Patent Publication Number: US-9422679-B1

Title: Glass bead dispensing apparatus convertible between hand-held and mounted to a walk-behind pavement line striper

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/915,833 filed 13 Dec. 2013. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY-SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 
     (Not Applicable) 
     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
     (Not Applicable) 
     REFERENCE TO AN APPENDIX 
     (Not Applicable) 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to painting equipment for spray painting lines and traffic control indicia on pavement and more particularly relates to a glass bead dispensing apparatus for applying reflective glass beads onto a freshly painted line. The invention provides cost savings, improved convenience and enhanced operation of a walk behind, wheeled line striper, which is a machine in common use throughout the world. The invention also provides a glass bead dispensing apparatus that is easily demountable from the line striper for alternative use as a hand held bead dispenser. 
     Most painting contractors, who paint lines and traffic control indicia on pavement, use one of a few walk behind, wheeled line stripers purchased from two major manufacturers of these machines. An example is illustrated in  FIG. 1  and some of its structural parts will be subsequently described in more detail. The wheeled line striper is a wheeled carriage which carries spray painting equipment including a paint sprayer, a paint supply tank, a high pressure paint pump suitable for applying a high pressure to the paint so that paint exits the sprayer under high pressure, an engine for powering the paint pump and interconnecting conduits for conveying paint. The carriage can be propelled by an on-board engine or pushed by a human operator or a separate ridden engine. A hand trigger is mounted to carriage handles at the rear of the carriage where the trigger is accessible to a human operator who is propelling the line striper during a line painting operation. The hand trigger is connected to the sprayer by a mechanical link, such as an actuation cable, for manually actuating the sprayer to paint a line as the line striper moves along the pavement 
     Although the sprayer can be fixed to the line striper, the sprayer of most line stripers is a demountable paint spray gun that is supported in a spray gun cradle. The line striper has a movable sprayer operator that moves the spray gun trigger to initiate spraying when the painter, who is walking or riding behind the line striper, actuates the hand trigger at the rear of the line striper. The cradle also allows the paint spray gun to be detached from the cradle so that the painter can use the spray gun to manually paint indicia other than stripes on the pavement. For example, a painting contract may include not only the painting of lines but may additionally include painting lane turning arrows, words or handicap parking symbols using stencils. The detachability of the paint spray gun allows the use of a single spray gun, which is conveniently available and easily accessible to the painter, for both manually painting such indicia and then returning the paint spray gun to the line striper to resume painting lines. 
     Many painting contracts require the application of glass beads to the paint in order to make the painted lines and traffic indicia reflect light from vehicles or other light sources. The beads must be applied while the paint surface is tacky or wet so they will adhere to the paint. In an attempt to provide this function for line painting, glass bead dispensers have been mounted to prior art line stripers aft of the paint sprayer. An example is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,478,507. [Because line stripers are vehicles that move across pavement when performing their painting operation, the terms front, back, rear, fore, forward and aft are used to describe relative positions and orientations and have meanings that are equivalent to the manner those words are applied to automobiles and boats] 
     In order to support both the paint sprayer and the glass bead dispenser on the line striper, line stripers have a horizontal support bar to which the paint spray gun cradle and the glass bead dispenser are mounted. This horizontal support bar extends in a fore/aft orientation, parallel to the line of travel of the striper. The sprayer is mounted forward of the bead dispenser so that glass beads from the dispenser can fall onto a freshly painted stripe as the line striper moves along the pavement. Ordinarily, the horizontal support bar can be raised and lowered in order to raise and lower the sprayer. Because the paint is sprayed from the sprayer nozzle in a diverging fan pattern, the width of the painted line can be increased and decreased by respectively raising and lowering the support bar and with it the sprayer. 
     Although the prior art line sprayers perform their intended function well, they also have some important deficiencies and problems which the present invention solves. Generally, the present invention provides enhanced cost benefits added convenience and avoidance of some operational and maintenance problems. 
