Patent Application
20220043181
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The disclosure relates to marker devices and more particularly pertains to a new marker device for marking underground utilities prior to excavation activities.
The prior art relates to marker devices including a golf course sign that includes a stem and a panel for restricting access to an area on a golf course. The prior art discloses a marker that includes a rod that can be driven into the ground and a pliable sheet attached to the rod for displaying indicia for signage. The prior art discloses a marker stake that includes a ribbed spike and a flag attached thereto. The prior art discloses a survey marker that includes a rod and a head that insertably receives a survey flag. The prior art discloses a biodegradable marker stake that is fluorescent for marking a pathway in a darkened environment. The prior art further discloses a degradable stake that is insertable into the ground. The prior art discloses a surveyor's stake which includes a stake, a rod coupled to the stake and a flag coupled to the rod.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a water marker, a sewer marker, a gas maker, an electric marker and a communication marker that is each insertable into ground to mark the location of a respective an underground water line, underground sewer line, underground gas line, underground electric line or underground communication line. Each of the water marker, the sewer marker, the gas marker, the electric marker and the communication marker are comprised of a water soluble material. In this way each of the water marker, the sewer marker, the gas marker, the electric marker and the communication marker will decompose after a sufficient duration of time to protect the environment.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A sewer marker 26 is provided that is insertable into ground to mark the location of an underground sewer line. The sewer marker 26 is comprised of a water soluble material, including but not being limited to, pressed paper, wood pulp or other suitable organic material. In this way the sewer marker 26 will decompose after a sufficient duration of time to protect the environment. The sewer marker 26 includes an indicator portion 28 and a stem portion 30 extending downwardly from the indicator portion 28. The indicator portion 28 has a first end 32 and a second end 34, and the indicator portion 28 undulates between the first end 32 and the second end 34. Thus, the indicator portion 28 has the ornamental appearance of the letter “S” to indicate a sewer line. The stem portion 30 of the sewer marker 26 has a distal end 36 tapering to a point to penetrate the ground.
A gas marker 38 is provided that is insertable into ground to mark the location of an underground gas line. The gas marker 38 is comprised of a water soluble material, including but not being limited to, pressed paper, wood pulp or other suitable organic material. In this way the gas marker 38 will decompose after a sufficient duration of time to protect the environment. The gas marker 38 includes a head portion 40 and a stem portion 42 extending downwardly from the head portion 40 of the gas marker 38. The head portion 40 of the gas marker 38 has a first end 43, a second end 44 and a perimeter edge 46 extending therebetween. The perimeter edge 46 has a top side 48 and a bottom side 50, and the top side 48 and the bottom side 50 taper to a point at the second end 44 of head portion 40 of the gas marker 38. In this way the head portion 40 of the gas marker 38 has the ornamental appearance of a flag.
The head portion 40 of the gas marker 38 has a forward surface 52 and the forward surface 52 has indicia 54 printed thereon comprising the letter “G”. In this way the indicia 54 on the forward surface 52 indicate a gas line. The stem portion 42 of the gas marker 38 has a distal end 56 tapering to a point to penetrate the ground. The indicia 54 on the gas marker 38 may additionally include the words “call 811” extending downwardly along the stem portion 42 of the gas marker 38. As is most clearly seen in
An electric marker 62 is provided and the electric marker 62 is insertable into ground to mark the location of an underground electric line. The electric marker 62 is comprised of a water soluble material, including but not being limited to, pressed paper, wood pulp or other suitable organic material. In this way the electric marker 62 will decompose after a sufficient duration of time to protect the environment. The electric marker 62 includes an indicator portion 64 and a stem portion 66 extending downwardly from the indicator portion 64 of the electric marker 62. The stem portion 66 of the electric marker 62 has a distal end 68 tapering to a point to penetrate the ground. The indicator portion 64 of the electric marker 62 includes a first arm 70 that is vertically oriented and a plurality of second arms 72 that is each perpendicularly oriented to the first arm 70. Thus, the indicator portion 64 of the electric marker 62 has the ornamental appearance of the letter “E” to indicate an electric line.
A communication marker 74 is provided that is insertable into ground to mark the location of an underground communication line. The communication marker 74 is comprised of a water soluble material, including but not being limited to, pressed paper, wood pulp or other suitable organic material. In this way the communication marker 74 will decay after a sufficient duration of time to protect the environment. The communication marker 74 includes an indicator portion 76 and a stem portion 78 extending downwardly from the indicator portion 76 of the communication marker 74. The stem portion 78 of the communication marker 74 has a distal end 80 tapering to a point to penetrate the ground.
The indicator portion 76 of the communication marker 74 has a primary end 82 and a secondary end 84. The indicator portion 76 of the communication marker 74 is curved between the primary end 82 and the secondary end 84. Additionally, the primary end 82 is aligned with and is spaced from the secondary end 84. In this way the indicator portion 76 of the communication marker 74 has the ornamental appearance of the letter “C” to indicate a communication line.
In use, the water marker 12, the gas marker 38, the electric marker 62, the sewer marker 26 or the communication marker 74 is inserted into the ground to mark the location of a respective underground water line, an underground gas line, an underground electric line, an underground sewer line or an underground communication line. In this way the location of the underground water line, the underground gas line, the underground electric line, the underground sewer line or the underground communication line is indicated prior to the commencement of excavation activities. The water marker 12, the gas marker 38, the electric marker 62, the sewer marker 26 or the communication marker 74 decays after a suitable duration of time to protect the environment. In this way the process of marking underground utilities is improved compared to existing utility marker flags that are frequently washed into gutters and sewer lines to ultimately be washed into rivers and oceans.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
