Patent Application
20090087263
This invention relates to devices and methods for marking driving surfaces.
Areas such as roads, highways, parking lots, and runways, as well as any other asphalt-laden or concrete-poured driving surface or another similar area are often required to have painted lines, stripes, and other indicators placed upon them—often to direct vehicles or pedestrians into or towards a correct location. For example, indicators may designate a portion of an area as a traffic lane or parking space. Many types of indicators are often required to be seen from a relatively long distance during nighttime and other low-light conditions. To improve the visibility of such indicators, reflective materials including small glass beads are frequently used on or near the indicators. These reflective materials reflect the light emanating from a vehicle and may be layeredly placed on the indicators to increase illumination of the indicators. The reflectors may adhere to the indicators by being placed on the indicators when the indicator (such as paint) is wet, so that when the paint or other indicator dries and begins to adhere to the driving surface, the reflector adheres to the paint or other type of indicator—thereby adhering to the driving surface as well.
Indicator material may be placed on the surface with a striping machine, which may also be called a striper. One type of striping machine used to place the indicator material onto the driving surface may be a walk-behind machine. In a walk-behind striping machine, an operator holds onto the machine's handlebars and walks behind the striper, manually placing the indicator material in the correct location. One type of striping machine that may be used is the walk behind LineLazer 3400, produced by Graco®, Inc. of Minneapolis, Minn.
Some prior art striping machines are adapted to also lay reflective material onto the driving surface. However, these machines are deficient in many aspects. One of the greatest deficiencies in the prior art reflective material dispensing devices is that the devices often clog with reflective material, preventing reflective material from exiting the machine. These machines are often impractical to use since these frequent clogs need to be removed before the reflective material can continued to be laid. Removing clogs often takes a great amount of operator time.
In some prior art embodiments, the clogs occur due to hoppers not being used. When hoppers are used, the reflective material may be combined with an adhesive material, directly or indirectly, causing reflective material build-up at or near the hopper exit port. In some non-hopper prior art machines, tubes are often used, the tubes many times getting clogged. Additionally, the reflective material exit ports of many prior art machines are not properly covered, which may lead to indicator material such as paint, or other materials, clogging up the port.
A second deficiency with prior art indicator devices is their inability to appropriately locate the start point for beginning laying the reflective material on the driving surface. Many times, the reflective material may be laid prior to, after, left of, or right of, the start point of the indicator. This may require an operator to scrape and relay the reflective material and may lead to waste of reflective material.
One embodiment of a reflective material dispenser is adapted to couple to a walk-behind indicator striping machine, although other striping machines may be used. Indicator striping machines may be comprised of an indicator material ejection device used to lay indicators, or “stripes”, on roads, parking lots, runways, etc. One type of indicator ejected from a machine may be paint, and the ejection device may be a paint sprayer. One reflective material dispenser may couple to the walk-behind striping machine through coupling a frame portion of the dispenser to a striping machine reception tube.
An embodiment of a reflective material dispenser may also be comprised of a hopper and a dispenser assembly which faces the indicator material ejection device. The embodiment may also include a dispenser shield adapted to protect the dispenser assembly from indicator material being sprayed onto the assembly. By adequately protecting the dispenser assembly from indicator spray, as well having a generally sealed hopper so indicator spray does not enter the hopper, one embodiment may adequately solve the problem associated with many prior art dispensers—the reflective material clogging occurring within the system due to indicator build-up. Additionally, the dispenser is not comprised of any tubes, which eliminates one of the other potential clogging areas of prior art systems.
In one embodiment, the reflective material may be comprised of glass beads. A method of dispensing the glass beads includes loading the reflective glass beads into the hopper.
An embodiment may also be comprised of an indicator material locator device. One indicator material locator device may couple separately to the striping machine—not through a dispenser first reception tube, but may couple through a second reception tube. One locator device may be adapted to show the striping machine operator where an edge of the indicator material will be placed on the striping surface. One type of indicator material locator device may be a laser pointer.
In a method of dispensing reflective material, upon loading the hopper with glass beads, the indicator material locator device may be powered on. The locator device may then be positioned to point in the direction that the striping machine operator wishes to place a right edge of the indicator material, as seen from a walk-behind machine operator position. The user may then power on the striping machine and engage a first trigger on the machine. The first trigger may be coupled to a handlebar having at least one trigger device that, when squeezed, may release indicator material such as paint from a gun onto the surface.
