Traffic indicators used in roads are well known. Such indicators commonly use a reflecting lens visible above the surface of the road to act as an indicator. The indication thus visible may be for showing a separation between lanes of traffic or for providing information to the drivers of the vehicles, such as stop signs and street names. Because these reflecting elements may be damaged by the traffic moving over them, such as automobiles, trucks and especially the blades of snow plows, engaging the indicator, some indicators have been designed to be movable from an indicating position, where the reflecting element is seen by the driver of the moving vehicle, to a protecting position, where the reflecting element is recessed into the roadway and protected from the moving traffic.
There have been basically two designs used to solve this problem. One design involves the use of a body with the reflector supported thereon, which is vertically supported on a spring. As the moving vehicle crosses over the reflector body, the spring is depressed downwardly into the protecting position. The spring then moves the body to the indicating position after the vehicle has passed. Some examples of such indicators are given in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,825,667, 2,981,149, 3,292,506, 3,377,930, 3,850,536 and 3,920,348. A problem with this design is that as the reflector body is depressed, foreign matter may enter from the road surface to prevent the reflector body from returning to the indicating position.
A second design pivotally mounts as an indicator support within the road. The support is pivotally moved from the indicating position, above the road, to a protecting position, level or below the road, as the vehicle moves over the support. The reflector support is then moved back to the indicating position by a counterbalance disposed on the support structure within a housing beneath the road surface. Some examples of this design are given in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,845,774 and 2,176,285. This design has an advantage over the previously discussed design in that the passage of material from the roadway into the indicator is inhibited and the support is less likely to be prevented from returning to the indicating position. The ability of the reflector support to return to the indicating position after having moved to the protecting position is not always sufficient to adverse conditions because such movement depends on the force of gravity and the weight of the counterbalance.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a traffic indicator used in a road that employs a spring within a pivotally movable body for urging the body into the indicating position after the body has been pivotally moved to the protecting position by the action of vehicles engaging the body when moving past the body.
Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide a traffic indicator used in a road that employs a spring for urging a body into an indicating position after the body has been pivotally moved to a protecting position, the indicator being constructed to prevent the passage of material which might interfere with the pivotal action of the body and prevent proper functioning of the traffic indicator.
In accordance with the invention, a traffic indicator used in a road is employed with a body movable from an indicating position to a protecting position. The body has a first shoulder which lies substantially flush with the road surface in the indicating position and a second shoulder joined to and extending at an angle away from the first shoulder to above the road surface in the indicating position. A stationary bar extends through a passageway within the body for supporting the first shoulder substantially flush with the road surface when the indicator is in the indicating position. The bar extends substantially transverse to the direction of vehicles traveling on the road and forms an axis about which the body pivotally moves from the indicating position to the protecting position. A tab extends from and is held stationary with said bar and the spring is disposed between the body and the tab for urging the body into the indicating position, a moving vehicle engaging said body will thus cause the body to pivot to the protecting position and the spring means will return the body to the indicating position after the vehicle passes the indicator. The indicator is thereby protected from possible damage caused by the moving vehicles.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds