Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6719484
-
Patent Number
6,719,484
-
Date Filed
Friday, November 15, 200221 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, April 13, 200420 years ago
-
Inventors
-
-
Examiners
- Pezzuto; Robert E.
- Pechhold; Alexandra K.
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 404 6
- 404 9
- 404 10
- 404 11
- 404 12
- 404 13
- 116 63 R
- 116 63 P
- 116 63 C
- 256 1
- 256 131
- 040 612
- 040 60601
- 040 6071
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A marker support for use on a ground surface utilizing a base member having a flexible body. The base member includes a first surface with a plurality of flaps which extend outwardly from the same. The second surface is intended to contact the ground. An upright member is positioned to extend outwardly from the first surface and includes an area for accommodating the plurality of flaps. The plurality of flaps are linked to the base member by an element located within the recess.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a novel and useful stanchion support of high durability.
Markers or stanchions are commonly used on roadways and other surfaces to denote hazards, lanes of traffic, areas where traffic is prohibited, and the like. Such markers are normally referred to as delineators or channelizers. The latter is a slimmer structure of a delineator.
Such delineators or channelizers are often placed in the vicinity of traffic, they tend to impact with vehicles. In the past, these markers have been constructed of flexible or resilient materials. However, even this expedient has not prevented damage to such markers, which generally occurs between the meeting of the base member and the upright portion of the same.
In the past, marking posts or stanchions have been devised to accommodate impact forces from vehicles and other moving objects. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,484,217 shows a restorable breakaway post which includes a placeable splice plate.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,084,914, 4,092,081, 4,522,530, and 5,670,954 describe traffic delineators or markers which employ flexible or resilient portions to aid in the absorbing of impact forces.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,732 describes a safety delineator which is provided with a support base which is filled with ballast material to aid in crush resistance characteristics.
A marker support for use on a ground surface which is resistant to impact forces would be a notable advance in the transportation field.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention a novel and useful marker support for use on a ground surface is herein provided.
The marker support of the present invention utilizes a base member. The base member is formed of a flexible material and has a first surface and an opposite second surface. The second surface is intended to contact the ground. Such contact may include the provision of an adhesive or other fastening means to hold the second surface of the base member to the ground. If the first surface lies above the ground and includes a plurality of resilient flaps which extend outwardly from and are connected to the base member first surface. The base member may be formed of resilient material which may be identical to the material forming the plurality of flaps connected to and extending outwardly from the base member.
An upright member is also found in the present invention and is positioned to extend outwardly from the first surface of the base member. The upright member is also constructed with a recess which may accommodate the plurality of resilient flaps extending from the first surface of the base member. The resilient flaps may also connect to the exterior of the upright member. The recess also serves to hold the marker which is used in conjunction with the support of the present invention.
Means is also found in the present invention for resiliently linking the base member to the upright member. Such means may take the form of an element located within the recess of the upright member. Such element may be in the form of an endless member such as a square, ring, and the like. Fastening means holds the element to the plurality of resilient flaps extending from the first surface of the base member. Such fastening means may take the form of screws, nails, adhesives, welding, and the like. In any case, the upright member is connected to the base member by the use of linking means and provides a resilient or flexible connection which permits the support of the present invention to support a marker which is highly resistant to impact.
It may be apparent that a novel and useful marker support has been hereinabove described.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a marker support which is sturdy and highly resistant to impact forces imparted by a vehicle.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a marker support which is usable on roadways and other surfaces which may be fixed to said surface for long periods of time without replacement.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a marker support for use on a transportation throughway which is easy to manufacture and repair and may be employed in a portable or fixed manner.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a marker support for use on a ground surface which may be employed as a delineator or a channelizer, as the case may be.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a marker support which employs material that has been recycled from prior channelizers or delineators.
The invention possesses other objects and advantages especially as concerns particular characteristics and features thereof which will become apparent as the specification continues.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1
is a partial front elevational view of the support of the present invention on a ground surface.
FIG. 2
is a sectional view taken along line
2
—
2
of FIG.
1
.
FIG. 3
is a sectional view taken along line
3
—
3
of FIG.
2
.
FIG. 4
is a schematic view of the support of the present invention in use with a marker being subjected to impact forces.
FIG. 5
is a schematic view the support of the present invention being used with a marker which is recovering from the impact force depicted in FIG.
4
.
For a better understanding of the invention reference is made to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments thereof which should be taken in conjunction with the prior described drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
Various aspects of the present invention will evolve from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments thereof which should be referenced to the prior described drawings.
The invention as a whole is shown in the drawings by reference character
10
. Support
10
is employed relative to a ground surface
12
and used to support a marker
14
commonly found in traffic areas such as roadways, parking lots, airports, and the like. Marker
14
may take the form of a delineator, channelizer, and other items which are intended to mark roadways, hazards, or prevent the flow of traffic of vehicles in certain areas. Support
10
includes as one of its elements a base member
16
. Base member
16
includes a first surface
18
and a second surface
20
which is intended to contact ground surface
12
. Base member
16
is provided with a relatively flat portion
22
and a truncated, hollow cylindrical portion
24
. Aperture
25
is also found in cylindrical portion
24
. Adhesive layer
26
, shown partially in
FIG. 1
, may also be employed to firmly fasten second surface
20
of support
10
to ground surface
12
. Of course, other fastening means may be employed such as screws, bolts, welds, and the like, to achieve this result. However, when base member
16
is so positioned, the upper portions of support
10
and marker
14
are susceptible to impact damage from moving vehicles.
