US2981149A - Highway marker - Google Patents

Description

April 1961 G. STOLARCZYK ET AL 2,981,149

HIGHWAY MARKER Filed Oct. 28, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l Fig.

./ Gregory Sta/crazyk Jerry Sta/arczyk IN VEN TORS.

April 1961 G. STOLARCZYK ETAL 2,981,149

HIGHWAY MARKER Filed Oct. 28, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 2/ Fig-3 K l J 2 W 7 :7 7:

4 V 4 Y t g l9 F 1 4 Gregory .Sfolarczy/r Jerry Sta/arczy/r INVENTORS.

United St t "1 HIGHWAY MARKER Gregory Stolarczyk, 6208 Vandalia Ave., and Jerry Stolarczyk, 2822 Park Drive, both of Cleveland, Ohio Filed Oct. 28, 1957, Ser. No. 692,614

H Claims. (CI. 88-79) Our invention relates to improvements in highway markers for cement highways, streets and the like.

The primary object of our invention is to provide a; 3

simply constructed, inexpensive, durable, device for installing in cement or concrete to mark a dividing .line between lanes in a highway and which is resilient to give under the weight of a vehicle passing from one lane to another, will not injure automobile tires and is readily visible especially at night.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view inplan of a plurality of our improved markers installed in a highway to divide the same into two lanes;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view in perspective of one of the markers installed;

Figure 3 is an enlarged view in vertical transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a view in horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3, and

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view in vertical section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, the marker 1 of our invention comprises a casing box 2 preferably rectangular and of cast iron and which is designed to be embedded in concrete or cement 3 while the latter is soft and during building of a highway. The casing 1 is embedded with its top flush with the concrete or cement 3, or asphalt, as the case may be. A bottom external flange 5 is formed on the casing 2 for anchoring the same securely in place. An internalrim flange 7 of flat form is provided in the casing 1 for a particular purpose presently seen.

A flat top dome-shaped marker block 9 projects upwardly out of the box 1 and is yieldingly supported by a helical spring 11 seated on the bottom of the box. The spring 11 projects into a frusto-conical socket 13 in the bottom of the block 9 and is crowned by a dished washer 14 fitting in the socket 13. The block 9 is formed preferably of white or yellow rubber for visibility in daylight and provided around its bottom with a lateral flange 15 which engages the rim flange 7 to limit upward movement of said block. For ready removability and replacement, the flange 15 is notched or cut out at opposite sides thereof as at 17, 19 so that the block 9 may be bent for removal for replacement purposes. Preferably the block 9 is generally rectangular with rounded sides 21 protruding out of the casing so that vehicles will not chip the block.

Above the box 1 the block 9 is provided in two opposite sides thereof, constituting the front and rear sides with a pair of horizontally spaced preferably rectangular reflectors 23 embedded in said sides for reflecting light rays from an automobile head light. The reflectors 23 ,lP- te ts 5 1 6.

are clear glass, knurled on the back as at 25, and set back in the block 9 and beveled edged as shown in Figure 5 for securing the same in place. As will be seen the reflectors slant upwardly and rearwardly to catch light rays from oncoming automobile head lights.

The operation of our invention will be readily understood, On straight stretches of highway for instance as 'shownat 27 the markers 1 are arranged in a straight row with white blocks 9 preferably. 0n curves, as shown at 29, the markers 1 are preferably staggered and alternate with white and yellow blocks 9. When a vehicle runs "over a block 9. the block is depressed into the casing Z and returned by the spring 11 as soon as the vehicle passes theblock.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous vmodifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the. art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and 'described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A light reflective road marker comprising a hollow casing having bottom and side walls and a flat top with an opening therein, said top including lateral flanges projecting inwardly into said opening whereby said casing may be recessed into a highway with said flanges and top flush with the highway surface, a body received in said casing having side walls and a top surface and slidable through said opening and having outwardly projecting flanges engageable with the undersides of said inwardly projecting flanges and normally preventing removal of said body from said casing, spring means in said casing engaging said bottom wall and said body and yieldingly urging the body into a position protruding upwardly through said opening, flat rectangular reflectors recessed and secured in said body at the junction of the side walls and top surface of the latter and inclined to both said last mentioned side walls and top surface and having reflecting surfaces inclined upwardly and rearwardly from the body side walls to catch and reflect light rays from the headlights of automobiles approaching upon a highway, and wherein the outwardly projecting flanges of said body are of a resilient deformable material and have peripherally recessed portions enabling the outwardly projecting flanges to be deformed sufficiently to enable passage of said body through said opening.

2. A light reflective road marker comprising a hollow casing having bottom and side walls and a flat top with an opening therein, said top including lateral flanges projecting inwardly into said opening whereby said casing may be recessed into a highway with said flanges and top flush with the highway surface, a body received in said casing having side walls and a top surface and slidable through said opening and having outwardly projecting flanges engageable with the undersides of said inwardly projecting flanges and normally preventing removal of said body from said casing, spring means in said casing engaging said bottom wall and said body and yieldingly urging thev body into a position protruding upwardly through said opening, flat rectangular reflectors recessed and secured in said body at the junction of the side walls and top surface of the latter and inclined to both said last mentioned side walls and top surface and having reflecting surfaces inclined upwardly and rearwardly from the body side walls to catch and reflect light rays from the headlights of automobiles approaching upon a highway, and wherein said body and said outwardly projecting flanges are integral and are of a resiliently deformable material.

3. A light reflective road marker comprising a hollow lights of approaching vehicles,

casing having a bottom and side walls and a top with an opening therein, said top including projecting flanges extending inwardly into said opening whereby said casmg maybe recessed into a highway with said flanges and top flush with the highway surface, a body received in said casing and slidable through said opening and having outwardly projecting flanges engageable, with the underside of said inwardly projecting flanges and normally retaining the body within the casing, resilient means within the casing engaging the bottom surface of the body and resiliently urging it into a position protruding upwardly through said opening, substantially flat reflectors recessed into and secured within said body near its top and having their reflective surfaces inclined upwardly whereby to catch and reflect light rays from the headand wherein said flanges of said body are of a resilient deformable material and have recesses therein for increasing their flexibility whereby the flanges may be deformed sufliciently to enable passage of said body through said opening.

4 A plurality of light reflective markers as defined ,in claim 3 embedded in a road having straight and curved portions, the markers in the curved portion being disposed in staggered relation and the markers in the straight portion being disposed in -a straight line whereby to afford different visual signals for said portions.

5. The combination of claim 3 wherein said body has a flat bottom surface with an upwardly extending recess therein, said spring means including an inverted cup-like disk seated in said recess, said spring means extending into said recess and disk and abutting the latter.

References Cited in the file of this patent

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