Traffic lane indicator

Claim 1

A traffic lane indicator for being imbedded in a hold formed in a pavement and accommodating a resurfacing of said pavement, said lane indicator comprising: a. a generally tubular, deformable, outer housing formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced longitudinal slots formed around its lowermost end and internal threads near its uppermost end; b. a base plate positionable in the bottom of said hole and having a frustoconical peripheral surface tapering outwardly and downwardly from a diameter substantially equal to the internal diameter of the undeformed housing to a significantly greater diameter whereby said base plate may be wedged within the lower end of said housing for deforming the housing into an outwardly deflected skirt for anchoring said housing in said hole; c. a tubular cylindrical sleeve removably, threadedly engaged to the interior of said housing, said sleevE extending upwardly within said housing with its upper end substantially flush with the surface of the pavement; d. a piston vertically reciprocable within said sleeve and formed with a generally frustoconical top end, said piston being resiliently biased upwardly and having a stop means for limiting its upward travel so that it reciprocates between a first relatively relaxed position having the frustoconical top end protruding above said pavement and extending downwardly at least to the level of said pavement and a second depressed position having the top end not protruding above the pavement; and e. light reflector means mounted to the top end of said piston.

Claim 4

A method for reusing a traffic lane indicator after resurfacing a pavement, wherein the traffic lane indicator is of the type having an outer housing permanently anchored in the pavement, a sleeve removably mounted within said outer housing and a piston vertically, reciprocably mounted in said sleeve said method comprising: a. removing said sleeve and said piston from said housing; b. removably engaging a closure plug in said housing; c. resurfacing said pavement; d. removing said plug and the pavement immediately above said plug; and e. mounting an extension sleeve and piston within said housing.

Claim 5

A method for reusing a traffic lane indicator after resurfacing a pavement, wherein the traffic lane indicator is of the type having an outer housing permanently anchored in the pavement, a sleeve removably mounted within said outer housing and a piston vertically, reciprocably mounted in said sleeve said method comprising: a. removing said sleeve and said piston from said housing; b. removably engaging a closure plug in said housing; c. resurfacing said pavement; d. removing said plug and the pavement immediately above said plug; and e. mounting an extension sleeve and piston within said housing.