GB2421975A - Traffic cone dropper and retriever - Google Patents

Abstract

The traffic cone dropper and retriever comprises a platform which may either be secured to or integral with a vehicle, with the platform being positioned either to one side or to the rear of the vehicle. Cones 8 may be deployed through a tube assembly which includes upper and lower sets of jaws which operate via a cam system to allow individual cones to be deployed. A distance measuring assembly may be included to activate system to deploy cones at the desired interval. A ramp assembly 7 may alternatively be used to drop cones with the ramp facing towards the rear of the vehicle with the ramp including traction wheels 27 that engage the ground and act to drive a belt 23 on the ramp that moves cones along the ramp's length. Alternatively the ramp can be secured facing towards the front of the vehicle and used to retrieve cones from the road, with a cone guide 29 and tripping bar 33 at the bottom of the ramp acting to tilt cones to facilitate their passing onto the ramp.

Description

Traffic Cone Dropper and Retriever This Invention relates to a device that

is vehicle or trailer mounted that will accurately place and collect Traffic Cones either fully or semi automatically at high speed.

Background of the Invention.

Todays road network requires maintenance and major improvements at regular intervals as do all the utility services that pass under and along them,eg water, drainage, electricity, gas and telecommunications. These repairs can vary from days to years in their duration but they all have one element in common, there must be a temporary barrier between the work and the public. That temporary barrier has for many years been the traffic cone made in various sizes and styles, positioned to act as a perimeter either directly adjacent to each other so as to form a wall or spaced at greater distances so as to guide vehicles.

These cones are usually made from a medium density plastic material shaped so that they form a steep sided hollow conical pyramid with a flat base at its end opposite to the topmost part.The base is usually somewhat square in its outline with its dimensions typically 4 to 10 times the width of the topmost horizontal surface. This ratio is not meant to be exact as cones come in different sizes, shapes, weights, colours and some incorporate specialist barrier fitting attachment points.

With small localiseci work sites on,adjacent to or along the road these cones can be placed by hand with reasonable accuracy and speed, problems arise where entire lanes are closed off to traffic and as these can be many miles long speed and accuracy become more important.

Problem.

The problem arises due to the fact that the actual job of dropping and collecting cones is so labour intensive with only the storage and transportation of the cones to the workite being assisted by vehicles. Due to this being a purely manual task speed of operation is down to that which is maintained by the operatives themselves, therefore as it takes time and labour to place these cones and to retrieve them again there arises an opportunity to improve safety, speed and efficiency.

The current method of placing traffic cones is to use a suitable vehicle or towed trailer to transport a sufficiently large quantity of cones to the chosen worksite, usually these vehicles are purpose built for this task and cannot perform any other function.

Cones because of their hollow thinwall design are able to interfit within each other and are stacked vertically on the load space of the vehicle or trailer.

The laying of the cones is achieved manually by the personnel that are on and around the vehicle the operation is usually achieved in two stages the first stage is where a cone is removed from the storage stack by a person On the vehicle who then passes it to the person on the road who positions it as required.

This means that the person on the road could be at some level of danger from other road traffic, that the process is no faster than a persons walking pace and the accuracy of the cone line and its spacing is unlikely to be regular and in alignment, more likely in adverse weather conditions.

There are usually one or more acompanying vehicles also of a specialist design to forewarn following traffic that cone laying operations are underway.

Once the road work is completed the process is reversed so as to collect the traffic cones, however, there are occasions where work is suspended for short periods where the cones could be removed and then relaid when work restarts, for example over weekends and bank holidays. But due to the current method of deployment and collection this is neither practicable or cost effective so a valuable opportunity to improve traffic flow is lost.

statement of Invention.

To overcome the problems found with a purely manual method of traffic cone dropping and retrieval I have invented a mechanism that can be fitted permanently or temporarily to any vehicle or trailer and that it will do the operation either fully or semi automatically. The motive and operational power for this device is derived from the vehicle itself and can be fitted and removed in a short space of time using no special tools of any kind.

The device has two operational parts the first is a vertical tube to act as the magazine to hold the cones one above the other and interfitting into each other at the lower end of the tube is a combined jaw mechanism that will release traffic cones at a predetermined rate independant of road speed.

The second part consists of a conveyer belt ramp that points forward to collect cones when retrieving and also points rearwards when laying cones in close proximity as for instance when they are required to form a wall.

