Road structure – process – or apparatus – Traffic director
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-12
2003-02-04
Hartmann, Gary S. (Department: 3671)
Road structure, process, or apparatus
Traffic director
C116S06300T, C116S06300T
Reexamination Certificate
active
06514006
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to road markers and delineators and more particularly to a marker with light reflective tapes positioned for demarking a road or runway.
2. Description of Related Art
The following art defines the present state of this field:
Humphrey, Des. 399,261 describes an emergency roadside sign design.
Arbuckle, U.S. Pat. No. 2,202,306 describes
Schmanski, U.S. Pat. No. 4,092,082 describes a post designed for sign or guide marker use having sufficient longitudinal rigidity to withstand a force driving it into the ground and sufficient elasticity to permit nondestructive deformation upon impact by a moving object, with subsequent restoration to an original, upright position. Various construction materials and/or structural configurations are disclosed for obtaining this dual character without incurring high production and material costs.
Auriemma, U.S. Pat. No. 4,245,922 describes a rigid self-supporting highway delineator post having reflective material mounted at the upper end and a first flex area at a height above grade and a second flex area located immediately below the reflective material whereby the post is non-destructively bent down about the lower flex area when hit by a moving vehicle and may be bent about the upper flex area to facilitate removal and insertion of sheets of reflective material.
Beavers et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,262 describes a traffic bollard mountable to a path surface for providing a barrier to a vehicle moving on the path surface. The bollard includes a stanchion member extending along a longitudinal axis from an upper distal end to a lower proximal end biasedly attachable to the path surface in a normally upright position. The stanchion member is flexible along substantially the entire extent of its longitudinal axis to be resiliently deflectable from its normally upright position upon the bollard being contacted with a predetermined amount of force by the moving vehicle. At least one collar is rotatably mounted about the stanchion member along the longitudinal axis thereof. The collar extends intermediate the distal and proximal ends of the stanchion member and freely rotates about the longitudinal axis thereof upon being contacted by the moving vehicle.
Cole, Sr. et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,620,277 describes a device adapted to be at least partially inserted into an aggregation of material and retained therein. The device has an opening formed therethrough to receive a novel anchoring component. The device may be a marker which advantageously has a Miles Utility configuration, and which has the opening formed in a stake portion of the marker. The anchor has a bridge element which extends through the opening to hold a pair of legs in an opposed and upright position. The legs resiliently grasp the opposite sides of the marker to prevent the anchor from falling out or being bumped out of the opening. There is also disclosed a two-piece marker with the Miles Utility configuration for the post which is resiliently joined to a support to provide a universal hinge action to prevent the wings from being crumpled or permanently deformed to prevent or inhibit the post from returning to an upright position.
The prior art teaches reflective signs and delineators but does not teach such a device with improved drainage and with the ability to see reflections from any angle above the surface of the device. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages as described in the following summary.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention teaches certain benefits in construction and use which give rise to the objectives described below.
A reflector apparatus comprises an upright elongated cylinder having a circular wall closed at one end by a semi-spherical hollow cavity wall, and closed at the other end by a plug fitted within the circular wall of the cylinder and fixed therein, the plug tapered downwardly to an elongated axial stake having a downwardly directed point. A rod extends axially upwardly from the semi-spherical hollow cavity wall for receiving a reflective plate, and a series of reflective stripes are circumferentially positioned in spaced arrangement over an outer surface of the circular wall.
A primary objective of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method of use of such apparatus that provides advantages not taught by the prior art.
Another objective is to provide such an invention capable of reflecting light at night.
A further objective is to provide such an invention capable of being easily mounted in a ground surface with improved water drainage.
A still further objective is to provide such an invention capable of being easily seen from any angle above.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2202306 (1940-05-01), Arbuckle
patent: 3111303 (1963-11-01), Olson
patent: 3204355 (1965-09-01), Whitman
patent: 3421473 (1969-01-01), Weichenrieder
patent: 3709112 (1973-01-01), Ebinger
patent: 3970033 (1976-07-01), Lindner et al.
patent: 4092081 (1978-05-01), Schmanski
patent: 4245922 (1981-01-01), Auriemma
patent: 4923164 (1990-05-01), Stenberg
patent: 4997307 (1991-03-01), Schmanski
patent: 5066163 (1991-11-01), Whitaker
patent: 5090348 (1992-02-01), Hugron
patent: 5273371 (1993-12-01), Hugron
patent: 5468093 (1995-11-01), Voigt
patent: 5500642 (1996-03-01), Battle
patent: 5518337 (1996-05-01), Modlin
patent: 5597262 (1997-01-01), Beavers et al.
patent: 5620277 (1997-04-01), Cole, Sr. et al.
patent: 5809733 (1998-09-01), Venegas, Jr.
patent: D399261 (1998-10-01), Humphrey
patent: 5908262 (1999-06-01), Ahn
patent: 6186699 (2001-02-01), Kulp et al.
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