A user may also squeeze a second trigger to release reflective material from the hopper. In one embodiment, the reflective material is released from the hopper via a reflective material dispenser assembly. The reflective material dispenser assembly may be comprised of a plurality of vertically-aligned blades. An operator may raise a set number of blades in order to set the width of the reflective material. One dispenser assembly may also be comprised of a reflective material depositor and at least one blade trapper. The blade trapper or trapper may be operatively engaged by a cable assembly, the cable assembly raising and lowering the trapper or trappers, allowing reflective material to exit the hopper, and preventing reflective material from doing so. The depositor in one embodiment may be comprised of a grooved surface non-perpendicularly-aligned with the blades, the depositor adapted to receive the reflective material and place the material on the indicator material or directly on the driving surface.
In one embodiment and in one method, glass beads may be loaded into the hopper & paint may be loaded into a indicator material reception area on the striping machine. The laser pointer and striping machine are powered on. A handlebar trigger may be engaged, allowing paint to be placed on the surface and releasing glass beads on the paint generally simultaneously. A second handle trigger may be used as well. The striping machine operator steers the machine in the correct direction, using the laser pointer and two triggers to place paint and reflective material in the correct locations.
At least one trigger may be individually operatively coupled to the cable assembly. The cable assembly may be comprised of a cable end coupled to the trigger. An opposing reflective material cable end may be operatively coupled to the engaged ejection blades. In one embodiment, when the trigger is engaged, the cable assembly releases the specified amount of reflective material from the hopper through the reflective material dispenser, onto the reflective material depositor. The operator may set the amount, or thickness, of the reflective material, through a knob operatively coupled to the engaged blade trapper or trappers.
The terms and phrases as indicated in quotation marks (“ ”) in this section are intended to have the meaning ascribed to them in this Terminology section applied to them throughout this document, including in the claims, unless clearly indicated otherwise in context. Further, as applicable, the stated definitions are to apply, regardless of the word or phrase's case, tense or any singular or plural variations of the defined word or phrase.
The term “or” as used in this specification and the appended claims is not meant to be exclusive rather the term is inclusive meaning “either or both”.
References in the specification to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “a preferred embodiment”, “an alternative embodiment”, “a variation”, “one variation”, and similar phrases mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least an embodiment of the invention. The appearances of phrases like “in one embodiment”, “in an embodiment”, or “in a variation” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all meant to refer to the same embodiment or variation.
The term “couple”, “coupled”, “coupling”, or any variation thereof, as used in this specification and the appended claims refers to either an indirect or direct connection between the identified elements, components or objects. Often the manner of the coupling will be related specifically to the manner in which the two coupled elements interact. Specifically, this term may be used to define tow elements joined by a bolted fastener, a latch, a hook, or any other reasonably readily removable fastening device.
The term “integrate” or “integrated” as used in this specification and the appended claims refers to a blending, uniting, or incorporation of the identified elements, components or objects into a unified whole.
Directional and/or relationary terms such as, but not limited to, left, right, nadir, apex, top, bottom, vertical, horizontal, back, front and lateral are relative to each other and are dependent on the specific orientation of a applicable element or article, and are used accordingly to aid in the description of the various embodiments and are not necessarily intended to be construed as limiting.
As applicable, the terms “about” or “generally” as used herein unless otherwise indicated means a margin of +−20%. Also, as applicable, the term “substantially” as used herein unless otherwise indicated means a margin of +−10%. It is to be appreciated that not all uses of the above terms are quantifiable such that the referenced ranges can be applied.
The term “splashback” or any similar variation thereof as used in this specification and the appending claims refers to indicator material splattering towards the reflective material dispenser.
