US3404610A - Markings for roadways, pavements and other surfaces - Google Patents

Description

I Get. 8, 1968 R. HISCHMANN 3,404,610

MARKINGS FOR ROADWAYS, PAVEMENTS AND OTHER SURFACES Filed Jan. 18, 1966 U s Swis Patent 3,404,610 r I MARKINGS FOR'ROADWAYS, PAVEMENTS AND OTHER SURFACES Rudolf Hischmann, Ennigerloh Germany, assignor to Pacemin A.G., Zug, Switzerland, a Swiss corporation Filed Jan. 18, 1966, Ser. No. 521,338

priority, application Germany, Jan. 22, 1965,

' Claims 1s Claims.- c1. 9451.5

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to a marking for roadways, Open spaces, pavements (sidewalks) or other surfaces and is particularly suitable for the control and ensuring the safety of traflic in towns and also on country roads.

For this purpose it has hitherto been usual to provide White markings on street surfaces. For example, there have been provided for defining individual trafiic lanes one or more parallel, in part interrupted white strips. In place of these there have also been provided rows of polished metal knobs, so-called street studs, or so-called cats eyes which reflect incident light. For the marking of pedestrian crossings, the so-called zebra crossings are made of individual closely-spaced white strips, and hitherto, thin layers of a white material, such as asphalt, have been employed.

Such street markings have proved every important and necesary for the safety of trafiic, since on many occasions, for example in fog, they provide the only means for orientatingroad users, in particular drivers, in relation to the direction of the road. a

It is one object of the present invention to provide markings for roadways, open spaces, pavements (sidewalks) or other surfaces which are at any time of day or night equally effective and which markings have a long useful life. H

The markings hitherto proposed have a number of disadvantages, which in consideration of the substantial importance thereof are undesirable and can even be dangerous. By the use of white, the durability of the marking is limited, since during the passage of time the color is lost. Moreover, street dirt, particularly at hot and damp times of the year becomes so, thick and greasy, that markings of colored or white asphalt become completely obliterated and cannot be seen. The road studs which are set in street surfaces give rise tounevenness, which can be annoying both for drivers and pedestrians.

It is, therefore another object of the present invention to proyide roadway or. other surface markings which comprise .a hollow. transparent body having a smooth external or top sufacedisposed substantially in the plane of a surface' to be marked and afluorescent layer arranged at the internalsurface-of the hollow body.

, For the manufacture of. the,. tr ansparent hollow body, glass ispreferably employedIhisumaterial has the advantage that it. is completely weather-proof, abrasion resistant and has gooddurability. Since glass can be formed in molds, it is possible to givethe glass bodies the required shapeeasily, and. all .thetrequirements for these marking bodies can be taken into account. The surface and the hollow space of the marking bodies can for ex- 3,404,610 Patented O t, 8l968 ice 12- I ample be constructed such that fluorescent lightfrom the hollow space is directed particularly intensiyely at the surface being marked in a plane ,containing the surface of the hollow body. a p

'For the manufacture of transparent hollow bodies a synthetic-resin material can be used "in place of glass.

With these and other objects in view which will become apparent in the following detailed description, the pres ent invention will be clearly understood in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which the only figure is a diagrammatic cross-section of the marking means designed in accordance with the present invention.

Referring now to the drawing, the marking means comprises a spherical or cylindrical transparent hollow body 1 which has a hollow space 2 and also is of a suitable form and size for a particular purpose. If, for example, point-forming markings are required, then the spherical form is employed; for strip-forming markings acylindrical hollow body 1 is employed.

On the inner wall of the hollow space 2 of the trans parent hollow body 1 a fluorescent layer 3 is provided. In order to prevent the penetration of dirt and water into the hollow space 2, both ends of the hollow body are tightly closed.

The spherical or cylindrical form of the hollow body 1 is formed at its upper part 4 to give a circular plate or a longitudinally-extending strip surface 5. This surface 5 of the hollow body 1 lies, on insertion of the marking into the street, in the same plane as the street surface 6.

By means of seamless or jointless successive rows of a plurality of hollow bodies 1, according to requirements, uninterrupted or interrupted marking lines can be provided. The marking of pedestrian crossings can be arranged by suitable arrangement of the light strips in the surface of the roadway. Obviously, in. addition, directional arrows, symbols, numbers and letters can be formed from the hollow bodies 1 or from various hollow bodies 1 arranged together and inserted into the surface of the roadway.

By suitable shaping of the hollow body 1, it is pos sible to prevent it from working loose in the roadway surface.

The marking, as hereinbefore particularly described, has the advantage, that it is equally clear under night lighting, as during the day and operates satisfactorily for a long time.

While I have disclosed one embodiment of the present invention, it is to be understood that this embodiment is given by example only and not in a limiting sense, the scope of the present invention being determined by the objects and the claims.

I claim:

1. A roadway or other surface marking, comprising:

a transparent body having a substantially annular circular cross-section including an inner circumferential surface defining a hollow interior and an outer circumferential surface, the diameter of said hollow interior is larger than the radial distance between said inner and outer surfaces,

said outer circumferential surface adapted to be completely inserted into a complementary hole in a ground surface,

said outer surface including a raised three-sided substantially rectangular cross-section periphery extending substantially vertically from said outer circumferential surface directly above said hollow interior and including lateral side edges spaced substantially equal to the diameter of said inner circumferential surface and including a smooth horizontal upper surface therebetween,

said hole in said ground surface complementary to said lateral side edges directly adjacent said ground surface, said transparent body adapted to be complementarily I, positioned in said hole with said horizontal upper Q 's'urface'slocated in the plane of the surface of said ground'surface, and a fluorescent layer applied to the entire of said inner circumferential surface of said transparent body. 2. The marking, as set forth in claim 1, wherein: the material of said hollow transparent body is glass. 3. The marking, as set forth in claim 1, wherein: "the materialof 'said hollow transparent body is a synthetic-resin.

4. The marking, as set forth in claimv 1, wherein: said smooth upper surface is formed as a directional arrow. 5. The marking, as set forth in claim 1, wherein: said smooth upper surface is formed as a number. 6. The marking, as set forth in claim 1, wherein: said smooth upper surface is formed as a letter. 7. The marking, as set forth in claim 1, wherein: said smooth upper surface is formed as a symbol. 8. The marking, as set forth in claim 1, wherein: said smooth upper surface is arranged that it is built up to form a symbol.

9. The marking, as set forth in claim 1, wherein: said hollow transparent body has substantially the form of a sphere. 10. The marking as set forth in claim 1, wherein: said hollow transparent body has substantially the form ofacylind'er. 11. The marking, as set forth'in claim 1, wherein: said smooth upper surfacehas the form of ajcir'cle; 12. The marking, as set forth'inclaim 1, wherein: said smooth upper surface has the form of a rectangle. 13. The marking, as 'setforth in claim 1, wherein: said smooth upper surface has-theforrn of a rectangular strip.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,981,206 11/1934 Strauss 941.5 2,178,164 10/1939 Dezendorf 94-15 2,184,492 12/1939 French 94-15 2,329,171 9/1943 Russ 94-1.5 2,489,499 11/1949 Pellar 941.5 2,991,698 7/1961 Leubaz 94-15 3,164,071 1/1965 Rubenstein 941.5

NILE C. BYERS, JR., Primary Examiner.

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