Claims
- 1. A pavement marker for use in snow areas for establishing on a finished roadway surface a marking visible from an oncoming vehicle while protecting the marking from damage by oncoming snowplow blades which are disposed at an angle to the direction of travel thereof during snowplowing operations, said pavement marker comprising a base member including two longitudinally extending and laterally spaced-apart keel portions each extending below a plane and adapted to be respectively disposed and secured in first and second complementary recesses in the associated pavement with the associated roadway surface lying substantially in the plane, said base member having two laterally spaced-apart inclined upper surfaces each forming an inclined ramp having an inner edge and an outer edge and extending longitudinally of said base member from adjacent to one end thereof upwardly toward the other end thereof and rising from the plane to an uppermost portion, said outer edges of each of said inclined ramps being inclined at a first acute angle with respect to the plane, said inner edges of each of said inclined ramps being inclined with respect to the plane at a second acute angle greater than said first angle and terminating the same vertical distance above the plane as said outer edges, the difference between said first and second angles being such that an associated angled snowplow blade initially contacting one of said outer edges will remain in contact therewith along the entire length thereof as the blade passes therealong, said base member including a support portion interconnecting said keel portion and having a support surface thereon disposed between said inclined surfaces adjacent to the uppermost ends thereof, and signal means carried by said support surfaces and disposed between and below said inclined ramps so that an oncoming angled snowplow blade will ride up said ramps and be deflected from contact with said signal means as the snowplow blade passes over said pavement marker, said signal means facing toward the low ends of said inclined ramps and extending above the plane so as to be visible from oncoming vehicles and exposed to wiping action by the tires thereof when said base member is received and secured in the complementary recesses, whereby said signal means is protected from contact with oncoming snowplow blades.
- 2. The pavement marker set forth in claim 1, wherein the difference between said first and second angles is approximately 1/2 degree.
- 3. The pavement marker set forth in claim 1, wherein said first angle is approximately 6 degrees and said second angle is approximately 6.5 degrees.
- 4. A pavement marker for use in snow areas for establishing on a finished roadway surface a marking visible from an oncoming vehicle while protecting the marking from damage by oncoming snowplow blades which are disposed at an angle A to the direction of travel thereof during snowplowing operations, said pavement marker comprising a base member including two longitudinally extending and laterally spaced-apart keel portions each extending below a plane and adapted to be respectively disposed and secured in first and second complementary recesses in the associated pavement with the associated roadway surface lying substantially in the plane, said base member having two laterally spaced-apart inclined upper surfaces each forming an inclined ramp having an inner edge and an outer edge and extending longitudinally of said base member from adjacent to one end thereof upwardly toward the other end thereof and rising from the plane to an uppermost portion, said outer edges of each of said inclined ramps being inclined at a first acute angle with respect to the plane, said inner edges of each of said inclined ramps being inclined with respect to the plane at a second acute angle greater than said first angle and terminating the same vertical distance above the plane as said outer edges, the difference between said first and second angles being such that an associated angled snowplow blade initially contacting one of said outer edges will remain in contact therewith along the entire length thereof as the blade passes therealong, said base member including two coplanar top surfaces disposed substantially parallel to the plane and respectively intersecting said inclined upper surfaces along intersection lines each disposed at a third acute angle to the direction of longitudinal extent of said base member, each of said top surfaces having a length along the inner edge thereof which is substantially equal to the lateral distance between said top surfaces multiplied by the cotangent of the angle A, said base member including a support portion interconnecting said keel portions and having a support surface thereon disposed between said inclined surfaces adjacent to the uppermost ends thereof, and signal means carried by said support surface and disposed between and below said inclined ramps so that an oncoming angled snowplow blade will ride up said ramps and be deflected from contact with said signal means as the snowplow, blade passes over said pavement marker, said signal means facing toward the low ends of said inclined ramps and extending above the plane so as to be visible from oncoming vehicles and exposed to wiping action by the tires thereof when said base member is received and secured in the complementary recesses, whereby said signal means is protected from contact with oncoming snowplow blades.
- 5. The pavement marker set forth in claim 4, wherein said third acute angle is equal to or greater than the angle A.
- 6. The pavement marker set forth in claim 4, wherein the angle A is approximately 60 degrees, said first acute angle is approximately 6 degrees and said second acute angle is approximately 6.5 degrees, said top surfaces being spaced from the plane a distance no greater than approximately 0.41 inches.