One embodiment of a reflective material dispenser 10 is best shown in
One section of the reflective material dispenser 10 may couple to the striping machine 12 through a coupling mechanism 14, as best shown in
The hopper 20, together with a dispenser shield 22, may be comprised of a metallic material such as, but not limited to, steel or aluminum and may include a hopper lid 21, cover 23, and at least one wall 24, as best shown in
Under the shield 22, as best shown in
One shield 22 may cover the dispenser assembly 30 of one embodiment to protect the assembly from indicator material splashing onto the assembly. If indicator material such as, but not limited to, paint lands on the assembly, the paint may cause the dispenser assembly to function incorrectly. For example, as best shown in
One reflective material depositor 34 may have a plurality of grooves on the surface of the depositor which may be generally equal in number to the amount of blades. Other embodiments may have a higher or lower number of blades and grooves. An embodiment is contemplated that has about 12 blades. As the blades may be adapted to slider vertically and allow glass beads to exit the hopper and slide along the depositor in one embodiment, if paint were to collect on the blades or grooves, the blades may not slide vertically and the beads may not slide along the grooves. In either scenario, the reflective material may clog and may not exit the hopper correctly, requiring an operator to turn off and clean the unit before powering the unit back on and resuming laying reflective and/or indicator material. The shield 22 may help to adequately prevent these occurrences, keeping the reflective material from correctly exiting the system.
One reflective material depositor 34 may also be operatively coupled to a hopper 20 bottom surface through a slider beam 36, as best shown in
As best shown in
One embodiment's cable assembly 49 may be comprised of a cable 50 having a cable first end 51 coupled to the trigger 60 and a cable second end 52 coupled to a series of pins, pulleys, and levers operatively coupled to the dispenser assembly 30. One cable second end may be coupled to a thimble end 53, as best shown in
When a trigger 60, which may coupled to a striper handlebar 90, is engaged, the cable 50 may be pulled towards the handlebar, as best shown in
As best shown in
To engage the blades 32 and set a specified reflective material width upon exit from the dispenser 30 onto the driving surface, one embodiment enables the use of a plurality of thumbscrews 72. Prior to operation of the system, an operator determines the width of the required reflective material stripe on the driving surface, and engages a specified number of blades to meet that width. In one embodiment, the blades may be comprised of a material such as steel or a steel alloy and may be about 1 inch wide, about 4 inches long and only about 0.02 inches thick. So, an operator may engage about 6 blades to set a reflective strip width of about 6 six inches.
To engage a blade 32 in one embodiment, the operator may loosen a thumbscrew 72. In one alternative embodiment, when the thumbscrew is tight, the thumbscrew standoff 73 may press the blade against a blade guide 74 so that if the blade guide is raised upon pin rotation, the blade may be raised as well in one embodiment. However, an embodiment may be adapted to allow the operator to loosen a thumbscrew, pull upwardly on the blade, and tighten the thumbscrew when the blade is in an open position, as best shown in
When the correct number of blades 32 are in an open position, the operator may engage the trigger 60, rotating the pin 61 and raising the blade trapper 75. Once the engaged blades and trapper in one embodiment are raised, reflective material may exit the hopper cavity exit port 82, as best shown in
Therefore, in one embodiment, upon raising the blades 32 by loosening the thumbscrews 72, pulling up on the blades, and subsequently tightening the thumbscrews, when the trigger 60 is engaged, the blade trapper 75 is raised, and, acting as a gate, the blade trapper releases reflective material through those blades which were manually raised. The trigger does not raise the blades in this embodiment. However, in an alternative embodiment, the blades may be raised and lowered.
One cable assembly 49 may also be comprised of a knob 45. The knob may be coupled to the shaft link 56. In one embodiment, when the knob is rotated, the shaft link pivots about the pivot point 58, rotating the pins 61. Doing so raises or lowers the blade trapper 75. When the knob raises the blade trapper and the trigger subsequently further raises the blade trapper, more of the exit port 82 may be exposed than if the knob is turned lowering the blade trapper. Therefore, with a raised blade trapper and an increased exit port opening, more reflective material exits the dispenser and the reflective material thickness is greater on the driving surface than if the blade trapper is not raised with the knob. It is in this manner in one embodiment that the reflective material thickness may be adjusted. The thickness may be adjusted with other mechanisms in one embodiment, such as, but not limited to, a trigger.