     One deficiency of the prior art line stripers is that the glass bead dispenser is permanently mounted to the line striper. The result is that a painting contractor must either buy a second, hand-held bead dispenser or dispense glass beads onto freshly painted indicia from his or her hand or a hand held container. However, dispensing glass beads from the hand results in a bead distribution that is irregular and leaves areas of insufficient concentration and therefore less reflectivity. Casting glass beads onto the paint from the height of a human hand above the pavement permits a wind to carry many of the beads onto unpainted surfaces of the pavement. Those beads are wasted and cannot practically be retrieved. 
     Therefore, there is a need for a glass bead dispensing apparatus that can be quickly and easily demounted from the line striper, converted to a manual bead dispenser, used to apply glass beads to traffic indicia that were hand painted with a stencil and then quickly and easily returned to the line striper. The ease and timing for making these conversions are important because the painter wants to spend as little time as possible detaching, assembling or reattaching tools because doing so extends the time required for completing performance of the paint contract. 
     Another shortcoming of prior art line stripers is that their glass bead dispensers are not vertically adjustable independently of their sprayer. Although line stripers permit the horizontal support bar to be vertically adjusted to raise and lower the sprayer in order to widen or narrow the sprayed line, their bead dispenser, which is mounted to that horizontal support bar, is raised and lowered with the support bar. Consequently, when the horizontal support bar is raised, the bead dispenser is also raised to a greater height above the pavement. That greater height allows a wind to blow the dispensed beads farther from the painted line where they fall on unpainted surfaces of the pavement. This also leaves areas of insufficient bead concentration and less reflectivity Therefore, there is a need for a bead dispenser that can be raised and lowered independently of the horizontal support bar so that, when the support bar is raised, the bead dispenser can be lowered down to a more desirable lower height above the pavement where the dispensed beads are less susceptible to deflection by the wind. 
     Yet another problem with the prior art presents a dilemma to a designer who applies the prior art to the design of a line striper. Bead dispensers have a bead container with a horizontal exit slot near their bottom and a gate that pivots between a position blocking the exit slot and a position away from the exit slot to permit glass beads to pour out through the exit slot onto a freshly painted line. Some prior art line stripers have their bead dispenser oriented on the line striper with their gate on their upstream side of the dispenser facing forward toward the paint sprayer. Other line stripers have their bead dispenser oriented on the line striper with the gate on their downstream stream side facing aft away from the paint sprayer. However, each orientation presents a different problem but the invention solves both. 
     If a line striper of the prior art has its bead dispenser gate on the forward side of the bead dispenser so that it faces upstream toward the paint sprayer, suspended paint droplets that have not contacted the pavement are blown by a wind onto the bead dispenser. This overspray accumulates on the bead container of the dispenser and its gate, which is open during spraying. Particularly troublesome is the accumulation of paint on interfacing surfaces between the gate and the dispenser container in the area around the exit slot. Paint accumulated on these surfaces interferes with the dispenser&#39;s operation, for example by causing the gate to stick closed or causing any gasket material on the gate to stick to the bead container when the gate is closed and be torn away when it is opened. 
     Other line stripers of the prior art have their bead dispensers oriented in the opposite direction so their bead dispenser gate is on the aft side of the bead dispenser facing downstream away from the paint sprayer. In this aft-facing orientation, the bead container acts as a shield which avoids the above-described overspray problem but adds a new problem. If the pavement has an uneven surface such as hills, ledges or a protruding stone, the bottom of the gate can scrape or drag along the pavement. This frictional engagement with the pavement pulls the gate open. That is not a significant problem while spraying a line because whenever the painter, who is walking behind the striper, has actuated the trigger handle on the line striper, the bead dispenser is already opened. So paint is applied to the pavement and beads are applied onto the undried paint with little or no undesirable consequence. 
     However, scraping the gate along the pavement becomes a problem with a prior art line sprayer if the scraping happens when the line sprayer is being moved from the end of a line into position for painting the next line. It is obviously undesirable for paint to be sprayed onto an unintended area of the pavement while moving the line sprayer from one line to the next line. The painter must stop painting and clean that paint off the pavement. However, with prior art line sprayers, if the gate drags along the pavement and is pulled open while the line sprayer is moving between locations of desired paint applications, the movement of the gate to its open position also triggers the sprayer and causes paint to be sprayed. The result is that paint is sprayed onto the pavement at an unwanted location and continues to be sprayed until the gate rises above the pavement and closes. The reason for this unwanted spray is that the prior art has a fixed length, solid rigid rod that links the sprayer trigger to the bead dispenser gate for opening the gate when the sprayer is actuated. The problem with the prior art is that the trigger of the sprayer and the gate of the bead dispenser move in unison regardless of which is forced to its open position. 
