Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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DEVICE FOR TRANSLOCATING ROADWAY MARKERS
Field of the invention
The invention relates to a vehicle and a device for moving roadway markers
between
respective first and second positions on the roadway.
Background of the invention
Roadway markers are utilized in multiple applications that require a non-
permanent
direction of the traffic of vehicles on a roadway. For instance, roadway
markers are
utilized on road construction sites to direct the traffic of vehicles in
alternative routes or
to safely deflect the traffic from construction work and workers. As well,
roadway
markers are also employed on multiple-lane roadways to efficiently alter the
number of
lanes that respectively extend to and from urban areas based on time of day
and
anticipated traffic patterns.
For example, on a five-lane roadway, roadway markers may be positioned at a
respective
first position on the roadway such as to allocate three lanes for the flow of
traffic into an
urban area during morning rush hour, the remaining two lanes being allocated
to the flow
of traffic out of the urban area. Conversely, during evening rush hour, the
roadway
markers may be positioned at a respective second position on the roadway such
as to
allocate three lanes for the flow of traffic out of the urban area and the
remaining two
lanes to the flow of traffic into the urban area. As a result, the roadway
markers have to
be moved from their respective first position during the morning rush hour to
their
respective second position during the evening rush hour.
There is a need in the industry to provide a roadway markers transferring
device for a
vehicle that allows transfer of the roadway marker between first and second
positions on
the roadway upon movement of the vehicle
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There is a need in the industry to provide a roadway markers transferring
device for a
vehicle that allows transfer of the roadway marker between first and second
positions
on the roadway upon movement of the vehicle
Summary of the invention
In accordance with a broad aspect, the invention provides a roadway marker
transferring device for a vehicle having a longitudinal axis. The device
comprises a
support for mounting the device on the vehicle and a transferring member
connected
to the support. The transferring member comprises a first end and a second end
with a
transferring section therebetween, the transferring section being at an
oblique angle
relative to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. Upon movement of the
vehicle, the first
end engages the roadway marker at a first position on the roadway, the
transferring
section then engages and transfers the roadway marker towards the second end
of the
transferring member wherein the roadway marker is afterwards released at a
second
position on the roadway.
The transferring section may comprise a plurality of rollers for rotating and
sliding the
roadway marker as the marker is transferred towards the second end of the
transferring member. In a specific embodiment, the plurality of rollers are
positioned
on the transferring section such that at least one roller is in contact with
the roadway
marker as the marker is transferred towards the second end of the transferring
member.
The invention also provides a vehicle comprising the aforesaid roadway marker
transferring device.
In accordance with a broad aspect, the invention relates to a roadway marker
transferring device for a vehicle having a longitudinal axis, the roadway
marker
transferring device comprising a support for mounting the device on a front
section of
the vehicle; and a transferring member connected to the support. The
transferring
member comprises a first end, a second end and a transferring section
therebetween
comprising a plurality of rollers. The transferring section being at least
partially
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located adjacent the front section of the vehicle and being at an oblique
angle relative
to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. In use, upon movement of the vehicle
towards
roadway markers, the first end engages a roadway marker at a first position on
the
roadway, the transferring section then engages the roadway marker and the
plurality
of rollers allow rotation of the roadway marker along the transferring section
while
the roadway marker remains in contact with the roadway for transferring the
roadway
marker towards the second end of the transferring member, and the roadway
marker is
afterwards released at a second position on the roadway.
In accordance with a further broad aspect, the invention relates to a roadway
marker
transferring device for a vehicle having a longitudinal axis, the roadway
marker
transferring device comprising a support for mounting the device on the
vehicle; and a
transferring member connected to the support. The transferring member
comprises a
first end and a second end with a transferring section therebetween, the
transferring
section being at an oblique angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the
vehicle. Upon
movement of the vehicle, in use, the first end engages the roadway marker at a
first
position on the roadway, the transferring section then engages and transfers
the
roadway marker towards the second end of the transferring member wherein the
roadway marker is afterwards released at a second position on the roadway,
wherein
the transferring section comprises a plurality of rollers for rotating the
roadway
marker as the marker is transferred towards the second end of the transferring
member
while the roadway marker remains in contact with the roadway, and wherein the
transferring member comprises a mechanism for folding the transferring member
in a
compact configuration.
