METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DEPLOYMENT OF A COMMUNICATION LINE ONTO A SURFACE SUCH AS A ROADWAY OR PATHWAY

• US 20190033550A1
• Filed: 07/27/2018
• Published: 01/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TRAXyL, Inc.
• Original Assignee: TRAXyL, Inc.
• Inventors: TURNER, Daniel R.
• Granted Patent: US 10,866,380 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/004 Devices for guiding or controlling the machines along a predetermined path for graders or bulldozers E02F3/841; for other soil-shifting machines E02F9/2045
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/522 Apparatus for laying the elements by rolling or unfolding, e.g. for temporary pavings
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 23/025 Making or working grooves or like channels in laid paving, e.g. smoothing groove edges E01C23/026, E01C23/028 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 23/0953 by thermal effect, e.g. cutting by melting, cleaning drying or heating with hot jets
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 23/0973 with liquid or semi-liquid materials, e.g. crack sealants
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 23/0993 for forming or installing surface markings or signals in the paving, e.g. grooving for striping or for producing rumble strips, forming marker-receiving recesses E01C23/0946 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 5/101 forming during digging, e.g. underground canalisations or conduits, by bending or twisting a strip of pliable material; by extrusion
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/443 Protective covering
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4459 Ducts; Conduits; Hollow tubes for air blown fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/504 Installation in solid material, e.g. underground

Abstract

A method for adhering a tubular body onto a surface that includes smoothing a portion of the surface to create a smoothed segment of the surface and applying a tubular body directly onto the smoothed segment of the surface after the smoothing of the portion of the surface. The surface at the smoothed segment is smoother than the remainder of the surface. The method further includes applying an uncured protectant onto the tubular body while the tubular body is on the smoothed segment of the surface and curing the uncured protectant into a cured protectant while the uncured protectant is on the tubular body on the smoothed segment of the surface. The cured protectant protectively encases and adheres the tubular body to the surface.

Claims

1. A method for adhering a tubular body onto a surface, the method comprising:

smoothing a linear portion of the surface to create a smoothed linear segment of the surface, the surface at the smoothed linear segment being more smooth than the surface at a remainder of the surface;

applying a tubular body directly onto the smoothed linear segment of the surface after the smoothing of the linear portion of the surface;

applying an uncured protectant directly onto the tubular body while the tubular body is directly on the smoothed linear segment of the surface; and

curing the uncured protectant into a cured protectant while the uncured protectant is directly on the tubular body on the smoothed linear segment of the surface, the cured protectant protectively encasing and adhering the tubular body to the surface.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the linear portion of the surface possesses a width of one foot or less.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

shaping the uncured protectant while the uncured protectant is on the tubular body that is on the smoothed linear segment of the surface before curing the uncured protectant, the uncured protectant being shaped to possess a cross-sectional shape.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the shaping is performed by a shaping tool comprising a hole, the hole of the shaping tool possessing the cross-sectional shape.

5. An apparatus for adhering a communication line to a surface, the apparatus comprising:

a main body moveable in an advancing direction, the main body possessing a forward end and a rear end;

a smoothing apparatus connected to the main body, the smoothing apparatus being configured to contact the surface and smooth a linear segment of the surface when the apparatus moves in the advancing direction;

a communication line holder configured to deploy the communication line onto the linear segment of the surface, the communication line holder being mounted on the main body, the communication line holder being positioned closer to the rear end of the main body than the communication line holder so that smoothing apparatus contacts the linear segment of the surface to smooth the linear segment of the surface before the communication line is deployed on to the linear segment of the surface;

a container configured to store an uncured protectant, the container being mounted on the main body; and

a protectant applicator connected to the container and configured to eject the protectant onto the surface, the protectant applicator positioned closer to the rear end of the main body than the communication line holder so that the ejected protectant is applied onto the communication line that has been deployed on the surface.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the smoothing apparatus is a reciprocating wheel.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the reciprocating wheel rotates about an axis that is orthogonal to a plane of the surface.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the reciprocating wheel rotates about an axis that is parallel to a plane of the surface.

9. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the smoothing apparatus is a heated steel wheel.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the heated steel wheel possesses a weight configured to indent the

11. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

a shaping template connected to the main body, the shaping template comprising an opening and being positioned to contact the surface when the main body moves in the advancing direction.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the protectant applicator is spaced apart from the shaping template, the protectant applicator being positioned closer to the forward end of the main body than the shaping template.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

the uncured protectant passes through the opening of the shaping template when the main body moves in the advancing direction and after the uncured protectant is ejected onto the surface, and

the uncured protectant is curable into the solid protectant to encase the tubular body after the uncured protectant has passed through the opening in the shaping template.

14. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a plurality of wheels connected to the main body, the plurality of wheels rotating when the main body moves in the advancing direction.