Snowplowable pavement marker and base member therefor

Claim 2

A low-profile pavement marker for use in snow areas for establishing on a finished roadway surface a marking visible from an oncoming vehicle while protecting the marking from damage by oncoming snowplow blades during snowplowing operations, said pavement marker comprising a base member defining two laterally spaced-apart ramp members each having a lower portion and an upper portion and an inclined surface extending between a lowermost end and an uppermost end to form an inclined ramp, the lower portion of said base member adapted to be recessed below the roadway surface with the upper portion of each said ramp member extending above the roadway surface, and signal means adapted to be disposed between and below said ramp members with a lower portion of the signal means disposed below the roadway surface and an upper portion of the signal means disposed above the roadway surface, so that an oncoming snowplow blade will ride up said ramp members and be deflected thereby from contact with said signal means as the snowplow blade passes over said pavement marker, said signal means, including at least a part of said lower portion thereof, being operative to reflect light incident upon said signal means from an oncoming vehicle back toward said oncoming vehicle, said ramps being so configured and arranged to provide adequate space therebetween to allow vehicle tires to wipe the signal means, and whereby said signal means by being partially recessed in use below the level of the associated roadway surface minimizes the total height of said pavement marker above the roadway surface thereby to reduce the impact energy imparted to said pavement marker and the pavement and to oncoming vehicles striking said marker.

Claim 3

The pavement marker set forth in claim 1, wherein the base member has means defining a plane adapted to be substantially coincident with the roadway surface and the lower portion of the base member has a bottom surface below said plane and a side surface extending unobstructedly from the bottom surface to said plane.

Claim 4

The pavement marker set forth in claim 2, wherein the base member also has a generally upwardly facing flat support surface disposed between the ramp members and lying below said plane and said signal means is carried by the support surface.

Claim 5

The pavement marker set forth in claim 2, wherein the side surface is an outer cylindrical surface.

Claim 6

The pavement marker set forth in claim 4, wherein the outer cylindrical surface is circumferentially continuous throughout 360°.

Claim 7

The pavement marker set forth in claim 4, wherein the lower portion of said base member also has a cylindrical inner side surface coaxial with the outer cylindrical surface and extending from said bottom surface toward said plane.

Claim 8

The pavement marker set forth in claim 6, wherein said cylindrical inner side surface extends unobstructedly from said bottom surface to said plane.

Claim 9

The pavement marker set forth in claim 7, wherein said cylindrical outer and inner side surfaces are circumferentially continuous throughout 360°.

Claim 10

The pavement marker set forth in claim 8, wherein said base member is annular and said signal means is monodirectional.

Claim 11

The pavement marker set forth in claim 4, wherein said signal means is bidirectional and said base member is substantially in a solid disc-like body.

Claim 12

The pavement marker set forth in claim 6, wherein said base member has two end portions respectively formed as portions of two intersecting annuli and said support surface is located in a central portion which closes the area of intersection of the intersecting annuli, each of said two annuli has outer and inner coaxial cylindrical surfaces extending from the bottom surface to said plane and said signal means is bidirectional.

Claim 13

The pavement marker set forth in claim 1, wherein said ramps make an angle of not greater than approximately 6° with the roadway surface.

Claim 14

The pavement marker set forth in claim 1, wherein the height of the pavement marker above the roadway surface is not greater than approximately 0.40 inches.

Claim 15

The pavement marker set forth in claim 1, wherein the length of said base member is not greater than approximately 9 inches.

Claim 16

The pavement marker set forth in claim 1, wherein the base member has means including a downwardly facing surface defining a plane, said downwardly facing surface adapted to engage the roadway surface to limit the depth to which the lower portion of the base member is recessed below the roadway surface.

Claim 17

The pavement marker set forth in claim 15, wherein said base member has a bottom surface and a side surface extending unobstructedly from the bottom surface to said plane.

Claim 18

The pavement marker set forth in claim 1, wherein both the upper portion of the signal means and at least a part of the lower portion thereof are operative to reflect light incident upon the upper portion of the signal means from an oncoming vehicle back toward said vehicle and said ramps are so configured and arranged to provide adequate space therebetween to allow vehicle tires to wipe at least the upper portion of the signal means.

