Abstract:
A whisker marker system is disclosed for marking a ground surface having an installation apparatus a whisker marker, a marker strip, and a whisker fastener. The installation apparatus includes a housing, an elongate driver shaft for connection to a power driver for rotating the driver shaft. The drive shaft has the forward end a driver bit. A slide body is coupled to the housing for moving between an extended position and a retracted position. The slide body has a guide channel for receiving a marker strip. A marker includes a whisker marker for visually marking a location on a surface and a threaded fastener for holding the whisker marker in place. The whisker marker includes a bunch of flexible strands that form an indicator flag. The flexible strand bunch has a bunching device attached at its longitudinal center. A pair of apertures are located opposite each other in the bunching device. The marker strip includes threaded fasteners, such as a screw, having whisker markers attached in a strip. The threaded fastener is attached to the marker strip so that the threaded fastener is released from the marker strip when it is rotated.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/326,912 entitled “WHISKER MARKER SYSTEM, APPARATUS AND METHOD” which was filed Apr. 22, 2010, and is incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The subject disclosure relates to ground marking systems adapted to be driven into a surrounding terrain, and more particularly to a new marker for marking a ground surface to, for example, indicate the presence of buried utilities, boundaries, events, advertising, etc. in a highly efficient and convenient manner. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    By way of background concerning some conventional systems, it can be desirable to mark the ground surface to indicate, for example, the presence of underground utilities, the location of lot boundaries, and the like. This marking is often accomplished by the insertion of markers into the ground that extend upward from the ground surface and may include a flag at the top end. In other cases, the markers may comprise a plurality of nylon (or similar) strands with a nail in the center (e.g., whisker markers), so that when the nail is inserted, the marker remains at the surface of the ground. Numerous markers may be placed at spaced locations along the path of the buried utility line, and this may be true of each buried utility service (such as electric, gas, telephone, water, sewer). 
         [0004]    Whisker markers (e.g., grading stakes) are one type of marker device commonly used in a variety of building and construction industries. Grading stakes are typically used to indicate the level to which the surrounding terrain must be graded. The stakes are customarily driven to a specified level relative to the existing surface and frequently include a brightly painted top to indicate the existence of the stake top and the level to which the surface ground is to be cut or filled. Other typical uses in the construction industries include topographic surveys of the site to be used in the preparation of plans for a structure and locating in the soil a system of stakes or other markers both in plan and in elevation from which the construction crew can take measurements of earthwork and other measurements for the proper construction of structures. Additionally, temporary stakes or other markers are usually set at the corners of proposed structures, as an approximate guide for beginning the excavation. 
         [0005]    Generally, whisker markers (e.g., markers) are inserted into the ground surface by hand. For example, one method of inserting a single whisker marker to indicate the presence of buried electric cable involves the steps of: configuring detection equipment to detect the buried cable; detecting the buried cable with a detector; storing the detector (e.g., in a holster, on the ground surface); selecting a can of spray paint containing a paint colored to correspond to the type of utility being marked (e.g., buried electric cable); spraying paint from the selected can onto the ground surface above the buried cable&#39;s location; storing the can of spray paint; selecting a marker with characteristics that correspond to the type of utility (e.g., a marker with a visual indicator printed or colored to indicate buried electric cable); and inserting the flag into the ground surface proximate to the paint and above the buried cable&#39;s location. These methods are repeated until a desired amount (e.g., length) of the buried cable has been marked. 
         [0006]    However, the installation of the markers carries with it a variety of deficiencies. One such deficiency conventionally associated with the installation of markers to demarcate the location of a buried object is that the process can be laborious, due to the numbers of markers that need to be placed as well as the manner in which the markers are inserted. The markers may be inserted by hand into the ground with no mechanical assistance, but this requires repeatedly bending down to engage and insert the marker into the ground surface. An alternative method, with whisker markers, may require the use of a hammer to drive the nail of the whisker marker into the ground. This repeated bending over and hammering can be physically taxing on the person performing the marking operation. 
         [0007]    A number of devices have been proposed to facilitate the placement of markers. Another deficiency commonly associated with the installation of markers is that while these devices may work in some instances, some appear to actually make the insertion action more difficult by increasing the cross sectional profile of the portion of the marker that is being inserted into the ground (and thereby causing more resistance due to the larger profile), and/or requiring that a portion of apparatus be inserted in the ground as well. This approach can make it difficult if not impossible to insert markers into ground that is highly compacted, stony, or is even slightly frozen, to name a few of the factors making the insertion more difficult. 
         [0008]    An even further deficiency commonly associated with the installation of marks is that some of the devices in the prior art must be loaded with a marker each time that a marker is to be installed, which requires continual reloading of the device. Also, some devices require a relatively strong and rigid marker in order to push the marker into the ground, and this may require markers with thicker cross sectional sizes in order to provide the necessary rigidity. 
         [0009]    The above-described deficiencies of today&#39;s markers and marker systems are merely intended to provide an overview of some of the problems of conventional systems, and are not intended to be exhaustive. Other problems with the state of the art and corresponding benefits of some of the various non-limiting embodiments may become further apparent upon review of the following detailed description. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0010]    A simplified summary is provided herein to help enable a basic or general understanding of various aspects of exemplary, non-limiting embodiments that follow in the more detailed description and the accompanying drawings. This summary is not intended, however, as an extensive or exhaustive overview. Instead, the sole purpose of this summary is to present some concepts related to some exemplary non-limiting embodiments in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description of the various embodiments that follow. 
         [0011]    According to one exemplary embodiment, A whisker marker system for marking a ground surface includes an installation apparatus for installing a marker, the installation apparatus having a housing, an elongate driver shaft for operative connection to a power driver for rotating and defining a longitudinal axis. The installation apparatus further has the drive shaft and the housing coupled together for movement together parallel to the axis of the drive shaft. The driver shaft has, at the forward end, a driver bit. A slide body is coupled to the housing for movement relative to the housing and drive shaft, parallel to the axis of the drive shaft, between an extended position and a retracted position. The slide body has a guide channel for a marker strip extending through the slide body transverse to the driver and intersecting with the driver. The guide channel has an entrance for inserting the marker strip and an exit for a used marker strip to exit. A marker to be driven into a ground surface by the installation apparatus includes a whisker marker for visually marking a location on a surface. The whisker marker includes a bunch of flexible strands which form an indicator flag having a bunching device permanently attached to the flexible strand bunch at a connection point located in the longitudinal center of the flexible strand bunch. A pair of apertures located opposite each other in the bunching device receive a whisker fastener and the whisker fastener is positioned about a frustro-conical top portion of the whisker fastener. A marker strip includes threaded fasteners such as screws joined together in a strip. A whisker fastener that receives the whisker marker includes a threaded fastener. The threaded fastener has a pointed bottom portion, a threaded middle portion, and a frustro-conical top portion. The threaded fastener is attached to the marker strip such that the threaded fastener is released from the marker strip when the threaded fastener is rotated. 
         [0012]    These and other embodiments are described in more detail below. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    The disclosure will be better understood when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1A through 1D  are schematic side perspective views of a new whisker marker system according to the present disclosure. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a schematic perspective view of a new whisker marker system according to the present disclosure. 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a schematic perspective view of the markers attached to a marker strip, according to the illustrative embodiment. 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a schematic perspective view of a new whisker marker system according to the present disclosure. 
           [0018]      FIGS. 5A and 5B  illustrates a new whisker marker method according to the present disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0019]    The claimed subject matter is now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the claimed subject matter. It may be evident, however, that the claimed subject matter may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices may be shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate describing the claimed subject matter. 
         [0020]    Moreover, the word “exemplary” is used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any embodiment or design described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or designs. Rather, use of the word exemplary is intended to present concepts in a concrete fashion. As used in this application, the term “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive “or.” Therefore, unless specified otherwise, or clear from context, “X employs A or B” is intended to mean any of the natural inclusive permutations. That is, if X employs A; X employs B; or X employs both A and B, then “X employs A or B” is satisfied under any of the foregoing instances. In addition, the articles “a” and “an” as used in this application and the appended claims should generally be construed to mean “one or more” unless specified otherwise or clear from context to be directed to a singular form. 
         [0021]    In the following detailed description of embodiments according to the present disclosure, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific preferred embodiments in which the system of the disclosure may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that logical, mechanical and electrical changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. To avoid detail not necessary to enable those skilled in the art to practice the systems and methods of the disclosure, the description may omit certain information known to those skilled in the art. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present disclosure is defined only by the appended claims. 
         [0022]    With reference now to the drawings, and in particular  FIGS. 1 through 5  thereof, various embodiments employing the principles and concepts of the present whisker marker system generally designated by the reference number  10 , will be described. 
         [0023]    According to an embodiment, whisker markers  12 , a type of marker  30  used to indicate, for example, the boundary of a roadway, are shown. Generally, whisker markers  12  are placed on a porous (e.g., compacted gravel) ground surface  14  to be marked, and secured to the ground surface  14  using a whisker fastener  16  (e.g., nail) driven through the whisker marker  12  and into the ground  13  with a hammering device. A whisker marker  12  can comprise a plurality of flexible, slender, elongated materials (e.g., extruded fibers  18 , nylon threads). The flexible fibers  18  have a length, and are bunched together and trimmed so that the fibers  18  in the bunch of fibers  18  (not shown) are of a uniform length. The fibers  18  can be bent into a substantially U-shape or V-shape as they are driven into the ground  13  because of the lateral pressure directed towards the bunch of fibers  18  at a connection point  20  to the whisker fastener  16 . At about the midpoint of the length of the bunch of fibers  18 , a bunching device  22  is used to surround the fibers  18  so that they are retained in a bunch. Two apertures  24 , located opposite from one another and capable of receiving the whisker fastener  16 , are located in the bunching device  22 . In use, the whisker fastener  16  is placed in both of the apertures, and then driven into the ground  13 . Because the bunching device  22  is located below the head  26  of the whisker fastener  16 , the bunching device  22  and associated bunched fibers  18  contact the ground surface  14  first, causing the fibers  18  of the bunch to bend upwards as the head  26  of the whisker fastener  16  is forced further into the ground  13 . Commonly, the height of the head  26  of the whisker fastener  16  is desired to be flush with the surface of the ground  14  so that, for example, grading equipment operators will be able to grade over the flexible fibers  18  without contacting the head  26  of the whisker fastener  16 , causing the fastener  16  to be removed from the ground surface  14 . 
         [0024]    With reference now to the drawings, and in particular  FIGS. 1 through 18  thereof, various embodiments employing the principles and concepts of the present whisker marker apparatus generally designated by the reference number  10 , will be described. 
         [0025]    One embodiment of the disclosure relates to an installation apparatus  28  shown for use with a marker  30  (e.g., a whisker marker  12  mounted on a whisker fastener  16 ). A fastener  16  (e.g., a screw having a screwhead  16 , a pointed end, and a threaded shaft positioned therebetween) is loaded into the screw-driver like apparatus in an installation position. A screw-driver like apparatus  28  of the type discussed herein in various embodiments can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,601,480, dated Sep. 15, 2000, which is hereby incorporated by reference. According to an embodiment, the marker installation system  10  includes a rotatable bit  32  for engaging the screwhead  16 , selectively rotating the fastener  16  while remaining engaged with the screwhead  16 , causing the fastener  16  to be driven into some type of surface, such a ground surface  14  or a wooden stake (not shown). The surface may include gravel or hard packed roadway material, including reground asphalt and other types of roadway. The whisker marker system and apparatus further includes a whisker marker  12  holding assembly for holding the whisker marker  12  adjacent the pointed end of the fastener  16 . In use, the apparatus engages the screwhead  16 , rotating the fastener  16  so that the pointed end of the threaded shaft pierces or passes through the bunching device  22  of the whisker marker  12 . The fastener  16  is driven into the ground  13  (or other surface) to a desired depth, until the screwhead  16  secures the whisker marker  12  to the ground  13 . 
         [0026]    According to an embodiment, the fastener  16  may be driven into the ground  13  such that the screwhead  16  is positioned below the surface of the ground, and the whisker marker  12  extends upwards from the screwhead  16 , above the surface of the ground. According to this embodiment, the whisker marker  12 , which is constructed of a flexible material, is positioned so as to prevent accidental removal from passersby or from roadway equipment. 
         [0027]    According to an embodiment, the top of the fastener  16  (or a predetermined portion of the whisker marker  12  secured by the fastener  16 ) may be driven into a ground surface  14  to a desired depth, so that the ground surface  14  can be graded to a particular elevation (e.g., a process sometimes referred to as “blue topping”). The elevation may be determined by the grading the surface until the top of the fastener  16  is uncovered, or until a predetermined portion of the whisker marker  12  is uncovered. According to yet another embodiment, the fastener  16  and associated whisker marker  12  may be driven into a spike of wood (e.g., inserted into a ground surface  14 ) to illustrate a desired elevation. The use of a whisker marker  12  permits heavy equipment operators to grade an elevation by visualizing the marker  30  from the operating cab of the equipment. 
         [0028]    According to an embodiment as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5   b , multiple whisker markers  12  can be loaded together in a side by side configuration (e.g., collated) such that the portions of the whisker markers  12  to be pierced by the pointed end of the fastener  16  are in substantially linear. The collated markers are inserted into a whisker marker  12  holding assembly configured to advance a single whisker marker  12  of the collated markers into the installation position after the previous whisker marker  12  has been secured to a surface. Accordingly, in an embodiment, multiple fasteners can be loaded together in a side-by-side configuration (e.g., collated) such that the shaft of adjacent fasteners is substantially parallel can be inserted into a fastener  16  advancing assembly that advances one fastener  16  of the collated fasteners into the installation position after the previous fastener  16  has been driven into a surface. According to this embodiment, the whisker marker  12  system and apparatus can be operated with both collated fasteners and whiskers until the supply of collated fasteners and whiskers is depleted. 
         [0029]    According to an embodiment, a whisker marker  12  can be pre-threaded onto the pointed end of a fastener  16 , or on the shaft of a fastener  16 . In this configuration, only a single, pre-threaded fastener  16  is inserted into the installation position before each use of the marking apparatus. Accordingly, pre-threaded fasteners  26  can be loaded together in a side-by-side configuration (e.g., collated) such that the shaft of adjacent pre-threaded fasteners  26  are substantially parallel. A first pre-threaded fastener  16  of this collated magazine of fasteners can then be can be inserted into a fastener  16  advancing assembly configured to advance a single pre-threaded fastener  16  into the installation position at a time. 
         [0030]    According to an embodiment, the whisker markers  12 , fasteners or pre-threaded fasteners  26  (e.g., various markers) are be collated together on an outside surface by an elongated element  36 . The elongated element  36  (e.g., tape, glue, cloth, integrally molded tearable strip) extends across multiple various markers such that the elongated element  36  (e.g., the whisker fastener  16 ) is substantially positioned perpendicularly to any one of the fasteners in collated fasteners or collated pre-threaded fasteners  38  (e.g., screwhead fasteners). For example, an adhesive may bond a portion of the shafts of adjacent fasteners together, and an adhesive would not prevent dislodgment of one fastener  16  from the other fastener  16  (or one marker  30  from another marker  30 ) when rotational force is applied to one of the various markers on an axis that is either parallel to a fastener  16  or pre-threaded fastener, or perpendicular to a marker  30 . The various markers may be secured together in a planar arrangement that locates one or more various markers in a line. The elongated element  36  (e.g., marker strip) is designed to release one of the various markers when a rotational or other shearing force is applied to the elongated element  36  by the various markers (e.g., such as a rotational force applied by a fastener  16 ). 
         [0031]    According to an embodiment, the whisker markers  12 , fasteners, or pre-threaded fasteners  26  may be constructed of a variety of materials (e.g., plastic, metal, etc.) suitable for the type of surface being marked. Additionally, the whisker markers  12  can produced in any desired color. 
         [0032]    According to an embodiment, a marker  30  is disclosed as a whisker marker  12  having a whisker fastener  16  with a cylindrical threaded shaft attached thereto. Other cross sectional shapes of the insertion portion may be employed, including rectangular, square, triangular, oval, etc. One embodiment of the disclosure relates to a marker  30  which is highly suitable for marking a dense ground surface  14  using a threaded fastener  16 , although other applications of the marker  30  may be utilized for marking other objects into which a portion of the marker  30  may be inserted. The marker  30  may be utilized for temporarily (or more permanently) marking on a ground surface  14  the location of various otherwise hidden features, including the location of property boundaries, the location of utility lines buried under the ground surface  14 , as well as the location of any other demarcations such as for example, game field boundaries, path boundaries or elevations (e.g., for roadway grading). The marker  30  may also have other purposes such as for providing decorative additions to a ground surface  14  or to temporarily mark a path along a ground surface  14 . According to an embodiment, the marker  30  may press a non-threaded fastener  16  into the ground  13  in order to secure a whisker marker  12 . 
         [0033]    The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. For the avoidance of doubt, the subject matter disclosed herein is not limited by such examples. In addition, any embodiment or design described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or designs, nor is it meant to preclude equivalent exemplary structures and techniques known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “includes,” “has,” “contains,” and other similar words are used in either the detailed description or the claims, for the avoidance of doubt, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as an open transition word without precluding any additional or other elements. 
         [0034]    In view of the exemplary apparatus and methods described supra, methodologies that may be implemented in accordance with the disclosed subject matter will be better appreciated with reference to the flowcharts of the various figures. While for purposes of simplicity of explanation, the methodologies are shown and described as a series of blocks, it is to be understood and appreciated that the claimed subject matter is not limited by the order of the blocks, as some blocks may occur in different orders and/or concurrently with other blocks from what is depicted and described herein. Moreover, not all illustrated blocks may be required to implement the methodologies described hereinafter. 
         [0035]    Embodiments of the system of the disclosure are disclosed in the description and related drawings directed to specific embodiments of the disclosure. Alternate embodiments may be devised without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Additionally, well known elements of the system of the disclosure will not be described in detail or will be omitted so as not to obscure the relevant details of the disclosure. 
         [0036]    Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it should be appreciated that any arrangement calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to cover any and all adaptations or variations of various embodiments. It is to be understood that the above description has been made in an illustrative fashion, and not a restrictive one. Combinations of the above embodiments, and other embodiments not specifically described herein will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. Thus, the scope of various embodiments includes any other applications in which the above compositions, structures, and methods are used. 
         [0037]    Moreover, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various features are described in the context of a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. The disclosure of a single embodiment is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate preferred embodiment. In the appended claims, the terms “including” and “in which” are used as the plain-English equivalents of the respective terms “comprising” and “wherein,” respectively. Further, where the term “substantially” is used, it is intended to mean “for the most part” or “being largely but not wholly that which is specified”.