GB2062731A

GB2062731A - Road Marker Studs

Info

Publication number: GB2062731A
Application number: GB8035678A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Attree D N
Current assignee: Attree D N
Priority date: 1979-11-12
Filing date: 1980-11-06
Publication date: 1981-05-28
Also published as: GB2062731B

Abstract

A reflex reflector block 3 of a solid road stud is removably mounted as a tapered push fit in the stud housing 1 and has a protrusion underlying a slot 11 in the housing top wall. The reflector block may be retained by a locking peg 14 inserted in the slot 11. The reflector block 3 is ejected from the housing, when replacement is required, by (a) removing peg 14 and (b) driving a cold chisel or like wedge into the slot 11. Each cube corner reflector block 3, 4 is formed as a resin-filled hollow plastics moulding. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or Relating to Reflecting Road Studs This invention relates to road studs of the kind incorporating reflectors for marking road boundaries, centrelines and so on.

Various forms of such studs are known, some of which have flexible, usually rubber tops in which reflector lenses are mounted while another known version has a solid head into which reflectors are fitted. Such studs are fastened to or let into the surface of a road and are designed to present a low profile to traffic which is expected to pass over them with a minimum of damage to either the stud or the vehicle. It is a feature of such studs that not only can they withstand the passage of traffic over them but that the wiping action of rubber tyres on the reflector lenses keeps them clean so that they are effective to reflect the light from oncoming vehicles at most times.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved reflecting road stud of this kind which will provide a larger area of reflecting surface and which will enable the reflecting elements thereof to be changed from time to time while the stud is in situ in for example a road surface.

While reference is made herein to road studs it will be understood that the devices according to the invention may be employed elsewhere than on roads and roadways and that the term stud is intended to include not only the relatively small devices which are commonly inserted at intervals along a roadway but includes larger assemblies of reflecting devices such as may be used, for example, to mark transverse lines or other signs giving road information.

According to the invention in one aspect a road reflector stud is provided comprising a housing and reflector means mounted in said housing, wherein said reflector means are formed as a tapered push fit in said housing and means are provided for facilitating withdrawal of said reflector means for said housing.

In one preferred form the invention comprises a road reflector stud having a housing, and reflector means mounted in said housing, wherein the reflector means is mounted in a tapered cavity in aid housing and said housing is provided with an aperture providing access to an inner surface of said reflector means to admit a driving tool by which said reflector means may be driven from said cavity. Preferably, the reflector means is so shaped and dimensions as to encroach partially across an aperture formed in the housing while leaving a free space behind it into which a driving tool may be inserted. The driving tool may then take the form of a wedge such as a chisel point which can enter the space behind the reflector means and drive it forward at least until the rear edge of the reflector is level with the forward edge of the aperture through which the tool has been inserted.

In one preferred arrangement according to the invention the encroachment of the reflector is in the form of an apertured lug and means, such as a peg, are provided to engage said apertured lug to resist withdrawal of said reflector means from the housing.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the reflector means is provided with a sloping front face which is recessed within said housing by a distance which is small in relation to the peripheral dimensions of said face whereby at least some part of said front face is accessible to the cleaning action of traffic passing over said stud.

In the invention in one form the reflector means is tapered at least on its side walls in both vertical and horizontal senses. Such a reflector means may have planar top and bottom surfaces and a trapezoidal front face. Taper may also be applied between the top and bottom surfaces.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the reflector means is formed as a lightpermeable body having light directing contours on an inner surface thereof.

According to the invention in one form the housing for the road stud is frusto-pyramidal in shape and the reflector means is mounted in a cavity presented towards a sloping side of said housing. According to the invention in this form reflector means may be mounted in at least one of the sloping faces of the frusto-pyramidal housing.

In this form of the invention the means facilitating withdrawal of the reflector means may take the form of one or more apertures in the upper surface of the housing providing access to a space behind a rear face of the reflector means and extending forwardly of said rear face whereby a wedge-shaped tool driven through the aperture into the space behind the reflector means can drive the reflector means forwardly to dislodge it from its fitted position.

In order that the invention may be better understood an embodiment thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a road stud according to the invention; Figure 2 is an elevation in cross-section of the road stud shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a plan view of a reflector element forming part of the road stud shown in Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 is a cross-section of the reflector element shown in Figure 3; and Figures 5a, b, c, and dare top, front, underplan and side (partly in section) views of a part of the road stud shown in Figures 1 and 2.

