Machine for making road marker-receiving cavities in a roadway surface
First Claim
1. A machine for making a cavity in a roadway surface so as to install a road marker, said machine being mounted on a support base forming part of a powered vehicle having a front-to-rear axis and comprising:
- a) a lengthwise-extensible boom having a longitudinal axis and an extensible end;
b) first mounting means for mounting the boom on the support base, said boom extending substantially horizontally in a direction transversal to said front-to-rear axis;
c) power jack means having an extensible bottom end;
d) second mounting means for mounting the power jack means on the extensible end of the boom so that, on the one hand, said boom and said power jack means extend in a same vertical plane and, on the other hand, said power jack means is downwardly oriented and has its bottom end downwardly extensible, said second mounting means including means for adjustably tilting the power jack means within said vertical plane about an axis perpendicular to the boom;
e) a cutting device mounted at the bottom end of the power jack means so as to come into contact with the roadway surface and to make therein the required cavity when said power jack means is actuated;
f) first control means for ascertaining that the cutting device is properly oriented relative to the roadway surface prior to making the required cavity; and
g second control means for controlling the depth of penetration of the cutting device and thus the depth of said cavity when the same is being made said second control means consisting of at least one step operatively associated to the extensible bottom end of the power jack means so as to contact the roadway surface and prevent said extensible bottom end and the cutting device mounted on it from further moving down into said surface as soon as the cavity is completed,wherein the boom is telescopic and includes;
an outer member connected to said first mounting means;
an inner member slidably mounted within said outer member; and
a power cylinder to adjustably move the inner member with respect to the outer member; and
wherein said first mounting means comprises;
first and second guiding rails rigidly fixed to the base support, said first and second rails being spaced apart and extending parallel to said front-to-rear axis of the vehicle;
first and second boom carriers slidably mounted on said first and second rails, respectively;
first and second driving means to move said first and second carriers along said first and second rails, independently from each other;
connecting means for pivotably connecting the other member onto one of said first and second carriers about a fist axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said boom; and
holding means including a sleeve in which the outer member of said boom is slidably mounted, said holding means being pivotably mounted onto the other one of said first and second carriers about a second axis perpendicular to said longitudinal axis;
whereby proper adjustment of said first and second carriers along said first and second rails by proper actuation of said first and second driving means, respectively, causes the boom to pivot about the first axis of the connecting means and to reach any required transversal orientation with respect to the front-to-rear axis of the vehicle.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is a machine for making cavities in a roadway surface so as to install road markers which is particularly well adapted to make the required cavities in a very speedy and efficient manner, thereby reducing to the lowest extent the risk of traffic jams when the road markers are to be installed on a busy road or highway. The machine is part of a vehicle that can be driven along the road or the highway where the road markers are to be installed. It incudes a cutting device that can be moved laterally away from the vehicle up to the desired location, and then pressed downwardly after having been suitable adjusted to be properly levelled with the roadway surface. Such positioning and operation of the cutting device can be easily carried out by the driver of the vehicle from his or her cabin, thereby making the required cutting and subsequent installation of the road markers very fast to complete.
21 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A machine for making a cavity in a roadway surface so as to install a road marker, said machine being mounted on a support base forming part of a powered vehicle having a front-to-rear axis and comprising:
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a) a lengthwise-extensible boom having a longitudinal axis and an extensible end; b) first mounting means for mounting the boom on the support base, said boom extending substantially horizontally in a direction transversal to said front-to-rear axis; c) power jack means having an extensible bottom end; d) second mounting means for mounting the power jack means on the extensible end of the boom so that, on the one hand, said boom and said power jack means extend in a same vertical plane and, on the other hand, said power jack means is downwardly oriented and has its bottom end downwardly extensible, said second mounting means including means for adjustably tilting the power jack means within said vertical plane about an axis perpendicular to the boom; e) a cutting device mounted at the bottom end of the power jack means so as to come into contact with the roadway surface and to make therein the required cavity when said power jack means is actuated; f) first control means for ascertaining that the cutting device is properly oriented relative to the roadway surface prior to making the required cavity; and g second control means for controlling the depth of penetration of the cutting device and thus the depth of said cavity when the same is being made said second control means consisting of at least one step operatively associated to the extensible bottom end of the power jack means so as to contact the roadway surface and prevent said extensible bottom end and the cutting device mounted on it from further moving down into said surface as soon as the cavity is completed, wherein the boom is telescopic and includes; an outer member connected to said first mounting means; an inner member slidably mounted