     Therefore, there is a need for a bead dispenser apparatus that allows the bead dispenser gate to face downstream so it is shielded by the bead container but will not cause the paint sprayer to be accidentally actuated if the bead gate is inadvertently scraped open by a high spot on the pavement. 
     Another inadequacy of prior art line stripers is that the fore and aft distance of their bead dispenser from the sprayer cannot be adjusted or varied because their bead dispenser is fixed to the horizontal support bar. A painter may want to change the distance of the bead dispenser from the sprayer in order to apply the beads sooner after a paint with highly volatile solvent is applied to a hot pavement in order to control the paint drying time until the beads are applied to the paint. Also, the painter may want to move the bead dispenser farther from the sprayer on a windy day to minimize the overspray that blows onto the bead dispenser. Unfortunately, even if an owner of a line striper wished to vary that distance, the distance cannot be varied because of the rigid actuating link connected to the bead dispenser. Any fore and aft relocation of the prior art bead dispenser would result in the gate of the bead dispenser failing to open or would result in it being permanently held open at all times. Therefore, there is a need for a bead dispensing apparatus that permits the bead dispenser to be adjustably moved closer or farther from the sprayer. 
     Additionally, since the bead dispensing apparatus of the present invention is an after-market product that is installed on the line striper by the painter, there is a need for a bead dispenser that does not require that it be mounted at a critically precise location on the line striper&#39;s horizontal support bar but rather can be attached anywhere within a wide range of fore and aft locations. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The glass bead dispensing apparatus has a glass bead container with a laterally oriented exit slot, a gate opening and closing the exit slot and an upstanding support post. An aft mounting block is attachable to the horizontal support bar of the line striper and the support post of the bead dispenser is vertically, adjustable and fixable to the aft mounting block in a selected vertical adjustment. A bead gate actuation cable has its aft end attached to the bead dispenser for opening the gate in response to a tension force applied to an opposite forward end of the gate actuation cable. The forward end of the gate actuation cable is removably attachable to a forward mounting block that is also attachable to the horizontal support bar. The forward end of the gate actuation cable is drivingly linked to a sprayer operator so that the sprayer operator applies a tension force upon the gate actuation cable for opening the bead gate when the sprayer operator actuates the sprayer. For use as a hand held bead dispenser, the gate actuation cable and the bead dispenser are easily and quickly removed from the line striper. After removal, a handle bar is attachable to the upstanding support post of the bead dispenser and has a hand-actuable lever that connects to the forward end of the gate actuation cable for manually opening the bead gate. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a view in perspective of a line striper of the prior art to which an embodiment of the invention can be mounted. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the horizontal support bar of the line striper of  FIG. 1  on which is mounted a sprayer gun, sprayer gun cradle and the sprayer gun actuation mechanism. 
         FIG. 3  is a side view like  FIG. 2  but with an embodiment of the invention also mounted on the horizontal support bar. 
         FIG. 4  is top view of a portion of the structures shown in  FIG. 3  showing the sprayer gun cradle, and the forward mechanical drive link connected between the forward end of the gate actuation cable and the sprayer operator. 
         FIG. 5  is a view in perspective of the glass bead dispenser and the structures for mounting it to the horizontal support bar in accordance with the invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a side view of the glass bead dispenser and its connection to the dispenser gate actuation cable showing the dispenser gate in its closed state. 
         FIG. 7  is a side view of the glass bead dispenser and its connection to the dispenser gate actuation cable showing the dispenser gate in its open state. 
         FIG. 8  is a view in perspective of an embodiment of the invention with the glass bead dispenser and its actuation cable attached to a handle bar for manual application of glass beads to fresh paint. 
     
    
    
     In describing the preferred embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology will be resorted to for the sake of clarity. However, it is not intended that the invention be limited to the specific term so selected and it is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/915,833 filed 13 Dec. 2013 is herein incorporated by reference. 
