WO1993019447A1

WO1993019447A1 - Marker nail

Info

Publication number: WO1993019447A1
Application number: PCT/AU1993/000122
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kenneth Robert Hutt
Original assignee: RATIO Pty Ltd
Current assignee: RATIO Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1992-03-24
Filing date: 1993-03-24
Publication date: 1993-09-30
Anticipated expiration: 1994-09-24
Also published as: AU1313092A; AU631517B2

Abstract

A marker (10) is provided for marking the location of services (20) on the surface (21) of the covering or ground within which that service is buried or laid. The marker comprises a head (11) and a shaft portion (12) attached thereto wherein the head so adapted to carry an indicia element (19) having an indication thereon of the type of service located below the marker. The indicia element is carried in a recessed portion (14) in the head of the marker which is fitted at manufacture or out in the field and therefor provides a convenient means of identifying the service located below the marker. The head of the marker is shaped so as to minimise any impedance to traversing traffic and designed by choice of material and shape to last longer than prior marking methods.

Description

"MARKER NAIL"

This invention relates to markers and in particular to markers of the type that are used to designate the location of an object below the surface of covered ground.

BACKGROUND

The plethora of services available to both residential and business premises requires a variety of routes for those services into and out of the premises.

It is normal practice for plans detailing the desirable route to be reviewed and approved and in some instances these plans are lodged with a central authority and should in theory be available with the plans of the building. Phone, electricity- water and gas services are usually well planned and in some cities controlled by one services provider or authority who either has well known guidelines or extensive plan storage facilities so that the location of services can be ascertained.

The route planning and record keeping is especially important when the requisite service encroaches the public carriage ways, which are, below their covering, a maze of service supply pipes, conduits, wires and other communication means.

Thus in both the vicinity of individual premises and upon adjacent carriage ways there exists a very real need to accurately locate the position of the various services before, during and after installation of services.

This need arises especially every time a new service is added to a premise, every time a connection is made from a premises to a passing service main and every time a new service is placed below the public carriage way. For the well planned and documented services the task of locating an old service or a new location for a new service or extension of an old one is usually achievable, albeit time consuming.

unfortunately, not all services are well planned or even documented and it is common for old services to be damaged, interrupted and generally inconvenienced by excavation carried out for the placement of a new service or repair of an old service.

Even though plans and planning are and will continue to be required and encouraged there will continue to be a need to have a system to conveniently assist the location of services or indeed encourage their marking when being laid.

Marking of the surfaces directly above old and new service runs is therefore seen as a practical way to alleviate some of the problems highlighted thus far.

Paints of various formula have been used to mark surfaces under which services are or are to be provided, and dependant on the actual formula of the paint, different wear resistance can result in the marks persisting on the surface for periods of days to years.

However, paint marking is not permanent, suitable only for some surfaces (ie unsuitable for dirt and other loose surfaces) and in the main unsightly especially if many services are located below a public carriage way or foot path.

It is an objective to this invention to overcome the abovementioned problems. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In its broadest aspect the invention is a marker for indicating the location of an object below a surface, comprising an indicia element, and a body member comprising a head having an upper surface which has a recessed portion adapted to carry said indicia element and a lower surface and a shaft depending from said lower surface of said head, wherein in use said shaft is inserted into said surface until said lower surface of said head lies adjacent said surface at a position in said surface which is indicative of the location of a respective service below said surface indicated on said indicia element.

In a further aspect of the invention according to the abovementioned marker, said recessed portion is shaped so as to carry said indicia element and retained therein by interference fit.

In yet a further aspect of the invention in accordance with the abovementioned marker, said indicia element when-carried in said recessed portion is positioned such that an upper surface of said indicia element is flush with or below said upper surface of said head and said upper surface is tapered so as to reduce its height from said upper surface towards said lower surface.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, but it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the invention need not be limited to any one or combination of features disclosed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig 1 depicts a top perspective view of a marker; Fig 2 depicts a bottom perspective view of a marker;

Fig 3 depicts a side view of a marker;

Fig 4 depicts a cross-sectional view of the marker of Fig 3;

Fig 5 depicts a top view of a marker;

Fig 6 depicts a top view of an indicia element; and

Fig 7 depicts a cross-sectional view of a marker in situ in a surface marking the location of a service.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Like numerals designating features of the marker will be used to identify like features on all the figures depicted herewith.

In this embodiment referring to Fig 1 the marker is in the form of a nail 10 which has a head 11 and a shaft 12.

