JPH0526882B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method for improving road marking strips and a device for arranging a retroreflective sphere aggregating plate piece having at least three rows of retroreflective elements on a road marking.

Over the past decade, the applicant has developed a variety of treatments for improving the effectiveness of road marking strips, particularly their visibility under adverse conditions such as nighttime and rainy weather. Examples of these include Italian Patent No. 811581 (dated May 2, 1968) and United States Patent No.
No. 3587415, and further examples can be found in other Italian patents and patent applications as well as related United States patents. All of these examples have resulted in improvements to the optics utilized in the marking strips, and the improved re-reflectivity of the optics has resulted in more of the car's headlights being reflected back towards the driver, reducing the optical It has a longer useful life and also provides anti-slip properties. According to Italian Patent No. 24096A176 (dated June 9, 1976), a re-reflective sphere (hereinafter referred to as an "asymmetric sphere") is known as another improvement. In this case, the special asymmetrical shape of the sphere improves the optical properties, which are further enhanced by the particle layer covering the underside of the sphere. The invention corresponding to this Italian patent was recognized in the United States as United States Patent No. 4072403, and patents have also been obtained in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Canada, and other countries.

Also, a method and apparatus for fixing an optical element,
Furthermore, we have developed a method for improving the optical effects of optical elements by giving them a double asymmetric shape. Methods and apparatus have also been developed that attempt to obtain optimal results by securing optical elements in a predetermined alignment pattern on the road marking strip. An example of this is U.S. Patent No.
No. 4279534 (dated July 21, 1981), No. 4322177 (dated March 30, 1982), No. 4369001 (dated January 1983)
May 18th) can be given.

According to another development, a calendered ribbon body of retroreflective elements is cut into a number of strips, thereby producing marking strips which are particularly suitable for marking over large areas. can get. The cutting strip is mainly supported on a rubber sheet (UK Patent No. 2013265-1982).
(dated March 3, 2013).

According to the first invention, a method for improving road marking strips includes the steps of: a) preparing a retroreflective sphere aggregating plate piece having at least three rows of rereflective elements;
a first row of retroreflective elements that are subject to wear by traffic are placed in front of the second row of rereflective elements to protect the second row of rereflective elements; b) c) mounting said retroreflective sphere concentrating plate pieces relative to a road marking, and c) said mounting is carried out using an apparatus comprising means for sequentially arranging such plate pieces. A method is provided which is characterized in that:

According to the second invention, there is provided a device for arranging a retroreflective ball aggregating plate piece having at least three rows of rereflective elements on a road marking, wherein the first row of rereflective elements is worn out by traffic. The reflective element is the second
The device is arranged in front of the second row of re-reflective elements to protect the second row of re-reflective elements; A device is provided, characterized in that it has means for carrying the pieces of the retroreflective sphere aggregating plates, and means for successively attaching the pieces of the retroreflective sphere aggregating plate to the road marking.

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings: As already mentioned, the optical effect is achieved by fixing the re-reflecting spheres constituting the re-reflecting element in many rows. It can be improved. According to the invention, if a strip of arrays of retroreflective balls is obtained from an elongated ribbon body (FIG. 1a), the resulting retroreflective ball aggregation plate piece is very suitable and economical, and Due to the small supporting area required, it is also compatible with road surfaces.

The bifocal reflex sphere is made of plastic. The plastic bulbs do not become opaque and dull when exposed to traffic abrasion like glass bulbs do. The plastic balls will actually become abrasive due to the traffic. However, due to wear, its optical useful life is relatively short.

It has been found that the useful optical life is significantly increased if the rows of plastic spheres are grouped together in three or more rows. The reason for this is as follows. That is, the first row of balls absorbs all the impact from the car's tires and receives most of the wear, while the middle rows of balls only experience slight wear at the top. Asymmetric wear in the first ball row also occurs in the last ball row when the tire leaves the plate piece. Such a wear pattern is shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 2b.

In Figure 2b, the plastic spheres are G ₁ , G ₂ ,
It is indicated by G ₃ and the wear points are indicated by U ₁ , U ₂ , and U ₃ . Traffic direction is indicated by arrow V. The wear pattern is effectively symmetrical about the centerline of the plate piece, with location U ₁ being more heavily worn towards the side where the tire makes contact first, and location U ₃ being more worn towards the side where the tire makes contact last. Worn. Point U ₂ is worn only at the upper end. Such plate pieces can be referred to as "symmetrical wear" plate pieces and can be used in place of individual arrays of retroreflective elements.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Various methods for applying various types of road markings have been in use for many years, most often by simple spraying or application of paint. Another important method is the installation of thermoplastic signs, which are permanent and have a thickness of 3 mm. However, a common drawback of all these road markings is poor visibility at night or in the rain. Although thermoplastic road markings, so-called "hot plastics", are widely used, they are not strictly effective enough in terms of the required safety. In short, the reality is that "hot plastic" road markings are used because nothing better than them is known.

