GB2254248A

GB2254248A - Road traffic marker post cleaner

Info

Publication number: GB2254248A
Application number: GB9207156A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Roger Sydney Osborne
Original assignee: MARLIN MACHINES Ltd
Current assignee: MARLIN MACHINES Ltd
Priority date: 1991-04-05
Filing date: 1992-04-01
Publication date: 1992-10-07
Also published as: GB9107169D0; GB9207156D0

Abstract

A device for automatically washing, brushing and rinsing road traffic marker cones or posts, in which the cones C are placed manually on a conveyor track 18 which conveys the marker cones past a spraying station 12 where water and detergent is sprayed on to them and then the cones C pass between a pair of rotating brushes 16. A final rinsing station 14 removes any adhering dirt before the cones are removed. The conveyor may be straight in-line as shown or in the form of a carousel (see Fig 7). <IMAGE>

Description

ROAD TRAFFIC MARKER POST CLEANER This invention relates to apparatus for cleaning marker posts and is particularly concerned with an arrangement for washing and cleansing portable road marking posts of the kind used to regulate and guide vehicles during changes in configuration of traffic lanes and routes.

It is common in such circumstances to use marker posts in the form of cones which are formed with a base part, and a conical part having a surface which is of a reflective or fluorescent nature in order that the post may be readily seen by drivers.

After being used for some time the cones, which are open to all weathers, become severely soiled due to the spray of mud or dirt from the tyres of passing vehicles.

This problem is made worse due to the fact that the marker cones are mostly used in the near vicinity of road works and they need to be cleansed at frequent intervals so that their fluorescent or reflective nature is not unduly impaired.

It is an object of the invention to provide apparatus which will perform a cleaning operation on such road marker posts or cones rapidly and economically.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a device including means for receiving one or more portable road marker posts and for conveying such posts relative to one or more cleansing means.

The cleansing means may include at least one device adapted to spray fluid on the posts. At least one post contacting brush may be incorporated in the device and said brush or brushes may be rotatably driven.

Preferably there are two water spraying devices, one on each side of a longitudinal median line of the conveying means and two rotary brushes, also one on either side of the said median line, the first water spraying device being on the in-going side of the brushes.

A second spraying device may be provided on an out going side of the rotary brushes.

The conveying means may be in the form of a carousel rotating about a central pivot point and spraying devices, rotary brushes and a further rinsing device on the outgoing side of the brushes may be located at different stations around the carousel. A further unloading and loading station may be provided at part of the carousel between the rinsing device and the spraying device.

A sump may be provided below the level of the conveying means to collect water falling from the sprays and brushes and that water may be fed, via a filter, to a storage tank to be recirculated through the spraying system.

The device may be free-standing, or it may be mounted for transportation and use on a towed or self-driven vehicle.

The storage tank may be part of the cleansing device or it may be mounted on a separate vehicle from the cleansing device.

The cleansing device including the conveyor, spray means and rotary brushes may be mounted on a wheeled trailer adapted to be towed into position by the separate vehicle which carries the storage tank.

The conveying means and/or the post contacting brushes may be driven by hydraulic motors and hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic motors may be conveyed through a pipeline which passes through the storage tank in order to raise the temperature of the water in the storage tank and cool the temperature of the hydraulic fluid.

The storage tank may be provided with means for detecting any undesired fall in the amount of water stored in the tank, and further means may be provided to compensate for such a fall by causing top-up water to be fed into the storage tank.

The above and other aspects of the invention will come to light from the following description which is given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a pictorial view of an arrangement according to the invention; Figure 2 is a side view of the conveying and cleansing apparatus of the invention with parts removed for clarity; Figure 3 is a section view on the line III-III of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a sectional end elevation along the line IV-IV of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a section view on the line V-V of Figure 3 but of an alternative arrangement; Figure 6 is a diagram showing the piping arrangements of the water and hydraulic oil circulating system.

Figure 7 is a plan view of an alternative embodiment.

In one embodiment of the invention seen in Figures 1 to 6 of the drawings a traffic cone cleaning device comprises a platform 2 having wheels 4 and adapted to be towed as a trailer along a road by a vehicle 6 connected by a trailer hitch 8.

Mounted on the platform 2 is a housing 10 having side walls 11 and a top wall 13 containing spray tubes 12 and 14, and a pair of rotatable brushes 16.

A caterpillar type conveyor 18 located on the platform 2 is driven by a hydraulic motor 19 and passes from a part of the platform outside of the housing, through the housing between the spray tubes 12 and 14, and between the brushes 16.

The ends of the housing 10 are provided with flexible ribbon curtains 20, 22, and the platform is formed with a sump 24.

The brushes have spindles 26 which are mounted in bearings and are driven by a suitable hydraulic motor 27.

In use, a soiled traffic cone C is placed manually on the ingoing side of the conveyor and is transported through the curtain -20 into the housing 10 where it is first sprayed with water from the spray tubes 12 and then passes between the rotating brushes 16 where the dirt and grime is removed or at least loosened. The cone then continues on its path between the rinsing spray tubes 14 where any remaining soil is washed from its surface.

The water falls into the sump 24 ready to be re-circulated as will be described later.

In the arrangement illustrated in Figure 5, additional side walls 28 are mounted within the housing 10 and are positioned at an angle approximating to that of the walls of the cone C. Spray tubes 12A and 14A are mounted on the walls 28 close to the cones as they pass through the housing.

Mounted on suitable brackets between the walls 28 and the side walls 11 is a header tank 30 and a filter 32, shown diagrammatically in Figure 5, together with other hydraulic units and pumps which are illustrated diagrammatically in Figure 6. Top-up tanks 34 are provided on the back of the vehicle 6 as seen in Figure 1.

Referring now to Figure 6, the spray tubes 12A, 14A, overlie the sump 24 so that after water has been sprayed on to the cone or cones C, it falls into that sump.

A pump 36 pumps the water from the sump through the filter 32 into the lower part of the header tank 30. A water level gauge 38 senses when an undesirable quantity of water has been lost in the process of spraying the cones and a signal from the gauge actuates a control valve to allow top-up water to be fed from the tank 34 on the vehicle to the header tank 30. Water from the header tank is pumped through a pipe 40 to the spray tubes 12, 14 or 12A, 14A, by means of a pump 42.

As described earlier, the conveyor 18 and the brushes 16 are rotated by hydraulic motors. The hydraulic fluid used becomes heated during operation of the motors and needs to be cooled during circulation. To this end, the fluid is passed through a pipe-line 44 by a pump 46 to the hydraulic motors 19 and 27 which drive the conveyor and the brushes respectively. The line 44 passes in a coiled manner through the header tank 30 where the hydraulic fluid is cooled by the water in the tank. The water is warmed by the heat transfer from the pipe 44 and is thus more effective in removing the soil from the cones C.

An arrangement may be provided whereby a cone may trip a switch device at the entry end of the housing to actuate the water supply so that, if after a pre-determined time lapse, no cones have been passed into the housing, the water supply is switched off. Thus water and power are saved during inactive periods.

If so desired, measured quantities of detergent may be mixed in with the water on its way from the header tank to the spray tubes.

Further, although it is envisaged that the cleansing device according to the invention will be located at a suitable point alongside a road and a number of road marker cones will be collected and dealt with at each of several different locations, it is possible for the device to be operated whilst moving along a road or motorway, the cones being manually or automatically fed into and set down from the device on the fly.

The invention has been described above as being provided with one or more rotating brushes; however, an alternative arrangement can be equipped with other means for cleansing the cones e.g. a wiping or reciprocating device such as a large sponge or series of leathers.

Further, the foregoing description relates to an in-line conveying apparatus wherein the traffic cones are passed in a straight line between the cleansing units i.e.

the sprays and brushes. It is possible without departing from the invention to provide a carousel conveyor wherein the cones are conveyed in a circular path as illustrated in Figure 7 of the drawings.

In that arrangement a carousel 50 is mounted for rotation about an axis 52 and cones are adapted to be mounted on the base part 54. Detergent spray bars 56, mounted at a spraying station 58, spray a mixture of water and detergent onto the cones as they pass through that station and brushes 60 at a brushing station 62 act on the cones to help in removing the grime and dirt from the surface of the cones.

A rinsing station 64 is provided with rinsing spray bars 66 to provide a final rinse in order to remove any residual grime or detergent from the cones. The cones may be removed from or placed onto the carousel at an unloading and loading station 68.

The carousel device may be mounted partly within a housing having a base 72 and an overhead canopy 74.

Claims

1. A device for cleaning road marker posts including means for receiving one or more portable road marker posts and for conveying such posts relative to one or more cleansing means.

2. A device according to claim 1, including at least one device adapted to spray fluid on the posts.

3. A device according to claim 1 or 2 wherein at least one post contacting brush is incorporated in the device.

4. A device according to claim 3 wherein said brush or brushes may be rotatably driven.

5. A device according to any of the above claims wherein there are two water spraying devices, one on each side of a longitudinal median line of the conveying means, and two rotary brushes, also one on either side of the said median line, the first water spraying device being on the in-going side of the brushes.

6. A device according to claim 5 wherein a second spraying device is provided on an out-going side of the rotary brushes.

7. A device according to all or any of the above claims wherein the conveying means are in the form of a carousel rotating about a central pivot point and spraying devices, rotary brushes and a further rinsing device on the out-going side of the brushes are located at different stations around the carousel.

8. A device according to claim 7 wherein an unloading and loading station is provided at part of the carousel between the rinsing device and the spraying device.

9. A device according to claims 2 to 8 wherein a sump is provided below the level of the conveying means to collect water falling from the sprays and brushes and that water may be fed, via a filter, to a storage tank to be re-circulated through the spraying devices.

10. A device according to all or any of the above claims wherein the device is free-standing.

11. A device according to claims 1 to 9 wherein the device is mounted for transportation and use on a towed or self-driven vehicle.

12. A device according to claim 9 wherein the storage tank is part of the cleansing device.

13. A device according to claim 9 wherein the storage tank is mounted on a separate vehicle from the cleansing device.

14. A device according to claim 13 wherein the cleansing device including the conveyor, spray means and rotary brushes are mounted on a wheeled trailer adapted to be towed into position by the separate vehicle which carries the storage tank.

15. A device according to claim 4 wherein the conveying means and/or the post contacting brushes are driven by hydraulic motors.

16. A device according to claim 15 wherein hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic motors is conveyed through a pipeline which passes through the storage tank in order to raise the temperature of the water in the storage tank and cool the temperature of the hydraulic fluid.

17. A device according to claims 9 to 16 wherein the storage tank has means for detecting any undesired fall in the amount of water stored in the tank, and further means are provided to compensate for such a fall by causing top-up water to be fed into the storage tank.

18. A device for cleansing road marker posts substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.