Support
10
also includes upright member
28
which is in the form of a cylinder in the preferred embodiments shown in the drawings. Of course, upright member
28
may take other cross-sectional configurations such as rectangular, triangular, and like patterns. Upright member
28
, as well as base member
16
, are formed of flexible and resilient material. Also, this material may take the form of recycled rubber derived from automobile tires. Such material may be laminated and combine with cloth or other materials to provide toughness and durability to support
10
. Upright member
28
includes an outer surface
30
and an inner surface
32
, FIG.
2
. Chamber or recess
34
lies within upright member
28
and is intended to accommodate marker
14
of varying colors, sizes, and shapes.
A plurality of resilient flaps
36
connect to base member
16
and extend outwardly therefrom for connection to upright member
28
. For example, flaps
40
,
42
,
44
, and
46
are shown in
FIG. 2
in this regard extending into recess
34
, although such flaps
36
may lie on outer surface
30
. Flaps
40
,
42
,
44
, and
46
may also be formed integrally with base member
16
. Moreover, plurality of flaps
38
may also be formed separately from base member
16
and then connected thereto by suitable fastening means. In any case, the embodiment
10
shows plurality of flaps
38
extend into recess
34
and lie in the vicinity of inner surface
32
of upright member
28
. Means
48
is depicted in
FIGS. 2 and 3
as linking base member
16
to upright member
28
. Means
48
includes element
50
which is shown in the form of a ring. Fastening means
52
holds element
50
to plurality of resilient flaps
38
. Fastening means
52
includes a plurality of screws
54
which penetrate upright member
28
, plurality of flaps
38
and element
50
. For example, screws
56
,
58
,
60
and
62
are shown in the drawings as performing the function of fastening means
52
. It should be noted that plurality of screws
54
are removable to change the configuration of upright member
28
. That is to say, recess or chamber
34
may be altered to accommodate a marker
14
which is of varying degrees of thickness or slimness. Ring
64
and fasters
70
,
FIG. 3
, hold marker
14
within chamber
34
. However a marker
14
A may lie outside surface
30
of upright member
28
, necessitating the use of ring
64
A. Marker
14
may be described as a channelizer while marker
14
A is known as a delineator. Also, upright member
28
may be replaced as necessary to alter the color of surface
30
or provide surface characteristics such as reflectivity with respect to surface
30
, as the case may be. Further, rings
64
or
64
A, upright member
28
, and base member
16
may be molded into a single unit. In addition, markers
14
or
14
A, upright member
28
and rings
64
or
64
A may be formed as a unit.
In operation, support
10
is assembled by connecting upright member
28
to base member
16
by the use of linking means
48
. That is to say, plurality of screws
54
penetrate upright member
28
, plurality of flaps
38
, and element
50
, best shown in
FIGS. 2 and 3
, flaps
38
are depicted in
FIGS. 2 and 3
as extending outwardly from aperture
25
of base member
16
, in this regard. Upright member
28
may take various forms but is used to accommodate marker
14
which extends outwardly from upright member
28
. Marker
14
is used to flag or show a traffic lane, hazard, and the like. It has been found that plurality of resilient flaps
38
, through linking means
48
, is particularly durable in receiving impact forces such as that shown in FIG.
4
. Although a certain deformation of support
10
occurs,
FIG. 5
, support
10
returns to its original configurations,
FIG. 4
when impact force, directional arrow
64
is removed. Directional arrow
66
,
FIG. 5
indicates the return of support
10
to the configuration shown in FIG.
4
.
While in the foregoing, embodiments of the present invention have been set forth in considerable detail for the purposes of making a complete disclosure of the invention, it may be apparent to those of skill in the art that numerous changes may be made in such detail without departing from the spirit and principles of the invention.
Claims
- 1. A marker support for use on a ground surface, comprising:a. a base member, said base member comprising a flexible body having a first surface and a second surface contacting the ground surface, said base member further including a plurality of resilient flaps connected to and extending outwardly from said base member first surface; b. an upright member, said upright member positioned to extend outwardly from said first surface of said base member; said upright member including a recess and means for accommodating the marker, in a position apart from said base member; and c. means for resiliently linking said base member to said upright member, said means including an element located in said recess and fastening means for holding said element to said plurality of resilient flaps, and said upright member.
- 2. The support of claim 1 in which said recess surrounds a majority portion of the marker.
- 3. The support of claim 1 in which said base member includes an aperture and said plurality of flaps extend outwardly from said base member at the periphery of said aperture.
- 4. The support of claim 3 in which said plurality of flaps are formed integrally with said base.
- 5. The support of claim 1 in which said fastening means of holding said element to said base member flaps comprises a plurality of fasteners.
- 6. The support of claim 1 in which said element comprises a ring-like member.
- 7. The support of claim 6 in which said element locates in said recess of said upright member.
- 8. The support of claim 6 in which said base member includes an aperture and said plurality of flaps extend outwardly from said base member at the periphery of said aperture.
- 9. The support of claim 8 in which said plurality of flaps are formed integrally with said base.
- 10. The support of claim 6 in which said fastening means of holding said element to said base member flaps comprises a plurality of fasteners.
US Referenced Citations (21)