Apparatus to control steering, speed and coating application of pavement marker

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR MARKING A PAVEMENT COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, A VEHICLE, SIGNAL MEANS IN THE FORM OF A LONG STRIP OF SIGNAL BEARING MATERIAL INCORPORATED WITH SAID PAVEMENT, SAID SIGNAL MEANS BEING POSITIONED SO AS TO DEFINE A PREDETERMINED PATH TO BE FOLLOWED BY SAID VEHICLE, SIGNAL PICKUP MEANS MONTED ON SAID VEHICLE AND RESPONSIVE TO THE POSITION OF SAID SIGNAL MEANS AND TO SIGNALS IMPRESSED THEREON, SAID SIGNAL PICKUP MEANS COMPRISING A PAIR OF SIGNAL PICKUP HEADS POSITIONED TO STRADDLE SAID STRIP WHEN SAID VEHICLE IS TRAVELING ALONG SAID PREDETERMINED PATH, AUTOMATIC STEERING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID VEHICLE AND COUPLED TO SAID SIGNAL PICKUP HEADS TO AUTOMATICALLY STEER SAID VEHICLE ALONG SAID PREDETERMINED PATH IN RESPONSE TO SIGNALS RECEIVED FROM SAID SIGNAL MEANS, SAID AUTOMATIC STEERING MEANS BEING OPERABLE TO STEER SAID VEHCILE SO AS TO EQUALIZE THE OUTPUT OF SAID PAIR OF PICKUP HEADS, VALVE CONTROLLED PAINT APPLYING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID VEHICLE, SAID SIGNAL MEANS HAVING A PREDETERMINED VALVE CONTROL SIGNAL PATTERN IMPRESSED THEREON TO DEFINE A PREDETERMINED SEQUENCE OF OPERATION OF SAID VALVE, AUTOMATIC VALVE CONTROL MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID VEHICLE AND COUPLED TO SAID SIGNAL PICKUP HEADS TO AUTOMATICALLY CONTROL SAID VALVE IN RESPONSE TO SAID PREDETERMINED VALVE CONTROL SIGNAL PATTERN, A COMPARATOR CIRCUIT COUPLED BETWEEN SAID PICKUP HEADS AND SAID AUTOMATIC STEERING MEANS, A THRESHOLD CIRCUIT COUPLED BETWEEN ONE OF SAID PICKUP HEADS AND SAID AUTOMATIC VALVE CONTROL MEANS, AND SAID THRESHOLD CIRCUIT BEING OPERABLE TO ACTUATE SAID VALVE CONTROL MEANS ONLY IN RESPONSE TO SIGNALS ABOVE A PREDETERMINED THRESHOLD LEVEL SO THAT SAID LATTER MEANS REMAINS UNACTUATED DESPITE THE PRESENCE OF SPURIOUS SIGNALS PRODUCED IN SAID PICKUP HEADS THEREBY AUTOMATICALLY PRODUCING A PREDETERMINED PATTERN OF PAINTED MARKS ON SAID PAVEMENT.