EP0100524A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Horizontal road marking material and method and apparatus for laying down said road marking material on the road surface
Assignee: 3M Co
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Filing: 1983-07-27
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2003-07-27
Abstract
Abstract @ The present invention concerns a prefabricated road marking capable of resisting to the passage of snow- sweeping machines and the like, generally termed snowplows, comprising snow blades sliding on the road surface. The present invention concerns also an improvement to methods and apparatuses for the laying down, on the road surfaces, of said road marking material. The road marking tape (10) of the present invention is provided, at its upper surface, with retroreflecting optical elements (6) for providing night-time visibility, and with protruding components in the general form of rails (12), of highness at least equal to said of the retroreflective optical elements, which rail components are effective to protect said retroreflective optical elements from the impact of snowplowing equipment travelling and scraping along the road surface; in accordance with the present invention, the road marking tape material is further provided, at least in its operative condition as laid-down on the road surface, with a compressible elastomeric component (3) which under the impact of said snowplowing means passing thereover, will cause the projecting portions of the tape to sink or be lowered onto the road pavement level (7) or below said level, whereby to still further and more effectively protect the tape surface and the optical elements protruding therefrom from damage by the snowplowing equipment.
Inventors
- 👤 Ludwig Dr. Eigenmann
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 11:18
CPC Classifications
E; E01; E01C; E01C23/00; E01C23/16; E01C23/18; E01C23/185; E01C23/06; E01C23/09; E01C23/0906; E01C23/0953; E01F; E01F9/00; E01F9/50; E01F9/553; E01F9/565; E01F9/571; E01F9/576; E01F9/578
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
160 words
A prefabricated road marking tape material for horizontal road marking purposes, comprising retroreflecting optical elements protruding from the tape surface for ensuring night-time visibility of the tape and further being provided with protruding components effectively acting as a rail, of highness at least equal to that of the retroreflecting elements, these components being designed to resist the impact of snowplowing implements and similar apparatuses sliding along the road surface, whereby to protect said retroreflective optical elements from the impact of said snowplowing means, characterized in that said tape material (1) is further provided, at least in its operative condition as laid down on the road surface, with a compressible elastomeric component (3) effective, under the impact of said snowplowing means, to cause sinking or lowering of the protuberances (6,12) of the tape (1) at the road pavement level, whereby said tape will have improved capability of resisting the impact of said snowplowing implements and apparatuses gliding along the road surface.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
160 words
A prefabricated road marking tape material for horizontal road marking purposes, comprising retroreflecting optical elements protruding from the tape surface for ensuring night-time visibility of the tape and further being provided with protruding components effectively acting as a rail, of highness at least equal to that of the retroreflecting elements, these components being designed to resist the impact of snowplowing implements and similar apparatuses sliding along the road surface, whereby to protect said retroreflective optical elements from the impact of said snowplowing means, characterized in that said tape material (1) is further provided, at least in its operative condition as laid down on the road surface, with a compressible elastomeric component (3) effective, under the impact of said snowplowing means, to cause sinking or lowering of the protuberances (6,12) of the tape (1) at the road pavement level, whereby said tape will have improved capability of resisting the impact of said snowplowing implements and apparatuses gliding along the road surface.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
39 words
Road marking tape material as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said sinking or lowering of the signaletic tape (1) is achieved by means of a compressible elastomeric component which is part of the signaletic tape (1) proper.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
36 words
Road marking tape material as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said sinking or lowering of the signaletic tape is achieved by means of a compressible elastomeric component which is part of the road pavement.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
Road marking material as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said compressible elastomeric component is made of materials resistant to hydrolysis and to - atmospheric agents, and possessing a microcellular structure.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
53 words
Road marking tape material as claimed in any of claims 1 through 3, characterized in that said compressible elastomeric component is made of integral rubber, capable of resisting to hydrolysis and to atmospheric agents, and comprises external hollows or voids (8, Figg. 2 and 3) for permitting of the volume reduction under compression.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
Road marking tape material as claimed in any of claims 1 through 4, characterized in that said compressible elastomeric component is formed by a terpolymer rubber.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
Road marking tape material as claimed in any of claims 1 through 4, characterized in that said compressible elastomeric component is formed by butyl rubber.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
33 words
Road marking tape material as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said compressible elastomeric component (3c, fig. 5) includes also metallic elements (5) made of harmonic or spring steel.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
33 words
Road marking tape material as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said compressible elastomeric component is unitarily located in a groove (9) provided in the road pavement surface (7).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
36 words
Road marking tape material as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that in said groove there is located a bituminous meltable compound (4) designed to provide a bed into which the compressible elastomeric component is seated.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
30 words
Road marking tape material as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that said meltable bituminous compound is selected to have mechanical properties superior to those of the road pavement compound.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
65 words
Method for laying down prefabricated tape materials for horizontal road signaletic or marking purposes, particularly road marking tape material in accordance with the preceding claims, utilizing stratified tape-like signaletic material, including at least a retroreflecting optical element and at least a compressible elastomeric component, characterized in that said elastomeric component is present substantially only in a location or locations underlying said retroreflecting element or elements.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
22 words
Method as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that said stratified tape-like material consists of sections obtained by cutting and selective sectioning.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
26 words
Method as claimed in claim 12 or claim 13, characterized in that said sections are applied below the signaletic tape, during the laying down in service.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
22 words
Method as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that said cutting is mechanically performed by utilizing mechanical means including concurrently rotating components.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
41 words
Method as claimed in any of the preceding claims 12 through 15, characterized in that the coherent or continuous positioning of the sections including the compressible component is performed in relation with, and coordination to, the position of the retroreflecting elements.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
67 words
Method as claimed in any of the preceding claims 12 through 16, particularly for the laying down on a road surface in which a groove has been digged, characterized in that the laying down of the tape-like material is executed on the road surface in alignment with said grooves) (9) suitably filled with melt bituminous primer, the said laying down being preliminarly guided by said groove (s).
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
24 words
Apparatus for preparing and laying down a road marking tape material as claimed in any of the preceding claims, as described and examplifingly illustrated.
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