Patent Application
20180229652
Caution indicators described herein may be used in the field of transportation safety. Certain caution indicators disclosed herein may aid in the safe transport of utility poles. Caution indicators described herein may have particular utility by increasing the visibility of utility poles that protrude beyond vehicles transporting those poles.
Material reinforcement 106 at First end 150 may have an individual handle or pair of handles, such as Handles 230, for pulling the Caution Sleeve 100 onto Pole 203. Further, Second end 153 may have a clip or other attachment mechanism for directly attaching a flag to Second end 153. Handles 230 may be used to aid in the installation and removal of Caution Sleeve 100 onto and from Pole 203.
The caution sleeve length may, for example, be 12.0 feet with certain examples falling between 4.0 and 18.5 feet and a significant number of those examples falling between 8.0 and 15.3 feet.
As that phrase is used herein the “primary opening” is the opening in the caution sleeve that the pole enters through and is typically situated adjacent to or near the vehicle carrying the pole during hauling of the pole. As that phrase is used herein the “protruding end” is the end of the caution sleeve opposite the primary opening. As such, the caution sleeve installation may begin by sliding the pole into the primary opening and pulling the sleeve down the pole until the pole end reaches the protruding end of the caution sleeve. The protruding end may be open, closed or partially open. Heavy-duty industrial staples or some other similar fastener may be used to affix Caution Sleeve 100 in position on Pole 203.
As that phrase is used herein “sleeve end size” represents the circumference of the largest cylinder that can fit within the sleeve end. The primary opening sleeve end size may, for example, be 56.5 inches with certain examples falling between 28.3 and 126.0 inches and a significant number of those examples falling between 42.4 and 91.3 inches.
The protruding end sleeve end size may, for example, be 47.1 inches with certain examples falling between 25.1 and 110.0 inches and a significant number of those examples falling between 36.1 and 78.6 inches.
The sleeve length divided by the primary opening sleeve end size may, for example, be 2.6 with certain examples falling between 1.0 and 6.0 and a significant number of those examples falling between 1.8 and 4.3.
The embodiments described herein may have particular utility when the pole being carried is at least 40 feet in length. The embodiments described herein may have further utility when the pole being carried is at least 45 feet in length and even further utility when the pole being carried is at least 50 feet in length. The pole length may for example be 55 feet.
As that term is used herein “florescent” has a meaning consistent with the use of that term in ANSI/ISEA 107. Further, as that term is used herein “retroreflective” has a meaning consistent with the use of that term in ANSI/ISEA 107.
As that term is used herein “vehicle” includes for example trucks and trailers. In many cases, the vehicle will be a trailer and in several such cases the trailer would be a trailer designed to carry poles exceeding 40 feet.
A caution indicator described herein may, for example, comprise a vehicle; a pole; a sleeve; a primary opening on a vehicle end of the sleeve; and a sleeve protruding end opposite the vehicle end of the sleeve; such that the pole is secured onto the vehicle; the pole overhangs a rear end of the vehicle by an exposed pole length; the sleeve is secured onto the pole; the sleeve envelops a portion of the pole; the sleeve protruding end is adjacent to a flag and the flag is at least 12 inches×12 inches. In a related example, the exposed pole length may be greater than 5 feet. In a further related example, the sleeve may cover most of the exposed pole length. In a further related example, the sleeve may include a grommet hole adjacent to the primary opening. In a further related example, the sleeve may be at least 5 feet long. In a further related example, the primary opening may have a primary opening sleeve end size of at least 25.1 inches. In a further related example, the sleeve protruding end may have a protruding end sleeve end size of at least 25.1 inches. In a further related example, the primary opening may have a primary opening sleeve end size that is at least as great as a protruding end sleeve end size. In a still further related example, the sleeve may comprise a florescent material. In a still further related example, the sleeve may include a retroreflective material. In a still further related example, the pole may be at least forty feet long. In a still further related example, the vehicle may be a trailer. In a still further related example, the pole may be a utility pole.
A caution indicator described herein may, for example, comprise a sleeve; a primary opening on a first end of the sleeve; a sleeve protruding end positioned opposite the first end of the sleeve; a grommet hole adjacent to the primary opening and a handle adjacent to the primary opening such that the sleeve is at least 8 feet long; the sleeve protruding end has a protruding end sleeve end size of at least 25.1 inches; the primary opening has a primary opening sleeve end size of at least the protruding end sleeve end size; the sleeve comprises a florescent material and the sleeve comprises a retroreflective material.
The above-described embodiments have a number of independently useful individual features that have particular utility when used in combination with one another including combinations of features from embodiments described separately. There are, of course, other alternate embodiments which are obvious from the foregoing descriptions, which are intended to be included within the scope of the present application.
