Card – picture – or sign exhibiting – Check – label – or tag – Attachment opening
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-01
2001-05-08
Melius, Terry Lee (Department: 3628)
Card, picture, or sign exhibiting
Check, label, or tag
Attachment opening
C040S306000, C040S640000, C040S665000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06226912
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to placard systems used for transportable storage tanks to identify, for example, hazardous materials contained within the storage tanks.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Current government regulations require placarding of flammable and otherwise hazardous materials during transportation. For tankers and storage tanks transported inside of a service truck, placards are typically required at each side and each end of the vehicle. Examples of such placarding can be found in U.S. Pat. No.: 4,106,229, issued Aug. 15, 1978 to H. F. Schmid; U.S. Pat. No. 4,094,083, issued Jun. 13, 1978 to H. Fund; U.S. Pat. No. 3,510,975, issued May 12, 1970 to W. J. Lowmaster, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,958,350, issued May 25, 1976 to J. Garson. Each of these patents is directed to a generally permanent sign assembly that is bolted or otherwise similarly attached to the vehicle.
For storage tanks transported on a tank setting or other flat-bed trailer, the tank itself must typically be placarded at each side and each end of the tank. For these storage tanks, the placarding requirements may only be temporary; that is, during transportation of the tanks. In these instances, the permanent signage disclosed in the above-noted patents may not be desirable. Various arrangements have been proposed for temporary placarding of vehicles themselves. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No.: 5,955,464, issued Oct. 26, 1993 to R. L. Marecek; U.S. Pat. No. 3,701,210, issued Oct. 31, 1972 to G. E. Smith; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,461,584, issued Aug. 19, 1969 to M. E. Wilson. In the Marecek patent, there is disclosed a removable tailgate sign for use on a vehicle tailgate of, for example, a pickup truck. The sign wraps around the tailgate and can be secured using any of a number of different fastening arrangements. The Smith patent discloses a temporary vehicle marking that is designed to attach on top of the hood, roof, or trunk of an automobile. The sign is attached using straps and clips, with the clips being attachable over the edges of a vehicle body panel and the straps being adjustable so that they may be tensioned to tightly retain the vehicle marker in place. The Wilson patent discloses a sign holder that attaches over a vehicle door and that is otherwise similar to the vehicle marker disclosed by Smith.
While suitable for their intended purpose, the signage systems disclosed in these patents are not suitable for transportable storage tanks for a number of reasons. First, such tanks do not have individual body panels to which the above-noted signage systems can be attached. Rather, they typically include only an upper lifting lug and a pair of lower feet at each end of the tanks. Secondly, as mentioned above, current government regulations typically require placarding at each side and each end of the storage tank. To address these unique requirements, individual magnetic placards have sometimes been utilized. These placards include a flexible magnetic substrate with a suitable warning or other marking indicia printed thereon. The placards are then simply attached to the storage tanks at the appropriate locations and are retained in place by the magnetic attraction of the substrate to the metal storage tank wall. However, these placards have been found to detach at higher speeds, thereby defeating their purpose and exposing the carrier to the risk of substantial fines.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a placard system that can be removably attached to a storage tank which overcomes the above-noted disadvantages of currently existing arrangements.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a placarding apparatus for use in connection with a cylindrical storage tank of the type that includes a pair of opposing hemispherical ends with an upper lifting lug and lower pair of feet at each of the ends. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the placarding apparatus includes a placard having first and second apertures located at respective upper and lower portions of the placard, and a strap assembly that connects the placard between one of the lifting lugs and one of the pairs of opposing feet at one end of the storage tank. The strap assembly includes first and second strap portions that are respectively threaded through the first and second apertures of the placard. The first strap portions extends upwardly from the first aperture at the upper portion of the placard and attaches to the storage tank's lifting lug. The second strap portion extends downwardly from the second aperture at the lower portion of the placard and includes first and second distal ends, each of which can be connected to one of the two feet at that end of the storage tank. The placarding apparatus also includes an adjustment mechanism for the strap assembly which permits adjustment of the overall length of the strap assembly to thereby permit attachment and removal of the placarding apparatus to different size storage tanks. The adjustment mechanism also permits the position of the placard on the storage tank to be adjusted as desired.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a placarding apparatus that can be attached about the cylindrical portion of the storage tank. The placarding apparatus includes a placard having a first aperture located at an upper portion of the placard and a second aperture located at a lower portion of the placard, as well as a strap assembly having first and second strap portions respectively threaded through the first and second apertures of the placard. The first strap portion extends upwardly from the first aperture and terminates at a first distal end. The second strap portion extends downwardly from the second aperture and terminates at a second distal end. The first and second distal ends of the strap portions are configured to be removably attached to one another when the placarding apparatus is positioned about the cylindrical portion of the storage tank. The placarding apparatus also includes an adjustment mechanism that permits adjustment of the overall length of the strap assembly. In this way, the strap assembly can be wrapped around the cylindrical portion of the storage tank with the first and second distal ends connected together, following which the adjustment mechanism can be used to tighten the strap assembly in place about the storage tank. A second placard can be similarly attached to the strap assembly, so that a single strap assembly can be used to display placards at each side of the cylindrical portion of the storage tank.
To prevent the placards from sliding upwardly or downwardly along the strap assembly, a pair of stops can be formed in the strap assembly both above the first aperture at the upper portion of the placard and below the second aperture at the lower portion of the placard. These stops can be formed by folding back a portion of the strap upon itself and securing the folded strap portion in this configuration by sewing or otherwise. This folded portion is made thicker than the apertures, which prevents the placards from slipping past the stops.
REFERENCES:
patent: 616653 (1898-12-01), Bowen
patent: 2201139 (1940-05-01), Ivey
patent: 3461584 (1969-08-01), Wilson
patent: 3510975 (1970-05-01), Lowmaster
patent: 3701210 (1972-10-01), Smith
patent: 3958350 (1976-05-01), Garson
patent: 4094083 (1978-06-01), Fund
patent: 4106229 (1978-08-01), Schmid
patent: 4246712 (1981-01-01), Vander Wall
patent: 4760944 (1988-08-01), Hughes
patent: 5226251 (1993-07-01), Webb
patent: 5255464 (1993-10-01), Marecek
patent: 5402592 (1995-04-01), Caveney et al.
patent: 5503114 (1996-04-01), Castagna
Tackett Loraine G.
Tackett Morse
Hewitt James M.
Melius Terry Lee
Reising Ethington, Barnes, Kisselle, Learman & McCulloch, P.C.
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