Delineator Bed, Delineator Base Assembly and Method for Delineator Attachment

Abstract

A delineator bed, delineator bed assembly and method of construction including a groove or strip cut into an existing road surface. The strip is formed at any location desired to repair existing delineator installations, or be provided at the time of initial roadway construction. The location of the delineator bed may be adjacent a curb, or for permanent highway pattern requirements, or between lanes. Once the strip is formed, several methods of attaching a delineator base assembly to an attachment within the delineator bed are provided, such as an embedded rail member, rail members or other fasteners, either of metal or other polymer/fiberglass/composite materials, preferably material used to secure the attachment within the bed is stronger than the current or existing road surface material.

Description

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present application relates to a delineator bed, a delineator base assembly and to a method for attaching a delineator to a roadway, road surface or adjacent traffic path, and in particular to a continuous delineator bed for supporting installed delineators or signage, and resisting their removal.

BACKGROUND

Delineators, delineator posts or signage are conventionally installed within a base secured on the top surface, or road surface, of a roadway, median or other adjacent traffic path. Delineators are provided in or near a traffic path in order to advise vehicle drivers regarding lane lines or of potentially hazardous roadway obstructions.

The road or top surfaces of roadways are typically of asphalt materials, which have a low tensile strength, as compared with concrete road surfaces. In some circumstances, delineator bases are secured to higher tensile strength concrete road surfaces. However, when attached to either asphalt or concrete road surfaces, maintaining the delineator bases secured to the road surface is difficult due to vehicle impact. Vehicles traveling a traffic path may unavoidably hit the delineators. Such impacts may damage the delineator and/or the delineator base if the vehicle or vehicle undercarriage drag over the base of the delineator post assembly. Under such circumstances, the base may be either damaged or detached from the top surface, or the delineator may be cut or broken off from the base.

While replacing a broken or cut delineator is inconvenient for road maintenance employees, it is not as expensive, inconvenient and dangerous as replacement and reattachment of damaged base components to the road surface, which must be either glued, epoxied, or otherwise attached using fasteners that are drilled and secured within the top surface or road surface. Repairs to the base may also be time consuming and require dangerous disruptions to traffic patterns. There is a need for an improved delineator attachment to further avoid and resist vehicle damage.

SUMMARY

The present delineator bed and delineator base assembly for supporting delineators is installed by cutting a strip of the existing asphalt or concrete at the location where the delineators and delineator base assemblies are secured to the road surface. The elongate strip or delineator bed can be a relatively short strip, for an individual delineator base, for example, approximately 11 inches. Alternatively, the delineator bed may be miles long, for example, extending the entire length of a traffic path requiring delineators to be mounted to increase driver awareness of the traffic path. An extended traffic path may be provided, for example, where delineators are provided to divide 2 left lanes of express traffic, with several right lanes of local exiting traffic.

To use the delineator bed and delineator base assembly of the present application, a groove or strip is first cut into the existing road surface. The strip can be formed at the location desired to repair existing delineator installations, or be provided at the time of initial roadway construction. Additionally, the location of the delineator bed may be adjacent a curb, or for permanent highway or traffic pattern requirements, bike lanes or between lanes. Once a groove or strip is formed in the road surface and road bed, several methods for attachment of the delineator base assembly are provided. An embedded rail member with an attachment or attachments, whether by conventional mechanical fasteners or adhesives, may be used. The rail member may be either of metal or other polymer/fiberglass/composite material. It may be embedded in reinforced concrete, adhesive or within/between a typical highway/roadway expansion joint. Any rail member or other material used within the bed is stronger than the then current or existing road surface material, meaning the rail member has a higher tensile strength that the road surface material adjacent the delineator bed.

