Patent Grant
9371619
The present invention relates in general to flexible delineators and in particular, to a self-righting traffic control delineator secured to a ground anchor.
Flexible traffic control devices, or delineators, used on roadways are frequently struck by vehicles. Repeated strikes by moving vehicles, especially at high speed, may cause damage to delineator marker devices, particularly at the bending area of the device. Frequently, the bending area becomes fatigued and the marker can no longer return to its original, substantially vertical upright position. One type of flexible delineator uses a separate flexible hinge piece that couples a marker portion on one end and a base or anchor on the other end. Such traffic control devices, however, require multiple fasteners to assemble and may therefore be more costly from a manufacturing perspective. The joined areas of such delineators may fail due to the extreme stresses experienced when the delineator is struck by a vehicle moving at a high rate of speed. The hinge section may also be compromised, causing the delineator to lean at an angle less than desirable to effectively delineate traffic or mark an intended obstacle.
In one aspect, one embodiment of a delineator system includes an anchor having an end portion and a post extending along a longitudinal direction and having an end portion overlapping with the end portion of the anchor. The overlapping end portions are coupled together with an engagement member. A protective collar is moveable relative to the post and the anchor along the longitudinal direction from a non-installed position to an installed position. The protective collar is disposed over and covers the overlapping end portions and the engagement member when in the installed position.
In another aspect, one embodiment of a method of assembling a delineator system includes providing an anchor having a lower portion extending into the ground and an end portion extending upwardly from the ground in a longitudinal direction, moving an end portion of a post in the longitudinal direction into overlapping engagement with the end portion of the anchor, and coupling the end portions of the anchor and the post with an engagement member. The method further includes moving a protective collar downwardly in the longitudinal direction and covering the engagement member and the overlapping end portions.
In another aspect, one embodiment of a delineator post includes an upper portion extending along a longitudinal axis and having a first cross-sectional shape extending orthogonal to the longitudinal axis, and a lower portion integrally formed with the upper portion and having a second cross-sectional shape extending orthogonal to the longitudinal axis. The second cross-sectional shape is different than the first cross-sectional shape. In various embodiments, the first shape is circular, while the second shape is square or star-shaped.
The protective collar improves the performance of the flexible delineator by providing a surface for the delineator to bend around when disturbed by a moving vehicle. All of the parts to put the system into service are assembled by hand without the use of tools to allow for easier and quicker assembly and delineator replacement. The collar also acts as a safety device to cover the sharp edges of the protruding ground anchor so that a vehicle tire puncture hazard is reduced and/or eliminated.
The foregoing paragraphs have been provided by way of general introduction, and are not intended to limit the scope of the following claims. The presently preferred embodiments, together with further advantages, will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
It should be understood that the term “longitudinal,” as used herein means of or relating to length or the lengthwise direction of a delineator. The term “lateral,” as used herein, means directed toward or running perpendicular to the length of the delineator. The term “coupled” means connected to or engaged with, whether directly or indirectly, for example with an intervening member, and does not require the engagement to be fixed or permanent, although it may be fixed or permanent, and includes both mechanical and electrical connection. It should be understood that the use of numerical terms “first,” “second” and “third” as used herein does not refer to any particular sequence or order of components; for example “first” and “second” barriers may refer to any sequence of such delineator components, and is not limited to the first and second delineator components unless otherwise specified. The term “rigid” means the ability to resist relative movement between components. The term “flexible” means the ability of components to move relative to each other with little applied force. The term “plurality” means two or more, or more than one.
Referring to
The anchor 3 may comprise a square perforated steel tube with equally spaced holes 4 centered along the length on all four sides of the anchor 3. The perforated square steel tubing material is readily available in the roadways to highway/construction market and is commonly used for small sign supports to hold traffic signs and other indices. Alternatively, the anchor 3 may comprise other materials, such as hard plastic. The anchor 3 may also comprise other shapes, such as triangular, or hexagonal, or other multi-sided profiles.
