GB2140850A

GB2140850A - Method of applying reflective road marking studs to road surfaces

Info

Publication number: GB2140850A
Application number: GB08315310A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Graham Richard Jones
Original assignee: Inoventors Ltd
Current assignee: Inoventors Ltd
Priority date: 1983-06-03
Filing date: 1983-06-03
Publication date: 1984-12-05
Also published as: GB8315310D0

Abstract

A road stud is disclosed having a rigid moulded plastics body (10) on which a reflector or reflectors (not shown) are mounted. The body has an undersurface formed with a multiplicity of concavities and an encircling flange (16). To apply the stud to a road surface, the stud is inverted, the cavities are filled and the flange is coated with adhesive, and the stud is then turned over and placed without heavy pressure. on the road. The adhesive in the cavities drops towards the road surface and the upper surface of the adhesive forms a concave meniscus with the sides of the cavities, which when set provides a structural radius between the adhesive and sides of the cavity. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Methods of applying reflective road mark ing studs to road surfaces This invention relates to methods of applying reflective road marking studs to road surfaces.

The invention provides a method of apply ing a reflective road marking stud of the kind comprising a rigid moulded plastics body on which a reflector or reflectors are mounted and having an under-surface for application to a road surface formed with a multiplicity of concavities extending into the body and auencircling flange, the method comprising filling the cavities and coating the flange with an adhesive and applying the stud to the road surface so that the adhesive level in the cavities drops towards the road surface and.

the surface of the adhesive in each cavity forms a concave meniscus.

The following is a description of a specific embodiment of the invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a moulded plastics road stud; Figure 2 is an under-plan view of the road stud; Figure 3 is a view of the road stud inverted for filling; and Figure 4 is a section through the road stud after application to a road surface.

The drawings illustrate a moulded plastics road stud comprising a moulded plastics body (e.g. A.B.S.plastic) 10 having a top wall 11 upright front and rear walls 12, 1 3 inclined side walls 14, 1 5 and an encircling base flange 16. The front and rear walls of the stud incorporate a row of reflector elements 1 7 set in a moulded plastics srip 1 8 itself moulded into the body of the stud.

As can be seen in Fig. 2, the under side 19 of the stud is formed with a plurality of cavities comprising, at the centre of the stud, a large rectangular perimeter cavity 20 within which there are inner and outer annular walls 21 and 22 disposed concentric to each other and to the centre 23 of the rectangular cavity.

The space between the inner and outer annular walls is divided into four arcuate cavities by four radially extending webs 25 and the space between the outer and inner walls and the sides of the rectangular cavity is also divided equally into four cavities by four radially extending webs 26. On either side of the rectangular cavity two elongate cavities are formed in the under side of the stud each subdivided into two by a transverse web 28. The faces of the webs and annular walls dividing the various cavities all lie flush with the under surface of the stud body and flange.

Referring now to Fig. 3 of the drawings to fix the stud to a road surface, the stud is inverted and the cavities are filled with an epoxy resin fillings 30 such as Uranox (RTM) ELE33 and EHA39 in a 1:1 epoxy resin mix, and Uranox 24 and Uracure (RTM) 201 /L in a 3-1 epoxy resin mix until the cavities are full and the surfaces of the webs and flange of the stud are also coated in adhesive. The stud is then inverted and placed on the road surface 29 as illustrated in Fig. 4 and the adhesive is allowed to set. The stud is not pessed heavily against the road surface so that a thickness of the adhesive lies between the webs and flange and the road surface and a certain amount of the adhesive oozes around the outer peripheral edge of the flange as indicated at 31.

The adhesive in each of the cavities is allowed to fall from what has become the upper surfaces of the cavities and the upper surface of each "pool" of adhesive in each cavity is allowed to form into a concave meniscus with the sides of the cavity as indicatd at 32. When the adhesive has set, the radii formed by the curved adhesive layers and the sides of the cavity contributes to the structural strength of the adhesive bond to the cavity sides.

It will be understood that the invention is not restricted to the particular form of moulded stud illustrated above but may be used with any form of stud in which the surface of the stud to be adhered to the road surface is formed with a plurality of cavities to receive the adhesive for fixing the stud to the road surface.

Further, the body of the stud may be moulded with a shallow skirt around the flange to increase the adhesive area and load dissipation. The body may be provided with reflectors on one side only thereof. The reflectors themselves may be in any one of three colours, that is, white, amber or red and the body of the moulding may be formed in white or yellow plastics.

