US2238683A

US2238683A - Highway guard

Info

Publication number: US2238683A
Application number: US316098A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harvey F Elliott
Original assignee: LOUIS S WERTZ Inc
Current assignee: LOUIS S WERTZ Inc
Priority date: 1940-01-29
Filing date: 1940-01-29
Publication date: 1941-04-15
Anticipated expiration: 1958-04-15

Description

April 1941- H. F. ELLIOTT 2,238,683

HIGHWAY GUARD FiledJan. 29, 1940 INVENTOR Harvey RElliott ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 15, 1941 UNITED STATE HIGHWAY GUARD Harvey Louis S. ration of Ohio F. Elliott, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to Wertz, Inc., Cleveland,

Ohio, a corpo- Application January 29, 1940, Serial No. 316,098

2 Claims.

This invention pertains to a guard device for use in the protection of markings on highways and the like.

In the marking of highways and the like on which traffic is allowed during marking, guards are used to prevent the recently marked portions from becoming smeared or obliterated before the marking (usually a heavy paint) has'dried and can withstand the passage of trafiic thereover without impairment. Present day guards are subject to many objections, suchas undue cost, inability to withstand repeated impacts without injury, and impracticability due to care required in placement. They are also quite bulky and therefore cannot be stored or transported inv suflicient quantities. Certain of these objections have become highly important as the speed and efficiency of marking methods has increased so that major difficulties in the marking of highways and the like are the cost and timely transportation of the marking guards.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a guard which may be readily placed, which will not obstruct traffic unnecessarily and which may be easily observed by passersby.

Another object very durable and capable of being accidently struck without injury.

A still further object ls to provide a guard which will not be bulky or require a great deal of space when not in use so that large numbers of guards may Another object is to provide a guard which is simple in design and construction and which may be readily fabricated and which is relatively inexpensive.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description accompanied by the drawing in which like parts throughout the several views are indicated by the same reference numeral.

In the drawing, v

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of devices embodying the present invention and illustrating how they may be used to guard a fresh marking on a highway or the like;

Fig. 2 is a view in guard devices shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a plurality of guard devices illustrating how they may be compactly grouped or nested for storage and transportation;

perspective of one of the is to provide a guard which is i Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of a modified embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on line 5--5 of Fig. 4;

. Fig. 6 is a plan view of another modified form of guard device; and

Fig. '7 is an elevational view of the modification shown in Fig. 6.

Briefly the present invention is a guard device to be utilized for guarding freshly painted stripes or other markings on highways, sidewalks, etc., and which guard device has a simple structure that requires a relatively small amount of material and relatively little fabrication but which shall be sturdy and. of sufiicient size to be readily observed by motorists or pedestrians who pass the vicinity where the guard is being used. With reference to the accompanying drawing, the guard in its preferred forms comprises a single strip having a sinuous or approximately sinuous outline and adapted to be stood on its edge over a highway marking to guard the same.

The form of the invention as shown in Figs. 1 to 3 includes a central portion or web I, and oppositely extending end portions 2. The central portion and the end portions may, as shown in these figures, be substantially plane im form or they may be curved. Preferably the central portion and end portions have surfaces generated by a line, whether they be plane or curved surfaces. The end portions may merge with the central portion at rounded corners 3 which may have a somewhat enlarged or thickened cross section to provide increased strength and to facilitate the compact grouping characteristics of the guards. Fig. 3 illustrates how compactly the guards may be grouped or nested, and it may be seen that large quantities may be stored or transportedfor distribution in a relatively small volume or space.

Suitable support members are disposed along oneor both of the longitudinal edges of the strip to give stability thereto when the strip is standing on edge. It is desirable to form recesses or cut out portions along the longitudinal edges of the strip and the remaining portions of the edge provide excellent support members 4 at which points the guard may rest on the highway. By providing the longitudinal edges of the strip with cut out or recessed portions, the amount of material required for each guard may be considerably decreased, and also the possibility of impairment of the fresh marking by the guard is substantially reduced. The recessed portions also permit rain to flow thereunder without the guard into the lines of The distribution of the devices may be carried out readily and at suitable speeds by loading a relatively large number of guards in a truck, and as the highway or the like is marked the guards may be placed by dropping them at intervals onto the marking manually or by suitable mechanical apparatus carried by the truck. Since the present guards may stand on either of their longitudinal edges, selection and positioning them for placement do not present obstacles. If the guards are struck by trafiic before they are collected for reuse, the possibility of permanent injury thereto is slight when they are made of suitable, deformable material. Glancing blows before the mark ing is dry will only move the guards aside and since the area of contact between the marking and guard is only at the location of the support members, impairment of the marking is greatly reduced. In the event a guard is struck in such a manner that it is tipped over it will rest on the rounded corners 3 and the extremities of the portions 2, and still serves as a guard.

The form of guard shown in Figs; 4 and 5 differs from that shown in Figs; 1 and 2 in the shape of the recesses and the proportions of the support members 4. Also, reinforcing ribs 5 are shown at the corners 3 to strengthen the guard at these points of fi'exure. It may be noted that at each end of the central web I the ribs are offset with respect to the corresponding ribs on the other side of the corner so that the ribs do not materially interfere with the compact nesting of the guards (see-Fig. 5).

In the modification shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the outline of the guard is truly sinuous providing smooth side surfaces and eliminating corners. The cut out portions of the longitudinal edges are so proportioned that the remainder of the edges which provide the support members 4, are reduced in area.

It is to be understood that variations and modifications of the specific devices herein shown and described for purposes of illustration and explanation may be made Without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What I claim is:

l. A guard for highway markings comprising a relatively thin one-piece member of elastic rubberlike material which is of substantially uniform each longitudinal edge of said member, of said projections support for said member when the guard stands HARVEY F. ELLIOTT.