The embodiment in
A number of common tools may be used to drive the anchor 3 into the ground. Of course, if the user were to install the anchor 3 into concrete, the user would extract the earth by approximately 12 inch diameter by 48 inch in depth, pour the concrete into the hole, and insert the anchor 3 into the fresh, uncured concrete, leaving the top 2 to 3 inches exposed for placement of the securing pin 2 and collar 1. It is recommended that the top 3 to 4 inches of the inside cavity of the anchor 3 be left unobstructed so as to be able to insert the square end 11 of the delineator pole 5 into the top, open end of the anchor 3.
The securing pin 2 is generally cylindrical in shape and is made from hard plastic, although the pin may be made from any number of materials, such as metal or even wood, for example. The securing pin may be expandable along a lengthwise direction, such that it is initially compressed and snaps into placed when aligned with the anchor holes. The securing pin 2 fits into hole 13 of anchor 3 and simultaneously into hole 9 of inner tube 8 and hole 10 of outer tube 6 to secure the delineator assembly 5 to the anchor 3. Approximately ⅙ of the length of the securing pin 2 protrudes from each edge of the anchor wall 3. Since the diameter of the securing pin 2 is substantially smaller than the holes 4 in the anchor 3 and the holes 9 in the inner tube 8 and the holes 10 in the outer tube 6, the securing pin 2 can be inserted into position using nothing but hand pressure.
Turning our attention now to
As shown in
The protective collar bottom surface 21 is generally flat. The four ribs along the XZ and YZ planes of the part have cutout openings 14 which allow the protective collar to pass over the securing pin 2. Four opposing openings 14 equally spaced around the protective collar 1 contain the securing pin 2 when the protective collar 1 is resting in its serviceable position. Additionally, four notches 29 formed in walls 15 defining a central opening allow the protective collar 1 to pass over the securing pin 2 and post 3, with notches 29 and openings 14 being in communication. The inside surface of the ribs that define the cutout opening 14 are at an obtuse angle to align the securing pin 2 if it is off center during the installation of the protective collar 1 onto the anchor 3. The squared mating portion of the protective collar 1 is symmetrical about its vertical axis which allows the protective collar 1 to be installed in either vertical plane of the anchor. This symmetrical feature also makes installation easier for the user by allowing the user to set the protective collar 1 in place without paying particular attention to the orientation of the protective collar onto the anchor 3.
In one embodiment when the protective collar 1 is in its installed, serviceable position, the bottom surface of the protective collar 21 contacts the ground surface. In another embodiment, the protective collar 1 is spaced a certain distance from the ground, for example, if the anchor was installed such that more than 2 to 3 inches of anchor was protruding from the ground. In yet another embodiment, the anchor is installed on unlevel soil, such as on a slope, which leaves an uneven gap between the bottom surface of the protective collar 1 and the ground surface. In any of these cases, the delineator system will perform correctly as described herein.
In yet another embodiment, the anchor is installed such that less than 2 to 3 inches protrudes from the ground surface. To align the protective collar with the hole in the anchor, the soil around the anchor must be removed, causing the bottom surface of the protective collar to be below grade. Again, in this case, the delineator system will perform correctly as described herein.
The protective collar 1 is made from hard plastic such as high impact polystyrene (HIPS), but could be made from any number of materials such as metal or wood or other hard plastics or even firm rubber. The opening at the top side 20 of the protective collar 1 is circular in shape to accept the cylindrical shape of the delineator tube 6. Equally spaced around the perimeter of the opening are four notches 25 approximately ¼ inch deep. These notches 25 allow for passage of the square edges 30 of the lower portion of the outer tube 6 to pass through. The opening 31 at the bottom side 21 of the protective collar 1 has square shaped corner recesses 15 to accept the exposed end of the anchor 3. The protective collar may also be configured to fit other shapes of anchors, such as round or U-Channel or any number of various shapes, which are commonly used in the transportation industry as roadside hardware. When the protective collar 1 is installed onto the anchor 3, the shelf 16 rests on the top surface 32 of the anchor 3 and prevents the protective collar 1 from dropping below its prescribed, effective height. In this embodiment, the protective collar 1 is not secured in place with any fasteners, instead it remains in place only by the friction between the contact surfaces between the protective collar 1 and the outer surfaces of the anchor 3. The outer surface of the protective collar 1 is round, but the shape could be other profiles, such as oval or rectangular or a shape having a plurality of flat sides, such as a polygon or even an irregular non-symmetrical shape.
