Illuminated power line marker

• US 5,808,424 A
• Filed: 12/07/1995
• Issued: 09/15/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: George M. Osgood
• Original Assignee: George M. Osgood
• Inventors: Osgood, George M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pascal, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, DAVID HUNG
• Application Number:
  US08/568,782
• Time in Patent Office: 1,013 Days
• Field of Search: 315/248, 315/344, 315/76, 315/227 R, 315/208, 340/983
• US Class Current: 315/344
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2111/00 Use or application of lighting devices or systems for signalling, marking or indicating, not provided for in codes F21W2102/00 – F21W2107/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 65/042 by an external electromagnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 7/00 Overhead installations of electric lines or cables installations of bus-bars H02G5/00

Abstract

A line marker including hollow shell halves assembled about an elevated line and luminous tubes mounted on the shell halves illuminated by the electric field extending about the power line and without electrical connection with the power line itself.

Claims

1. A power line marker comprising, in operative position:

a body adapted to be mounted on a power line and said body being visually discernible as a marker, and

a luminous tube mounted on said body containing an ionizable material ignited by the electrical field surrounding a power line to produce a visually discernible light extending along the tube;

said tube being devoid of internal electrode structure electrically connected to the power line.

2. The power line marker of claim 1, wherein said body is a shell with a hollow interior and is adapted to be mounted on a power line with the line passing through the interior of the shell, and the luminous tube is supported within the interior of said shell to be protected by the shell.

3. The power line marker of claim 1, wherein said body has a hollow interior and is of approximately spherical outline, and said tube is supported on said body within the interior of said body.

4. The power line marker of claim 1, wherein said tube extends as a continuous loop adjacent said body.

5. A power line and marker combination comprising:

a hollow body, said body including multiple shell members assembled together with the power line passing through the body, and

a luminous tube extending adjacent and mounted on at least one of said shell members;

said tube being devoid of internal electrode structure electrically connected to the power line.

6. The power line and marker combination of claim 5, wherein the luminous tube extends as a continuous loop.

7. The power line and marker combination of claim 6, wherein the tube is supported on the inside of said body and the tube is discernible through said body.