US2157059A

US2157059A - Road marker

Info

Publication number: US2157059A
Application number: US230654A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harold J Rosener
Original assignee: HENRY H FLOR; RAYMOND MEIDL; VICTOR P REIM
Current assignee: HENRY H FLOR; RAYMOND MEIDL; VICTOR P REIM
Priority date: 1938-09-19
Filing date: 1938-09-19
Publication date: 1939-05-02
Anticipated expiration: 1956-05-02

Description

May 2, 1939. H. .1. ROSENER ROAD MARKER Filed Sept. 19, 1938 I 71/720 niorprnezzs far 14 :2 v

Patented May 2, 1939 UNITE]? STATES ROAD MARKER Harold J. Rnsener, New Ulm, Minna, assignor of four-tenths to Raymond Meidl, one-tenth to Henry H. Flor, and one-tenth to Victor P. Reim, New Ulm, Minn.

Application September 19, 1938, Serial No. 230,654

5 Claims.

This invention relates to road markers of the type adapted to be mounted in and project from the road surface to indicate trafflc lanes without interfering with movement of vehicles over or upon the markers.

It is an object of this nvention to provide a novel marker of this class having a head which normally projects slightly from the road surface and is arranged to be retracted into a housing beneath the road surface under the impact of vehicle wheels. I

A particular object is toprovide an improved combination of resilient supporting and stopping means for the head of a marker of this class whereby the device is rendered more durable and resistant to the impact of the vehicle wheels.

A further object is to provide in a marker of this class one or more reflector buttons on the protruding head and resilient means for normally retaining such button or buttons in proper alignment with the direction of traflic and permitting the head to turn momentarily under the more powerful forces tending to rotate the head, such as those created by the impact of snow plows, grader blades or glancing blows from the wheels of vehicles.

Another object is to provide means in the housing of such a device for automatically forcing out accumulations of obstructing substances such as water and dust which sometimescollect in the housing to a detrimental extent.

Referring to the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan. view of my improved road marker, and I v Fig. 2 is a central vertical section through the same mounted in suitable road surfacing material.

The device has a substantially cylindrical housing 3 adapted to be imbedded .in road surfacing material 8. The housing 3 is preferably formed with a reentrant bottom portion 5 of substantially cylindrical form disposed concentrically with the vertical axis of the housing 3. Within the housing 3 and secured to the upper surface'of the'bottom 5 is a block-6 of resilient and compressible material, such as rubber, adapted to constitute a stop for downward movement of a dome shaped marked head I. A pendant skirt portion 8 is formed on the head 1 to slidably fit within the housing 3 and a pair of reflector buttons 9 are mounted in recesses formed in the head 1 at diametrically opposite sides thereof;

' To removably fasten the head 1 within the housing 3,. I provide an externally threaded sleeve l0 having a cylindrical inner surface I I of substantial length fitting closely but slidably about a similarly formed surface on the skirt portion 8 External threads E2 on the sleeve I0 engage with similar threads formed in the housing 3 and an annular shoulder I3 is formed on i the exterior of the skirt portion 8 to engage the lower extremity of the sleeve I 0 and limit up ward movement of the head 1. The sleeve I0 is formed with recesses I4 near its upper extremity to be engaged by 'a wrench for turning the sleeve to and from threaded engagement with the housing.

Within the housing 3 a helical spring I5 is confined and is guided in the restricted annular space between the exterior of the reentrant bottom portion 5 and the interior of the housing and skirt portion 8. The lower end of this spring is formed with a downwardly projecting stud l6 fitting in a small depression in the bottom of the housing and a similarstud I l is formed on the upper "extremity of the spring to fit'in a small recess in the head I so that the head 1 is resiliently restrained against rotation relative to the housing 3 by the interlocking portions of the spring, housing and head. In the event that a'snow plow or similar vehicle should hit one of the sockets for the reflector buttons the dome will turn and release itself and after the vehicle has passed will return to its original position.