These and other aspects and features of the present invention will now become
apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the following
description
of the embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings.
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Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle equipped with a roadway marker
transferring
device in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
Figure 2 is a top view of the vehicle equipped with the roadway marker
transferring
device shown in Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of a central section of a transferring member
of a roadway
marker transferring device in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of a main left section of a transferring member
of a
roadway marker transferring device in accordance with an embodiment of the
invention;
Figures 5 to 9 are perspective views of a plurality of pivotally connected
sections of the
main left section shown in Figure 4;
Figure 10 is a top view of the main left section shown in Figure 4;
Figure 11 is a perspective view of a pivot having two separate pins in
accordance with
an embodiment of the invention;
Figure 12 is a top view of the main left section shown in Figure 1.0 in a
second
configuration;
Figure 13 is a perspective view of a support of the roadway marker
transferring device
in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
Figure 14 is a perspective view of a first frame of the support shown in
Figure 13;
Figure 15 is a top view of the support and transferring member of the roadway
marker
transferring device in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
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Figure 16 is a perspective view of a second frame of the support shown in
Figure 13;
Figure 17 is a top view of a mechanism for folding the transferring member of
the
roadway marker transferring device in accordance with a particular embodiment
of the
invention;
Figure 18 is a front elevational view of the vehicle equipped with the roadway
marker
transferring device when the roadway marker transferring device is in a
compact
configuration;
Figure 19 is a perspective view of the vehicle equipped with the roadway
marker
transferring device shown in Figure 18; and
Figure 20 is a block diagram of a control system for controlling the roadway
marker
transferring device in accordance with a particular embodiment of the
invention.
In the drawings, the embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of
examples.
It is to be expressly understood that the description and drawings are only
for the purpose
of illustration and are an aid for understanding. They are not intended to be
a definition
of the limits of the invention.
Detailed description of the embodiments
In Figure 1, a device for transferring a roadway marker 12 from a first
position on a
roadway to a second position on the roadway is illustrated generally and
identified by
reference numeral 10. The First position may correspond to the side of the
road, or to a
first roadway lane, and the second position may correspond to a roadway lane,
or a
second roadway lane. In fact, it is understood that these first and second
positions
correspond to two different positions relative to the roadway wherein the
traffic is
transferred from one stream of traffic to another strearri of traffic when the
markers are
transferred from the first position to the second position.
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The device comprises a support 14 for mounting the device on a vehicle 16 and
a
transferring member 18 connected to the support 14. The transferring member 18
has a
first end 20 and a second end 22 and a transferring section therebetween. As
further
described herein below, upon movement of the vehicle 16, the transferring
section of the
transferring member 18 is oriented such that an imaginary line A-A extending
between
the first and second ends 20 and 22 of the transferring member is at an
oblique angle in
relation to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle 16 (as best seen in Figure
2). As such, the
roadway marker 12 at the first position on the roadway is engaged by the first
end 20 of
the transferring member 18, transferred to the second end 22 of the
transferring member
18, and released afterwards therefrom at the second position on the roadway.
