April 26, 1966
3,247,823
F. BUCK ETAL
TRAFFIC SIGNAL DEVICE
Filed April 22. 1965
FIGZ
BY
INVENTORS
FOSTER BUCK
ROBERT MAY
RONALD E. BARRY
Aitorney
United States Patent 0
3,247,823
1
1C6
Patented Apr. 26, 1966
1
2
3,247,823
Other objects and advantages will become more readily
apparent ‘from the following detailed description when
TRAFFIC SIGNAL DEVICE
read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in
Foster Buck, North Aurora, Ill., and Robert W. May,
Port Washington, Wis., assignors t0 Heller Industries,
Inc, Milwaukee, Wis.
Filed Apr. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 450,042
5 Claims. (Cl. 116-63)
which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the tra?ic cone.
FIG. 2 is a view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1 show
ing the hollow base.
FIG. 3 is a viewlshowing the base turned up to remove
This invention relates to tra?ic markers and more par
the material from the base.
ticularly to a new and improved support structure for 10
Referring more particularly to the drawings, the tra?‘ic
such markers.
cone shown has a conical vertical section 10 and a hol
For many years, governmental units have used movable
low base 12. The conical section has a thin outer wall
type traffic markers to provide signals or guides for auto
14 which is closed at the top or small end by an integral
motive tra?ic on public highways as well as other trans
cap 16 and is open at the lower end.
portion facilities requiring lane control.
It has been cus 15
A frusto-conical ‘section 18 is formed integral with the
tomary to manufacture such markers from a pliable ma
terial such ‘as rubber or plastic in -a conical shape which
lower end of the vertical section and is connected to the
base at its lower end. The base includes an endless ?ange
can be painted to provide greater visibility. Although
20 which extends outward from the lower end of the
such movable markers are not always in a cone shape,
frusto~conical section and terminates in a downward ex
they are all referred to herein for the purposes of this 20 tending skirt or wall 22. A lower endless ?ange 24 ex;
application as “tra?ic cones” regardless of their shape
tends inward from the lower edge of the wall and ter
and all other tra?ic aids of a similar type are intended to
minates in an inner frust0~conical section 28. The inner
be included within the term “tra?ic cones.”
fIusto-conical section is spaced slightly from the inner
The rubber type tra?ic cone has a marked tendency to
wall of the outer frusto-conical section, forming an in~
deteriorate because of prolonged exposure to sunlight as 25 Jet 30'.
well as the corroding effect of oils and gasol-ines. The
Whenever it is necessary to weight the base, a ?owable
limited life of the rubber tra?‘ic cone has produced a‘ _ material 32, either solid or liquid, is poured into the base
trend toward tra?‘ic cones of other pliable material which
through the inlet until the base is completely ?lled. The
have a longer life because of their resistance to the harm
inner fr-usto-conical section extends above the ?ange 20
ful e?ect indicated above and are to some extent stronger 30 and will hold the ?owable material in the ‘base. To
than the rubber type tra?ic cones. These tra?ic cones,
empty the base it is only necessary to raise one of the
however, are lighter in weight and are usually held down
corners as in FIG. 3 and pull the frusto-conical section
either with sand bags or other heavy objects which are
down,‘ thereby allowing the ?owable material to drain
laid across the base or are bolted to the base section of
the traffic cones.
from the base; If a liquid material is used, merely pulling
the lip down will drain the base, The cone can be
The principal object of the present invention isto pro~
stacked with the ?owable material in the base or the ma
vide new and improved type tra?ic cones having sui?cient
weight to stand up during adverse weather conditions.
terial can be removed prior to stacking. If the material
is removed, it will be easier to handle the cones. The
' Another object of the present invention is to provide an
improved tra?ic cone which can be easily stacked for
?owable material can be either sand orv the like or a
liquid such as oil or water can be used to Weight the
storage or transportation.
base.
-
‘
.
Another object of the present invention is to provide
The cones are preferably made of a ?exible plastic
one-piece molded tra?’ic cones having bases which can be
such as polyethylene or plastisol. The most satisfactory
used to retain a heavy ?owable material in the base.
method for making the cone with this material is the
Still another object of the present invention is to pro 45 rotational casting method using high temperatures as is
vide new and improved tra?‘ic cones having a hollow
well known in the art.‘ Under the rotational casting
base that can retain a heavy ?owable material when in an
method a predetermined amount of powdered polyethyl
upright position but can be easily emptied for handling
ene or liquid polyvinyl chloride is poured into a mold of
and storage.
