Marker Installation Apparatus

• US 20110210154A1
• Filed: 04/22/2011
• Published: 09/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FlagShooter Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Flag Shooter, LLC
• Inventors: Carrette, Paul M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,656,857 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 227/120
• CPC Class Codes: B25C 1/02 operated by manual power
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/04 Permanent marks; Boundary markers
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 17/00 Flags; Banners; Mountings therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49 Method of mechanical manufacture

Abstract

A marker installation system is disclosed for inserting a marker of the type having shaft with a bottom end for inserting into a ground surface and an engagement portion of the shaft separated from the bottom end by an insertion portion of the shaft. The apparatus includes a magazine assembly defining a magazine space configured to receive at least one marker. The magazine space has a push position in the magazine space for receiving the at least one marker. The apparatus further comprises a push assembly mounted on the magazine assembly. The push assembly is configured to engage the engagement portion of the shaft of the marker located in the push position and push the marker from the magazine assembly when the push assembly is actuated. A plurality of the markers are bonded together such that each of the markers can be removed from the rest of the plurality when it is desired to insert a marker into the ground.

Claims

1. A system for use with a marker and a marker insertion apparatus in marking a ground surface, comprising:

the marker comprising;

a shaft, the shaft having a bottom end and a top end, the shaft including;

an insertion portion for insertion into the ground, the insertion portion being located at the bottom end of the shaft;

a mast portion for extending above the ground surface when the insertion portion is at least partially inserted into the ground; and

an engagement portion located between the insertion portion and the mast portion with the insertion portion being located between the engagement portion and the bottom end, the engagement portion being configured to be engaged and pushed by the marker insertion apparatus to cause insertion of the bottom end of the shaft into the ground; and

the marker insertion apparatus comprising;

a magazine assembly defining a magazine space configured receive at least one marker, the magazine space having a push position in the magazine space for receiving the at least one mark and

a push assembly mounted on the magazine assembly, the push assembly being configured to engage the engagement portion of the shaft of the marker located in the push position and push the marker from the magazine assembly when the push assembly is actuated.

2. The marker of claim 1 wherein a plurality of the markers are bonded together such that each of the markers can be removed from the rest of the plurality when it is desired to insert the marker into the ground.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the magazine assembly includes a base member defining a shoulder configured to abut against the engagement portion of markers when the markers are positioned in the magazine space.

4. The marker of claim 1 wherein an axis along which the mast portion extends is substantially parallel to an axis along which the insertion portion extends;

and

wherein the axis along which the mast portion extends is offset from the axis along which the insertion portion extends.

5. The marker of claim 1 additionally comprising a visual indicator mounted on the shaft.

6. The marker of claim 5 wherein the visual indicator comprises a flag mounted on the mast portion of the shaft.

7. The marker of claim 1 wherein an axis of the engagement portion is oriented at a non-zero angle to an axis of the insertion portion.

8. The marker of claim 1 wherein an axis of the engagement portion is oriented at a non-zero angle to an axis of the mast portion.

9. The marker of claim 1 wherein an angle between an axis of the engagement portion and an axis of the insertion portion is substantially equal to an angle between the axis of the engagement portion and an angle of the mast portion.

10. The marker of claim 1 wherein the insertion portion, the mast portion, and the engagement portion lie in a common plane.

11. The marker of claim 1 wherein the insertion portion is substantially linear along an axis.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the push assembly comprises a push member being mounted on the base member, the push member being movably mounted in a barrel bore of the base member of the magazine assembly.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the push member has marker engagement tab that is configured to engage the engagement portion of the at least one marker positioned in the push position.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the push assembly further comprises a handle member mounted on and configured to move the push member with respect to the base member.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 additionally comprising a biasing assembly mounted on the magazine assembly and configured to bias the at least one marker in the magazine space toward the push position on the magazine assembly.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the biasing assembly comprises:

at least one slider member mounted on the magazine assembly and configured to contact any markers positioned in the magazine space, the at least one slider member being movable in the magazine space toward and away from the push position, and

a biasing element configured to bias the slider member toward the push position such that the at least one slider contacts and biases any markers in the magazine space toward the push position.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the magazine assembly defines a barrel bore and a tab slot, the tab slot being in communication with the barrel bore and the magazine space;

and

wherein the push assembly comprises a push member having portion positioned in the barrel bore and a marker engagement tab positioned in the tab slot and extending into the magazine space ii manner permitting the push tab to engage the engagement portion a marker when the marker is positioned in the push position.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the magazine assembly defines a guide channel with a shoulder configured to abut against the engagement portion of the at least one marker when the at least one marker is positioned in the magazine space, the shoulder extending laterally with respect to an axis of the movement of the portion of the push assembly.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the push assembly d not extend out of the magazine assembly when actuated into an extended position

20. A method of marking a ground surface, comprising the acts of:

providing a system for use with a marker and a marker insertion apparatus in marking a ground surface, comprising;

the marker comprising;

a shaft, the shaft having a bottom end and a top end, the shaft including;

an insertion portion for insertion into the ground, the insertion portion being located at the bottom end of the shaft;

a mast portion for extending above the ground surface when the insertion portion is at least partially inserted into the ground; and

an engagement portion located between the insertion portion and the mast portion with the insertion portion being located between the engagement portion and the bottom end, the engagement portion being configured to be engaged and pushed by the marker insertion apparatus to cause insertion of the bottom end of the shaft into the ground; and

the marker insertion apparatus comprising;

a magazine assembly defining a magazine space configured receive at least one marker, the magazine space having a push position in the magazine space for receiving the at least one mark and

a push assembly mounted on the magazine assembly, the push assembly being configured to engage the engagement portion of the shaft of the marker located in the push position and push the marker from the magazine assembly when the push assembly is actuated;

selecting one or more markers from a supply of markers;

inserting the one or more markers into the magazine space of the marker installation assembly;

locating a buried utility pipe or line;

vertically placing the marker installation apparatus over the buried utility pipe or line;

applying downward pressure to the marker installation apparatus to insert a marker into the ground.