Locating elements of construction beneath the surface of earth soils

• US 4,623,282 A
• Filed: 12/12/1984
• Issued: 11/18/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Darrell G. Holmes
• Original Assignee: Gordon H. Allen
• Inventors: Allen, Gordon H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Taylor, Dennis L.
• Application Number:
  US06/680,961
• Time in Patent Office: 706 Days
• Field of Search: 405/157, 405/154, 116/211, 116/DIG. 14
• US Class Current: 405/157
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 1/11 for the detection or protection of pipes in the ground
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 116/14 Tapes as carriers

Abstract

Locating underground utility lines or elements of construction with a frangible body or tape. The tape includes printing indicia identifying the type of underground facility with the printing indicia protected from the environment. The tape is color coded to the type of underground facility and has soil contrasting reflective stripes to aid in tape detection.

Claims

1. In an area of earth soil which carries beneath the surface thereof at least one underground facility and a frangible colored body beneath the surface and located above and overlying the underground facility, the frangible body having a coloring coded to the type of facility and printing identifying the type of facility, the improvement wherein the frangible colored body comprises:

a sheet of clear plastic film having printing indicia in the form of a cautionary phrase on the film lower, inner face visible through the film upper, outer face, the printing indicia identifying the type of underground facility;

a sheet of flexible metal foil bonded to the plastic film lower, inner face, the metal foil having a plurality of color coded striped indicia on the foil upper, inner face, each of the color coded striped indicia having a color coded to correspond to the type of underground facility and being visible through the plastic film upper, outer face; and

a plurality of light reflective stripes on the foil upper, inner face being visible through the plastic film upper, outer face, and contrasting with the color coded striped indicia and with the surrounding earth soil to provide high visibility of said frangible body under a variety of earth soil color conditions.

2. The improvement according to claim 1, including a protective coating on the foil lower face.

3. The improvement according to claim 2, wherein the protective coating comprises a sheet of clear plastic film bonded to the foil lower face.

4. The improvement according to claim 1, wherein the color coded striped indicia comprises a colored adhesive applied between the foil upper, inner face and the film lower, inner face.

5. The improvement according to claim 4, including a protective coating on the foil lower face.

6. The improvement according to claim 5, wherein the protective coating comprises a second sheet of plastic film bonded to the foil lower face.

7. The improvement according to claim 6, wherein the second sheet of plastic film and foil are bonded with a colored adhesive color coded to the type of underground facility.

8. A frangible colored body for burial with an underground facility and useful in the location and presence of said underground facility, said frangible colored body comprising:

a sheet of clear plastic film;

a cautionary word phrase on the film lower, inner face visible through the film upper, outer face, the cautionary word phrase identifying the type of underground facility;

a sheet of flexible metal foil bonded to the plastic film lower, inner face, and covering said cautionary word phrase to protect said word phrase from the environment on the bottom, with the word phrase being protected from the environment on the top by said sheet of plastic film;

a plurality of color coded striped indicia on the foil upper, inner face, each of the color coded striped indicia color coded to correspond to the type of underground facility and being visible through the plastic film upper, outer face; and

a plurality of reflective stripes on the foil upper, inner face being visible through the plastic film. upper, outer face, and contrasting with the color coded striped indicia and with the surrounding earth soil so as to be visible under a variety of earth soil color conditions.

9. A frangible colored body according to claim 8, wherein each of said color coded striped indicia alternates along the foil with each of said reflective stripes.

10. A frangible colored body according to claim 9, including a protective coating on the foil lower face.

11. A frangible colored body according to claim 8, wherein the color coded striped indicia comprises a colored adhesive applied between the foil upper, inner face and the film lower, inner face.

12. A frangible colored body according to claim 11, including a protective coating on the foil lower face.

13. A frangible colored body according to claim 12, wherein the protective coating comprises a second sheet of plastic film bonded to the foil lower face.

14. A frangible colored body according to claim 13, wherein the second sheet of plastic film and foil are bonded with a colored adhesive color coded to the type of underground facility.