Roadside barrier marker system

Claim 1

In a roadway construction of the type having generally longitudinally extending road surface portions within roadside edge portions, the improvement which comprises (A) a plurality of individual retroreflective reflector means, each individual one of said reflector means (1) having at least two regions which are each retroreflective of incident light, and each such region has one flattened exterior surface portion which respective such surface portions are inclined relative to one another, (2) said two regions thereof being colored white, red, amber, or blue, (3) said two regions thereof together further being continuously retroreflective of incident light rays striking the surface portions thereof over a predeterminable included angle of at least about 60° but less than 90° measured relative to said one flattened surface portion, (4) the retroreflected light from any one of said reflector means at any given location within such included angle thereof having a minimum specific intensity value for retroreflectivity which is at least that shown in the following table: ______________________________________ Color of Specific intensity in candelas said regions per foot candle ______________________________________ white 20 red 5 amber 12 blue 5 ______________________________________ (B) a plurality of mounting means, each one being associated with a different one of said reflector means, for holding its associated individual such respective reflector means in a predetermined orientation relative to said roadside edge portions such that (1) said flattened surface portions of each of said two regions are generally vertical, and (2) 0° extends substantially parallelly to a tangent to said roadside edge portions in the region where each respective one of said reflector means is located, and the angle of 60° of retroreflectivity extends out into said road surface portions in a prechosen direction relative to a given direction of traffic flow along said road surface portions, (C) the relationship between individual ones of said reflector means as so held by individual ones of said mounting means being such that said reflector means are in longitudinally spaced relationship to one another relative to said roadside edge portions, and also each one of said reflector means is located relative to said road surface portions in a similar position relative thereto, and (D) the interrelationship between such plurality of reflector means and said road surface portions being such that the driver of a vehicle moving along said road surface portion at night, said vehicle being equipped with head light means, continuously sees each individual reflector means of said plurality within a viewing angle of at least from 0° to 60° but less than about 90° where 0° and 60° are as defined above.