US2064504A - Highway marker - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 1 5, 1936 w. B. THOMPSON HIGHWAY MARKER Filed Ju ly,2l,-l93l 2 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 15, 1936. w. B. THOMPSON HI GHWAY MARKER Filed'Ju'ly 21, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 15, 1936 UNITED STATES HIGHWAY MARKER Wayne B. Thompson, Winchester, Masa, assignor to Spray Engineering Company, Somerville, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application July 21, 1931, Serial No. 552,178

9 Claims. (01. 91-45) The present invention relates to marking devices which are caused to travel over a highway and mark a traflic line thereon.

The principal object of the present invention is 5 to produce a marker with which the highway may be provided, either continuously or intermittently, with a traflic line or stripe having a predetermined width, sharply defined edges and a smooth, even surface.

10 To the accomplishment of this object, and such others as may appear hereinafter, the various features of the present invention reside in certain constructions and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and-then set forth in the 15 appended claims which possess advantages readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

The various features of the present invention will be understood readily from an inspection of the accompanying drawings illustrating the best 20 form of the invention at present devised, in

g which,

Figure 1 is a view in right side elevation of the highway marker;

Fig. 2 is a view in plan;

25 Fig. 3 is a view in rear elevation, the handles being in section; I

Fig. 4 is a detail view in sectional elevation of one of the wheel and disk units together with the supporting structure therefor;

30 Fig. 5 is a detail view in right side elevation, partly in section, showing the mounting for the spray gun, one of the disks, and the scraper, spoon and pan associated therewith;

Fig. 6 is a detail view in plan of a slip sleeve 35 for one of the wheel disk unit axles, and

Fig. 7 is a detail view in sectional elevation on the line 1-4, Fig. 3.

vIn the illustrated embodiment of the invention the traflic line is marked on the highway by i) a spray gun I (Fig. 5), the spray from which is confined to a stripe 8 (Fig. 2) of predetermined width by shields comprising two disks 9 and I (Fig. 3). The spray gun, as indicated in Fig. 5,

, is one of the Spracc type disclosed in my Patent No. 1,706,006, March 19, 1929. The disk 9 (Fig. 4) is secured to the reduced squared end of a stub shaft or axle I I which is journaled in a slip sleeve l2. One end of the sleeve I2 engages a collar l3 secured to the reduced portion of the 60 axle. The other end of the sleeve l2 engages the disk 9. The disk 9 is secured in position on the axle and in engagement with the sleeve I2 by a cap screw I4 .threaded into one end of the axle, there being a washer l interposed between the 3 disk 3 and the head of the cap screw. With this construction the disk 9 rotates with the axle II. The reduced portion of the axle II is provided with a second collar l6. As shown in Fig. 4, shoulders on the collars l3 and i6 support a rubber tired wheel I! which is held in position by a '5 nut l8 threaded onto one end of the axle II.

The other disk I0 is associated with a rubber tired wire wheel l9 (Fig. 3). The disk i0 rotates with the axle upon which the wheel I9 is mounted in a manner similar to the disk 0. The axle for 10 the wheel I9 is rotatably mounted in a slip sleeve 20 (Fig. 3) similar to the sleeve i2.- As shown in Figs. 3 and 5 the disks 9 and I0 are smaller in diameter than their associated wheels I! and I9. With this construction the disks clear the highway and permit the marking of crowned portions thereof.

The sleeves l2 and are mounted, respectively, in bearings 2| and 22 (Fig. 3) which are secured by bolts 23 (Fig. 4) to the side frames 20 24 (Fig. 2). The side frames 24 are connected by a plate 25 (Fig. 2) which has the additional function of counterbalancing the weight at the rear end of the highway marker. At their front endsthe side frames 24 support a horizontal rod 5 26 (Figs. 1 and 2) the opposite ends of which form bearings for the rubber tired wheels 21. Pivoted to the rod 26 is a yoke frame 28 the free ends of which support rotatably a small roll '29 mounted to roll over the highway and indicate the loca- 30 tion of the center line of the stripe.