- 7. The pavement marker set forth in claim 4, wherein said support surface lies below the plane, whereby said signal means is partially recessed in use below the level of the associated roadway surface so as to minimize the total height of said pavement marker above the roadway surface.
- 8. The pavement marker set forth in claim 4, and further including two support flanges respectively extending laterally outwardly from said base member and each having a bottom surface lying in the plane, said bottom surfaces of said flanges in use lying on the roadway surface and serving to prevent insertion of said base member into the complementary recesses to a depth greater than at which the associated roadway surface lies substantially in the plane.
- 9. A mounting base member for use in a pavement marker capable of service on a finished roadway in snow areas, the pavement marker including a signal means for establishing a marking visible from an oncoming vehicle, said base member being constructed for securing the pavement marker to the pavement and for protecting the signal means against damage from an oncoming snowplow blade during snowplowing operations, said base member comprising: two longitudinally extending and laterally spaced-apart keel members extending below a plane and adapted to be respectively disposed and secured in first and second complementary recesses in the associated pavement with the associated roadway surface lying substantially in the plane; a support member interconnecting said keel members and extending below the plane and adapted to be received in a third complementary recess in the associated pavement; means forming two laterally spaced-apart inclined upper surfaces each having an inner edge and an outer edge and forming an inclined ramp extending longitudinally of said base member from adjacent to one end thereof upwardly toward the other end thereof and rising from the plane to an uppermost portion, said outer edges of each of said inclined ramps being inclined at a first acute angle with respect to the plane, said inner edges of each of said inclined ramps being inclined at a second acute angle greater than said first angle; said support member having a signal means support surface disposed between said inclined surfaces adjacent to the uppermost ends thereof and lying below the plane for supporting an associated signal means below said inclined ramps so that an oncoming snowplow blade will ride up said ramps and be deflected from contact with the signal means as the snowplow blade passes over said pavement marker, the associated signal means extending from below the plane to thereabove so as to be visible from oncoming vehicles and exposed to wiping action by the tires thereof when said base member is received and secured in the complementary recesses; whereby the associated signal means will be protected from contact with oncoming snowplow blades and will be partially recessed in use below the level of the associated roadway surface so as to minimize the total height of the pavement marker above the roadway surface thereby to reduce the impact energy imparted to said pavement marker and to the pavement and to oncoming vehicles striking said marker.
- 10. The base member set forth in claim 9, wherein said inclined surfaces are respectively formed on said keel members.
- 11. The base member set forth in claim 9, and further including two coplanar top surfaces disposed substantially parallel to said plane and respectively intersecting said uppermost portions of said inclined ramps.
- 12. The base member set forth in claim 9, wherein said outer edge of each of said inclined upper surfaces is inclined with respect to said plane at an acute angle no greater than approximately 4 degrees, the overall longitudinal extent of said base member being no greater than approximately 9.0 inches.
- 13. The base member set forth in claim 9, wherein the overall longitudinal extent of said base member is no greater than approximately 9.25 inches, said uppermost portions of said inclined ramps extending above the plane a distance no greater than approximately 0.41 inches.
- 14. The base member set forth in claim 9, wherein said support surface is disposed adjacent to said other end of said base member.
- 15. The base member set forth in claim 9, wherein said support member has a bottom surface generally arcuate in outline and adapted to be disposed in an arcuate recess in the associated pavement.
- 16. The base member set forth in claim 9, wherein each of said keel members has an outline along the bottom thereof which generally defines an arc of a first radius, said support member having an outline along the bottom thereof which generally defines an arc of a second radius.
- 17. The base member set forth in claim 9, wherein said uppermost portions of said inclined surfaces extend above the plane a distance no greater than approximately 0.41 inches.
- 18. The base member set forth in claim 9, wherein said support surface is a planar surface disposed substantially parallel to the plane, ssaid support member including arcuate surfaces joining said support surface at the opposite ends thereof and extending upwardly therefrom to the plane to facilitate contact of vehicle tires with the bottom portion of the associated signal means.
