US2044558A - Road striping machine - Google Patents

Description

June 16, 1936. BALL 2,044,558

ROAD STRIPING MACHINE Filed Aug. 15, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 g w g3 g 1 INVENTOR:

Jbk

@z's ATTORNEY.

June 16, 1936. J. H. BALL ROAD STRIPING MACHINE Filed Aug. 13, 1934 4 Sheets-Shet 2 ATTORNEY.

.Fune 16, 1936. J. H. BALL.

RoAb STRIPING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 13, 1934 INVENTOR:

I fang I Zjs' ATTORNEY.

June 16, I936. H A 2,044,558

ROAD STRIPING MACHINE Filed Aug. 13, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I" V F Patented June 16, 1936 STATE attests FATEN E' @FFEQE 12 Claims.

This invention relates to road striping machines for placing th'e center line markings or stripes on highways having the ordinary single lane of travel in each direction andalso for the placing of stripes defining multiplelane roadways. In some respects, the invention is a direct improvement upon that disclosed in Letters Patent, No. 1,928,551, granted to me September 26, 1933, while in other respects it is a general improvement in machines of its character, the prime object being to attain high efficiency through means of easy and convenient manipulation in a practical and durable structure.

The essential features of the invention and several advantages to be attained will be set forth in the following description and afterwards pointed out with particularity in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating a practical adaptation of the invention,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the complete machine;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the machine;

Figure 3 is a detail view of one of the steering elements detached;

Figure 4 is a front elevation of the machine;

Figure 5 is 'a vertical sectionof thesimia tainer, showing details of associated" working parts; i a

' Figure 6 is a horizontal section of the container taken on or about the line 6- 6 of Figure 5;""

Figure? is an enlargeddetail View, in vertical section, showing a practical form and arrangement'of paint distributing nozzle and guard therefor;

' Figure 8 is a face view of one of the paint applying brushes;

Figure 9 is a similar view of another co-operating brush element; H

Figure 10 shows a further modified brush element; and u H Figure 11 shows the cross section of the brush element and clamping plates for holding and shaping it'. Y

Referring now to the drawings, the numeral I designates, generally, a motor vehicle of any ordinary or preferred structure. As shown, the vehicle comprises the usual chassis or body frame 2, on the forward portion of which is located the motor (not shown) which is enclosed in the conventional hood 3, housing also the obviously associated parts of the power mechanism which need no further detailed description here. The front ground wheels i are obviously mounted to swivel in the usual manner (not shown) for steering the vehicle, the steering mechanism being of the ordinary type and operated by the usual hand wheel 5 from the regulandrivers seat 5 of the vehicle. In this connection, however, it may be here noted that means, hereinafter more fully described, is provided, in accordance with the present inven: tion, for disconnecting a part or parts of the nor mal steering mechanism and connecting in place thereof a special supplemental steering mecha: nism for steering the vehicle under different conditions in the application of the stripe to the roadway. J 'Y The rear ground wheels 'I of the vehicle are driven by the usual driving axle, indicated gen: erally at 8, which is connected with the motor through the usual transmission (not shown) and is operated under the regular controlling elements usually provided for the purpose.

Power for operating working parts of the paint:- applying mechanism of the present invention, as well as other mechanical motor driven parts may be taken in a practical manner from the driving axle 8. As shown, a sprocket wheel 9 is. secured on the hub portion or otherwise. secured axially of the adjacent wheel I.

On the body frame of the motor vehicle is a transverse countershaft l0 having fixed thereon a sprocket wheel H which is rotated by a chain l2 from said sprocket wheel 9,, the chain passing angularly over idler sprocket wheels l3, M, which arrangement permits relative up and down move: ment between the chassis or bod frame 2 and the driving axle 8 of the vehicle without causing ap preciable variation in the proper working t autness or slack in the chain [2. i

Mounted on supplemental frame members l5, at the rear portion of the vehicle I is a paint container l 6,preferably in the form of a cylindrie cal tank, as shown, and having a conical or cupped bottom ll, from near the center of which a pipe I8 leads to a pump [9. The pump, which is merely illustrated conventionally, is preferably of a rotary type, and on its shaft is a toothed gear Wheel meshing with a similar wheel 20% secured on the countershaft IE9, whereby the pump is operated.

