Automated traffic control device

• US 6,052,067 A
• Filed: 02/12/1999
• Issued: 04/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Randy G. Nuxoll
• Original Assignee: Randy G. Nuxoll
• Inventors: Nuxoll, Randy G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US09/250,060
• Time in Patent Office: 431 Days
• Field of Search: 340/908, 340/908.1, 340/471, 340/907, 116/63 R, 116/63 T, 116/173, 40/601, 40/606, 40/607, 40/610, 40/612, 40/418
• US Class Current: 340/908
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0955 transportable

Abstract

A traffic control device with folding legs which form a sawhorse type base when extended, and which fold for storage. The traffic control device has wheels which come into contact with the road surface when the frame of the traffic control device is lifted at one end. Attached to the traffic control device is a simulated flagman which has a head, a torso and an arm. The arm supports a two-sided traffic control sign. The sign is placed in a sign holder of the simulated flagman, and a motor turns the sign 180 degrees in either direction to expose one side or the other of the traffic control sign. The motor is controlled by a wireless remote transmitter and receiver. The device can be operated by a flagman, allowing the flagman to be situated in a position of safety from the traffic. One or a pair of these devices can replace one or two flagmen in controlling traffic.

Claims

1. A traffic control device for use with vehicular traffic along a roadway, comprising:

one or more legs, for mounting said traffic control device, configured to resist deflection by wind and to fold to a storage position;

one or more wheels mounted to said legs, which are configured to come into contact with said roadway for transport of said traffic control device, when one end of said traffic control device is lifted by use of a handle;

a handle for lifting one end of said traffic control device, for causing said wheels to engage said roadway;

a simulated flagman mounted to said legs, configured to be observable by a motorist and to attract the attention of a motorist, and configured to move to a storage position;

a sign holder, attached to said simulated flagman, for holding a two-sided traffic control sign, and for rotating said traffic control sign to alternately display a first side or a second side;

a traffic control sign, with a first side and a second side, for alternating display of said first side or said second side, when positioned in said flag holder;

a motor, for attachment to said sign holder, and for rotation of said sign holder;

a weight, attached to said device, for providing said device with stability and resistance to deflection by wind;

a control means for actuating said motor to turn said flag holder, in which said control means is a wireless remote control transmitter and a receiver which can be manually triggered to activate said motor, in order to display said first side or said second side of said traffic control sign; and

a power source, which supplies power to said motor and said power control means.

2. The traffic control device of claim 1 which further comprises interchangeable simulated flagmen.

3. The traffic control device of claim 2 in which said interchangeable simulated flagmen are of unusual and attention catching design.

4. The traffic control device of claim 1 in which said control means is a timer which can be set to activate said sign holder at selected time intervals.

5. The traffic control device of claim 1 which further comprises a video camera to view, transmit, and record images of the vicinity of said traffic control device.

6. The traffic control device of claim 1 in which said control means is by a wireless remote transmitter which is energized only while a signal trigger is actuated.

7. The traffic control device of claim 1 which further comprises three legs for mounting said traffic control device.

8. The traffic control device of claim 7 which further comprises a handle attached to said front top corner of said traffic control device, which may be lifted to lift engage said wheels with said roadway.

9. The traffic control device of claim 8 which further includes one or more frame braces which connects said front side of said first planar frame with said front side of said second planar frame, or which connects said rear side of said first planar frame with said rear side of said second planar frame.

10. The traffic control device of claim 1 in which said one or more legs comprises a support frame comprised of a first and a second generally rectangular planar frame, with each rectangular planar frame having a front side, a rear side, a bottom side, and at least one rectangular planar frame having a top side, with each rectangular planar frame having a front bottom corner, a rear bottom corner, a front top corner, and a rear top corner, in which said first and second rectangular planar frames are joined by one or more hinges at said front top corner and said rear top corner, with said bottom sides of said planar frames forming road surface contact regions.

