Marking paint applicator for use with portable utility locator
A marking paint applicator for a portable electronic locator that locates buried cables and pipes via electromagnetic emissions is disclosed. The marking paint application may include an elongated support structure and a trigger mechanism, along with a bracket assembly, a receptacle for holding paint, and an actuating mechanism for selectively controlling release of the paint in response to operator actuation of the trigger mechanism.
1. A marking paint applicator for use with a portable locator that includes an input for receiving a paint deployment signal, comprising:
a support structure;
a mounting assembly for removable coupling of the applicator to the portable locator;
a trigger mechanism;
a receptacle mounted to the support structure for holding an aerosol paint can and positioning a valve stem of the aerosol paint can for spraying paint onto the ground;
an actuating mechanism for controlling the valve stem so as to cause the aerosol paint can to spray paint for deployment on the ground; and
a sensor operatively coupled to the actuation mechanism to provide a signal to the input of the locator indicating deployment of paint upon actuation so as to indicate paint deployment on a display of the locator.
2. The applicator of claim 1 , wherein the mounting assembly includes one or more clips to removably couple the applicator to the locator.
3. The applicator of claim 1 , wherein the mounting assembly includes one or more brackets to removably couple the applicator to the locator.
4. The applicator of claim 1 , wherein one or both of the receptacle and support structure comprises a non-metallic material for minimizing magnetic field distortion of magnetic field signals received by the locator.
5. The applicator of claim 1 , further including one or more wheels coupled to the applicator.
6. A method of marking a utility in conjunction with a utility locator and associated paint applicator, comprising:
receiving, at a trigger mechanism of a paint applicator as in claim 1 , a user actuation input;
actuating, at an actuating mechanism of the paint applicator of claim 1 , deployment of paint from an aerosol paint can onto a ground surface;
sensing the discharge of paint at a sensor of the paint applicator of claim 1 , and
providing a signal to the input of the locator so as to indicate paint deployment.
7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising providing an indication of paint deployment on the locator.
8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising adding a time tag to the paint deployment signal and storing the time tag in a non-transitory memory with data representing the paint deployment.