The method of constructing the delineator bed supporting a delineator post includes the steps of forming the elongate groove for a desired length within a road surface adjacent to the location where delineators are desired for directing vehicle traffic. A rail member is embedded within the elongate groove to secure the rail member having an attachment or attachments for mounting a delineator base assembly to the attachment. The delineator base assembly is then secured or mounted to the attachments of the rail member. Finally, a delineator post assembly is mounted to the delineator base assembly, such that the delineator post is secured adjacent the road surface for directing vehicle traffic. The use of the present delineator bed assembly enables a delineator post to be dislodged without damage to the delineator base assembly, rail member or attachments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic, exploded, cutaway view of a roadway with a delineator bed having a rail member embedded within the groove forming the delineator bed for mechanical attachment to a delineator base assembly supporting a delineator post.

FIG. 2 is a schematic, exploded, cutaway view of a roadway with a delineator bed having an expansion joint, with anchor attachments forming the rail member shown embedded for mechanical attachment to a delineator base assembly having anchor bolts for mechanical attachment to the embedded anchor attachments.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a roadway with 2 travel lanes showing a delineator bed with delineator base assemblies and posts intermediate the travel lanes.

FIG. 4 schematically illustrates a conventional roadway with a top surface showing delineators on the road surface, as well as numerous locations of prior installations of delineator base assemblies which have been damaged and/or removed from the top surface.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This application provides a new delineator bed 10 for use with a delineator base assembly 15 and a method for delineator attachment within a delineator bed. As shown in FIG. 1, the present application provides a delineator bed assembly 15 for use within a delineator bed 10 formed as a groove within a road surface RS. The delineator bed assembly 15 includes a rail member or members 20 with an attachment or attachments 25 for supporting engagement with a delineator base assembly 30 and a delineator post 40. The rail member 20 is embedded within the delineator bed 10, whether within reinforced concrete, adhesive, stone, dirt, or other material sufficient to hold the rail member 20 in an embedded location within the delineator bed 10. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a top surface 22 of the rail member 20 or the embedded attachment 25 within the rail member may be located slightly above or below, but is nearly approximately flush with the top surface TS of the road bed or roadway RW, in order to avoid disruptions to vehicle travel. The top surface 22 may range above or below the top surface TS of the road bed or roadway for ⅛ inch to 1 inch. Additionally, the rail member has a depth below the top surface 22 within a minimum range of 2 inches to a maximum of 12 inches. With a stronger tensile strength material, less depth is required, such that a steel rail member may have a height, or extend for a depth, of 4 to 6 inches, as with standard railroad track. A rail member of recycled polyethylene or other high strength composite polymer material may likewise extend to a depth of from 4 to 6 inches, or have a larger height. The deeper the rail member extends down into the delineator bed, the more stable the embedded engagement of the rail member within the delineator bed. The rail member 20 may be a short or elongate member in length, and with a cross-sectional U-shaped or pocket-shaped configuration, as shown in FIG. 1, or multiple rails, such as the two or dual parallel rail embodiment shown in FIG. 2. Likewise, where a long delineator bed is desired, the rail member may comprise multiple rail members placed end to end, as with railroad track.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the delineator base assembly 30 is secured to the rail member 20 within the delineator bed 10 by mechanical attachments 32 provided as a threaded fastener secured to and extending from the delineator base assembly into a mating threaded attachment 25 formed or provided within the rail. Adhesive or similar attachments may also be used to secure the delineator base assembly attachment 32 to the rail 20.

Additionally. the attachment 32 of the delineator base assembly 30 includes breakaway features 36, provided at locations within the delineator base 34. An additional feature of breakaway bolts may also be provided within the delineator bed assembly 15. Such bolts may be large plastic bolts or cup-shaped links used to attach a delineator post to an embedded delineator base assembly 15 and attachment 25 within the delineator bed assembly. The breakaway features attach the delineator post to the delineator base assembly at a location beneath the delineator base. Such a construction is used to avoid damaging the embedded delineator base assembly 30 hardware in the event of a vehicle impact, since any impact would break away the delineator post 40 from the delineator base assembly, leaving the rail member, attachments and delineator base assembly intact. Breakaway features are needed in the event an engine block or car part slides along the road surface and delineator bed, and hits the delineator and delineator base assembly. The breakaway bolts or cup link should survive a vehicle impact at speeds of 55 to 90 mph, but would break and avoid damage to the delineator base assembly 30 under excessive impacts. In the event of excessive impact enabling the delineator post 40 to break free from the assembly, there is less damage to the delineator base assembly and to the attachment or attachments within the rail member. As a result, a new delineator post 40 may be more readily reattached,