Referring to
In yet another embodiment of the delineator system, the protective collar 58 is secured in place with the use of soil stakes 59 as illustrated in
The delineator tube assembly 5 consists of an outer tube 6 and an inner tube 8. The inner tube 8 has a smaller diameter than the outer tube 6, so that the inner tube 8 can nest inside the outer tube 6. The delineator is made from low density polyethylene, including linear low density polyethylene, which allows it to be flexible and yield when struck by a vehicle. Other flexible materials could also be used for the delineator. The inner tube 8 provides support to help return the outer post 6 back to a vertical position after the vehicle passes over it. Reflective tape 7 can be applied to the outer tube 6 to aid in making the delineator 5 more visible, especially at night. Alternatively, other indices, such as signs can be mounted to the delineator 5.
In one embodiment, the lower end of the delineator 5 is formed into a square shape 11, 22 so that it can be inserted into the anchor 3. The outside dimensions of the square portion of the delineator are slightly smaller than the inside dimensions of the square steel anchor 3 so that the delineator 5 slips easily into the opening of the anchor 3. The delineator 5 is inserted into the anchor 3 a distance of approximately two to three inches or about where the delineator transitions from square to round 18. To aid in inserting the delineator 5 into the anchor opening 32, the end of the delineator can be cut at an angle 33 as shown in
Referring to
Typically, the extrusion process, from which the delineator tubes are made, is limited in that it can only form a single shape along the entire length of the tube. In the present embodiments, the shape of the tube at the lower end that connects to the anchor is different than the upper portion; i.e. the upper portion of the delineator tube is round, then it transitions to a generally square or other shape. Therefore, it is necessary to create the necessary shape of the lower end of the delineator tube. In one embodiment, the generally square or star shape of the delineator 11, 22, 42 is formed by heating the end of the delineator 6 to approximately 200° F., then placing the end of the delineator 6 into a forming jig that compresses the tubes into the desired shape and holding it there until it cools. Of course cooling liquid or forced air could be applied to the heated delineator to speed up the forming process.
One method for heating the plastic tube to a high enough temperature that allows the material to be soft and pliable is performed by placing the plastic into heated water that is near boiling temperature (about 200 degrees Fahrenheit), then immediately put the tube into a form or mold that is the desired shape and letting it cool so that it holds its final shape. The cooling time could be sped up by applying cold water of approximately 40 degrees Fahrenheit to the part while it is in the form. Other methods to heat and cool the formed section of the delineator may be used.
Referring to
In another embodiment shown in
Turning our attention now to the square opening detail of the protective collar shown in
Another design feature of the protective collar square opening 32 which provides easy placement of the protective collar onto the anchor is the relief in the corners of the square opening 37. As described earlier, the top surface 32 of the square anchor 3 tends to distort and flatten during installation. The distortion and flattening is often most severe at the corners 38 of the anchor 3. Providing an opening in the protective collar for the distorted anchor corners will help with making the protective collar easier to install onto the square steel tube.
Turning now to the shape of the outer surface of the protective collar 1 as shown in
The protective collar has a top surface and bottom surface and has a portion that is generally dome shaped, with a generally flat upper portion having a rounded corner adjacent the opening. In one embodiment, the collar is made from hard plastic, although it could be made from metal or any other strong, rigid material. The collar has a circular opening at the top surface to receive the tubular flexible delineator pole. The bottom surface of the collar has a square shaped opening that has a larger dimension than the outside dimension of the square steel anchor so that it can slip over the top surface of the square steel anchor tube. The protective collar could also be designed to fit other shapes of anchors, such as round or U-Channel or any number of various shapes, which are commonly used in the transportation industry as roadside hardware.