Within the pa nt container I6 is. a stirring device comprising a central vertical shaft 2| having blades 22 thereon and located in proximity to the bottom of the tank (see, Figure 5 of the draw ings), said shaft being journaled at its lower end in'a suitable bearing '23 and its upper end portion extending through the cover 2Q at the top of the tank, where it is provided with a bevelled gear 25. Meshing. with the gear 25, is a similar gear 26 secured onthe inner. end portion of a driving shaft llreel in hea ng m mber .8- 1 ma 24, said shaft 21 being provided at its outer end with a sprocket wheel 29 which is driven from a sprocket wheel 30 on the countershaft Ill by a chain 3|.

In practice, the shaft 2| is rotated at a speed so that the stirring blades 22 do not excessively agitate the painting liquid within the container, but merely to prevent accumulation of sediment at the bottom of the tank and keep the paint mixture in proper working state, the speed of the shaft being regulated according to the consistency of the paint mixture. To this effect, the blades 22 are preferably slotted, as at 32, said slots, as shown, being tapered correspondingly to the taper of the blades and widening or flaring towards the outer ends of the blades which are widest near their outer ends and said end portions being preferably rounded, substantially as shown.

In the pipe l8 leading from the bottom of the tank IE to the pump IS a flow-regulating valve or device 33 (not shown in detail) is obviously provided so as to be adjusted in any approved manner according to the fluidity of the paint mixture or product used in marking the stripe on the roadway. Between this regulating valve or device 33 and the pump I9 is a cut-off valve or device 34, provided with an operating lever arm 35 pivotally secured at its outer end to a connecting rod 36 which is in turn operably connected to a suitable foot-pedal 3 1 within convenient range of the driver's seat 6, whereby to be operated at will, to open and close the valve. So, too, it may be desirable, in some cases, to mount a similar foot pedal on a transverse shaft extension (to be hereinafter described) at either side of the vehicle within convenient reach of a supplemental drivers seat located correspondingly lateral of the vehicle in certain working conditions under which the machine is used.

Extending laterally, from the left side of the motor vehicle frame 2, is a platform, or body frame extension 38, at the outer end of which is a rearwardly disposed bracket extension or frame element 39 on which the hereinbefore described idlers I3, l4 are mounted. This bracket extension or frame element also is provided with a suitable lateral extension 40 on which a supporting member 4| is mounted, in a suitable manner (not shown in detail) to swing both about a vertical axis and a horizontal axis, as in a conventional universal joint or the like, and supported on said member 4| is a supplemental carriage frame 42 provided with wheels or rollers 43 whereby said frame, in a lowered position, travels on the surface of the roadway alongside of the motor vehicle I in use.

The carriage frame 42, as thus mounted and provided with the ground wheels or rollers 43, tracks parallel with the motor vehicle I in a straight away forward travel, and readily takes curves without any appreciable lateral skidding effects which might tend to distort the stripe being painted in the manner presently described. At the forward end of this carriage frame 42, axially coincident with the vertical axis of its swivelled mounting, is a nozzle member 44, (shown in detail in Figure '7) comprising a vertical tubular. stem or shank portion 45 with a T-head 46 at its lower end, said portion 46 being provided with downwardly and rearwardly inclined discharge apertures 41.

At the upper end of the stem or shank portion 45 of the nozzle member 44 is a conventional, hand-operated cut-off valve 48, and communieating with this cut-off valve is a nipple member 49 to which one end of a flexible pipe 50 is connected, the opposite end of said flexible pipe being connected to the hereinbefore described pump l9, and through which a steady supply of paint under a given pressure is conveyed to the nozzle when the machine is in operation in the process of applying the stripe to the roadway. This provision of a flexible pipe connection between the pump and nozzle permits a universal vertical and horizontal swinging movement of the carriage frame 42 on its aforesaid swivelled support.

Extending forwardly from the lateral platform or body frame extension 38 is a bracket member or arm 5|, to the rear end portion of which an operating lever 52 is pivotally mounted, as at 53, the lower end portion of said lever being pivotally attached, as at 54, to a link member 55, disposed in parallel relation to said bracket member or arm 5|. The forward end portion of said link member is swingably supported at the forward end of said bracket member or arm 5! by a link 56 corresponding in length between its points of pivotal attachment to the distance between the pivotal points 53 and 54 of the lever 52, whereby, upon the operation of said lever 52, the link member 55 is moved forwardly and rearwardly but maintained in substantially horizontal and parallel relation to the surface of the roadway. By this provision and arrangement a drip pan 51, carried by the rearward extension 58a of a downwardly extending arm 58 of the hori- Zontal link member 55, is supported normally in front of the nozzle member 44, and by manipulation of the lever 52 is moved, at the will of the operator, to a position under the discharge end of the nozzle in a manner and for the purpose presently described. So, too, the valve 48 is operated by a lever arm 48a and a link connection 481) with said hand lever 52.