Claim 19

A base member for use as a component of a low-profile pavement marker for use in snow areas for establishing on a finished roadway surface a marking visible from an oncoming vehicle while protecting the marking from damage by oncoming snowplow blades during snowplowing operations, said base member having two laterally spaced-apart ramp members each having a lower portion and an upper portion and an inclined surface extending between a lowermost end and an uppermost end to form an inclined ramp, the lower portion of said base member adapted to be recessed below the roadway surface with the upper portion of each said ramp member extending above the roadway surface, said base member further having a support member located between and below the upper ends of said ramp members and providing an upwardly facing, substantially flat support surface adapted to be recessed below the roadway surface and to carry signal means thereon with the signal means disposed between and below said ramp members with a lower portion of the signal means disposed below the roadway surface and an upper portion of the signal means disposed above the roadway surface so that an oncoming snowplow blade will ride up said ramp members and be deflected thereby from contact with said signal means as the snowplow blade passes over said pavement marker, said ramps being so configured and arranged to provide adequate space therebetween to allow vehicle tires to wipe the signal means, and whereby said support surface by being recessed in use below the level of the associated roadway surface minimizes the total height of said pavement marker above the roadway surface thereby to reduce the impact energy imparted to said pavement marker and the pavement and to oncoming vehicles striking said marker.

Claim 20

A base member for use as a component of a low-profile pavement marker for use in snow areas for establishing on a finished roadway surface a marking visible from an oncoming vehicle while protecting the marking from damage by oncoming snowplow blades during snowplowing operations, said base member having two laterally spaced-apart ramp members each having a lower portion and an upper portion and an inclined surface extending between a lowermost end and an uppermost end to form an inclined ramp, the lower portion of said base member adapted to be recessed below the roadway surface with the upper portion of each said ramp member extending above the roadway surface, said base member further having a support member located between and below the upper ends of said ramp members and providing an upwardly facing, substantially flat support surface adapted to be recessed below the roadway surface and to carry signal means thereon with the signal means disposed between and below said ramp members with a lower portion of the signal means disposed below the roadway surface and an upper portion of the signal means disposed above the roadway surface so that an oncoming snowplow blade will ride up said ramp members and be deflected thereby from contact with said signal means as the snowplow blade passes over said pavement marker, said ramps being so configured and arranged to provide adequate space therebetween to allow vehicle tires to wipe the signal means, and whereby said support surface by being recessed in use below the level of the associated roadway surface minimizes the total height of said pavement marker above the roadway surface thereby to reduce the impact energy imparted to said pavement marker and the pavement and to oncoming vehicles striking said marker.

Claim 21

The base member set forth in claim 18, wherein the lower portion of the base member has a bottom surface adapted to be below the roadway surface and a side surface extending unobstructedly from the bottom surface to the roadway surface.

Claim 22

The base member set forth in claim 19, wherein the base member has means defining a plane adapted to be substantially coincident with the roadway surface.

Claim 23

The base member set forth in claim 19, wherein the side surface is an outer cylindrical surface.

Claim 24

The base member set forth in claim 21, wherein the outer cylindrical surface is circumferentially continuous throughout 360°.

Claim 25

The base member set forth in claim 21, wherein the lower portion of said base member also has a cylindrical inner side surface coaxial with the outer cylindrical surface and extending from said bottom surface toward said plane.

Claim 26

The base member set forth in claim 23, wherein said cylindrical inner side surface extends unobstructedly from said bottom surface to said plane.

Claim 27

The base member set forth in claim 24, wherein said cylindrical outer and inner side surfaces are circumferentially continuous throughout 360°.

Claim 28

The base member set forth in claim 25, wherein said base member is annular.

Claim 29

The base member set forth in claim 21, wherein said base member is substantially in a solid disc-like body.

Claim 30

The base member set forth in claim 23, wherein said base member has two end portions respectively formed as portions of two intersecting annuli and said support member and support surface are located in a central portion which closes the area of intersection of the intersecting annuli and each of said two annuli has outer and inner coaxial cylindrical surfaces extending from the bottom surface to said plane.

Claim 31

The base member set forth in claim 18, wherein said ramps make an angle of not greater than approximately 6° with the roadway surface.

Claim 32

The base member set forth in claim 18, wherein the height of the base member above the roadway surface is not greater than approximately 0.40 inches.

Claim 33

The base member set forth in claim 18, wherein the length of said base member is not greater than approximately 9 inches.

Claim 34

The base member set forth in claim 18, wherein the base member has means including a downwardly facing surface defining a plane, said downwardly facing surface adapted to engage the roadway surface to limit the depth to which the lower portion of the base member is recessed below the roadway surface.

Claim 35

The base member set forth in claim 32, wherein said base member has a bottom surface and a side surface extending unobstructedly from the bottom surface to said plane.