THE BUTTON-DOWN MACHINE

THE LINHART MACHINE IS DESCRIBED FOR PLACING CERAMIC MARKERS ON HIGHWAY PAVEMENTS. TRAFFIC LANE BUTTONS HAVE PREVIOUSLY BEEN PLACED BY HAND, A SLOW, MESSY BUSINESS AT BEST. WHEN THE MACHINE IS OPERATING PROPERLY AT FULL SPEED, IT CAN PUT DOWN MARKERS AT ONE MILE AN HOUR. THE EPOXY, MIXED IN A BLENDER-LIKE HOUSING, IS METERED ONTO A CERAMIC BUTTON THAT AUTOMATICALLY ROTATES ONCE, INSURING SOLID COVERAGE OF EPOXY. AN INSPECTOR RIDING ON THE MACHINE CHECKS FOR EVEN DISTRIBUTION, THEN PLACES BUTTON IN A TRAY OVER THE CONVEYER BELT. COATED BUTTONS ARE PICKED UP BY A BUCKET ON THE CONVEYER BELT AND PLACED ON PAVEMENT. AS THE BUTTON COMES IN CONTACT WITH THE PAVEMENT, A ROLLER PRESSES THE BUTTON INTO THE EPOXY SO THAT A UNIFORM BEADING IS OBTAINED AROUND THE EDGE. THERE ARE SEVERAL CRITICAL FACTORS IN SUBMITTING BUTTONS TO CONCRETE EPOXY: MIXING IS CRITICAL AND SO ARE THE EXACT PROPORTIONS, AND THE EPOXY MUST HAVE THE CONSISTENCY OF TOOTHPASTE (AT LEAST ENOUGH CONSISTENCY TO SUPPORT THE BUTTON). A SIX-MILE SECTION OF FREEWAY IN TEXAS WAS MARKED WITH THE BUTTON MACHINE SUCCESSFULLY.

  • Supplemental Notes:
    • Vol 14, No 12, PP 18-19, 6 PHOT
  • Authors:
    • Lively, F
  • Publication Date: 1967-12

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Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00219287
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: May 24 1994 12:00AM