This device can be fitted to the rear of the vehicle as well as either side of the vehicle and face forwards or rearwards dependant upon operational needs.

Advantages.

Safety.

With my invention the personnel remain on the vehicle or trailer whilst cone laying or retrieval is underway at no time are they at risk from other vehicles.

The design and layout of the equipment puts the operators as far as possible away from the cone dropping mechanism and the retrieval ramp.

Efficiency.

The operation can be fully automatic with an automatic controller setting the distance for each cone placement, if required the drop of the cone can be manually triggered. If the cone distance is set accurately then either less cones need to be deployed for a given distance or more distance is covered with a given number of cones.

The cone dropping and retrieval speed of the operation will be considerably increased over the current walking speed Cost, As there are less personnel employed labour costs will be reduced similarly the vehicles or trailers employed will not need to be of a specialist nature as all that is required is a flat bed.

The equipment itself is constructed predominantly from mild steel and can be easily manufactured requiring no specialist tooling at all.

Traffic disruption.

As the speed of cone dropping and retrieval is considerably faster it can be done with less disruption to traffic already using the road this should allow operations to go ahead whilst the road is in use.

Pollution.

As the speed of the cone dropping/retrieving vehicle is quicker this will allow following traffic to maintain a more steadier speed where vehicle engines will be able to run more in the cleaner cruise regime rather than in the more environmentally polluting accelerate/decelerate condition.

Economy.

As there are less vehicles involved in the actual operation of cone dropping and retrieving less fuel will be consumed, however there Will also be a benefit to other road users too as they will be able to maintain a higher average road speed that will allow their engines to operate in more favourable operating regimes.

Overall Safety.

Because the cone laying and retrieving operations are carried out at a higher and more even road speed drivers in following vehicles should suffer less stress and as a consequence less likelihood of bad or ill disciplined behaviour causing accidents.

Introduction to drawings.

An example of the invention will now be described by referring to the acompanying drawings: Page 13, Fig 1 shows a plan view of the platform with its flooring and mounting lugs by which means it is attached to the vehicle (or trailer) these lugs also allow the mounting of the traffic cone tube assembly and ramp assembly as required, Page 13, Fig 2 shows a side elevation of the platform with its space frame construction and the location of the mounting lugs.

Page 14, Fig 3 shows a plan view of a truck that has the platform fitted in all Three siting positions possible:- lefthand side,righthand side and rear face.

Page 15, Fig 4 shows a plan view of a truck with the platform now fitted with the traffic cone tube assembly so as to allow traffic cones to drop Onto the road surface.

Page 16, Fig 5 shows a side elevation of a truck with the platform fitted to its righthand side and the traffic cone tube assembly attached to its rear face so as to allow traffic cones to drop onto the road surface.

Page 17, Fig 6 shows a side elevation of a truck with the platform fitted to its rear face and with the traffic cone tube assembly attached to the trailing edge so as to allow trafli cones to drop onto the road surface.

Page 18, Fig 7 shows a plan view of a truck with the platform fitted in all three siting positions possible with the ramp assembly attached in the trailing position so as to lay traffic cones in a continuous wall configuration.

Page 19, Fig 8 shows a side elevation of a truck with the platform fitted to the righthand side with the ramp assembly in the leading position so as to retrieve traffic cones from the road surface.

Page 20, Fig 9 shows a plan view of a truck with the platform fitted in both possible positions that will allow the ramp assembly to be fitted so as to retrieve traffic cones from the road surface.

Page 21, Fig 10 shows a part sectional view of the traffic cone tube assembly with traffic cones held within, this comprises two components the upper cone storage and the lower sequencer.

Page 22, Fig 11 shows a side elevation of the sequencer with the location and alignment of the cam and jaw mechanisms.

Page 22, Fig 12 shows a plan view of the sequencer with the location of the cam and jaw mechanisms and the method of interconnection. A traffic cone is shown supported by a set of jaws in their closed position.

Page 23, Fig 13 shows side cross sectional view of the sequencer wall with the jaws, cams and their means of support.

Page 23, Fig 14 shows an end view of one set of jaws with the cam interposed between them, this also shows the pins that protrude through the cam top and bottom plates.