As shown in Fig. 3, the bearings 2| and 22 support the feet of a bridge 30. Secured to the sides of the bridge 30 are two rods 3| the upper ends of which carry ahead 32 provided with a vertical hollow boss 33. Mounted in the boss 33 is the stem of a clamp 34 receiving a yoke 35 provided at its free ends with rotatable sleeves 36 and 31 covered, respectively, with rubber grips 38 and 33. 40

The spray gun I is mounted centrally between the disks 9 and ID with its discharge orifice directed downwardly. To this end the handle of the spray gun is positioned in a recess 40 (Figs. 3 and 5) formed on one face of acasting 4| ,the upper end of which is secured by a pairfof cap screws 42 to an arm 43. At its upper end the arm 43 is split to embrace a rod 44 dependingfifrom the bridge 30. The arm 43 may be secured in any desired position of adjustment on the rod 44 by a bolt 45 passed through the split portion of the arm 43. The handle of the spray gun is clamped in the recess 40 by a plate 46 secured to the casting 4|.

The spray gun receives its coating material through a flexible conduit 41 (Fig. 5) which conducts the coating material from a tank (not shown) on a truck travelling at a slow pace on the highway. The truck carries also a supply of compressed air which is connected through a flexible conduit 48 (Fig. 3) to a T 49 supported by ashort pipe 50 carried by the head 32. The T 49 is connected by a flexible conduit 5| to the handle-of the spray gun.

As well known to those skilled in this art, the flow of the compressed air and coating material through the spray gun is controlled by valves (not shown) operatively connected to a trigger 52 (Fig. 5) on the spray gun. In order to operate the trigger it is engaged by a small roll 53 on one arm of a bell-crank lever 54 pivotally mounted on a horizontal pin 55 carried by the casting 4|. The bell-crank lever 54 is provided also with a small roll 56 which engages one end of a piston 51 mounted to slide in a cylinder 58 on the casting 4 The interior of the cylinder 58 receives compressed air from a flexible conduit 59 (Figs. 3 and 5) connected to a three-way valve 68 secured to the bottom of the pipe 58. The three-way valve is constructed to control the passage of air from the pipe 58 into the flexible conduit 59. When the three-way valve is in one position the compressed air enters the cylinder 58 and moves the piston 51 outwardly to operate the trigger in a direction to open the'coating material and compressed air valves in the spray gun.

In order to limit the movement of the trigger 52 under the influence of the piston the bellcrank lever 54 is provided with an offset tail 6| (Figs. 3 and 5) arranged to engage one end of a screw 62 adjustably secured on a lug formed on one side of the casting 4|. In order that the three-way'valve 60 may be controlled by the operative the stem 83 of the valve is squared (Fig. 3) to receive one end of a wrench 64. The other end of the wrench 64 is connected by a rod to an arm 86 integral with the right hand rotatable sleeve 36 (Fig. 3). When the three-way valve 88 is closed a pin 61 on one side of the stem 83 engages a shoulder 68 on the valve body. When the operative rotates the sleeve 36 in a clockwise direction, viewing Fig. 3, the three-way valve is opened and air is admitted through the conduit 59 to the cylinder 58 to operate the trigger 52 and the valves of the spray gun. The opening move ment of the valve is limited by a shoulder 89 as:- ranged on the valve body in a position to be engaged by the pin 61. When the sleeve 36 is rotated thereafter in a counter-clockwise direction the three-way valve is closed and the air in the conduit 59 is vented through a vent 18 (Fig. 1), thus permitting the usual valve closing springs in the spray gun to return the trigger 52 and the piston 51 to their normal inoperative positions.

In order to vary the width of the spray defined by the disks 9 and Hi the sleeves l2 and 28 therefor are adjustable towards and from each other in the bearings 2| and 22, respectively. To this end the bearings are split so that by releasing cap screws H (Fig. 2) therein the embraced sleeves l2 and 28 may be slid in the hearings towards and from each other. As shown in Figs. 3 and 6 the sleeves |2 and 28 are provided with a series of peripheral grooves 12 marked, respectively, 4, 5, 6, '7 and 8. These marks indicate the number of inches separating the disks 9 and I8 and consequently the width to be given the stripe. As shown in Fig. 3 the sleeves l2 and 28, are adjusted in their bearings to register the six inch scores with the inside faces of the bearings. Thus, the disks 9 and ID are separated a distance sufficient to define a stripe 6 inches wide on the highway. The height of the discharge orifice of the spray gun above the highway may be correlated with the distance separating the disks 9 and H) by raising and lowering the arm 43 on the rod 44. Experience has demonstrated that, with the Spraco spray gun I, the height of the discharge orifice above the highway should be commensurate substantially with the width of the stripe. That is, the vertical distance from the highway to, the discharge orifice of the spray gun should be substantially the same as the horizontal distance between the disks 9 and In. It will be understood by those skilled in this art, however, that this vertical distance may vary depending upon the coating material or the type of spray gun or nozzle used.