An embodiment of a reflective material dispenser 10 may also be comprised of an indicator material locator device. One locator device may be comprised of a laser pointer 40. The indication material ejection device may be comprised of a paint gun in one embodiment. Upon powering on, the laser pointer may be adapted to place a laser dot on the driving surface. The pointer in one embodiment may be rotatably and pivotably adapted. One laser pointer is adapted to place a dot on the driving surface where an edge of the indicator material is placed, capable of adjusting to the required width of the indicator material. For example, if in one embodiment, the indicator material ejection device is set to place a 6-inch wide paint stripe on the driving surface, the paint may be placed about three inches to the left of the ejection device and about three inches to the right of the ejection device. The laser pointer may be pointed three inches to the right of the device.
In one embodiment, where the indication material ejection device sprays indicator material on the driving surface may not be able to be seen by the operator during operation of the machine because the operator's line of sight may be blocked by the hopper 20 or shield 22. Therefore, one embodiment's laser pointer 40 may also be adjusted to point about 2 feet ahead of where the indicator material ejection device initiates laying indicator material on the driving surface. This may allow the operator to view where the indicator material and the laid-upon reflective material will be placed during normal machine operation. One location may be an initial corner location of the indicator material.
One embodiment may be comprised of a laser fan guide 105, as best shown in
One Method of a Dispensing Material from a Reflective Material Dispenser:
As best shown in
Upon setting up the reflective material depositor 10 including the laser pointer 40 and the striping machine 12 in one method, the striping machine may then be powered on and indicator material may began to be laid on the surface. To begin laying indicator material such as, but not limited to, paint, on a driving surface, a trigger 60 may be engaged. One method of engaging a trigger may be to pull a trigger shaft proximal to, and coupled to, a handlebar 90, towards the handlebar.
In one method, the reflective material dispenser 10 may be coupled to the indicator striping machine 12 through coupling a hopper support frame to the striping machine. In one method, the striping machine may be a walk-behind striper and one frame may be comprised of a plurality of brackets 17 and at least one rod 16, as best shown in
One method may include additional steps. For example, one method's placing of reflective material within the hopper 20 may include filling the hopper 20 with glass beads and a method's turning on the indicator material locator device may comprise powering on the laser pointer 40. Additionally, when indicator material is placed on a surface in one method, the indicator material may be paint. The paint may be ejected from a paint gun set to place the paint on the surface generally in a line having a first width.
Similarly, the reflective material such as, but not limited to, glass beads, may be ejected from the reflective material dispenser 10 in a first width. Ejection of the beads may comprise leaving the dispenser assembly 30 and sliding the beads along the reflective material depositor 34. In one method, the plurality of glass beads sliding along the depositor may have a width about equal to the indicator material first width, ejecting from the depositor and onto the indicator material located on the driving surface, substantially centered on the indicator material. A depositor in one method may be a grooved depositor.
To correctly lay indicator and reflective material in one method, the indicator material locator device may need to be positioned correctly. In one method, an indicator material first width is established through rotating a paint gun nozzle, spraying a test spray of the paint gun, and aiming the laser pointer 40 at a test spray edge. One laser pointer may be positioned about 2 feet in front of the actual spray location on the driving surface since the actual indicator material location may be blocked by striping machine components.
Initiating indicator material flow from the ejection device and onto the driving surface may include engaging a trigger 60, such as, but not limited to, pulling a handlebar trigger towards a handlebar. The width of the reflective material may be set by the operator in one embodiment through adjusting thumbscrews 72, as best shown in
Additionally, a method may be comprised of adjusting the thickness of the reflective material. One method may allow an operator to set the reflective material thickness through adjusting a knob 45. In one method, the knob may raise or lower one or more blade trappers 75. For example, if the knob is rotated in a counterclockwise direction, the blade trapper may be raised and if the knob is rotated in clockwise direction, the blade trapper may be lowered. When the blade trapper is raised, the hopper cavity exit port 82, as best shown in
In one method, when the trigger is engaged, such as, but not limited to, pulling the trigger towards the handlebar, at least one biasing member may also be engaged. For example, as best shown in
The embodiments of the reflective material dispenser and methods of use as illustrated in the accompanying figures and described above are merely exemplary and are not meant to limit the scope of the invention. It is to be appreciated that numerous variations to the invention have been contemplated as would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art with the benefit of this disclosure.
