Self-righting highway marker support and method for installing same

A self-righting boundary marker for relatively permanent installation into an associated supporting surface, said marker comprising:

• a tubular anchor sleeve adapted to be embedded substantially within said associated supporting surface;
• a support collar having contiguous upper and lower segments, said support collar having contiguous upper and lower axially extending passageways formed therethrough;
• means for firmly securing said lower collar segment within said anchor sleeve;
• a hinge strut having an upper extension, a lower extension, and an annular support flange formed integrally thereon intermediate said upper and lower extensions,
• said flange being sized and shaped to abut said upper collar segment when said lower strut extension is inserted into said collar via said upper passageway, said collar allowing pivotal deflection of said hinge strut from an at-rest position with respect to said collar responsive to a deflecting force applied to said hinge strut;
• boundary marker means carried by said hinge strut upper extension;
• means for resiliently returning said hinge strut to said at-rest position when said deflecting force terminates, said resilient return means including a connector attached to and extending from said lower hinge strut extension and passing through said lower support collar passageway;
• and
• means for aligning said upper hinge strut extension in a preselectable direction and for causing said hinge strut to return to face in said preselected direction when said hinge is deflected and returned to said at-rest position, said aligning means substantially preventing rotational movement of said hinge strut during the deflection of said strut, said aligning means further including forming said lower collar passageway in an oval or oblong shape having a major or larger dimension and a smaller or minor dimension, and shaping and sizing said connector to pass through said lower collar passageway along said major or larger but not said minor or smaller dimension, thereby substantially precluding rotation of said hinge strut while permitting deflection thereof in any direction.