Page 24, Fig 15 shows an oblique view of the top and bottom jaws and their alignment With the slots formed in the cam.

Page 25, Fig 16 shows a plan and side elevation of the master cam, connecting rod and motor assembly.

Page 26, Fig 17 shows a further side elevation of the master cam, connecting rod and motor assembly along with their corresponding positions during the cone dropping and reloading operation. The upper and lower cam slots are shown in their orientation when viewed from above the master cam as are the 3 datum positions of the slots B, A and C which correspond, by means of the connecting rod, to the clock positions shown on the motor 12.00, 3.00, 6.00 and 9.00.

Cam position. Motor position. Action.

A 12.00 Parked Position.

C 3.00 Dropping Cone.

A 6.00 Idle Position.

B 9.00 Reload Cone.

A 12.00 Parked Position.

These movements are carried out in one full 360 degree rotation of the motor once activated by the distance control Unit.

Page 27, Fig 16 shows a threequarters rear view of the righthand side of a truck with the measuring wheel fitted close to the roadwheel.

Page 27, fig 19 shows the wheel and its vertical tube and fork construction along with the sensor position.

Page 28, Fig 20 shows a side and plan view of the ramp assembly and the positioning of the internal strengthening and belt Support employed.

Page 28, Fig 21 Shows the method of securing the ramp assembly to the platform.

Page 28, Fig 22 shows an endwise view of the ramp side rail and its alignment with the rollers within the structure.

Page 29, Fig 23 shows the lower ramp belt end roller and the method of driving the belt via the traction wheel and the belt drive roller.

Page 30, Fig 24 Shows an endwise view of the belt drive roller and the traction wheel.

Page 30, Fig 25 shows a part sectional side view of the ramp cone guide with its splayed leading arms and a plan view of the righthand arm.

Page 31, Fig 26 shows a side elevation of the alignment of the belt drive roller and traction wheel along with the lever operated quadrant which is used to separate them when the belt is required to remain stationary.

Page 32, Fig 27 shows a side elevation and plan view of traffic cone retrieval being undertaken. The ramp assembly is being driven forward with the cones being aligned by the cone guide prior to being contacted by the tripping bar and then being drawn up the ramp by the belt.

Page 33, Fig 28 shows a roadway with a truck dropping traffic cones onto the road surface and by its positioning and warning methods other road traffic is obliged to move into the lefthand lane and continue on safely with minimal delay.

Page 34, Fig 29 shows a roadway with a truck retrieving traffic cones from the road surface and by its positioning and warning methods other road traffic is obliged to move into the righthanci lane and continue on safely with minimal delay.

Page 35, Fig 30 shows a pictorial view of the cone dropping tube and the ramp assembly.

Page 36, Fig 31 Shows a pictorial view of the cone dropping tube assembly and the ramp assembly attached to a truck, with both in operation. This situation would not arise operationally but is shown for illustrative purposes only.

Component list numbers 1, Platform assembly.

2, Mounting lug.

3, Frame structure.

4, Flooring.

5, Vehicle or Trafler.

6, Traffic cone tube assembly.

7, Ramp assembly.

8, Traffic cone.

9, Jaws.

10, Sequencer.

11, Cam.

12, Cam connecting link.

13, Drfve lug.

14, Pin.

15, Slot.

16, Support.

17, Tapered edge of top jaw.

18, Connecting rod.

19, Motor assembly.

20, Measuring wheel.

21, Sensor.

22, Ramp end belt rollers.

23, Belt, 24, Support slats.

25, Brace frame.

26, Belt drive roller.

27, Traction wheel.

28, Radius arm.

29, Lower ramp cone guide.

30, Lifting wedge.

31, Quadrant.

32, Lever.

33, Tripping bar.

34, Roadway lane marking.

35, Roadway.

36, Vehicle in Traffic.

37, Attachments.

Description of main components,

The invention comprises five main elements.

1, Vehicle or Traiter.

2, Platform assembly.

3, Traffic cone tube assembly.

4, Distance measuring assembly.

5, ramp assembly.

There now follows a detailed description of each of these elements along with their function within the invention, an explanation of how the system works is given after this desciption.

For clarity the figure and page number is included along with the individual part number.

1, Vehicle or Trailer.