The stud shown in the drawings comprises a head portion 1 mounted on a stem 2 by means of which it may be anchored in a road surface. The head 1 is of frusto-pyramidal shape and serves as a housing for two reflector elements 3 and 4 mounted in cavities on opposite sides of the head.

The stem 2 is of cruciform cross-section. The shape of this stem is not important so long as it provides firm anchorage in a road surface when embedded therein. The cruciform shape has the advantages that it not only provides a large surface area for engagement with a grouting composition but also offers firm resistance against turning of the stud under the action of traffic. The reflector elements 3 and 4 are made of a hard light-transmitting plastics material and are of the shape shown separately in Figure 4. The reflector element has a sloping front face 3a a rear wall 3b a top 3c and end walls 3e and 3f.As can be seen from the sectional view of Figure 4, the reflector element is hollow and can be made by moulding the sloping face the top and rear walls and end walls in one piece the structure preferably being filled with a suitable setting resin to give it added strength against conpressional forces.

The front face of the reflector is provided, preferably on its inner surface, with a corner-cube reflecting contour in well-known manner so that it efficiently reflects incident light back in the direction from which it came. The inner surfaces may be coated to improve the reflectivity.

The end walls 3e and 3f of the reflector element are sloped inwardly to match the inward slope of the pyramidal walls of the housing and are also given a taper in the front to back direction. Additionally the top surface 3c is tapered in the front to back direction towards the base so that the element has a tapering configuration in all directions.

At the centre of the rear upper edge of the reflector element there is provided a projecting lug 13 in which there is provided an aperture 1 3a.

The purpose of this apertured lug will be described in detail later.

The housing 1 which may be made of diecast aluminium is suitably shaped to receive the reflecting elements 3 and 4 as wedge fits into their respective cavities. The dimensioning is such that when the reflectors are inserted to the depth which makes them a snug fit into the housing the front face 3a is recessed by a small amount behind the front edge of the housing 1. The elements 3 and 4 are thus protected from major shocks by the projecting flanges 5, 6 and 7 and 5', 6' and 7' of the forward and rearward facing surfaces of the housing 1. Along the upper edge, at 3d, the element is provided with a protuberant lip which is mounted integrally with the element and helps to increase the protection afforded by the aforesaid flanges.

In the upper surface of the housing 1 two slots are provided 10 and 1 These are so positioned that the lugs 13 projecting from the rear walls 3b and 4b of the reflecting elements project across them when the reflector elements are seated fully into their respective cavities. The reflector elements can thus be secured against inadvertent or unauthorised removal by means of the securing pegs 14 shown in more detail in Figures Sa, b, c and d. These figures show a peg on an enlarged scale. It will be seen to comprise a head 16 on which is provided a downwardly extending tongue 17 which terminates at its lower end in a transverse lug 1 8. The dimensions of this device are such that, when in situ the head 16 exactly fills the aperture 10 or 11 through which the peg has been inserted.The lug 18 can pass through the aperture 13a in the lug 13 and the length of the tongue 1 7 is made such that the lug 18 can pass completely through the lug 13 before the head 16 engages the body 1. The peg can then be moved through a right angle to engage the lug 18 below the lug 13 to prevent withdrawal of the peg, and the head 16 can then be engaged in the corresponding aperture 10 (or 11).

In order to enable the peg to be withdrawn in circumstances requiring the change of a reflecting element it may be provided with a "knock-out" section 1 9. This is formed by recessing the upper and lower surfaces of the head 16 as shown at 20 and 21 to leave a relatively thin strip which can be knocked out with any suitable tool to enable the peg to be withdrawn. The corresponding reflector element can then be withdrawn by inserting a suitable tool through the aperture 10 (or 11) and levering the element forward.

It may be preferred to omit the complication of the retaining pegs 14 in which case it is simply necessary to omit the lugs 13 and arrange for the reflector elements to project part way across the apertures 10 and 11, leaving enough clearance behind each reflector element to admit the tip of a wedge-shaped tool such as a cold chisel through the aperture behind the reflector element so that it engages the top edge of the back surface of the reflector element. If uch a wedge is driven down it will drive the reflector element forward at least until the wedge fully fills the respective slot 10 or 1 This will have brought the reflector element forward until the top edge of its rear face lies vertically below the outward edge of the respective slot. It will then be sufficiently disengaged from its taper fit to be easily withdrawn.If necessary a bent or angled tool may be inserted through the slot to work the element forward still further. If the depth of the flanges 5, 6, and 7 is not too great, the reflector element can be driven forward far enough for its forward end to be free of the housing and grasped by the hand without such further manipulation however.

