Traffic channelizer devices

• US 6,817,805 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2003
• Issued: 11/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Plastic Safety Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Plastic Safety Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Mettler, Charles M., Brown, Gregory H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Will, Thomas B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Addie, Raymond W
• Application Number:
  US10/357,902
• Publication Number:
  US 20040151543A1
• Time in Patent Office: 651 Days
• Field of Search: 404/10, 404/6-9, 116/63.R, 116/63.P, D10/113
• US Class Current: 404/6
• CPC Class Codes: E01F 9/654 in the form of three-dimensional bodies, e.g. cones; capable of assuming three-dimensional form, e.g. by inflation or erection to form a geometric body
• CPC Class Codes: E01F 9/688 Free-standing bodies

Abstract

A traffic channelizer device includes a deformable hollow plastic drum that may be ballasted by a drop over ballasting collar or by a base having an upper portion that may be releasably retained within the open bottom of the drum by a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially inwardly extending locking fingers adjacent the bottom edge of the drum that releasably engage a groove in the upper portion of the base. An intermittent stacking rim may be provided at the top of the drum to prevent overstacking of a plurality of such drums. Also the intermittent stacking rim may be used to prevent rotation of a portable sign assembly relative to the drum and keep the portable sign assembly from inadvertently sliding up off the drum top.

Claims

1. A traffic channelizer device comprising a deformable hollow plastic drum having a side wall and an open bottom, a base having an upper portion adapted to be received within the open bottom, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced locking fingers extending radially inwardly from the side wall adjacent a bottom edge of the drum adapted to be received in a radially outwardly facing annular groove in the upper portion of the base for releasably retaining the upper portion of the base within the open bottom, the drum being deformable upon impact by a vehicle to cause the drum to flex sufficiently to become dislodged from the base leaving the base behind, the locking fingers being generally triangular shaped and having radially inwardly sloping sides and a rounded inner tip.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the locking fingers have a substantially flat radial top surface that is adapted to engage a substantially flat radial upper surface of the annular groove in the upper portion of the base for retaining the upper portion of the base within the open bottom of the drum.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the locking fingers have a tapered bottom surface and the upper portion of the base has a tapered upper edge that is engageable with the tapered bottom surface of the locking fingers during insertion of the upper portion of the base into the open bottom of the drum to facilitate flexing of the drum to allow the locking fingers to move past the tapered upper edge and into engagement with the annular groove.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the locking fingers are double walled for increased strength and rigidity.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the open bottom of the drum has an irregular shape, and the upper portion of the base has a corresponding irregular shape for maintaining a desired orientation of the drum relative to the base when the upper portion of the base is inserted into the open bottom.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein the base has a lower portion that extends radially outwardly beyond the upper portion of the base to provide a flat surface for supporting the drum off the ground.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein the base has a ribbed bottom for improved stability.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein a plurality of ribs on the bottom of the base extend in the same direction to form channels beneath the base allowing water to flow under the base.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein the side wall of the drum has a radially outwardly and axially downwardly tapering skirt portion adjacent the open bottom for resisting pull out of the drum from a ballasting collar adapted to be inserted over the drum, the drum being deformable upon impact by a vehicle to cause the drum to collapse sufficiently to permit the skirt portion to pass through the ballasting collar to dislodge the drum from the ballasting collar leaving the ballasting collar behind.

10. The device of claim 9 comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced stiffening ribs integral with the skirt portion, the locking fingers being located adjacent a bottom edge of the drum intermediate the stiffening ribs.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein the skirt portion has at least one flat side with outwardly protruding corners adjacent the bottom edge of the drum to resist rolling of the drum when tipped on its side.

12. A traffic channelizer device comprising a deformable hollow plastic drum having a side wall and an open bottom, a base having an upper portion adapted to be received within the open bottom, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced locking fingers extending radially inwardly from the side wall adjacent a bottom edge of the drum adapted to be received in a radially outwardly facing annular groove in the upper portion of the base for releasably retaining the upper portion of the base within the open bottom, the drum being deformable upon impact by a vehicle to cause the drum to flex sufficiently to become dislodged from the base leaving the base behind, the locking fingers having a substantially flat radial top surface that is adapted to engage a substantially flat radial upper surface of the annular groove in the upper portion of the base for retaining the upper portion of the base within the open bottom of the drum and an angled bottom surface that is adapted to press against a lower surface of the annular groove in the upper portion of the base to eliminate chatter between the drum and base.

13. A traffic channelizer device comprising a deformable hollow plastic drum having a side wall and an open bottom, a base having an upper portion adapted to be received within the open bottom, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced locking fingers extending radially inwardly from the side wall adjacent a bottom edge of the drum adapted to be received in a radially outwardly facing annular groove in the upper portion of the base for releasably retaining the upper portion of the base within the open bottom, the drum being deformable upon impact by a vehicle to cause the drum to flex sufficiently to become dislodged from the base leaving the base behind, the side wall of the drum having a radially outwardly and axially downwardly tapering skirt portion adjacent the open bottom for resisting pull out of the drum from a ballasting collar adapted to be inserted over the drum, the drum being deformable upon impact by a vehicle to cause the drum to collapse sufficiently to permit the skirt portion to pass through the ballasting collar to dislodge the drum from the ballasting collar leaving the ballasting collar behind, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced stiffening ribs integral with the skirt portion, the locking fingers being located adjacent a bottom edge of the drum intermediate the stiffening ribs, the skirt portion having at least one flat side with outwardly protruding corners adjacent the bottom edge of the drum to resist rolling of the drum when tipped on its side, the bottom edge of the drum having a curved portion opposite the flat side, and the stiffening ribs progressively increasing in size and radial extent of protrusion from the approximate midpoint of the curved portion to the protruding corners.