The device 10 may also include a mechanism for maintaining the transferring
member
18 in a predetermined configuration and, upon impact and subsequent contact
with a
substantially immovable object, for allowing the transferring member 18 to
assume a new
configuration suitable to clear the immovable object and subsequently return
to the
predetermined configuration. In addition, the device 10 may also include
another
mechanism for folding the transferring member 18 into a compact configuration
in a
transport mode. As well, the device 10 may also include other mechanisms for
controllably pivoting, lowering, and raising the transferring member 18 in
relation to the
support 14.
it is understood that the vehicle 16 on which the device i 0 is mounted is
represented as
a truck for purposes of illustration only. Accordingly, the device 10 may be
adapted to
other types of motor vehicles such as automobiles, vans, or construction
vehicles without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. As well, in the present
description,
an "operation mode" refers to a state wherein the vehicle 16 is in motion (or
about to start
or stop its motion) and the device 10 is in a configuration that allows the
transferring of
the roadway markers. In contrast, a "transport mode" refers to a state wherein
the vehicle
16 is in motion (or about to start or stop its motion) but the device 10 is in
a compact
configuration that does not allow the transferring of the roadway markers.
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The transferring member 18 may comprise a generally V-shaped truss assembly 24
adapted to be connected to the support 14 and a main member 26 connected to
the truss
assembly 24 and defining the first and second ends 20 and 22 of the
transferring member
18. As can be seen in Figure 3, on both sides of the V-shaped truss assembly
24, the main
member 26 includes a transversely extending pin 28 and a wheel support bracket
30. The
wheel support bracket 30 is provided with a pin 32 allowing a wheel assembly
34 (Figure
1) to pivot about a generally vertical axis of the pin 32. It is understood
that various other
configurations (such as, for instance, various arrangements and designs of the
elements
of the truss assembly 24 and main member 26) can be used in building the
transferring
member 18 without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
The transferring member 18 comprises a plurality of spaced rollers 36 adapted
to rotate
and slide the roadway marker 12 as the marker is transferred between the first
and second
ends 20, 22 of the transferring member 18. The rotation of the roadway marker
12 caused
by the rollers 36 facilitates the displacement of the marker as it contacts
the transferring
member 18. In fact, due to the presence of the rollers 36, the marker may
remain in
contact with the roadway when the transferring member 18 transfers the roadway
marker
towards the second end 22. The spacing between the rollers 36 may be such that
there is
always at least one roller in contact with the roadway marker 12 as the latter
is
transferred between the first and second ends 20, 22 of the transferring
member 18. In
a specific embodiment, it has been found that rollers having an outer diameter
of 2.5
inches and a center-to-center spacing of 3.0 inches is adequate for a roadway
marker
having a diameter of 16 inches at the height of contact between the
transferring member
18 and the roadway marker 12.
The main member 26 of the transferring member 18 may also include a plurality
of
pivotally connected sections. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the main
member
26 includes a central section 38, a left arm (or main left section) 40
pivotally connected
to the central section 38, and a right arm (or main right section) 42
pivotally connected
to the central section 38. Optionally, in this embodiment, the left arm 40 and
the right
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arm 42 respectively include four pivotally connected sections although this is
for
purposes of example only, as it will be appreciated that the arms 40 and 42
may
respectively include any number of pivotally connected sections.
The four pivotally connected sections of the left arm 40 are described in
Figures 4 to 9.
As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the fourth leftmost section 44 includes a
transversely
extending pin 46 at a first end and a pivot bracket 48 having two spaced pins
50 at a
second end. The transversely extending pin 46 is used to connect the fourth
leftmost
section of the left arm 40 to the central section 38 as will be described
herein below.
Also, as shown in Figure 6, a plurality of rollers 36 are rotatably mounted to
the bottom
wall of the fourth leftmost section 44 such that an arc of their respective
cylindrical
surface extends beyond the front wall of the fourth leftmost section 44. The
rollers 36 are
thus positioned to rotate the roadway marker 12 thereby facilitating the
displacement of
the marker 12 as it contacts this section of the transferring member 18.
Referring to Figure 7, the third leftmost section 52 of the left arm 40
includes a pivot
bracket 54 having two spaced pins 56 at a first end and a bearing bracket 58
having two
spaced cylindrical surfaces 60 at a second end. As described above in
connection with
the fourth leftmost section 44, a plurality of rollers 36 are rotatably
mounted to the
bottom wall of the third leftmost section 52 such that an are of their
respective cylindrical
surface extends beyond the front wall of the third leftmost section 52.