Preferably, the shaft 12 of the shape depicted in the figures is suitable for insertion in to a ground surface comprising bitumous compound found typically on roads, car parks and footpaths. The particular shape depicted has, when the nail is constructed preferably of a metal, the strength to be driven into the surface described and many other surface types for example dolomite, pre-drilled concrete and cement, pre-drilled bricks and brick pavers.

Pre-drilling is a preferable but not essential preparatory step to placement of a marker of this form. It will be apparent that the shaft shape and material may differ substantially dependant on the surface material into which the marker is to be inserted. For example (not shown) the shaft may incorporate barbs for looser surfaces than bitumen. A further example may comprise the use of a shaft substantially longer and in proportion also substantially thinner than that depicted so that the marker may be retained more positively in loose and friable surfaces such as soil or compacted dirt.

The upper surface 13 of the head comprises the peripheral edge of the head 11 at the edge of the recess 14 which has a bottom wall 15 and a peripheral upstanding side wall 16. A bevelled edge surface 17 begins at the upper surface 13 and extends to the outer periphery of the head and terminates, at edge wall 18 of the head 11.

In this embodiment the recess has a circularly shaped bottom wall and a respectively shaped peripheral side wall such that a complementary shaped insertion element 19 may be inserted in the recess (depicted in Figs 4 and 6). It will be apparent however that the shape of the recess may be of any suitable form for example hexagonal in plan view or square in plan view etc.

Manufacture of the marker and complementary insertion element typically allows both parts to be made so as to enable an interference fit between the parts. Alternatively, the insertion element may be shaped so as to key into reciprocal portions in the recess located either on the bottom or side walls of the recess.

Typically, the two parts are manufactured in the same material, which are therefore likely to have similar wear characteristics, however, it is also possible for the insertion element to be of plastic or ceramic material while the shaft and head of the marker are of steel. The primary purpose of the insertion element is to provide an indication of the service, typically above which the marker is placed, therefore it is marked with some form of indicia representative of the service type. For example, the word "DRAIN" as depicted in Fig 6 is indicative of a service pipe laying below the marker. Fig 7 also depicts a cross-sectional view of this arrangement showing a pipe 20 below the surface 21, where the lower surface 22 of the head 11 is brought adjacent to the surface 21 when the marker has been inserted into the surface the full length of the shaft.

The insertion portion is herein referred to as an indicia element, to signify that the part inserted into the recess on the head of the marker is designed to indicate the type of service located below the marker when it is finally placed in a suitable surface.

The indicia element may have a symbol or symbols marked upon it to indicate the type of service located below it. Also the indicia element may be colour coded such that without written indication, the type of service may be distinguished.

Furthermore, any number of combinations of words, symbols and colours may be used to signify not only the type of service but also the depth and other relevant characteristics of the service.

The indicia element is preferably marked by inscribing the indica however, it may be painted, embossed or marked in other suitable manners which are resistant to wear over an extended period of time (years onwards) .

The indicia element may, when inserted in its reciprocally shaped recess have its own upper surface either flush with or below the upper surface 13 of the head. The bevelled edge surface 17 of the head is designed so that objects approaching from any direction will mount the head at a small height difference between the approach surface and the edge surface 17 and rise slowly to the maximum height of the head at the upper surface 13 of the head, whereupon it will traverse the indicia element at or close to the level of the upper surface, then move across the opposite side of the bevelled edge surface 17 to dismount the head onto the surface again.

It will be appreciated therefore that a marker of the characteristics described is a convenient form of marker which can be used with ease and convenience after a service is installed so that its later location and importantly its identification is possible with a minimum of inconvenience and time wasting when used preferably but not necessarily with plans of the relevant services.

Claims

THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. A marker for indicating the location of an object below a surface, comprising an indicia element, and body member comprising a head having an upper surface which has a recessed portion adapted to carry said indicia element and a lower surface and a shaft depending from said lower surface of said head, wherein said shaft is inserted into said surface until said lower surface of said head lies adjacent said surface at a position in said surface which is indicative of the location of a respective service below said surface indicated on said indicia elements.

2. A marker in accordance with claim 1 wherein said recessed portion is shaped so as to carry said indicia element and retained therein by interference fit.

3. A marker in accordance with claim 2 wherein said indicia element when carried in said recessed portion is positioned such that an upper surface of said indicia element is flush with or below said upper surface of said head and said upper surface is tapered so as to reduce its height from said upper surface towards said lower surface.