"Hot plastic" road markings are often sprayed with a light-reflecting paint, but this paint is only effective for a short period of time and is therefore only a temporary solution. One effective, but expensive, method is to intersperse light-reflective buttons in the strip when it is installed on the road surface. In addition to high cost, this method has the disadvantage that its optical effectiveness is lost by about 50% after one year, and furthermore, its installation on the road surface rapidly weakens the road surface.

The applicant has already achieved a remarkable solution to the problem of poor visibility at night and in rainy weather by developing a special factory-produced type of marking strip.
I have come up with one solution. This indicator strip can be used in combination with high hardness crystal particles which give the strip anti-slip properties. U.S. Pat. No. 3,935,365 and U.S. Pat.
No. 4020211 can be exemplified. Various methods have also been developed to ensure the visibility of marking strips when exposed to the low angle beams of automobile headlamps. In this regard, US Pat. Nos. 3,587,415 and 3,746,425, French Patent No. 1,578,688, and British Patent No. 1,245,834 can be cited. Additionally, a series of optical elements have been developed that facilitate the visibility of marking strips at night and especially in rainy weather. No. 4,072,403 and US Pat.
No. 4129397 can be exemplified. in this way,
Various types of factory-produced strips have been developed for the manufacture and installation of road marking strips carrying special sophisticated optical elements that guarantee a high degree of visibility and safety even in rainy weather.

Although relatively expensive, measures such as these that significantly improve the safety of night driving are being introduced internationally. but,
Funds dedicated to road maintenance are often insufficient to support further expansion. On the other hand, the general trend is that traffic volumes and the dangers associated with driving at night and in rainy weather are becoming ever greater. Accordingly, aggressive solutions must be sought to develop road marking strips that are optically effective in all types of light and weather and have a useful lifespan of many years.

A first solution is to affix the retroreflective ball collecting plate pieces to the marking strips that are being installed on the road surface, such as in "hot plastic." In this case, the cost increase should be kept within a reasonable range.
No additional adhesive is required and the collecting plate pieces are attached while the plastic material is in the liquid phase.

A second solution is to fix the re-reflective ball aggregating plate pieces onto existing road markings installed on the road surface. In this case, adhesive is also applied to the road marking surface or the lower surface of the collecting plate piece.
The adhesive is a commercially available adhesive suitable for road marking and resistant to hydrolysis.

The present invention has the following advantages as such a solution.

1) The use of small amounts of high-quality quick-setting adhesives results in little or no use of solvents (a very limited proportion of the actual marking area in road markings sprayed together with optical elements). ).

2) Small size and low cost plate pieces are used with a service life that is compatible with that of existing road markings. This plate piece does not significantly increase the thickness of the road marking.

3) Existing road marking strips undergo virtually no change in their original properties due to the fastening of the plate pieces according to the invention.

FIG. 3 shows a section of a marking strip S _S sprayed by a known device. A sprayed layer of adhesive S _p is applied onto the marking strip S _S without or using only a small amount of solvent. The adhesives used are of the type well known for this type of work. Since the retroreflective sphere gathering plate pieces are made from methacrylic material, the epoxy adhesive provides a high degree of mechanical properties and a high degree of compatibility with the indicator strip. The adhesive layers S _p are sprayed onto the marking strip at intervals several times the length of the individual adhesive layers. This spacing is preferably four times the length of the adhesive layer or more.

The asymmetrical retroreflective sphere gathering plate pieces are adhered to the adhesive layer in a consistent manner via mechanical means.
The retroreflective sphere gathering plate piece can also be attached by a meltable adhesive applied to its underside.

Whether attached to an existing marking strip or attached to a newly installed marking strip with a retroreflective ball collecting plate piece, the piece of retroreflective ball collecting plate used is the width of the marking strip. It should be slightly narrower than the In addition, the re-reflective sphere collecting plate piece must protrude at least 1 mm above the marking strip so that it is exposed above the water film in rainy weather.

The device for carrying out the method of the invention can also be used both for existing road markings and for new road markings. Examples are shown in FIGS. 4-7.

