One operator system for painting curved road striping patterns

An one-operator driver-striper vehicular stripe painting system for painting curved stripes precisely tracking a designated striping pattern curve, comprising in combination:

• tracking alignment means effected interactively as the operator steers along the designated striping pattern curve, comprising a video monitor device visible to the operator while driving for indicating alignment of a striper vehicle with the designated striping pattern,
• automatically adjustable tracking error correction means for positioning a paint striping device carried by the striper vehicle precisely in register with the designated striping pattern when steering about and striping curved paths, said automatically adjustable tracking error correction means further comprising a striper vehicle articulated about a pivot axis, and
• respective striping control instruments extending from the striper vehicle at equally spaced positions fore and aft of the pivot axis.

The method of painting stripes upon a receptive roadway surface from a motorized striper vehicle under control of a single driver-painter, comprising the steps of:

• said driver following a first paint stripe pattern on said roadway surface with a tracking mechanism pointer carried by said motorized striper vehicle to identify the position of the first paint stripe when moving along a predetermined curved striping path on the surface,
• thereafter superimposing a second paint stripe with a painting device carried by said motorized striper vehicle in precise registration upon the first paint stripe pattern in the same pass of the motorized striper vehicle along said path by relatively moving the painting device laterally with respect to the position of the first paint stripe identified by the tracking mechanism pointer automatically in a manner compensating for errors in tracking imposed by the path of the motorized striping vehicle around the curves by lateral movement of the painting device responsive to a tracking algorithm coordinated with characteristics of the striper vehicle and location of the painting device on the vehicle.

Apparatus for painting stripes upon a receptive surface under control of a single person driving a motorized striper vehicle following a curved paint striping path extending ahead of said vehicle, comprising in combination:

• tracking alignment pointer means carried by said vehicle for following said curved paint striping path when said vehicle moves forward on the receptive surface with said person steering the vehicle to position said pointer for painting stripes in registration with the curved paint striping path,
• a painting device carried by said vehicle movable laterally with respect to movement of the vehicle along the paint striping path, and
• automatic tracking error compensation means activated as the vehicle encounters curves in said paint striping path responsive to a tracking algorithm identifying the turning characteristics of the striper vehicle and positioning of said painting device thereon to move said painting device to a lateral position precisely registering a stripe being painted by said painting device upon said paint striping path.