In use, the reflecting buttons 9 are. aligned approximately with the direction of travel of the traflic along the roadway and the studs l6 and l1 7 engaging respectively in a fixed housing and movable head retain the buttons 9 in such positions as to reflect the light from vehicle headlights and clearly show the position of the marker at night. It will be understood that a number. of the road markers are placed in a row along the center line of a road, or in rows to indicate traffic lanes, as a guide to tramc and in such positions that vehicles may pass over the markers. When. the dome shaped head I of my device is struck by the wheels of vehicles it is retracted within the housing 3 against the action of the spring 4 i5, sometimes with considerable force. Downward movement of the head is limited by the resilient block 6 which acts as a cushion to relieve theimpact and guard the spring and other parts of the device against breakage.

An important feature of my device is my arrangement for resiliently retaining the head and reflector buttons against otation relative to the casing and thereby guardin the device against breakage and from being loosened in the pave- 6B ment by either severe glancing'blows from' vehicle wheels, or in the event that a snow plow, grader blade, or the like becomes caught in one of the sockets containing a reflector button. Experience has shown that with any solid or positive connection for preventing rotation between the head and housing, such as a verticalkey and keyway, relatively rapid wear takes place and the connection is often broken under the rotary forces exerted by such blades or vehicles. As hereinbefore pointed out, with my resilient connection the head frees itself by rotary movement,

as well as by axial movement, without damage or rapid wear from any of these forces.

Another feature 'of my device is the arrangement for automatically eliminating accumulations of foreign matter from the housing 8. The long cylindrical bearing ll ordinarily excludes water dust and other foreign substances from the filler leaving only the small or restricted annular chamber required for the contraction of the spring 15 and movement of the skirt portion 8. This chamber is so small that a very high air pressure is created therein when the head I is forced down against the block 8 and any accumulation of fluid is forced or blown thereby up and out of the housing, past the outer periphery of the skirt portion .8.

I Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. .In a road marker, a substantially cylindrical housing, adapted to be imbedded in road surfacing material, a dome shaped head mounted in said housing to normally project above the surface of the road and adapted to be depressed into said housing, a helical spring mounted coaxially within said housing to normally support said headwin projecting position and means for resiliently restraining said head against rotation relative to said housing.

2. In a road marker a substantially cylindrical housing adapted to be imbedded in road surfacing material, a dome shaped head mounted in said housing to normally project above the surface of the road and adapted to be depressed into said housing, a helical spring mounted coaxially within said housing to, normally support said head in projecting position and means connecting one end of said spring to said housing and the other end thereof to said head to re- 3. In a road marker a substantially cylindrical housing adapted to be imbedded in road surfacing material and formed with a reentrant bottom portion spaced from the inner periphery of said housing, the axis of said housing being disposed substantially vertically, a dome shaped head mounted in said housing to normally project above the surface of the road and having a pendant skirt portion of cylindrical form slidably engaging the inner surface of said housing, a pair of oppositely disposed reflector buttons mounted on said head, a helical spring mounted coaxially within said housing and confined and guided by said reentrant bottom portion, a resilient bumper mounted on the upper surface of said reentrant bottom portion to limit downward movement of said head and means confining said head against rotation in said housing comprising inter-engaging portions of said spring, housing and head.

4. A road marker comprising, a substantially cylindrical housing adapted to be imbedded in road surfacing material with its axis disposed substantially vertically, a head normally projecting from the top of said housing and above the road surface and movable downward into the housing, said head and housing forming a closed chamber allowing for fluid passage only between the peripheries of said housing and head, a helical spring disposed coaxially within said housing adjacent to the periphery thereof for normally supporting said head in projecting position and a filler occupying the greater portion of the space within the convolutions of said spring to limit downward movement of said head therein and to guide said spring in an annular, restricted space from which fluid foreign matter is expressed by pressure produced in said space by the movement of said head.

5. A road marker comprising, a substantially cylindrical housing adapted to be imbedded in road surfacing material with its axis disposed substantially vertically, a head normally projecting from the top of said housing and above the road surface and having an annular skirt portion extending into the housing and movable vertically therein, a sleeve, for the head, in threaded engagement with the upper part of the housing, said head and housing forming a closed chamber, a helical spring disposed coaxially within said housing and skirt portion adjacent to the inner periphery thereof for normally supporting said head in projecting position, said skirt having a a peripheral shoulder in close alignment with the the top surface of the housing and a second annular shoulder on the lower part of the skirt and in close contact with the base of the sleeve when the head is in normal position whereby granular substances are excluded and liquids ejected from the housing.

HAROLD J. ROSENER.