Highway marker transfer vehicle
First Claim
1. A wheeled vehicle for transporting highway markers and for exchanging the highway markers between the wheeled vehicle and a highway, the highway markers having a width in each of two dimensions that are horizontal and a height third dimension as seen when the highway markers are in a normal position on the highway, said wheeled vehicle comprising:
- a main frame;
at least one wheel mounted for rotation on said main frame to engage the highway and thereby supported said mainframe;
a storage frame mounted on said main frame for rotation about a generally horizontal axis of rotation;
a plurality of slide bearings mounted on said storage frame for rotation therewith at spaced apart intervals around the horizontal axis of rotation; and
each of said slide bearings being configured to confine a linear array of the highway markers against movement in one of the two dimensions and the third dimension, and allow sliding movement along the other of the two dimensions within at least a range of linear length of the array.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A wheeled vehicle, preferably a trailer, carries highway markers in a storage frame that is horizontally rotated to selectively align each of a plurality of parallel, circularly spaced, slide bearings, each configured to confine a linear array of highway markers against circumferential and radial movement, while allowing sliding along the length of the array. A powered abutment feeds the highway markers to a transfer station. A transfer mechanism picks up a highway marker by attraction and moves it between the transfer station and a highway station. A video camera records the highway station environment and wirelessly sends a video stream to a monitor plugged in the driver'"'"'s cab. A releasable electrical connector between a tow vehicle and a trailer wheeled vehicle transmits a lights-on signal to control the operations. Power for the attraction, the transfer mechanism, the powered abutment, the camera, the retrieval attachment and a powered index mechanism for the storage frame are provided from a power supply on the trailer.
47 Citations
43 Claims
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1. A wheeled vehicle for transporting highway markers and for exchanging the highway markers between the wheeled vehicle and a highway, the highway markers having a width in each of two dimensions that are horizontal and a height third dimension as seen when the highway markers are in a normal position on the highway, said wheeled vehicle comprising:
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a main frame;
at least one wheel mounted for rotation on said main frame to engage the highway and thereby supported said mainframe;
a storage frame mounted on said main frame for rotation about a generally horizontal axis of rotation;
a plurality of slide bearings mounted on said storage frame for rotation therewith at spaced apart intervals around the horizontal axis of rotation; and
each of said slide bearings being configured to confine a linear array of the highway markers against movement in one of the two dimensions and the third dimension, and allow sliding movement along the other of the two dimensions within at least a range of linear length of the array. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 21)
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15. A wheeled vehicle for transporting highway markers and for exchanging the highway markers between the vehicle and a highway, the highway markers having a width in each of two dimensions that are horizontal and a height third dimension as seen when the highway markers are in a normal position on the highway, said wheeled vehicle comprising:
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a transfer station having a support for a single highway marker;
a transfer mechanism mounted at one end for movement of another end between a first position aligned with said transfer station, and a second position outward of said vehicle above the highway; and
a pickup mounted on said another end of said transfer mechanism capable of exerting an upward attraction force on an uppermost portion of a highway marker substantially greater than a weight of the highway marker, when activated, and sufficient to hold the highway marker on said another end while said transfer mechanism moves between said first and second positions. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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22. A method of exchanging highway markers between a vehicle and a highway, said method being performed by machine and comprising the steps of:
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applying an upward suspension force on an uppermost portion of a highway marker so that the force is substantially greater than a weight of the highway marker and sufficient to freely suspend the highway marker; and
moving the suspended highway marker between the highway and the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. A method for carrying highway markers on a wheeled vehicle, the highway markers having a width in each of two dimensions that are horizontal and a height third dimension as seen when the highway markers are in a normal position on the highway, said method being performed by machine and comprising the steps of:
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confining the highway markers in a plurality of substantially parallel and substantially linear arrays against movement in one of the two dimensions and the third dimension, while allowing sliding movement along the other of the two dimensions within at least a range of linear length of each array; and
rotating all of the arrays as a unit about a generally horizontal axis that is substantially parallel to the other of the two dimensions and generally perpendicular to the third dimension. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method of exchanging highway markers between storage on a trailer and support on a highway, the trailer being under control of a driver of a towing vehicle, said method being performed by machine and comprising the steps of:
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transferring a highway marker between a position inboard of the trailer and a position outward of the trailer on a side of the trailer opposite a side where the driver is normally located;
recording the environment of the highway adjacent to the position outward of the trailer as a video stream by a camera carried by the trailer;
wirelessly transmitting the video stream in real time to a receiver carried by the tow vehicle; and
displaying the video stream on a monitor where the driver is normally located. - View Dependent Claims (33)
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34. A method of exchanging highway markers between storage on a vehicle and support on a highway, said method being performed by machine and comprising the steps of:
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generating an upward attraction force on a highway marker substantially greater than a weight of the highway marker, in response to activation; and
transferring the highway marker, while the highway marker is held solely by the attraction force, between a position inboard of the vehicle and a position outward of the vehicle, above the highway. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36)
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37. A wheeled trailer for transporting highway markers and for exchanging the highway markers between storage on the trailer and support on a highway, said wheeled trailer comprising:
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a main frame;
at least one wheel mounted for rotation on said main frame for engaging the highway and thereby supporting said main frame;
a storage mounted on the main frame and being configured for confining a plurality of the highway markers;
a tow hitch for towing attachment to a tow vehicle;
a transfer mechanism for movement of a pickup end between a first position inboard of said trailer and a second position outward of said trailer above the highway;
a pickup mounted on said pickup end of said transfer mechanism and being capable of holding the highway marker while said transfer mechanism moves said pickup end between said first and second positions;
a video camera positioned to record the environment of the highway adjacent to said pickup end at the second position outward of said trailer as a video; and
a wireless transmitter connected to receive and transmit the video stream in real time.
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38. A wheeled vehicle for transporting highway markers and for exchanging the highway markers between storage on the vehicle and support on a highway, said wheeled vehicle comprising:
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a main frame;
at least one wheel mounted for rotation on said main frame for engaging the highway and thereby supporting said main frame;
an attachment;
a coupling between said attachment and said main frame for temporarily attaching said attachment transversely outboard of said wheeled vehicle;
said attachment having a cantilevered member of a shape to be inserted within a highway marker and a highway engaging member engaging the highway at a location that is generally transversely aligned with the terminal end of said cantilevered member;
a connection mounting the cantilevered member for movement between a generally forward facing and horizontal position to be inserted within a knocked down highway marker that is freely supported on the highway as the wheeled vehicle is moved forward and a generally vertical position holding an inserted highway marker in a normally upright position; and
a connection between said attachment highway engaging member and said cantilevered member fixing elevation of the terminal end of said cantilevered member above the adjacent highway, whereby the terminal end of the cantilevered member is at a height above the highway that is independent of the height of said frame, to thereby facilitate reliable insertion of the cantilevered member within the highway marker by the driver'"'"'s maneuvering. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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Specification