14. A traffic channelizer device comprising a deformable hollow plastic drum having a side wall and an open bottom, a base having an upper portion adapted to be received within the open bottom, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced locking fingers extending radially inwardly from the side wall adjacent a bottom edge of the drum adapted to be received in a radially outwardly facing annular groove in the upper portion of the base for releasably retaining the upper portion of the base within the open bottom, the drum being deformable upon impact by a vehicle to cause the drum to flex sufficiently to become dislodged from the base leaving the base behind, the side wall of the drum having a radially outwardly and axially downwardly tapering skirt portion adjacent the open bottom for resisting pull out of the drum from a ballasting collar adapted to be inserted over the drum, the drum being deformable upon impact by a vehicle to cause the drum to collapse sufficiently to permit the skirt portion to pass through the ballasting collar to dislodge the drum from the ballasting collar leaving the ballasting collar behind, and a radially outwardly protruding mounting surface on the exterior of the drum adjacent the drum bottom for supporting a friction pad that is adapted to be contacted by the inner diameter of the ballasting collar placed over the drum to prevent rotation of the drum relative to the ballasting collar.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein the friction pad is round and is contacted by the inner diameter of the ballasting collar at two points adjacent opposite sides of the friction pad.

16. The device of claim 14 wherein the mounting surface and the friction pad mounted thereon extend radially outwardly and axially downwardly to facilitate clearing of the inner diameter of the ballasting collar with the top of the friction pad when placed over the drum.

17. The device of claim 14 wherein the mounting surface is sufficiently flexible to permit use of friction pads of slightly different thicknesses and still provide the necessary contact between the inner diameter of the ballasting collar and the friction pad to prevent relative rotation between the ballasting collar and drum.

18. The device of claim 14 wherein the mounting surface is concave across its width to cause the friction pad to dish out to ensure that the inner diameter of the ballasting collar contacts the friction pad at two points adjacent opposite sides of the friction pad.

19. A traffic channelizer device comprising a deformable hollow plastic drum having a side wall and an open bottom, a base having an upper portion adapted to be received within the open bottom, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced locking fingers extending radially inwardly from the side wall adjacent a bottom edge of the drum adapted to be received in a radially outwardly facing annular groove in the upper portion of the base for releasably retaining the upper portion of the base within the open bottom, the drum being deformable upon impact by a vehicle to cause the drum to flex sufficiently to become dislodged from the base leaving the base behind, the side wall of the drum having a radially outwardly and axially downwardly tapering skirt portion adjacent the open bottom for resisting pull out of the drum from a ballasting collar adapted to be inserted over the drum, the drum being deformable upon impact by a vehicle to cause the drum to collapse sufficiently to permit the skirt portion to pass through the ballasting collar to dislodge the drum from the ballasting collar leaving the ballasting collar behind, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced stiffening ribs integral with the skirt portion, the skirt portion having at least one flat side with outwardly protruding corners adjacent the bottom edge of the drum to resist rolling of the drum when tipped on its side, the bottom edge of the drum having a curved portion opposite the flat side, and the stiffening ribs progressively increasing in size and radial extent of protrusion from the approximate midpoint of the curved portion to the protruding corners.

20. A traffic channelizer device comprising a deformable hollow plastic drum having a side wall and an open bottom, a base having an upper portion adapted to be received within the open bottom, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced locking fingers extending radially inwardly from the side wall adjacent a bottom edge of the drum adapted to be received in a radially outwardly facing annular groove in the upper portion of the base for releasably retaining the upper portion of the base within the open bottom, the drum being deformable upon impact by a vehicle to cause the drum to flex sufficiently to become dislodged from the base leaving the base behind, the locking fingers having a substantially flat radial top surface that is adapted to engage a substantially flat radial upper surface of the annular groove in the upper portion of the base for retaining the upper portion of the base within the open bottom of the drum and a flat downwardly and outwardly tapered bottom surface, and the upper portion of the base having a flat downwardly and outwardly tapered upper edge that is engageable with the flat downwardly and outwardly tapered bottom surface of the locking fingers during insertion of the upper portion of the base into the open bottom of the drum to facilitate flexing of the drum to allow the locking fingers to move past the tapered upper edge of the base and into engagement with the annular groove.

21. A traffic channelizer device comprising a deformable hollow plastic drum having a side wall and an open bottom, a base having an upper portion adapted to be received within the open bottom, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced locking fingers extending radially inwardly from the side wall adjacent a bottom edge of the drum adapted to be received in a radially outwardly facing annular groove in the upper portion of the base for releasably retaining the upper portion of the base within the open bottom, the drum being deformable upon impact by a vehicle to cause the drum to flex sufficiently to become dislodged from the base leaving the base behind, the side wall of the drum having a radially outwardly and axially downwardly tapering skirt portion adjacent the open bottom for resisting pull out of the drum from a ballasting collar adapted to be inserted over the drum, the drum being deformable upon impact by a vehicle to cause the drum to collapse sufficiently to permit the skirt portion to pass through the ballasting collar to dislodge the drum from the ballasting collar leaving the ballasting collar behind, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced stiffening ribs integral with the skirt portion, the locking fingers being located adjacent a bottom edge of the drum intermediate the stiffening ribs.