Any size of vehicle or trailer provided that it is sufficiently robust to have the equipment fitted, has adequate manouvreabjlity on the road network and has enough traffic cone storage space to satisfy the needs of the chosen road length will be suitable for this invention. As this invention will be used by organisations that already have a broad range of vehicles for local authority use at there disposal, it brings the added advantage that there are no expensive specialist modifications required.

This means that no vehicle is encumbered with heavy or costly equipment that would only be used for a fraction of its total operating time. A clear example being that of a snow plough where the heavy support bracketry and expensive control gear are installed on the vehicle 52 weeks of the year but may only be put to use for less than 1 week. The additional weight carried by these dedicated vehicles increases their annual fuel costs and also has an impact on their maintenance costs as access to both chassis and running gear can be impeded. This does not take into account the attention that maybe required by the redundant equipment carried all year.

To allow fitment to any chosen vehicle or trailer the addition of only simpfe,cheap mounting lugs and suitable bracketry to handle dynamic and static forces imposed by the invention WIH be required, these are left permanently attached to any chosen vehicles. To allow operation of the sequencer a 12/24 volt supply will be necessary although the design can easily be made to use pnuematic or hydraulic means of actuation depending on the operators final choice.

Maintenance of the equipment off the vehicle will be cheap and minimal with the on vehicle parts requiring a minimum of attention, as the equipment is light and made from readily available materials along with simple assembly to the vehicle the overall cost of operation will be minimised.

2, Platform.

The platform(1), fig 1 and 2, as shown on page 13 is of welded mild steel space frame construction(3) with its dimensions and layout being chosen so as to resist all beam, torsion and lozenging forces that would be encountered in service. The overall sizing of the platform is selected so as to be able to meet space requirements for storage off the vehicle, mounting to the vehicle, and accepting the traffic cone tube(6) and ramp assemblies(7). Safety and ergonomic requirements are also taken into account with adequate barriers and safety warning and stop devices being incorporated.

The top surface(4) of the platform(i) is covered with a suitable hard wearing non slip material that will allow personnel to operate the equipment in complete safety.

Each of the 4 vertical sides are rectangular with 2 lugs(2) secured to the top and bottom rails respectively the positioning being selected so as to meet the requirements for attaching the tube(6) and ramp(7) as welt as Securing to the vehicle(5) itself with regard to the loads outlined above.

There are corresponding lugs fitted to the vehicle, the traffic cone tube(6) and ramp(7) assemblies the dimensioning is identical so that the platform can face any direction and still be able to accept any combination of equipment.

For clarity these corresponding Jugs are not shown on the accompanying diagrams, the method of connection is by sliding a pin through 2 aligned tugs and locking the pin with a safety clip, The platform(t) can be attached to the vehicle(5) or trailer in any of 3 positions as shown in fig 3 on page 2, the lefthand, righthand or rear face will have the necessary tugs fitted to allow universal operation.

The traffic cone tube(6) assembly is shown in fig 4 on page 15 fitted to the rear edge of the platform(1) so as to be able to drop traffic cones(8) onto the roadway(35) this shows how cones can be deposited along a lefthand or righthand lane boundary(34) or directly behind a vehicle(5) as conditions apply.

Fig 5 on page 16 shows a side elevation of a truck(S) with the platform(1) and traffic cone tube assembly(e) fitted to the righthand side.A rear face installation is shown in fig Son page 17.

The previous layouts are for traffic cones(S) to be dropped at predetermined intervals onto the roadway(35) by the traffic cone tube assembly(6), fig 7 on page 18 shows a plan view of the ramp assembly(7) attached in a trailing configuration. This will allow traffic cones(8) to be positioned directly adjacent to each other on the roadway(35) so as to form a solid wall, the ptatform(1) can occupy any of the 3 possible positions for this operation.

To retrieve traffic cones(8) from the roadway(35) the platforrn(1)wjti, the ramp assembly(7) can only be attached in one of two positions either the lefthand or the righthand sides this allows a truck(5) to approach the cone line endwise and guide them onto the ramp assembly(7) as shown in fig 8 on page 19.

Fig 9 on page 20 shows a plan view of a truck(5) with the platform(1) and ramp assembly(7) attached in both alternative positions.

3, Traffic cone tube assembly.

Fig 10 on page 21 shows a part sectional side elevation of the Traffic cone tube assembly(6) with its internal arrangement. The cone dropping tube(6) contains the traffic cones(8) stored in the upper section with the release mechanism located in the lower sequencer section(1O). The two parts are connected together as one demountable unit with tugs that correspond to the IUgs(2) on the sides of the pfatform(1). For clarity these brackets and Jugs are not shown.

The traffic cones(8) are Supported and released in sequence by the upper and lower sets of jaws(9) within the sequencer(10) this is achieved by a pin(14) formed on the Jaw(9) engaging in a profiled slot(15) within the cam(11), motive power is provided by a motor assembly(19y fitted to the outside of the sequencer body(10).

Fig 11 on page 22 shows an external Side view of the sequencer(1o) with three sets of Jaws(9) and their cams(1 1) these are sited at 900 intervals in the body of the sequencer(1o) Fig 12 also on page 22 shows a plan view of the sequencer(1o) along with the layout of the mechanism involved in releasing the traffic cone(8).

A traffic cone(S) is supported on the lower set of jaws(9) which are in their innermost position the four cams(I1) being interconnected by the connecting links(12) so as to move in unison are in the parked position, as shown by the pins(14) being in the middle of the slots(15).

If the cam assembly(11) is rotated anticlocic,vise the pins(14) would remain stationary as the straight part of the slot(1 5) passed around them and no movement would be made. But if the cam assembly(1 1) were now to be rotated clockwise then the pin(14) would be drawn into the diagonal leg of the slot(15) which would impart a radial displacement to the pin(14) and transfer its movement to the jaw(9) as all the Jaws(9) would be moved equally and simultaneously the traffic cone(S) would be released suddenly and cleanly to drop onto the surface of the roadway(35).

Fig 13 on page 23 shows a side profile of the jaws(9) and the cam(11) along with the pin(J4) that connects them also is shown the horizontal Support(18) that needs to be built into the sequencer wail(1O) so as to support the weight of traffic cones(8) within, The four top Jaws(9) have their inner edges tapered(17) so as to allow them to engage easily between the last and next to last traffic cone(8) in the sequencer(1 0).

Fig 14 also on page 23 shows an end on view of the cam(1 1), jaw(9) and pin(14). Fig 15 on pane 24 is an oblique view of the cam(1 1), slot(15), pin(14) and jaw(9).

Fig 16 on page 25 shows a plan and side elevation of the master cam and the means of driving all the cams(11). Only one of the cams(11) is actually driven, the others are joined by the connecting links(12), the difference between this cam and the others is the addition of a drive Iug(13) which is formed on its inner face and is where the connecting rod(18) is attached, The motion is provided by the motor assembly(J9) which is at the other end of the connecting rod(18) and is rigidly secured to the outside of the sequencer(1o) the motor receives its signal to operate from a sensor mounted on the distance measuring wheel(20).

4, Distance measuring asembly.

Fig 18 on page 27 Shows the positioning of the measuring wheel(20) which is mounted close to the nghthand rear road wheel of the truck so as to minimise differential effects when manouvreing. This is necessary as the wheel does not castor and is set to run parallel to the roadwheel fig 19 also on page 27 shows the single tube and fork design along with the sensor(21). The circumference of the measuring wheel (20) is a known quantity and with each rotation a signal is detected and processed and used to operate the motor(19) to activate the cam(11) and drop a traffic cone(8) onto the roadway(35).fety and cutout switches are incorporated in the design along with a manual override switch for ad-hoc operation. Details of the control device for processing is not included in this submission.

5, Ramp assembly.

Fig 20 on page 28 shows a side elevation and a part sectional plan view of the ramp(7) which is constructed of two side members joined by a series of cross members and braced diagonally to maintain correct alignment on the top surface of which are secured three support slats(24) to hold the weight of the traffic cones(8) as they sit on the belt(23) and travel up the length of the ramp(7). The belt(23) is made in the form of an endless loop and is held arid tensioned by an end rollor(22) at each end of the ramp(7).

The ramp attachment points(37) are secured to the platform lugs(2) by pins fig 21 on page 28 shows a side elevation of the top fitting and the use of a brace frame(25) to increase rigidityof the ramp(7) and platform(1) combination.

Each end roller(22) also adds to the overall strength of the ramp(7) due to the axle being secured in each side member as shown in fig 22 on page 28.

The method of driving the ramp belt(23) is shown in fig 23 on page 29 this is achieved by clamping the belt between the traction wheel(27) and belt drive roller(26) the frictional grip is increased due to the weight of the lower end of the ramp resting fully on the traction wheel((27).

As the ramp assembly(7) moves forwards along the roadway(35) the traction wheel(27) rotates clockwise with the belt drive roller(26) moving anti clockwise this causes the beft(23) to circulate around the ramp in an anticlockwjse motion eg belt moves up the ramp taking cones(8) with it.

If the ramp is installed on a rearward face so as to trail then the reverse takes place the belt moves down the ramp taking cones down to the roadway.

Fig 24 on page 30 shows a frontal view of the right hand traction wheel(27) supprted on its radius arm(28) the belt(23) is gripped between these two and driven around the ramp(7).

Fig 25 on page 30 Shows the device that that lifts the cones(s) onto the ramp(7). At the lower end of the ramp(7) is a ramp cone guide(29) with its side arms splayed forward and sideways to catch cones(S) arid align them with the belt(23). As the cones(S) near the horizontal wedge(30) across the ramp cone guide(29) they are tilted forward by the horizontal tripping bar(33) fitted just in front and above so as to lift the cone base up and forward this is to allow the wedge(30) to go underneath and scoop the cone from the roadway(35) the cone then drops squarely onto the belt(23) and is carried up the ramp(7).

When moving the ramp(7) prior to or just after cone retrieval the belt(23) drive can be disconnected via a quadrant shaped cam(31) that is lever(32) operated so as to increase the distance between the drive roller(26) and the traction wheel(27) thereby stopping the belt(23). The quadrant(31) has a flat formed so as to act as a detent locking it against the top of the traction wheel radius arm(28) once it is rotated forwards (clockwise when viewed from the righthand side). As shown in fig 26 on page 31.

Fig 27 on page 32 shows a plan and side elevation of the lower end of the ramp during cone retrieval, the positioning of the traction wheel(27) and the angle of the lifting wedge(30) with its alignment to the lower belt end roller(22).

In operation the driver aligns the ramp(7) with the cones(8) the jaws of the ramp guide(29) are sufficiently splayed to allow for misalignment of the cones on the roadway(35). as the ramp arrives at each cone the tripping bar(33) tilts it forward at the same time the lifting wedge(30) slides underneath the now rising forward edge of the cone base(8). once the ramp(7) has advanced enough the tripping bar(33) overruns the top of the cone(8) allowing it to drop onto the upward moving belt(23) at this point approximately of the cone base is on the belt.

The cones are removed at the top ramp and stored on the vehicle with the operation continueing until all the cones are retrieved from the roadway.

A plan view of a truck(5) laying cones(8) onto the roadway(35) is shown in fig 28 on page 33 this illustrates a truck moving along the righthand carriageway with its cone tube assembly(6) mounted on the lefthand side and positioning cones(S) along the carriageway lane marking(34). Road traffic(36) can still use the lefthand carriageway as they are screened off by the previously laid cones (8).

Fig 29 on page 34 shows this same truck(5) now retrieving cones(8) from the roadway(35) this time the truck is in the lefthand carriageway withthe road traffic(36) now overtaking on the right. The ramp(7) is mounted on the righthand side and is retrieving cones from the roadway in the manner previously described.

Method of operation.

The invention is used in two ways. The first of which is to drop traffic cones onto the road surface with a predetermined space between them. The second is to retrieve the traffic cones from the road surface when required.

Dropping of traffic cones with spacing greater than 10 feet.

The platform assembly(1) is attached to a suitable truck or trailer(5) in one of the three positions already described the traffic cone tube assembly(6) is then secured to the rearward face of the platform(1) and connected to a power source on the vehicle. The distance measuring wheel(20) is attached close to the righthand rear wheel and connected electrically to the distance measuring device (not shown in this submission).

Traffic cones are stored on the truck or trailer(5) and these are used to ensure the traffic cone tube assembly(e) is sufficiently loaded at all times so as to enable continuous automatic operation.

As the truck or trailer(5) moves forward the distance on the road suface is being read by the measuring wheel and this passes a signal at the appropriate moment for the sequencer to relase a traffic cone onto the road way The design of the action of the release mechanism in the sequencer is such that reloading is automatic once a cone is triggered to drop.