It will be noticed that the strength of the - pyramidal housing is enhanced at its centre by leaving a septum 12 of solid material between the base and the top of the housing.

If the pegs 14 are not used, in order to avoid having the cavities behind the reflector elements 3 and 4 fill up with dirt thus preventing the insertion of the wedge tool the slots 10 and 11 may be temporarily filled with plastic inserts, polysulphide or like non-setting material which can easily be removed when it is required to change the reflector elements. Alternatively the entire top of the stud can be covered with a cover strip of plastic or metal which can be snapped over the top to engage under the edges of flanges 5, 6 and 7.

As will be readily understood the stud according to the invention can be fitted with reflector elements of suitable colouring such as white, red or green according to the location in which it is to be placed.

Besides dimensioning the device so that reflector elements can be readily removed in the manner above described, the depth of the flanges 5, 6 and 7, is so chosen in relation to the dimensioning of the front face that at least some part of the front face will be contracted by the road-engaging surfaces of rubber tyres passing over the stud. The front face of the reflector will thus be automatically kept clean over at least the central area of its face.

It will be clear that many modifications may be made in the design of the device according to the invention. For example if only one reflector is provided, access for driving the reflector out of its housing can be provided at the opposite end of the device. Again, a larger version of the device could be provided with reflectors set in all four sides of the device.

Other than square shapes are possible. For example other polygonal shapes may be used with reflectors set in selected faces as may be required. Alternatively the outside configuration may be circular with reflectors set in tapered cavities at the required points, for example the four cardinal points of the circle.

Other modifications including alternative methods of fastening the stud into a road surface will occur to those skilled in the art. In particular, the reflector elements 3, 4 could be of circular or ovaloid longitudinal cross-section instead of the trapezoidal cross-section shown in the drawings.

Further, the reflector elements could be made of glass instead of plastics and the body I would be moulded in a suitable plastics material.

Claims

1. A road reflector stud comprising a housing and reflector means mounted in said housing, wherein said reflector means are formed as a tapered push-fit in said housing and means are provided for facilitating withdrawal of said reflector means from said housing.

2. A road reflector stud having a housing and reflector means mounted in said housing, wherein the reflector means is mounted in a tapered cavity in said housing and said housing is provided with an aperture providing access to an inner surface of said reflector means to admit a driving tool by which said reflector means may be driven from said cavity.

3. A road reflector stud as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the reflector means is so shaped and dimensioned as to encroach partially across an aperture formed in the housing while leaving a free space behind it into which a driving tool may be inserted.

4. A road reflector stud as claimed in Claim 3 wherein the encroachment of said reflector means across the aperture in said housing is in the form of an apertured lug and means are provided to engage said apertured lug to resist withdrawal of said reflector element from said housing.

5. A reflector road stud as claimed in Claim 4 including a peg arranged to engage the aperture in said apertured lug said peg having a head portion shaped and dimensioned to fill the aperture in the said housing through which said peg is inserted.

6. A road reflector stud as claimed in Claim 4 or 5 wherein said peg includes a projecting lug adapted to pass through said apertured lug on said reflector element and to engage below said apertured lug when turned into position to engage the aperture in said housing.

7. A road reflector stud as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said reflector means is tapered at least on its side walls in both vertical and horizontal senses so as to constitute a tapered fit in a correspondingly shaped aperture in said housing.

8. A road reflector stud as claimed in Claim 7 wherein the top and bottom surface of said reflector means are also tapered towards one another.

9. A road reflector stud as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said reflector means is formed as a light permeable body having light directing contours on an inner surface thereon.

10. A road reflector stud as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said reflector means is formed as a light permeable body having a front facecontoured on its inner surface to provide light directing contours said inner surface being coated to enhance its light reflecting properties in the direction back through said front face.

1 A road reflector stud as claimed in Claim 9 or 10 wherein said light permeable body is filled with a reinforcing filling.

12. A road reflector stud comprising a housing of frusto-pyrimidal shape having reflector means mounted in cavities presented towards one or more sloping sides of the said housing and one or more apertures in the upper surface of the housing providing access to a space behind a rear face of each reflector means and extending forwardly of said rear face whereby a wedge shaped tool driven through the aperture into the space behind said reflector means can drive the reflector means forwardly to dislodge it on its fitted position.

13. A road reflector stud as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said reflector means is provided with a sloping front face which is recessed within the said housing by a distance which is small in relation to the peripheral dimensions of said face whereby at least some part of said front face is accessible to the cleaning action of traffic passing over said stud.

14. A road reflector stud constructed and arranged substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.