- 19. A mounting base member for use in a pavement marker capable of service on a finished roadway in snow areas, the pavement marker including a signal means for establishing a marking visible from an oncoming vehicle, said base member being constructed for securing the pavement marker to the pavement and for protecting the signal means against damage from an oncoming snowplow blade which is disposed at an angle A to the direction of travel thereof during snowplowing operations, said base member comprising: two longitudinally extending and laterally spaced-apart keel members extending below a plane and adapted to be respectively disposed and secured in first and second complementary recesses in the associated pavement with the associated roadway surface lying substantially in the plane; a support member interconnecting said keel members; means forming two laterally spaced-apart inclined upper surfaces each having an inner edge and an outer edge and forming an inclined ramp extending longitudinally of said base member from adjacent to one end thereof upwardly toward the other end thereof and rising from the plane to an uppermost portion; said outer edges of each of said inclined ramps being inclined at a first acute angle with respect to the plane, said inner edges of each of said inclined ramps being inclined with respect to the plane at a second acute angle greater than said first angle and terminating the same vertical distance above the plane as said outer edges, the difference between said first and second angles being such than an associated angled snowplow blade initially contacting one of said outer edges will remain in contact therewith along the entire length thereof as the blade passes therealong; said base member including two coplanar top surfaces disposed substantially parallel to the plane and respectively intersecting said inclined upper surfaces along intersection lines each disposed at a third acute angle to the direction of longitudinal extent of said base member, each of said top surfaces having a length along the inner edge thereof which is substantially equal to the lateral distance between said top surfaces multiplied by the contangent of the angle A; said support member having a signal means support surface disposed between said inclined surfaces adjacent to the uppermost ends thereof for supporting an associated signal means below said inclined ramps so that an oncoming snowplow blade will ride up said ramps and be deflected from contact with the signal means as the snowplow blade passes over said pavement marker, the signal means facing toward said one end of said base member and extending above the plane so as to be visible from oncoming vehicles and exposed to wiping action by the tires thereof when said base member is received and secured in the complementary recesses; whereby the associated signal means will be protected from contact with oncoming snowplow blades.
- 20. The mounting base member set forth in claim 19, wherein said third acute angle is equal to or greater than the angle A.
- 21. The mounting base member set forth in claim 19, wherein the angle A is approximately 60 degrees, said first acute angle is approximately 6 degrees and said second acute angle is approximately 6.5 degrees, said top surfaces being spaced from the plane a distance no greater than approximately 0.41 inches.
- 22. The mounting base member set forth in claim 19, wherein said support surface is disposed in use below the plane, whereby the associated signal means is partially recessed in use below the level of the associated roadway surface so as to minimize the total height of the pavement marker above the roadway surface.
- 23. A mounting base member for use in a pavement marker capable of service on a finished roadway in snow areas, the pavement marker including associated signal means for establishing a marking visible from an oncoming vehicle, said base member being constructed for securing the pavement marker to the pavement and for protecting the signal means against damage from an oncoming snowplow blade disposed at an angle to the direction of travel thereof during snowplowing operations, said base member comprising: two longitudinally extending and laterally spaced-apart keel members extending below a plane and adapted to be respectively disposed and secured in first and second complementary recesses in the associated pavement with the associated roadway surface lying substantially in the plane; means forming two laterally spaced-apart inclined upper surfaces each forming an inclined ramp having an inner edge and an outer edge and extending longitudinally of said base member from adjacent to one end thereof upwardly toward the other end thereof and rising from the plane to an uppermost portion, said outer edges of each of said inclined ramps being inclined at a first acute angle with respect to the basal plane, said inner edges of each of said inclined ramps being inclined with respect to the plane at a second acute angle greater than said first angle and terminating the same vertical distance above the plane as said outer edges, the difference between said first and second angles being such that an associated angled snowplow blade initially contacting one of said outer edges will remain in contact therewith along the entire length thereof as the blade passes therealong; a support member interconnecting said keel portions and having a signal means support surface thereon disposed between said inclined surfaces adjacent to the uppermost ends thereof for supporting an associated signal means below said inclined ramps so that an oncoming snowplow blade will ride up said ramps and be deflected from contact with the signal means as the snowplow blade passes over said pavement marker, the associated signal means extending above the plane so as to be visible from oncoming vehicles and exposed to wiping action by the tires thereof when said base member is received and secured in the complementary recesses; whereby the associated signal means will be protected from contact with oncoming snowplow blades.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 789,248, filed Apr. 20, 1977, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (11)
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
789248 |
Apr 1977 |
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