Traffic control element

• US 4,674,431 A
• Filed: 02/03/1986
• Issued: 06/23/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Radiator Specialty Co. (Blumenthal Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: Radiator Specialty Co. (Blumenthal Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Cory, Milton T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Frankfort, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/827,203
• Time in Patent Office: 505 Days
• Field of Search: 340/114 R, 116/63 P, 116/63 R, 40/612, D34/1
• US Class Current: 116/63.00P
• CPC Class Codes: E01F 9/615 illuminated
• CPC Class Codes: E01F 9/654 in the form of three-dimensional bodies, e.g. cones; capable of assuming three-dimensional form, e.g. by inflation or erection to form a geometric body
• CPC Class Codes: E01F 9/688 Free-standing bodies

Abstract

A traffic control drum is disclosed as an upright member having upper and lower ends, a support base adapted to rest on a support surface and an operator releasable mechanism for attaching the lower end of the member to the support base, so that the member is oriented in an upright relation to the support surface. The support base has an element exposed to be stepped on by the operator to hold the support base still on the support surface. The member has a mechanism disposed to be manually grasped by the operator, whereby the operator may urge the member away from the support base, while the operator holds the support base still with respect to the support surface to thereby effect release of the upright member from the support base.

Claims

1. A traffic control drum comprising:

an elongated hollow member having upper and lower ends, said upper end being enclosed by a top-portion and said lower end being open;

the interior of said lower end including a plurality of contiguous interior flat faces arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis of said member and next to each other about the periphery of said lower end in a first closed configuration to define an inside wall;

a support base adapted to rest on a support surface, said support base including a plurality of exterior flat faces arranged parallel to the center axis of said base and next to each other about the periphery of said support base in a second given configuration to define an outside wall;

said first and second given configurations matching each other so that each of said exterior faces mate with a corresponding interior face when said interior of said lower end covers and is supported by said outside wall of said support base;

a plurality of slots, each of said slots defined in a different one of said plurality of exterior flat faces, said slots extending from said face inwardly toward the center axis of the support base;

a plurality of detents, each of said detents defined in a different one of said plurality of interior flat faces, said slots extending inwardly toward the longitudinal axis of said hollow member.

each of said detents adapted to be disposed in a different one of said slots to thereby releasably attach said hollow member to said support base; and

a plurality of planar rigid foot pads, each of said foot pads extending outwardly from said support base so as to be free of said releasable attaching arrangement.

2. The traffic control drum as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said foot pads emanates from a different one of said flat faces.

3. The traffic control drum as claimed in claim 2, wherein the number of interior flat faces constituting said plurality is eight and the number of exterior flat faces constituting said plurality is eight.

4. The traffic control drum as claimed in claim 3, wherein the number of slots constituting said plurality is at least four.

5. The traffic control drum as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least two of said foot pads are arranged to emanate from opposed flat faces which each possess one of said slots.

6. The traffic control drum as claimed in claim 1, wherein said releasable attaching arrangement further comprises a plurality of handles affixed to said hollow member.

7. The traffic control drum as claimed in claim 6, wherein said elongated hollow member comprises at least one side disposed in a vertical relationship with respect to said support surface, when said member is attached to said support base.

8. The traffic control drum as claimed in claim 7, wherein said handles are formed as recesses within said vertically extending side.

9. The traffic control drum as claimed in claim 1, wherein each slot comprises means for forming a recess about said slot for receiving said detent through said slot, said recess being of a given initial configuration.

10. The traffic control drum as claimed in claim 9, wherein each of said plurality of detents is made of an elastic material and of a configuration to that of said recesses, whereby the engagement and release of said detents with respect to said recesses is facilitated.

11. The traffic control drum as claimed in claim 6, wherein each of said hollow member and said support base is made of an elastic material so that when the operator grasps said handles, steps on a foot pad and urges said hollow member from said support base, said inside wall of said hollow member engages said outside wall of said support base, deforming said support base and altering the shape of said slot to facilitate release of said detent from said slot.

12. The traffic control drum as claimed in claim 11, wherein said support base comprises a releasing member extending upright with respect to the support surface for defining said inside wall, said releasing member being of substantially annular configuration for receiving therein a ballast to hold said support base at rest.

13. The traffic control drum as claimed in claim 12, wherein said releasing member has a plurality of channels disposed through said releasing member and equally spaced thereabout to form ribs therebetween.

14. The traffic control drum as claimed in claim 13, said support base comprises a bottom having an opening therein to effect release of water from said traffic control drum.

15. The traffic control drum as claimed in claim 1, wherein said hollow member has a plurality of sections, one section disposed above the other along an axis of said hollow member, selected of said sections having thereon a reflective material to make said traffic control drum more visible and a bumper disposed along an edge thereof and raised above said reflective material thereby protecting said reflective from damage.

16. A traffic control drum comprising:

an elongated hollow member having upper and lower ends, said upper end being enclosed by a top-portion and said lower end being open;

the interior of said lower end including a plurality of contiguous interior flat faces arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis of said member and next to each other about the periphery of said lower end in a first closed configuration to define an inside wall;

a support base adapted to rest on a support surface, said support base including a plurality of exterior flat faces arranged parallel to the center axis of said base and next to each other about the periphery of said support base in a second given configuration to define an outside wall;

said first and second given configurations matching each other so that each of said exterior faces mate with a corresponding interior face when said interior of said lower end covers and is supported by said outside wall of said support base;

a plurality of recessed slots, each of said slots defined in one of either said plurality of exterior flat faces or said plurality of interior flat faces;

a plurality of projecting detents, each of said detents defined in the other of said plurality of interior flat faces and said plurality of interior flat faces;

each of said detents adapted to be disposed in a different one of said slots to thereby releasably attach said hollow member to said support base; and

a plurality of planar rigid foot pads, each of said foot pads extending outwardly from said support base so as to be free of said releasable attaching arrangement.