Preferably, the nozzle member 44 is surrounded at its front and opposite lateral sides by a guard device 59 which is open at its rear side and bottom. As shown, the upper portion of this guard device comprises a square box-like housing of either sheet or cast metal, to the lower marginal portion of which is attached, preferably adjustably, an apron 60, of canvas, rubber or other suitable flexible material having a certain inherent resilient or form-retaining quality. By

this provision, the apron 60, whose lower edge portion extends in close proximity to the surface of the roadway, but obviously without touching, Serves to check drafts of air which might deflect the jet of paint being discharged from the nozzle and otherwise serves to confine the discharge of the paint to the limited width of the stripe being applied to the roadway. The adjustment of the apron 60, vertically on the upper, rigid housing portion 59 may be effected in any approved manner, but as shown, it is apertured, as at SI, for the application of securing bolts 62 which releasably clamp the apron between the sides of the housing 59 and an outer retaining band or strap 63.

The flexible character of the apron permits the ready shifting of the drip pan 5'! thereunder when the painting operation is stopped, whe: to prevent drippage from the nozzle to the r dway until the desired painting operation. is again started, at the will of the operator. This is an important feature of the present invention, as well as the many other objects and advantages attained by and through the several instrumentalities and arrangements of the complete machine as herein set forth.

As shown, the carriage frame 42 comprises a rectangular body member to which the forward ground wheels 53 are secured by. a yoke 64, while the rear wheels are carried by a yoke 65 which is attached to an angular bracket extension 65 at the rear end of the body member of the frame. However, this carriage may be constructed in any other approved or desired manner.

The paint as discharged on the roadway from the nozzle head 46 is wiped and evenly'spread throughout the width of the applied stripe by a series of brush elements, in lineal alinement, following the nozzle. In accordance with the best practice, as experience has proven, the form and arrangement of brush elements will now be described. Immediately following the nozzle, it is preferable to place a brush 61 of relatively resilient, flexible sheet fabric or material, of rectangular form and provided with a single notch or recess 68 at the middle of the lower edge por-- tion which moves in contact with the road surface with a Wiping effect like a squilgee. This brush element, as are all the others of its character in the assembly, is given an arcuate form in horizontal cross section, the concavity being to the front, whereby to have the effect of gathering the deposited paint and confining it to the maximum width of the applied stripe on the roadway, with a tendency to longitudinally centralize the greater portion of the paint, as originally deposited, medially of the area of the stripe. This brush element, like the others following, is releasably clamped, in any approved manner (not shown) between a pair of transversely arcuate, vertically elongated, metal plates 69 which are secured to a cross member Hi spanning the carriage body frame 42.

Next following the brush element 61, it is preferable and practical to dispose a bristle brush "H of the ordinary painting type and of a width corresponding to the width of the stripe to be applied. Then, in sequence, a brush element 72 is provided of the same character as brush element 57, with the exception that it is preferably made with two lower marginal notches or recesses 13, said recesses being located relatively near the vertical margins of the brush and the width of the bottom edge between the recesses being greater than the width of the recess 68 of said brush element 61, by which arrangement the first brush element 87, by its transversely concaved form and the central location of its recess 8, wipes the deposited paint on the road surface inwardly from each margin of the stripe and, in effect, produces a gathered ridge of the surplus paint longitudinally and medially of the stripe, which medial ridge the middle portion of the brush element 12, between its recesses 73, wipes down appreciably, and said recesses 13 facilitate the formation of two outer ridges paralleling the original medial ridge and the three ridges thus produced being of substantially equal proportions and divided from the original bulk of the original ridge.

Following the brush F2, in some cases, it is advantageous to utilize an additional element '84, which may be substantially identical with the element 72, but, for practical purposes, the lower marginal wiping portion is preferably provided with a larger number of notches or recesses 15, each of somewhat lesser width than the recesses 68 and 713, respectively, of the brush elements 51 and '12. This element 14 functions to more evenly distribute the coating of paint in "the-stripe area on the roadway. Next following the brush element it it is preferable toprovide a final brush element 16 of the ordinary bristle type, similar to the element ll hereinbefore described.

By the co-aotion of the several brush elements of the squilgee type," provided with the marginal recesses in their wiping portions, together with the bristle brushes as arranged therewith, a well defined stripe with an evenly distributed, durable body of paint is readily applied to the surface :of the roadway under the control of the operator through instrumentalities now to be described. In this connection, the brush-elements may be further modified, but the herein described assem bly is practical for most striping operations.

While the machine is being transported to and from places of operation and during such time as o eration is suspended, and, obviously, also in the process of painting non-continuous or interrupted or broken linetypes of highway lane markings, the supplemental carriage 52 can be lifted to bring its ground wheels 43 out of supporting contact from the road surface. This is conveniently accomplished by connecting the rear end portion of the body frame $2 to the arm 17 of a bell-crank by a chain 78, said bell-crank being pivotally mounted on a bracket extension 19 of the vehicle chassis or body frame, as at 8*],

its opposite arm 8! being pivotally attached to a link member 82 which is in turn p'ivotally attached to the hereinbefore described operating lever 52. By this arrangement the carriage E2 is swung upwardly on its swivelled support at its forward end, simultaneously with the operation of the lever 52 in effecting the closing of valve 43 and the movement of the drip pan 5? to its working position under the paint discharge nozzle 44.

In the normal or ordinary operation and control of the motor vehicle I in transporting the machine from place to place, the steering and driving control is accomplished solely from the regular drivers seat 6 through the means usually provided. However, in the steering and control, under various working conditions in the process of applying the painted stripe to a roadway, it is necessarily or more conveniently accomplished from different stations specially provided on the vehicle as extensions of the body frame or as supplemental attachments thereto and through specially provided controlling facilities, as will now be set forth with particularity.

In cases where the margin of the roadway is well defined and observable, and the roadway is of uniform width throughout the length thereof and to be marked with a central single stripe or, obviously, a multiplicity of parallel stripes defining multiple lanes, the vehicle is conveniently guided by having a chain or other flexible, or even a. hinged, rigid, pendant marker element 83, suspended from a laterally projecting arm or support 83a at the forward end of the body frame of the vehicle and maintained vertically coincident above the road margin, preferably the right hand margin, under the observation of the driver while seated or standing at a station laterally offset from the main body of the vehicle. To facilitate this manipulation on the part of the driver, a platform 84 is extended from the right side of the vehicle main frame 2, on which is placed a seat 85, within reaching distance of which is the hand wheel 85 of a supplemental steering post or column 81, at the lower end of which latter is an ordinary gearing (not shown in detail),

preferably of the approved worm screw type, indicated, generally, by the numeral 88. The platform is supported by an idler ground wheel 84a.

The gearing 88 is located in a suitable housing secured on the outer end portion of a. tubular frame attachment 89 which is conveniently attached, as at 99, to the front end portions of the side members of the main body frame 2 (see Fig ure 1). This attachment 89 may be suitably trussed, as at 9|, or in any other approved manner. One of the purposes of the attachment 89 is to support a shaft 92 (shown detached in Figure 3) which latter in use, is inserted and rotatably supported in said element 89. At one end, the shaft 92, as shown conventionally, at 93, is longitudinally formed with suitable key ways or obvious alternate grooves and shoulders or ribs to fit into a counterpart socket provided in the driving element of gearing 88 of the supplemental steering mechanism just above described so as to afford a detachable driving connection. At the opposite end of the shaft 92 a lever arm 94 is provided to which a link 95 is pivotally attached, as by a universal joint, in an ordinary manner, said link 95 being in turn connectible to the regular steering arm 9a of the front ground wheel 4 at the left side of the vehicle, in place of the link which connects the normal steering mechanism of the vehicle with said regular steering arm.

As the details of the normal steering mechanism are well known and only enter into the present invention in a general way, no further specific description or illustration in the. drawings is deemed necessary to a full understanding v of the invention. Therefore, the mechanism is described generally and only set forth with particularity in that said link 95, is, in use, connected to the steering arm 4a of the left front wheel 4. By this provision, the steering of the vehicle can be conveniently controlled from the supplemental driver's seat 85 as hereinbefore described.

