Machine for automatically removing the protective coverings from temporary raised pavement markers (TRPMs)

In combination, apparatus, adapted to be attached to a roadwork vehicle so as to be movable along with the roadwork vehicle as the roadwork vehicle moves over a roadway surface, for automatically removing protective coverings from the normally vertically upstanding leg members of flexible pavement markers fixedly secured upon a roadway surface, comprising:

• a roadwork vehicle;
• a platform attached to said roadwork vehicle;
• at least one toothed implement mounted beneath said platform so as to be located at a predetermined position above the roadway surface so as not to be engaged with the roadway surface and yet be engageable with the protective coverings of the pavement markers fixedly mounted upon the roadway surface so as to remove the protective coverings from the pavement markers as said roadwork vehicle moves over a roadway surface;
• an exhaust port defined within said platform through which removed pavement marker protective covering debris can be exhausted;
• and
• a suction blower mounted upon said platform and fluidly connected to said exhaust port so as to exhaust pavement marker protective covering debris removed by said at least one toothed implement.

A method of automatically removing substantially U-shaped protective coverings from normally vertically oriented upstanding leg members of flexible pavement markers, comprising the steps of:

• attaching a wheeled vehicle to a roadwork vehicle such that said wheeled vehicle is movable over a roadway surface, upon which a plurality of flexible pavement markers are disposed, along with the roadwork vehicle;
• providing a platform upon said wheeled vehicle;
• providing an exhaust port within said platform through which removed pavement marker protective covering debris can be exhausted;
• mounting a suction blower upon said platform and fluidly connecting said suction blower to said exhaust port so as to exhaust pavement marker protective covering debris removed from the pavement markers;
• and
• mounting at least one toothed implement beneath said platform such that said least one toothed implement is disposed at a predetermined position above the roadway surface so as not to be engaged with the roadway surface and yet be engageable with the protective coverings of the pavement markers fixedly mounted upon the roadway surface so as to thereby remove the protective coverings from the pavement markers as the wheeled vehicle is moved over the roadway surface along with the roadwork vehicle.

In combination, apparatus, adapted to be attached to a roadwork vehicle so as to be movable along with the roadwork vehicle as the roadwork vehicle moves along a roadway surface, for automatically removing protective coverings from the normally vertically upstanding leg members of flexible pavement markers secured to a roadway surface, comprising:

• a roadwork vehicle;
• means for attaching said apparatus to said roadwork vehicle so as to be movable along with said roadwork vehicle as said roadwork vehicle moves over a roadway surface;
• and
• an implement disposed upon said apparatus so as to be located at a predetermined position above the roadway surface so as not to engage the roadway surface and yet be engageable with the protective coverings of the pavement markers fixedly mounted upon the roadway surface in order to remove the protective coverings from the pavement markers as said roadwork vehicle moves over a roadway surface.