Patent ID: 7581918

Claim:
An apparatus for collecting traffic cones from a surface to a vehicle, or dispensing traffic cones onto the surface from the vehicle, the apparatus comprising: a conveyor disposed in use between the vehicle and the surface for transferring traffic cones therebetween, and means for actuating the conveyor in a transverse direction substantially perpendicular with the direction of movement of the vehicle during use; wherein the conveyor actuating means comprises a sliding mechanism for effecting relative sliding movement between the conveyor and the vehicle in said transverse direction, the sliding mechanism comprising: a base section mountable on the vehicle; a sliding section slidably coupled to the base section for sliding movement in said transverse direction; and means for effecting relative sliding movement between the base section and the sliding section; and a carriage by which the conveyor is coupled to the sliding section, the carriage being slidable with respect to the sliding section in said transverse direction, and wherein said carriage is extendible beyond one or both ends of the base section in said transverse direction such that said conveyor is positionable beyond one or both ends of the base section in said transverse direction; and wherein said apparatus further includes a transfer mechanism for transferring traffic cones from the surface to the conveyor, the transfer mechanism including a toppling device arranged to engage with and tilt the traffic cone as the apparatus is advanced towards the traffic cone, and to release the traffic cone as the apparatus is further advanced towards the traffic cone such that the traffic cone returns to an upright position under the action of gravity, and wherein the toppling device includes at least one contact member connected to or including at least one toppling member, the at least one contact member being movable between a rest state, in which the at least one toppling member is positioned to engage with and tilt the traffic cone, and a displaced state in which the at least one toppling member is displaced from said engage and tilt position, the arrangement being such that, when the at least one toppling member engages with and tilts the traffic cone, the tilted traffic cone engages with the at least one contact member and moves the contact member from the rest state to the displaced state.