     Line Striper and it&#39;s Paint Sprayer 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an example of a popular, prior art, walk-behind pavement line striper. The line striper is a wheeled carriage  10  on which are mounted a paint sprayer  12  with its supporting paint supply reservoir  14 , a high pressure paint pump  16  suitable for an airless paint sprayer and an engine  18  for driving the pump  16 . The paint sprayer  12  is preferably a hand operable paint spray gun detachably mounted in a spray gun cradle  20 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the line striper has a horizontal support bar  22  that extends in a fore/aft orientation parallel to the line of travel of the line striper. The purpose of the horizontal support bar  22  is to provide a structure to which the paint sprayer  12  and, if desired, a bead dispenser is attached. The horizontal support bar is mounted to the line striper so that it is vertically adjustable. The spray gun cradle  20  that receives the paint sprayer  12  is attached to the support bar  22  near its forward end so that the support bar  22  extends aft of the sprayer  12 . 
     The paint spray gun  12  is actuated by a conventional spray gun trigger  24  to initiate spraying when moved in one direction (upward in  FIG. 2 ) and to stop the spraying when returned in the opposite direction by its spring bias. When the paint sprayer  12  is in the cradle  20 , a movable paint sprayer operator  26  actuates the trigger  24 . The paint sprayer operator  26  is a triangular bell crank that is pivotally mounted at a pivot axis  28  to the horizontal support bar  22  through intermediate attachment to the sprayer cradle  20  with the pivot axis  28  lower than the horizontal support bar  22 . The sprayer operator  26  has a forwardly extending lever arm  29  with a protruding finger  30  fixed to its end. The finger  30  extends from the sprayer operator  26  to beneath the underside of the sprayer trigger  24 . The sprayer operator  26  also has an upwardly extending lever arm  31  for attachment to a sprayer actuation cable  32 . 
     The sprayer actuation cable  32  has the forward end of its outer conduit seating in a conduit fitting  34  that in turn is attached to a conduit fitting support  35  fixed to the horizontal support bar  22 . The core of the actuation cable  32  is attached to a core fitting  38  that is fixed to the top of the upwardly extending lever arm  31  of the paint sprayer operator  26 . The opposite end of the actuation cable  32  is connected to a hand trigger  40  ( FIG. 1 ) at the rear of the line striper to permit the paint contractor to remotely start and stop spraying paint. More specifically, when the paint contractor squeezes the hand trigger  40 , the sprayer actuation cable  32  pulls the upwardly extending lever arm  31  aft which pivots the paint sprayer operator  26  in one direction (clockwise in  FIG. 2 ) about its pivot axis  28 . That rotation moves the finger  30  upward to actuate the paint sprayer trigger  24  and thereby initiates spraying. When the paint contractor releases the hand trigger  40 , the return spring of the paint spray gun  12  forces the spray gun trigger  24  against the finger  30  which pivots the paint sprayer operator  26  in the opposite direction (counterclockwise in  FIG. 2 ) about the pivot axis  28  and spraying stops. 
     Forward and Aft Mounting Blocks 
       FIGS. 3 through 8  illustrate an embodiment of the invention that is mounted to the horizontal support bar  22  of the prior art line striper. Its components are mounted to the horizontal support bar  22  by a forward mounting block  42  and an aft mounting block  44  which are both attached to the horizontal support bar  22 . The mounting blocks used with the invention are themselves known in the prior art. Each is a metal block with one or two holes. The holes receive a rod, bar or post (hereinafter “bar”) and have a size and interior wall contour to slidingly mate with a bar that is inserted through the holes. Both of the mounting blocks  42  and  44  have a hole that matingly receives, and is slightly larger than, the horizontal support bar  22  so that the mounting blocks  42  and  44  can be slid along the horizontal support bar  22 . Both of the mounting blocks  42  and  44  also have a fastener for fixing the block in position on the horizontal support bar  22  so that, after being fastened to the support bar  22 , the mounting block cannot slide along the support bar  22 . Each mounting block is preferably split by a slot  46  that is parallel to the hole to permit threaded fasteners  48 , which extend across the slot  46 , to clamp the block to a fixed position on the support bar  22 . However, alternative and different fastening systems can be used including set screws in the block that seat against the bar or a series of holes spaced along the bar and a hole through the block so that a pin can be inserted through the hole in the block and any of several holes through and spaced along the bar. Because the horizontal support bar  22  is typically cylindrical, both mounting blocks have a hole that is cylindrical and horizontally aligned in their operable orientation for attachment to the horizontal support bar  22 . 
     The aft mounting block  44  is attached to the horizontal support bar  22  aft of the forward mounting block  42 . Its purpose is to removably support a glass bead dispenser at a desired location as will be subsequently described. One convenient feature of the invention is that once the mounting blocks  42  and  44  are attached to the horizontal support bar  22 , neither of them needs to be removed when the glass bead dispenser is temporarily removed for hand application of glass beads. 
     Glass Bead Dispenser 
     The glass bead dispenser  50  and the manner of attaching it to the aft mounting block  44  are illustrated in  FIGS. 3, 5 .  6  and  7 . The glass bead dispenser  50  has a glass bead container  52  which is a reservoir filled with a supply of glass beads. The bead container  52  is filled through a hole in its top which preferably has an upstanding fill tube  54 . The fill tube can be connected to a remote reservoir or tank for holding a larger supply of glass beads that are fed by gravity into the bead container  52 . At the bottom of the bead container  52  is a container opening in the form of a laterally oriented and horizontal bead exit slot through which glass beads fall out by gravity when the exit slot is not blocked. 
     For controlling the outflow of glass beads, the bead dispenser  50  has a bead dispenser gate  56  that is movable between a position blocking the exit slot and a position opening the exit slot. The gate  56  has a gate operator  58  which is a lever mounted at a central pivot axis  60  to the bead container  52  for moving the gate  56  between its opened and closed positions. The lower lever arm  57  of the gate operator  58  is attached to the gate  56  below the pivot axis  60 . The upper lever arm  59  of the gate operator  58  extends upward above the pivot axis  60  for connection to the aft end of a gate actuation cable  72  that opens the gate  56  and is described below. The gate  56  also has a pliant material forming a gasket  62  for making a tighter seal against the bead exit slot. A spring  64  biases the gate operator  58  in a direction of rotation that closes the gate  56  against the bead exit slot. For mounting the aft end of the gate actuation cable  72 , an actuation cable conduit mounting arm  65  is attached to the bead container  52  and is spaced from the gate operator  58 . As will be seen, the core of the gate actuation cable  72  is attached to the gate operator  58  so that a tension force applied to the opposite end of the core pulls the gate operator  58  in a direction of rotation that opens the gate  56 . 
     An upstanding bead container support post  66  is fixed to the top of the bead container  52  for attachment to the aft mounting block  44 . For this purpose, the aft mounting block  44  additionally has a second hole oriented with its axis in a vertical orientation, in the operable attached orientation of the aft mounting block, for receiving the upstanding support post  66  of the bead dispenser  50 . The vertical hole or opening is a guide surface for maintaining the bead dispenser support post  66  in a vertical orientation while allowing the support post  66 , along with the entire bead dispenser  52 , to be vertically adjusted and then fixed at a selected height above the pavement without any need to move the horizontal support bar  22 . This also permits the entire bead dispenser  52  to be easily removed for use as a hand held bead dispenser. 
     Horizontal adjustment of the distance from the sprayer  12  to the bead dispenser  50  is possible by mounting the bead dispenser  50  to a slidable, aft mounting block  44 . Vertical adjustment of the bead dispenser  50  to a selected height above the pavement, rapid removal of the bead dispenser  50  from the line striper for use as a hand held bead dispenser, rapid attachment of the bead dispenser  50  to a handle and rapid replacement of the bead dispenser  50  on the line striper are all made possible by the manner of fixing the position of the bead dispenser support post  66  in the aft mounting block  44 . A series of diametrically oriented holes  68  are vertically spaced at 1 inch intervals along the bead dispenser support post  66 . A horizontal hole through the aft mounting block  44  can be aligned with any of the holes  68  through the support post  66  by vertically sliding the support post  66  along the vertical hole through the aft mounting block  44 . When the horizontal holes are brought into registration, a linchpin  70  is inserted through the holes to retain the support post  66  in the selected position in the aft mounting block  44 . For vertical adjustment of the height of the bead dispenser  50  above the pavement after the horizontal support bar  22  has been raised or lowered, the linchpin  70  is removed, the support post  66  is vertically slid through the vertical hole in the aft mounting block  44  and the linchpin  70  is reinserted with the bead dispenser  50  at a selected height. For removal of the bead dispenser  50  from the aft mounting block  44 , the linchpin  70  is withdrawn from its aligned horizontal holes and then the bead dispenser support post  66  along with the entire bead dispenser  50  is lowered out of the aft mounting block  44 . As will subsequently be described, the bead dispenser  50  is also quickly mounted to a tubular handle by aligning similar holes in the handle with one of the holes  68  through the bead dispenser support post  66  and inserting the linchpin  70 . 