Referring to Figure 8, the second leftmost section 62 of the left arm 40
includes a pivot
bracket 64 having two spaced pins 66 at a first end and a bearing bracket 68
having two
spaced cylindrical surfaces 70 at a second end. Similar to that described in
relation to the
third and fourth leftmost sections 44 and 52, a plurality of rollers 36 (not
shown) are
rotatably mounted to the bottom wall of the second leftmost section 62 such
that an are
of their respective cylindrical surface extends beyond the front wall of the
second
leftmost section 62. As well, a wheel support bracket 72 is mounted to the
rear wall of
the second leftmost section 62 and is provided with a pin allowing a wheel
assembly 74
to pivot about a generally vertical axis of the pin. In addition, an actuator
76 has a first
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end pivotally connected to a bracket 78 on the rear wall of the second
leftmost section
62 and a second end pivotally connected to a link 80 that pivotally connects
to the pivot
bracket 64. In the present embodiment, the actuator 76 is a hydraulic cylinder
although
it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other types of actuator
may be used
without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. As described in
further
detail below, the hydraulic cylinder 76 is connected via a hydraulic valve and
line to a
hydraulic panel that is part of a control system of the device 10. As such,
the hydraulic
cylinder 76 may be actuated to pivot the leftmost section 82 in relation to
the second
leftmost section 62 within a predetermined range of rotation angles. In a non-
limiting
example of implementation, the predetermined range of rotation angles is 15 .
Finally, referring to Figure 9, the leftmost section 82 includes a bearing
bracket 84
having two spaced cylindrical surfaces 86 at one of its ends. Optionally, and
similarly to
the above three sections, the leftmost section 82 may include a plurality of
rollers 36 (not
shown) rotatably mounted to its bottom wall such that an are of each roller's
cylindrical
surface extends beyond its front wall. As mentioned above, the hydraulic
cylinder 76
may be actuated to pivot the leftmost section 82 in relation to the second
leftmost section
62 thereby facilitating the engagement of the roadway marker 12 by the
transferring
member 18.
As can be seen in Figure 4, the four sections included in the left arm 40 are
pivotally
connected as follows. The two spaced pins of a first section (for instance,
pins 50 of
section 44) are aligned with and engaged by the two spaced cylindrical
surfaces of a
second section (for instance, surfaces 60 of section 52) such that the first
and second
sections can pivot relative to each other about either of the two pin-
cylindrical surface
combinations. For its part, the left arm 40 is pivotally connected to the
central section 38
by a link 88 adapted to pivotally receive the transversely extending pin 46 of
the fourth
leftmost section 44 and the transversely extending pin 28 located on the
central section
38 (Figure 3). As further described herein below, the connection between the
left arm 40
and the central section 38 of the transferring member 18 allows the left arm
40 to be at
least partially folded onto the central section 38 during a transport mode. As
well, the
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connection between the left arm 40 and the central section 38, in combination
with the
wheel assembly 74, allows for the transferring member 1.8 to more closely
follow the
roadway profile as the vehicle moves.
Reverting to Figure 1, it can be seen that each of the four pivotally
connected sections
included in the right arm 42 of the transferring member 1.8 essentially mirror
the
configuration of their corresponding left arm 40 equivalent sections. The
connections
between the four sections of the right arm 42 also mirror the connections
between the
corresponding sections of the left arm 40. The only difference is that the
link pivotally
connecting the right arm 42 to the central section 38 is adapted to pivotally
receive the
transversely extending pins of the fourth rightmost section. and central
section 38,
respectively, to allow the right arm 42 to be at least partially folded onto
the left arm 40
in the transport mode.