FIG. 4 shows a device for fixing a piece of a re-reflection ball collecting plate at high speed onto a road marking that will be newly installed. A ribbon body (that is to say a ribbon-like stock) 12 is guided in contact by a perforated roller 10. In this case, the perforated roller 10
The internal partial vacuum brings the ribbon body 12 into close contact with the circumferential surface of the roller. A mating roller 14 made of rubber assists in this close contact. A cutting roller 16 cuts the ribbon body 12 into pieces of assembled plates of required dimensions. The retroreflective sphere collecting plate piece is then positioned at a predetermined location 18 by an air jet 20.

Different types of cutting rollers are used depending on the number of rows of retroreflective spheres required for each retroreflective sphere assembly plate piece. The distance D between each piece of the re-reflection ball collecting plate is determined by the rotational speed of the perforated roller 10 and the traveling speed along the road surface S.

FIG. 5 shows a device for feeding out and installing individual pieces of the re-reflection sphere collecting plate from a cartridge. This embodiment also includes a device for spraying adhesive. The apparatus includes a cradle 30 which is manually operated by a handle 32 and consists of the following mechanisms: (a) an aerosol cylinder 34 containing adhesive;

(b) A nozzle 36 that is supplied from an aerosol cylinder 34 via a hose 38 having a stop valve.

(c) One or more containers 40 for holding pieces of the retroreflective sphere assembly plate.

When there are two or more containers 40, they are arranged horizontally, and when the preceding container is empty, they are moved to a position where the collecting plate pieces are fixed. An ejector 42 is provided at the fixing position, and this ejector 42 pushes out the piece of the re-reflecting ball collecting plate located at the bottom of the container 40 to prepare the next piece of the re-reflecting ball collecting plate in a fixed position.

(d) Pressure weight 44 moved by cable 46.

This pressing weight 44 falls onto the re-reflective ball collecting plate piece to press it against the adhesive layer.

(E) Cam group 48. The cam set 48 is supported on the same shaft and is driven by a drive chain 50 connected to one of the wheels 52 of the frame 30 or other suitable drive means. The first cam 54 is used to open a water valve located in the hose between the aerosol cylinder 34 and the nozzle 36. The opening valve is closed by a spring 56. A second cam 58 operates the ejector 42. Ejector 42 is returned by the force of spring 60. The third cam 62 lowers the pressing weight 44. The spring 64 returns the pressure weight 44 to its original position.

By changing the transmission ratio between the wheels 52 and the cam set 48, it is possible to change the spacing between the pieces of the re-reflection ball collecting plate fixed onto the marking strip S _S.

FIG. 6 shows an apparatus for fixing retroreflective sphere aggregating plate pieces held in one or more containers onto existing road markings. This device has a frame structure and moves in the direction of the arrow. A cartridge group 66 holds the re-reflection sphere collecting plate pieces. Cartridge 68 is in a working position, which corresponds to the rotational position of drum 70. The drum 70 has a suitable number of recesses 72 along its outer periphery for receiving the rereflective sphere collecting plate pieces. Drum 70 enclosure 72
A vacuum suction force is applied to the re-reflection sphere collecting plate piece, whereby the re-reflection sphere collecting plate piece is positioned and held within the cavity 72. As the drum 70 rotates, the re-reflection sphere collecting plate piece reaches the proper position,
An air jet from air passage 74 blows the re-reflecting sphere collection plate pieces onto the adhesive covered road surface location. The drum 70 is connected to auxiliary equipment by a chain. One of the accessories is a blower which creates a partial vacuum in drum 70 and pressure in air passageway 74. A cam or similar mechanism controls the operation of an automatic mechanism such as a pneumatic piston. In this case, the automatic mechanism moves the empty cartridge in conjunction with the counter,
Move the new cartridge into position. A cam or similar mechanism can also control the release of a counterweight or spring that operates similarly to the automatic mechanism. In an automatic operation, for example, a piston 76 holds the cartridge in place. Such automatic attachments are not required and can also be operated manually.

FIG. 7 schematically shows another embodiment of the device for fixing the re-reflection sphere collecting plate pieces. This device is
It includes a storage spindle 80 supported on a support 82. The storage spindle 80 rotates in the direction of arrow F to unwind an indicator strip ribbon 84. The depleted condition of the ribbon body 84 on the storage spindle 80 is indicated at 84'. The ribbon body is guided toward a chute 88 by a roller 86, and from the chute 88, the re-reflection ball collecting plate pieces P are sequentially dropped onto the road surface T.
The piston 90 feeds the ribbon body at regular intervals. The feed member is well known and includes a rubber coated feed roller 92 with side guides and a corresponding roller 94. An operating piston 96 operates a deflecting and cutting punch 98.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1a is a plan view of a ribbon body made of asymmetrical re-reflection spheres, Fig. 1b is a plan view showing a piece of a re-reflection sphere assembly plate cut from the ribbon body, and Fig. 2a is an enlarged side view of the re-reflection sphere; Figure 2b is a side view showing the wear pattern of the array of retroreflective balls, Figure 3 is a plan view showing one section of the road marking strip, Figures 4 and 5.
6 and 7 are side views of an embodiment of an apparatus for fixing a retroreflective sphere collecting plate piece to a marking strip. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Perforated roller, 12... Ribbon body consisting of a re-reflection sphere, 14... Compatible roller, 16... Cutting roller, 20... Air jet, 30... Frame, 34... Aerosol cylinder, 36... Nozzle, 38... Hose, 40... Container, 42... Ejector, 44... Pressing weight, 46... Cable, 48... Cam assembly, 50... Drive chain, 5
2...Wheel, 56...Spring, 60...Spring, 64
... Spring, 68 ... Cartridge, 70 ... Drum, 72 ... Vent, 74 ... Air passage, 76 ...
...air piston, 80...storage spindle, 82
... Support, 84 ... Ribbon body, 86 ... Roller, 88 ... Chute, 90 ... Piston, 92
...Feed roller, 94...Compatible roller, 96...
Operation piston, 98...Deflection and cutting punch.

Claims (1)

Claims: 1. A method for improving road marking strips, comprising the steps of: a) providing a retroreflective sphere aggregating plate piece having at least three rows of rereflective elements;
a first row of retroreflective elements that are subject to wear by traffic are placed in front of the second row of rereflective elements to protect the second row of rereflective elements; b) c) mounting said retroreflective sphere concentrating plate pieces relative to a road marking, and c) said mounting is carried out using an apparatus comprising means for sequentially arranging such plate pieces. A method characterized by: 2. In the method described in claim 1,
A method in which the road marking is applied as a hot thermoplastic, and step b) is carried out by embedding the plate piece within the road marking. 3. In the method described in claim 1,
The step b) is carried out using an adhesive applied to the road marking. 4. In the method described in claim 1,
A method in which step b) is carried out by means of a hot melt adhesive applied to the underside of the plate piece. 5. In the method described in claim 1,
A spindle comprising a ribbon stock from which the plate piece can be cut is provided, the apparatus comprising at least one support for supporting the spindle comprising the ribbon stock, and the apparatus comprising at least one support for supporting the spindle comprising the ribbon stock, and the apparatus comprises at least one support for supporting the spindle comprising the ribbon stock, and the apparatus comprises and cutting means for cutting the plate pieces from the ribbon-like stock, steps a) and b) comprising guiding the ribbon-like stock from the spindle towards the cutting means. and advancing the plate pieces cut from this ribbon-like stock to the road marking. 6. In the method recited in claim 1,
A method in which the plate pieces are stored as cartridges on the device before being applied to road markings. 7. A device for arranging on a road marking a retroreflective sphere aggregating plate piece having at least three rows of retroreflective elements, the first one being worn out by traffic.
A row of re-reflective elements is arranged in front of the second row of re-reflective elements to protect the second row of re-reflective elements, and the apparatus includes a pedestal with wheels and a pedestal mounted on the pedestal. An apparatus characterized by comprising means for holding a plurality of said re-reflecting ball aggregating plate pieces, and means for successively mounting these re-reflecting ball aggregating plate pieces on said road marking. 8. In the device according to claim 7,
The means for carrying the plurality of plate pieces includes:
The device is a cartridge from which the plate piece is placed. 9. In the device according to claim 8,
Apparatus, wherein the means for applying the plate pieces to the road marking is a rotating drum, the rotating drum carrying the plate pieces from the cartridge to the road marking. 10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein: i the means carrying said plurality of plate pieces are a spindle comprising a ribbon-like stock from which said plate pieces can be cut; and ii the apparatus comprises: The apparatus further comprises cutting means for cutting said plate pieces from said ribbon-like stock and means for guiding said plate pieces towards the ground. 11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the means for guiding the plate piece is a chute over which the plate piece slides after being cut from the ribbon stock. 12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 11, including a series of rollers for advancing said ribbon stock from said spindle towards said cutting means. 13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the cutting means for cutting the plate pieces from the ribbon stock is a deflecting and cutting punch. 14. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the means for successively applying plate pieces to road markings are operative to initially hold the plate pieces by partial negative pressure; A device operated to eject this plate piece onto the road surface by means of an air jet. 15. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a container of adhesive and means for continuously applying the adhesive to the road surface.