In order to maintain the peripheries and inside faces of the disks 9 and I0 free from accumulations of marking material which may splash thereon, the highway marker is provided with scrapers which scrape the disks during their rotation and with spoons which receive the scraped material from the scrapers and deposit it centrally upon the stripe formed on the highway. To this end the side frames 24 are provided with U- shaped bolts 13 (Figs. 2, 3 and 5) which clamp a horizontal rod 14. Loosely mounted on the rod 14 are two collars 15 and I8 one of which is associated with the disk 9 and the other one of which is associated with the disk It]. As the construction and mode of operation of the collars and the parts supported thereby are identical the description thereof will be restricted to the scraper and spoon construction associated with the disk I!) (Fig. 5).

The collar I5 supports an arm 11 (Fig. 5) having an offset upstanding end 18. Clamped to the offset end 18 is a scraper unit comprising a wiper l9 clamped between two holder plates 88. The wiper is arranged at an inclination with one edge face engaged with the inside face of the disk H). The marking material scraped oii the disk ID by the wiper 19 drops upon a spoon 8| secured to the bottom of the arm 11. The upper face of the spoon 8| is dished to form a trough for the collected coating material. The free end of the spoon 8| toes inward (Fig. 3) so that the collected coating mat rial may be discharged towards the center of he stripe.

The peripheral edge of the disk I 0 is scraped by a piece of leather 82 (Figs. 3, 5 and 7) which is interposed between one edge face of the spoon 8| and a plate 83. The plate 83 is held in position by two screws 84 which engage the plate 83, pass through the leather block 82, and are threaded into the adjacent face of the spoon 8|. The leather block 82 scrapes the peripheral edge of the disk i0 clean, the scrapings falling also into the spoon 8|. As indicated in Figs. 5 and '7 the effective leading edge 85 of the leather block 82 is arranged in the same plane as the wiper 19 thus to insure that the scrapings from the block and wiper will fall into the spoon 8|.

The scrapers l9 and 82 are held in the position shown in Fig. 5 by a spring 86 coiled about the rod 14. One end of the spring 86 is secured to a collar 81 (Fig. 3) secured to the rod 14. The other end of the spring 86 is hooked on one face of the arm 11 (Figs. 4 and 5). The loose collar 15 is backed up by a collar 88 secured to the rod 14. By loosening the collars 81 and 88 the wipers I9 and 82 may follow the lateral adjustment of the disks.

It is often desirable to form a broken traflic line on the highway but heretofore this could not be done with a travelling marker, either of the spray gun or brush type. In order to form a broken traflic line the three-way valve 68 is closed by manipulating the sleeve or handle 36 thus stopping the discharge of spray from the spray gun. Shortly before stopping the operation of the spray gun a catch-pan 89 (Figs. 3 and 5) is swung under the discharge ends of the spoons 8| to receive the scraped marking material therefrom. The pan 89 is provided with a bottom dished in the direction of its width to form a trough in which the coating material discharged by the spoons may accumulate without danger of spilling upon the highway. Centrally the pan 89 is provided with a spillway 98, but this spillway is formed above the trough so that the contents thereof may not pass through the spillway while the pan occupies the position shown in full lines in Fig. 5.

One end of the pan 89 is secured to the lower end of a lever 9| pivoted at 92 on the left-side frame 24, viewing Fig. 2. The upper end of the lever 9| is pivoted to the lower end of a rod 93 (Fig. 3) the upper end of which is pivoted to an arm 94 projecting laterally from the sleeve 31. The other end of the pan 89 is secured to the lower end of an arm 95 (Fig. 3) pivoted at 96 on the right side frame 24. The pivots 92 and 96 are arranged in the same horizontal and vertical planes.