     Actuation Connection from Sprayer to Bead Dispenser 
     Of critical importance for obtaining several of the improvements of the invention is that an actuation cable, rather than a rigid link, is a part of the mechanical drive connection from the paint sprayer operator  26  to the bead dispenser gate operator  58  for opening the gate  56  when the sprayer operator  26  actuates the sprayer  12  to begin spraying. Actuation cables are themselves well known in the prior art. They consist of a core, usually in the form of a stranded wire and a surrounding conduit through which the core slides. Conduit end fittings receive the opposite ends of the conduit and are attached to respective conduit mounting arms to fix the ends of the conduit in stationery positions. Conduit mounting arms have a hole through which the conduit end fitting is inserted. The conduit end fittings are sometimes provided with a radial slot that runs lengthwise for insertion of the core into the conduit end fitting. A core connector (sometimes called a head, such as a barrel head) is secured to each of the opposite ends of the core. When the core connector at one end is moved to apply a tension force on the core, the core slides through the conduit and the core connector at the opposite end is moved. 
     The glass bead dispenser gate  56  is connected to the paint sprayer operator  26  in a manner that accomplishes three goals: (1) opening the bead gate  56  when the sprayer operator  26  initiates spraying; (2) closing the gate when the sprayer operator  26  stops the spraying; and (3) not actuating the sprayer operator  26  if the gate  56  is unintentionally forced open, such as by being pulled open as a result of being scraped or dragged along the pavement. The principal components of the drive connection between the paint sprayer operator  26  and the bead dispenser gate  56  are (1) the gate actuation cable  72  that is connected at its aft end  74  to the bead dispenser  50  and (2) a mechanical drive link connected between the forward end of the gate actuation cable  72  and the sprayer operator  26 . The mechanical drive link is supported on the forward mounting block  42  and is arranged to cause the sprayer operator  26  to apply a tension force upon the core  76  for opening the bead gate  56  when the sprayer operator  26  actuates the sprayer  12  and for releasing the tension force when the sprayer operator  26  pivots to stop the spraying. 
     Looking at these components in more detail, the aft end of the gate actuation cable  72  has a conduit fitting  82  that is attached to the actuation cable mounting arm  65  of the bead dispenser  50 . The core  76  of the gate actuation cable  72  extends through the bead gate bias spring  64  into attachment to the upper lever arm  59  of the bead gate operator  58 . Consequently, if a tension force is applied to the opposite forward end of the core  76  of the gate actuation cable  72  and the tension force pulls the core  76  forward, that forward movement pulls the upper lever arm  59  of the gate operator  58  forward and opens the bead gate  56 . However, an important observation to remember is that, if the bead gate  56  is dragged along the pavement and pulled open, no force is transmitted through the gate actuation cable  72 . Instead, the resulting forward movement of the upper lever arm  59  of the gate operator  58  merely pushes (applies a compression force) on the core  76 . The pushed core cannot overcome the friction in the actuation cable  72  and the friction and forces applied to the mechanical linkages at the forward end of the bead gate actuation cable  72 . So instead, the pushed core  76  simply bends or droops into a smooth curve within the gate bias spring  64  with no translation of the core  76  inside its conduit. So no force is transmitted forward that would actuate the paint sprayer and cause an unintended application of paint to the pavement. 
