Multi-mode tape-applying striping machine and methods

Abstract

A tape-applying striper, and related methods, by which commercially-available pavement marking tape is mechanically-applied and pressure-retained on highways, roadways and parking lots to mark lanes and parking stalls at designated locations, wherein the striper is dirigible either by the operator walking behind the striper and manually displacing the striper, or by motor driving the dirigible striper, as the operator rides.

What is claimed and described to be secured by Letters Patent is: 
     
         1 . A striper for applying marking tape to pavement at desired locations comprising:
 a carriage mounted on pavement-engaging wheels;   the carriage rotatably supporting a spool, the spool adapted to rotatably carry at least one roll of tape for rotatably dispensing the tape, the tape onto the pavement, having a top non-adhesive side and a bottom adhesive side;   operator-activated structure for mechanically causing the adhesive side, at a leading end of the tape, to be selectively displaced from above the pavement generally downwardly into contiguous adhering relation with the pavement so that the adhesive side of tape is accurately and progressively superimposed upon the pavement in adhering relation as the striper is displaced.   
     
     
         2 . A striper according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 at least one pressure-applying roller by which force is selectively contiguously and progressively applied to the exposed non-adhesive side of the tape superimposed upon the pavement to insure enhanced adherence between the pavement and the concealed adhesive side of the tape. 
 
     
     
         3 . A striper according to  claim 1  further comprising a motorized unit upon which an operator rides and by which the striper is power-displaced along the pavement. 
     
     
         4 . A striper according to  claim 3  wherein the motorized unit comprises a separate motorized vehicle pivotably connected to and propelling the carriage. 
     
     
         5 . A striper according to  claim 1  wherein the operator-activated structure comprises an operator control, linkage and tape displacement structure which pivots into limited adherence with a leading end of the tape and moves the leading end generally downward into adherence with the pavement and, thereafter, causing release of the limited adherence. 
     
     
         6 . A striper for applying marking tape to pavement at desired locations comprising:
 a carriage mounted on pavement-engaging wheels;   at least one roll of tape rotatably carried by the carriage;   a tape feed path through the striper, the tape feed path being juxtaposed a tape-cutting blade;   operator-activated structure by which the cutting blade is selectively displaced to accurately cut the tape being applied to the pavement thereby creating a free tape end above the pavement.   
     
     
         7 . A striper for applying marking tape to pavement according to  claim 6  further comprising:
 operator-activated structure for mechanically causing the cut free end of the tape to be selectively displaced from above the pavement downwardly so that an adhesive side of the tape at the free end becomes contiguous and accurately adhered to the pavement followed by progressively applying a length of the tape accurately in superposition upon the pavement as the striper is displaced. 
 
     
     
         8 . A striper according to  claim 6  wherein at least one roll of tape comprises two side-by-side rolls of tape and the operated-actuated cutting structure comprises blade displacement structure by which the operator selectively causes the blade to reciprocate to cut both side-by-side tapes simultaneously or causes the blade to pivot from one side and reciprocate to cut only one of the two tapes or causes the blade to pivot from a second side and reciprocate to cut the other of the two tapes. 
     
     
         9 . A dirigible striper for applying marking tape to pavement at designated locations comprising:
 a carriage mounted on pavement engaging wheels;   tape-dispensing and tape-cutting components carried by the carriage;   the wheels comprising a single central front wheel associated with a selectively operable latch by which, when the latch is closed, the front wheel is locked and the striper tracks linearly and, when the latch is closed, the front wheel is unlocked and the striper tracks along a curvilinear path.   
     
     
         10 . A dirigible striper for rapidly and accurately applying marking tape to pavement at desired locations comprising:
 a tape-dispensing, tape-applying and tape-cutting carriage comprising a carriage front and a carriage rear, the carriage being mounted on pavement-engaging idler wheels.   a motorized vehicle having a vehicle front and a location upon which an operator rides, the front of the vehicle being pivotably connected to the rear of the carriage whereby movement of the vehicle displaces and steers the carriage at relatively rapid speeds to accurately deposit the tape on the pavement.   
     
     
         11 . A striper for applying and securing marking tape to pavement at desired locations comprising:
 a carriage mounted on pavement-engaging wheels, the carriage comprising a carriage front and a carriage back;   at least one pavement marking tape roll rotationally held by tape-holding structure of the carriage, the tape having a top non-adhesive side and a bottom adhesive side;   tape-dispensing structure, tape-applying structure and tape-cutting structure mounted on the carriage by which the bottom adhesive side of the tape is accurately and progressively made contiguous with a top surface of the pavement at the desired locations as the striper is displaced;   at least two spaced compression rollers mounted to the carriage so as to rotatably contiguously and compressing engage the top surface of the tape to significantly enhance adherence between the tape bottom and the pavement as the carriage moves;   one compression roller at the front of the striper being disposed below and adjacent to the carriage front, the one compression roller exerting substantial downward pressure on the pavement-engaging tape when superimposed on the non-adhesive side of the tape over which it passes;   the other compression roller at the rear of the striper being below and adjacent to the carriage rear, the other compression roller exerting substantial downward pressure on the pavement-engaging tape when superimposed on the non-adhesive side of the tape as the other compression roller passes over the tape.   
     