1. A method of applying a reflective road marking stud of the kind comprising a rigid moulded plastics body on which a reflector or reflectors are mounted and having an undersurface for application to a road surface formed with a multiplicity of concavities extending into the body and encircling flange, the method comprising filling the cavities and coating the flange with an adhesive and applying the stud to the road surface so that the adhesive level in the cavities drops towards the road surface and the surface of the adhesive in each cavity forms a concave meniscus with the sides of the cavities which, when set, provides a structural radius between the adhesive and the sides of the cavity.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the adhesive used is an epoxy resin adhesive.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Methods of applying reflective road mark ing studs to road surfaces This invention relates to methods of applying reflective road marking studs to road surfaces. The invention provides a method of apply ing a reflective road marking stud of the kind comprising a rigid moulded plastics body on which a reflector or reflectors are mounted and having an under-surface for application to a road surface formed with a multiplicity of concavities extending into the body and auencircling flange, the method comprising filling the cavities and coating the flange with an adhesive and applying the stud to the road surface so that the adhesive level in the cavities drops towards the road surface and. the surface of the adhesive in each cavity forms a concave meniscus. The following is a description of a specific embodiment of the invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a moulded plastics road stud; Figure 2 is an under-plan view of the road stud; Figure 3 is a view of the road stud inverted for filling; and Figure 4 is a section through the road stud after application to a road surface. The drawings illustrate a moulded plastics road stud comprising a moulded plastics body (e.g. A.B.S.plastic) 10 having a top wall 11 upright front and rear walls 12, 1 3 inclined side walls 14, 1 5 and an encircling base flange 16. The front and rear walls of the stud incorporate a row of reflector elements 1 7 set in a moulded plastics srip 1 8 itself moulded into the body of the stud. As can be seen in Fig. 2, the under side 19 of the stud is formed with a plurality of cavities comprising, at the centre of the stud, a large rectangular perimeter cavity 20 within which there are inner and outer annular walls 21 and 22 disposed concentric to each other and to the centre 23 of the rectangular cavity. The space between the inner and outer annular walls is divided into four arcuate cavities by four radially extending webs 25 and the space between the outer and inner walls and the sides of the rectangular cavity is also divided equally into four cavities by four radially extending webs 26. On either side of the rectangular cavity two elongate cavities are formed in the under side of the stud each subdivided into two by a transverse web 28. The faces of the webs and annular walls dividing the various cavities all lie flush with the under surface of the stud body and flange. Referring now to Fig. 3 of the drawings to fix the stud to a road surface, the stud is inverted and the cavities are filled with an epoxy resin fillings 30 such as Uranox (RTM) ELE33 and EHA39 in a 1:1 epoxy resin mix, and Uranox 24 and Uracure (RTM) 201 /L in a 3-1 epoxy resin mix until the cavities are full and the surfaces of the webs and flange of the stud are also coated in adhesive. The stud is then inverted and placed on the road surface 29 as illustrated in Fig. 4 and the adhesive is allowed to set. The stud is not pessed heavily against the road surface so that a thickness of the adhesive lies between the webs and flange and the road surface and a certain amount of the adhesive oozes around the outer peripheral edge of the flange as indicated at 31. The adhesive in each of the cavities is allowed to fall from what has become the upper surfaces of the cavities and the upper surface of each "pool" of adhesive in each cavity is allowed to form into a concave meniscus with the sides of the cavity as indicatd at 32. When the adhesive has set, the radii formed by the curved adhesive layers and the sides of the cavity contributes to the structural strength of the adhesive bond to the cavity sides. It will be understood that the invention is not restricted to the particular form of moulded stud illustrated above but may be used with any form of stud in which the surface of the stud to be adhered to the road surface is formed with a plurality of cavities to receive the adhesive for fixing the stud to the road surface. Further, the body of the stud may be moulded with a shallow skirt around the flange to increase the adhesive area and load dissipation. The body may be provided with reflectors on one side only thereof. The reflectors themselves may be in any one of three colours, that is, white, amber or red and the body of the moulding may be formed in white or yellow plastics. CLAIMS

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the adhesive used is Uranox (RIM) ELE33 and EHA39 in a 1:1 epoxy resin mix or Uranox 24 and Uracure (RUM) 2O1/L in a 3-1 epoxy resin mix.

4. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the underside of the stud has a square cavity extending into the body of the stud with two concentric walls encircling an axis at the centre of the cavity and a number of webs extending between the annular walls and between the outer annular wall and the cavity waill to divide the space in the cavity into a plurality of separate cavities each of which is filled with adhesive for adhering the stud to the road surface.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein further cavities are formed in the underside of the stud outside the rectangular cavity and are filled with adhesive for adhering the stud to the road surface.

6. A method of adhering a road reflector stud to a road surface substantially as described hereinbefore.