     Referring principally to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , a cable conduit mounting arm  78  is attached to the forward mounting block  42  for removably attaching the conduit of the bead dispenser actuation cable  42  to the forward mounting block  42 . The mounting arm  78  has a hole through which a cable conduit end fitting  80  is mounted. The mounting arm  78  also has a slot  79  extending from the hole to an outer periphery (the top) of the mounting arm  78  with a slot width greater than the diameter of the core  76  of the bead dispenser actuation cable  42 . The slot  79  in the mounting arm  78  is aligned with a longitudinal slot in the conduit end fitting  80 . This arrangement makes the core  76  of the bead dispenser actuation cable  42  quickly and easily removable from its attachment to the mounting arm  78  by merely pulling aft on the conduit of the gate actuation cable  72  to pull it out of the conduit end fitting  80  and then lifting up on the gate actuation cable  72  to pass its core  76  up through the aligned slots. 
     The mechanical drive link connecting the forward end of the gate actuation cable  72  to the sprayer operator  26  comprises (1) a direction-reversing bell crank  84  and (2) a sprayer operator connecting link  86  connecting the bell crank  84  to the sprayer operator  26 . The direction-reversing bell crank  84  is pivotally mounted by a pivot axle  88  that is fixed to the forward mounting block  42 . The preferred bell crank  84  includes a lever arm  90  that, in operable connection on the pavement line striper, extends upward from the pivot axle  88 . A second lever arm  92  of the bell crank  84  extends downward from the pivot axle  88 . Most preferably, the direction-reversing bell crank  84  is a 180° bell crank that is a simple lever having its lever arms extending in 180° opposite directions 
     In order to removably attach the forward end of the actuation cable core  76  to the upper lever arm  90 , a slot  94  bifurcates the upper end of the direction reversing bell crank  84  into two branches. A cross bore  96  extends through the two branches and across the slot  94  for receipt of a forward core fitting, preferably a barrel head connector  98 , that is swedged or swaged onto the core  76  of the bead gate actuation cable  72 . A radial slot  97  in at least one of the bifurcated branches permits passage of the core  76  into or out of the slot  94  for manual insertion or removal of the barrel head connector  98  into or out of the cross bore  96 . 
     This arrangement allows for the very rapid and easy removal of the forward end of the bead gate actuation cable  72  from the forward mounting block. The previously described manipulations lift the core  76  out of the conduit end fitting  80  and then the forward core fitting  98  is slid laterally from the direction-reversing bell crank  84 . The now free forward end of the bead gate actuation cable  72  is available for connection for manual bead application. 
     The sprayer operator connecting link  86  is connected so that a direction of rotation of the sprayer operator  26  that actuates the trigger  24  of the sprayer  12 , also applies a tension on the dispenser gate actuation cable  72 . The preferred sprayer operator connecting link  86  is pivotally connected to the lower lever arm  92  of the direction-reversing bell crank  84  and pivotally connected at the connecting link&#39;s opposite end to the paint sprayer operator  26 . Preferably, the sprayer operator connecting link  86  is pivotally connected to the upwardly extending lever arm  31  of the sprayer operator  26  above the pivot axis  28  of the sprayer operator  26 . The most preferred sprayer operator connecting link  86  is a shaft bent out in opposite directions at right angles at its ends. One bent out end is pivotally connected to a hole in the paint sprayer operator  26  and the opposite bent out end is pivotally connected to a hole near the lower end of the direction reversing bell crank  84 . 
     Handle Bar for Manual Application of Glass Beads 
       FIG. 8  shows a handle bar  100  to which the bead dispenser  50  and the forward end of the gate actuation cable  72  are attached after removal from the line striper as previously described. The handle bar  100  is a tube with its lower end  102  telescopically engaged with and attached to the upstanding support post  66  of the bead dispenser  50 . More particularly, the lower end  102  of the handle bar  100  is provided with one or more diametrical holes  101 . The upstanding bead dispenser support post  66  is slid into the bottom end of the handle bar  100  until one of the holes  68  through the support post  66  aligns with a hole  101  through the lower end  102  of the handle bar  100 . The linchpin  70  is inserted through the aligned holes to secure the bead dispenser  50  to the bottom end of the handle bar  100 . 