In some operations, particularly in cases where an existing stripe is to be renewed or may be followed as a guide in the placing of another stripe parallel thereto on a multiple lane roadway, the

steering of the vehicle is more conveniently controlled and operated from the left side of the vehicle, provision for which is made either by extending a. special platform or body frame attachment or utilizing the hereinbefore described platform or frame extension 38, on which, as shown, is placed a supplemental drivers seat 96, within easy reach of which is the operating lever 52 for the supplemental carriage 42 and drip pan 5'! of the paint applying mechanism, and from which seat 96, also, the driver controls the steering by manipulating the hand wheel 9! on a shaft 98 of a supplemental steering mechanism now to be described.

As shown, the shaft 98 is rotatably mounted, adjacent the hand wheel 91,. on an upstanding supporting frame 99 on the platform or frame extension 38, its lower end portion being connected by a universal joint I99 to a second shaft element IDI suitably journalled, as at I02, and as conventionally shown, by a supporting bracket secured to the left side member of the main body frame and fender above the left front ground wheel 4. The shaft element I9I is connected at its forward end to theworm screw of a gearing (not shown in detail) which is similar to the hereinbefore described gearing 88 and is located in a housing I93 secured on a forward extension I94 of the housing I93 is a crank-arm I06 which is connectible through a link It! with the regular steering arm 4a of the left front ground wheel 4, in place of said link member 95 of the herein first described supplemental steering means, which, as described, is provided for inter-changeable connection with said regular steering arm in place of the usual link which connects the normal steering mechanism of the vehicle with said regular steering arm.

Sighting means is conveniently provided by removing the shaft element 92 from the tubular frame attachment 89 and inserting and supportingly securing in said attachment 89 an angular extension I08 of a longitudinally disposed supporting bar I09, on the forward end portion of which a vertical rod I I9 is mounted, the inner end portion of said bar I99 being supported, as at I I I, on the platform 38 and having a vertical extension H2 at said inner end and provided with a forked upper end portion II2a through which the driver sights said forwardly disposed rod III] while manipulating the hand wheel 9! to keep the sighted rod II 0 in alinement with the existing stripe on the roadway, or, in some cases, on a straightaway stretch of the roadway on which there is no existing stripe, to keep the sighted rod I ID in line with a distant mark, whereby to apply a stripe to the roadway with substantial accuracy of location.

In some operations there may be employed one operator who occupies the normal drivers seat 6 so as to control the driving of the vehicle and also to operate the foot pedal 31 which controls the opening and closing of the cut-off valve 34, while another operator occupies the supplemental seat 96 and controls the raising and lowering of the supplemental carriage 42 and observes the paint applying effect and can readily direct the first mentioned operator, either verbally or by signal code, to open or close the cut-off valve 34.

In other cases the one operator who occupied the normal driver's seat 6, as just above described, may occupy the supplemental drivers seat 85 on the platform 84 herein first described, whereby to steer the vehicle through the provisions described for use in connection with the right hand margin of the roadway or an existing stripe, as the case may be; and, to enable this operator, at the station just mentioned, to operate the cut-off valve 34, while also steering the vehicle, a. supplemental foot pedal 31a is provided on a transverse shaft extension II3, as earlier herein generally described; said shaft extension I I3 being connected to the first mentioned pedal 37 so that either pedal will be equally effective in opening and closing said cut-off valve 39. At the same time the operator stationed on platform extension 38 performs his part of the work as just previously herein described.

In still other cases the one driver stationed on the platform extension 38 may not only control the paint applying mechanism, but also drive the vehicle and control, at will, the opening and closing of the cut-off valve 34. The steering in these cases is, of course, controlled by the operator manipulating the hand wheel 91; and, to enable the operator to control the cut-off valve 34, another supplemental foot pedal 9??) is provided on the platform 38 and connected by a link and leverage 31c to an oppositely extending transverse shaft extension I I4 in easy reach from the drivers seat 98. The one operator in this instance, therefore, controls the entire manipulation of the machine.

It i-na'y here be also mentioned that, "obviously, there may be supplemental means for the various driving controls used in the normal driving of the vehicle, but it is deemed unnecessary to illustrate and describe the same in detail in this specification, as such parts or devices do not enter specifically into the present invention.

-By the use of a machine in accordance with the present invention, a continuous stripe is painted economically and with substantial accuracy of location on roadways of either the single or the multiple lane type; the paint is distributed evenly and uniformly throughout the entire length and breadthcf the-stripe; and the facility with which the paint applying mechanism can be brought into Working relation to the surface of the roadway and lifted therefrom, at the will of the operator, makes "for practicability in the applying of either a continuous :stripe or a broken line marking due to thefacility with which the supplemental carriage E2 is raised and lowered atthe will of the operator through the means hereinbefore described. Furthermore, a machine construoted arranged accordance with the present invention is operated, with high efficiency, by a minimum number of operators, in practically all cases, by only two operators, and in some cases by a single operator, as herein set forth.