Under normal operating conditions the pan 89 is swung back into the construction line position of Fig. 5 while the highway is being marked with the stripe 8. About three feet before the point is reached where the spray is to be shut off and thus end the mark on the highway, the pan 89 is swung into the full-line position of Fig. 5.in which position it is left while traversing a gap in a.

broken line or while the highway marker is not in operation. If it, is intended to form a gap in the line the valves in the spray gun are reopened to restart the spray after the proper interval, but the pan 89 is left in its down position until a new stripe 8 substantially three feet in length is formed when the pan 89 is swung into the construction line of Fig. 5. When the pan 89 containing the accumulation of scrapings from the spoons 8| is moved into the construction line position of Fig. 5, the scrapings flow out of the spillway 98 upon the center portion of the stripe. Bymoving the pan 89 into its down position before the end of the line is reached and by moving it into its up positionafter the new line is started the excess paint from the faces and peripheral edges of the disks is prevented from dripping on any unmarked portion of the highway.

In the event a traflic line on the highway is to be remarked a gage 91 is registered with one edge of the old stripe in the manner indicated in Fig. 2. The gage 91 is adjustably mounted on a plate 98 carried by the frame 28.

'By mounting the wheels l6 and IS on separate axles, respectively, the operative may tip the highway marker backwardly to elevate the wheels 21 from the highway and turn the highway marker on one of the wheels I6 and I9 as an axis to cause the spray gun to spray along a curved line. In turning the highway marker to follow a curved line the wheel and disk on one side are free to rotate forwardly while, it may be, the wheel and disk on the other side are free to rotate backwardly.

The handles 38 and 39 are grasped as the operative pushes the highway marker along the highway permitting the operative at the same time to control the admission of air into and out of the cylinder 58, the raising and lowering of the catch pan 89, the tipping of the highway marker, and its turning on one of the wheels as a pivot.

It will be clear to those skilled in the art, and with the general objects of the present invention in view, that changes may be made in the details ment thereof being intended as an exploitation of the underlying essentials of the invention, the features of which are definitely stated in their true scope in the claims presented herewith.

What is claimed as new, is:

1. In a highway marker, the combination with a carriage having four wheels the rear ones of which are mounted upon independent slidably movable axles, and a spray gun mounted on the carriage to discharge marking material towards the highway, of shields mounted on said axles, respectively, for confining the application of the marking material on the highway to a stripe of 'of structure, the described and illustrated embodihighway to a stripe of predetermined width,

means for removing excess marking material from the inside faces and peripheral edges of the disks, and means for catching and storing the excess marking material removed from the disks, of means for dumping the stored marking material upon the stripe.

4. In a highway marker, the combination wit a rotatable disk, a scraper for removing excess marking material from one face of the disk and a spoon for conducting the excess marking material removed from the disk to a point on the highway spaced from the said face of the disk, of a pan movable to a position beneath the spoon to receive therefrom said excess material.

5. In a highway marker, the combination with a rotatable disk, scrapers for removing excess marking material from one face of the disk and the peripheral edge of the disk, and a spoon for conducting the excess marking material removed from the disk to a point on the highway spaced from said face of the disk, of a pan movable to a position beneath the spoon to receive therefrom said excess material.

6. A highway marker having, in combination,

a disk, a wiper for scraping one face of the disk,

a spoon for catching the scrapings and conducting them to a point remote from the scraped face of the disk, a wiper carried by the spoon for scraping the peripheral edge of the disk, an arm supporting the first named wiper and the spoon, a rod upon which the arm is loosely mounted and a coiled spring having one end engaged with the arm and the other end supported from the rod for pressing the wipers against the inside face and the peripheral edge of the disk, respectively. Y p

7. In a highway marker, the combination with a wheeled carriage, a spray gun mounted thereon for discharging marking material towards the highway, shields for confining the application of marking material on the highway to a stripe of predetermined width, means for removing excess material from the shields and dumping it upon the stripe, a pan movable into a. position to receive the removed excess material, rotatable handles carried by the carriage engaged by the operative in wheeling the carriage overthe highway, and means controlled by the rotation of the handles for controlling the operation of the spray gun and the pan.

8. In a highway marker, the combination with a spray gun for discharging marking material towards the highway, rotatable disks for confining the application of the marking material on the highway to a stripe of predetermined width,

means for removing excess marking material from the disks, and means for catching and storing the excess marking material removed from the disks, of means for dumping the stored marking material upon the stripe at a point spaced from the edges of the stripe.

9. In a highway marker, the combination with a spray gun for discharging marking material-

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