     The upper end  104  of the handle bar  100  is bent into a cane-like crook shape to permit a comfortable and secure grip by the painter. A hand-actuable lever  106 , that is like a bicycle brake engagement lever, is attached to the upper end  104  in position for actuation by the painter. The hand-actuable lever  106  has an actuation cable mounting arm  108  to which is mounted an actuation cable conduit end fitting  110 . The forward end of the actuation cable  72  (upper end when on the handle bar  100 ) is removably attachable to the actuation cable conduit end fitting  110  on the cable conduit mounting arm  108  of the handle bar  100  in the same manner as described above. Similarly, the forward core fitting  98  is removably attachable to the hand-actuable lever  106 . Consequently, when the painter squeezes and pivots the hand-actuable lever  106 , a tension force is applied to the actuation cable  72  to open the bead gate  56 . Releasing the lever  106  allows the bead gate to be closed by its biasing spring  64 . 
     It should be apparent that the length of the actuation cable should be at least long enough to allow adjustment of the fore and aft location of the bead dispenser along the horizontal support bar  22 . The core of the actuation cable needs to be at least as long as the distance from the top end of the direction reversing bell crank  84  to the bead dispenser gate operator  58 . However, the position of the bead dispenser  50  along the horizontal support bar is not critical. The proper opening and closing functions of the bead gate  56  are not affected by the position. As a result, no critical adjustment is required. 
     REFERENCE NUMBERS 
     
         
           10  wheeled carriage 
           12  paint sprayer 
           14  paint reservoir 
           16  high pressure paint pump 
           18  engine 
           20  spray gun cradle 
           22  horizontal support bar 
           24  paint spray trigger 
           26  paint sprayer operator 
           28  pivot axis of sprayer operator 
           29  forwardly extending lever arm of sprayer operator 
           30  finger for actuating sprayer trigger 
           31  upwardly extending lever arm of sprayer operator 
           32  sprayer actuation cable 
           34  sprayer actuation cable conduit fitting 
           35  sprayer conduit fitting support 
           36  core of sprayer actuation cable  32   
           38  core fitting for sprayer actuation cable  32   
           40  hand trigger for the line sprayer 
           42  forward mounting block 
           44  aft mounting block 
           46  slot in aft mounting block  44   
           48  threaded fasteners across slot  46   
           50  glass bead dispenser 
           52  glass bead container 
           54  bead container fill tube 
           56  bead dispenser gate 
           57  lower lever arm of bead gate operator  58   
           58  bead gate operator 
           59  upper lever arm of bead gate operator  58   
           60  pivot axle of bead gate operator 
           62  gasket on bead gate 
           64  bias spring on bead gate operator 
           65  mounting arm on bead dispenser for gate actuation cable 
           66  bead container support post 
           68  diametric holes through bead container support post 
           70  linchpin—through bead container support post 
           72  bead gate actuation cable 
           74  aft end of bead gate actuation cable 
           76  core of gate actuation cable 
           78  forward cable conduit mounting arm 
           79  slot in forward cable conduit mounting arm  78   
           80  forward cable conduit end fitting 
           82  aft conduit fitting of gate actuation cable 
           84  direction reversing bell crank 
           86  sprayer operator connecting link 
           88  pivot axle of direction reversing bell crank  84   
           90  upper lever arm of direction reversing bell crank  84   
           92  lower lever arm of bell crank  84   
           94  slot in upper end of upper lever arm  90   
           96  cross bore through upper end of  84  to receive a barrel head core connector 
           97  radial slot in direction reversing bell crank  84   
           98  barrel head connector 
           100  handle bar 
           102  lower end of handle bar 
           104  upper end of handle bar 
           106  hand actuable lever on handle bar  100   
           108  mounting arm on hand lever  106  for cable 
           110  cable conduit end fitting on handle bar  100   
       
    
     This detailed description in connection with the drawings is intended principally as a description of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, and is not intended to represent the only form in which the present invention may be constructed or utilized. The description sets forth the designs, functions, means, and methods of implementing the invention in connection with the illustrated embodiments. It is to be understood, however, that the same or equivalent functions and features may be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention and that various modifications may be adopted without departing from the invention or scope of the following claims.