi-rigid strip of rubber or plastics material of generally uniform cross-section, having a length substantially greater than the width and a width substantially greater than its thickness, and being provided on at least one surface thereof with light-reflecting means.

22. The member of Claim 21, wherein the reflecting means comprises a light-reflective coating and/or one or more reflective studs secured to the strip.

23. The member of Claim 21 or Claim 22 wherein the width is at least 10 times the thickness.

24. The member of any one of Claims 21 to 23 wherein the strip constitutes solely a temporary line.

25. The member of Claim 24 wherein the length is at least 50 times the width.

26. The member of any one of Claims 21 to 25 wherein the strip is moulded from scrap rubber material.

27. The member of any one of Claims 21 to 26 wherein the member is provided at opposite ends thereof with interengaging formations.

28. A method of providing a temporary marking on a road surface, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

29. In combination, a temporary road marking member and a fastener for fastening the member to a cats-eye socket, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and/or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

30. In combination, a temporary road marking member and a road marker having a display portion which may be passed upwards through the member, such that the member in use holds down the road marker, substantially as hereinbefore described and/or illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

31. A road marking member substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and/or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

32. Any novel feature or novel combination of features described herein and/or illustrated in the accompanying drawings.