Referring now to Figure 10, the device 10 for transferring a roadway marker
may also
include a mechanism 90 for maintaining the pivotally connected sections of the
transferring member 18 in a predetermined configuration. In the non-limiting
example
of implementation shown, the predetermined configuration is a substantially
linear
alignment of the pivotally connected sections of the transferring member 18.
The
mechanism 90 is responsive to a predetermined force applied on a first section
of the
transferring member 18 for allowing the first section to pivot in relation to
a second
section of the transferring member 18, and for allowing the first section to
pivot back to
the predetermined configuration when the predetermined force is no longer
applied. For
example, the force generated by the impact and subsequent contact between the
left arm
40 and a substantially immovable object, such as a base ofa light post or an
automobile
wheel, causes for the mechanism 90 to allow the four sections of the left arm
40 to pivot
about their respective pivot connections in order to rearrange in a
configuration suitable
to clear the substantially immovable object. Upon clearance of the
substantially
immovable object, and thus removal of the applied force, the mechanism 90
allows the
four sections of the left arm 40 to pivot back to their original predetermined
configuration.
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In the embodiment shown in Figure 10, the mechanism 90 includes a connector
(e.g., a
chain) 92 linking the four pivotally connected sections o f the left arms 40,
a hydraulic
cylinder 94 mounted on the fourth leftmost section 44 and connected to the
connector 92,
and a hydraulic accumulator 96 in fluid communication with the hydraulic
cylinder 94.
The connector 92 maintains the four sections in a predetermined configuration,
which is
essentially a linear alignment in the embodiment shown. The impact and
subsequent
contact between one of the four sections and a light post base, automobile
wheel, or other
substantially immovable object, may cause an applied. force that is greater
than a
predetermined force. The predetermined force may be established at least
partially on
the basis of the tension in the connector 92 and a calibration of the
respective pressures
in the hydraulic cylinder 94 and accumulator 96. As seen in Figure 11, the
applied force
causes one or more of the four sections to pivot about one of the two spaced
pins of the
pivot bracket at their respective connections in order to form a new
configuration suitable
to clear the impacted object and reduce the likelihood of permanently
deforming the
transferring member 18. As the four section; pivot about each other to form
the new
configuration, the connector 92 causes a displacement of the hydraulic
cylinder 94
connected thereto. In turn, the oil volume displaced by the displacement of
the hydraulic
cylinder 94 compresses fluid included in the hydraulic accumulator 96. For
example,
Figure 12 shows a configuration taken by the four sections of the left arm 40
as a result
of an impact and subsequent contact between a light post base and a region
near the left
end of the second leftmost section 62. As can be seen, the third leftmost
section 52 has
pivoted about one of the two pins of the pivot bracket connecting it to the
fourth leftmost
section 44. The third leftmost section 52 has also pivoted about one of the
two pins of the
pivot bracket connecting it to the second leftmost section. 62.
After clearing the substantially immovable object, the applied force is no
longer applied
and the mechanism 90 allows the four pivotally connected sections to pivot
back to their
original predetermined configuration. In effect, the compressed fluid in the
hydraulic
accumulator 96 pushes on the internal piston of the cylinder 94, thereby
pulling on the
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connector 92 which causes for the four pivotally connected sections to pivot
back to their
original configuration.
It is to be understood that the right arm 42 of the transferring member 18
includes a
mechanism identical to the mechanism 90 described above in connection with the
left
arm 40. Thus, the four sections of the right arm 42 also have the ability to
pivot about
their respective pivot connections when an impact and subsequent contact
between a
substantially immovable object and the right arm 42 occurs. Once the impacted
object
is cleared, the mechanism in the right arm 42 is operative to allow the
sections to pivot
back to their original configuration.