11. The traffic control device of claim 10 which further comprises a first wheel attached to said rear side of said first rectangular planar frame, and a second wheel attached to said rear side of said second rectangular planar frame, with both wheels attached so that when said traffic control device is lifted at one end, said wheels come into contract with said roadway, but when said traffic control device is in an operational position on said roadway, said wheels are not in contact with said roadway.

12. The traffic control device of claim 10 which further comprises four feet which are attached adjacent to said bottom front corners and said bottom rear corners of said first and second rectangular planar frames.

13. The traffic control device of claim 10 in which said first and second rectangular planar frames fold into a traveling configuration by rotating about said one or more hinge so that said bottom edges of said first and second rectangular planar frames approach each other, and which expand into an operational position by rotating about said one or more hinge so that said bottom edges of said first and second rectangular planar frames move away from each other.

14. The traffic control device of claim 1 which further includes a positioning assembly for said flagman which comprises a tube with two orienting notches for positioning the flagman by use of gravity, with one orienting notch resulting in the flagman being positioned with shoulders normal to the longitudinal axis of the traffic control device when in an operational position, and a second orienting notch resulting in the flagman being positioned with shoulders parallel to the longitudinal axis of the traffic control device when in an inverted and transport position.

15. A traffic control device for use with vehicular traffic along a roadway, comprising:

a support frame comprised of a first and a second rectangular planar frame, with each rectangular planar frame having a front side, a rear side, a top side, and a bottom side, with each rectangular planar frame having four corners, and in which said first and second rectangular planar frames are joined by one or more hinges along said top edge of each, in which said first and second rectangular planar frames fold into a traveling configuration by rotating about said one or more hinge so that said bottom edges of said first and second rectangular planar frames approach each other, and which fold into an operational position by rotating about said one or more hinges so that said bottom edges of said first and second rectangular planar frames move away from each other, with said bottom sides of said planar frames forming road surface contact regions which resists movement of said traffic control device by wind;

one or more end braces which connects said front side of said first planar frame with said front side of said second planar frame, or which connects said rear side of said first planar frame with said rear side of said second planar frame, and which lock said traffic control device into an operational position when so connected, and allow said traffic control device to fold into a transport and storage position;

one or more wheels attached to said support frame, attached so that when said traffic control device is lifted at one end, said one or more wheels come into contract with said roadway, but when said traffic control device is in an operational position on said roadway, said one or more wheels are not in contact with said roadway;

a handle attached to said traffic control device, which may be lifted to engage said wheels with said roadway, and to disengage said bottom sides from said roadway which enable said traffic control device to be transported on a roadway of gravel or pavement on said wheels when in either a transport position or an operational position;

a simulated flagman mounted to said support frame, configured to be observable and to attract the attention of a motorist, which folds two times, once in one plane and once in another plane, to a storage position for transport;

a positioning assembly for said flagman which comprises a gripping collar with two stop rings, with a detent notch in one stop ring which interfits with a detent tab on said gripping collar, and which also comprises a flagman tube with two orienting notches for positioning the flagman by use of gravity, with one orienting notch resulting in the flagman being positioned with shoulders normal to the longitudinal axis of the traffic control device when in an operational position, and a second orienting notch resulting in the flagman being positioned with shoulders parallel to the longitudinal axis of the traffic control device when in an inverted and transport position;

a sign holder attached to said simulated flagman, for holding a two-sided traffic control sign, and for rotating said traffic control sign to alternately display a first side or a second side of said two-sided traffic control sign;

a motor, for turning said sign holder;

a two-sided traffic control sign, with a first side and a second side for alternating display of said first or said second side, when positioned in said sign holder;

one or more weights, attachable to and detachable from said device without use of tools, for providing said device with stability and resistance to deflection by wind;

a wireless remote control means comprising a transmitter, a signal trigger, and a receiver, for remotely actuating said motor to rotate said flag, and causing said flag holder to rotate said traffic control sign to display a first side or a second side of said sign; and

a power source, which supplies power to said flag holder.