In one embodiment, the flexible delineator pole is a two-piece plastic system having an outer tube and an inner tube. The inner tube helps the outer tube return to a vertical position, when the pole is struck by a vehicle, by providing support so that the outer tube does not collapse upon itself, as disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,343,567, Sarver, et al., the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. The lower end of the two-piece flexible delineator pole is a square shape that is smaller than the inside dimensions of the square steel anchor so that the pole slips inside the upper end of the anchor. The delineator pole has a through-hole to accept the securing pin.
In operation, to place the flexible delineator system into service, the square steel anchor is driven into the earth until about 2 to 3 inches of the top of the anchor remains above the earth surface. The collar is placed onto the lower end of the flexible delineator outer tube. Then the flexible delineator pole, complete with the outer tube and the inner tube, is inserted into the top end of the square steel anchor and pushed down until the holes in the pole and the holes in the anchor are aligned. The cylindrical pin is then inserted into the anchor until it passes through the delineator pole and sticks out through the opposing end of the square steel anchor. When in service position, the securing pin ends extend approximately one-half inch past the anchor wall on both ends. The collar is then slid down over the upper end of the square steel anchor until it rests on the top surface of the anchor. The protective collar has openings in the bottom surface that capture the securing pin. These openings are in line with the long axis of the securing pin and prevent the securing pin from coming out of the hole in the anchor.
One advantage of this system is that the delineator can be easily assembled by hand without the use of any tools. This aids the installer during initial assembly and when the flexible delineator pole has reached its serviceable life and requires replacing. Another advantage of this invention over prior art is the absence of extra hardware, such as cotter pins and threaded fasteners, used to hold the securing pin in place. Generally, the spent delineator pole can be easily extracted from the anchor by hand, without the use of tools. And the anchor, securing pin and protective collar can be reused indefinitely. Advantageously, the protective collar does not require a pin or other fastening device required to hold the protective collar in place. This allows for easy assembly and maintenance of the delineator system. However, in certain applications it may be desirable to fix the protective collar to the anchor or the ground. In this case, fasteners, pins or stakes could be used to secure the protective collar to either the anchor or the ground as desired by the user.
In operation, when struck by a moving vehicle, the flexible delineator pole will deflect until the vehicle has passed over it. The securing pin holds the delineator pole in place and prevents it from releasing from the anchor. The protective collar provides support for the delineator pole as the delineator pole bends at a substantially 90° angle from the vertical position. The top surface of the protective collar has a flat ledge with smooth, rounded edges, which provides support for the delineator pole at the bending area and prevents it from kinking so that it can return to its original substantially vertical position. Tests have shown that without the protective collar present, the delineator pole may contact the top edge of the anchor, causing it to permanently kink, distort or cut, and prevent the delineator from returning to a substantially vertical position. The addition of the protective collar allows the flexible delineator pole to be impacted by a moving vehicle a multiple number of times and remain in useful service for an extended period, requiring no maintenance.
In addition, the protective collar protects the sharp edge of the exposed end of the anchor from pinching and cutting the delineator during the action of the vehicle tires rolling over the delineator pole. Additionally, the protective collar is advantageous to cover the sharp edges of the protruding anchor to prevent a vehicle tire from getting damaged on the sharp edges, even when the delineator pole is not present in the anchor. The delineator anchors are frequently installed in areas along the sides of roads where weeds grow. Typically, when maintenance crews mow the weeds, they damage or destroy the delineator post with their mowing machines because the weeds grow next to and all around the delineator post. The addition of a protective collar will help prevent the weeds from growing next to the delineator and provide a weed-free moat that lets the maintenance crew know not to mow too close to the delineator. This weed-free moat can be broadened with the addition of a mat, such as rubber or plastic, located underneath the protective collar and delineator securing pin.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 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 invention.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/779,704, filed Mar. 13, 2013, and also claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/886,394, filed Oct. 3, 2013, the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
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|---|---|---|---|
| 4269534 | Ryan | May 1981 | A |
| 4364688 | Bitvai | Dec 1982 | A |
| 5518337 | Modlin | May 1996 | A |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20140270939 A1 | Sep 2014 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61779704 | Mar 2013 | US | |
| 61886394 | Oct 2013 | US |