     
         12 - 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . A striper according to  claim 11  further comprising an operator-carrying motorized vehicle pivotably connected at a front location of the vehicle to a rear location of the carriage, the vehicle displacing the carriage as tape is progressively applied to the pavement, the carriage comprising controls exposed at the rear of the carriage by which the tape is selectively mechanically cut using at least one control to create two free ends with one free end being mechanically displaced into adhering contact with the pavement surface, the carriage comprising a seat for an operator, which seat is located to accommodate manual manipulation of the controls by the operator while seated. 
     
     
         15 . A method of applying marking tape to pavement comprising the acts of:
 unrolling tape from a moving carriage progressively onto the pavement in adhering relation;   cutting the tape at least one location above the pavement to create a non-adhering free tape end;   displacing the carriage to create a gap in the tape on the pavement;   mechanically displacing the free tape end from a location above the pavement downward into contiguous adhering superimposed relation upon the pavement and, thereafter, unrolling a length of tape progressively onto the pavement in adhering relation as the carriage is displaced.   
     
     
         16 . A method of applying marking tape to pavement comprising the acts of:
 placing tape-dispensing, tape-applying and tape-cutting components on a carriage mounted on wheels, the wheels comprising a single front wheel;   selectively locking the single front wheel into a fixed position thereby accommodating linear displacement of the carriage across the pavement;   selectively unlocking the single front wheel into a rotatable position thereby accommodating curvilinear displacement of the carriage across the pavement.   
     
     
         17 . A method of applying marking tape to pavement comprising the acts of:
 unrolling tape along a feed path from a spool through a carriage adjacent to a blade and progressively depositing the tape accurately onto the pavement in adhering relation;   operator-activating the cutting blade to cut the tape at a desired location to create two free tape ends from the same length of tape, one becoming adhered to the pavement and the other being temporarily suspended above the pavement.   
     
     
         18 . A method of placing marking tape on pavement comprising the acts of:
 dispensing tape from a moving carriage progressively onto the pavement in adhering relation;   a vehicle propelling the carriage under control of an operator riding on the vehicle, the vehicle being pivotably connected to the carriage.   
     
     
         19 . A method of placing marking tape permanently on pavement comprising the acts of:
 dispensing tape from a roll mounted on a moving carriage progressively onto pavement by mechanically feeding the tape in a first forward direction non-adhesively over an idler roller disposed in front of the tape roll, in a second downward direction in front of the tape roll, and in a third rearward direction non-adhesively around and under a front compression roller causing the tape to forcibly and stationarily adhere to a top surface of the pavement;   the stationary tape thereafter being forcibly and stationarily compressed a second time by a rear compression roller.   
     
     
         20 . A striper according to  claim 11  wherein the one front compression roller continually exerts pressure on the non-adhesive side of tape causing the tape to adhere to the pavement surface when superimposed over the tape and continually exerts pressure on the pavement surface when not superimposed on the tape. 
     
     
         21 . A striper according to  claim 20  wherein at least one of the compression rollers is resiliently biased downwardly so as to be upwardly displaceable through a limited distance. 
     
     
         22 . A striper according to  claim 11  further comprising an idler roller interposed forward of the tape roll between the tape roll and the one front compression roller, the idler roller contiguously engaging the non-adhesive side of the tape as the tape travels over the idler roller and downwardly in a predominately vertical direction. 
     
     
         23 . A method according to  claim 19  further comprising the acts of selectively displacing the carriage linearly at times and curvilinearly at other times, linear and curvilinear displacement being accommodated by latching and unlatching a front steering wheel carried by and supporting the carriage. 
     
     
         24 . A method according to  claim 19  further comprising the act of selectively mechanically cutting the tape at a front site below the idler roller and above the front one compression roller to create a free end of the tape. 
     
     
         25 . A method according to  claim 24  further comprising the act of mechanically displacing the cut free end of the tape downwardly into adhering contact with the surface of the pavement immediately in front of the front compression roller. 
     
     
         26 . A method according to  claim 19  further comprising the act of jointly dispensing tape from two side-by-side rolls.