_
the shape desired and the mold is rotated in several planes
A still ‘furtherobject of the present invention is to pro 50 in an oven heated to 600°-650° for six to twelve minutes
vide a tra?‘ic cone which can be manufactured as a single
depending on the weight of the material. The heat of
integral unit having a compartment within the base of
the oven turns the polyethylene or polyvinyl chloride to
the traffic cone ‘for retaining a heavy ?owable material.
These objects are accomplished by molding the traf?c
a molten mass which spreads evenly over the entire interior
of the mold due to the rotary motion of the mold. The
molds are then cooled, causing the molten mass to solidify
cones in a plastic material as a single integral unit. The
tra?ic cone includes a thin-walled hollow base sect-ion.
The base is formed with a central opening having an
in the shape of the mold.
Although only one embodiment of the present invention
upwardly converging lip in the form of a frusto-conical
has been shown and described, it should be apparent
section that is spaced slightly from the inside wall of the
that various changes and modi?cations can be made here
surface of the vertical section. A heavy ?owable ma 60 in without departing from the scope of the appended
terial such as sand or gravel, or a liquid can be poured
claims.
into the base through the space provided ‘between the
What is claimed is:
lip and wall and is retained in the base by the upwardly
1. A traffic marker comprising
extending lip. The lip has su?icient ?exibility toallow it
a ?exible thin-walled hollow vertical section, and
to be bent downward so that the ?owable material can 65
an enlarged base integral with the lower end of said
drain vfrom the base. When the material is removed, the
‘section, said base including a frusto~conical section,
traffic cones are very light and can be easily handled.
an endless ?ange extending radially outward from
Since the lip is molded in substantially the same shape
as the vertical section, the traffic cones can be stored in
a stacked position either with the heavy ?owable ma
terial in the base or removed from the base.
70
the lower end of the section at a right angle to the
axis of the vertical section, an outer depending wall
extending around the periphery of the ?ange, a sec
ond ?ange extending inward from the lower end of
3,247,828
4
3
a short frusto-conical section integral with the lower
end of the cone and ?aring outward therefrom,
a ?at upper base member integral with the lower end
of the frusto-conical section, a skirt integral with
the wall and a second frusto-conical section secured
to the inner end of the bottom ?ange and positioned
in a concentric relation to the outer frusto-conical
section, whereby the space between the two ?anges
can be ?lled with a ?owable mass of heavy material. 5
outer periphery of said base member and depending
2. A tra?ic marker comprising
downward therefrom forming an endless wall,
a vhollow vertical section formed from a ?exible plastic
material and a hollow base section integral therewith
?at lower base member integral with the lower end
of said skirt and extending inward therefrom in a
and extending outward from the lower end of the
parallel spaced relation to the upper base member,
vertical section, said base section including a ?rst 10
horizontally extending ?ange formed as a continua
tion of the vertical section, a wall formed as a con
tinuation of and depending from the outer periphery
of said ?ange, a second horizontally extending ?ange
said lower base member having a central opening
coaxial with said vertical cone, whereby the space
between said base member can be ?lled with a heavy
?owable material.
5. A tra?ic marker according to claim 4 including a
formed as a continuation of the lower end of the 15 second .frusto-conical section integral with the periphery
wall and projecting inward toward the center of the
of the opening in the lower base member and extending
upward in a spaced ‘relation to the ?rst frusto-conical
vertical section, and an inner wall formed as a
continuation of the inner periphery of the second
section to form an inlet for the ?owable material and
?ange and ext-ending upward in spaced relation
preventing the ?owable material from ?owing out of the
to the inner periphery of the ?rst ?ange, thereby 20 base.
forming a hollow base and a heavy granular ma
terial ?lling the space between said ?anges said heavy
Reterences Cited by the Examiner
granular material being admissible and removable
UNITED STATES PATENTS
from the base through the space inbetween the inner
wall and ?rst ?ange.
25
2,719,505
10/1955 , Blumenthal _________ __ 116—63
3. A tra?ic marker according to claim 2 wherein said
2,762,327
9/1956
vertical section and base section are formed from a
2,317,303
12/1957
scanlon ___________ __ 116__63
?exible plastic in a single molding operation.
2,863,416
12/1953
Fmnkel ___________ __ 116_63
4. A tra?ic marker molded as a single integral unit
from a ?exible plastic material comprising
30
a hollow vertical cone closed at its upper end and open
2,954,005
3,147,734
9/1960‘
9/1954
ciof? et a1_ _; _______ __ 115_63
Knapp _____________ __ 116_63
at its lower end,
Weig ______________ __ 116-43
LOUIS J. CAPOZI, Primary Examiner.