Referring now to Figure 13, the support of the device 10 in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention is illustrated generally and identified by
reference
numeral 14. The support 14 includes a first frame 98 fastened to the vehicle
16 and a
second frame 100 fastened to the first frame 98. The first frame 98 may be
fastened to
a front section of a chassis 102 of the vehicle 16 using bolted connections or
other
fastening means. As shown in Figures 14 and 15, the first frame 98 includes a
first
bracket 104 adapted to support a ball-and-socket joint (not shown) that is
used to connect
the truss assembly 24 of the transferring member 18 to the support 14. The
ball-and-
socket joint allows the transferring member 18 to freely pivot relative to the
support 14
about any axis of rotation, thereby allowing the transferring member 18 to
follow the
roadway profile via wheel assemblies 34 and 74.
The first frame 98 further includes a second bracket 108 adapted to pivotally
support a
first end of an angular positioning actuator 110, a second end of which is
pivotally
connected to one side of the V-shaped truss assembly 24 of the transferring
member 18
(as best seen in Figure 15). In the embodiment shown, the angular positioning
actuator
110 is a hydraulic cylinder although it will be apparent to those skilled in
the art that
other types of actuator may be used without departing from the spirit and
scope of the
invention. The angular positioning hydraulic cylinder 110 allows the
transferring member
18 to be controllably rotated about the ball-and-socket joint of the support
14. In a non-
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limiting example of implementation, the angular positioning hydraulic cylinder
110 is
operative to pivot the transferring member 18 about the ball-and-socket joint
up to an
angle of 45 with respect to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle 16. As
described in
further detail herein below, the angular positioning hydraulic cylinder 110 is
connected
via a hydraulic control valve and line to the hydraulic panel that is part of
the control
system of the device 10.
The second frame 100 of the support structure 14 is fastened to the first
frame 98 using
bolted connections. Referring to Figure 16, the second frame 100 includes two
generally
horizontal members on which are respectively located a lower pivot bracket 112
and an
upper pivot bracket 114. As best seen in Figure 13, the lower pivot bracket
112 is
adapted to pivotally support a first end of a vertical positioning actuator
116, the second
end of which is secured to a link 118 pivotally connected to the upper pivot
bracket 114.
In the embodiment shown, the vertical positioning actuator 116 is a hydraulic
cylinder
although it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other types of
actuator may be
used without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The
vertical
positioning hydraulic cylinder 116 allows the transferring member 18 to be
controllably
translated in a generally vertical direction in relation to the support 14. As
described in
further detail herein below, the vertical positioning hydraulic cylinder 116
is connected
via a hydraulic control valve and line to the hydraulic panel that is part of
the control
system of the device 10.
For example, in order to raise the transferring member 18 in relation to the
support 14,
the vertical positioning hydraulic cylinder 116 is actuated to its full
extension. By means
of a chain or wire (not shown) linking the link 118 and the truss assembly 24,
the relative
upward movement of the link 118 causes the truss assembly 24, and thus the
transferring
member 18, to be raised.
The transferring member 18 may also be folded in a compact configuration
during a
transport mode. Referring to Figure 17, the transferring member 18 optionally
includes
a first folding actuator 120 having a first end pivotally connected to the
left side of the
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central section 38, and a second end pivotally connected to the link 88
connecting the left
arm 40 and the central section 38. A second folding actuator. 1.22 has a first
end pivotally
connected to the link 88 and a second end connected to the left arm 40, and
more
specifically to the fourth leftmost section 44 of the left arras 40 in the
embodiment shown.
In the specific example of implementation shown, the first and second folding
actuators
120 and 122 are hydraulic cylinders although it will be apparent to those
skilled in the
art that other types of actuator may be used without departing from the spirit
and scope
of the invention. As described below, the first and second folding hydraulic
cylinders 120
and 122 are each connected via respective hydraulic control valves and lines
to the
hydraulic panel that is part of the control system of the device 10.
In order to achieve the compact configuration, the first folding hydraulic
cylinder 120 is
actuated to cause a 90 rotation of the link 88 about the transversely
extending pin 28 of
the central section 38, thereby rotating the left arm 40 by a first 90 angle.
