Six Vehicles Paint 10,500 Miles of Lines
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EVERY year the highways department of Ohio. U.S.A., has to paint about 10,500 miles of white centre lines and yellow no-passing-zone lines, using some 200.000 gallons of paint.
In 1939, when Ohio adopted the official standard of the American Association Of State Highways for the marking of no-passing zones, pedestrian-type marking machines were used, the painting of the white and yellow lines being separate operations. Not only was the
method costly, but far ,too slow.
Following the use of a " homebuilt"' machine mounted on a 1,1-ton chassis, in 1949 the department received delivery of six entirely automatic units in which were incorporated the results of the experiments which had been
carried out with improvised equipment.
The new mechanical painting machines are mounted on Autocar 3-ton chassis. Each has a tank capacity of 700 U.S. gallons, one compartment of the container holding 450 gallons or white paint, and another 250 gallons of yellow paint. On each unit there is a V8-type air compressor capable of delivering 60 cubic ft. of air per minute.
The painting is done by spray guns. the operating controls being located at the [ear of the machine. A five-gallon pressure tank carries a supply of paint solvent which is used for cleaning the atomizing heads of the spray guns. In order to provide-for lateral movement of the spray guns, shOuld-the vehicle not maintain a true course, they are
mounted on a dolly provided with pneumatic tyres.
Control of the dolly is by a conventional steering wheel, whilst it is raised . or lowered through the agency of the compressed-air system. To guide the driver of the vehicle, there is an outrigger bracket attached to the front bumper. This bracket carries a swivelmounted A-frame carrying a pneumatictyred wheel which the driver has to maintain on a pre-spotted line, or on one which is being retraced.
When the outfit is on the move communication between the. driver and spray operator is maintained by means of an inter-corn, system.