In order to clear the surface of the roadway of dirt and other lcose foreign particles thereon in the region where the stripeis'applied, the exhaust 'pipefrom the motor of the vehicle I is conveniently extended and supported, in any approved manher, so that the end portion of the pipe, which is preferably flared, as at '5 i5, is disposed a short distance above thesurface ofth'e roadway in the path of the stripe applying'devic'e. However, other means may be employed forthis purpose. For example, a brush or sweeping element may be carried by "the vehicle, or-an airbl'ast device may be specially provided, but such device or devices in themselves, do not constitute apart of the present inventionexcept in-a general way and inccmbination with'other elements herein shown and claimed, and, therefore, are not specifically shown or described in the present specification.

In practice the machine is preferably further provided with means for cleansing ,the pipe, pump and other parts of the system through which the paint is "fed fromthe supplytank it to the paint-applying nozzle l' 'i. As shown, a tank l i? to contain benzoljgasolene, kerosene or other suitable paint solvent oi-cleansing liquid, has a pipe connection H8 with thepaint supply pipe l8, provided with a suitable cut-off valve H'S which may be opened and closed at the will ofthe operator. By this arrangementthe parts of the paint feeding system can be readily cleared of paint before and after each stripe-applying operaticn of the machine and therebyprevent clogging the system which might otherwise occur due to the possible drying-and hardening of such paint that remains in the parts after cessation of operation for any considerable time.

While theparticular machine illustrated in the drawings represents a practical adaptation of the invention, it is obvious that many alterations and modifications may be made within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. The invention, therefore, is not limited to the specific construction and arrangement shown.

What is claimed is:

1. In a road-striping machine, a vehicle to travel on the roadway, guiding and steering means,

adjustably provided on the vehicle, for controlling the travel of the vehicle to gauge the location of the stripe, stripe applying means comprising a supplemental carriage having wheels to support it on the road surface and provided with paint-applying brushes to sweep in contact with the road surface when the carriage is so supported, controllable means for supplying, with regulation by an operator, at will, painting material in the path of said brushes, and means on on the surface of the roadway coincidentally with the line of the stripe to be applied and comprising a supplemental wheeled carriage provided with a series'of sequentially acting, alined,

flexible sheet wiper type and cooperating bristle type brush elements following the deposited painting material in sweeping contact with the surface of the roadway.

3. The same as claim 2, and adding: said series of brush elements including an initial brush element of relatively resilient sheet material, the

surface contac'ting marginal portion of which is medially recessed, next following the same a bristle type brush, thenin sequence abrush element similar to the initial brush element but having a pair of recesses in its lower marginal surface-contacting portion and respectively located on opposite sides ofthe middle of the brush element, and a final element of the bristle brush type.

4. The same asiclaim 2,and"adding: said series of brush elements-including an initial brush-element of relativelylresilient sheet material, arcuately' shaped-in transverse cross-section, with the concavity forward with respect to the direction of operative travel of the-element, the lower marginal surface-contactingportion of the element having a medial recess, a next following element of the bristle brush type, and then in sequence an element similar tothe'initial brush element but having a pairiof recesses in its lower marginal surface-contacting portion respectively located on opposite sides of the middle of the brush ele ment, and a final element of the bristle brush type.

5. Theherein described paint-applying device for a roadway striping machine, comprising a carriage operably mounted and'controlled to 'be placed in Working relation to "the roadway surface and lifted therefrom, means to so place and lift said carriage at will, and a 'seriesof brush elements, the marginal surface-contacting portions of whicharerecesse'd in'staggeredrelation to eachiother, said elements comprising relatively resilient sheet material and being arcuately shaped in transverse cross section with the concavity forward with respect to the direction of travel in the operation of the device.

6. The same as claim 5, and adding: the initial brush element having a single, medially located recess, and the next in sequence having a pair of recesses located respectively on opposite sides of the middle of the element, the other elements of the series having their recesses variously located to be respectively out of direct alinement with the recess of the initial element.

7. The herein described paint-applying device for a roadway striping machine, comprising a carriage adapted to travel on the surface of the roadway and being attached to and supported upon the machine so as to travel in a line parallel with the machine in its travel in operation, freely to follow a straight or a curved path, and being also capable of lowering and raising movement to bring the device into working relation to the roadway and out of such relation, means to so place and lift said carriage at will, means for selectively operating the carriage under the control of an operator, a paint-distributing device on said carriage, brush elements on the carriage following, in alinement, after the paint-distributing device, and means, under the control of an operator, for supplying painting material to said paintdistributing device.

8. In a roadway striping machine, a vehicle to travel on the roadway, painting means on said vehicle, under the selective control of an operator, said painting means comprising a supplemental wheeled carriage to travel on the roadway and having a universally swivelled attachment to the vehicle and having provision for lowering it to and lifting it from the roadway at will, brush elements arranged in a longitudinally alined series on said carriage and travelling sequentially in sweeping contact with the surface of the roadway in the lowered position of the carriage, said brush elements being alternately of flexible sheet wiper type and bristle type, the sheet wiper type brushes being of arcuate cross section, a paint supply container on the vehicle, a delivery nozzle on the vehicle located forward of said supplemental carriage and substantially coincident with the center of the swivelled attachment of said carriage to the vehicle, a pipe connection between said nozzle and paint supply container, means for driving and steering the vehicle in the usual conventional manner, and separate means, laterally of the vehicle, but supported by extensions of the vehicle body, for steering and guiding the vehicle to gauge the location of the stripe, said last named separate means having provision for interchangeable attachment to the regular conventional steering means of the vehicle.

9. In a roadway striping machine, a motor vehicle, regular means for steering and guiding the vehicle in the usual conventional manner, separate means for steering the vehicle to gauge the location of the stripe to be painted, said separate means comprising lateral extensions at each side'of the vehicle body, steering and guiding devices on said extensions, and means for releasably and interchangeably connecting saidlaterally located steering and guiding devices on said extensions with the regular normal steering and guiding mechanism of the vehicle, said last named means comprising a tubular cross member at the front of the'vehicle, separate gearing at each en of said tubular member, a steering wheel in each of the steering devices on said lateral extensions of the vehicle body, one of said steering wheels operatively connected to the gearing at the adjacent end of said tubular member, the other steering wheel operatively connected to the 5 gearing at the end of said tubular member adjacent thereto, a shaft insertable with rotative mounting in said tubular member, with a driving connection at one end with the adjacent gearing on said tubular member, means for detachably 10 connecting the opposite end portion of said shaft to the steering arm of the regular steering mechanism of the vehicle, means for detachably connecting the other gearing on said tubular member to said arm of the regular steering mechanism 5 of the vehicle, and sighting elements attachable to the end portions of said tubular member.

10. In a roadway striping machine, a paint supply tank, a power-driven stirrer in said tank, said stirrer comprising tapered blades working 20 near the bottom of the tank, the blades widening towards their outer ends and having correspondingly flared openings therein, a paint-applying device operable in proximity to the surface of the roadway, a supply connection between said tank 25 and said paint applying device, said connection including therein a power-driven pumping device to force a positive supply of paint to said applying device, and cut-off and flow regulating valves located in said supply connection between said 30 tank and said pumping device, the flow regulating valve being located between the cut-off valve and the pumping device under the control of an operator.

11. In a paint-applying device for roadway 35 striping machines and the like, a distributing nozzle for the paint, located in working relation to the surface of the roadway, said nozzle comprising a vertically depending supporting and supply pipe having a transverse T-head at its 40 lower end provided with downwardly and rearwardly inclined outlet opening, and a guard comprising a boxing having a top wall supportedly secured on said vertically depending pipe and depending front and side walls, but no rear wall 5 or bottom.

12. In a paint-applying device for roadway striping machines and the like, a distributing nozzle for the paint, located in working relation to the surface of the roadway, said nozzle com- 50 prising a vertically depending supporting and supply pipe having a T-head transversely disposed at its lower end and provided with downwardly and rearwardly inclined outlet opening,

a guard comprising a boxing having a top wall 55 supportedly secured on said vertically depending pipe and depending front and side walls, but no rear wall or bottom, said front and side walls having depending flexible and yieldable lower portions, and a drip catcher movably supported 60 normally in front of the flexible and yieldable front wall portion of said guard and provided with means for moving it at the will of an operator into deformable engagement with said flexible and yieldable front and side wall portions 5 of said guard and in drip catching relation under the T-head of the nozzle.

JOHN HOUSTON BALL.

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