Simultaneously or subsequently, the second folding hydraulic cylinder 122 is
actuated
to cause a 90 rotation of the left arm 40 about its transversely extending
pin 46, thereby
rotating the left arm 40 by a second 90 angle. The total 180 rotation angle
results in the
left arm 40 being folded onto the central section 38. Furthermore, as can be
seen in
Figure 17, two additional folding hydraulic cylinders are respectively
disposed on the
right side of the central section 38 and on the right arm 42 in order to fold
the right arm
42 onto the left arm 40. Figures 18 and 19 shows the compact configuration of
the
transferring member 18 in the transport mode.
Although the above embodiment described a complete folding of the left arm 40
onto the
central section 38 and of the right arm 42 onto the left arm 40, it will be
appreciated that
the reverse folding action (i.e. right arm 42 onto central section 38 and left
arm 40 onto
right arm 42) is also possible without detracting from the scope of the
present invention.
Moreover, it is to be understood that the complete folding of the respective
sections of
the left and right arms 40 and 42 using two 90 angle rotations was for
purposes of
example only. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that a partial folding of
the sections of
the arms 40 and 42 is possible using various actuator arrangements to impart
various
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rotation angles in order to achieve a more compact configuration of the
transferring
member 18.
As mentioned herein above, the angular positioning hydraulic cylinder 110, the
vertical
positioning hydraulic cylinder 116, and the first and second folding hydraulic
cylinders
120 and 122 are connected via respective hydraulic control valves and lines to
a
hydraulic panel that is part of 'a control system of the device i 0. In a
similar manner, the
hydraulic cylinders (e.g., 76 in Figure 4) allowing the end sections of the
transferring
member 18 to pivot in order to facilitate the engagement and release of the
roadway
marker 12 are also connected to the hydraulic panel in the control system.
Optionally,
various electrical components that may be used in connection with the device
10 may be
connected via respective electric lines to an electrical circuit that is also
part of the
control system of the device.
In Figure 20, a control system for controlling the various a )ove components
of the device
10 is illustrated schematically and identified by reference numeral 132. The
control
system 132 includes a hydraulic panel 134, an electrical circuit 136, and a
control panel
138 in communication with the hydraulic panel 134 and the electrical circuit
136. The
control panel 138 includes a user interface adapted to allow an operator of
the device 10
to enter control commands, and a processing unit in communication with the
user
interface and operative to generate control signals on the basis of the
entered control
commands. The hydraulic panel 134 includes a hydraulic circuit interacting
with the
above-listed hydraulic cylinders via their respective lines and valves in
order to actuate
the cylinders in response to commands entered at the user interface of the
control panel
138 by the operator of the device 10. As well, the electrical circuit 136
includes
appropriate circuitry to activate and control the any of the various
electrical components
of the device 10 in response to commands entered at the control panel 138. In
a specific
example of implementation, the hydraulic panel 134 and the electric circuit
136 are
included in respective units that are mounted, for example, on the first frame
98 of the
support 14.
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CA 02459965 2004-03-05
86126-12
The user interface of the control panel 138 may be located inside the vehicle
16 and may
include command buttons and a monitor for managing the operation of the
various
components of the device 10. In a non-limiting example of implementation, the
control
panel 138 may include an appropriate number of command buttons for controlling
(1)
the angular positioning hydraulic cylinder 110 to rotate the transferring
member 18 with
respect to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle 16; (2) the vertical
positioning cylinder 116
to raise or lower the transferring member 18; and (3) the folding hydraulic
cylinders 120
and 122 to fold or unfold the '.eft and right arms 40 and 42 of the
transferring member 18.
As well, the control panel 138 may include appropriate command buttons to
control the
any of the various electrical components of the device 10.
The above description of the embodiments should not be interpreted in a
limiting manner
since other variations, modiflcations and refinements are possible within the
spirit and
scope of the present invention. The scope of the invention is defined in the
appended
claims and their equivalents.
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