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the rail member 20 includes metal or other high strength material anchor attachments 25. Conventional threaded fasteners 38 may be provided for connecting the delineator base 34 to the attachments 25, or strong adhesives may substitute for mechanical fasteners. As illustrated, expansion joints EJ are provided within the groove of the delineator bed intermediate the roadway bed RB and the embedded rail member 20. Alternatives to an expansion joint for embedding the rail member may include applying reinforced concrete or another compatible strong adhesive material, for securing the anchor attachments. The delineator bed 10 has a width of approximately ⅛ inches to 6 inches, with the rail member secured within this dimension. The top surface 22 of the delineator bed assembly 30 may be level or flush with the top surface TS of the roadway, or could be slightly above or below the road bed RB.

The delineator bed 10 may be of any length. As shown in FIG. 3, the delineator bed 10 may be formed between travel lanes TL for a distance as long (by providing multiple rail members end to end, as with railroad track) or as short as is required for a single delineator or the specific traffic pattern. Another example of an extended traffic path is shown in FIG. 4, where delineators are provided to divide 2 left lanes of express traffic, with several right lanes of local exiting traffic. As can be seen in the prior art example of FIG. 4, which lacks a delineator bed, numerous delineators have been attached and removed, and are illustrated as round or disrupted locations RD in the space dividing the lanes. Such removal and replacement is likely required due to vehicle impacts and damage to the previously installed delineator base assemblies, or as a result of changing lane patterns. The present application provides a safer and more easily accomplished alterative for moving or replacing damaged delineator posts.

Although the present delineator bed 10, bed assembly 15 and method of installation has been described with reference to preferred components and embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope intended. As such, it is intended that the foregoing detailed description be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting and that it is the appended claims, including all equivalents thereof, which are intended to define the scope of the present assembly.

Claims

1. A delineator bed assembly for use within or adjacent a road surface comprising, a rail member of a metal material or composite polymer material including an attachment or attachments with a delineator base assembly supporting secure engagement with a delineator post.

2. The delineator bed assembly of claim 1, wherein the rail member is embedded within reinforced concrete, adhesive material or an expansion joint, and has a higher tensile strength than the adjacent road surface.

3. The delineator bed assembly of claim 1, wherein a top surface of the rail member and any attachments of the delineator bed assembly are positioned approximately flush or level with an adjacent road surface.

4. The delineator bed assembly of claim 1, wherein a top surface of the rail member and any attachments of the delineator bed assembly are positioned slightly above or slightly below an adjacent road surface.

5. The delineator bed assembly of claim 1, wherein the attachment or attachments with the delineator base assembly include breakaway features to enable unintended removal of the delineator post during an accident without damage to the rail member or to the attachment or attachments.

6. A method for construction of a delineator bed supporting a delineator post adjacent a road surface comprising the steps of: forming an elongate groove of a desired length and depth within a road surface where a delineator post is desired for directing vehicle traffic;providing a rail member and any attachments from a material having a higher tensile strength than a tensile strength of a material in a road surface adjacent the delineator bedsecuring the rail member having an attachment or attachments for mounting a delineator base assembly within the elongate groove; andmounting a delineator base assembly to the attachment within the rail member;attaching a delineator post to the delineator base assembly for directing vehicle traffic.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of: securing the rail member by embedding within reinforced concrete with a top surface of the rail member and an adjacent road surface approximately level with each other.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of: providing the delineator base assembly with breakaway features to permit dislodging of the delineator post from the delineator base assembly while avoiding damage to the rail member and attachments.