Marker for buried objects

• US 4,991,536 A
• Filed: 12/22/1989
• Issued: 02/12/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Epic Corporation
• Original Assignee: Epic Corporation
• Inventors: Moshofsky, Jerome F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WORTH, WILLIE M
• Application Number:
  US07/454,935
• Time in Patent Office: 417 Days
• Field of Search: 116/209, 116/DIG. 14, 52/103, 52/105, 24/16 PB, 24/30.5 P, 248/60, 405/157, 138/104
• US Class Current: 116/209
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 1/11 for the detection or protection of pipes in the ground
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 9/02 laid directly in or on the ground, river-bed or sea-bottom; Coverings therefor, e.g. tile
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/1498 Plastic band

Abstract

A marker for locating an underground object such as a utility line. The marker is attached to a line by wrapping a portion of the marker about the line and inserting an end of the marker through an aperture located between the ends of the marker. A collapsible tongue forming the end of the marker enables the marker to release from the object that it encircles when a tugging force of a certain magnitude is imparted to the marker.

Claims

1. A marker for locating an underground object comprising:

a flexible, elongate plastic body having an aperture therein located between opposite ends of said body,

a pair of opposed indents in opposite margins of said body adjacent but spaced inwardly from one end of said body and a terminal portion of said body extending from said one end along the body toward said indents,

a division in said body extending from said one end along said terminal portion to a position between said indents to produce side-by-side segments in said terminal portion which are movable to partially overlap with distortion of the indents thus to produce collapsing of the terminal portion,

said aperture accommodating the passage therethrough of said terminal portion with the body reversely turned on itself and said indents defining a seated position for said body within said aperture, the terminal portion permitting the indents to deform to enable the terminal portion to be retracted through the aperture in response to a displacement force being exerted thereon.

2. The marker of claim 1, wherein said indents are semicircular in shape.

3. The marker of claim 1 or 2, wherein said indents are separated by a ribbon of material and wherein said aperture has a rounded end and said ribbon of material seats against said rounded end.