within said outer member; and a power cylinder to adjustably move the inner member with respect to the outer member; and wherein said first mounting means comprises; first and second guiding rails rigidly fixed to the base support, said first and second rails being spaced apart and extending parallel to said front-to-rear axis of the vehicle; first and second boom carriers slidably mounted on said first and second rails, respectively; first and second driving means to move said first and second carriers along said first and second rails, independently from each other; connecting means for pivotably connecting the other member onto one of said first and second carriers about a fist axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said boom; and holding means including a sleeve in which the outer member of said boom is slidably mounted, said holding means being pivotably mounted onto the other one of said first and second carriers about a second axis perpendicular to said longitudinal axis; whereby proper adjustment of said first and second carriers along said first and second rails by proper actuation of said first and second driving means, respectively, causes the boom to pivot about the first axis of the connecting means and to reach any required transversal orientation with respect to the front-to-rear axis of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A machine for making a cavity in a roadway surface so as to install a road marker, said machine being mounted on a support base forming part of a powered vehicle having a front-to-rear axis and comprising:
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a) a lengthwise-extensible boom having a longitudinal axis and an extensible end; b) first mounting means for mounting the boom on the support base, said boom extending substantially horizontally in a direction transversal to said front-to-rear axis; c) power jack means having an extensible bottom end; d) second mounting means for mounting the power jack means on the extensible end of the boom so that, on the one hand, said boom and said power jack means extend in a same vertical plane and, on the other hand, said power jack means is downwardly oriented and has its bottom end downwardly extensible, said second mounting means including means for adjustably tilting the power jack means within said vertical plane about an axis perpendicular to the boom; e) a cutting device mounted at the bottom end of the power jack means so as to come into contact with the roadway surface and to make therein the required cavity when said power jack means is actuated; f) first control means for ascertaining that the cutting device is properly oriented relative to the roadway surface prior to making the required cavity; and g) second control means for controlling the depth of penetration of the cutting device and thus the depth of said cavity when the same is being made said second control means consisting of at least one step operatively associated to the extensible bottom end of the power jack means so as to contact the roadway surface and prevent said extensible bottom end and the cutting device mounted on it from further moving down into said surface as soon as the cavity is completed, wherein said first control means comprises visible means for ascertaining that the power jack means is in a position perpendicular to the boom, said visible means including a pin rigidly connected to the power jack means so as to extend towards and parallel to the boom, and a mark made onto the boom so as to face and be aligned with the pin when the power jack means and its pin are tilted and have reached the position where the power jack means is perpendicular to the boom. - View Dependent Claims (7)
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8. A machine for making a cavity in a roadway surface so as to install a road marker, said machine being mounted on a support base forming part of a powered vehicle having a front-to-rear axis and comprising:
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a) a lengthwise-extensible boom having a longitudinal axis and an extensible end; b) first mounting means for mounting the boom on the support base, said boom extending substantially horizontally in a direction transversal to said front-to-rear axis; c) power jack means having an extensible bottom end; d) second mounting means for mounting the power jack means on the extensible end of the boom so that, on the one hand, said boom and said power jack means extend in a same vertical plane and, on the other hand, said power jack means is downwardly oriented and has its bottom end downwardly extensible, said second mounting means including means for adjustably tilting the power jack means within said vertical plane about an axis perpendicular to the boom; e) a cutting device mounted at the bottom end of the power jack means so as to come into contact with the roadway surface and to make therein the required cavity when said power jack means is actuated; f) first control means for ascertaining that the cutting device is properly oriented relative to the roadway surface prior to making the required cavity; and g) second control means for controlling the depth of penetration of the cutting device and thus the depth of said cavity when the same is being made said second control means consisting of at least one step operatively associated to the extensible bottom end of the power jack means so as to contact the roadway surface and prevent said extensible bottom end and the cutting device mounted on it from further moving down into said surface as soon as the cavity is completed, wherein said first control means comprises a pair of identical legs slidably mounted in parallel relationship onto a support secured to the extensible bottom end of the power jack means, said legs extending parallel to said power jack means in a plane parallel to said boom and having feet positioned to contact the roadway surface before or at the very same time as the cutting device when the power jack means is actuated, said legs also having upper ends devised to give a visual indication to an operator that they extend at the same level and that, accordingly, the adjacent cutting device is properly levelled relative to the roadway surface. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification