Method of and apparatus for applying visual indication means to a surface
AssigneePotters Industries, Inc.
InventorsPaul Joseph Chiron, Colin William Yob, Robert Alexander Carnaby
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Dispensing apparatus (2) for dispensing reflective elements, such as glass beads (4), onto a surface, typically a road surface, the apparatus (2) being attached to a vehicle. The glass beads (4) are placed in an inlet means (6) and directed along a path around a drive means (10), which drive means (10) imparts a velocity to the glass beads for subsequent delivery onto the surface through an outlet means (20). The glass beads (4) exit the outlet means (20) at a velocity having substantially the same magnitude as the magnitude of velocity at which the vehicle travels and a direction substantially opposite to the direction of travel of the vehicle.
Claims26
Dispensing apparatus for dispensing visual indication means onto a surface, said apparatus being attached to a vehicle and said visual indication means being applied to a previously marked region on said surface, said dispensing apparatus comprising:
- inlet means for receiving said visual indication means;
- outlet means for dispensing said visual indication means onto said surface;
- drive means for driving said visual indication means along a path from said inlet means to said outlet means such that said visual indication means contact a surface of said drive means thereby imparting a predetermined velocity to said visual indication means;
- wherein said visual indication means exit said outlet means at a velocity that has a magnitude substantially the same as the magnitude of velocity at which said vehicle travels and a direction that is substantially opposite to the direction of travel of said vehicle.
Dispensing apparatus according to any one of the previous claims wherein said drive means includes a rotor arranged in a rotor housing.
Dispensing apparatus according to any one of the previous claims further comprising a feedback circuit for adjusting the angular speed of said drive means to impart an exit velocity to said visual indication means that is substantially the same in magnitude to the velocity of travel of said vehicle.
Dispensing apparatus according to any one of the previous claims wherein said inlet means is adjacent said drive means and directs said visual indication means into said path.
Dispensing apparatus according to any one of the previous claims wherein said outlet means extends from said drive means.
Dispensing apparatus according to any one of the previous claims wherein said previously marked region is one or more lines made from an adhesive material and said surface is a road surface.
A vehicle having mounted thereon a dispensing apparatus according to any one of the previous claims.
A method of applying visual indication means to a surface from a moving vehicle, wherein said visual indication means are dispensed from dispensing apparatus attached to said vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:
- loading said visual indication means to said dispensing apparatus;
- imparting a predetermined velocity to said visual indication means through a drive means, said drive means driving said visual indication means along a path from inlet means of said dispensing apparatus to outlet means of said dispensing apparatus such that said visual indication means contact a surface of said drive means;
- dispensing said visual indication means from said drive means onto a previously marked region of said surface;
- such that the exit velocity of said visual indication means from said dispensing apparatus is substantially the same in magnitude as the velocity of travel of said vehicle but substantially opposite in direction to the direction of travel of said vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.