Method and Device to Apply Marks on the Roadway Surface

The object of the invention makes a method and device to apply marks on the road surface using thermoplastic mass and glass balls.

A method and device to apply marks on the roadway surface as set forth in the description of patent application No P-339903 published in the Bulletin of the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland No 2 of 2001 is known. The device consists of a vehicle that moves over the surface. The material for marking is fed from the supply container to the distribution chamber which, via a gate valve, at a low pressure, presses out a strip of the marking material through a hole. The material strip is directed towards the axis of rotation with blades and, over there, it is split into equal partial elements. The blades neither touch the chamber nor any other part of the device. The components are ejected backwards and downwards onto the surface via the blades where the material, which is sticky at the moment of its application, stiffens in form of elements that constitute ready-made marks.

A method and device to apply marks on the roadway surface as set forth in US patent description No 6.505.995 is also known. This device contains a frame to which a road wheel, leaning against the roadway and moving over the roadway is fastened. An additional wheel connected via a V-belt with a next wheel seated on a bracket affixed to the frame is fastened on the road wheel axle. An arm, to which end a connector is attached, is fastened coaxially with that wheel. The other end of the connector is affixed to a carriage seated on the frame. The carriage is provided with road wheels and moves over the frame with to-and-fro movements. Moreover, the carriage is provided with a container with spray mass and a spray nozzle located beneath the frame oriented in the direction of the roadway. Besides, a nozzle that supplies a reflective agent is fastened to the carriage.

A method of applying marks on the roadway surface of the invention, using thermoplastic mass and a reflective agent, preferably glass balls, whereby each of the those agents is supplied separately and the thermoplastic mass is heated up in the tank, whereupon it is fed to the container wherefrom it is sprayed pressurized onto the roadway, characterized in that, the mass from the tank is sprayed through many holes that are opened and covered with gate

valves, whilst the gate valves are shifted in a cyclic way with pushers that are driven with a shaft with cams. The ending of the marking operation is done through displacing the pushers in relation to the shaft. Before spraying, the mass is heated up to a temperature of 180 - 210 ⁰ C. The mass is sprayed through 0.4 - 0.7mm long and 30 - 40mm wide holes. The mass is sprayed through many holes from a container of a 2 - 101 capacity.

The device to apply marks on the roadway surface of the invention using thermoplastic mass and a reflective agent, preferably glass balls, whereby each of those agents is supplied separately and the thermoplastic mass heat-up unit contains a heat-up tank connected with a feeder which, in turn, is connected with a slidable container, characterized in that, the container has a a series of holes at its outlet covered with slidable gate valves that are connected with a drive. The gate valves are provided with pushers leaning against a cam shaft. The gate valves along with the pushers are slidable and connected with an actuator. The cam shaft is connected with a hydraulic motor, preferably using a tie rod. The gate valves with the pushers are provided with catches based on a slidable plate connected with an actuator affixed to the frame.

The method and the device to apply mark on the roadway surface of the invention allow to permanently and homogeneously apply various marks on the roadway surface. They provide a capacity to apply, on the roadway surface, both solid and dash lines as well as lines formed of dots. This was obtained due to the use, in the tank, of many holes with gate valves that are opened and closed in a cyclic way using a cam shaft depending on the pre-set line that is to be applied on the roadway. Besides, the device allows to keep an equal width of the line as well as an immediate ending, both of the solid line and the dotted line. This was obtained as a result of the use of many shaft-driven gate valves and a simultaneous moving away of the gate valves from the shaft using an actuator that shifts a plate leaning against catches that are connected with the pushers. However, the most essential effect of the invention is that a dotted line of any width, depending only on the use of a replaceable timing shaft, is obtained.

The method and the device to apply marks on the roadway surface of the invention is explained closer following an execution example and in the figure in

which fig. 1 presents the schematic of the device, fig. 2 shows the timing shaft along with its drive, whilst fig. 3 is a view on the gate valves and the plate that results in moving the gate valves away from the timing shaft.

As shown in fig. 1 - fig. 3, the device contains a heat-up tank 1, fastened on a passable carriage provided with a drive (not represented in the figure) in which thermoplastic mass is placed. The thermoplastic mass constitutes a mixture of many constituents, including among others: aliphatic resin, titanium white, glass micro balls, lime powder, quartz, softener and others. The choice of the plastic mass constituents depends on the assumed properties the user intends to obtain. The plastic mass molten and heated up to the proper temperature is fed to the worm feeder 2 located at the tank JL The worm feeder 2 has an outlet located at the inlet to the slidable container 3. The slidable container 3 is provided with an actuator 4, the end of which is connected rotationally with the carriage. The worm feeder 2 has one end permanently connected with the slidable container 3, whereas the other end is connected rotationally with the carriage. Therefore, when lowering the slidable container 3, lowered also is the end of the worm feeder 2 connected with it. The slidable container 3 has at its outlet a series of holes covered with slidable gate valves

5. The gate valves 5 are connected with the pushers 6 that have on their ends holders 7 in which rotating rollers 8 are fastened. The rotary rollers 8 are leaning against the timing shaft 9 and, in practice, are seated on the shaft 9 of the cams 10. Moreover, fastened on the pushers 6 are springs H that tighten the pushers 6, including also the rotary rollers 8, to the timing shaft 9. The timing shaft 9 has on its end an fixed pulley .12, connected with a V-belt ,13 with a pulley j4 seated on the output shaft of the hydraulic motor 15. The hydraulic motor 15 is supplied from the carriage. Besides, there is a fastened tank 16 on the carriage, used to displace therein contained glass micro balls, connected with a conduit 17 with a nozzle 18. The nozzle 18. is slidable and connected by means of an actuator 19 with the carriage. The pushers 6 along with the gate valves 5 are fastened in the frame 20 fixed in a separable way at the bottom of the slidable container 3. Besides, there are catches 21 fastened on the pushers

6. At the same time, at the catches 21 on the frame 20, there is a plate 22 fastened in a slidable way, connected with the actuator 23 at the same time.

Due to the displacement of the piston rod of the actuator 23, the plate 22 moves, attaching the catches 21 and, as a result of this, the gate valves 5 are moved, covering the outlet holes of the slidable container 3. Besides, the rollers 8 are moved away from the timing shaft 9 and, actually, from its cams 10 whereby an immediate ending of the application of marks on the roadway surface is obtained.

The marking of the roadway follows through feeding the heated-up thermoplastic mass from the tank 1, via the worm feeder 2, to the slidable container 3 wherefrom its fed on the roadway through holes that are located at the bottom. The slidable container 3 has a capacity of 51, which is enough for the correct supply of all the outlet holes of 0.4mm X 4mm dimensions. The outlet holes are uncovered and covered with the gate valves 5, the movements of which are controlled by the timing shaft 9. By flowing out of the holes, the thermoplastic mass drops on the roadway, forming cakes approximating, in the top projection, circles, whilst as a whole it forms a strip of circles. At the same time, from the nozzle IjB, glass micro balls are supplied, which combine with the thermoplastic mass whereby the mass gets an appropriate roughness and reflection in vehicle lights. As a result of this, the line applied on the roadway, formed of round dots of the mass, is visible day and night in the light of headlights.