Dropping of traffic cones in a continuous wall and with spacing upto 10 feet.

The platform assembly(1) is attached to a suitable truck or trailer(5) in one of the three positions already described and the ramp assembfy(7) is secured to the rearward face of the platforrn(1) the lower ramp drive traction wheels(27) are engaged so as to drive the belt(23) as the truck moves forwards.

As the truck(5) moves forward the belt(23) rotates in rearwards direction so that as the traffic cones(8) are manually laid onto the belt(23) they are carried down onto the road surface(35). During this type of cone laying a much slower roadspeed is used to allow personnel on the truck to keep pace with the quantity of cones required.

In this method of operation it can be seen that the cones(8) Will drop Onto the road surface(35) in exactly the same spacing as they are loaded onto the belt.

They can be directly adjacent to one another so as to form a continuous wall or they can have a spacing of up to 10 feet, any distances greater than this will be carried out by the use of the cone tube assembly(6) in automatic mode.

Retrieving traffic cones from the road surface.

The platforrn(1) is attached to either the righthancl or lefthand side of the truck or trailer(5) and the ramp assembly(7) is secured to the leading edge of the platforrn(1). This positions the lower end of the ramp and its cone guide(29) near the front of the truck or trailer(5) this makes it easy for the driver to align the ramp assembly(7) with the line of traffic cones(8) that are to be retrieved from the roadway(35). (Li-

The traction wheels(27) are engaged so as to drive the belt(23) when the truck moves forward which in turn causes the belt(23) to rise to the top of the ramp(7), Positioned slightly forward and above the lower cone guide(29) is a tripping bar(33) that contacts the topmost surface of the traffic cone(8) that is immediately in front of the ramp.

This tripping bar tilts the cone forward and in so doing lifts the leading edge of the base of the cone directly in front of the lifting wedge(30) that is positioned at the lowest part of the ramp cone guide(29) .

The alignment of the tripping bar(33) and the lifting wed9e(30) is determined so that the tripping bar overruns the top of the cone(S) Just as the lifting wedge is driven fully underneath the cone base.

The impetus imparted to the traffic cone by the action of the lifting wedge driving underneath it scoops it from the road surface and deposits it with more than half of the leading cone base area landing squarely onto the upward rising belt(23) on the ramp (7).

Claims (11)

1. Claims, 1, A vehicle or trailer mounted device with which to drop and

   retrieve traffic cones onto a roadway with either a predetermined spacing or in a cofltinUOu wall so as to safely separate traffic from works,tes.
2. 2, A modular system according to claim 1, which uses a foundation platform temporarily or permanently attached to a suitably sized vehicle or trailer so that other parts of the system can be selectively used as required.
3. 3, A vertical cone storage tube according to claim 1, with a jaw mechanism group at its lower end which supports the stored cones above and releases the lowest cone onto the road surface when signalled.
4. 4, A radially connected series of face cams that engages simultaneously with the upper and lower jaw groups according to claim 3, in which the part rotation of said interconnected cams will cause a radial displacement of the jaws.
5. 5, A cam according to claim 4, in which the channel section cam has a profiled slot formed in the top and bottom flanges, these profiled slots are formed in reverse sense to each other so that only one group of jaws can operate at any one time whilst the other is locked by the detent action of the straight slot.
6. 6, A profile formed slot on each cam face according to claim 5, in which the profile is formed at 2 angles so as to either lock the jaw or retract the jaw depending on Its direction of part rotation, half of the slot is at 900 to the tube centrejine with the other half increasing to 100 to 3Q0 dependant on the desired ratio of movement and force required.
7. 7, A bidirectional Shallow angled conveyor belt ramp according to claim 1, the belt of which is powered by the motion of the vehicle along the road Surface which can deploy and retrieve traffic cones on and off of the road surface as required.
8. 8,A method of driving the conveyor belt according to claim 7, by means of traction wheels between the road surface below and the conveyor belt ramp above, the weight of which is sufficient to ensure enough drive friction to rotate the belt loaded with cones.
9. 9,A method of operation that derives its motive power from the motion of the vehicle or trailer according to claim 8.
10. 10, A manual, semi-automatic or fully automatic means of operation according to any of the Preceding claims.
11. 11, A method of operation that IS independent of road speed according to any of the proceeding claims